The Greatest Threat to the Church Today...

Someone has an inferiority complex. Do you see shadows behind every door? Those evil shadows waiting for you to fall alseep so they can perscute you behind your back. This is my problem with religion, Christianity in particular. The dominant religious belief in the country and they are trying to make people believe that they are persecuted, especially by the evil Atheists (queue the villian laugh). I understand that the majority of Christians do not believe this, and I applaude them for it. However, is there any doubt that the extremist Christians in our own country are just as bad as extremists in any other religion?

 

Religion tends to inspire fanaticism and it has for thousands of years. However, Man will use any difference to persecute their fellow Man. If religion was not around then they would use nationality, skin color, language, etc. Any excuse to kill and enslave each other.

 

Humans are inherently afraid of dying and it was this fear that lead to the seeking of the fountain of youth and is the foundation for religion. People are easily convinced of the "spirit" within them because that offers them immortality and it is being a mortal that frightens them.

Religion have also addressed the fact that people often harm others. It provides "forgiveness" for these wrongful acts when, in fact, the acts are unforgiveable. "It's okay if you stole from your neighbor because god will forgive you if you ask for that forgiveness." It excuses the wrongful behavior of the followers when those acts really can't be excused.

Religion preys upon this insecurity and the wrongful acts of the individual and this is univeral to all religions.

 

Ouch... I lived my childhood in a Muslim country and was NEVER persecuted or even insulted in any way.. so this notion of persecution bugs me..

How could a Christian possibly be persecuted in the US? It seems to me that we are exceptionally free to believe as we choose without interference. We can't force our Christianity on others, but we can CHOOSE our practice and belief.

 

Hopefully, you did not think my post was meant to criticize you, Margot. I actually agree with everything you have posted in this thread. My comment was to Overdrive.

I think they know that they are not REALLY persecuted. I think they want the freedom to practice what they want but are outraged that people have the freedom to question the belief system that they take as truth and fact.

This is the same crowd that wants Freedom of Religion but ONLY THEIR RELIGION. If they could, they would outlaw any possibilty of someone not believing in their particular brand of Christianity.

 

Besides being a threat to Christianity, and persecuting Christians, Islam is a threat to the world order. Thus it will amount to nothing. The world order will emasculate it.

But, as I said, in doing this the World will identify radical elements in all religions and turn on them as well. And the radical element in Christianity will be the Bible believing Christians. Those who require faith in Christ as necessary to be born-again. Those who call homosexuality a sin.

You find in the Scripture that the anti-christ will allow the Jews to build the temple. That means the Dome of the Rock must go. And it will go. Which shows you that in that day, islam is no longer a factor to be feared.

So, as I said, though islam is a threat to all, the biggest threat to the Church is the worlds effort at identifying Bible believing Christians as the radical element of Christianity.

Quantrill

 

I am not a proponent of 'religion' as religions are invented by men to keep other men in bondage.

But I do follow the words of a Son of Man, also declared to be the Son of God, whose coming was foretold in scriptures 'of old,' and whose words who have been passed on by those who saw & knew Him, or who heard the words from such men.

But the fundamental principle of following His words, now called 'Christianity,' is that He was 'the Word of God' made flesh, and that His purpose was as "the Lamb of God slain from the foundation of the world."

This belief system welcomes all, but not based upon the understanding of men, but faith in those words recorded, or passed on, and the work of the Lamb at the cross. Following Christ is not based on one's works (as ALL other world religions) but based on accepting a 'free gift of right-standing with God' based on His terms, and not man's terms.

And so, if one does not profess this belief in the recorded and passed on words of His, then one has nothing to base their faith on but their own vain reasoning:

Proverbs 3:5-6 (NIV)

5 Trust in the LORD with all your heart
and lean not on your own understanding;
6 in all your ways submit to him,
and he will direct your paths

[FYI: Most of the OT Book of Proverbs was credited to Solomon]

'Faith' is a choice of what or whom to believe in..

 

Thank you.. I have never felt persecuted either.

America could never be theist... Our ancestors fought each other as Dutch Reform, Quaker, Huguenot, Ana Baptists, Catholic etc.

 

Please explain how this comment in red is even remotely possible.

life of Paul - AD 5 – AD 67
life of Jesus - 7–2 BC/BCE to 30–36 AD/CE

 

You have already accused me twice of apostasy.. I am really NOT assuaged.

 

Saul .. AKA Paul was a Roman citizen born in Tarsus and a Pharisee.

 

Margot, did you see his comment ?


"wasn't even born during the life of Jesus."

 

Yes.. I know. Saul/Paul was also accused as a Hellenist.

http://jewishencyclopedia.com/articles/13232-saul-of-tarsus

 

You must be into the Hal Lindsey thing of futurism.

 

Again, Margot, doing your usual 'dodge,' they were your words which did condemn you...I just pointed them out and referred them to foundational Christian beliefs. You by your postings (actions) deny the words of Christ as recorded and cannonized..

 

great statement

i beg to differ, that 'you' listen

so the OD opinion is he dont like religion, but holds the 'words' as being flesh (alive) and jesus as the 'lamb' since the foundation of the world.... as per the religion.


how about: if you read of jesus word, you would know, he said await as another is coming, and that his words would be in each who knew them, even in the days that all will be revealed.

That i can agree on.

lambs are sheep

a cross can be found in all of the universe as 'light' (electromagnetic; electric and magnet fields in perpendicular planes (the perfect cross; light (em itself)))


What you are professing is that you hold the religion over what jesus is saying.

jesus was not the one to reveal the 'name of god' (word made flesh)

Jesus, you and I are all 'son of man'. Equally we can know god, personally!

That 'following' is to sustain the compassion of personal responsibility until 'god' (nature itself) reveals, HIS name (underlying theorem to comprehend how nature operates). 'WE" are all 'sons of god' (daughters too)

'we' are it comprehending ourselves

the religious interpretation is for wingnuts


the freedom enabling 'we the people' to comprehend what we are within this body of 'god' (nature) is the unveiling, jesus was talking about.... but HE said to await as he was not the last

that is why to sustain that fact, the religious wingnuts claim, jesus is coming back, when it aint jesus returning, it is within his works, people will identify 'truth' in that time.

how do you think i learned what 'forgiveness' is? (turn da utter cheek)

And if many of the people of his time, procreated, then many here may be children of the lineages of some of them people. Hence, via the actual comprehension of cell division and procreation for lineage of the living tree of each person, then those original people still may in fact, have 'life' into this generation


My point is, i contest the 'churches' religions interpretations, when much of the wisdom from old writers can have and does have merit.

And the examples are these threads to show that the bridging of theology, the writings, to science, practical application and comprehension all within the METAPHYSICAL can be achieved in OUR TIME!

"WE" are capable and all that is left is enabling each to realize it!

meaning: trust what is real to 'god' (nature itself) and not the BS of the religious wingnuts (men)]

'Faith' is a choice of what or whom to believe in..


And i trust that each and everyone conscious is capable of love, compassion, empathy and comprehension, simply by knowing you are alive.

I trust, US versus only what 'they' claim.


WE are far more capable then they ever could be. Be of honor and know "I stand on the shoulders of giants" in humility to knowing you learned from 'them' but also be aware you can honor 'their' material in the orders of 'compassion, love, empathy, awareness, and understanding.........

WE CAN! and YOU know it!

 

Im in the Bible thing of truth, past, present, and future.

Quantrill

 

That statement alone shud make one question their 'Chrisitanity,' as in being like Him..

John 15:18-21

“If the world hates you, you know that it hated Me before it hated you. If you were of the world, the world would love its own. Yet because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you. Remember the word that I said to you... If they persecuted Me, they will also persecute you... because they do not know Him who sent Me."

 

Oh please.. I don't buy into the dreams of a teenaged girl or the Darbyites. But, in America you are quite free to do so.

Its alot like the twelvers.

 

Hal Lindsey & Scofield sound like your 'demons!'

 

LOLOL.. the Saudis, Libyans and Kuwaitis never had your issues when I lived there.

 

A "Twelver?!" Sounds like you may be calling me a 'Truther' (as in the Word of God) or a Birther' (as in the new birth)..??

 

The answer is simple...you were 'of the world,' per the above scripture! In fact you get multiple atheists on this forum to 'pat you on the back' as a 'Christian'....hmmmmm, what could that mean?

 

No, certainly not....

We should never lose sight of these verses though...


"And so I tell you, every kind of sin and slander can be forgiven, but blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven.Anyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven, but anyone who speaks against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven, either in this age or in the age to come."

 

That people respect their opponents when they demonstrate actual ability?

Indeed, I have always marvelled at how atheists detest me in this section of the forum for confronting their attacks on Christianity. Yet, in the latest news section, when I stand up to those doing the same thing to Muslims ... well, those same atheists tell me I am wonderful.

THe persecution of ANY religion through deliberate ignorance and fear is wrong. Indeed, the message of Jesus is true and compelling - and it has nothing to fear from Islam. Just as it has nothing to fear from atheism, Hinduism, Buddhism, or Paganism.

If Christianity can survive Roman persecution - I think it'll do just fine with Islam. And healthy debate, a chance to exmaine merits of different points of view, is healthy. Indeed, the one keeps the other honest.