Is Christianity inherently discriminatory

reply to post by lonewolf2


reply to post by lonewolf2


More propaganda.

1. For centuries, the Catholic church taught that there is no salvation without confession to a priest. Saying otherwise would get you killed. No salvation outside of the church and all that, although in modern times there has been a propaganda campaign to soften the blow of that phrase - it is just that, modern propaganda.

2. I am aware of the way the Catholic church presents Scripture.

Do you actually think confession to a priest is necessary for salvation? Do you believe EVERY priest, even the ones who rape kids, have the power to bind and loose? If that is what you believe, and that is the rules you believe God has set for the Church of Christ, go ahead and believe it. The only passage to support it is the one saying that even though pharisees were hypocrites, they still had power from God.

Humans are inherently discriminatory.

When you meet someone for the first time, do you not judge them, in a manner of speaking, by appearance? I do not mean as in, are they evil, but rather you make subtle judgements regarding their character based on their appearance. Is this not the basis for discrimination? You meet 5 people from Mars, and you take similar characteristics and automatically, without thinking, decide that those are characteristics of all Martians. It is, often, a question of knowledge, maturity (or lack thereof), experience and familiarity. A lack of familiarity will often result in inaccurate perceptions.

Throughout history, I doubt you can find a single religion that is not discriminatory in some manner.

Throughout history, I doubt you can find a single civilization which was not discriminatory in some manner.

Take any group of people and provide the right conditions (wouldn't take much) and I guarantee you can produce a discriminatory reaction to a specific different group.

We are human, we are imperfect. The best we can accomplish is to approach the best of ethical behavior and that only if we make a conscious effort.

Funny, but likely the same people who would point an accusatory finger at a specific Religion regarding discrimination are, in their own way, exercising the same discrimination when they maintain that it (the particular religion and therefore it's various constituents) is discriminatory.

reply to post by FreeWillAnomaly



John 3:16 "For God so loved the World...". That means that He loves EVERYONE in the World. He doesn't hate people... He hates our sin.

ArtemisE

Hey ATS peeps,

With the law they tried to pass in Kansas failing, I gotta ask. Is Christianity inherently discrimitory?

I'm not just talking about the gay thing. There are more then a few who think the focus on homosexuality over other sins is misinterpreting the text anyway.

My main point is.

Is the concept that if you don't believe in Christ,Then your soul is doomed to be tortured for all eternity, discriminatory? I'm my humble opinion this is why Christianity catches so much flak.

It's not the thought that there's a paradise awaiting the faithful. It's the fact that they think. " if you don't believe what I believe. You'll BURN.

If you look into history. It's at best questionable weather hell was originally intended as a place for all the unbelievers to be punished. Or weather it was a creation of dark age clergy who found more people would sign on if they preached " you'll burn in hell forever" then "you'll get to go to heaven if you do".


What do y'all think?


Regards,
AE

Yes, we get flack because we feel people should believe in God. Remember, Jesus is God. Well, Jesus is The Word, and the Word was with God and is God and has been always and forever, beginning and end.

So, the Word became flesh and we call that Jesus Christ. Belief in Christ is the way to forgiveness and salvation, but since the Word is Christ and the Word is also God and with God. Belief in Christ is also belief in God.

I can't imagine why belief in God would be a prerequisite for salvation. /sarc

What I think upsets so many is that Christianity is a system that believes in salvation through belief before salvation through works meaning that simply being a "good" person without professed belief isn't enough.

But since sin is both offense against the person you wrong (even if it's just yourself) and against God who warned us not to sin to begin with much like a parent warns a child not to do wrong, simply squaring yourself against the wronged earthly party isn't enough. You also have to square yourself with God whom you have also offended, and you can't do that without belief.

So, you have to believe to seek forgiveness, and you can't be saved without God's forgiveness for your wrongs. And after that, of course, it absolutely helps to be a "good" person, the best you can be.

OptimusSubprime
reply to post by FreeWillAnomaly

 

John 3:16 "For God so loved the World...". That means that He loves EVERYONE in the World. He doesn't hate people... He hates our sin.

And, of course, these days some people cannot separate themselves from their sins so to them, the concepts are one and the same. Sad really, I don't tend to define myself that way.

reply to post by bbracken677


Hey now, we'll have none of that rational thinking stuff around here!

reply to post by DeadSeraph


Ha! ok...then...hmmm

All liberals are racists!

All conservatives are racists!

All religions are racists!

lol

Is that better? muahahahaha

I heard rumour, it was just a little birdie in the wind that told me that these folks are racist genocidal clan mongers.
I mean who believes birds right. I do but that's just me

reply to post by ketsuko

So, you have to believe to seek forgiveness, and you can't be saved without God's forgiveness for your wrongs.

How is forgiveness from God obtained? What is it that we need to be forgiven from?

OptimusSubprime
reply to post by FreeWillAnomaly

 

John 3:16 "For God so loved the World...". That means that He loves EVERYONE in the World. He doesn't hate people... He hates our sin.

What part of "hates them with a passion" do you not get? Examples of God hating some people are all through the Bible. You don't send someone to Hell for eternity without hating them. Your view contradicts the Word.

ketsuko

OptimusSubprime
reply to post by FreeWillAnomaly

 

John 3:16 "For God so loved the World...". That means that He loves EVERYONE in the World. He doesn't hate people... He hates our sin.

And, of course, these days some people cannot separate themselves from their sins so to them, the concepts are one and the same. Sad really, I don't tend to define myself that way.

That's not even what it's about. The Word clearly defines who God hates. It's not people who are trying to stop sinning and are struggling.

reply to post by windword


When you were a kid and you did something wrong, how did you seek forgiveness from your parent who told you not to do whatever it was in the first place?

OptimusSubprime
reply to post by FreeWillAnomaly

 

John 3:16 "For God so loved the World...". That means that He loves EVERYONE in the World. He doesn't hate people... He hates our sin.

Well, he hates Ephraim. Hosea 9:15 ... hated them: for the wickedness of their doings.. 9:16 ..yea, though they bring forth, yet will I slay even the beloved fruit of their womb.

And he hates Esau (no reason is given). Romans 9:13 As it is written, Jacob have I loved, but Esau have I hated.

Seems to dislike pregnant women quite a bit Matthew 24:19 And woe unto them that are with child, and to them that give suck in those days!

And I don't think he was all that fond of all those men, women, children, infants and animals he murdered here and there.

FreeWillAnomaly

ketsuko

OptimusSubprime
reply to post by FreeWillAnomaly

 

John 3:16 "For God so loved the World...". That means that He loves EVERYONE in the World. He doesn't hate people... He hates our sin.

And, of course, these days some people cannot separate themselves from their sins so to them, the concepts are one and the same. Sad really, I don't tend to define myself that way.

That's not even what it's about. The Word clearly defines who God hates. It's not people who are trying to stop sinning and are struggling.

No, there are people who are so bound up in their sins that they cannot separate themselves from their sins. Those are indeed people who become loathsome in God's eyes because they are inseparable from their sins. They stop struggling against sin but become defined by it, proud of it.

Still, like every parent, a child who is truly repentant can still be forgiven and God will still love. He will not love their sins, however. Those must be left behind.

reply to post by ketsuko


I never asked for or received forgiveness from my parents. They punished me and everybody got over it.

Now, can you answer my question?

So, you have to believe to seek forgiveness, and you can't be saved without God's forgiveness for your wrongs.


How is forgiveness from God obtained? What is it that we need to be forgiven from?

reply to post by ketsuko


Yes, those who are proud of their sin - those are who God hates. Those who love evil and love violence. But, those who are repentant and genuinely trying, he does not seem to hate them - even if they are unable to fully break from all sin. Attaining righteousness is extremely hard and extremely rare. I struggle with it every day, but it is my goal. Only through the mercy of Jesus can it be done, and even then uncommon faith is required, and even then it must be His will.

To me it's makes sense Christians have been persecuted over the centuries. Not because God is testing them or because the devil is out to corrupt them .

Can you imagine showing up in a city in ancient ,far more superstitious times, times and telling them your god is gonna take there soul and the souls of there children and love ones. And give then to some guy who is gonna torture them for all eternity.

Talk about insulting to someone else's traditions.

I'm not debating the validity of Christianity, but can the Christians on ATS not see how persecution is the obvious end result of doing that.

I'm stealing this from a previous post but....


God loves you soooo much....he created hell just in case you don't love him back !!! That was great.

reply to post by windword


The Father has to approve for you to come to His Son, and then His Son has to recognize you. That is the only way to be forgiven for your sins.

Exodus19:5 Now therefore, if ye will obey my voice indeed, and keep my covenant, then ye shall be a peculiar treasure unto me above all people: for all the earth is mine:
19:6 And ye shall be unto me a kingdom of priests, and an holy nation. These are the words which thou shalt speak unto the children of Israel.

Discrimination.

reply to post by FreeWillAnomaly


God sure didn't love the phillisteans. I quite sue I slaughtered the spelling. He quite literally " told" the Israelites to commit genocide. Killed them, their children even there live stock. Or did god love them too?