Dangerous Christianity

[nobspeople]

Some churches around the country were defying COVID related safety demands (Grace community church in Sun Valley springs to mind).
Some claim Christianity is not good for the mind of young, impressionable minds
https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog ... m-children
Some churches teach blind faith, but less faith in God and more faith in the church leaders (Jonestown, Guyana)
Many churches teach "God needs you to give me your money" (Creflo Dollar is notorious for this) even during times of unemployment, people on fixed incomes and so on.

It must be said, not all Christian churches are guilty of these types of atrocities. And YES, most any religion could fit this bill. But this isn't an 'any religion' section of the forum, now is it?
But the fact remains: a belief system that's as influential as Christianity, can, in the right (wrong?) hands become something to be feared - rallied against even.

Or is it all part of God's great plan, and we should do little to nothing about it?

[tam]

Peace to you,

Doing something in God's name, and claiming to do something in God's name, are two different things.

Please explain how those two are in fact different in any meaningful way.

One is true and one is false.

"I robbed a bank in the name of brunumb."

Just because I say it doesn't make it true, or even meaningful. Anyone can claim anything at all. That doesn't mean they are speaking in truth, and it doesn't mean that we should believe them.

As to God and His Son (and anything concerning them), that Son warned us that there WOULD be false prophets, false christs, false teachers, claiming to come in His name, but who are not from Him. Hence, we are to test all things, hold all things up against the Light (Christ). Because anything in contradiction to Christ (not the bible and not religion), cannot be true. Because Christ (not the bible, not religion) is the Truth. Test claims and inspired expressions against love as well, because God is love, and so what comes from Him is from love.



Peace again to you,
your servant and a slave of Christ,
tammy

[brunumb]

"I robbed a bank in the name of brunumb."

Just because I say it doesn't make it true, or even meaningful. Anyone can claim anything at all. That doesn't mean they are speaking in truth, and it doesn't mean that we should believe them.

Perhaps you need to elaborate on what "in the name of" actually means.

"I robbed a bank in the name of brunumb" can mean that the robbery was inspired by the words of brunumb or carried out in reverence to brunumb. There is no issue of lying involved. People can be motivated by what are actually lies if they sincerely believe that they are the truth. We see that everywhere, not just in religion.

[Aetixintro]

[Replying to brunumb in post #23]

Still, there are those misguided people, more or less crazy, who call themselves Christians.

Therefore, "in the name of God" may not imply any more than corrupt politics by crazy politician taking advantage of religion and religious sentiments in the population!

God is remote of us in the sense that we can only hope that the Bible is fully true, but then again, God may be Allah, Yahweh, Buddha, Brahmin and these other names in big religions and just maybe they are more correct than Christians. We don't know. We act on conviction and the hope of Heaven to make it all meaningful, the struggles and troubles.

[tam]

Peace to you,

"I robbed a bank in the name of brunumb."

Just because I say it doesn't make it true, or even meaningful. Anyone can claim anything at all. That doesn't mean they are speaking in truth, and it doesn't mean that we should believe them.

Perhaps you need to elaborate on what "in the name of" actually means.

Perhaps an example will help:

Christ came in the name of His Father (John 5:43). In this, He came to do the will of His Father (John 6:38). Not His own will (Luke 22:42). He was sent by His Father and He spoke the words His Father told Him to speak (John 12:49-50).

See also:

If you keep My commandments, you will remain in My love, just as I have kept My Father's commandments and remain in His love.



Peace again to you,
your servant and a slave of Christ,
tammy

[1213]

...
But the fact remains: a belief system that's as influential as Christianity, can, in the right (wrong?) hands become something to be feared - rallied against even.
...

Yes, if you are a communist or other totalitarian fascist that want people to serve you and not to be free. I think people should be free and it is evil to go against freedom. That is why I am very sad about what happened in America.

[nobspeople]

...
But the fact remains: a belief system that's as influential as Christianity, can, in the right (wrong?) hands become something to be feared - rallied against even.
...

Yes, if you are a communist or other totalitarian fascist that want people to serve you and not to be free. I think people should be free and it is evil to go against freedom. That is why I am very sad about what happened in America.

There are a lot of people sad about America's last four years (though, surprisingly, a lot that aren't, which is frightening IMO). But that regime is over and, hopefully things will start to change.

What would you call the crusaders that killed in God's name through history? Those that absorbed other cultures and religions to become 'Christian'?

Some links
https://www.history.com/news/inside-the ... ian-church
https://www.scu.edu/ethics/focus-areas/ ... me-of-god/
https://engagedscholarship.csuohio.edu/ ... ntext=cecr
https://www.american.edu/centers/latin- ... olence.cfm

[Tcg]

That is why I am very sad about what happened in America.

There is no reason to be sad any longer. A fairly elected president has been inaugurated in spite of an attempted overthrow of our government. Democracy stands and it is now a time of great rejoicing. The U.S. stands and has been set free.


Tcg

[brunumb]

...
But the fact remains: a belief system that's as influential as Christianity, can, in the right (wrong?) hands become something to be feared - rallied against even.
...

Yes, if you are a communist or other totalitarian fascist that want people to serve you and not to be free. I think people should be free and it is evil to go against freedom. That is why I am very sad about what happened in America.

You can refuse to serve those communists or other totalitarian fascists. It is your choice. Of course you risk being punished or killed, but then you have a similar outcome if you don't serve your God.

[1213]

....There are a lot of people sad about America's last four years (though, surprisingly, a lot that aren't, which is frightening IMO). But that regime is over and, hopefully things will start to change.

I don't see how you can be happy now that freedom of speech doesn’t exist really and you are basically ruled by few big companies with the help of corrupted government offices.

The current regime and its supporters have taken the freedom of speech from opposition, which is what communist regimes usually do. It wouldn’t be so sad otherwise, but US was the last free country still when Trump was the president. And Trump didn’t do anything as evil as Biden’s party/supporters have already done, even if we don’t count all the wrong things happened during the elections.

Imagine what would you have said if Trump and his supporters would have silenced Biden and democrats? You would probably have thought they are Nazis/communists?

If one supports Biden and his regime, it is like supporting Stalin or Hitler.

What would you call the crusaders that killed in God's name through history? Those that absorbed other cultures and religions to become 'Christian'?

I think it is always wrong when people murder others.

[1213]

...A fairly elected president has been inaugurated in spite of an attempted overthrow of our government. Democracy stands and it is now a time of great rejoicing. The U.S. stands and has been set free.

When the opposition is silenced, I wouldn’t call it free, but I can understand it is happy day for every communist. And the dictator of China must especially be happy now that Biden already put US back to the irrational climate deal that is great service for China’s communist leader. Let’s hope Biden at least gets good reward from the leader of China so that all didn’t go freely for them.

I have no reason to think the elections were fair, because the opposition has been silenced.

I think it is also ridiculously stupid claim that someone attempted overthrowing of government, if you are not speaking of Pelosi’s attempts to take Trump down, or probable election fraud. There simply is no good reason to believe any other overthrowing attempts existed.