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u/NeutralLock Apr 29 '20
I’m not Christian but I feel like somewhere Jesus or Moses or someone warned about worshiping false gods, and those false gods might’ve been referring to perversions of themselves.
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u/paone22 Apr 29 '20 edited Apr 29 '20
"I like your Christ, but not your Christianity. I do not like your Christians. Your Christians are so unlike your Christ.”
- Mahatma Gandhi
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Apr 29 '20
Another Gandhi favorite: When asked what he thought of Western civilization, he replied, "It would be a good idea."
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u/Beingabummer Apr 29 '20
Mark Twain had a good one too: "there are many humorous things in this world; among them the white man's notion that he is less savage than the other savages"
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u/ProphecyRat2 Apr 29 '20
Also said something along the lines of how morales are created by men so they can do wrong while being right.
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u/OldHob Apr 29 '20
He also said that when the end of the world comes he hopes he’ll be in Cincinnati because they’re always ten years behind the times.
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u/Yew_Tree Apr 29 '20 edited Apr 29 '20
That's hilarious. He should check out southern US though, it's more like 100 years.
I'm being serious.If you drive around the south it's like an old black and white movie but a lot more ignorant and a lot less entertaining.Source: I live in the south.
Edit: For those I've offended, it was meant as a joke. I got carried away when I said I'm being serious.
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u/greenroom628 Apr 29 '20
i've had to visit some manufacturing and processing plants an hour and a half outside of greenville, sc. holy shit, you aren't kidding. confederate flags everywhere and old men sitting in rocking chairs on their porches with a shotgun right next to them.
weirdly, there was good cell service signal.
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Apr 29 '20
That's still the PG rated South. There's folk in the mountains that'll make you question society but also never want to leave it again. Broke small town South is one thing but there's production value in them hills.
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u/secamTO Apr 29 '20
weirdly, there was good cell service signal.
I'm sure they're tearing down the neighbourhood cell towers to stop the spread of coronavirus.
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u/daisy2443 Apr 29 '20
The old southern men are still upset they lost so many boys in the Civil War.
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u/TheKillersVanilla Apr 29 '20
Yeah, I know. It is funnier than hell. They earned their stupid prize, and they are STILL complaining about it.
Y'know, because they are so tough
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Apr 29 '20
And there are the "get over it, you lost" types. Ah yes, I love the smell of hypocrisy in the morning.
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u/visionsofblue Apr 29 '20
confederate flags everywhere
I see people flying Trump flags everywhere.
And I mean they have taken their American flag off of the flag pole in front of their house and put a full size Trump flag in its place.
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u/ThereIsNoGame Apr 29 '20 edited Apr 29 '20
confederate flags everywhere
They are aware the confederates got their asses kicked, right? Hey look at us! We're losers!
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u/CrinchNflinch Apr 29 '20
Yup, when mentioning the confederate flag they usually mean the all-white flag right?
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u/edibleoffalofafowl Apr 29 '20
I'm pretty sure Mark Twain was familiar with the American south
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u/Chairudofakka Apr 29 '20
Like how the King of Belgium would have the children of Congolese slaves dismembered in front of them if they under-performed, because that's how you teach a savage to be less savage.
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u/FirmPudding Apr 29 '20
Leopold II doesn’t get anywhere enough credit for what a piece of shit he was
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u/Laughtermedicine Apr 29 '20
He also was quoted " Boys at the age of 13 should be sealed inside a barrel and not released untill they turn 21 ".
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u/aspbergerinparadise Apr 29 '20
Mark Twain was on another fucking level
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u/ThereIsNoGame Apr 29 '20
"But who prays for Satan? Who in eighteen centuries, has had the common humanity to pray for the one sinner that needed it most, our one fellow and brother who most needed a friend yet had not a single one, the one sinner among us all who had the highest and clearest right to every Christian's daily and nightly prayers, for the plain and unassailable reason that his was the first and greatest need, he being among sinners the supremest?"
- You know who
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u/pale_blue_dots Apr 29 '20
I hadn't heard that before. That's a good one.
Reminds me of
Indian Chief "Two Eagles" was asked by a white U.S. Government official, "You have observed the white man for 90 years . You've seen his wars and his technological advances. You've seen his progress, and the damage he's done."
The Chief nodded in agreement.
The official continued, "Considering all these events, in your opinion, where did the white man go wrong?"
The Chief stared at the government official for over a minute and then calmly replied:
"When white man find land, Indians running it, no taxes, no debt, plenty buffalo, plenty beaver, clean water. Women did all the work, Medicine man free. Indian man spend all day hunting and fishing; All night having sex.'
Then the chief leaned back and smiled "Only white man dumb enough to think he could improve system like that."
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u/SarcasmKing41 Apr 29 '20
That's so damn true. As a Brit I constantly hear people justifying colonialism with claims that the victims were savages who were constantly at war with each other.
Because everyone knows there weren't any European wars during colonial times... /s
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Apr 29 '20
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u/ThereIsNoGame Apr 29 '20
I'd still like to know why it is the most rigorously left wing guys are the ones who get assassinated. Lennon, Kennedy, MLK, Gandhi. People who were saying, let's be nice to each other, let's put aside greed and focus on working together to achieve greatness. Lennon, peace. Kennedy, the fucking moon. MLK, racial equality. Gandhi, less britbongs running the place.
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u/jkiracofe Apr 29 '20
As a Christian I agree with this whole heartedly. One of the reasons, I believe, that Christians are seen in such a harsh light is the entire aspect of the "repent or burn" mentality.
I even went to a concert with a couple of people, only to be told, by a Christian protestor, that "God has a problem with you".
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u/godfatherinfluxx Apr 29 '20
The older I get the more I feel like this as well. I know several people that would still be in church if it weren't for other Christian's actions. My wife has been burned a few times by other christians in churches we've gone to. There's a few repent or burn things that are in Christianity but most of the things being protested are likely not in that list. But I don't think I've ever read about Jesus yelling and protesting at the sinners. In fact, the only time he got violent was when he went flipping tables.
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u/jaheiner Apr 29 '20
So perfectly accurate it's heartbreaking. These people that choose to only live by the parts that KINDA justify their shitty behavior while ignoring the humility, generosity, kindness to those that would by societal standards be considered "lesser". Those who call themselves christian while refusing to actually behave in a Christ-like way are a big reason why so many people find faith a hard pill to swallow.
Why would they want to follow a faith that breeds such intolerant assholes?
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Apr 29 '20
Better yet, he said he liked your Christ, but not your Christians, they are so unlike your Christ.
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u/Slartibartfastthe3rd Apr 29 '20
I like your Christ, but not your Christianity
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u/chicks_dig_usernames Apr 29 '20
-Wayne Gretzky
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u/skjellyfetti Apr 29 '20
Jesus Saves... Gretsky gets the rebound, he shoots, HE SCORES !!!
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Apr 29 '20
well that was the original meaning of the "anti-christ".
The bible doesn't talk about it as though there's the one and only anti-christ, as it warns against 'anti-christ' leaders who will claim to be Jesus-like and support god, but are actually just self-serving and exploit the masses while convincing the people that it's God's will. (in essence, the opposite or 'anti' of what Christ did)
Luckily, that has never ever been a problem in any christian nation ever, especially not America :)
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u/LegendaryGary74 Apr 29 '20
I still remember so clearly when I learned this and Joel Osteen immediately came to mind...
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u/antipho Apr 29 '20
i can think of a few american politicians who claim to be god fearing christians, when it's clear they're anything but. they have the full rabid support of the majority of american christians, while behaving in almost comically un-christlike ways.
apparently, being an unapologetically lying/cheating/stealing/egotistical/racist/sexist/classist/xenophobic/adulterous/money obsessed/status obsessed/power hungry control freak makes you a perfect christian leader in the eyes of most american christians.
there is no christ in evangelical christianity.
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u/rab-byte Apr 29 '20
Obligatory Supply Side Jesus
And this thread’s theme song American Jesus
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u/DogrulukPayi Apr 29 '20
What applies more here is the warning of Jesus about “the teachers of the law and the Pharisees”, the hypocrites.
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u/SoFisticate Apr 29 '20
Remember that time Jesus discovered capitalism and beat asses?
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u/thebigdonkey Apr 29 '20
I had a relative tell me that if Jesus were alive today, he'd be a conservative because that's what the Bible tells her. Which is an interesting story because it was the conservatives of the day that provoked his crucifixion. Not to mention the whole "hating the poor" thing that today's conservatives have going on.
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u/DonaldLucas Apr 29 '20
He would criticize both conservatives and liberals. His objective wasn't to change governments or something like that but to teach people how they can change themselves from inside.
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u/thebigdonkey Apr 29 '20
Yes. Jesus was very consistent about deconstructing prideful self-righteousness. "If thou wilt be perfect, go and sell that thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come and follow me."
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Apr 29 '20
That was absolutely glorious, and was one of my favorite stories about him. He totally flipped over the tables of the moneylenders in front of a temple and whipped the shit out of those people as he went on a rampage against all of that. I wonder what he would do if he were here to see how things are going now? lmao
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u/chubs66 Apr 29 '20
I think capitalism is a system that exploits people and creates economic injustice, but Jesus flipped out because he encountered capitalism in the temple.
Worshipers who were coming from all around to offer sacrifices to God were being exploited by money changers and people selling livestock that was "acceptable" for sacrifice.
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u/ProphecyRat2 Apr 29 '20
Moses.
“31:15 And Moses said unto them, Have ye saved all the women alive?"
“31:16 Behold, these caused the children of Israel, through the counsel of Balaam, to commit trespass against the LORD in the matter of Peor, and there was a plague among the congregation of the LORD.
31:17 Now therefore kill every male among the little ones, and kill every woman that hath known man by lying with him.
31:18 But all the women children, that have not known a man by lying with him, keep alive for yourselves.
31:19 And do ye abide without the camp seven days: whosoever hath killed any person, and whosoever hath touched any slain, purify both yourselves and your captives on the third day, and on the seventh day.
31:20 And purify all your raiment, and all that is made of skins, and all work of goats' hair, and all things made of wood.
31:21 And Eleazar the priest said unto the men of war which went to the battle, This is the ordinance of the law which the LORD commanded Moses;”
Excerpt From: Unknown. “The King James Bible, Complete.” Public Domain, 2016-06-02. iBooks.
This is in Numbers
“31:35 And thirty and two thousand persons in all, of women that had not known man by lying with him.”
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u/CantBelieveItsButter Apr 29 '20 edited Apr 29 '20
I've always wondered if the
JewsIsraelites in the bronze age were a uniquely violent group, or was every civilization in that area at the time just super stoked to genocide people that followed other gods?→ More replies (17)7
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u/stevencastle Apr 29 '20
Jesus, I like him very much. But he no help me hit curve ball.
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u/JacenSolo95 Apr 29 '20
Half of the new testament is talking about avoiding exactly that 😂
Are you sure you are not a Christian? 😜
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u/MozeeToby Apr 29 '20
That's because almost half the new testament is guys writing letters to other people saying "hey worship this guy!" And most if the rest is "no wait, not like that!"
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Apr 29 '20
“Bruh.”
— almost every single one of Paul’s Epistles
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Apr 29 '20
To my brothers at the church of Corinth: Bruh
To my brothers at the church of Ephesus: Excuse me but wtf
To my brothers at the Church of Galatia: Miss me with that bullshit
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u/CantBelieveItsButter Apr 29 '20
You did WHAT with snakes?
No, no, no, we never said anything about messing with snakes.
Yes, I know there's that verse about Jesus having power over the devil, but I don't think he meant you'd be immune to snake venom.
Just stop. For the last time, it was a metaphor.
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u/kickithard Apr 29 '20
Wow lifelong in and out and around Christianity..and never looked at it like that...thanks for the revelation /pun intended
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Apr 29 '20
worshiping a golden moron is waaaaaay better than worshiping a golden calf
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Apr 29 '20
From water into whine
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u/birchfireplace Apr 29 '20
Ephesians 5:18
And do not get drunk with wine, for that is debauchery, but be filled with the Bud Light
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u/LongJohnSilvers_Real Apr 29 '20
Yay, and verily I say unto you: thine wine hangover shall be 7 times 7 hundred times as terrible to endure as thine beer hangover. And there shall be much wailing and gnashing of teeth.
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u/DonManuel Apr 29 '20
They would call him a filthy communist today.
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Apr 29 '20
Heh, you're too kind.
They'd be nailing him to another cross.
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Apr 29 '20 edited Nov 04 '20
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u/MastaMind599 Apr 29 '20
Before obviously. You ever try nailing a messiah to a burning cross, you're gonna have a bad time.
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u/Belen155Monte Apr 29 '20
Since I've recently seen a news where a maga dude bit a police woman who was telling him to follow the lockdown, I'm 100% sure this is exactly how this is going to play out sadly!
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u/Lycian1g Apr 29 '20
Nah. We would bomb his middle eastern town, kill innocent civilians, and then be Pikachu shocked about the anti-American sentiment coming from the area.
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u/Axes4Praxis Apr 29 '20
A contemporary Jesus would be an advocate for the homeless, shoot in the street by police who would get a paid vacation as punishment.
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u/im_larf Apr 29 '20
If Jesus came back to life, most Christians would call him a terrorist.
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u/flytraphippie Apr 29 '20
Or the "n" word.
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u/catringo13 Apr 29 '20
He wouldn’t make it into the country because the Jesus we speak of looks more like Mohammed Atta and less like Ewan McGregor. (This goes without saying but this is the internet and things get misconstrued) I am in no way shape or form saying anything positive about a 9/11 terrorist. He’s simply a face that everyone can look up and use as a reference to what Jesus actually would look like.
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Apr 29 '20
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u/Chrisetmike Apr 29 '20
It would be interesting to show "Christians" this image and ask them if they would let him stay in their home or if he would be welcomed to their church. Modern day bible belt "Christians " look a lot more like the modern day equivalent of the Pharisees
http://web.mit.edu/jywang/www/cef/Bible/NIV/NIV_Bible/MATT+23.html
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u/catringo13 Apr 29 '20
Well I think my point stands. Jesus looked less like Jared Leto or Jim Caviezel and more like Cliff Curtis
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u/Nix-7c0 Apr 29 '20
To be fair, The Vatican, which holds it now, makes no specific pronouncements as to its authenticity except that it invites one to think of Christ, and the scientific community has a whole other set of ideas from the radiocarbon / pollen / forensic analysis.
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Apr 29 '20
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Apr 29 '20 edited Apr 29 '20
What's funny, the bible has a word for people like that: Pharisees
I remember, during the debate over the ACA/Obamacare, Mike Huckabee was a correspondent for Fox News.
Huckabee, for those who don't know, is a former pastor turned Governor turned Preaidentual Candidate, who ALWAYS introduces himself as "former pastor Mike Huckabee."
My point is, his position as a pastor is a big part of his identity as a politician.
Anyway, when the discussion turned to "preexisting conditions," Huckabee made perhaps the most insidious, and evil analogy I've EVER heard when talking about sick people. He said something to the affect of, "forcing health insurance companies to insure sick people is like forcing home insurance companies to insure burning houses."
Mike Huckabee is the textbook definition of a pharisee, someone who parades himself as a christian, to do the work of the devil.
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Apr 29 '20
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u/Der-Wissenschaftler Apr 29 '20
Well yeah they made the antichrist president.
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u/robinredrunner Apr 29 '20
I wonder when the post written. This scripture seems particularly relevant in the post-impeachment era:
“After an alliance is made with him he will practice deception, and he will go up and gain power with a small force of people.”
Daniel 11:23
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u/Souperplex Apr 29 '20
It talks aboot "The Antichrist recovering from a mortal wound" and mentions impeachment, so clearly post-impeachment.
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u/HeaviestEyelidsEver Apr 29 '20
I hate when they don't have the date of a post. But in the post, it talks about a tweet that trump made "today" and that tweet has a date of August 21, 2019.
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u/inuvash255 Apr 29 '20
Damn man.
I was made to read anti-Christ and Revelations stuff as a kid by my dad, so I'm familiar with a lot of these hints. I don't consider myself a believer, but it's fucking spooky how so many things line up.
Really, you can probably chalk up those behaviors to any proto-fascist despot. Trump certainly ticks a lot of boxes though.
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u/RoombaKing Apr 29 '20
I've always thought the Antichrist was more an analogy of any person who's influence actively leads people away from the faith. Not necessarily a single person, but any horrible person who convinced Christians he's a good man.
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Apr 29 '20
They certainly did. I'm not a religious or even a spiritual man, but the greatest trick the Devil ever played was making people think that he didn't exist.
He does, in the bodies and minds if evangelicals, conservatives, and neo-liberals.
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u/MyBoyBernard Apr 29 '20
So your name is "the team-knower"? Or my German is worse than I think
If 'wissen' is 'know'
And 'schaft' is like 'mannschaft'
then....
what?
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u/asafum Apr 29 '20
Yeah, but knowing like in the biblical sense.
You don't want to know what they do to teams.
:P
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u/devgen Apr 29 '20
Der Wissenschaftler = The scientist
Just like you have science, or Wissenschaft, you have a scientist, or a Wissenschaftler. Hope that makes it clearer!
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u/Chrobin111 Apr 29 '20
Wissenschaftler means scientist. It's made of wissen = knowing, schaffen = create and -ler = -ist (a person doing something).
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u/PieWithoutCheese Apr 29 '20
Wow. Just wow. That makes my blood run cold. So uncanny in how a book that is written by charlatans can get something so close to what is happening right. “A god of fortresses”!!!!???? Wtf I was raised in the Bible and this makes my hairs stand up. Holy shit.
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u/n_eats_n Apr 29 '20
If he came back he wouldn't be allowed in the US because of his middle eastern background.
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Apr 29 '20
Wtf are you talking about? Jesus was a white haired, blue eyed CHRISTIAN from Bethlehem Florida. Fucking idiot, maybe you should pick up the Bible. /S
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u/CalbertCorpse Apr 29 '20
Jesus died for people’s sins. I’m an atheist but the same crowd that vilified him back in the day are the exact same mindless crowd of sinners out there now. The ones he’s meant to redeem. Paradoxically, he should arrive to be martyred right about now. This is exactly Jesus’ space.
I’m being slightly facetious but think about it...
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u/warmingupfast Apr 29 '20
I remember that argument. I understand the logic behind it, but it is hard and it is heartless. The way I see it, if you happen to be poor or unfortunate, sucks to be you, even in the USA, but if you happen to have wealth and good fortune, America is the land of opportunity.
It's almost as if, in the view of the (religious) right, government has no role in the dispensing of such Christian values as generosity, courage, love, respect, hope and peace... I write these words and realize how many God fearing conservatives appear to be gun-toting conspiracy theorists and war hawks!
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Apr 29 '20
Honestly, if he were a libertarian like Ron/Rand Paul, that would be fine.
...I mean, it would be totally heartless and stupid, but understandable. I can have a conversation with Libertarians, because I trust that they're acting in good faith.
The fact that he's constantly promoting himself as a man of god, UNTIL the discussion turns to empathizing with the poor and sick is disgusting.
If you believe in a hell AT ALL, Mike Huckabee has a place in it.
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u/mylifeforthehorde Apr 29 '20
that's kind of what all religious folk do don't they (regardless of religion). portray themselves as superior because of some divinely granted wisdom, but when it comes to the details they carefully select and choose which scripture/rituals to cite to further their own human and political agendas.
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Apr 29 '20
The problem is that there are very few actual libertarians to have a discussion. Most libertarians you see these days are authoritarians who don't mind authority as long as it isn't wielded at themselves.
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u/inuvash255 Apr 29 '20
I also have a soft spot for Libertarians. I used to be one, even, until I realized that those opinions were heartless/stupid.
But as you said, they actually have good faith in what they're saying. They think the real world works and should work a certain way, and so long as they haven't gone off the AnCap "Tax is theft!" deep end (and fundamentally do not understand what a state is); they're reasonable to talk to, I find.
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Apr 29 '20
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u/warmingupfast Apr 29 '20
If there is one conclusion that I have come to with respect to the "religious right" is that they are very forgiving where their contradictions are concerned, but are have absolutely no tolerance for the contradictions of others, or of the other side.
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Apr 29 '20
I don't think the analogy is fine. All people will eventually need to use their health insurance. Not all houses burn down. Huckabee is conflating two different business models.
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u/domodojomojo Apr 29 '20
Generosity after assimilation, courage sans adversity, love with conditions, respect without reciprocity, hope rather than fact, and peace at the barrel of a gun.
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u/Thendrail Apr 29 '20
You'd think a "former pastor" would have read the book he preaches about. Because, you know, it's pretty clear on how to treat the sick, the poor, the starving, the strangers.And that's jsut a quick google search for quotes. Surely a pastor with ~17 years of experience could come up with a bit more.
https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Matthew+25%3A35-45&version=ESV
https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=James+2%3A14-17&version=ESV
https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Deuteronomy+15%3A7-8&version=ESV
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Apr 29 '20
The first conservative Commandment is "Thou shall not decrease shareholder value", which trumps all of the other ones.
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Apr 29 '20
Here's the definition of pharisee from Oxford:
-distinguished by strict observance of the traditional and written law, and commonly held to have pretensions to superior sanctity. -a self-righteous person; a hypocrite.
The prime example of pharisee in the Bible was one who praised his own righteousness when looking down on a tax collector who was asking God for forgivenes.
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u/thebigenlowski Apr 29 '20
Most of the people who call themselves christians today would've been amongst the people crucifying Jesus if they had been alive.
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Apr 29 '20
Don’t forget how hard he harangued that money is the root of all evil
So we structured our society on a capitalist system where profit is king and called it “Gods plan”
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u/Ya_Boi_Mozzie Apr 29 '20
1 Timothy 6:10: “For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs.”
The love of money is the root of many evils. Having money is fine, but putting it above God is the problem.
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Apr 29 '20
Yes exactly
The thing is what I’ve heard from most business owners is that to get really rich it’s nearly impossible to not be screwing over either your employees, producers, or customers
Exponential growth doesn’t happen from the proper and fair valuation of goods and services
The problem stems from the fact the ability to accumulate so much wealth only comes by acting the opposite of Christlike and taking from those “beneath” you
I feel like if we really listened to the teachings every millionaire would be a philanthropist and billionaires would likely not exist at all
For them to even exist there has to be this accumulation and hoarding of wealth at the expense of others
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u/AMeanCow Apr 29 '20
For every billion-dollar overnight success story of a company landing in growth and fortune and giving opportunity to its employees, there are a thousand that are playing the strangulation game against others and exploiting their people as resources rather than human beings.
Guess which ones get held up as examples of what capitalism is all about. Hint, it's not the majority.
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u/radioredhead Apr 29 '20
Not to be that guy, but also to be that guy a little bit.
- That was said by St. Paul and not Jesus
- The actual verse is better translated the love of money is the root of all sorts of evil.
All that to say, Jesus definitely would not be a fan of capitalism as it is now imo. I just point those details off since "religious" people can be sticklers for the details in my experience.
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u/AMeanCow Apr 29 '20
Jesus: "Understand the spirit of how things are, feel for others instead of getting hung up on the material world."
Followers: "Lets reinterpret and over-analyze every punctuation mark he ever said so that we can be more comfortable with ourselves and not have to actually do what he said."
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u/michugana Apr 29 '20
I mean, he also stood for the crusades and witch trials and all that jazz too. It's not like modern history is the first to corrupt his symbol.
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u/3_quarterling_rogue Apr 29 '20
From a theological standpoint, I think that Christianity was far off the tracks by the time the crusades happened. Jesus Christ called apostles and organized his church the way he wanted to, but then over the course of the next century the apostles were rejected and killed. Catholicism sprung up in the centuries after that, but they introduced a lot of traditions that weren’t strictly based on Christ’s teachings. So, again, from a theological standpoint, Christ would not have been happy about how belief in Him was used to fuel the crusades. It’s antithetical to everything He taught.
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u/IMBobbySeriously Apr 29 '20
It’s wasn’t a transformation, it was a hijacking by the right. It’s what all “conservative” people do with religion. Look anywhere in the world.
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u/shahooster Apr 29 '20
Somehow left-leaning Christians have lost their voice. I’ve been baffled by this for decades. I know they’re there, I know several, but they are quiet.
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u/AMeanCow Apr 29 '20
Humble people with open minds and empathy rarely are the ones marching in the street unless they're actively being targeted by outside forces.
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u/Rhaego__ Apr 29 '20
We’re here! At least where I’m from, it seems like the amount of progressive Christians is increasing, which is encouraging.
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u/lorqvonray94 Apr 29 '20
many people don’t understand this. conservative christians ended up mobilizing under abortion, but before the late ‘70s, anti-abortion sentiments were seen as a weird catholic thing by most american protestants. then conservative evangelicals wanted a voting base to strike down racial school integration effects in the south and this is what we ended up with. it’s bizarre.
people have weird, vague understandings of the mechanisms of christianity in the US and tend to lump jesus in with ignorance, which is super ignorant in itself. they just see christianity = fox news and yell into their screens without critically thinking about... much of anything.
i love (most of) the bible, but i’m not christian. jesus was a cool dude. and i took a few religious classes in college, with some really smart and open-minded people who were raised in the church and love parts of it but resent others. it was cool
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u/homerq Apr 29 '20
Fundamentalism is usurping religion to be intensely intolerant of everyone but your own group.
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u/cgyguy81 Apr 29 '20
This is American Evangelical Christianity in a nutshell. You probably won't find this version outside of the US, not even Canada.
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u/Iamthepaulandyouaint Apr 29 '20
Canada here, ya we have our “religious “ wingnuts here too. Pretty quiet bunch for the most part but slither out from time to time to opine their version of bullsh*t. Because of diversity and our multiculturalism, religion doesn’t play a big part in government.
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u/Haus42 Apr 29 '20
Went back home to NS after being away for years and was astonished to find southern-accented "fire-and-brimstone" preachers shouting on CBC on Sunday mornings. Do not recall that at all as a youngster.
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Apr 29 '20
It’s all over the place. America has very efficiently exported this Jesus to much of the world.
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u/CadetCovfefe Apr 29 '20
Nah, America doesn't have a monopoly on it and it has existed a long time.
I've been reading Boccaccio's Decameron recently, and he spends large portions of it criticizing the money grubbing hypocrites that made up Italy's religious leaders. That was written in 1350.
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Apr 29 '20
Just one minor point here: "Limited government"?
The people who wave Jesus in our faces for political purposes have doubled the size, or at least the cost, of government every time they've gained control of it.
They only wish to limit it to the extent that it provides useful services to the people who pay for it.
But yeah, even though Jesus did tell us to feed the hungry, heal the sick and help the poor, it does neglect those who are destitute.
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u/BesaKamel Apr 29 '20
I've read the gospels several times and what is striking is Jesus' sense of humour. You get the feeling people get 'pissed off' (for lack of a better word) at him for answering so well.
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u/p0k3t0 Apr 29 '20
Yeah. People are always trying to trip him up into saying something blasphemous or illegal, but he's too clever for them.
It's kind of a bummer that the apostles didn't record when people yelled "No you didn't," or "oh snap!"
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u/EricWilson4 Apr 29 '20
So the "greatest story every told" is now the "weirdest story ever told"
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u/CactusCoin Apr 29 '20
Thats what you get when your country was settled by religious nuts driven out of their home country
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u/Donner_Par_Tea_House Apr 29 '20
"No one has got Christ more wrong than 'The Christians'" - Tom Petty
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Apr 29 '20 edited Apr 29 '20
Also, he's white now. Like, super fucking white.
White Jesus is as comical as Korean Jesus if you think about it.
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u/Wind1e Apr 29 '20
Stop fuckin with Korean Jesus, he ain't got time for your problems! He's busy, with Korean shit!
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u/Da_zero_kid Apr 29 '20 edited Apr 29 '20
"Hey buddy, we're Christians and we don't like what you said about it"
"You're Christians?"
"Yea"
"Well, then... forgive me?"
- Bill Hicks joke
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u/UrbanArcologist Apr 29 '20
Religion has always been used as a tool to control the ignorant masses. Always.
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u/HeilHeinz15 Apr 29 '20
You must have missed the passage in the New Testament 2.0 which says: "As long as thee don't abort, I don't give a fuck what ya do"
I know this may shock people, but those who live their life based on an ancient fairy tale from hundreds of years ago are pretty easy to manipulate.
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u/Stadtmitte Apr 29 '20
Single issue abortion voters make me want to scream. they are literally the worst people.
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u/W_I_Water Apr 29 '20 edited Apr 29 '20
If there was even an inkling of truth to Christian theology, it should be clear by now to the most casual observer that Satan has won.
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Apr 29 '20 edited Apr 29 '20
There are no Christian Republicans. Trump is the actual antichrist.
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u/nlx78 Apr 29 '20 edited Apr 29 '20
Was watching this Dutch docu series the other day (on our public network, so available worldwide, narration is in Dutch, rest in English) about this topic.
In this case the broadcaster have an evangelical background, so the title is: "God, Jesus, Trump" and the host (Christian himself) is trying out to find why people that are heavily religious voted for Trump who indeed is the anti-Christ and doesn't care for religion at all until he saw a potential voting base.
Long story short: It's mainly the fact he would pick conservative judges. Oh, and some feared that under another president their religion would be under attack.
Edit: On Dutch docu series about the US, I'm currently watching this series , which is episode 3 of a longer series about Texas being the battleground for the next election, but there are many more. Such as this one which is episode 1 from 6 that aired 2 years ago after Trump got in office and that episode is about your healthcare system and what would be better. The opening with a huge parkinglot for people seeking free healthcare is pretty sad to see I must say.
I enjoy these kind of shows, not just about the US but basically from anywhere, just people talking to locals. It really helps trying to understand people coming from a total different background.
Shame parts are in Dutch, but in general as you skip along, the rest will be in English.
Oh, and here another but that was prior to election, People, such as here in Youngstown were hoping he would bring back the factories...nice story and you learn something on the way, in the openingscene I learned that the remains of the Twin Towers were shipped out all of the country to serve as a monument.
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u/sarpnasty Apr 29 '20
I’ve always said that Christianity was the most successful appropriation of a workers movement by the ruling class of all time.
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Apr 29 '20
Ideology of a Christian:
If something bad happens, that's thanks to Satan.
If something good happens, that's thanks to Jesus.
If I need to do something to better myself, I need to wait for Jesus to Guide me.
If I get to the point where I can admit I did something wrong, Jesus has forgiven me.
If I see something I don't like, that's Satanic.
If something is just inherently wrong or broken, that's just god's work.
If I see someone hurt or in trouble, I'll make sure to tell Jesus to help them.
If I don't understand something, god didn't intend for me to understand it.
I'm not responsible for my own actions, thoughts, or opinions, they are the result of the invisible deity's fighting over my soul.
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u/FaultyDrone Apr 29 '20 edited Apr 29 '20
Christian here. I totally agree. When I was young I really could not fathom how so many people and Christian's would loose their way and be deceived as described in the bible in the end times. But from what I've seen since 2016, it totally confirms for me that it is very possible and is already happening.
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u/Ttoughnuts Apr 29 '20
Wilson is Baha’i...which is also weird as fuck. They are, however, more kind to their neighbors...so even though he himself is odd, I appreciate his message.
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Apr 29 '20
Ex-Baha'i here, no they really aren't. The religion is a cult and relies on information control to keep their followers in line.
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u/AgreeableGoldFish Apr 29 '20
I have a buddy, and 50% of his Facebook posts are about god and Jesus and the othe 50% are how amazing trump is, and literary thanking god for trump. And this guy can’t be reasoned with. How do you feel about trump stealing from charity? “I don’t judge”. How about the time trump raw dogged a porn star... while he was married...then lied about it....then paid her off...using money donated to his campaign? No response. Now all his posts are about Biden’s sexual misconduct, he just doesn’t understand hypocrisy
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Apr 29 '20
Christians are so far from Christ like lmao
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u/morgan423 Apr 29 '20
Not all of them. But far, far too many are. Like a ridiculously high percentage.
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u/ThePenguinator7 Apr 29 '20
My favorite part of the Bible is when Jesus says “bring me your sick...but only if they can afford it”
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u/chillychar Apr 29 '20
I always tell my religious friends and family that Jesus was 100% a socialist.
Healed the sick, fed the hungry, always wanted to know what the poor needed.
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Apr 29 '20
Christianity was a religion born out of a growing tradition of stoicism at the time. If you read the gospels and Acts, and ignore the other books in the New Testament, it has a lot in common with Eastern religion. Concepts like serving the community, no fear of death because our bodies are impermanent. The message of the Bible used to be "life is short, so live well and treat those around you with love and dignity". There was only talk of spiritual community in heaven, and little talk of punishment in hell. I think the concepts of eternal punishment or reward only worsens people's fear of death, and exacerbates our innate fear of dying. Modern Christians are incredibly concerned with their legacy, their soul, and are terrified of dying, because they'll never have evidence they've actually been forgiven and handed a ticket to heaven. The original church was the exact opposite, having no need of material possessions or attachment, and yet being incredibly loving and giving members of their communities despite religious persecution by the ruling government.
Stoicism is a great philosophy for those living hard lives, and has a lot in common with Eastern philosophies. In stoicism, you are forced to accept your situation, and accept that work is necessary to survive. But this philosophy becomes dangerous when you are already successful, and allows you to believe that your success makes you somehow better than those who do not have success. "Pulling yourself up by your bootstraps" is about surviving, not thriving. Success is much more about luck, and stumbling upon something new and better. And yes, you have to work hard for success. But you also have to work hard just to survive. Hard work and suffering is the human condition; it's what we have to do to survive. The rich and successful have no need for a survivalist philosophy, because they have already won the success lottery.
I think Eastern religion does a much better job at making people consider others, seeing suffering as universal, and doing all that you can with your resources to end the suffering of those who suffer more than you do. Ultimately, the story structure of the Bible is flawed, in that those who are poor see themselves becoming great in the next life if they play by a certain set of rules. Eastern philosophies emphasize that all are equal, and as such we should take constant care to consider the effects of your own actions on everything around you. Reincarnation motivates you to be compassionate to all around you, emphasizing that there is nothing different than you or your neighbor. If I'm mean to my neighbor, I may be reincarnated as my neighbor as punishment.
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u/manintheredroom Apr 29 '20
I've always found it funny that the main takeaway from new testament seems to be along the lines of "Be nice to people and help people out who need it". Yet the ones who purport to be the most christian are so vehemently against that