What evidence is there that christians are all mass deluded?

[Kilgore Trout]

 

[Humanistheart]

Mormons define themselves as Christian. So I would say they are Christians.

Calling oneself a christian is all it takes to be a christian in your mind a? I guess you've set the bar pretty low on that definition.

 

[Mr Spinkles]

This certainly doesn't count, as it really happened It was just mechanical in nature...

It only means they were incorrect... now if you showed an ancient greek the inner mechanical workings of the door and they still believed it was a miracle... then one maybe might say delusion...

I disagree... for it to be a delusion you would have to be able to prove it didn't happen... say have video footage of the man not walking on water on the date he was supposed to have done so...

How is that delusional? Now, some are frauds, and it is interesting that stigmata appears in the places that the stigmatic believes were on Jesus, but I don't see how stigmata is evidence of delusion?

You have a point about the mechanical temple doors. But for the rest, you can never prove it didn't happen, and nothing even close to video footage was available for most of history. Has there ever been a mass delusion, ever? It seems like you're defining the term out of existence. Give me some examples from history which you accept as cases of mass delusion.

de⋅lu⋅sion
–noun 1. an act or instance of deluding. 2. the state of being deluded. 3. a false belief or opinion: delusions of grandeur. 4. Psychiatry. a fixed false belief that is resistant to reason or confrontation with actual fact: a paranoid delusion.

 

[linwood]

You have a point about the mechanical temple doors. But for the rest, you can never prove it didn't happen, and nothing even close to video footage was available for most of history. Has there ever been a mass delusion, ever? It seems like you're defining the term out of existence. Give me some examples from history which you accept as cases of mass delusion.

*Vast majorities of the American public deluded into believing Iraq was responsible for 9/11
*Astrology
*The latest right wing freak out over a presidential speech in public schools.
*Geo-centrism
*The majority of Americans believing the "Clean Air Act" actually improves the environment.
*Homosexual Republicans
*UFO Abductees
*Crop Circle believers

It happens, it`s evidenced.

 

[Beaudreaux]

Mormons aren't christians, why would they be included?

[ Takes cover.]

 

[Wannabe Yogi]

Calling oneself a christian is all it takes to be a christian in your mind a? I guess you've set the bar pretty low on that definition.

It’s the only workable definition . Many evangelical sects of Christianity say that Catholics are not Christians. Many Muslims say Sufis are not Muslim. The sufis say they are true muslims. Who am I to tell someone haw to define there belief system.

We have the opposite problem in Hinduism. We see Buddhists as a non orthodox form of Hinduism. This ****’s off many American Buddhist’s to no end. So out of respect for the Buddhist view of the world I don’t define them as one of us. (At least in public)

 

[dogsgod]

Present the evidence and let's examine it....

Christians.

 

[Smoke]

I don't believe that all Christians are deluded, nor do I believe that all of the Christians who are deluded are deluded in the same way. Christianity is far too diverse, and most sects have too diverse a membership, to make any kind of blanket statement about the delusion of Christians.

 

[Smoke]

Mormons aren't christians, why would they be included?

Why would someone who is not a Christian want to get involved in a Christian squabble about which of them are true Christians and which are not?

 

[Smoke]

We have the opposite problem in Hinduism. We see Buddhists as a non orthodox form of Hinduism. This ****’s off many American Buddhist’s to no end.

It doesn't **** me off. I think it's rather charming of you. (You're right though, it does **** some Buddhists off.)

 

[Poisonshady313]

Christianity is far too diverse, and most sects have too diverse a membership, to make any kind of blanket statement about the delusion of Christians.

Unless there is one particular thing that unifies all varieties of Christians... and that one thing being believed is a delusion.

Then it's perfectly fine to make a blanket statement about the delusion of Christians.

 

[Madhuri]

It’s the only workable definition . Many evangelical sects of Christianity say that Catholics are not Christians. Many Muslims say Sufis are not Muslim. The sufis say they are true muslims. Who am I to tell someone haw to define there belief system.

We have the opposite problem in Hinduism. We see Buddhists as a non orthodox form of Hinduism. This ****’s off many American Buddhist’s to no end. So out of respect for the Buddhist view of the world I don’t define them as one of us. (At least in public)

Lol, yes but we Hindus tend to see every religion is the world as branches of our ancient religion. All of them could arguably be 'sanatan dharma', but only holding aspects of truth. I personally do not see Buddhists as a type of Hinduism- never have. They are a close relative though.

 

[Smoke]

Unless there is one particular thing that unifies all varieties of Christians... and that one thing being believed is a delusion.

Then it's perfectly fine to make a blanket statement about the delusion of Christians.

I can't think of anything that unites them all, not even homophobia or belief in God (see here).

 

[Poisonshady313]

I can't think of anything that unites them all, not even homophobia or belief in God (see here).

I suggest that the one thing that unites them all.... which is the one thing they are all, collectively, deluded about... is the one thing that is built right into their name.... Christianity.

Even Christian atheists have Jesus at their core:

Jesus, although not seen as divine, is still a central feature of Christian atheism. Most Christian atheists think of Jesus as a wise and good man, accepting his moral teachings but rejecting the idea of his divinity. Hamilton said that to the Christian atheist, Jesus is not really the foundation of faith; instead he is a “place to be, a standpoint”http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christian_atheism#cite_note-Ham-4. Christian atheists look to Jesus as an example of what a Christian should be, but they do not see him as a God.

 

[Kurt31416]

Well, if they don't think he's a God, not likely they think he was the annointed King of the Jews.

 

[Yerda]

I suggest that the one thing that unites them all.... which is the one thing they are all, collectively, deluded about... is the one thing that is built right into their name.... Christianity.

Even Christian atheists have Jesus at their core:

What are the Christian atheists deluded about?

 

[Beaudreaux]

What are the Christian atheists deluded about?

What a "Christian" is?

 

[Poisonshady313]

What are the Christian atheists deluded about?

Either that Jesus is a sort of ideal to emulate, or that he existed at all. Pick whichever one you like better.

 

[Yerda]

Either that Jesus is a sort of ideal to emulate, or that he existed at all. Pick whichever one you like better.

It's a personal matter who you choose to identify with. It may be wrong from a given perspective but it's not a matter easliy reduced to 'delusion'. If your tastes implore you to be more like Jesus then you may be pleasant or unpleasant, kind or unkind, caring or not, but not deluded, insofar as I understand the issue.

The second one, I don't happen to know a great deal about the matter. I doubt that it's necessary to an atheist Christian, however. If I found Christ so enobling that I wanted to seek his path and follow his teachings I wouldn't care whether he were existed or not. Would you?

 

[Yerda]

What a "Christian" is?

It would seem to me that it's best left to those who want to use that word to decide what is and is not a "Christian".