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I am a fully committed atheist. Which means that I live life as free of all religions as possible, although attempts by religious people to push their views into the public sphere do have some impact on me.
What is "devoted"? What is "lukewarm"? And why does Jesus consider that worse than "indifferent"?
I think the whole "I would that you were hot or cold, but because you are neither I will spew you out of my mouth" comment was about lack of clarity on the part of a "you are either for me or against me" type of mentality. It suggests (correctly I think) that faith is either mindlessly embraced or why bother. The church would rather have strict adherents and obvious opponents, not people within its ranks damning it with faint praise.
I was devoted as a Christian; I was the church's to lose and lose me they did. Now I am indifferent.
I never understood why you'd want to be a half-hearted anything. Although there were doubtless fellow believers who judged me lukewarm based on my lack of interest in door to door proselytization, or not engaging in some other practice with sufficient enthusiasm; it's all relative and subjective, despite all the claims that Christianity is "objective".
Ultimately what someone self-labels as devoted or lukewarm is meaningless.
I am a fully committed atheist. Which means that I live life as free of all religions as possible, although attempts by religious people to push their views into the public sphere do have some impact on me.
I could get you to backslide with only a few questions.
I know in the 21st century it can be difficult to stay spitirual.
Hmm.... Maybe on the contrary????? There are things going on that would kind of like make it perhaps easier for one to explore and take up that 'other' road of humanity. I'd say deep problems require deep thinking.
How many people that are lukewarm about religion do you think are around here to answer the question?
Seems to me it wouldn't even enter their minds to come to a forum about religion.
How many people that are lukewarm about religion do you think are around here to answer the question?
Seems to me it wouldn't even enter their minds to come to a forum about religion.
There is a subset of those who might. They are the ones who know they are "meh" about their faith, and feel guilty and inadequate about it. They will sometimes cast about for ways to revitalize their faith, particularly if it ever WAS truly exciting.
Of course you can argue that if their lukewarmness bothers them then they aren't truly lukewarm ;-)
What is "devoted"? What is "lukewarm"? And why does Jesus consider that worse than "indifferent"?
I think the whole "I would that you were hot or cold, but because you are neither I will spew you out of my mouth" comment was about lack of clarity on the part of a "you are either for me or against me" type of mentality. It suggests (correctly I think) that faith is either mindlessly embraced or why bother. The church would rather have strict adherents and obvious opponents, not people within its ranks damning it with faint praise.
I was devoted as a Christian; I was the church's to lose and lose me they did. Now I am indifferent.
I never understood why you'd want to be a half-hearted anything. Although there were doubtless fellow believers who judged me lukewarm based on my lack of interest in door to door proselytization, or not engaging in some other practice with sufficient enthusiasm; it's all relative and subjective, despite all the claims that Christianity is "objective".
Ultimately what someone self-labels as devoted or lukewarm is meaningless.
Some people are though it maybe through their lifestyle, career, home issues, etc. or just pure laziness. I think its pretty clear that when it comes to religion people are so iffy about it because of what society makes of it. So yeah some peole are either all in or half way in or simply not in at all!
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