Why I Am Not A Christian

[Newby]

What happened to ScurvyDelight? Looks like he has turned tail and bolted from this thread. Oh well, what do you expect.

shrug

Perhaps he's bored with your narrow minded posts?

 

[Anguille]

She said 'Cannot change their nature and improve themselves'. He did not imply that or say that, he said that you don't have eternal life otherwise, nor do you receive divine power to help overcome weaknesses. Big difference.

***************************************

Really, How do you rise from the dead without Christ?

How do you recieve Divine power to overcome weaknesses without Christ?

There is no doubt that some reformation is possible without invoking God, but in order to change our very nature, we need Christ. No if ands or buts.

You must be going blind. Here, have some large print.

Perhas you are? Do I really need to copy what you said? *sigh*

You have a very narrow mind if you think people cannot change their nature and improve themselves unless they are followers of the Christian religion.

Does not equal

There is no doubt that some reformation is possible without invoking God, but in order to change our very nature, we need Christ.

All you can do is argue semantics? Didn't your god bestow you anything more divine than that?

 

[Newby]

You must be going blind. Here, have some large print.

Perhas you are? Do I really need to copy what you said? *sigh*

You have a very narrow mind if you think people cannot change their nature and improve themselves unless they are followers of the Christian religion.

Does not equal

There is no doubt that some reformation is possible without invoking God, but in order to change our very nature, we need Christ.

All you can do is argue semantics? Didn't your god bestow you anything more divine than that?

Semantics? Okay. Whatever makes you happy, girl.

 

[Sky Dancer]

The term "we cannot change our very nature without Christ" has one meaning for Christians and another for non-Christians. It implies that life cannot have meaning without Christ--a truism for Christians only.

 

[Valerie]

No. Whatever floats their boat. I just get tired of people who claim their way is the only way.

So you think they're just a stupid sucker after a carrot?

"Stupid" and "sucker" are your words. But if people need a reward for being good, then it would seem they don't really believe in it for it's own sake.

Yes, those are my words...I ask the question because that is the impression you gave, as if Christianity is only for bizarre and delusional masochists (stupid) who are seeking after some mythical reward (sucker) ???


Do you think it is goodness that inspires you to diminish other people's faith?







>>

Also you are not even addressing the issue of all those who worship the cross because it somehow validates their own passivity and even glorifies it by association with a mythic figure known as much for his humanistic teachings as for his bizarre acceptance and, one could even say, willing embrace of public humiliation and torture.

I see what subscribing to a religion whose symbol has masochistic overtones to it has done to your mind.

All of those things are possible without Christ. Christianity does not have a monopoly on goodness and personal growth. Some people actually change their ways and become better people WITHOUT the carrot of eternal life being dangled in front of them.

 

[Avatar4321]

All you can do is argue semantics? Didn't your god bestow you anything more divine than that?

Words mean something. Ignoring that so you can create straw men may be acceptable to you, but the rest of us don't find it productive in discussion.

 

[Madeline]

"Change our very nature" is a meaningless phrase to me. I'm not sure what quantity of change is being discussed; it seems to me this is circular. Christians believe their lives are without meaning unless they worship Christ. They cannot seem to accept that worship of Christ without belief is also meaningless.

This inability or unwillingness to recognize and honor the Divine in people who are not christian is one of the most damning aspects of the religion IMO.

 

[Sky Dancer]

Putdowns on either side are not helpful for the discussion.

 

[Sky Dancer]

"Change our very nature" is a meaningless phrase to me. I'm not sure what quantity of change is being discussed; it seems to me this is circular. Christians believe their lives are without meaning unless they worship Christ. They cannot seem to accept that worship of Christ without belief is also meaningless.

This inability or unwillingness to recognize and honor the Divine in people who are not christian is one of the most damning aspects of the religion IMO.

'Change our very nature' would have a negative meaning for me as a Buddhist. All beings have Buddha nature. Why change that? We find the nature of all beings to be pure in essence.

 

[Madeline]

Once again, I don't understand why a mature adult would need the promise of eternal life/threat of eternal damnation to choose to do the right thing. I just don't believe most people find stealing or lying all that gratifying; I think most realize it is a mistake and regret the instances where they choose badly.

 

[Valerie]

Once again, I don't understand why a mature adult would need the promise of eternal life/threat of eternal damnation to choose to do the right thing. I just don't believe most people find stealing or lying all that gratifying; I think most realize it is a mistake and regret the instances where they choose badly.

Speaking only for myself (just as every individual commenting here is doing) I can tell you that eternal damnation and or eternal life are not at all what inspires me as a Christian.

 

[Sky Dancer]

Once again, I don't understand why a mature adult would need the promise of eternal life/threat of eternal damnation to choose to do the right thing. I just don't believe most people find stealing or lying all that gratifying; I think most realize it is a mistake and regret the instances where they choose badly.

Speaking only for myself (just as every individual commenting here is doing) I can tell you that eternal damnation and or eternal life are not at all what inspires me as a Christian.

Why not tell us what inspires you as a Christian? I for one, am always interested in hearing about what inspires others be they Christian or non-Christian to 'keep going' and live a fulfilled life.

 

[Anguille]

So you think they're just a stupid sucker after a carrot?

"Stupid" and "sucker" are your words. But if people need a reward for being good, then it would seem they don't really believe in it for it's own sake.

Yes, those are my words...I ask the question because that is the impression you gave, as if Christianity is only for bizarre and delusional masochists (stupid) who are seeking after some mythical reward (sucker) ???


Do you think it is goodness that inspires you to diminish other people's faith?







>>

I see what subscribing to a religion whose symbol has masochistic overtones to it has done to your mind.

All of those things are possible without Christ. Christianity does not have a monopoly on goodness and personal growth. Some people actually change their ways and become better people WITHOUT the carrot of eternal life being dangled in front of them.

Since this topic of this thread is "Why I am not a Christian" I gave some of my reasons why I am not a Christian. If you or anyone wants to take that as a condemnation of Christianity, that says more about your way of interpreting what I had to say than what I actually said. One of the reasons that I don't post much in these soerts of threads is because of the thinskinnedness of many Christians who can't accept that their symbols means other things to non Christians and that non Christians are not bound by any law to accept doctrinaire Christian meanings of symbols. I honestly don't see the value in being a Christian if you can't learn from how others feel about being a non Christian in a Christian society.

 

[Sky Dancer]

"Stupid" and "sucker" are your words. But if people need a reward for being good, then it would seem they don't really believe in it for it's own sake.

Yes, those are my words...I ask the question because that is the impression you gave, as if Christianity is only for bizarre and delusional masochists (stupid) who are seeking after some mythical reward (sucker) ???


Do you think it is goodness that inspires you to diminish other people's faith?







>>

All of those things are possible without Christ. Christianity does not have a monopoly on goodness and personal growth. Some people actually change their ways and become better people WITHOUT the carrot of eternal life being dangled in front of them.

Since this topic of this thread is "Why I am not a Christian" I gave some of my reasons why I am not a Christian. If you or anyone wants to take that as a condemnation of Christianity, that says more about your way of interpreting what I had to say than what I actually said. One of the reasons that I don't post much in these soerts of threads is because of the thinskinnedness of many Christians who can't accept that their symbols means other things to non Christians and that non Christians are not bound by any law to accept doctrinaire Christian meanings of symbols. I honestly don't see the value in being a Christian if you can't learn from how others feel about being a non Christian in a Christian society.

Just to take a step back for a moment, Anguille. Can you see how a Christian may feel hurt by your view that the cross is a masochistic symbol? Masochism is a loaded term and very negative.

 

[Anguille]

All you can do is argue semantics? Didn't your god bestow you anything more divine than that?

Words mean something. Ignoring that so you can create straw men may be acceptable to you, but the rest of us don't find it productive in discussion.

Nor do I find your closemindedness productive in discussion. It's a shame that you cannot recognize that other people have different opinions than your and they might be just as valid for them as yours are for you. If it bothers you that some people chose not to be Christian, stay out of threads like this one.

After reading stuff like I've read in this thread I have to keep reminding myself that, thank dog, not all Christians think alike.

 

[Anguille]

The term "we cannot change our very nature without Christ" has one meaning for Christians and another for non-Christians. It implies that life cannot have meaning without Christ--a truism for Christians only.

Thanks. Now I have an idea of what is meant by that. Too bad it took a non Christian to have the sense to explain that.

 

[Anguille]

Yes, those are my words...I ask the question because that is the impression you gave, as if Christianity is only for bizarre and delusional masochists (stupid) who are seeking after some mythical reward (sucker) ???


Do you think it is goodness that inspires you to diminish other people's faith?







>>

Since this topic of this thread is "Why I am not a Christian" I gave some of my reasons why I am not a Christian. If you or anyone wants to take that as a condemnation of Christianity, that says more about your way of interpreting what I had to say than what I actually said. One of the reasons that I don't post much in these soerts of threads is because of the thinskinnedness of many Christians who can't accept that their symbols means other things to non Christians and that non Christians are not bound by any law to accept doctrinaire Christian meanings of symbols. I honestly don't see the value in being a Christian if you can't learn from how others feel about being a non Christian in a Christian society.

Just to take a step back for a moment, Anguille. Can you see how a Christian may feel hurt by your view that the cross is a masochistic symbol? Masochism is a loaded term and very negative.

Too bad. Those are my feelings and I should not be made to feel I must suppress them because someone reading this thread might be too uncertain of their faith to handle hearing what my experience and impressions have been.

Besides, wouldn't this just be like some Of Christ's sufferings that Christians are supposed to revere?

 

[Sky Dancer]

Since this topic of this thread is "Why I am not a Christian" I gave some of my reasons why I am not a Christian. If you or anyone wants to take that as a condemnation of Christianity, that says more about your way of interpreting what I had to say than what I actually said. One of the reasons that I don't post much in these soerts of threads is because of the thinskinnedness of many Christians who can't accept that their symbols means other things to non Christians and that non Christians are not bound by any law to accept doctrinaire Christian meanings of symbols. I honestly don't see the value in being a Christian if you can't learn from how others feel about being a non Christian in a Christian society.

Just to take a step back for a moment, Anguille. Can you see how a Christian may feel hurt by your view that the cross is a masochistic symbol? Masochism is a loaded term and very negative.

Too bad. Those are my feelings and I should not be made to feel I must suppress them because someone reading this thread might be too uncertain of their faith to handle hearing what my experience and impressions have been.

Besides, wouldn't this just be like some Of Christ's sufferings that Christians are supposed to revere?

No need to suppress your feelings I just wondered if you had considered how your words are heard from the other side? You come across as if you have a chip on your shoulder the size of a boulder about Christianity.

 

[Newby]

"Stupid" and "sucker" are your words. But if people need a reward for being good, then it would seem they don't really believe in it for it's own sake.

Yes, those are my words...I ask the question because that is the impression you gave, as if Christianity is only for bizarre and delusional masochists (stupid) who are seeking after some mythical reward (sucker) ???


Do you think it is goodness that inspires you to diminish other people's faith?







>>

All of those things are possible without Christ. Christianity does not have a monopoly on goodness and personal growth. Some people actually change their ways and become better people WITHOUT the carrot of eternal life being dangled in front of them.

Since this topic of this thread is "Why I am not a Christian" I gave some of my reasons why I am not a Christian. If you or anyone wants to take that as a condemnation of Christianity, that says more about your way of interpreting what I had to say than what I actually said. One of the reasons that I don't post much in these soerts of threads is because of the thinskinnedness of many Christians who can't accept that their symbols means other things to non Christians and that non Christians are not bound by any law to accept doctrinaire Christian meanings of symbols. I honestly don't see the value in being a Christian if you can't learn from how others feel about being a non Christian in a Christian society.

You are so dishonest. You're trolling. You say insulting things to hurt others, to get under their skin, to put them and their beliefs down in the most demeaning manner you can come up with. Yet you say you have no need for any divine inspiration, imagine that. It has nothing to do with 'interpretation' of anything, it has nothing to so with anyone having a thin skin . At least have the decency to own your own damn words, they are there in black and white for all to see.

 

[Valerie]

Once again, I don't understand why a mature adult would need the promise of eternal life/threat of eternal damnation to choose to do the right thing. I just don't believe most people find stealing or lying all that gratifying; I think most realize it is a mistake and regret the instances where they choose badly.

Speaking only for myself (just as every individual commenting here is doing) I can tell you that eternal damnation and or eternal life are not at all what inspires me as a Christian.

Why not tell us what inspires you as a Christian? I for one, am always interested in hearing about what inspires others be they Christian or non-Christian to 'keep going' and live a fulfilled life.

I'm not one to turn a topic into being all about me..I feel most comfortable expressing my faith through deeds not words, nothing personal...I don't feel like I have anything to prove as if it is even a debatable topic. I just don't like seeing people being mocked over what inspires them one way or the other, it's personal and so the stray comments become personal and deliberately hurtful only to what end? Ego gratification?