Why did you become a Christian?

[Flail]

It appears to me that people do not typically choose their particular belief system, but rather, other people choose it for them...ie parents, family,culture,environment....and that they are motivated to choose their belief system based on fear of the unknown, false teachings of blessing and benefit,fear of death and sin etc etc....so they engage in religiosity and ritual...many also like the appearance of being good.
Being Christian, has come to imply being a good person...and I think it is much easier for some to spout Christianity and appear to be good as opposed to actually 'being' a good person.

Most devout Christians that I have known, have a religious bent to their character and would most assuredly be Muslim and spouting the teachings of the Koran had they been switched at birth to be raised in Pakistan.

So it seems that your choice of Religion has very little to do with the truth, or a quest for knowledge but rather with geography, culture and happen stance....so why does the ignorance and hatred persist? What can we do to stop Christianity and turn away from Religion and toward each other and toward God?

Lets turn the churches into soup kitchens

[MikeH]

It appears to me that people do not typically choose their particular belief system, but rather, other people choose it for them...ie parents, family,culture,environment....and that they are motivated to choose their belief system based on fear of the unknown, false teachings of blessing and benefit,fear of death and sin etc etc....so they engage in religiosity and ritual...many also like the appearance of being good.

It appears to you, but that does not make it true.

Being Christian, has come to imply being a good person...and I think it is much easier for some to spout Christianity and appear to be good as opposed to actually 'being' a good person.

It's hasn't come to imply that, there have been religious fakers since the beginning. Jesus' teachings clearly support exactly what you are saying 100%.

Most devout Christians that I have known, have a religious bent to their character and would most assuredly be Muslim and spouting the teachings of the Koran had they been switched at birth to be raised in Pakistan.

Maybe they are born that way. If it was linked to genetics, how would you react?

So it seems that your choice of Religion has very little to do with the truth, or a quest for knowledge but rather with geography, culture and happen stance....so why does the ignorance and hatred persist? What can we do to stop Christianity and turn away from Religion and toward each other and toward God?

What you just stated is pretty much the marching orders of Jesus. That some people screw it up and confuse it with religious rituals does not change the fact that there are millions who are doing it the right way - the lifestyle way and not the religious way.

Lets turn the churches into soup kitchens

Why? It should already be automatic that a church has a soup kitchen. If your church doesn't have a humanitarian focus, go to one that does, simple as that.

[Flail]

Mike...that is my point...Jesus came to rid of us religion...which he describes in Matthew as evil...If Jesus was God and we all believe in God, looks like we are all ok to me?....

lets all follow the teachings of Jesus ...and turn away from Religion and Church and all the rest that is only supported by Paul in the new testament and the old testament....the bible should consist of the Gospels...Matthew Mark Luke and John.

[twobitsmedia]

It appears to me that people do not typically choose their particular belief system, but rather, other people choose it for them...ie parents, family,culture,environment....and that they are motivated to choose their belief system based on fear of the unknown, false teachings of blessing and benefit,fear of death and sin etc etc....so they engage in religiosity and ritual...many also like the appearance of being good.

It can happen, but that doesn't make so across thebaord.

Being Christian, has come to imply being a good person..

That's not really so. The Bible says "No man is good..all have fallen short."

.

and I think it is much easier for some to spout Christianity and appear to be good as opposed to actually 'being' a good person.

The requirement for "Christianity" is not "being good."

Most devout Christians that I have known, have a religious bent to their character and would most assuredly be Muslim and spouting the teachings of the Koran had they been switched at birth to be raised in Pakistan.

That's a hypothetical that is no way provable.

So it seems that your choice of Religion has very little to do with the truth, or a quest for knowledge but rather with geography, culture and happen stance....so why does the ignorance and hatred persist? What can we do to stop Christianity and turn away from Religion and toward each other and toward God?

Offer a better alternative than a "nontheism" based on "ignorance" and "hatred"

Lets turn the churches into soup kitchens

Some already are.

[Onorc]

It appears to me that people do not typically choose their particular belief system, but rather, other people choose it for them...ie parents, family,culture,environment....and that they are motivated to choose their belief system based on fear of the unknown, false teachings of blessing and benefit,fear of death and sin etc etc....so they engage in religiosity and ritual...many also like the appearance of being good.
Being Christian, has come to imply being a good person...and I think it is much easier for some to spout Christianity and appear to be good as opposed to actually 'being' a good person.

Most devout Christians that I have known, have a religious bent to their character and would most assuredly be Muslim and spouting the teachings of the Koran had they been switched at birth to be raised in Pakistan.

So it seems that your choice of Religion has very little to do with the truth, or a quest for knowledge but rather with geography, culture and happen stance....so why does the ignorance and hatred persist? What can we do to stop Christianity and turn away from Religion and toward each other and toward God?

Lets turn the churches into soup kitchens

I was born into a family who were and still are devout Baptists. I think that is possibly what caused me to turn away from Christianity because I did not want to follow a religion just because my parents did. A religion needs to be followed because that is what you truly believe in. I agree a lot of it has to do with geography and your families beliefs. However, I think the world has to have differences. Religion is just one of those differences. There may be minute differences in many religions, but those small differences keep the world balanced. I highly doubt the world will truly be at peace because it is human behavior to compete. Humans will always find things to compete over and religion is a very good subject for competition. Who has the closest interpretation and set of rules that God intended. It would

[Flail]

One problem with Christianity in diverting from the teachings of Jesus is in the very concept of prayer and ritual vs doing good. Paul expounded on the concept of Grace...that we can't possibly be good enough for God...although true and obvious, the concept of Grace has come to mean that it is our rituals and beliefs that are important and not our actions.

The Good Samaritan example and many others from Jesus show that God wants action and not sacrifice and ritual and prayer....

[MikeH]

The concept of Grace has come to mean that it is our rituals and beliefs that are important and not our actions.

I think it's more that people are too lazy too pursue an active relationship with God and helping others. It's easier to set up a religious routine, and "pay the bills", believing that this does something for you.

[Gill79]

Being Christian, has come to imply being a good person...and I think it is much easier for some to spout Christianity and appear to be good as opposed to actually 'being' a good person.

True. christians not perfect as they still have flaws but they do try. something u can accept?

Most devout Christians that I have known, have a religious bent to their character and would most assuredly be Muslim and spouting the teachings of the Koran had they been switched at birth to be raised in Pakistan.

u most likey right.

So it seems that your choice of Religion has very little to do with the truth, or a quest for knowledge but rather with geography, culture and happen stance....so why does the ignorance and hatred persist?

very little to do with truth? it the unbringing and culture that our eyes are open which why most christians and nor christians of WEST tend to make a different to those who believe and those who do. while musilms by large dont make differance bewteen it arab as inividuals beliefs as if everyone arab aumtomcially faithful. that why the reason often u hear many shouting in streets for fellows ANY arab person in west with bit too over top to kill, beheading. Christian dont shout in street for any western person because they know see person as each to his own thoughts. not that baised.

Japan. the only most sucess western country not christians and as well India more less sucussful country not christiany. of those two now "western" would considered demoacry. i noticed what in common of Japan and India is it people are of karma, and luck charms and lot lots of gods. soemhow seem to make them more accepting to west way of freedom they got set up from.
India and Japan with karma. manys gods so their nations mindset from their culture seem to be more okay why not other god west that world will view as Christianity or white man god.

every nations are very proud of their culture inedivent tied in their god belief he re right and bless his own nation, so not easy to adimt some kind of fault with certin country govemnt system. Japan and India are ones sucesfull and had lots of gods too many to name. But it does take some presdusing with bit of time as world move on contuailly goballly learning understanding of inventions

i guess counties with many gods kind of belief it just bit easier for them to embrace western world would view as Christian(undeny fact) while it hard for one god belief countrie to embarce that as one god more pride with the god and only god they know

cultures is to do with how much truth already or lack of in upbringing experice values and live in freedom already eye opener itsel and by westers paernts who bought them up to western ways.

but influnace is the strongest

first upbringing by mum dad.
culture the surrounding,more or less same as westner and west values.

not words but live in true meaning of freedom eye opener. so u prople right say if i born in arab countie lot more likey i be musilm and not intrested in christian as upbringing taught and the surrounding culture of what it mean to musilm their ways mean i would not know true meaning of freedom by inward never mind outward! words can be utter but living it in understanding it is a other matter.

gillian

[OnceConvinced]

Hi. First time poster here.

I was soundly indoctronated into Christianity from birth. I knew nothing else and came to believe the teachings by default. As far as I was concerned it was the truth.

Later on in life when I learnt there were people who didn't believe in God and there were even other religions I continued to believe what I was taught by my parents and Sunday School as the absolute truth.

My parents were very sincere Christians and what you saw was what you got. They were no different at home than they were at church. I guess that was a big reason why I remained a Christian for so long. It wasn't until a lot later on, when I started to debate with unbelievers, that I started to see the beliefs I had had engrained in me from childhood were not all they were cracked up to be.