What EVERY Christian Does...

There's no getting around it. Since the beginning of the Followers of The Way and all through Christianity, there has not been and is not a Christian in existence who doesn't:

1. Take some of The Bible literally (very small percentage, actually)
2. Simply discard some of it, altogether
3. Interpret the vast majority of it in the way they are most comfortable with or in a way that suits their agenda - be it spiritual, political, violent, judgmental or whatever.

Anyone care to dispute or simply discuss this fact?

 

Christianity is all relative. The idea of an absolute "God's law" is laughable, people can't quite agree on what that may be.

Simply depends on who is reading it.

 

Add, interpret it in the way that their personal relationship with God leads them.

I personally feel that none of the Bible is the word of God, but that the Gospels left us a message, written by men, that show us the example and message of Jesus.

I base my realtionship with God on that message of LOVE and Forgiveness and Duty to the World and it's People.

An agenda??? Spiritual I would guess using your language.

 

Why do you and others assume that "God" exists at all? It is highly illogical.

 

Exactly. A spiritual agenda is one in which the person is focused on their own spiritual path. The purest of all agendas.

I'm certain that you have found the majority of spiritual beliefs illogical to you. I do too! If you disagree with the overwhelming majority of the world, that's fine and your choice. I have no judgment for that, no criticism and do not believe you will be "punished" in any way for your path.
So why do you care what I believe?

 

Since you nailed that one on the first try there's not much more to add to it.

 

Because I'm distressed at people believing in something unreal simply for emotional support. People then try to harm others because of their unfounded beliefs.

 

Hmmm. More stereotypes and generalizations. It is illogical to state such things. Just as it is illogical for you to be concerned with what I believe or why I believe it (which is not for emotional support, btw)?
Do you believe in life on other planets? I know lots of very intelligent people who do. they have never seen a UFO or any direct evidence but they just do. And guess what? That does not distress me. It would be illogical for me to be distressed about such a thing.

As for your other, illogical generaliation, I for instance, have never tried to harm you, have I?
What you write is akin to my saying "Atheists are people with no morals."
ALL atheists have no morals? Obviously not.
If I want to find a negative example to support my bias, can I? Of course.
But that doesn't make it logical.
Do you believe things can exist in two places at once?
That they can pop in and out of existence and go somewhere other than our known, physical universe?

Why would anyone believe such things?

 

[video=youtube;zxA2aI_LfsA]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zxA2aI_LfsA[/video]

 

words and beliefs can be twisted to serve each individual..just don't let it bite you in the ass..

 

So Constantine got rid of the other 3 emperors and transfer his capital to Constantinople , then he sat down with the clergy in Nikaia and they decided what books will be included in the bible and how some passages should be edited , i don't think Constantine was god .

 

All ancient emperors were considered gods and worshiped as such.

 

Constantine isn't ancient , he lived in 4th century AD eh and he died worshipping Apollo YET he is the one who made xianity official religion of the empire.

 

The Japanese Emperor Hirohito was considered a god until the end of WWII. The 4th Century is ancient.

 

Emperor gods are like a transitional form between tribal elder worship and monotheism Something like that, anyway.

 

So you're no different than enyone else, you pick and choose.

 

It is very logical.

 

Constantine did not compile the Bible. He brought together the early Church to find out what was considered truth and what was not. It took over 100 years to compile the Bible even long before Constantine got involved, and long after he died. Constantine did worship Apollo, but then converted to Christianity.

 

I didn't say I was different.

I was agreeing with the original post, adding my thoughts, and explaining what group I would probably fall in.

And you were doing what???

 

trying to figure out where you stand..........

 

I don't think I do any of these above. I am very honest and humble when I read the Bible.

1) I am not that stupid to take words of Bible literally when it is obviously metaphor, poetic....speech.

2)We can not discard some of it, because we consider the entire Bible is the words of God, it is great sin to do that, I don't think most Christians would do that.

3)I found I have more comfort than discomfort when I read the Bible. What things in the Bible would make people discomfort?

Could you give some example?

 

Sure. And please know that I mean no offense. It just is what it is. For example, Jesus said "He who does not hate his mother and father cannot tke up his cross and follow me."
That kinda contradicts with 5th commandment.
But if you know the cultural context of His audience, it made sense to them but can be discarded by us (well most of us).
Then there's the thing about anyone who divorces and remarries. They live in a perpetual state of sin - by choice. Which means they have zero chance to escape hell (which i don't believe in but still) because they got out of a bad relationship and into a good one.
There's a LOT more in the Old Testament - like say eating lobster and such. So what do most Christians do? They point to a scripture in the New Testament where Christ says He didn't come to fulfill the law. Then they say "So it's okay for me to ignore all the definitions of sin that are inconvenient to me BUT I can still point my finger and look down on gays!"
That makes no sense but they do it anyway.

I think the best way to view it, is to just read and let your heart guide you.

 

You can discard some it. The Bible is not a single book, its a series of many books that were chosen by man to be bound together.

There is no logical reason why you can't reject this and accept that.

You are told it is the word of God. You do not know that it is so.

Think for yourself, question authority.
http://youtu.be/eH6mKLqe4Yc

 

Read Judges chapter 19 when you get time.

 

I don't take the words of that scripture literally. I understand what that mean. It is not to tell us to repel against our parents for no reasons, it is When situatiion arise like when our mother and father reject us to be Christians, we have to make a choice. It may be unusual for such situation happen in America, but it is quite common in many part of the world.

Moses actually allow divorce later on, Jesus explain the reason in NT
"Matthew 19:7-8 "7 They say to him: Why then did Moses command to give a bill of divorce, and to put away? 8 He saith to them: Because Moses by reason of the hardness of your heart permitted you to put away your wives: but from the beginning it was not so. "

No one go to hell because of divorce. None God send people to hell that easy.

Gay issue is different. It is not only an issue in religion, also in many non-religion civilization and countries.

Religion is not the only one who resist it. There are no hypocrisy in the part of religion. It is the nature of all thing, all foundation that gay is challenging.

I agree.