The New "Tolerance"

[Bullitt]

Originally Posted by Flint

I believe Jesus was a great teacher, and set a good example for others. I don't understand the purpose behind believing that he is "magic" or that there is some contrived scenario involving his death being a poker chip that God cashes in to the karma factory to make bad people turn good again. I don't see the value in that, and I don't understand the origins of that logical pretzel. I don't think it has anything to do with anything Jesus himself ever taught, which should be a "red flag" . . .

This will probably sound like nonsense to you, but to me its not about understanding a purpose behind it all, its about feeling.

Reporter: "Mother Theresa, when you pray what do you say to God?"
Mother Theresa: "I do not say anything, I listen" Reporter: "Well as you listen to God, what does he say to you?"
Mother Theresa: "He doesn't say anything, He listens"

Contemporary logic does not apply to feeling, so it can never explain faith.

[Flint]

Originally Posted by PizzaMonkey

Er... flint, Jesus repeatedly claims to be God.

That is one interpretation, yes - but not the only one, and . . . please humor me by explaining, specifically, does Jesus say anything about his death having magical qualities to the individual who just believes hard enough?

[PizzaMonkey]

Originally Posted by Flint

That is one interpretation, yes - but not the only one, and . . . please humor me by explaining, specifically, does Jesus say anything about his death having magical qualities to the individual who just believes hard enough?

No, how could he, he was dead.

And it isn't supposed to be "Magic". "Magic" is deemed evil by the Bible.

[wolf]

Originally Posted by PizzaMonkey

And it isn't supposed to be "Magic". "Magic" is deemed evil by the Bible.

Not so ... of the 16 mentions of magic (or magician), none of them describe magic as evil.

[Flint]

Originally Posted by PizzaMonkey

And it isn't supposed to be "Magic". "Magic" is deemed evil by the Bible.

Originally Posted by wolf

Not so ... of the 16 mentions of magic (or magician), none of them describe magic as evil.

Case in point: "religious" people follow entrenched dogmas that have no relation whatsoever to the message they claim to follow. Magic is evil. Says who? Not Jesus. Not even the book about Jesus. But any "good Christian" will tell you magic is evil. Harry Potter is EVIL!!!

But why? It's got nothing to do with Jesus - so I ask you this: why tack Jesus' name on this poppycock? To legitimize your own bias? Or is it just out of blindly following along with whatever you are told, not questioning the origin of whatever wacky idea you hear in "church" - beause "church" is a place where everything you hear is true, and if you question it, you're burning in hell for all eternity!

I can't respect that. What is the purpose of calling yourself a "Christian" if you use you "Christianity" as a cheap crutch for your own half-baked ideas? That is sickeningly disrespectful to Jesus, wouldn't you think? Using his name to push your personal bullshit ideas? using his name to promote shit he has nothing to do with? How could you live with yourself if you claimed to worship this guy, but then you turn around and shit all over him and everything he stood for? Is it just pure fucking stupidity that this isn't glaringly obvious to anybody who has ever read the things that Jesus actually tried to teach us?

I maintain that calling yourself a "Christian" is a useless gesture that is actually harmful to the teachings of Jesus. Why do it? Why join that "special club"? Because it makes you feel good to belong to a group of "better" people? What exactly is the purpose of identifying yourself as a "Christian"? I really wish somebody would explain that.

[Pie]

Originally Posted by Flint

What exactly is the purpose of identifying yourself as a "Christian"? I really wish somebody would explain that.

So you can get that "faith-based initiative" moolah. Duh.

Great synopsis of the problems of religions, BTW. Philosophy is fine; religion sucks. Christian or otherwise.

[PizzaMonkey]

Er-Hum.

Thou shalt not suffer a witch to live.

That's been pretty much abandoned after Christ, because he was sort of "out with the old, in with the new" with laws, and stuff like that. However if you are a pre-Christ Wiccan amongst Jews, watch your back.

[Kitsune]

Originally Posted by Flint

What exactly is the purpose of identifying yourself as a "Christian"?

[Flint]

Originally Posted by Bullitt

This will probably sound like nonsense to you, but to me its not about understanding a purpose behind it all, its about feeling.

It sounds perfectly natural, not nonsense at all. I just like to "understand" who actually came up with the dogma that people follow, out of respect to the teacher whose name it is being tacked on, IE Jesus - the guy who never said any of that stuff. And yes, there are people who would like to manipulate your "feelings" with this contrived dogma. My point is: what does it have to do with the message that Jesus taught? That, I would think, is the important part, right?

Originally Posted by Bullitt

Contemporary logic does not apply to feeling, so it can never explain faith.

I think Jesus would appreciate you applying some logic to the interpretation of his message in it's pure, beautiful form, before all the complex political agendas turned it into a farce. In that case, logic would be your ally. In that case, I think Jesus would appreciate the use of some logic to slice away the garbage that he has been slandered with.