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I'm a ex-churchgoer who considers himself more Eastern now, but here's is my take- modern Chrisitanity is not doing such a great job reconciling people to God, or to each other. Instead, Christianity made me feel guilty, constantly. Amazing, as in my teenage years I actually was wanting to be a pastor, and I have read the New Testament in the original Greek, several times.
You know what I have learned from Buddhism and Hinduism? Guilt and shame are useless emotions. It doesn't cause people to do the right thing. What does make people do the right thing is compassion and love, and you can learn to do these things all on your own, with only a little help from others. These Eastern religions actually help me cultivate "myself" to be a better person in this life, and that makes all the difference in the world. Buddhism and Hinduism say is it foolish to hate others, because you are really only hating yourself, feeding all the darkness inside of you, and I never discovered this was so true until I practiced it, and it lifted a huge burden from me, one that Christianity did not. On the contrary, you can meditate on things like compassion and "not-self" and come to the realization that holding onto all these painful feelings is worse than just letting them go and becomming something else. Or as Jesus said "Love your enemies, bless those that curse you, do good to those that despise you... so that you may be like your Father in heaven, who causes the rain to fall on the righteous and unrighteous". Hmm... imagine a world with no enemies, only strangers you haven't met.
Part of me wishes I could go back to church, but I have not found a church that cultivates my deep need to be grounded in a reality beyond materialism, beyond judgement, and that teaches me to look at reality the way meditation can. I think Eastern Orthodox would probably get my nod the most, since mysticism is more accepted there and they have alot of rituals and practices such as "theosis" that are meant to cultivate yourself to be like God, to inherit God's goodness and love and see the world through His eyes. They also do not believe in Original Sin as the Protestants do, another doctrine that I find to be harmful.
There is only One way One truth and One life. No one comes to the Father except through the Son.
Guilt is not useless at all, guilt is what makes you aware of your own sin. All have sinned and all therefore need the Saviour.
He shed his blood for everyone (that means you too ).
Many have been turned off by churches or religion. Jesus is neither of those. You do not have to go to a church to know Him.
Guilt is not useless at all, guilt is what makes you aware of your own sin. All have sinned and all therefore need the Saviour.
..Praying for you
That's where I think Christians take the wrong view of forgiveness... Jesus said "forgive us our sins, as we forgive those who have sinned against us". Jesus is speaking of avoiding judgement and condemnation for peoples' faults. "Judge not, lest you be judged. For with what measure you judge, it shall be judged against you". The idea that Jesus died for peoples sins, is a later view that started with St. Paul and was only reinforced later and later. Mark (the oldest gospel) portrays Jesus as more a rabbi/prophet, or divine teacher. Christians became perplexed with the idea that God let his only son die, therefore he must either be a bad father, or he had a reason for it, he allowed it to happen.
And that, in short, is why I am not a Christian... Christians get hung up on Jesus death, and pay no attention to what Jesus actually said in his life. IMO, this kind of religion is really no different than in some Eastern religions where the lay people only rub Buddha's belly or chant a few mantras in front of statues.
Pascal's Wager is, IMO, high on the moral cowardice scale, but I'd guess half of all Christians are Christian for no other reason than that. "I'd rather not be wrong, rather than to know for sure"
Great! Give me more things that I want to look up!
Very interesting!
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