Is christianity essentially blackmail?
I think it is, since the main message seems to be: "Believe or burn."
Yes | 24 | |
Other (please explain) | 2 | |
No | 16 |
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I think it is, since the main message seems to be: "Believe or burn."
Yes | 24 | |
Other (please explain) | 2 | |
No | 16 |
My relationship with my Lord, and Savior Jesus Christ is not about fear!
I'd say it's inaccurate to call it blackmail. It's more like a plea deal if anything.
At the end of the day it's more of: "choose before you die before you burn." Rather than believe or burn. It works against christianity to have that ultimatum. Rather having a small nudge over your entire life directing you towards belief.
Islam is the join or die (or be a slave) religion. Coexistence with the nonbelievers wasnt tolerated. At least christianity believed that there was a seperation of church and state. Islam has yet to have that enlightened view on their religion/place in the universe.
I agree with you, Lloyd, but I'm going to have to correct you. You're generalizing Christian "separation of Church and state". That's not a good thing to do. Different denominations don't agree on that at all.
Most Protestants, from my knowledge, will tell you that the Church should have nothing to do with the state at all. Catholics, on the other hand, (at least should) tell you that the state should have no impact on the Church, but that the Church should have impact on the state.
I'm a Roman Catholic myself, and there's no other church in the World of which I'd rather be a part, but I always try to remember that the Church, just like the government, is made of up human beings, and human beings unlike God are imperfect.
Something that you must remember is this:
"And I ſay to thee, That thou art Peter: and vpon this Rocke vvil I build my Church, and the gates of Hell ſhal not prevaile againſt it. And I vvil geue to thee the keies of the kingdom of heauen. And whatſoever thou ſhalt binde vpon earth, it ſhal be bounde alſo in the heauens: and whatſoever thou ſhalt looſe in earth, it ſhal be looſed alſo in the heauens."
Matthew 16:18-19
What double standard? The Church knows the truth of the true religion, and secular politics should not change what the Church has to say. However, the Church should change what people say in secular politics.
And that kind of thought process is precisely why having a seperation of church and state is a good thing. Neither the church or state should influence one another. The amalgamation leads to the worst humanity has to offer.
I'd say it depends on how you're defining "the church". If you're defining "the church" as the heads of religions, then I agree. That's how you ended up with so much corruption in the middle ages. But if you're defining "the church" as just people with religious beliefs, then I disagree. I think that the government should stay out of religion, but that people should be able to bring their religious beliefs into government.
The worst humanity has to offer is obtained when things are separated from the Church. The more people are attached to the Church, the better.
Christianity itself is not blackmail; however, many of the so called "Christian" churches have manipulated a mascaraed of real Christianity such that it looks like its a blackmail situation.
I don't think much of those churches and the clergy who present it as a blackmail situation. I don't believe that Christ would ever have condoned such behavior.
Unfortunately, you are mostly required to do your own bible and religious text studies if you actually want to learn about the lessons and messages that Jesus taught.
In my opinion, most "Christian" churches only teach part of them, and often distort the ones they teach.
I think the christian churches have done the opposite in many ways. If you go to church they portray god as all loving and forgiving and is understanding. Yet if you read the bible he is not that. He wants you to fear him. He has narcissistic traits. It doesnt mean that hes not real or is real. But the way the church is representing him is false. The bible does not relect an lovey dovey guy.
I understand your viewpoint on this; and you are right that there are many references that do not portray an all forgiving god.
However, there are numerous mentions that god (Yahweh) would accept people back who admitted their past sins and returned to follow god's way. So, there is evidence to support that many people can be forgiven for most things (although my memory is that there is at least one behavior that is listed as "unforgivable").
Its funny a friend of mine went to jail for drugs and got out had lost his house was completely homeless. As much shit as people talk about the catholic church. They handed him cash and gave him a room until he got on his feet, fed him and everything. And he is an atheist. It wasnt the LGTB that did that. It was the evil church lol.
Good thing for the church that A)groups of people are monoliths and everybody in them are all exactly the same, B)one good deed undoes thousands of bad ones, and C)the LGBTs are also a centrally run organization that gets millions of dollars from their members donating 10% of their income, otherwise I would have no idea what that has to do with anything.