It’s scary how Christianity has morphed into this tool to divide. Do these fools really believe that’s what ‘Jesus’ would want? I mean this trend of Christian nationalism is getting scary.
Religion has *always* been politics. Like from the beginning, thousands of years ago. The Catholic Church was created as a way to virtualize the Roman Empire; it’s all the same playbook!
Its. It what Jesus or Christianity is about. My Christian friends, even a couple on here would not say whats happening is the way. Many many false prophets out there using God/Christianity as a cover for their own bigotry. But true Christians love all regardless. I stand by my words. Just like not all cops are bad. Neither are all Christians bad. Or all Religious people bad, lost, corrupt, etc.
My father was a Russian Orthodox (Christian/Catholic) priest. My mother's family helped found a church when they came to the United States. My home is half-church. My parents were super-active in the church and were that way all their lives. They didn't live by the more distorted Pauline doctrines that have taken root in American evangelical Christianity, but followed the teachings and examples of Christ himself. Mum loved the counterculture movement of the 1960s even though she was past her 40s at the time it was happening, and Father let his hair grow long and allowed a rock band to use the church hall to practice. That philosophy didn't make them particularly popular even in their own church -- the Orthodox faith has really taken a strong turn toward conservatism in the last couple of decades and some of its teachings never were that progressive to begin with. There are plenty of church members that use scripture without context to excuse showing hatred to their fellow children of God and others that are more Pharisitical in their lifestyles. I just got confronted in church in the open last Sunday during the most important part of the service by a fellow parishioner who didn't agree with how I recite our pre-communion prayer ... and, yes, we just speak it aloud, we don't sing it or anything where there's much room for deviation. I've seen plenty of evangelical Christians here that are just a couple of steps shy of being complete parallels to Islamists, who pervert the teachings ... and, more importantly, the spirits ... of their faiths. There are a lot of others that think that just walking over that threshold into a worship place absolves them of hateful actions outside the church. And it applies to the more traditional Christian sects, too. But, there are a number of us that still try to recognize the lives we are truly meant to live if we truly believe, and, honestly, it's not very different than just following what I think is the natural feeling in anyone's heart to be a good person. Christianity, though, is a really easy faith to follow. "Love God with all your heart and your neighbor as yourself." It's funny, but, if you actually speak that before any test of conscience you face, it manifests itself naturally and it's easy to know the proper course. Having the strength to always follow it is what too many of our faith lack. And, again, that goes for people in general.
If the institution is used to commit evil acts then it needs to change until it is no longer used to do so or it needs to lose the power that enables it to commit such acts.
People shouldn't need a religion in order to be kind, charitable, forgiving, respectful of others, and willing to turn a cheek.
I’ve always felt it’s a sense of belonging. People often times use it as a sense of superiority and righteousness. I say this but both my grandmothers Kennedy democrat Catholics who rarely missed a mass in their 90+ years of existence. They were the most accepting people that loved and cared for people hard. So, my thoughts on organized religion isn’t completely jaded.
I get asked almost every week to go to "coffee hour," which is really about a half-hour of post-service fellowship and then I get asked why I don't go. I just don't feel right there. I don't get a sense of belonging. Enough of the people I know there I've heard gossip or be petty and I don't believe in being fake. I go to church because that makes me personally feel a little closer to God and my doing so hurts no one but maybe myself if I'm wrong. I go. I pray. I go home. And then I pray at home and I try to treat people like they are as sacred as anything, providing they aren't trying to harm others.
Look I was baptized, confirmed and raised in the church. If religion helps you feel better and makes you a better person.....more power to you. And that's it! Don't push it on others and don't use it as a foundation for hate....that's the unfortunate part. You see more of the 2nd, than the 1st.
The guy interviewing him. Mark Levin is one of the biggest nut jobs there is. He and Trump are in the same class of weirdos.
People who self identify as atheist, agnostic, secular humanist or freethinkers have very low crime rates. Not saying not having gods makes people law abiding. More likely the same factors that make a person nonreligious also makes them law abiding and charitable.
