What is it to be Christian ?

[wolf]

Originally Posted by skysidhe

The alternative is religious exclusion.

What's wrong with that? Isn't that the point of religious difference to begin with, to provide some defining characteristics that separate you from the fellah living alone over the next hill who offers beer libations to trees, and the folks over on that island who face East five times a day and pray to their God-concept?

[jinx]

Originally Posted by wolf

What's wrong with that? Isn't that the point of religious difference to begin with, to provide some defining characteristics that separate you from the fellah living alone over the next hill who offers beer libations to trees, and the folks over on that island who face East five times a day and pray to their God-concept?

There's nothing wrong with that - except that lots of people who belong to any particular religion think eveyone else should belong to, or at least respect, their religion. That alone is annoying at best - but in this age of nucular weapons and airplanes, its become downright scary.

[skysidhe]

Originally Posted by wolf

What's wrong with that? Isn't that the point of religious difference to begin with, to provide some defining characteristics that separate you from the fellah living alone over the next hill who offers beer libations to trees, and the folks over on that island who face East five times a day and pray to their God-concept?

Nothing, religions exclude all the time. It was an emphasis about the article itself.
The article included all people who from the original list who thought of themselves to be Christian otherwise it would be exclusion of which for the most part the opinion polls are not biased toward.

By putting yourself in the place of judge "They are ok with God while Those people are not..." you elevate yourself above others. Placing yourself in the place of God.
Not your place.
When you are perfect, then you can do it... until then, shut-up and work on your own shit.

[Bullitt]

Originally Posted by rkzenrage

By putting yourself in the place of judge "They are ok with God while Those people are not..." you elevate yourself above others. Placing yourself in the place of God.
Not your place.
When you are perfect, then you can do it... until then, shut-up and work on your own shit.

And thats the mistake that many many Christians make. They think oh I'm doing x y and staying away from z to get into heaven yayz!!1!, and you aren't so you're doomed to hell you evil person you. When in fact we are not the ones who decide what happens or where we go or whatever. It is truly not our place to judge or make claims to anyone's destination inside or outside our faith. And in my opinion, just like you said rk, those who do need to shut up and focus on other things.

[skysidhe]

Originally Posted by rkzenrage

By putting yourself in the place of judge "They are ok with God while Those people are not..." you elevate yourself above others. Placing yourself in the place of God.
Not your place.
When you are perfect, then you can do it... until then, shut-up and work on your own shit.

I am not sure to whom this was addressed. I have to change the 'yourself' to all' institutions of religions' in order to try and put in in the context of my post.

People define themselves by the contraints of thier religion. So when you use the personal 'yourself' as judge I get confused because I was talking about 'religion' as a whole. The original article I refered to did not exclude for purposes of not getting on tangents like this.

I guess I don't know what you are talking about.

Originally Posted by skysidhe

Nothing, religions exclude all the time. It was an emphasis about the article itself.
The article included all people who from the original list who thought of themselves to be Christian otherwise it would be exclusion of which for the most part the opinion polls are not biased toward.

But it is probably impossible to have any large group of adults reach a consensus on precisely who is a "Christian," and who is not.

http://www.religioustolerance.org/chr_defn1.htm

& they don't need to... that is not the point. It is a personal relationship, not a group effort.

[skysidhe]

Originally Posted by rkzenrage

& they don't need to... that is not the point. It is a personal relationship, not a group effort.

A group effort to find a group consensus on what a christain is. Point of this thread.

end of story. Im done with this [edit] flim-flamery.