why is christianity still around?

[KAdernal]

Reading all these threads about God, and believe in God, and God smoking weed, I noticed they are all about one single God. Like no one even questions how we arrived at this point where christianity is one of the dominant religions in the US.

How could one God become so popular? Back in the day(thousands of years ago) there were all sorts of pagen gods, that people believed could do all sorts of things, and then someone goes look at this man christ, he can do all this crazy ass stuff, and lots of people are like you know what fuck the pagen gods, jesus is the man. But at the same time these people had weak faith in god, look at the stories in the bible. People having to walk 40 years in the woods because one man disobeyed Gods command. These people then started to go back to worshipping their many gods, but people said no jesus is the one true god. so over time these pagan gods where cast aside after thousands of years of worsipping them. And then thousands of years later (im talking about present day) people go look at these crazies who created these pagen gods(the greeks for instance). Then these people go on to worship a single God created by another bunch of crazies. doesnt make lots of sense.

Do you think there will be a time in the future when people outgrow this christian idealism? and begin to search for new gods just like what happend thousands of years ago? or do you think that people will stick to this and the current religions will battle on like this for eternity?

I think the idea of a single God figure appeales to our conservative thoughts, and our moral code that says manogomy is grand.

What is so good about being monotheistic? why couldnt there be more than one god?

[Shouse1018]

Originally Posted by KAdernal

Reading all these threads about God, and believe in God, and God smoking weed, I noticed they are all about one single God. Like no one even questions how we arrived at this point where christianity is one of the dominant religions in the US.

How could one God become so popular? Back in the day(thousands of years ago) there were all sorts of pagen gods, that people believed could do all sorts of things, and then someone goes look at this man christ, he can do all this crazy ass stuff, and lots of people are like you know what fuck the pagen gods, jesus is the man. But at the same time these people had weak faith in god, look at the stories in the bible. People having to walk 40 years in the woods because one man disobeyed Gods command. These people then started to go back to worshipping their many gods, but people said no jesus is the one true god. so over time these pagan gods where cast aside after thousands of years of worsipping them. And then thousands of years later (im talking about present day) people go look at these crazies who created these pagen gods(the greeks for instance). Then these people go on to worship a single God created by another bunch of crazies. doesnt make lots of sense.

Do you think there will be a time in the future when people outgrow this christian idealism? and begin to search for new gods just like what happend thousands of years ago? or do you think that people will stick to this and the current religions will battle on like this for eternity?

I think the idea of a single God figure appeales to our conservative thoughts, and our moral code that says manogomy is grand.

What is so good about being monotheistic? why couldnt there be more than one god?

Actually In the Old testament it was prophisized that the messiah would come.

Christ fulfilled all the signs of the old testament. Jesus wasn't claiming to be God.

From a Christian stand point God the father, son, and holy spirit are one in the same.

I don't think Christianity will ever be outgrown. When Christ comes back is when

this religious battle will end. I believe that day is near.

[emagdnim13]

i've wondered the same thing for a long time.

christianity is just another story for us to follow.

it gives us something to grab onto, but what we need to realize is that there is nothing to grab on to.

we have no clue why we are here, how we got here, what we are doing here, or who or what is responsible for us being here.

i do not have a chosen religion as i feel no religion has any more truth than another, which is all actuality is none.

one religion i looked into was buddhism, because it looks past materials and has you focus yourself on bettering your life. you are only trying to better yourself.

buddhists also never confront someone about their religion or try to push being a buddhist on anyone. the only time they will talk about it is when they are asked by someone. <--now that is fucking cool. i see billboards, fucking billboards for christ's sake(pun intended), with bible quotes on them. or churches being built with enormous signs with the opening dates of the church and whatnot.

it's just ridiculous. i heard a mormon commercial on the radio the other day. i don't want to be offered a religion by a voice coming out of my car.

as for what shouse said about christ's day of coming back being near. christ isn't coming back, just like your dog from kindergarden or your grandma.

he died and, like every other HUMAN BEING to ever die before and after him, his body decomposed and he is part of the earth. end of story.

[KAdernal]

Originally Posted by Shouse1018

Actually In the Old testament it was prophisized that the messiah would come.

Christ fulfilled all the signs of the old testament. Jesus wasn't claiming to be God.

From a Christian stand point God the father, son, and holy spirit are one in the same.

I don't think Christianity will ever be outgrown. When Christ comes back is when

this religious battle will end. I believe that day is near.

My family has been always very religious, I attended church and church functions but for a long time I could never swallow everything that was being fed to me whole, I have an inqusitive mind. I didn't mean to say that Jesus is the true God. I meant to say the one true son of god(even more believable right?), who had come to earth to fufil a prophecy. Yes the trinity is one, thus the reason that Christians are mono-theists, they believe in ONE single messiah.

I'm sure if you asked the greeks if their gods would still be around till the end of the earth they would also say that, yes they will be.

As for this religous battle, Im sick of hearing that, there is no battle between good and evil, because there is no one true good person on this earth, there is a lot of evil battling evil going on, yes. But God will return to to collect the souls of those worthy enough to enter his kingdom and live with him forever. But don't you think that the whole idea of waiting for Jesus to return is pretty clever? Becasue there is no set date, or time period that he will return, only signs. Even once he returns there will be many more years of chaos on the earth as satan and his army are going to be on the earth doing what they want until jesus casts satan and his followers into the eternal pit of darkness or whatever its called. Seems like lots of waiting for some mythical events to take place.

I've met many people with religious degrees and religious backgrounds through my parents. Some of them have had some very well thought out arguements with facts and supporting evidence, but still none can answer the questions I have about religion and the way their God works.

It is very possible that one day, not anytime soon, Christianity will not be the majority religion. As long as the earth and the human race survive that long, without blowing the world up, or making the planet so unhospitable that it cant even sustain humane life.

Just out of curiousity what is it that makes you think that Jesus is going to return soon?

[emagdnim13]

because his parents said so. and their parents said so. and their parents said so....and on and on and on until you trace it back to have been made up. or written in the famous work of fiction known as the bible.

[J@ck]

I couldn't agree more with shouse1018. Christians believe what we believe because we believe it's true and can't find evidence otherwise! With that kind of joy and faith in the Christian God it wouldn't make sense not to share the love. That would be a hypocrisy of our religion. It's not about the number of conversions it's about love. And yes there are perversions of our faith, like any. Televangelists (not all keep in mind) claiming to send in your money in return for salvation; protesters on the streets with signs sayin "God hates fags" or claiming girls who get abortions are sluts, or even our own president justifying what he does in my God's name, etc. That's not the Christianity I claim, and it's not what Christianity is. Those who claim it will die out apparently havn't experienced whole-hearted faith in something yet. Christianity is very largely known, world-wide, yes. But it's not as popular at all as you make it out to be. Christians have been persecuted for as long as the religion's been around. and yes sects have "returned the favor" in the name of the Christian God but even today hundreds of Christians are turned in Martyrs for there faith. Children are murdered by their own parents for converting and still refuse to deny Christ. Visit www.persecution.org for daily updates on Christian Martyrs of all ethnicity's and ages around the world. With this kind of persistance for thousands of years I don't see it dieing out until Christ returns. Be it today, tomorrow, or another thousand years. It's called faith.
I don't know a whole lot about Buddhism but where is that kind of selfish living gonna get you? If you found somethin that awesome why not share it, what's the point in hiding your faith if you have faith at all. Rick Warren (author) said,

It may seem easier to be holy when no one else is around to frustrate your preferences, but that is false, untested holiness. Isolation breeds deceitfulness; it is easy to fool ourselves into thinking we are mature if there is no one to challenge us. Real maturity shows up in relationships.

[EvenlySpaced]

Originally Posted by emagdnim13

i see billboards, fucking billboards for christ's sake(pun intended), with bible quotes on them.

Haha, once I passed a restaurant called "Mr. Waffles", and below the title sign was another sign that read "REPENT, SINNERS!"

Great...so now Mr. Waffles is telling me what to believe.

Anyway, personally I can't see Christianity lasting for the rest of eternity, in fact I can't see it surviving any better/longer than the traditional pagan religions. While Christianity has spread to pretty much every section of the world, you can see the cultures of the world changing, and as their general values change more so will their take on God(s), life, and humankind's place in the world.

[emagdnim13]

Originally Posted by J@ck

I don't know a whole lot about Buddhism but where is that kind of selfish livin gonna get you? If you found somethin that awesome why not share it, what's the point in hiding your faith if you have faith at all.

your lack of knowledge of Buddhism is quite apparent.

selfish living? buddhism is the exact opposite. it's about trying to reach nirvana. a place where your existence on earth makes sense to you and you rise above the thoughts, wants, desires, and dreams of the materialistic world.

and buddhists don't push their religion on other people like christianity does.

not only does christianity push their religion on whoever they can, but they have felt the need to "wipe clean" the earth of all non-catholics. which, i'm pretty sure, by definition is a genocide.

i believe about 6 million were killed in direct cause of the Crusades.


one more question for you jack,

why do you feel your religion has more bearing than the thousands of religions that have preceded it?

[KAdernal]

Originally Posted by J@ck

I couldn't agree more with shouse1018. Christians believe what we believe because we believe it's true and can't find evidence otherwise! With that kind of joy and faith in the Christian God it wouldn't make sense not to share the love. That would be a hypocrisy of our religion. It's not about the number of conversions it's about love. And yes there are perversions of our faith, like any. Televangelists (not all keep in mind) claiming to send in your money in return for salvation; protesters on the streets with signs sayin "God hates fags" or claiming girls who get abortions are sluts, or even our own president justifying what he does in my God's name, etc. That's not the Christianity I claim, and it's not what Christianity is.
I don't know a whole lot about Buddhism but where is that kind of selfish livin gonna get you? If you found somethin that awesome why not share it, what's the point in hiding your faith if you have faith at all. Rick Warren (author) said,
It may seem easier to be holy when no one else is around to frustrate your preferences, but that is false, untested holiness. Isolation breeds deceitfulness; it is easy to fool ourselves into thinking we are mature if there is no one to challenge us. Real maturity shows up in relationships.

Im going to listen to this from someone who blatantly goes against scripture and is a drug user? Not to be a dick, but people coming on here quoting all this religious rhetoric and saying that while some people are bad all christians aren't..... your one of the bad ones, smoking the reefer.

[emagdnim13]

you shall be cast into the pits of hell for your feindous dope smoking.

[KAdernal]

Originally Posted by emagdnim13

you shall be cast into the pits of hell for your feindous dope smoking.

......and thats all....if your lucky

[EvenlySpaced]

Ugh I swear I cannot comprehend any other reason for how the concept of hell spread so freely other than force...

[emagdnim13]

i was just joking.

i don't believe in hell or god, or religion for that matter.

religion only creates seperation.

[J@ck]

Originally Posted by KAdernal

Im going to listen to this from someone who blatantly goes against scripture and is a drug user? Not to be a dick, but people coming on here quoting all this religious rhetoric and saying that while some people are bad all christians aren't..... your one of the bad ones, smoking the reefer.

and all your blatant misunderstanding of Christianity is apparent as well. It's conveniant to blow off my valid points by saying I'm a sinner aint it... coming from someone who says they don't follow my religion. I don't claim to be perfect and Chistianity isn't for the "perfect" ones. Hell yea I smoke, and I'm a christian. But if it is a sin, like any, it's a sin. Christianity is for the sinners, the junkies, the perverts, the imperfect people who are humble enough to admit we don't know everything and arn't better then our neighbor.
Nah I don't know much about buddhism, just the fine points, but it's not my point to mock it. I was describing why Christians do what they do. Then explain buddhism to me if I made an apprent error in "judgement." I'm more then willing to listen but you have yet to make a point other then criticism.

Kadernal if your gonna quote me, quote me. Don't bs your way through an argument by stating I made claims I didn't.

Originally Posted by emagdnim13

religion only creates seperation.

and so does smoking the reefer but you continue your practice.

[emagdnim13]

one thing i know is, never talk about politics or religion in a mixed group. both can turn a nice night into a heated debate with lost friendships.

smoking creates no seperation. it's like drinking a pop or smoking a cig. those are completely different things than the seperation of religions.

i already explained what i needed to about buddhism to you above.