Revelation

[Cobol]

From my perspective, Christianity is nothing more than a fatalistic Death Cult that has predicted the mass liquidation of all earthly species in 365 CE. Produced a continuous supply of luminaries who’ve longed for nothing short of the total and complete annihilation of our home world.

Christianity (like Judaism and Islam) is an anticipatory religion; a sect almost wholly fixated on the expectations (and apprehension) of a single and supposedly inescapable future event: the apocalypse detailed in John’s Revelation where all but “saved” Christians will be butchered by the Middle Eastern Christian god.

In the last 1,700 years there have been more than three-hundred prominent captains of Christianity who have announced with anticipation that their god was about to lay waste to all life on earth. In this generation alone there have been over forty major public incidents where Christian leaders have proclaimed that their god was here and it was time to die.

Nearly half of Christians believe that their Middle Eastern god will commence its mass extinction of all creatures in their lifetime. Christianity is the longest-lasting death cult in the history of humanity. Christians should probably read their bibles a little more carefully, because if they did they’d see that the very first Christian Doomsdayer, Jesus Christ himself, got his own prediction of the end of the world stupendously wrong when he boldly announced: “I TELL YOU THE TRUTH, some who are standing here will not taste death before they see the Son of Man coming in his kingdom.” (Matthew 16:28, Luke 9:27, Mark 9:1). Evidently, the character Jesus wasn’t exactly telling the truth. All those standing there in the story went on to die perfectly normal, entirely non-supernatural deaths, and that leaves the 21st Century Christian in quite a credibility muddle.

These earth-wrecking firestorms are little more than the ramblings of frenzied minds. We can all hope that these apocalyptic death anxious notables might one day direct their efforts to improving life on this planet.

 

[Brickjectivity]

...nothing more...

I do not think so. Its dismissive and irresponsible.

...Nearly half of Christians believe that their Middle Eastern god will commence its mass extinction of all creatures in their lifetime....

I understand, but its not so hard considering we are all very nearly nuked every day. Its not like 300 years ago when the worst imaginable was an invisible plague. Now we can all disappear in minutes. I think we should cut that 50% a little slack and work with them and perhaps not dismiss them. They still matter.

These earth-wrecking firestorms are little more than the ramblings of frenzied minds. We can all hope that these apocalyptic death anxious notables might one day direct their efforts to improving life on this planet.

Many of them recycle. There are aspects of this that you may not be aware of and change is continual. What we should not do is give up on people, because that is counter productive. Remember there is another 50%.

Christianity (like Judaism and Islam) is an anticipatory religion

This is a mistaken opinion. Christianity is primarily a religion of social peace. There are unfortunately several movements within it that anticipate the destruction of the world, but the religion is not anticipatory of destruction. Judaism cannot be described as what you have suggested at all and is a religion in which each day must be lived like there is a tomorrow. Islam is a religion in which only certain factions are anticipating the end of the world, although all Muslims probably do believe in heaven-going I cannot say that for sure. All are full of important people who have brains, some of whom are working the resolve problems like the ones you perceive.

Its easy to look from only one angle at a puzzle and lose all hope of resolving it. To solve puzzles requires looking at them from new perspectives. Every puzzle contains its own solution.

 

[TrueBeliever37]

Christians should probably read their bibles a little more carefully, because if they did they’d see that the very first Christian Doomsdayer, Jesus Christ himself, got his own prediction of the end of the world stupendously wrong when he boldly announced: “I TELL YOU THE TRUTH, some who are standing here will not taste death before they see the Son of Man coming in his kingdom.” (Matthew 16:28, Luke 9:27, Mark 9:1). Evidently, the character Jesus wasn’t exactly telling the truth. All those standing there in the story went on to die perfectly normal, entirely non-supernatural deaths, and that leaves the 21st Century Christian in quite a credibility muddle.

He didn't get it wrong. You just don't have the correct understanding of the scriptures and what he meant. The kingdom was his church. The kingdom came on the day of Pentecost as told in Acts 2:

He came in the power of the Holy Spirit. This was what he was referring to in the book of John - I will not leave you comfortless, I will come to you. So some who were standing there didn't taste death before the kingdom came.

 

[Grandliseur]

From my perspective, Christianity is nothing more than a fatalistic Death Cult that has predicted the mass liquidation of all earthly species in 365 CE. Produced a continuous supply of luminaries who’ve longed for nothing short of the total and complete annihilation of our home world.

Christianity (like Judaism and Islam) is an anticipatory religion; a sect almost wholly fixated on the expectations (and apprehension) of a single and supposedly inescapable future event: the apocalypse detailed in John’s Revelation where all but “saved” Christians will be butchered by the Middle Eastern Christian god.

In the last 1,700 years there have been more than three-hundred prominent captains of Christianity who have announced with anticipation that their god was about to lay waste to all life on earth. In this generation alone there have been over forty major public incidents where Christian leaders have proclaimed that their god was here and it was time to die.

Nearly half of Christians believe that their Middle Eastern god will commence its mass extinction of all creatures in their lifetime. Christianity is the longest-lasting death cult in the history of humanity. Christians should probably read their bibles a little more carefully, because if they did they’d see that the very first Christian Doomsdayer, Jesus Christ himself, got his own prediction of the end of the world stupendously wrong when he boldly announced: “I TELL YOU THE TRUTH, some who are standing here will not taste death before they see the Son of Man coming in his kingdom.” (Matthew 16:28, Luke 9:27, Mark 9:1). Evidently, the character Jesus wasn’t exactly telling the truth. All those standing there in the story went on to die perfectly normal, entirely non-supernatural deaths, and that leaves the 21st Century Christian in quite a credibility muddle.

These earth-wrecking firestorms are little more than the ramblings of frenzied minds. We can all hope that these apocalyptic death anxious notables might one day direct their efforts to improving life on this planet.

Do you feel better now!

Expecting paradise on earth in which no wars, no illnesses no famine, or other suffering will exists, where the wicked who hurt others, whether by being rich tyrants, or people who wage wars, or drug peddlers - all are gone, seems an improvement to me.

 

[Jumi]

Why focus on just the bad when we have the luxury to take a more balanced take on things.

 

[Terrywoodenpic]

Even the earliest Christian writings such as the Didache. show that it was a eschatological belief system.
This has become less mainstream in detail, as time and events have shown that the End of Times was not imminent then, and is seemingly not imminent now.

However, as a religion, it still looks forward to the second coming and the new Kingdom on Earth ending in a final holocaust.

This seems to be at odds with what most people might actually believe, which is more on the lines of the promise of a second life in heaven after their death, only conditional on their repentance and and forgiveness of their sins, guaranteed by the death and resurrection of Jesus.

As both scenarios can be readily read into the Bible. Christians can mix and match to their hearts content.
and most do.

 

[shunyadragon]

This is a mistaken opinion. Christianity is primarily a religion of social peace.

Terribly naive considering the acts of history and scripture. I do consider the Quakers (Society of Friends) is a church of peace.

 

[Brickjectivity]

Terribly naive considering the acts of history and scripture. I do consider the Quakers (Society of Friends) is a church of peace.

Quakers are a stage of the reformation, rejecting all of the trappings even more than the Brethren. I have not read their history and reasoning, but the Quakers seem biblically informed to me in a lot of what they do. As for the acts of history I am ashamed, because I know I would have done the same if I lived in those times. Where I disagree with the OP is the 'Nothing but', and I believe Christ continues to be important whether it be through a Quaker interpretation or some better one. I am against abandoning hundreds of millions of Christians and their families, and that is what the OP is suggesting. Its suggesting just writing them all off as a loss.

 

[shunyadragon]

Quakers are a stage of the reformation, rejecting all of the trappings even more than the Brethren. I have not read their history and reasoning, but the Quakers seem biblically informed to me in a lot of what they do. As for the acts of history I am ashamed, because I know I would have done the same if I lived in those times. Where I disagree with the OP is the 'Nothing but', and I believe Christ continues to be important whether it be through a Quaker interpretation or some better one. I am against abandoning hundreds of millions of Christians and their families, and that is what the OP is suggesting. Its suggesting just writing them all off as a loss.

The problem is not the beliefs and consequences of the beliefs of different churches, which are conflicting and diverse, but the nature and guidance from scripture, and the result. Biblical scripture does in places teach love, fellowship and peace, but on the other hand there are many places that the Bible teaches conflicting views on the nature of religions and violence. The Book of Revelation it self creates contradictions.

The Bible is an edited, redacted, and compiled selection of ancient scripture resulting in many conflicting views, without consistent authorship nor provenance. The lack of guidance effects many aspects particularly science.

You also have to deal with the fact of the claim of scripture of literal divine guidance, and directly inspired authorship from cover to cover.

Over the centuries 'reform' movements have a distinct 'humanist' bent in trying to reinterpret and in some ways selectively rewrite scripture and history to fit awkwardly into the changing evolving world around us.

 

[Cobol]

Christianity is primarily a religion of social peace.

The chief symbol of your religion is the cross, which was a form of execution for the Romans for enemies of the state. The cross was not a symbol of the religion until the reign of Emperor Constantine, who made Christianity the state religion of the Roman Empire.

I see Christians wearing the symbol of death around their necks in public. Why this obsession with death in religion?

Religions promise victory over death — with caveats. Some religions argue that to achieve eternal life a person must do certain things, such as attending church, with often the implication that giving money to the church might grease the rails for that heavenly journey. Other religions emphasize that one must believe in a certain way, such as believing that Jesus is the son of God. The church for most of its history has emphasized belief and obedience to authority, either of the Bible or the church’s hierarchy, rather than the acts of mercy. God’s judgment on who goes to heaven and who goes to hell.

How about replacing the cross as the chief symbol of the faith with a dove, or a fish, which once had far more power than the cross? And let’s stop using this symbol of death as jewelry.

There is a battle going on between forces of death and forces of life, your religion must reinforce life rather than death.

 

[Brickjectivity]

The problem is not the beliefs and consequences of the beliefs of different churches, which are conflicting and diverse, but the nature and guidance from scripture, and the result. Biblical scripture does in places teach love, fellowship and peace, but on the other hand there are many places that the Bible teaches conflicting views on the nature of religions and violence. The Book of Revelation it self creates contradictions.

The Bible is an edited, redacted, and compiled selection of ancient scripture resulting in many conflicting views, without consistent authorship nor provenance. The lack of guidance effects many aspects particularly science.

You also have to deal with the fact of the claim of scripture of literal divine guidance, and directly inspired authorship from cover to cover.

Over the centuries 'reform' movements have a distinct 'humanist' bent in trying to reinterpret and in some ways selectively rewrite scripture and history to fit awkwardly into the changing evolving world around us.

The Bible does not have anything in it which says "These books are all perfect, inerrant spoken by a deity that shall determine for you what is right and wrong." Instead they begin with a story of a man who trades his immortality for moral understanding in opposition to the deity. Its pretty amazing compared to all other 'Holy' books. I do not find it comparable to any other historical set, and I don't think we can replace it. What we need to do here at the beginning of this new digital age is to make sure everything about it is preserved for future generations to discern for themselves.

The chief symbol of your religion is the cross, which was a form of execution for the Romans for enemies of the state. The cross was not a symbol of the religion until the reign of Emperor Constantine, who made Christianity the state religion of the Roman Empire.

I see Christians wearing the symbol of death around their necks in public. Why this obsession with death in religion?

Religions promise victory over death — with caveats. Some religions argue that to achieve eternal life a person must do certain things, such as attending church, with often the implication that giving money to the church might grease the rails for that heavenly journey. Other religions emphasize that one must believe in a certain way, such as believing that Jesus is the son of God. The church for most of its history has emphasized belief and obedience to authority, either of the Bible or the church’s hierarchy, rather than the acts of mercy. God’s judgment on who goes to heaven and who goes to hell.

How about replacing the cross as the chief symbol of the faith with a dove, or a fish, which once had far more power than the cross? And let’s stop using this symbol of death as jewelry.

There is a battle going on between forces of death and forces of life, your religion must reinforce life rather than death.

The cross is a personal symbol of death; so its about one's self dying. It is related to denying one's self; but the symbol is not a necessity to wear or decorate with. I am aware that it has been used badly and do not wear crosses for that reason among others, much like I would not wear a swastika. You don't need to wear one to be Christian, because there is no required symbol. I think doves are a nice symbol, but even doves can become a scary symbol if used for violence. ***edit*** I think wearing a cross is acceptable if one does deny themselves and live for other as it should indicate. I do think its not a good idea to wear one just as a decoration or insensitively, because now the symbol has been tainted.

 

[shunyadragon]

The Bible does not have anything in it which says "These books are all perfect, inerrant spoken by a deity that shall determine for you what is right and wrong."

Of course not, because this is a ridiculous proposition that the most devout fundamentalist Christian would reject.

Instead they begin with a story of a man who trades his immortality for moral understanding in opposition to the deity. Its pretty amazing compared to all other 'Holy' books. I do not find it comparable to any other historical set, and I don't think we can replace it. What we need to do here at the beginning of this new digital age is to make sure everything about it is preserved for future generations to discern for themselves.

This equally ridiculous and confusing way to describe the Bible. The comparison with the other holy books would only be significant to those that believe in it, like those who believe in any other holy book.

In fact for a scripture that supports the reality of a religion of peace the Buddhists have got you hands down

 

[Brickjectivity]

In fact for a scripture that supports the reality of a religion of peace the Buddhists have got you hands down

I view Buddhism as very peace oriented and compatible with Christianity. Buddhist scriptures have a concept of non-existence and metaphorical reincarnation along with compassion. Christian scriptures have a concept of self denial and life through Christ which is equal to leaving sin and loving everyone. The nuts and bolts of Christian scripture is quite similar. A person can be a genuine Christian Buddhist, altering no scriptures and with the person being both fully a disciple of Jesus and a Buddhist. What they will not be is superstitious, because the scriptures do not require that.