I don't understand the distinction you are trying to make saying "being IN the world, not of it."
We live as part of this world. That's a physical fact and a given. How we are called to be different as Christians is to make choices and live a life that runs counter to what the world places a pedestal on. An example would be socioeconomic status, or wealth, or fame.
1. It makes me more than happy.
2. Likewise, don't be upset if Christians don't subscribe to why you're rejecting what we live (not "sell").
1. all the better...I'm serious...
2. It doesn't matter to me what Christians think about my "rejecting" of anything...I don't really care, you live your life, I live mine...and we can all be happy...right....?
I don't know if Fundamentalist relegious beliefs are the problem... like, if someone wants to live their life according to the exact tennents set forth in a holy book... I'm cool with that.
It's when HIS fundamentalist beliefs are interpreted to MY life... that's when I have a problem with it. If his beliefs call for my behaviour to fit his approval or if his beliefs call for my destruction... then, yeah, he's going to be in trouble because I'm not going down without a fight.
I don't often see where any fundamentalist tries to compel any one to live like them, at least in North America. There may be a lot of finger pointing and telling but no compelling of action.
I think we have problems with how our beliefs should and do shape our governments. We all want our governments to some extent reflect our views. Currently there seems to be a lot respect for a clash in ideaology when one of the ideaology's is based o religious belief or tenets.
“One good thing about music,
when it hits you, you feel to pain.
So brutalize me with music.”
~ Bob Marley
But you have to understand the other side as much as that side needs to understand you.
I do try to understand the "other side" rather than judge them based on how things look. Judging without asking questions, and without listening to the answers to the question is about judging based on bias and one's own imagination.
If you think the behaviour in question looks cult-like, that tells me about you and how you think and what you think, not about what the other person is doing in their faith.
"The opposite of a fact is falsehood, but the opposite of one profound truth may very well be another profound truth." ~ Niels Bohr
No I'm not so sure. But that is all the more reason to follow the creed "to each his own" and not force a religious belief on others. Who really knows what is right in that respect? That is why it's called "faith".
Oh, of course. I'm all for respect for one another's beliefs.
I merely challenge the concept of it being dangerous losing touch with "the world". I say we all see the world based on our own beliefs and what the majority agrees to, and not on what is really there.
"The opposite of a fact is falsehood, but the opposite of one profound truth may very well be another profound truth." ~ Niels Bohr
I don't often see where any fundamentalist tries to compel any one to live like them, at least in North America. There may be a lot of finger pointing and telling but no compelling of action.
I think we have problems with how our beliefs should and do shape our governments. We all want our governments to some extent reflect our views. Currently there seems to be a lot respect for a clash in ideaology when one of the ideaology's is based o religious belief or tenets.
I agree.
"The opposite of a fact is falsehood, but the opposite of one profound truth may very well be another profound truth." ~ Niels Bohr
Now, it isn't too often that NCFan and i agree here... but, i think a lot of attacks on him here is because his views on Fundamentalist Christians. It's the word 'Christians' that got him in trouble because a lot of Christians get all wound up and offended when they hear the word 'Christian' used in a negative light. I believe he is speaking in Fundamentalist terms... and trying to equate it to the Christian religion that most of us are familiar with.
I believe he is talking about the Christians you see on T.V., on those Sunday morning evangilist television programs that are always asking for money. You should only be offended if you ARE one of these, 'Say Yeeeeaaah-ah!' Christians. The ones that can be pursuaded to believe that a 90 foot tall Jesus threatened Oral Roberts with death, if he didn't raise 10 Million Dollars by a certain amount of time. Or you must feel compassion, or at least an understanding for the fundamentalist Christians in the order of the Ku Klux Klan. They are Christians too, you know?
And yeah... I agree with him here... I think those people are a little loose in the head. I don't think Jesus would ever threaten a guy for ransom... and I'm pretty sure he was 6'1" max. Probably more like 5' 9". People this easily pursuaded can be ordered to do all kinds of crazy shit... from shooting doctors to drinking the poison Kool-Aid to sweeping through Germany, exterminating the Jewish scourge. I can see why he finds them scary... the potential for creepiness is there.
The Christian faith, like all other religions, is riddled with splinter groups of fundamentalists and puritan lunatics. You would think that the majority of good Christians would try to distance themselves from these fringe religions, instead of coming to their defense. Same as you would think that the moderate Muslims would reject the fundamentalist Muslims that go around blowing up people. But, I guess, if you are willing to accept even the fringe elements of your Christian faith, you MUST then understand why moderate Muslims do not condem the acts of their radical wings.
I know NCFan can speak for himself... I just thought I toss him a lttle hand here.
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Comments
2. Likewise, don't be upset if Christians don't subscribe to why you're rejecting what we live (not "sell").
We live as part of this world. That's a physical fact and a given. How we are called to be different as Christians is to make choices and live a life that runs counter to what the world places a pedestal on. An example would be socioeconomic status, or wealth, or fame.
1. all the better...I'm serious...
2. It doesn't matter to me what Christians think about my "rejecting" of anything...I don't really care, you live your life, I live mine...and we can all be happy...right....?
I think we have problems with how our beliefs should and do shape our governments. We all want our governments to some extent reflect our views. Currently there seems to be a lot respect for a clash in ideaology when one of the ideaology's is based o religious belief or tenets.
when it hits you, you feel to pain.
So brutalize me with music.”
~ Bob Marley
If you think the behaviour in question looks cult-like, that tells me about you and how you think and what you think, not about what the other person is doing in their faith.
http://www.myspace.com/illuminatta
Rhinocerous Surprise '08!!!
I merely challenge the concept of it being dangerous losing touch with "the world". I say we all see the world based on our own beliefs and what the majority agrees to, and not on what is really there.
http://www.myspace.com/illuminatta
Rhinocerous Surprise '08!!!
http://www.myspace.com/illuminatta
Rhinocerous Surprise '08!!!
I believe he is talking about the Christians you see on T.V., on those Sunday morning evangilist television programs that are always asking for money. You should only be offended if you ARE one of these, 'Say Yeeeeaaah-ah!' Christians. The ones that can be pursuaded to believe that a 90 foot tall Jesus threatened Oral Roberts with death, if he didn't raise 10 Million Dollars by a certain amount of time. Or you must feel compassion, or at least an understanding for the fundamentalist Christians in the order of the Ku Klux Klan. They are Christians too, you know?
And yeah... I agree with him here... I think those people are a little loose in the head. I don't think Jesus would ever threaten a guy for ransom... and I'm pretty sure he was 6'1" max. Probably more like 5' 9". People this easily pursuaded can be ordered to do all kinds of crazy shit... from shooting doctors to drinking the poison Kool-Aid to sweeping through Germany, exterminating the Jewish scourge. I can see why he finds them scary... the potential for creepiness is there.
The Christian faith, like all other religions, is riddled with splinter groups of fundamentalists and puritan lunatics. You would think that the majority of good Christians would try to distance themselves from these fringe religions, instead of coming to their defense. Same as you would think that the moderate Muslims would reject the fundamentalist Muslims that go around blowing up people. But, I guess, if you are willing to accept even the fringe elements of your Christian faith, you MUST then understand why moderate Muslims do not condem the acts of their radical wings.
I know NCFan can speak for himself... I just thought I toss him a lttle hand here.
Hail, Hail!!!