Religion thread
- Thread starter SeaSnake
- Start date
IIght this bout to be pretty lengthy only because I don't particularly like talking about religion as it often gets argumentative, and as i mentioned earlier in this post... it's the philosophy of Christ's Teachings that really has my heart in Christianity. I know people love to argue scripture, law, and punishment when it comes to religion, but i love to debate the meanings and interpretations of the parables and stories...What dot hey mean towards the greater good of man.....
Some of my favorite stories are the ones where acts of love and faith were displayed. The friends that pulled the roof off of a home so that their boy could see Jesus.., bruh i wrote a few essays on that for my pastor years ago.....i don't have them anymore, but i wouldn't be surprised if someone has them. Of course the prodigal son, and many others I just don't wanna take too much in this already long post. But that's what I truly love of about Christianity, and I can agree it has a lot to do with accessibility and exposure. But I have read the Quran a few times, there's still one in my room. But I've also read a lot about Buddhism, Taoism, Hindu....all types of stuff..... I also read a lot of Plato and Socrates, I've read Inferno a bunch of times, and I also read a lot of Bertrand Russell. Bertrand Russell is a very famous atheist and I read his essay on why i am not a christian many many times, I own a copy of that as well. As well as quite a few of other Bertrand books that are littered around my roomy. And as I've said before I've read a lot of Anne Rice, who the church damn nears hates, because sooooooo much of work is heavily influenced by her catholic and religious beliefs... My favorite book of hers is Memnoch the devil, where she pretty much perverts the entire concept of God, Jesus, and the Devil in the most beautiful way possible. Easily my favorite book of all time, and I don't know how anyone can read it and not almost immediately question everything. Cuz she was hitting on all cylinders in that book. It was like it was specifically written for young people who felt lost in the church.
But Ultimately what really got me back in the Church, was just my own philosophy. I figured if God did exist and he wanted us to be aware of him. He would certainly use divine intervention to push man in the direction of him. And considering how powerful he is, it would be pretty obvious. It just made sense to be a Christian at that point. Sure man is going to try to make a profit off of everything, and his overwhelming desire to control will have it's influence on things as well.
It's my doubt in man that allows me to pick and choose what parts of the bible I am more attracted to. People are always going to gravitate to the information that supports their way of thinking. And the Bible is literally full of that. If you consider Jesus Christ a good person. Good like what Plato talks about in the Republic, the good life, the perfect man, all that shit....then To read learn and understand his parables in my opinion is the price of admission right there. At the core that's why I'm a Christian. I want to live a life that is as good and pure as I possibly can. Christ provides that example for me.
Some of my favorite stories are the ones where acts of love and faith were displayed. The friends that pulled the roof off of a home so that their boy could see Jesus.., bruh i wrote a few essays on that for my pastor years ago.....i don't have them anymore, but i wouldn't be surprised if someone has them. Of course the prodigal son, and many others I just don't wanna take too much in this already long post. But that's what I truly love of about Christianity, and I can agree it has a lot to do with accessibility and exposure. But I have read the Quran a few times, there's still one in my room. But I've also read a lot about Buddhism, Taoism, Hindu....all types of stuff..... I also read a lot of Plato and Socrates, I've read Inferno a bunch of times, and I also read a lot of Bertrand Russell. Bertrand Russell is a very famous atheist and I read his essay on why i am not a christian many many times, I own a copy of that as well. As well as quite a few of other Bertrand books that are littered around my roomy. And as I've said before I've read a lot of Anne Rice, who the church damn nears hates, because sooooooo much of work is heavily influenced by her catholic and religious beliefs... My favorite book of hers is Memnoch the devil, where she pretty much perverts the entire concept of God, Jesus, and the Devil in the most beautiful way possible. Easily my favorite book of all time, and I don't know how anyone can read it and not almost immediately question everything. Cuz she was hitting on all cylinders in that book. It was like it was specifically written for young people who felt lost in the church.
But Ultimately what really got me back in the Church, was just my own philosophy. I figured if God did exist and he wanted us to be aware of him. He would certainly use divine intervention to push man in the direction of him. And considering how powerful he is, it would be pretty obvious. It just made sense to be a Christian at that point. Sure man is going to try to make a profit off of everything, and his overwhelming desire to control will have it's influence on things as well.
It's my doubt in man that allows me to pick and choose what parts of the bible I am more attracted to. People are always going to gravitate to the information that supports their way of thinking. And the Bible is literally full of that. If you consider Jesus Christ a good person. Good like what Plato talks about in the Republic, the good life, the perfect man, all that shit....then To read learn and understand his parables in my opinion is the price of admission right there. At the core that's why I'm a Christian. I want to live a life that is as good and pure as I possibly can. Christ provides that example for me.
BDP™️
Acknowledge Moi
absolutely...Everyone has their own path, and I respect that fully...if you can lead a good and pure life without Christ..then by all means do so, that's your life and you can do whatever you please with it. it does not bother me when people feel they don't need christ in their life. I think that's whassup....
I truly do not believe Christ himself would treat anyone who had different beliefs than him any differently than those he kept closest. He truly loved everybody, and I try to show that example. My one homie Charlie is Muslim, and boy Naldo is Agnostic...it's nothing, they still my best friends.
Judge Dread
Active Member
I think the problems start after Jesus Christ, Allah, Egyptian ideologies and othe forms or those that don't believe in a higher power. Because Catholics and Baptist believe their way is the right way and jahova witness believe they are right and the people that don't believe in God think that they are right. We have to be more accepting of everyone beliefs and should be able to talk about it without it leading to an arguement. But people are so hardened that they can't have an open discussion without their feelings and what they were taught getting in the way. The only people I have a problem with are the ones that don't know why they are the way they are. That have not studied anything. If you don't believe in a higher power you should at least be able to explain why.
Word Jesus might have said he was the way n all that. But dude also showed mad love to everybody regardless who they were. Even his traitors and tormentors. So if he can show love to an enemy, who am I to deny a friend with a different belief system.
IP360
Doctorate & Ph.D in Bootyology
Raised as a Baptist.
Growing up some of my best memories was wit church. Going to the afternoon programs, the food they had, vacation bible school, the anniversaries, friends I grew up wit, the whole family atmosphere, etc. Loved it.
As I got older I stopped going. Never lost my faith tho. That has stayed with me til this day. Like Cain mentioned, it's a lot of church politics that does leave a bad taste. Along wit church drama. (church folks are familiar wgat kind. lol) Which is sad tho.
Again, I still got my faith. And if I need guidance, I pray.
Growing up some of my best memories was wit church. Going to the afternoon programs, the food they had, vacation bible school, the anniversaries, friends I grew up wit, the whole family atmosphere, etc. Loved it.
As I got older I stopped going. Never lost my faith tho. That has stayed with me til this day. Like Cain mentioned, it's a lot of church politics that does leave a bad taste. Along wit church drama. (church folks are familiar wgat kind. lol) Which is sad tho.
Again, I still got my faith. And if I need guidance, I pray.
When I was like 8 my mom's remarried cuz the church told her i needed a father and all that...
Well dude ended up being a junky and mom's kicked dude out and eventually divorced dude...
The church tried to low key shame her, talking about the duties of a wife. Richer and poorer, death do us part,, all that shit......
Why this woman wild out on the entire church, mid sermon, while I'm sitting right next to her like
So Yea, I've never had much tolerance for church politics, nobody above being checked...
I keep everybody honest.
Reason why I don't mess with mega churches...
Well dude ended up being a junky and mom's kicked dude out and eventually divorced dude...
The church tried to low key shame her, talking about the duties of a wife. Richer and poorer, death do us part,, all that shit......
Why this woman wild out on the entire church, mid sermon, while I'm sitting right next to her like
So Yea, I've never had much tolerance for church politics, nobody above being checked...
I keep everybody honest.
Reason why I don't mess with mega churches...
IP360
Doctorate & Ph.D in Bootyology
Maaaaaannnnn I was getting ready to say this same thing!
That's been my biggest issue wit folks and religion. Everyone thinks THEIR religion is the only right one out there.
Folks be so quick to claim how "evil" Islam is and how it promotes terrorism. Yet, turn a blind eye to all the horrific stuff done in the name of Christianity.
This is why I stay away from religious discussions. I don't think Islam is evil. I believe terrorism is a perversion of Islam. And man has a bloody history and has often uses religion as justification for their blood lust... I can't get into those discussions... It goes against what I believe is the core purpose for these practices
BDP™️
Acknowledge Moi
The problem with many Christians we seem to forget or under emphasize that the most effective way of sharing the Gospel is to LIVE it. Build relationships with people and put your life on display.
You become the salt of the earth, the city on the hill, the light in dark places by putting your faith on display through ACTION.
Because eventually, the people in your circle or who watch how you move will go from asking themselves "why is he so loving, gracious, humble, etc" to asking you that.
Then, you can articulate verbally why. All people may not accept the why...but you are still sharing The Good News in the most effective way possible.
You become the salt of the earth, the city on the hill, the light in dark places by putting your faith on display through ACTION.
Because eventually, the people in your circle or who watch how you move will go from asking themselves "why is he so loving, gracious, humble, etc" to asking you that.
Then, you can articulate verbally why. All people may not accept the why...but you are still sharing The Good News in the most effective way possible.
Judge Dread
Active Member
I don't want to seem anti Christianity because I am not( my wife says I am sometimes) but more wars and more blood has been shed because of Christianity than any other belief that has ever existed. But I also believe that as Black and Brown people we need to enforce imagery that belongs to us. If you look at Ethiopia and their angels they are Brown skinned. I think part of the comfortability that one has with themselves starts with the images we see and how we view ourselves. People make fun of the comedies saying white Jesus and stuff but if you believe that image is pure how can you see yourself that way.
i know this aint the thread for it, and i hope it doesnt derail it too much, but i remember being away at college and getting this story told to me by my younger sister
we went to a family founded church...the family was my mother's grandparents and a couple other families in our small town. This was one of those churches that had only like 4 pastors ever or something...so anyway, caught in a place of transition b/t pastors, they hire this one dude. I cant say i remember too much about the dude, i just remember something was off about him
anyway, so one sunday, this woman comes through the doors during the middle of the sermon with a young boy with one shoe on. She interrupts the sermon and asks the pastor in front of the congregation (including dudes wife), why has he neglected his son
yikes!!!
he roll bounced after that...
we went to a family founded church...the family was my mother's grandparents and a couple other families in our small town. This was one of those churches that had only like 4 pastors ever or something...so anyway, caught in a place of transition b/t pastors, they hire this one dude. I cant say i remember too much about the dude, i just remember something was off about him
anyway, so one sunday, this woman comes through the doors during the middle of the sermon with a young boy with one shoe on. She interrupts the sermon and asks the pastor in front of the congregation (including dudes wife), why has he neglected his son
yikes!!!
he roll bounced after that...
which is exactly what me and BDP are trying to point out bruh...
man has a blood lust....man doesn't need religion to go to war.....yet religion and often more specifically christianity is the go to excuse to justify bloodshed......imo it's shameful.....i've never once felt anger or wanted to kill someone because they weren't christian or had anti-christian beliefs....and that in itself allows me to separate myself from those who used the name of Christ to justify bloodshed....
people gotta stop focusing on that aspect of the spread of christianity....that's essentially the same as those who call Islam evil because of extremist who pervert their religion to justify terrorism and the slaughter of innocents...Christ does not teach you to kill and hate those who share different beliefs, so those people who started wars to spread the religion I do not feel in any way they were being Christ-like or demonstrating what it is to be a good christian any more than i believe a KKK member, or those folk who burn the holy books of other religions...
And before this turns into a battle of scripture justifying murder let me point out that man has had a heavy influence on what is available to the people.
Throughout man's history more shit has perished through wars and destruction of empires than has survived. History of entire civilizations has been completely lost thru wars n shit, because history is too often only the "truth" told by the victors.....
we gotta be subjective and limited in what we chose to indulge in. It's virtually impossible to live 100% by scripture because far too many contradict.
And while it receives heavy criticism, I strongly feel that there are more important lessons to be taught from the bible than others.... Everything in there ain't for every body....cuz a lotta that shit can easily have you influenced to do something that is in direct contradiction of leading a Christ -like life if you take it literally and allow it to consume your life....
Those wars you speak of.....that bloody past.....you can't charge that to the entire religion...it's just not an accurate description of the mindset of modern day Christians......as a whole.....there's always gonna be some jerks, but they're not representatives of the whole
also white jesus is hilarious.....
if niggaz still thinking jesus look like an italian they deserve to be lost....
Jesus looks like that because when the Roman Empire fell and got rid of their Gods...they replaced them with images of Chirst and the virgin mary, and John, Peter, the angels alll that....
I mean no doubt the art from the Italian Renaissance and all that shit was beautiful, but they painted a lot of religious figures in their image.....but that's all it is...art...it's not meant to be taken as a reference point.... but unfortunately that shit was lost in translation...
my man would look more like aziz ansari than brad pitt...... but whatever
I ain't here to argue about his facial features
Or here to convert atheists into believers
I'm just tryna say the way school need teachers
The way Kathie Lee needed Regis, that's the way I need Jesus
if niggaz still thinking jesus look like an italian they deserve to be lost....
Jesus looks like that because when the Roman Empire fell and got rid of their Gods...they replaced them with images of Chirst and the virgin mary, and John, Peter, the angels alll that....
I mean no doubt the art from the Italian Renaissance and all that shit was beautiful, but they painted a lot of religious figures in their image.....but that's all it is...art...it's not meant to be taken as a reference point.... but unfortunately that shit was lost in translation...
my man would look more like aziz ansari than brad pitt...... but whatever
I ain't here to argue about his facial features
Or here to convert atheists into believers
I'm just tryna say the way school need teachers
The way Kathie Lee needed Regis, that's the way I need Jesus
Golden
Administrator
r u out of the Ex-Muslim closet?
FakeOhMars
MEH!
Golden
Administrator
I aint got 1 b. no lie.
yeah I can see how someone who been left the faith cld jst appear non-practicing or lapsed.