The Central Problem with Christianity

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The Central Problem with Christianity

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Post by Diogenes »

Jesus (and Paul) thought the world was going to end soon. This is why Jesus told people to give away their possessions, and Paul taught people should not marry. Jesus spoke very specifically about the world ending in the lifetime of those he preached to. [I won't go into the verses, because it will spawn the usual verbal gymnastics about how he did not mean what he said]

Christians, for the most part, ignore the idea of not attaining wealth. They also ignore the admonition not to marry. They ignore these basic Christian teachings because they don't like them. Instead, they claim Jesus didn't really mean what he said about the end coming soon. This provides cover for getting married and accumulating wealth.

The question for debate is, "Why do most Christians marry and try to accumulate wealth despite the very clear New Testament admonitions to do the opposite?
Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth
and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal.
But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor
rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal.
__ Matthew 6:19-20
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Re: The Central Problem with Christianity

Post #231

Post by pjharrison57 »

[Replying to Clownboat in post #227]

You really don't understand the bible do you. Paul said to marry rather than to burn sexually!!! Has nothing to do with hell.

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Re: The Central Problem with Christianity

Post #232

Post by otseng »

pjharrison57 wrote: Tue Jun 28, 2022 8:44 pm You really don't understand the bible do you.
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Re: The Central Problem with Christianity

Post #233

Post by TRANSPONDER »

Quite :) but he does have a point. 'Burn' is likely a metaphor for get consumed by lust in this life rather than consumed by lave in the next.

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Re: The Central Problem with Christianity

Post #234

Post by Tcg »

TRANSPONDER wrote: Tue Jun 28, 2022 11:58 pm Quite :) but he does have a point. 'Burn' is likely a metaphor for get consumed by lust in this life rather than consumed by lave in the next.
Perhaps, but given that the Bible doesn't clarify clearly, no one can claim dogmatically that one or the other interpretation is certain. Beyond that, it really makes no difference to the point the OP is making. In either case, Paul taught that it is better not to marry. The reason he did so, at least in this discussion, is secondary to the fact that he did.


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Re: The Central Problem with Christianity

Post #235

Post by pjharrison57 »

[Replying to otseng in post #232]
I don't get it. What answers do you want?

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Re: The Central Problem with Christianity

Post #236

Post by otseng »

pjharrison57 wrote: Wed Jun 29, 2022 7:11 am [Replying to otseng in post #232]
I don't get it. What answers do you want?
First off, read the Rules. You responding to the moderator comment clearly indicates you have not read through it.

Second, abide by the rules.

Third, if you have any further questions, PM me directly.

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Re: The Central Problem with Christianity

Post #237

Post by Clownboat »

pjharrison57 wrote: Tue Jun 28, 2022 8:44 pm [Replying to Clownboat in post #227]

You really don't understand the bible do you. Paul said to marry rather than to burn sexually!!! Has nothing to do with hell.
I understand the Bible just fine and have read it from cover to cover. K - 12 was Christian schooling and I was a born again, drunk in the holy ghost, street evangelizing Chiristain for 2 decades.

His advise is poor and doesn't reflect reality no matter if he is talking about hell or just sexual desires though.

No human should marry because of natural sexual urges we have due to being creatures that reproduce via sexual reproduction. We would all be forced to marry the first person we find attractive. It is terrible advise! In his defence though, he had much less understanding of how the world and humanity works compare to the knowledge we have today.
You can give a man a fish and he will be fed for a day, or you can teach a man to pray for fish and he will starve to death.

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Re: The Central Problem with Christianity

Post #238

Post by TRANSPONDER »

Tcg wrote: Wed Jun 29, 2022 12:30 am
TRANSPONDER wrote: Tue Jun 28, 2022 11:58 pm Quite :) but he does have a point. 'Burn' is likely a metaphor for get consumed by lust in this life rather than consumed by lave in the next.
Perhaps, but given that the Bible doesn't clarify clearly, no one can claim dogmatically that one or the other interpretation is certain. Beyond that, it really makes no difference to the point the OP is making. In either case, Paul taught that it is better not to marry. The reason he did so, at least in this discussion, is secondary to the fact that he did.


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Re: The Central Problem with Christianity

Post #239

Post by Purple Knight »

TRANSPONDER wrote: Tue Jun 28, 2022 6:23 pm
Purple Knight wrote: Tue Jun 28, 2022 2:37 pmIf these vessels of ours do not have a way to perceive good, if good is actually fundamentally unnatural to us, then we don't know what it is and we'll never know what it is, because although God may tell us and say he speaks the truth, the Devil can say he knows too, and that the other fellow is actually the bad guy and he lies.
Yes. That's been done, too,. More than one religious voice has found themselves saying. "...you know, it would make more sense if God was the bad Guy and Satan was the good guy." I believe the Gospel of Judas is based on this idea.
I find it intriguing, the idea that Jesus is not the son of the Jewish God who is termed Saklas - fool - but a messenger from the realm of Barbalo who actually does want to save people - people who were created by an imperfect god who (shock and surprise) created them imperfectly. However it is clearly somebody's head canon, however much sense it makes.

I have a head canon about the Bible too. I think the greater overriding principle of gods and worship that the Bible fails to mention or even edits out is that you are judged by the gods in which you believe.

And I think early Jews and their God were unhappy with the fact that gentiles and Pagans were going to Valhalla and whatnot. So The God of the Chosen People sends a "messenger" who says to all non-Jews, you're not of the Chosen People, no problem, accept me and I'll take care of everything. Oh, you're a wicked sinner? Again no problem just accept me. Nothing is any problem whatsoever just accept me and you're good.

Do you see what the goal is here? One would tend to think getting the acceptance was the goal, wouldn't one?

When these gentiles die, they agree to be judged by a god that hates them and they go to Hell for sinning which is the agreement. Nobody has to forgive you just because they said they would. The point was, you gave your soul to a set of principles, you accepted them in your heart. You are now judged by the god you gave your soul to.

Regardless of whether the God of the Chosen People is real or made-up, I can see this scenario being true. In the case of the latter it's an actually quite justifiable revenge fantasy against the people who oppress them, and in the case of the former it's just what the God of the Bible would do if he were real.

So just in case, maybe be careful what you let in your heart.

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Re: The Central Problem with Christianity

Post #240

Post by TRANSPONDER »

I certainly can't help but see One's self confidence in their own Rigt Opinions as being the main and only arbiter to being miraculously given everything.

No wonder it has thrown up some of the biggest and best pyramid -schemes on the planet.sorry if it's been done a liot, but nobody said it better.


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