Christians, what are you afraid of?

To answer your question, humans are social animals. Therefore, we have assorted hiearchies and individuals get social standings by their rankings. In a group as small as two people, one is dominant and the other person is subservient. As the group increases in size the dynamics change and dominant people drop in rank. So, in a group of a billion people one person will dominate all of the others but other people will be dominate in their own smaller groups. Consequently, when a person meets you the person will try to dominate you unless you become the dominant one. If the other person has force to use then you will become subservient or suffer the consequences. The force can be physical, emotional, or mental. If you display any weakness then you will become subservient.

 

I will agree it takes a really overbearing person to knock on your door and DEMAND you listen. What astonishes me is what kind of limp wristed, weak willed person gives in to those demands? Or even feels threatened by them?
If I want to go to a dealer and look at the new trucks, I cringe when I see salesmen streaming toward me like a bunch of sharks. I found the best thing to do is to extend my hand in a "stop now" gesture. It usually fends them off. If you have questions about my faith and want to have a conversation, I am ready to share with you. If you want to merely bait me in order to mock the hand will go up....."stop now".
Personally I don't watch TV evangelists. Joel Olsteen makes my skin crawl. However, I have flipped through the channels and caught a glimpse of Steven Furtick and it catches my attention. No demand there, but because I have read a lot of his books, I listen. It only works when you listen to gain something introspectively and there is a wealth of wisdom to be had. No force. No demands.
Is your problem that you don't like the message there is a power greater than yourself? It seems you are attracted to these discussions often. Do you demand others listen to your ridicule? Maybe some introspection is in order here.

 

Fortunately for the world you are not the decider of either Buddhism or spirituality. Perhaps a mirror would help. Helped me.

 

Sorry little one. I don't play politics. I do express well founded and well reasoned opinions based on fact and reality.

Probably why you're so confused.

But, as I said, you don't know me but you are desperately afraid that I do in fact know you.

 

And that has what to do with the Bible?
If there is one Bible, one God, why are there so many "truths?"

OR, more likely, in the face of many opposing truths we use the Occam's Razor corollary in testing "what else must be true for this to be true?"
The "truth" that requires the fewest accompanying truisms is most likely correct.

After testing the opposing "truths" we come to the undeniable conclusion that none of them are more true than the others and none of them are likely actually true.

Sorry, none of the experts has any more idea of the "truth" than you or me. Now anyone from any religion can prove me wrong. I welcome it.

Just have your "God" give me a call on my cell. He's got the number, he's God right?

But, we all know that's not going to happen. Which adds to the mountains of evidence against the "God theory."

Which returns us to the original argument. Why does this old fat Buddhist bother Christians so much that he must be converted or excluded to prevent spreading his brand of heathenism?

 

I would guess a mirror is your favorite possession.

 

Tell me...

Does that car dealer come and know on your door?
Shove his car stuff in your face and begin threatening you if you don't buy his car?
Does that car dealer's kids harass your kids at school for not driving his cars?

Maybe you should work on your similes? Or just maybe you're just making weak excuses for the bad behavior of your fellow "Christians?"

Twasn't that long ago Christians were burning crosses on the lawns of Jews and attacking Catholics.

Now you can claim ignorance of your fellow "Christians'" behavior and I accept ignorance as an excuse. After all, believing the universe was created in 6 days 6 thousand years ago lends no small credence
to that theory.

But, as for a power greater than" myself? That is, of course, laughable. Imagine, and I know it is easy for you, that "God" really is "God" and has done all the things attributed too "God" and has all the power attributed to "God," why in "God's" name (pun intended) would you worship such a being?

IT:
Murdered nearly everyone on the planet including plants and animals because it didn't like the way they acted;
In some sort of silly "hold my beer" bet with the "Devil" it tortured or allowed to be tortured to prove his loyalty;
It aided in the murder of 6 million Jews ONLY because they were Jewish;
It allowed the possibility, development, and use of nuclear weapons;
And on and on. Its sins are endless.

It, this "God" of your Bible is unworthy of worship or even respect AND
This being's craving for such worship shows it to be unstable and dangerous.

"Greater Power?" it is to laugh.

There may indeed be beings with such powers as attributed to "God." Personally I don't believe it and have never been show evidence of this as a "truth" but, even if true, do you want to worship a being with the entire universe at its feet who craves attention so much as to behave like "God?"

As I was typing that last paragraph I was struck by a naked truth.

The Christian Right's fixation on Trump is because Trump is their "God" on earth. Yeah. Think on that.

 

Does your personally created religion of hate have a name?

 

And, as predicted, you would guess wrong and in doing so show what you actually know.

I use the mirror often. It is part of my personal meditation routine. It is much deeper but essentially I speak to the mirror and listen to my answers. But, possession? No. Any mirror will do and "possessions., as it were, mean little to me. I have things I value in some sentimental manner for various reasons and there are things I value because of the value they provide but impermanence is the rule and while losing any of these might get an "oh crap" out of me there's none of them that would get more.

You continue to try to get a rise by insulting or insinuating and if you're missing the snark (as you seem so sorely to be) I could toss a few barbs your way but, the reality of the engagement is that your way of showing your discomfort with my comments is to insult and demean without presenting actual factual information.

I know you don't want to believe this but I've walked the Christian walk, in multiple sects, Catholic? Jew? Islam? Eastern Orthodox? Been there. Done that. Had this discussion from multiple views and, most often, before I found Buddhism, found myself arguing against myself. I never claimed that I know all the truths. Never claimed that Buddhism carries all the answers. But Buddhism in its variations encourages me to ask questions and challenge the response. In this way I come to my truth and my truth doesn't have to be your truth.

But if you want to have a discussion please leave out the "God's gonna get you with the Kodak Stick" parts.

 

Sorry. Despite the insult, I don't have a religion. Why does that bother you so much?
Is it fear you may be wrong?
Or an even greater fear that I my be right?

Either way, you're the one living in fear.

 

Obviously religion means a lot to you. I wish you the best in your quest.

 

Caution is always advised, but fear is a worthless emotion.

 

I don't imagine any car dealers "know" my door.

I f this is your simile, try and make some sense to it. Are you trying to say Christians come to your door, shove stuff in your face and threaten you? Is that in the teachings Jesus gave us? First, show evidence that ever happens, and then give us a verse where Jesus said to shove stuff in their face and threaten. Of contrare.....he said "shake the dust off your feet and go to the next town"

Again.....where is Jesus suggesting we are to burn crosses and attack Jews or Catholics? See. you take the errors of mere humans (such as yourself) and want to apply it to a faith you know absolutely nothing about. All you ever prove to others is that you are wise in your own eyes. That is why I am now shaking the dust off my feet and turning my back to you.
Better luck in the New Year.

 

Jake.....I have decided to ignore mockers this New Year. Dadoalex is a waste of my time. Maybe you see it that way as well.

 

How are you going to put yourself on ignore? That's a neat trick.

 

I just click on Jolly Penguin......and hit ignore. Shouldn't that work? I'll see.

 

Obviously you fail to understand what "religion" means.
So I'll help as I can.
Religion is based on faith.
Religion demands belief in the unbelievable.
Religion threatens punishment for the failure to believe.
My beliefs are based on observations of the real world.
I do not need any god or gods to explain away what I do not know.
While I believe death is not the end of existence
I believe it because it makes logical sense, not because I fear non-existence.
Because there are no gods there is no heaven or hell and no one to judge me
Except me
And this is where what passes for "faith" comes in for me...
I am the creator of my own "afterlife."
And I do so by my actions in this life and if I do well
then in the next, I start a little closer to the goal.

Yeah, it's not pithy.
Doesn't fit on a bumper sticker
But it suits me
And doesn't require me to live a lie.

 

Uh huh.

While you congratulate yourself on your wisdom try to remember that Jesus was a Jew and Christians have been murdering Jews in the name of Christ for 1500 years.

And let us not doubt for a second that the only thing stopping it now is the 1st Amendment and, of course, those pesky laws.

 

Oh please. We are only responding to your tantalizing bait thread. Sharing the gospel is just part of Christianity, just as looking in a mirror and talking to yourself is part of Buddhism.

 

Door to door, sending Christmas cards made by the handicapped (please donate!) in the mail, and standing on the corner with a high-volume microphone - I call that aggressive canvassing.

How about, "You are going to hell!" You don't find that bullying non-Christians?

 

... Just like Islam but instead of saying, "You are going to hell if you do not accept Jesus Christ", they say"Allahu Akbar" just before pulling the trigger or lighting the fuse. It Saul Goodman.

 

Non Christians on these threads say it's all a fairy tale anyway. Would they find it offensive if someone told them they were going to "Oz"? There's more to this. I would never tell anyone they're going to hell. It is something I'd never wish for and besides I wouldn't have a clue if they are.

 

I think that you have inadvertently just helped to define the problem. No one would condemn anyone to Oz and be backed up by a large following of supporters. Christians (the bible bashers) honestly believe in the existence of Hell and are fond of condemning non-Christians to its depths. So, I agree with with you (presumably) that being condemned to Hell is pretty funny but it isn't very funny for those who are born into a family or community that threaten you with fire and brimstone.

I would never accuse you of telling someone they're going to hell.

 

Then maybe you might agree with something.....
The term "Christian" was originally given to the numbers of people that closely followed the spirit and teaching of Jesus Christ. They were and are "imitators of Christ. It is not something they called themselves. It is a label that was given them by observers (probably Greek ).

Today the term is often used by anyone who attends a Church service. Mostly on Easter or Christmas......or perhaps just being born in America. I know the term has become pretty generic and it causes a lot of confusion. Perhaps many could be referred to as "Chinos"......(Christians in name only). The problem is, and it is often pointed out, Christians are not to judge. That is a true precept that is often misunderstood. We are not to judge a persons soul (that is why we cannot judge a person as being condemned to hell) We are commanded to judge "behavior" and that is a prerequisite to becoming "Christ-like" which is our calling.

So, if you understand my description, you surely can understand why I believe that ANYONE burning crosses, shoving material in peoples face, or telling them they are on the highway to hell, is not Christ-like (if you understand the nature of Jesus). That is why I do not join in and define them as Christian.

 

Well yes, but that is a can of worms because just about everything to do with Christianity is contrived. I doubt that Jesus (a real person, a real profet) ever said he was born of a virgin mother and a Force Majeure ghost. The man lived and died like everyone else. It's the superstitious nut cases who made up all the stories about him being anything more than a mortal - and the bible was written by them .... not he. So ......

... I must agree.