What sets Christianity apart?

[JMan]

I heard a pastor on the radio last week make a very simple statement - see what you think:

"Christianity is the only religion that doesn't set people on a scale of achievement leading to pride in one self, or failure leading to guilt in one self."


All other religions set people on heirarchical levels of advancement and decline, whether it is inward 'growth' and levels of 'enlightenment' or outward achievement or works.

The whole point about Christianity is - it's not about YOU. Thank God.

[Brutha]

There were protestants who thought that those people who archive success in worldly live are the ones that God likes and therefore go to heaven why those that suffer failure will go to hell.

[JMan]

It's not about what you do or achieve, rather about what you believe, hence taking the focus of of yourself.

[Xanafax]

It doesn't make sense.

Christianity does set people on a scale. Those who believe in God are saved, those who don't are damned to hell.

That's a pretty polarised scale in my opinion.

[young]

Christianity is like all other religions, a religion. A religion is a bunch of MIND made beliefs. Religion does allow peace in the world, but at the same time chaos. Although it is what it is, so I do not judge it.

Jesus was about allowing. Jesus didn't define things as right or wrong. It was his followers that misinterpreted him and created a belief system, known as Christianity, where those who did 'right' go to heaven and those who did 'wrong' go to... whatever

[cylon]

I would challenge the pastor to actually read the Bible, then make his claims of superiority.

Don't forget, Christianity is based on human sacrifice and fratricide. Those things, today, happen to be illegal.

I wonder why killing your own child today is illegal, when 2,000 years ago it was considered the pinnacle of beauty and love.

[newsbone]

Originally Posted by cylon

I would challenge the pastor to actually read the Bible, then make his claims of superiority.

Don't forget, Christianity is based on human sacrifice and fratricide. Those things, today, happen to be illegal.

I wonder why killing your own child today is illegal, when 2,000 years ago it was considered the pinnacle of beauty and love.

Abortion is legal in most western countries and bombing Iraq and Afghanistan while searching for Osama and Saddam is not a crime.

[cheropride]

Originally Posted by cylon

I would challenge the pastor to actually read the Bible, then make his claims of superiority.

Don't forget, Christianity is based on human sacrifice and fratricide. Those things, today, happen to be illegal.

I wonder why killing your own child today is illegal, when 2,000 years ago it was considered the pinnacle of beauty and love.

I just wanted to really state one thing, cuz in general I refuse to get into debates over religion. Although I am starting to realize that many religions have many things in common..

However, Christianity was never based on human or animal sacrafice. In the Old Testatment, there is many sacrafices (animal not human). But in the New Testament, whereas Christianity is based there are not any sacrafices. Jesus was the ultimate sacrafice, of which he under took of his own free will. If you see the cross as sacrafice, when then you are correct, but the Roman and Jews did not sacrafice him, they killed him. Jesus offered himself as sacrafice....

[Andrew Brunelle]

Christianity is herirarchical if you are part of the church. You move up from priest to bishop to Pope or however it works. That's the Catholic way. Other Christian religions are a bit less specific to the chain of command. The people sitting there listening to the sermons are just going through the motions for the most part. Kneel, stand, sit, kneel, stand, sit. It's more of an exercise program.

Of course there are people who identify seriously with their faith and I respect that, as long as they've chosen it consciously. The main issue that turns me off about Christianity is the whole "We're right and you're wrong, so you are going to hell." Just because you happened to be born into or born again to Christianity doesn't mean everyone who isn't is going to hell. There really is no religion. We all go to the same place when we die. Wherever that is, there is no discrimination when it comes to different belief systems.

So what sets Christianity apart? Just the fact that they're not trying to reach Enlightenment, but in a way they should be because otherwise you'll stay stuck at the same level of awareness your whole life.

[Cran]

Well, just believe in Allah and his Prophet, and you'll see paradise with so many women to please you.
Believe in adonai, and see paradise.

Christianity is not so singular in that aspect. And while in THEORY, it might be all grace, in practice, it isn't. Keep the commandments. Love your brother amd act like it (you are not in Christ if you do not love your brother, remember?). Don't lead a weaker brother into temptation.
Speak in tongues, don't speak in tongues, women wear only dresses etc. etc. - you DO NOT DO THAT??? You are obviously not saved, you'll go to hell.

All grace, of course

[cylon]

Originally Posted by cheropride

Jesus offered himself as sacrafice....

To appease an angry God. That's called human sacrifice.

[newsbone]

Originally Posted by cylon

To appease an angry God. That's called human sacrifice.

No! It is God sacrfice! How many animals are sacrficed every single day to appease a hungry cyclon?

[newsbone]

Originally Posted by Cran

Well, just believe in Allah and his Prophet, and you'll see paradise with so many women to please you.
Believe in adonai, and see paradise.

Christianity is not so singular in that aspect. And while in THEORY, it might be all grace, in practice, it isn't. Keep the commandments. Love your brother amd act like it (you are not in Christ if you do not love your brother, remember?). Don't lead a weaker brother into temptation.
Speak in tongues, don't speak in tongues, women wear only dresses etc. etc. - you DO NOT DO THAT??? You are obviously not saved, you'll go to hell.

All grace, of course

Apart from some few quoted verses there is nothing that resembles Christianity in this post maybe your 'parents/sisters/brothers' interpretation!

[JMan]

Originally Posted by Xanafax

It doesn't make sense.

Christianity does set people on a scale. Those who believe in God are saved, those who don't are damned to hell.

That's a pretty polarised scale in my opinion.

I think the point was, that salvation depends on belief and faith ONLY, rather than your own action, accomplishment, and self-elevation - leading to a subsequent 'scale' of advancement and decline.

[JMan]

Originally Posted by Andrew Brunelle

Christianity is herirarchical if you are part of the church. You move up from priest to bishop to Pope or however it works. That's the Catholic way. Other Christian religions are a bit less specific to the chain of command. The people sitting there listening to the sermons are just going through the motions for the most part. Kneel, stand, sit, kneel, stand, sit. It's more of an exercise program.

Of course there are people who identify seriously with their faith and I respect that, as long as they've chosen it consciously. The main issue that turns me off about Christianity is the whole "We're right and you're wrong, so you are going to hell." Just because you happened to be born into or born again to Christianity doesn't mean everyone who isn't is going to hell. There really is no religion. We all go to the same place when we die. Wherever that is, there is no discrimination when it comes to different belief systems.

So what sets Christianity apart? Just the fact that they're not trying to reach Enlightenment, but in a way they should be because otherwise you'll stay stuck at the same level of awareness your whole life.

Your point on Catholicism is right on - there is such an emphasis on 'ritual' rather than relationship.

Oh, and there definitely are levels of awareness, only that it is more of a discovery of the power of the Lord and your relationship with him. Not your own power. Or your own ability. His.

[LouieLouie]

Originally Posted by Andrew Brunelle

The people sitting there listening to the sermons are just going through the motions for the most part. Kneel, stand, sit, kneel, stand, sit. It's more of an exercise program.

Thats a funny insight

The main issue that turns me off about Christianity is the whole "We're right and you're wrong, so you are going to hell." Just because you happened to be born into or born again to Christianity doesn't mean everyone who isn't is going to hell. There really is no religion. We all go to the same place when we die. Wherever that is, there is no discrimination when it comes to different belief systems.

Having been raised in the Catholic Church I realized exactly that around age 16 and it's the reason I no longer can attend a Catholic service without feeling like a hypocrite. Where you are born determines which religion you will be indoctrinated into and according to Christianity (or the Catholic Church) if you are unlucky and born into a country or region that does not worship Christ as your savior then, too bad, your going to hell. They are serious too and are all to happy to tell you their going to heaven and your not if you don't accept original sin and Christ as your savior. Jeez, what about the millions who were born BEFORE Christ walked the earth or the hundreds of millions born into religions other than Christianity? I guess there SOOL. It's so patently ridiculous that the Catholic Church is built upon a supposedly loving God who PUNISHES FOR ETERNITY.

[pianoperformer]

Originally Posted by LouieLouie

Having been raised in the Catholic Church I realized exactly that around age 16 and it's the reason I no longer can attend a Catholic service without feeling like a hypocrite. Where you are born determines which religion you will be indoctrinated into and according to Christianity (or the Catholic Church) if you are unlucky and born into a country or region that does not worship Christ as your savior then, too bad, your going to hell. They are serious too and are all to happy to tell you their going to heaven and your not if you don't accept original sin and Christ as your savior. Jeez, what about the millions who were born BEFORE Christ walked the earth or the hundreds of millions born into religions other than Christianity? I guess there SOOL. It's so patently ridiculous that the Catholic Church is built upon a supposedly loving God who PUNISHES FOR ETERNITY.

I'm sorry, but you obviously do not know what the Catholic Church actually teaches. It is nothing like what you are saying here. If you want to know what they truly believe, try reading the Catechism. I think you'll find that their view of God is a lot more reasonable than what you seem to believe it is.

[pianoperformer]

Originally Posted by Andrew Brunelle

The people sitting there listening to the sermons are just going through the motions for the most part. Kneel, stand, sit, kneel, stand, sit. It's more of an exercise program.

This is a gross overgeneralization.

Originally Posted by Andrew Brunelle

The main issue that turns me off about Christianity is the whole "We're right and you're wrong, so you are going to hell." Just because you happened to be born into or born again to Christianity doesn't mean everyone who isn't is going to hell. There really is no religion. We all go to the same place when we die. Wherever that is, there is no discrimination when it comes to different belief systems.

To be fair, you have no way of knowing that, anymore than the people you say believe incorrectly that only they are going to heaven do, even if this weren't a strawman, which it is.

You accept on faith that it doesn't matter what religion you are born to, but what makes your position any more secure than that which you attribute to Christians?

[newsbone]

Originally Posted by LouieLouie

Thats a funny insight



Having been raised in the Catholic Church I realized exactly that around age 16 and it's the reason I no longer can attend a Catholic service without feeling like a hypocrite. Where you are born determines which religion you will be indoctrinated into and according to Christianity (or the Catholic Church) if you are unlucky and born into a country or region that does not worship Christ as your savior then, too bad, your going to hell. They are serious too and are all to happy to tell you their going to heaven and your not if you don't accept original sin and Christ as your savior. Jeez, what about the millions who were born BEFORE Christ walked the earth or the hundreds of millions born into religions other than Christianity? I guess there SOOL. It's so patently ridiculous that the Catholic Church is built upon a supposedly loving God who PUNISHES FOR ETERNITY.

Catholicism is not Christianity but the Catholics do practice a form of Christianity, there should be a defining line between the a belief/ faith and the system that makes it happen;this makes the common generalization most often noticed in this forum as incorrect. The Romans had figured out one way to reach God and in their pursuit included there own ways in the search, do not misunderstand this to mean that i consider Catholics to be wrong for they have chosen their own way of reaching God, if they are right or wrong it is another matter altogether and inconsequential to the OP.
In every country we have laws and rules whose sole responsibilities are to tom predetermine the way the citizens have to live their lives, and anyone who goes against it either by mistake or intent is given some form of punishment as stated in the law. Now as citizens of the world why is it becoming so difficult to fathom the reality of the presence of punishment for those leading an irresponsible lifestyle devoid of the fear of God in this instance? Like it or not we are not responsible for our being here but rather are here because something/someone presupposed it to be so, and has the right to also set aside a form of punishment that is suffice to the crime (sin).