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I am still not getting how saying one is a basically good person who doesn't wish to do harm, but readily admits s/he sometimes screws up, is being a person who is hypocritical. :shrug: What am I missing here?
The hypocrisy I see here (and everywhere, when it comes to religion) is in telling the next person that that person is damned without doing X, Y and Z. IOW, the religious finger-waggers. "You're in danger, and I know this because I personally know what God wants." Now that could be construed as hypocrisy, IMO.
But saying, "I mess up. I know I do. And then I always try to do better. However, I don't wish to harm anybody and I wish to do good - I don't have some burning desire to do bad things" isn't hypocrisy - how could it possibly be?
What are you crazy!!! ... don't try and be rational
its why I like the RCC. It's a church of sinners trying not to be any worse than they were yesterday. I am not talking about "the leaders". Most "leaders" of large groups are out of touch. Look at the usa's leaders. But anti-religious types are not much interested in laying out the data on what it means to be human are they? They are exactly like anti-atheist.
Location: Sitting on a bar stool. Guinness in hand.
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Quote:
Originally Posted by ashleynj
I was raised Catholic and I will admit that I am pro life (although I do not believe abortion should be illegal), and I am not against the death penalty. That is probably weird of me to have these beliefs.
We'll I can appreciate that fact you at least have given these matters some thought and have come to your own decisions. So kudos to you.
What are you crazy!!! ... don't try and be rational
its why I like the RCC. It's a church of sinners trying not to be any worse than they were yesterday. I am not talking about "the leaders". Most "leaders" of large groups are out of touch. Look at the usa's leaders. But anti-religious types are not much interested in laying out the data on what it means to be human are they? They are exactly like anti-atheist.
do you know, when you put it that way, I could almost see myself in a rapprochment with the RCC, it's wonderful art, music and even the traditions and ceremonies. And just eye the ceiling and shake our heads when the latest bunch of faked saints are produced. If only the pretense of authority and being the only ones who are right was dropped or at least reduced to a cult without influence. But I guess we have to do it with the Proddies, first, and that looks like a long enough haul.
The flaw in this is that is that it assumes Christianity has a monopoly on peace and morality. Those things existed long before the invention of Christianity. Christianity isn't a prerequisite for being a good person. If it were, then all non Christians would be hateful and violent, but this is not true. Most non Christians, whether they be religious or atheist, live moral and peaceful lives. Their moral codes just don't derive from Jesus. Most people desire peace and virtue, that doesn't mean they can only gain those by converting to Christianity.
The flaw in this is that is that it assumes Christianity has a monopoly on peace and morality. Those things existed long before the invention of Christianity. Christianity isn't a prerequisite for being a good person. If it were, then all non Christians would be hateful and violent, but this is not true. Most non Christians, whether they be religious or atheist, live moral and peaceful lives. Their moral codes just don't derive from Jesus. Most people desire peace and virtue, that doesn't mean they can only gain those by converting to Christianity.
If only we could get fundavangelist Christians to understand, and ultimately, accept that.
And the crazed component of the Islamic faith.
That would be a giant leap for mankind in a spiritual sense.
the flaw in this is that is that it assumes christianity has a monopoly on peace and morality. Those things existed long before the invention of christianity. Christianity isn't a prerequisite for being a good person. If it were, then all non christians would be hateful and violent, but this is not true. Most non christians, whether they be religious or atheist, live moral and peaceful lives. Their moral codes just don't derive from jesus. Most people desire peace and virtue, that doesn't mean they can only gain those by converting to christianity.
Christianity is the world's largest and most widespread religion in the world, and is growing rapidly in many developing parts of the world, while some parts of the devoloped world people are more secularized and religion is in decline.
We all know (both Christians and non-Christians) that Jesus is one of the (if not the most) influential person who has ever walked on earth that spread the universal message of love, peace and forgiveness. Sure, it's difficult to live like that and many people, including Christians, do not follow his teachings and messages 100% unfortunately because it is quite impossible in many ways. Thankfully Jesus often forgives people if you truly believe in Him. Indeed, he saved a women from being stoned to death for breaking Hebrew laws, and the thief next to Him during his crucifixion the very last minute when the thief asked for forgiveness of his sins. Even just by reading the sermon on the mount, I believe a good person who believes and wants peace should convert and follow Christ individually.
Forget about organized religion; why aren't more people becoming Christians (whether 100% practicing or not) especially if you live in a country where there is no persecution, intolerance or any other circumstances that prevents a person from converting if possible?
Why don't people want to follow a man who had a peaceful message? Does it mean not all people want and like peace? Perhaps that's why there is war, murdering, greed, racism, etc. taking place in many parts of the world today.
When you have more, you need religion less. If I'm not mistaken, generally the poorer people are more religious. The most fortunate are not. This is part of why the 'modern world' is more prone to secularization; that and scientific advancements. The fact is, some people are turned off to religion when they give a creation story that is inconsistent with modern science. And some Christians accept science and just believe in God along side it, which it totally fine, but some don't and for whatever reason, they like to talk about it the most, which is really unfortunate for the religious.
I don't think I'd go so far to call Jesus the most influential person in the world. That's entirely relative. Each time period has influential people. Issac Newton was influential in essentially paving the way for modern science; Karl Marx was influential in writing the Communist Manifesto which inspired many movements that shaped the 20th century; influence is all relative. In Asia, Buddha was more influential than Jesus without a doubt; arguably, Buddha was just as capable of being "Jesus." Buddhism could have been the largest religion in the world had be been lucky enough to have followers head off into the increasingly unstable Roman Empire, which was easily one of the most, if not the most, influential civilizations in the Western World. Jesus got lucky; but he had only a little bit to do with the spread of Christianity. In fact, 'Christianity' as a separate group didn't even exist until Jesus was dead. His followers and their followers were far more influential in the spread of Christianity, but I'd argue that Emperor Constantine was the final player who determined Christinaity's future by making it a state recognized religion.
But Christianity has nothing to do with peace. Some of the most brutal wars in history were fought by Christians; some started by Christians. Being a Christian does not make you 'Christ like' anymore than not being a Christian makes you unlike Christ. I've met people of numerous faiths (or lack of faiths) who followed the teachings of Jesus more or less, in the peaceful, non-judgmental, turn the other cheek way; and we all know Christians who are nearly polar opposites of Christ.
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