Christianity Defined

[strollingbones]

why should this be different from any of your other threads....o wait today you want to be a good christian....lol ...a good asshole licking christian

 

[LOki]

Happy is the one who seizes your infants and dashes them against the rocks."--Psalm 137:9

The Psalmist is in exile and had probably witnessed the atrocities committed against his people, babies included. In the revenge-style that was common at the time, he wishes the same upon his enemy. Nowhere does it say that God approves of the Psalmist’s request or that he fulfilled it. Just because it is recorded that the Psalmist wrote about this "wish" or curse, doesn’t mean it was approved by God.

The same God that personally murders babies certainly approves His good work done by His faithful minions.

 

[Bonzi]

Happy is the one who seizes your infants and dashes them against the rocks."--Psalm 137:9

The Psalmist is in exile and had probably witnessed the atrocities committed against his people, babies included. In the revenge-style that was common at the time, he wishes the same upon his enemy. Nowhere does it say that God approves of the Psalmist’s request or that he fulfilled it. Just because it is recorded that the Psalmist wrote about this "wish" or curse, doesn’t mean it was approved by God.

The same God that personally murders babies certainly approves His good work done by His faithful minions.

Unless you are a Christian and have a relationship with God, it's hard to understand His ways. Even Christian's don't understand all of His ways - some of them will remain a mystery until we pass from this life to the next.

That being said, here is one viewpoint/explanation -
Source: Why would God order the destruction of men, women, and children?

God lawfully has the right to execute judgment upon anyone. The Bible says that all people have sinned against God and are under his righteous judgment. Therefore, their execution is not an arbitrary killing nor is it murder. Murder is the unlawful taking of life. Killing is the lawful taking of life. For example, we can lawfully take a life in defense of our selves, our families, our nations, etc.
When God authorizes the nation of Israel to wipe out a people, it is a lawful execution due to their rebellion and sin against God. Furthermore, such an extermination can be seen to be merciful by delivering the young into the hands of the Lord and possibly saving their souls by not giving them time to become "utterly sinful".2 Additionally, further generations that would have arisen from the perverse culture, are likewise prevented from coming into existence and spreading their sin.
Finally, one of the reasons that the Lord is so strong in the Old Testament and orders the killing of people is to ensure that the future messianic line would remain intact. The enemy, Satan, began his attempt to destroy God's people in the Garden of Eden, by also trying to corrupt the world (which led to Noah's Flood), by trying to destroy Israel with attacking armies, and by encouraging Israel to fall into idolatry by exposure to other cultures as well as intermarrying women from those cultures. The result of both the idolatry and the interbreeding would have been the failure of the prophecies that foretold of the coming Messiah which specified which family line the Messiah would come through. The Messiah, Jesus, would be the one who would die for the sins of the world and without that death there would be no atonement. Without the atonement, all people would be lost. So, God was ensuring the arrival of the Messiah via the destruction of the ungodly.

 

[AVG-JOE]

Then who decides?

(Please be as specific as possible)

I already said. Individual conscience. People should not be relying on authority to tell them what is right or what is wrong.

So... the psychopath who has no conscience, and the sociopath who has little conscience, are both free to simply follow their carnal desires?

Pass!
​

For society to function, we need some semblance of rules and laws. I prefer dynamic Civil Laws that can be changed and updated as necessary.

 

[Meriweather]

So... the psychopath who has no conscience, and the sociopath who has little conscience, are both free to simply follow their carnal desires?

Pass! ​

This is funny. You want abortions and gay marriage available so that people are free to simply follow their carnal desires, but you draw the line at psychopaths and sociopaths being able to follow their carnal desires?

For society to function, we need some semblance of rules and laws. I prefer dynamic Civil Laws that can be changed and updated as necessary.

I understand perfectly. You think the semblance of rules religions adhere to are too restricting. So when government begins pandering in order to get votes and stay and power, to show their dominance over religious authorities, you gleefully accept and follow along. Except...you're a bit bigoted when it comes to the sociopath and psychopath. Are you aware there are many who have this affliction, but are still able to function in society?

This is all beside my original point anyway. My point is that matters of conscience should be presided over by the individual, not government. There is a wide swath where government needs to step back and say, "Government neither approves nor disapproves--this is outside government jurisdiction. Look to your conscience for approval/disapproval."

This wide swath doesn't include crime as a matter of personal conscience--i.e. robbery, rape, murder. The governing authorities do have a responsibility to keep order in the greater society.
​

 

[Taz]

Christianity is the religion of following a book of fables and an invisible god who'll burn you for all eternity if you don't follow said book of fiction.

 

[Meriweather]

Christianity is the religion of following a book of fables and an invisible god who'll burn you for all eternity if you don't follow said book of fiction.

Wrong. Christianity is the religion of turning away from wrong-doing, discerning the will of God and following it.

Everything else is either embroidery or people jumping to wrong conclusions.

 

[Taz]

Christianity is the religion of following a book of fables and an invisible god who'll burn you for all eternity if you don't follow said book of fiction.

Wrong. Christianity is the religion of turning away from wrong-doing, discerning the will of God and following it.

Everything else is either embroidery or people jumping to wrong conclusions.

Christianity is also the religion of the god who gives believers cancer and a horrible painful death.

 

[Moonglow]

Christianity is the religion of following a book of fables and an invisible god who'll burn you for all eternity if you don't follow said book of fiction.

Wrong. Christianity is the religion of turning away from wrong-doing, discerning the will of God and following it.

Everything else is either embroidery or people jumping to wrong conclusions.

Christianity is also the religion of the god who gives believers cancer and a horrible painful death.

Look how Job was spun...The moral of the story is, God loves you, but will put you through Hell to allow you to prove how much you love God..

 

[Taz]

Christianity is finding god through a book. No book, no god. Can't read? Too bad.

 

[Bonzi]

Christianity is finding god through a book. No book, no god. Can't read? Too bad.

Not true. You can also HEAR the word of God.
... and there is always Braille also....
God is a God of miracles; there is always a way.......

 

[Bonzi]

Christianity is the religion of following a book of fables and an invisible god who'll burn you for all eternity if you don't follow said book of fiction.

Wrong. Christianity is the religion of turning away from wrong-doing, discerning the will of God and following it.

Everything else is either embroidery or people jumping to wrong conclusions.

Christianity is also the religion of the god who gives believers cancer and a horrible painful death.

Look how Job was spun...The moral of the story is, God loves you, but will put you through Hell to allow you to prove how much you love God..

Job understood God is great no matter what.
Our lives on this Earth are only meaningful if lived for Him.
Eternity in comparison to our miniscule years here is no comparison.
People put WAY too much emphasis on their Earthly life.

If you think that is all there is, that is another story. But, that is not reality.

 

[Bonzi]

Christianity is the religion of following a book of fables and an invisible god who'll burn you for all eternity if you don't follow said book of fiction.

Wrong. Christianity is the religion of turning away from wrong-doing, discerning the will of God and following it.

Everything else is either embroidery or people jumping to wrong conclusions.

Christianity is also the religion of the god who gives believers cancer and a horrible painful death.

That is of our own doing.

If we had obeyed Him from day one, we would not have introduced sin and everything that that comes along with it.....

 

[Taz]

Christianity is finding god through a book. No book, no god. Can't read? Too bad.

Not true. You can also HEAR the word of God.
... and there is always Braille also....
God is a God of miracles; there is always a way.......

Like I said, no book, no god.

 

[Taz]

Christianity is the religion of following a book of fables and an invisible god who'll burn you for all eternity if you don't follow said book of fiction.

Wrong. Christianity is the religion of turning away from wrong-doing, discerning the will of God and following it.

Everything else is either embroidery or people jumping to wrong conclusions.

Christianity is also the religion of the god who gives believers cancer and a horrible painful death.

That is of our own doing.

If we had obeyed Him from day one, we would not have introduced sin and everything that that comes along with it.....

So god gives us cancer, then we get the blame. You're an idiot.

 

[Bonzi]

Christianity is finding god through a book. No book, no god. Can't read? Too bad.

Not true. You can also HEAR the word of God.
... and there is always Braille also....
God is a God of miracles; there is always a way.......

Like I said, no book, no god.

God existed long before there was a Bible. anyway.........

 

[Bonzi]

Christianity is the religion of following a book of fables and an invisible god who'll burn you for all eternity if you don't follow said book of fiction.

Wrong. Christianity is the religion of turning away from wrong-doing, discerning the will of God and following it.

Everything else is either embroidery or people jumping to wrong conclusions.

Christianity is also the religion of the god who gives believers cancer and a horrible painful death.

That is of our own doing.

If we had obeyed Him from day one, we would not have introduced sin and everything that that comes along with it.....

So god gives us cancer, then we get the blame. You're an idiot.

This is what I think.

Either don't believe in God; or
Believe in God and that he's perfect.

There is no other choice

 

[AVG-JOE]

So... the psychopath who has no conscience, and the sociopath who has little conscience, are both free to simply follow their carnal desires?

Pass! ​

This is funny. You want abortions and gay marriage available so that people are free to simply follow their carnal desires, but you draw the line at psychopaths and sociopaths being able to follow their carnal desires?

For society to function, we need some semblance of rules and laws. I prefer dynamic Civil Laws that can be changed and updated as necessary.

I understand perfectly. You think the semblance of rules religions adhere to are too restricting. So when government begins pandering in order to get votes and stay and power, to show their dominance over religious authorities, you gleefully accept and follow along. Except...you're a bit bigoted when it comes to the sociopath and psychopath. Are you aware there are many who have this affliction, but are still able to function in society?

This is all beside my original point anyway. My point is that matters of conscience should be presided over by the individual, not government. There is a wide swath where government needs to step back and say, "Government neither approves nor disapproves--this is outside government jurisdiction. Look to your conscience for approval/disapproval."

This wide swath doesn't include crime as a matter of personal conscience--i.e. robbery, rape, murder. The governing authorities do have a responsibility to keep order in the greater society.
​

You've done an EXCELLENT job of dancing around the question with your "personal responsibility" off-ramp, so I'll ask it straight up and personal.

In the 21st Century reality we share, who do you think should decide what is and what is not 'acceptable behavior'?​

Monkeys prove every day that trusting Monkeys to decide for themselves between right and wrong results in innocent Monkeys being hurt.

Monkeys need rules.​

Somewhere between an anarchy where the psychos with the deepest pockets to hire thugs with use the rest of us at their pleasure and Sharia Law lay a reasonable set of rules which, if enforced without prejudice, will result in peace.

Who decides? ​

 

[AVG-JOE]

Christianity is the religion of following a book of fables and an invisible god who'll burn you for all eternity if you don't follow said book of fiction.

Wrong. Christianity is the religion of turning away from wrong-doing, discerning the will of God and following it.

Everything else is either embroidery or people jumping to wrong conclusions.

Christianity is also the religion of the god who gives believers cancer and a horrible painful death.

That is of our own doing.

If we had obeyed Him from day one, we would not have introduced sin and everything that that comes along with it.....

So god gives us cancer, then we get the blame. You're an idiot.

This is what I think.

Either don't believe in God; or
Believe in God and that he's perfect.

There is no other choice

There's at least one other:

Believe in the possibility of God, knowing full well that the only thing that can be known of God is that everything of God is unknowable.

 

[Bonzi]

Wrong. Christianity is the religion of turning away from wrong-doing, discerning the will of God and following it.

Everything else is either embroidery or people jumping to wrong conclusions.

Christianity is also the religion of the god who gives believers cancer and a horrible painful death.

That is of our own doing.

If we had obeyed Him from day one, we would not have introduced sin and everything that that comes along with it.....

So god gives us cancer, then we get the blame. You're an idiot.

This is what I think.

Either don't believe in God; or
Believe in God and that he's perfect.

There is no other choice

There's at least one other:

Believe in the possibility of God, knowing full well that the only thing that can be known of God is that everything of God is unknowable.

that's the irony though, there are things that are mysteries of God we won't know on this side of life -- but, people that don't believe use this saying that it is "lack of proof" - an excuse to NOT believe. Double edged sword....