Ten Signs You Are An Unquestioning Christian

Originally posted by impaired
I found this on the net, and it expressed everything that *I* couldn't express in words.

I want to see some real Christians debunk these, instead of quibbling over irrelevant issues:

1: You vigorously deny the existence of thousands of gods claimed by other religions, but feel outraged when someone denies the existence of YOUR god.

I don't feel outraged, you could believe in whatever you like.

2: You feel insulted and "dehumanized" when scientists say that people evolved from lesser life forms, but you have no problem with the Biblical claim that we were created from dirt.

The truth is, I don't really know where we came from that is why I try not to argue about evolution.

3: You laugh at polytheists, but you have no problem with believing in a Trinity god.

I don't have a trinity God. God the Spirit is above all, Jesus sits at his right hand. Jesus is not exalted above God.

4: Your face turns purple when you hear of the atrocities attributed to Allah, but you don't even flinch when hearing about how God/Jehova slaughtered all of the babies of Egypt in 'Exodus' and ordered the elimination of ENTIRE ETHNIC GROUPS in 'Joshua' - including women, children, and animals.

That is the old testament, which I try not to associate myself with too much. I try to keep the ten commandments, but that is it. I follow the teachings of Christ, "Love your God with all your mind, hear, and soul.", and "Love your neighbor as much as yourself."

5: You laugh at Hindu beliefs that defy humans, and Greek claims about gods sleeping with women, but you have no problem in believing that the Holy Spirit impregnated Mary, who then gave birth to a man-god who got killed, came back to life and then ascended into the sky.

I don't care for Hindu beliefs. Hindu beliefs incorporate many different religions, it isn't just what they think. History shows that Hindu's embraced Buddhism, Christianity, and other religions as well.

6: You are willing to spend your life looking for little loopholes in the scientifically established age of Earth (4.55 billion years), but you find nothing wrong with believing dates recorded by pre-historic tribesmen sitting in their tents and guessing that the Earth is a couple of generations old.

Again, I find history beautiful. But I don't know where we came from. We could have come from single organism bacteria, or from God.

With that being said, how is it that some people say why do you believe in God, and they believe in the big bang? What was before the big bang, and how did it get there? Don't know? Well, neither do I. You have evidence, I have experiences that indicate there is a God.

7: You believe that the entire population of this planet, with the exception of those who share your beliefs - though excluding those in all rival sects - will spend eternity in an infinite hell of suffering. Yet you consider your religion the most tolerant and loving.

It is not my place to judge. I can't say the population will burn in hell because I don't have any authority to make that claim. I am not righteous, so why should I say you're going to burn in hell when I am no better.

8: While modern science, history, geology, biology, and physics have failed to convince you otherwise, some person rolling around on the floor 'speaking in tongues' may be all the evidence you need.

Lol, oh, like they do on TV? I thought that was a comedy show.

9: You define 0.01% as a "high success rate" when it comes to answered prayers. You consider that to be the evidence that prayer works, and you think that the remaining 99.99 % failure was simply the will of God.

I never consider that. I never ask anything when praying, I give thanks for what I have. Well, I do ask for help to be able to live a righteous life, oh, and ask for forgiveness.

10: You actually know a lot less than many Atheists and Agnostics do about the Bible, Christianity, and church history, but still call yourself a "Christian".

I have my teachings, they have theirs. You could know more than me but what does that prove? It shows that I have a life too. I'm a Christian, I don't always have my nose in the Bible. I go out and have fun, if I am not on here or studying.

I know this is kind of hard for you to believe,but, us Christians are people too. It is not like we always walk around condemning people to hell. You gotta understand that we have a big population, so we will have more nuts than any other religion.atheism.

Another thing, your post is just generalizing all of the Christian people. I don't know if you were trying to be insulting or are trying to corner us. I hope my post showed you that we have lives outside of our houses. We may have more radicals, but we have come a long way from the middle ages.

Religion is sort of like science, it is always evolving.

Peace.



[edit on 31-3-2010 by Equinox99]

Just thought I would point out a little detail here contained in the bible. It turns out the Jews did something incredibly stupid approximately 2000 years ago. They killed Elijah the prophet. And royally ticked off their God. And putting together the pieces that are scattered about the bible it appears that the curse is supposed to be 2000 years.

The problem is right now is that the last 2000 years was not normal. Essentially you are making a judgment about religion when you have never seen it in it's normal state. You are looking at a caterpillar stage. You have never seen the butterfly.

Jesus Christ said that he was going away for a long period of time per the Matthew 25-14 parable. It would appear he was referring to this curse when he gave his disciples this parable. Which would appear then that in about 20 to 30 years you can ask him all about it directly.



[edit on 31-3-2010 by ntech]

To the OP, if I went through this mall experience you did, I would be agitated to say the least, and probably hotheaded until I was able to cool down,
but that's because I'm a part Irish, part Cherokee Southern woman with a lot of red in my hair. These things are a part of me whether I believe in God or not, and will not change. My temperament is feisty, because my mother is feisty, and so was her mother. Not because of religion. Some things never change, just ask my hubby.

However, Christ is the lover of my soul, and what person can call himself or herself a human being without acknowledging the basic principles of human love? I believe He is beyond those things like debate and insults to Christianity, but as a human being, especially an emotional woman, I am not. If someone degrades my husband verbally, I am not upset because their words are true, but because that is my natural response, offense at the lies and defense of the one I love. I love him for good reason, after all, and it is possible, though not likely, that I could just walk away. Like you, OP, I probably wouldn't.

In other words, if you love your mom, and someone talks about her, we all know the feeling that could come over you...those are fighting words, even though we all teach our kids to ignore it. It's hard, because our natural instinct is to preserve the honor of who we love, and are loyal to.

Please don't confuse emotion with ignorant rage. Please be clear that I am acknowledging what you went through as normal, for both sides. Now that the emotional reality is acknowledged, perhaps a true conversation can begin. I realize you needed to vent, and I don't blame you. Apologies to you for what you went through with these people. We all get excited from time to time. Let's let that part go, since a person's level of passion or ire cannot be reasonably expected to carry their stance or position.

Perhaps it would be useful to reflect on the fact that no one flamed you, as you predicted they would. Aren't you glad that didn't happen?

No flood of people claiming Christ came here to attack you, or any posters who replied to your thread. That has not happened. Do you allow this to permeate your reality? Do you accept and acknowledge these facts?

Beginning here is only reasonable for empirically-minded humans like all of us.

If hard facts do not matter, then the basis for this thread is a pool of sinking sand and will only produce more of those things mentioned in the OP as reasons for contempt...

You have a fine mind, so I expect these realities to have a pretty deep impact on you, and I look forward to watching your position develop accordingly.

I am living proof that the Christians who you profile in the OP are not the representatives of Christianity, but merely humans like ourselves. Were they at some kind of display or booth in the mall?

Were they free to ignore you or walk away, or did your friend bring you to their stand or kiosk, knowing they were there all day and could not be reasonably expected to abandon their spot? How long did you argue with them? And please, help me understand why your friend set this confrontation in motion? Does he like to see you get upset, offended, or contemptuous of Christians, or just whoever? Please clarify, and thanks for sharing your concerns about the public face (as you see it) of Christianity.

Your protests/complaints/criticisms are valuable to us, I'm sure, and will help us to improve our service to you, if we want to do that, as we should, and many do. Please know that God will send others, like myself, that have an abundance of love and acceptance for humans of all types. I don't restrain or dictate who is to be loved and who isn't.

I am free in my own mind after all. I can choose to love whoever I want for however long I want, even forever/my whole life, if I choose.

I choose to love every single person, as much as I can, to the extent my mind can conceive. As a parent, I know that love is not merely hearts and flowers, but a lot of other things we might not realize until we are into the long journey of commitment true love requires. It's easier for me personally to love all and hold none of it back, and it makes my heart ache and bleed for the suffering of so many, and it makes me able to hold even more love because of it.

My heart is very much like the Grand Canyon, but those deeply-carved channels hold so much when flooded to the top and overflowing, even, with concern for others, for their needs being filled, for those who are struggling with a million different, equally desperate situations of trial, testing, and sorrows. No life escapes unscathed, as we all should realize. I can do all I can do, but then, in the privacy of my own heart and mind, I am free to do even more.

That is what a Christian is, will be, and is being shaped into, no matter what stage of the process he or she is in when you meet them, or catch them, or insult them. Each one of us (insider talking here) is in the process of refinement, according to our belief system.

Of course there are errors. I've made some right here. = See, there's one now!

If someone made you feel differently, please understand that it is not true. The only way humans can accept one another is in terms of common weaknesses, since even strength is not common to every person. Some people call me strong, but I know I am very weak in the matters that I am very weak in. How is that strong? So there is no non-subjective strength, while weaknesses like the liability of death are common to every single one of us. That is the true foundation of our existence, and happens to be the true foundation of Christianity, and indeed, most religions.

If you'd like to know more about whether I fit those ten points, I will offer myself up to be tested on each of them. Question away, but do it in a way that I can actually answer, not a million different attacks. A reasoned approach will allow me to be as forthcoming as you like, since I am not worth much and neither are my beliefs, facts, etc, if I cannot stand testing or examination.

I already know I'm not perfect, that's why I'm glad to be an aspiring Christian. That is the whole basis of it, after all. I'm sure those people in the mall did not think they were perfect either. If they made errors, they made errors, but did they really? Your outrage at the ten points you mentioned does not make them either right or wrong. It just is. I don't discount what you say because of your passion or emotion in saying it, so that is not a correct repudiation of the mall people or their beliefs/positions, either.

Please respond, intelligent and angry poster. I have been you, and will be again, very soon, I'm sure, so let's talk here.

copperflower.......

have you actually gone to evilbible.com and read the entire page?

I was laughing so hard I almost broke a rib.

Please go there and denounce what it says...logically, rationally, unemotionally.

best site I have ever seen for a reality check...

stars and flags to chris for putting up that site.....wish the msm would get a hold of it and make it public.......his "retard of the month" is so dead on right it is amazing.....must be a miracle........lol

christians=goofy, scared losers needing to be in a flock..........sheeple

peas

reply to post by theonlyrusty

and thanks for sharing your concerns about the public face (as you see it) of Christianity.

"as the OP sees it"? Lemme guess- You have no way of seeing even half of the atrocities The Christian religion has pulled off? I am not talking about some visit to a mall Bible Thumper.

The false faith healers, The televangelists, The pastors of churches- ALL of whom live like kings and queens while their followers grope by on whatever crumbs happen to float their way- the way people who come to churches are treated, the lies, the thievery, the knives in the back- the deliberate misquoting of the bible- FRED PHELPS (Ack. Need I say more?)- Pat Robertson's stance on Haiti? The elitsim, the lack of knowledge, the ability for a lot to sin their black little hearts out because 'Jesus will forgive me!' AND the lack of the religion to police ANY of this! LIKE IT SHOULD BE.

There's a wheelbarrow more of this- I'm too lazy to type it all out- and I am betting there's a PAGE limit on how much I should type! An easier alternative: Pulpitpimps. It's a webpage chronicling the adventures of the so called 'Men of God' who almost make Satan curl up in the fetal position and suck his thumb in fright.

I can see it, others see it. I used to BE a Christian. I've been up close and personal with about 3/4 of this nonsense, and it pretty much shredded me. So.... Explain it? Please? I'm getting pretty tired of shouting into a wall to watch you people act like a husband stuffed in front of the tv with the game on- "eh? did you say something? Bring me more chips and beer", and completely fail to see wife and suitcases go out and hear the slam of the door for the last time.....

[edit on 31-3-2010 by wylekat]

reply to post by theonlyrusty


Awww- DANG it! I needs my coffee. Sorry. Whoops?

Who is God, what is god?

Is there a god?

There is not a god.

Yes there is a god.

Nothing in the world satisfies,

The whole round world is not enough to fill
The heart's three corners, but it craveth still:

well get yer battle gear on, cuz i have arrived (hehe).

jehovah/yahweh is the sumerian enlil and enki
yeshua is the sumerian enki and enlil

these two have been smashed into one entity in the old testament, and separated into two again, in the new testament. this is why yeshua could say he was yahweh/jehovah and not be lying nor contradicting himself, as the old testament yahweh/jehovah was enki in several places and enlil in several others.

enlil is the father.
enki is the son.
together they are yahweh/jehovah.
they are both called gods, because the word god derives from the word EL, which derives from IL, which derives from LIL, which derives from ENLIL, the father god, head of the divine council.

the creation account is not a creation of the earth account.
it's the re-terraforming of the earth after an ice age. notice the water receeds to reveal dry land that is already there. simply covered in ice, which melts to water, which draws back to reveal land. there was a pre-adamic civilization on this planet that culminated in an ice age. that civilization did not contain humans.

it'd be better stated that the creation account is about the creation of the adams. i say adams, because there is more than one adamic race created.

the first adamic race is not human. they are males and females, created in the image of the gods (et.al, cloned), and together they are called adam. no eve yet.

the second adamic race is human, but they are not created/cloned in the image of the gods but created from dirt. the woman is not created in the image of the gods either but cloned from adam's bone matter.

i believe it all ties back to the egyptian atum, since this was the creation story moses was most familar with (and he wrote huge portions of the pentateuch, first five books of the bible). if you consider the word adam means ruddy or red (skin color), you realize it means the first atum (adam) race, cloned in the image of the gods, was red skinned (egyptian gods) serpent beings, et.al, seraphim, et. al, the pre-adamic angelic race on this planet.

people just need to read the stuff closer, toss out what they've been told and get a strong's concordance to see what the original hebrew words were.

reply to post by ntech


The last time I looked the Jewish God is the same God that Christians worship, don't understand why you would say their God..


Great thread OP, S&F

Originally posted by theonlyrusty

sorry wylekat........

you "quoted" the wrong person.......

I absolutely despise christianity and if I was Nero or constantine, I would kill all people that believed in it..........well, if I was told by god to do that I would....as in the verse Pooparonamy 3:16 tells me to do....

hitler never killed anyone with his own hands........think about it....

I'll go back to watching the birds fly, watching the trees grow, smoking my cigar and drinking my Chenin Blanc......

guess I'm the devil........hahahahhha

peas

Are you seriously suggesting that? You really need to re-read your own post and see how much intelligence you emit.

If you were Nero you would have killed all the people that believe in it...maybe the problem isn't with Christianity, but with people like you. I suggest you seek some help, it seems you really need it.

reply to post by undo


Well everyone has their opinions of what they believe. You say "toss you what you read because it is false", how do you know what you read is any more valid?

I have personal experience with my God, so why should I toss it out when I have been convinced time and time again that it is the right path for me?

nice thread

amazing how many people live by the book, but the problem is not with christians, is with people from all kind of background;

everyone believes they are the ones who know everything and they are the ones that talk to god;

another thing amazing is that, even the church now says that life can exist else where, but we are God's face, so, how can that be?

I wont add anymore right now, tired, but you get the point, the whole religion movement doesnt make any sense, since people base their lives in A SINGLE INTERPRETATION of a BOOK;

I dont know a single book that can be interpreted in just one way, well, bible? lol

reply to post by Equinox99


no, i didn't say toss it out. i said toss out what other people have taught you the bible meant, and study the text for yourself, in the original language. i'm a christian too.

this is a really useful study tool
www.eliyah.com...

[edit on 31-3-2010 by undo]

Originally posted by liquidself
reply to post by impaired

 

I just stepped out for a smoke. I got a little too hot under the collar. Impaired; I apologise for calling you bigoted I should not have said that. If you want to know the truth I am much closer to being a Taoist than anything else right now. I have no problem with any of the 10 points you listed. My "beliefs" are not on the spot in the least. I do not even regard the bible as a reliable authority as anything other than possible anecdotal eyewitness historical testimony. It s just that I do not think that all Christians share the same belief systems, it s demonstrably false. I dislike the way that the term "Christian" has come to mean just those who take everything in the Bible literally. Organized religiion is not something that I am a part of and I have no wish to be but I do respect the desire of others to be part of it regardless. Freedom of religioous choice is part of freedom. I do totally disagree that all Christian religions and sects are the same; otherwise they would nt disagree and i assure you they all do; sometimes violently. But that in itself doesn t mean that people without organized religion are necessarily without violent or predjuced behavior as well. We all know that they can be.

It's all good. Like I said - I was just trying to make a point.

You're right - all Christian sects AREN'T the same. They slightly differ, which IMHO destroys their validity.

I've always thought that if there was one true religion that was indeed correct, we would all know without a shadow of a doubt.

reply to post by undo


Okay I understand what you wrote now. The thing about the scriptures, it isn't hard to determine what Jesus taught. Try to keep the ten commandments, the two most important rules; love your God with all your heart, and love thy neighbor; and just have a pure heart.

There is nothing else needed from the bible but those teachings.

reply to post by impaired


that's the point of it: you have to want to know. for yourself. you can't base it on what ANYONE else tells you. you have to go in there, page one, and start researching. this is how you prove you're even interested in knowing the truth in the first place. if you don't want to know what it actually means, in every case, you'll just base your beliefs regarding it, off what someone else tells you.

let me give you an example. the noah example.

people always assume the text says all the animals on the earth were brought onto the ark. this is NOT what it says.

take this link for example. the words that have numbers next to them are the words that are ACTUALLY IN THE ORIGINAL TEXT. the words without numbers are not. rewrite the verses about the 7 clean and 2 unclean animals, in pairs, using only the words with numbers next to them, and see what you come up with.
www.blueletterbible.org...

[edit on 31-3-2010 by undo]

reply to post by Equinox99


Your post was awesome. This is what I like to see.

Obviously there are different types of Christians, which as I said before, makes it even more confusing.

I'm not knocking you one bit, but I just can't understand why some people will believe this and not that, and another person will believe that and not this - while still calling themselves Christian... It's not even limited to Christianity. I've seem Muslims tailor the Koran to their own belief systems.

It was indeed a very good post, but you know as well as I that there are religious people out there who would say the opposite of what you've said - would agree with numbers 1-5, but not the rest, and vice versa.

What I'm trying to say is that the belief system is not set in stone. There will always be compromises with different people.

That, I think, really complicates it and therefore hurts its credibility.

You know what I'm saying?

This is awesome! S&F I would give you a beer if I could! I went to a christian fundamentalist school from kindergarden thru 12th grade. It is unreal how unloving these people are. If you are not one of them you are going to surely rot in hell. By the time I was 13 I was convinced that no matter how good I was I would never be good enough for heaven. Everything horrible that happed to me was because I was being punished for not being a good christian. At a certain point I went "Why bother?" and left. I studied every religion I could and finally came to an epiphany. God was not a horrible dictator that lives in heaven only helping man at his whim. God is good and does not punish mistakes we make. I found out when you take away the "Organised Religion" part that God is pretty cool.