Jesus= Charlie Manson

How did you come up with that conclusion?

 

I agree with the first part, sort of. Reality is something you can touch feel measure, etc. But I disagree that anyone who has "seen" god is mentally ill. I do agree that the visions will not come from a normal conscienciousness, but requires fasting, meditation etc. That being said, those visions are not really god either, but they are what they understand to be god, so therefore opens up a personal spirituality and a personal devotion. I personally would never fast like that, so I don't think I can speak fully on the subject.

The second part now. I think it is silly of some people that follow the idea that some churches put on billboards (like the ones who think that they NEED Jesus and god to make descisions). I mean, if god didn't tell you that killing was bad and being nice was good, would you go around killing and raping...No!

I use God and Jesus as reward and hope. I understand that the Earth generally sucks. And people generally suck too. Yes we can all be nice, and many of us can be REALLY nice, but the world still ends up in the shit hole. I understand god and Jesus as a way to break beyond this life and into a "kingdom of God" that is here and now. and also in the afterlife. Much like a Buddhist uses meditative practices to break the cycle of samskara, I use God as a hope for the future, that one day, this will all be gone and everything will be better.

We have to do our part, active work to furthur god's earthly kingdom to make everything better. That is even how Augustine understood Christ's millenial reign, he understood 1000 yrs to mean "a long time" and Christ to mean the Church (under Christ). So what are we to do. We are called to social betterment of all peoples, to promote peace, social justice, equality, etc...

You do not have to be a Christian to furthur the kingdom of heaven...

 

Well said... I believe our good friend Xenon once posted and said you have to crawl b4 walking and walk before running, and so forth... and he was pretty much reffering to religion(s) in general.

 

The world is a lot more than you and to billions it is far from great. It might not be great because of things beyond your control or a hole you have dug yourself into but to many people, the world is not peachy keen. I think where the Christian faith goes wrong is trying to fix what it perceives to be problems on people who either A) Don't see it as a problem or B) Don't want to eliminate the problem. Forcing anything on anyone is not good practice. You can be a witness but you can't force anything on anyone and trying to pits people against you.

I may disagree with you but i would never force or try to force you to do anything.

I don't think the world or my reality sucks but anyone would be a fool to say there are not many things that are wrong with it and could be vastly improved upon.

 

By "world generally sucks" I speak of poverty, war, famine, genocides, etc etc etc... And by "people generally suck too" i mean that what drives most people's actions are actions of personal gain. Yes, FedUp, your radio show about finances etc is not a "personal gain" and I commend you for that, that is not of what I speak.

My life is great too. I have Crohn's disease, but it isn't because I sinned, it is because autoimmune diseases run in my family.

I don't think "gay marriage" is a problem as Spreadneack seems to imply. I do not speak of trivial problems, but os serious world issues.

I did not say I was trying to force anything on anyone. I was merely trying to enforce the social justice aspect of Christianity that I think should be more highly stressed over personal pietism or how many souls you can win or worrying about if you are one of god's elect or etc...

 

Thanks. It isn't that bad anymore. i am on Remicade, a drug derived from mouse stuff (DNA or amino acids or something I don't feel like looking up at the moment) works like a charm.

But I see i have outsmarted you and that is why you now try to derail the thread haha, jk

 

It worked though, didn't it

Now get "dunked" (what my fiancee calls baptism when speaking light-heartedly) before you realize what happened!

 

Whatever, I thought it was funny.

Meanwhile, back at the ranch...I am interested in what you think of a social justice focused Christianity?

 

Well I said that this world generally sucks (in terms of war, poverty, etc) and that Christians should work to correct it. You said that the "this world sucks" mentality is a problem you have with Christianity.

If a Christian group is interested in helping people who are suffering because of these conditions (without conversion intentions of the people they are helping) do you still have that same problem with them?

 

I resent the fact that you implied that if I try to stop social injustices, I am attempting to convert people.

But yeah, I should sleep too. i've got a big fat juicy final to write tomorrow afternoon...

 

I have no problem with it, i wasnt speaking directly to you or anyone, just an overall statement.

 

Because they're not as simple as you think?

 

Yeah, it doesn't matter to me what a person believes. If they want to convert, good for them. If they want to stay with their native faith, good for them.

FedUp, yes it does. This is not why I don't evangelize people, but whey would someone WANT to convert anyways when their life has far bigger issues to deal with at the present. I think helping people in this life is far more important than trying to get people dunked. Besides, I also don't believe in a eternal hell, only a purgatory like state for X amount of time. It is really up to the individual.

 

No I do not think Christians are the only ones who can help people. I was thinking about this a little bit lying in bed last night because my finacee and I are planning to go on a trip one summer once we both graduate from university with our second degrees to do relief work in South America probably. And I was thinking, I would go with, lets say, a Muslim group if I felt that they could do a better job than some other group.

Apparently though, from the mouth of someone who she and her husband spent 15 years traveling the world with no breaks doing humanitarian work, people responded better to the aid being given if 1) the people in need had a religion (like Islam) and 2) the people helping them had a religion. This is not to say that the religious people did a better job, but that the link of some sort of metaphysical belief or something (I don't know) connected the two people regardless of what they believed...

I am a bit of a bum, I do not work much (I am a full time student getting my BA in Religion and then a BEd). In the summers I work at an open air museum where we role play first person roles of the 1920's in the country. So like, I am Jim Moore, the grain elevator operator and no matter what you ask me, I will think it is 1928. During the year this year I watch children for a organization called the Parent Link Center when 1) their parents were at meetings called "Young Parents" and 2)Their parents and younger brothers and sisters were taking part in Rhymes and Storytimes (because it was for young babies, I watched the toddlers).

I need to find a real job this school year though. Something that is more than 2-3 hours/week.

Satisfied

 

LMAO

 

I plan on working with children. Work experience for Education and all. But really, for a part-time job, I will work almost anywhere.

I plan to get my BEd (Elementary) and teach after school. not nessecarily in the religious school board, but I am taking some courses in Catholic theology and Education at the Catholic section of my university that will allow me to get acceptence and a higher priority in the Catholic school board. Just give about 2x the amount of job opportunities

 

http://photos-787.ll.************/photos-ll-sf2p/v80/183/20/599950787/n599950787_330764_3418.jpg
Me and the truck in the hardware store

http://photos-c.ak.************/photos-ak-sf2p/v72/183/20/599950787/n599950787_326666_6071.jpg
Me and my "wife" in a Bukovinian house.

http://photos-d.ak.************/photos-ak-sf2p/v150/183/20/599950787/n599950787_1536083_4489.jpg
A temporary shelter circa 1895, peering through some barley.


I am done spamming now...

 

Yeah. Thanks. Everyone tells me I am going to make a great teacher. And i am a guy too, and that is pretty uncommon in Elementary schools.

Side note, did you hear about that school in the US that banned the game tag?

 

A very rewarding career. My Fiance' has her BS in Child and Family Development and loves it.

Very true. The Evangelical, fire and brimstone approach, does more harm that good in my eyes.

Saturday morning i was walking into the Masters and a evangelical was preaching on the corner about us all going to hell and our foolish hearts and false idols. I was talking to my Fiance' about it after the fact and we both agreed if he managed to convert 1 person that day, he probably pushed an unknown amount of people further away. I know he was getting on my nerves, i can't imagine what must have been going through other people's heads.

 

Again FedUp, low blow (which I just read aloud and is a really horrible pun too).

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/15316912/

Apparently running can cause accidents, and we wouldn't want out children getting exercise. I can understand a ban on like Red Rover where you try to break through the other teams locked arms, cause kids can get clothes-lined and things like that, but tag?