What does being a Christian mean to you?
- Thread starter vraiblonde
- Start date
Larry Gude
Strung Out
Totally disagree. Most people get along just fine and are not horrible, day in and day out.
mAlice
professional daydreamer
Getting along with someone doesn't always mean that they are not horrible. It could just mean that someone is being civil.
Larry Gude
Strung Out
I suppose we'd need to define horrible. I can't think of one person in my life that I would describe as 'horrible'.
Of course, that leaves the very real possibility that everyone I know knows at least one person they'd describe as horrible...
mAlice
professional daydreamer
Because I like to think Christians are better than that, even though they generally let me down.
Larry Gude
Strung Out
Ain't none of them in my day to day life.
kwillia
n/a
Okay, I haven't read the posts beyond this one but I'm stopping here to agree. This sums it up for me too. I do not directly associate morality with religion. Some of the most immoral acting people I know go to church each week and some of the nicest moral people I know do not practice any religion.
mAlice
professional daydreamer
Currently, I don't have any in my day to day life, but not so long ago, I did. And I still encounter them almost daily. If they're not being horrible to me, they're being horrible to someone else. If I lived in Tiny Town, like you, I probably wouldn't encounter them that often, either.
mAlice
professional daydreamer
I completely agree with this sentiment.
Larry Gude
Strung Out
Got me there.
Larry Gude
Strung Out
Where the hell is the 'like' button around here?????
MMDad
Lem Putt
That's not what I was taught. I was taught about the vengeful God that must be appeased or you will burn in fiery hell. That's why I was agnostic for decades. I wanted to believe, but I could not make myself believe in a God that was looking for any possible technicality to exclude me, all the while hearing how I was a sinner and essentially destined to damnation.
In the other thread Hank stated that God is Love. That sums it up better than anything. That's the only way I can believe. The negativity that some ascribe to God are completely human inventions. I refuse to believe in a God that needs to use fear to keep us in line.
Larry Gude
Strung Out
b23hqb
Well-Known Member
It's not instilling fear. The fear comes from those who know there is a better way but decide to reject it, ya know the old saying "No Jesus, no peace. Know Jesus, know peace" bumper sticker mantra thingy.
It's love on the part of the Father. You, me, and everyone else, have the opportunity to receive or reject it. Really simple. No one can do it their way. That's why Jesus had to give it up to come here and give living proof of the glory of the Father. His own people saw Him in action, and still rejected Him. Nothing has changed, really, in 2,000 years.
His way, and His way only, and you won't be missing out on anything here - the world can't hold a candle to the brightness of God.
Individual choice, no matter how good one thinks they are.
Christy
b*tch rocket
I beg to differ. People are horrible. We're selfish, vain, cruel and arrogant. Some are just able to hide it better than other's.
MMDad
Lem Putt
I hate to agree with Larry, but.....
I believe that most people do what they think is good, or at least not that bad. Even the really cruel people, like dictators who order executions. They believe that what they do is right, or at least jsutified under the circumstances. They may be horribly misguided and mistaken, but I still don't think that most are intentionally evil.
Of course there are those who choose to be horrible. But I don't believe that there are many of those.
mAlice
professional daydreamer
I might be wrong, but I think Christy is talking more about your every day kind of horrible, not your dictator ordering executions type of horrible. Although, I'm sure that's just around the corner.
kwillia
n/a
It is the natural order of things to put "self-preservation" first. Humans are but just another species.
I don't know as you can say that, as a species, we are all those things. Certainly there are people who are like that, but they don't make up the majority. And there are great people who can on occasion be selfish, vain, etc, but that doesn't make up the bulk of their personality.
Of course you would have to define "horrible", which I don't think includes selfishness, vanity or arrogance.