Christianity isn't the problem, Christianity in the United States is the problem...

[eliteballer]

These people are everything Christianity stands against, how some can follow them is beyond me.

https://www.nytimes.com/2020/08/09/us/jerry-falwell-liberty-university.html

https://www.bet.com/news/national/2015/06/04/creflo-dollar-might-get-that-65-million-jet-after-all.html

https://www.usatoday.com/story/opinion/2017/09/02/joel-osteen-right-close-lakewood-church-but-he-lost-chance-teach-christianity-kirkland-an-column/622215001/

https://variety.com/2020/dirt/moguls/t-d-jakes-daughter-buys-calabasas-mansion-1234698162/

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9LtF34MrsfI

[MMM]

No shade against my Christian bros but I was wondering if you can be a Christian without a church. I feel like most people have issues more with organised churches, mosques, synagogues than the faith itself. Personally, I think you should be your own scholar, but that comes more from my background in faith.

[Axe]

If you think Christianity in the US is the problem, then Roman Catholicism is the biggest problem for the rest of the world.

[Patrick Chewing]

A lack of Christianity is the problem. The further we walk away from Jesus, the further we descend into chaos.

We are witnessing it now.

[RRR3]

A lack of Christianity is the problem. The further we walk away from Jesus, the further we descend into chaos.

We are witnessing it now.
Agreed, we need to become a Communist nation as Jesus would have wanted :applause:

[Patrick Chewing]

Jesus help that man please.

[Gabe Ball]

No shade against my Christian bros but I was wondering if you can be a Christian without a church. I feel like most people have issues more with organised churches, mosques, synagogues than the faith itself. Personally, I think you should be your own scholar, but that comes more from my background in faith.

You're pretty alone on that one.

Having a church where you meet with like-minded individuals is important and creates a sense of understanding and harmony within a community. You strip that away and you'll lose a lot of people from the religion.

I mean clearly what we're seeing up there are either people that:

1. Are extreme in their viewpoints.

or

2. Not really too in touch with their faith.

So to disband the church, mosques, and synagogues, which are the only places of gathering for these people, you essentially set people with extreme viewpoints to their own devices, and you've lost the people who were in it for the social interaction and sense of community.

It's like as if you tried to conduct an Alcoholics Anonymous group session by yourself, it's a lot better with other people. Some can help themselves with alcohol, but that's a small group, and the vast majority need something to help keep them in check. (Sort of loose comparison but I think it works).

[4pointshot]

Any widespread belief in something that doesn't exist is a problem.

[Axe]

Any widespread belief in something that doesn't exist is a problem.
Such as?

[4pointshot]

Such as?

Pretty obvious in any discussion of Christianity.

[Axe]

Pretty obvious in any discussion of Christianity.
I guess you're an atheist

[Patrick Chewing]

Never too late to open your mind and your heart to Jesus Christ.

I used to be an atheist too. But then I got over myself pretty quick. I was in my 20's and realized I didn't know shit about life. How was I supposed to know there isn't a higher being out there? I can't. So I opened my heart and mind to faith in Jesus. And besides, I have seen signs of a higher spiritual being. Something that is personal to me, that most people would just dismiss. But my job is not to convince.

[FourthTenor]

Any widespread belief in something that doesn't exist is a problem.


Says the guy adamant about a Covid Holocaust

[4pointshot]

I guess you're an atheist

I don't believe in something for which there is no apparent evidence.

I believe in higher consciousness, because I've experienced it. Nothing in that experience suggests that it's remotely like what most so-called Christians profess to believe in. Teresa d'Avila had the right idea, but she couldn't get past the Catholic myths. Most people, it seems, need those myths. They can't handle reality.

[Hittin_Shots]

Never too late to open your mind and your heart to Jesus Christ.

I used to be an atheist too. But then I got over myself pretty quick. I was in my 20's and realized I didn't know shit about life. How was I supposed to know there isn't a higher being out there? I can't. So I opened my heart and mind to faith in Jesus. And besides, I have seen signs of a higher spiritual being. Something that is personal to me, that most people would just dismiss. But my job is not to convince.

Sounds like your an agnostic latching onto a random religion.

I'm happy being agnostic, and not having to act like me and a bunch of other evidenceless fks know something we clearly don't.

[SATAN]

I used to be an atheist too. But then I got over myself pretty quick.

:roll:

:facepalm

[Axe]

I don't believe in something for which there is no apparent evidence.

I believe in higher consciousness, because I've experienced it. Nothing in that experience suggests that it's remotely like what most so-called Christians profess to believe in. Teresa d'Avila had the right idea, but she couldn't get past the Catholic myths. Most people, it seems, need those myths. They can't handle reality.
Yikes. All i can say is that you and old richard dawkins would probably become very good friends somehow.

[bobopenguin]

meet the CCP Christianity.

https://image.peoplenews.tw/collection/1535100254.jpg

[~primetime~]

I don't believe in something for which there is no apparent evidence.

I believe in higher consciousness, because I've experienced it. Nothing in that experience suggests that it's remotely like what most so-called Christians profess to believe in. Teresa d'Avila had the right idea, but she couldn't get past the Catholic myths. Most people, it seems, need those myths. They can't handle reality.

Do you mind sharing that experience?

[JEFFERSON MONEY]

:roll:

:facepalm

What's so funny about it? The facepalm indicates a level of contempt and arrogance which is definitely a disease of guys on here like bladefd, KennyPowers, Smoke117, BigNBAFan, Chris Hitchens, Richard Dawkins, Sam Harris and others who look down on religion and on people in general. Just a reminder, poster behind Satan, you don't know how much you don't know and you have no right to look down on someone like Patrick.

Patrick and I are enemies, but his choice of words are spot-on.

He got "over his self." Part of the struggle of faith is saying "NO" to one's self firmly and "Yes" to obedience to God. People have an inclination to want to glorify and prop up their "selves" but the person who chooses to sacrifice this "self" and instead give glory to God is on the right track.

Moreover, it's also about humbling oneself and realizing that one is powerless, needy, ignorant, and poor and in need---and that every good thing to ever come out of one self is ultimately because of God.

[JEFFERSON MONEY]

Do you mind sharing that experience?

That's a great question, prime, though I'm not the person you're responding to.

I can tell you this primetime. Do you know the feeling of---peace and unity you get after meditating with concentration for 20 minutes---almost as if you're DISSOLVING. That certainly is a feeling you can get. It's like a deep surrender.

I've been to the Holy City of Makkah 3 times in my life. Do you know the thrill of adrenaline you feel when you're going down a rollercoaster with adrenaline pumping through your veins? You feel scared and ALIVE. I did not have an adrenaline rush, but I felt even MORE ALIVE than ever. It's as if my soul was CHARGED.

Another thing I can recommend (can't force) is to simply look at the various organisms around you, and ask yourself who made this? Really investigate their structure, organization, faculties, attributes etc. and moreover realize that they can not have created themselves. So who created them?

Really look at the way things are interconnected---the birds need the bugs and the tree, the dirt needs the bug, the tree needs the soil, the tree can't live without the rain, the water needs the clouds, the clouds need the wind.
Moreover, the origin of every animal is a sperm cell/egg, yes? They somehow start the same but they all look different.
The origin of every plant is a seed, yes? They also start the same but they look different.
....What is this pointing to?

[Patrick Chewing]

What's so funny about it? The facepalm indicates a level of contempt and arrogance which is definitely a disease of guys on here like bladefd, KennyPowers, Smoke117, BigNBAFan, Chris Hitchens, Richard Dawkins, Sam Harris and others who look down on religion and on people in general. Just a reminder, poster behind Satan, you don't know how much you don't know and you have no right to look down on someone like Patrick.

Patrick and I are enemies, but his choice of words are spot-on.

He got "over his self." Part of the struggle of faith is saying "NO" to one's self firmly and "Yes" to obedience to God. People have an inclination to want to glorify and prop up their "selves" but the person who chooses to sacrifice this "self" and instead give glory to God is on the right track.

Moreover, it's also about humbling oneself and realizing that one is powerless, needy, ignorant, and poor and in need---and that every good thing to ever come out of one self is ultimately because of God.


:lol

[~primetime~]

That's a great question, prime, though I'm not the person you're responding to.

I can tell you this primetime. Do you know the feeling of---peace and unity you get after meditating with concentration for 20 minutes---almost as if you're DISSOLVING. That certainly is a feeling you can get. It's like a deep surrender.

I've been to the Holy City of Makkah 3 times in my life. Do you know the thrill of adrenaline you feel when you're going down a rollercoaster with adrenaline pumping through your veins? You feel scared and ALIVE. I did not have an adrenaline rush, but I felt even MORE ALIVE than ever. It's as if my soul was CHARGED.

Another thing I can recommend (can't force) is to simply look at the various organisms around you, and ask yourself who made this? Really investigate their structure, organization, faculties, attributes etc. and moreover realize that they can not have created themselves. So who created them?

Really look at the way things are interconnected---the birds need the bugs and the tree, the dirt needs the bug, the tree needs the soil, the tree can't live without the rain, the water needs the clouds, the clouds need the wind.
Moreover, the origin of every animal is a sperm cell/egg, yes? They somehow start the same but they all look different.
The origin of every plant is a seed, yes? They also start the same but they look different.
....What is this pointing to?

I do not think a deep meditative state is what he was referring to...I think he was talking about an actual out of body experience e.g. where he believes he actually met 'God(s)', saw our 'real' origins, etc...although I could be wrong, that's just how I took it...was hoping he'd clarify

That rush you are describing, being 'super-aware' of reality and purpose, etc, can be achieved through any form of spirituality, any religion, etc