Thoughts and Prayers: The Religion Thread

I agree with a lot of this but would add that to me the primary ethic of Christianity is the Golden Rule, which predates Christianity and is the fundamental ethic of numerous world religions and philosophies. The rest of it -- the hymns, the cathedrals, the myths -- are superfluous. That's why society is sloughing it off, not just in North America but in much of Europe as well.

Not that it doesn't reside at the core of Western civilization as a historical artifact. We need to know and value, even celebrate, history.

As for "the church," it has been a political tool since Constantine the Great co-opted it. It's still a poweful political tool in this country, less so in Europe.

IMO, one of the major ethical flaws in many Christian sects is the premise that theirs is the one true path to salvation. It imparts a sense of spiritual superiority that extends into worldly life. It's hard to be meek when you're going to inherit the earth.

 

You think it's the 'nones' who are America's problem, though I think you're attributing characteristics to them that they don't necessarily possess. I think this story describes America's biggest problem. This is about the Mercy Culture church and how they're embracing politics and, really, if you read it, trying to create a theocracy, a white, fundamentalist theocracy, to rule America.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/nati...ocial&utm_source=twitter&utm_campaign=wp_main

 

Fair

 

I have a lot to say about that link -- of course I read it -- and some other general thoughts, as well, but I'll have to come back later. Off to work, and it might take a while to speak to all the issues.

 

Well, you can call it a flaw. You’re entitled to that description.

But the Bible is unmistakably clear on it. If there is some other way to heaven, there wasn’t any reason for Jesus to live or die.

What would be the other way that would simultaneously be compatible with scripture? Living a good life? The Bible says there are no lives that lived well enough to meet the standard. Human effort won’t do it. If it could, or did, then Jesus is unnecessary and, thus, kind of a monster, when you think about it.

 

That's based on your interpretation, though. No hate. I don't think we get to decide that.

 

It’s based on an elementary interpretation of the Bible. Jesus is the exclusive way in the Bible as written and translated billions of times. No life except his life is good enough, as it is written in the Bible.

 

Don't you wonder about the agendas behind the translations?

 

If I wondered about the agenda on that particular topic, then the whole thing is a waste of time. It says what it says, and most of the apostles reportedly met brutal ends for preaching it.

 

To be clear: Could the Bible be wrong? Sure. It’s possible for it to be wrong - made up of whole cloth, I suppose. A big agenda spanning 2,000 years.

but it is then an agenda that claims a specific thing. To argue “well it doesn’t claim that” doesn’t even bolster the agenda argument. If the “Jesus is the only way” part of the Bible - deeply offensive at the time, to the point of murder - is an agenda, then all of it is, and a bizarre one at that.