I'm beginning to sense a theme here. This is really what Christianity is all about - outsourcing one's one autonomy. If you want to get to heaven, submit, obey. Blessed are the meek. Adam and Eve were cursed for disobedience. Those that don't obey are called rebellious and people attempting to evade accountability, then chided for taking control of their own lives for playing God.
And I am sensing a theme here too.....those who think independence from the Creator is beneficial, and want to do things their way, not his, usually find out the hard way that independent thinking is not all it’s cracked up to be.
“I Did It My Way” was a song, applauding a life lived “their way”, but in reality unless people submit to a rule of law, anarchy will prevail. Put all the free thinkers together and ask if this will create the world you all want? Someone has to be in control. Why not the Creator who designed us to look to him for our definition of right and wrong? Can you depend on humans to get that right?
That's how it was from inside Christianity. The mindset was infantilizing, continually being treated like a child. Of course, the military was the same
This might have become the mindset of Christendom, but it was never the mindset of original Christianity. Please don’t confuse them. We are children....infants in comparison to an eternal God. Like it or not, we are his children. But as a good parent, he allows us to learn from experience. He instructs us in the way that is beneficial for us, but he will not prevent us from experiencing the consequences of our own decisions. Free will must have accountability..... that only works if you are a responsible adult.....so many are not. If we are only accountable to ourselves, what does that mean for the irresponsible ones.....and those who must deal with their irresponsible behavior?
As a secular humanist, I have assumed responsibility for my life again. I don't submit to anything but the law, and I do that willingly, and feel like I am cooperating rather than submitting. Likewise, I cooperate with others, neither of us submitting to the other.
Good for you. But what of those who care little about your life and are only intent on promoting their own......to your detriment? Who do they answer to? What of those who don’t have your responsible attitude or respect for anyone else? If there is no answering to any authority, should there be vigilantes?
Christianity is all about hierarchies - those with less power submitting to those with more power - man to God, subjects to kings, slaves to masters, and wives to husbands.
Hierarchies have existed ever since human civilisation began. We are all accountable to someone.....in life, in business, in law, there has to be order, so how do you achieve this by rejecting hierarchies?
A modern, enlightened, free citizen rejects all of that. He bows to no god or king. His wife is his equal. He doesn't own people. He is an equal, empowered, free - all ideas I imbibed growing up in 20th century America. Live free or die. Don't tread on me. This obedience and submission mindset is alien to me, and I can't find a reason to submit to the commands in a holy book.
That all sounds nice in theory and is entirely your choice....but all of that only works if you are surrounded by like minded people. If you live in a bubble that the rest of the world does not share, then your attitude seems to be “as long as my life is good, the rest of the world doesn’t matter”....if you think that you are accountable to no one, then try breaking the law, especially in a country with a corrupt legal system.....(who doesn’t have one? Some are just more blatantly corrupt than others.)
I don’t know how the life you promote is achievable?......on a desert island perhaps.....or some place that is not connected to the rest of the world....?
