Christianity gets a bad rap

fuzzyng

New Member
Originally posted by Christy
Fuzzying, I might be wrong, but I'm pretty certain you are mistaking Billy Graham for Jimmy Swaggart.

hrm, wouldn't be the first time i've mixed people up... :biggrin:
 

watercolor

yeah yeah
yea I think so too....but also, there have been other "supposive" christians who have screwed up too. Like Baker, and Tammy Faye. I can not stand people like that, who think that, its the way to go, to rip people off and such. UGH!
I will answer on this more later
 

Tonio

Asperger's Poster Child
I never really got worked up over the televangelist scandals. I've always been more interested (and frightened) of the political aspirations of the Falwells and Robertsons.

Have you ever heard of Margaret Atwood's novel The Handmaid's Tale? (Or the movie version starring Robert Duvall and Natasha Richardson?) The story is about a United States ruled by a fundamentalist Christian dictatorship, almost like an American version of the Taliban.
 

pilot

Member
Christy:

I agree with almost all your comments. Most Christians I know are extremely tolerant, accepting people. Unfortunately, there are some extremists who give the rest a bad name (and they're usually the ones who go around declaring themselves to be the only "true" Christians). It's up to people like yourself to call them on it!

My only gripe is when people (not just Christians) try to mix up religion and government.
 

vraiblonde

Board Mommy
PREMO Member
Patron
I read "The Handmaid's Tale" and got about halfway through before I said, "Liberal feminist :bs: " and threw it in the giveaway pile.

That said, I don't think God or Christianity is the problem - it's the politics of organized religion that's the problem. All those pedophile priests getting shipped to new parishes instead of prosecuted comes to mind - can't have a black mark on the Church, now can we? Hush hush, sweep sweep, screw the children (pun intended).

I've always thought organized religions were cults anyway, even when I believed in God. Especially the Catholics because they're the most organized. So this recent exposation of their crimes against children doesn't surprise me one bit.

Wherever there's money and power, there's corruption. In Luke, Jesus says "No servant can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon." That about sums it up.
 

Tonio

Asperger's Poster Child
Handmaid's Tale never struck me as being particularly liberal. It's feminist, of course, but that's not exactly the same thing. vrai, what parts of the novel did you think were politically liberal?

Not to turn this thread into a book discussion, but I'm interested in 1984-style dystopia novels about religious dictatorships in America. Anyone familiar with these type of novels?
 

Tonio

Asperger's Poster Child
vrai, I agree with you about the politics of organized religion.

The Catholic Church hierarchy has not only tried to sweep the pedophilia under the rug. When this stuff came to light, they also acted like the biggest threat was to the church itself, not to the children. These guys seemed to be worred most about their own behinds.

I think a lot of American Catholics have been sorely disappointed in the Vatican because of how the scandals were addressed. Of course, many Catholics here have never agreed with Rome's views on birth control and women priests. At least one journalist who covers the Church has predicted that the American Church may secede from the Vatican in the next 150 years.
 

Hessian

Well-Known Member
Man, there are a lot of rabits to chase down in this topic and they all are burrowing under...

Catholic priest issue: I've said my position on that..I know it must depress thousands of faithful and I also know the Catholics have had a very difficult time finding new candidates for priesthood...schools are closing, giving is down (relying on Bingo night!!!)so the Catholic church in America is in trouble.Is is me or have the Catholics added so much to the original gospel that unless one is raised Catholic...it just seems to have too much baggage for a "new recruit."

I am always amused by the folks fearing a fundamentalist presidency..turning into a dictatorship:frown:
It is sooooo wacko to fear that (there must be some phobic name for that!!!!) Think of the Damage that Lincoln did to the constitution (sending troops to close newspapers, suspending habeas corpus...etc) Or how about the bloated socialism of FDR....or even the maniacal plots of Nixon...
NONE OF THESE PEOPLE WERE FUNDAMENTALIST CHRISTIANS!!!
Get it clear people...anyone who tries to pretend they are a "Christian" to gain more power will burn out and be exposed!!
(IE Clinton with a Bible coming out of Easter services...two hours later giving Monica rug burns)
These are the dangerous ones because thet do NOT fear a powerful, all-knowing, and jealous GOD.
(yes jealous....sola scriptura)
So...if you are shivering in fear about a fundamentalist take-over of America: you're a nut case.:eek:

Regarding our wayward Protestant leaders (and the list is long-SHAME!)...part of the blame should be placed on unwise, shallow, miracle-hoping, groupies who emotionally attach themselves to some TV evangelist and faithfully send their money just to hear more pleas for money!!!! (hello McFly!)
Paul did little fundraising...and most of it did not go to him but to aid other brothers in need. These enormous temples we build are an embarrassment to our faith...it should go into education, missionaries and meeting needs of the truly needy. I'll second what Vrai said: 2 masters and many Western Christians can't make up their minds.

Left Behind; My wife has read the series to me while we commute. The writing style isn't that great and the plots are drawn out but the scripture that it is based off of (Daniel, Revelation etc) makes you go back and read them to see if it actually appears the way it does in the books. The anti-semitism that you accuse it of is NOT intended and not there. Christians look to Christ as he weeps over Jerusalem and says 'How many prophets have you killed?, why have you rejected your God?' and we see the Jews as a people once chosen by God to be his people and now they have turned away-rejecting much of the OT and rejecting Christ. The Left Behind series supports the idea of 144,000 Jews who convert and become a new wave of missionaries to their own and the world& a Jewish scholar runs a world-wide web site teaching about the tribulation and encouraging beleivers...
Only a Jew who hates the threat of Christian Jews would see that as anti-semitic.

"Perhaps Hessian can correct me, but I believe
they are doing it out of a concern for the other person,and also because their faith says that they should go out and spread the faith. If only they'd just leave when politely asked to."

BudoPo-I certainly can't correct that-your assessment is perfect.

Enough Rabbit holes for now.
--During the Great Depression hobos used to hop off freight trains and wander through towns looking for a hot meal. Many developed charcoaled symbols to mark curbs for houses that were unfriendly, or hospitable. Then the next freight would bring men that went to those friendlier houses. A boy studied this from a distance and went to tell a kindly old lady what the hobos had done. She was lacking many things but she always found more to give. When asked if the boy should wash off the curb and thus keep the hobos away,
she replied that it was best to leave the mark...it was an honorable sign.

"....unto the least of these..."
 

bknarw

Attire Monitor
Originally posted by Tonio
vrai, I agree with you about the politics of organized religion.

The Catholic Church hierarchy has not only tried to sweep the pedophilia under the rug. When this stuff came to light, they also acted like the biggest threat was to the church itself, not to the children. These guys seemed to be worred most about their own behinds.

I think a lot of American Catholics have been sorely disappointed in the Vatican because of how the scandals were addressed. Of course, many Catholics here have never agreed with Rome's views on birth control and women priests. At least one journalist who covers the Church has predicted that the American Church may secede from the Vatican in the next 150 years.

I never realized how much of a problem I had with the Catholic Church until my aunt's funeral a couple of weeks ago (she converted because of her husband). During the middle of the service the priest plaintively told those in attendance that if you aren't Catholic you aren't allowed to participate in the Communion service with them.
I know that's a kind of "standing order", but the way in which he put it was somewhat demeaning and a bit of a surprise. I hadn't planned to participate in honor of Catholic beliefs, but to have it said in such a manner didn't sit well. In addition, I'm a devout Christian and Communion is something I hold very personally.
I can't imagine Jesus saying "I've just converted this bread and fish to thousands for the masses, but unless you're exactly like me you can't have any."
 

BudoPo

Member
I saw "Stigmata" on cable over the weekend. I hadn't seen it before, but the plot seems appropos for this thread. A lost gospel of the New Testament was found, written in the dialect of Aramaic that Jesus spoke (thus the idea was that it was written about the same time he lived). A few priests in the Church were adamant about supressing it, because it contradicted Church doctrine (due to how the Church had developed (politically) over the years).

Tonio, Robert A. Heinlein wrote a book (short story, really) along the lines you're looking for. I forget the title, but I think it might be "Misfit". It's about a religious dictatorship ruling the U.S. (he was a sci-fi writer, and actually had a pretty good grasp of human nature - especially mob mentality). I'll take a look tonight for the title, but if you search Amazon or such for summaries, I'm sure you'll find it (though it wasn't one of his better-known books).

But you're right: this thread shouldn't become a book discussion. So, with that, I have to disagree with Hessian that Jews have rejected the OT. I don't see that at all. I also don't see missions as being something good, historically.

Regarding Hessian's comments about a fundamentalist presidency, I think the concern is not that it would become a dictatorship (highly unlikely, if not downright inplausible, considering our constitution), but that such an administration would be tempted to promote one particular religion and/or hinder the practise of others.
 

Christy

b*tch rocket
--During the Great Depression hobos used to hop off freight trains and wander through towns looking for a hot meal. Many developed charcoaled symbols to mark curbs for houses that were unfriendly, or hospitable. Then the next freight would bring men that went to those friendlier houses. A boy studied this from a distance and went to tell a kindly old lady what the hobos had done. She was lacking many things but she always found more to give. When asked if the boy should wash off the curb and thus keep the hobos away,

Wow Hessian, that brings back memories of my Grandmother, who told me quite a bit about the Depression. She always stressed that no matter how poor they were, there was always room for another plate on the table. Now you've gone and made me all weepy. I miss her. I think she taught me most about "faith". She rarely ever went to church but taught me quite a bit about faith.

Personally, I think people are afraid of faith because they fear the perception and feeling of being weak, where in actuality "giving it up to God" does quite the opposite, it gives you more strength than you thought you ever had. Does that make sense or am I simply babbling?
 

Hessian

Well-Known Member
Babbling? hardly....
You have just pointed out one of the many paradoxes that are wrapped up in our faith.
Widow's mite....she gave the most.
Whomever is least in the kingdom....
Christ washing his disciples feet...
Faith of a mustard seed....

You get the idea (you already had the idea).
While the world tries to accumulate stuff and be first in line, yell over everybody else, and tell "white lies" to cover misdeeds,
Christians should be doing the opposite.

Also an interesting thing to remember is that the mysteries of the parables and the eternal truths are their for the beleiver to understand.. because the world considers them foolish.

You want a serious book BudoPo?:
Jesus Christ: God, Ghost or Guru?
This short paperback will boil it down:
**If you think he was a great teacher: That would also make him a great liar.
**If you think he was a charletan/magician, then why would so many be willing to die for a man who pulled stunts?
**If you finally decide he was the son of God...what effect will that have on your life? (because you either have to follow his teachings or condemn yourself to hell...)

Too many people walk around with a hazy view of God and Christ...saying that they can't commit, or there are too many phonies, or its only for weaklings, or all religions have about the same amount of truth. But it all comes down to that one question:
Jesus Christ: God? Ghost? or Guru?
 
Last edited:

BudoPo

Member
Originally posted by Hessian
While the world tries to accumulate stuff and be first in line, yell over everybody else, and tell "white lies" to cover misdeeds,
Christians should be doing the opposite.

I think that's what's gives Christians a bad rap: too many televangelists aren't following that advice and are too wrapped up in making money and hearing themselves speak. Combine that with their charismatic personalities, and you get people thinking that they speak for all Christians.

Originally posted by Hessian

You want a serious book BudoPo?:
Jesus Christ: God, Ghost or Guru?
This short paperback will boil it down:
**If you think he was a great teacher: That would also make him a great liar.
**If you think he was a charletan/magician, then why would so many be willing to die for a man who pulled stunts?
**If you finally decide he was the son of God...what effect will that have on your life? (because you either have to follow his teachings or condemn yourself to hell...)

Too many people walk around with a hazy view of God and Christ...saying that they can't commit, or there are too many phonies, or its only for weaklings, or all religions have about the same amount of truth. But it all comes down to that one question:
Jesus Christ: God? Ghost? or Guru?

Thanks, Hessian; I'll keep this one in mind. Although, personally, I've got a pretty firm hold on my beliefs, and wouldn't say that I'm in a haze or can't commit.

Tonio, the Robert A. Heinlein book is "If This Goes On--", a short story (about 150 pages), published in 1940. It's been a number of years since I read it, but I think it was fairly good reading. I can't quite remember the plot, aside from it being about a religious dictatorship in the U.S. I've got a business trip next week. Maybe I'll re-read it during that.
 

bknarw

Attire Monitor
Originally posted by BudoPo


I think that's what's gives Christians a bad rap: too many televangelists aren't following that advice and are too wrapped up in making money and hearing themselves speak. Combine that with their charismatic personalities, and you get people thinking that they speak for all Christians.



Thanks, Hessian; I'll keep this one in mind. Although, personally, I've got a pretty firm hold on my beliefs, and wouldn't say that I'm in a haze or can't commit.

Tonio, the Robert A. Heinlein book is "If This Goes On--", a short story (about 150 pages), published in 1940. It's been a number of years since I read it, but I think it was fairly good reading. I can't quite remember the plot, aside from it being about a religious dictatorship in the U.S. I've got a business trip next week. Maybe I'll re-read it during that.


You know, where were the televangelists after 9/11?
Why weren't they out there "healing" and administering to the people?
If they truly have the powers they proclaim, where were the Benny Hinn's?
Nowhere to be found...of course!
 

Tonio

Asperger's Poster Child
Originally posted by bknarw



You know, where were the televangelists after 9/11?
Why weren't they out there "healing" and administering to the people?
If they truly have the powers they proclaim, where were the Benny Hinn's?
Nowhere to be found...of course!

How about Falwell and Robertson's infamous "You made this happen" rant? Just as sickening as Pat Buchanan's claim that AIDS was God's punishment. It's not up to these guys, or any humans for that matter, to decide who God is going to punish.
 

bknarw

Attire Monitor
This is kinda long, but...

I get a newsletter occasionally that stated it well:

Where were you Miracle workers?
Where were all the miracle workers when we needed them, did they go to NY? Did they travel there to heal anyone or raise someone from the dead? No healer or so called Miracle worker went to NY. Why? Where was the anointed healer Benny Hinn? Did his schedule not allow it, while he can appear each day on his program? Where were they all? The fact is they would not be caught near a 100 miles of NYC because they know what they can and cannot do.

Why are they are not coming forward to pray and heal anyone with Anthrax or anything else that might surface. Why? Ask yourselves this question? Because those of you who follow these people need to wake up! Oh I know that many of you will make excuses for them, just stop it, and THINK. Ask yourself if the apostle Paul or Peter were near a disaster that affected so many would they continue on as usual or would they drop everything and go? What would happen if they showed up?

But there were ministers who did go to serve the people and help them cope with this disaster in their lives and we thank them as the body of Christ for being there. Praise the Lord for real servants who care for people, not about attention but people.

But where were the prophets? Apparently no one discovered this event would occur in the Bible codes. No one said anything specific to ward off a terrorist attack. Except that there would be a terrorist attack. This is no more than those in government or the informed already knew. They scramble to find something in what they said in the last year to prove that they are a prophet; and the followers believe them still!!

The spiritual warfare groups did not stop this act by their binding and loosing. With all the networks and prayer groups set up they did not stop the first or the 2nd plane that hit 18 minutes after. Why? Because they don't have the power or authority to do anything like this. But they tell you even afterwards that they do.
 

watercolor

yeah yeah
Well first of all..I am about to bust out a few things. It may scare you that Summer does know this stuff. And I believe it too. But just dont think that I am some freak. I am still human and an everyday girl.

God did not make 9/11 happen. He knew it was going to happen...but because the world is corrupt that is why it happened. I believe that one day Jesus will come back. But no one knows the time or hour or day. I am saying this is what I believe. I do believe it will get worse. I do believe people will become worse.
Some things have already shown true. Its unfortunate that it came to this, but it all dates back to Adam and Eve screwing it all up. Childbearing would not be painful, if Eve would not have sinned and ate from the tree of life..like she was adised not to. And so on and so on...I could go on all day.

I do not claim to know everything. I cant know everything, and I am not suppose to. I totally understand that questions may arise..and I am wanting to answer them...just all I ask is that the critasizm is kept to a low, and that no snotty answers. :)

we have a good discusion going on here...like to keep it that way.:cheesy:
 

bknarw

Attire Monitor
To what are you referring?

I believe everything that you do.
My comments were in reference to the so called "miracle workers" and "prophets" that are, in reality, charlatans.
 

Hessian

Well-Known Member
Watercolor also hit an element that we find pervasive in this society: 9/11 occurred because God didn't care...or he's not listening anymore, or why would a good God allow this???

My answer? Look to the OT: How many times did the Jews lose Jerusalem. Or were harassed by Philistines? or plagues fell upon them? Each time, I'm 100 certain that the survivors were lamenting "Why would he do this to us?"

And what was the answer EVERY time?
You have fallen away...put up groves for Idols, refused to listen to prophets (even kill them), Your leaders have turned their backs on me, neglected the temple, failed to sacrifice the best of your herd to me....."

Thus, IF (big if here) one were to believe that the God of the OT is still in his seat of judgement, it grieves Him, but there are times when he releases judgements on those he loves to bring them back to him.
OUT of those judgements came great people!
Daniel, Joshua, Joseph,....all the product of hardship, disaster and dispair.
Do I believe 9/11 was a judgement? Yes I do. God has had a wonderful hand of Protection on this nation for centuries...and He will continue to hold us as long as we acknowledge Him. 56 years without a nuclear exchange...dozens of deadly diseases sweep the world...-we make the cures, Hurricanes that threaten our shores every year...and are swept out to sea. Earthquakes rattle China-thousands dead-we get hit with the same and casualties are few.

OH I AM well aware that the humanist apologist can say:
We make our buildings better...those are natural currents that sweep away the storms, we have the best technologies to create vaccines...etc: That is resting your faith totally on man (which is what Israel did -just before judgements fell on them.)
9/11 wasn't an accident, wasn't a political statement: It was a warning.
 

Tonio

Asperger's Poster Child
I believe that some of the Old Testament is metaphorical. Such as:

The tree of the knowledge of good and evil and the pain of childbirth--As humans have evolved, babies' skulls have grown to accommodate the larger brain. At the same time, the opening in the adult female pelvis has shrunk. So the pain of childbirth is the price humans pay for their larger brain and sense of good and evil.

By the sweat of thy face thou shalt eat bread--If humans had remained hunter-gatherers, they could not have developed civilization. They were too busy struggling to survive. With the development of agriculture, humans had a steady food supply, and the time and resources to develop civilization. But in some ways, the hunter-gatherers had more freedom and fewer responsibilities. I think the humans in the first agrarian societies often mourned the loss of the hunter-gatherer lifestyle.
 
Last edited:
Top