Q and A about what it means to follow Christ

"

Bars wrote:

All right, fair enough.

How do you know you're following Christ?

First off, there's no conclusive evidence such a person has actually existed. There are no non-religious, hard historical sources - unlike for Buddha or Muhammad. There probably was a person who acted as the seed of what would become the New Testament, but we don't really know.

Second, the Bible was written by many different people who lived a long time ago, then it was translated and interpreted by other people who lived in other times, and the story was told and retold and interpreted and translated in one big fucking game of telephone where everyone spoke different languages and lived sometimes centuries apart. Bottomline: the Bible is a highly unreliable source of information.

Third, there are a whole lot of people who tell us they just somehow know what Christ wants and what following him entails, but - again - these are people. They are unreliable. Some of them might be crazy, some might be running a scam (religion is probably the most lucrative business in human history!), some rare ones might, just might be getting direct faxes from the divine office, but how do you know?

What does it even mean to be following Christ? How do you know you're following him? I doubt he sends you faxes from heaven and, frankly, if he does, this would be a bit concerning. As they say, when you speak to God, that's being religious, when God speaks to you, that's schizophrenia.

This may seem as an attempt to disguise my dispute with you as a question, but it isn't. I have no desire to argue about religion, as I already said. I am genuinely curious how is it possible for someone to think in such a vastly different way compared to the workings of my own mind.

"

innervation wrote:

I'll shoot too.

Could you define belief, and knowledge? If either of these words have different definitions or criteria for your faith than for your more mortal beliefs and knowledge (say, about airplanes) then I ask for 3-4 total definitions as needed.

How important is evidence to your beliefs and knowledge of the spiritual/mortal?

To whatever extent this last question still applies (as you may reject this framework in answering the previous), would you say that you have been persuaded to believe what you believe on the basis of good evidence? Put another way, have you ever been in a state of non-belief (for more than just a fleeting doubt, say, at least months) and been persuaded to, or back to 'following Christ'?

"

鬼殺し wrote:

Hi there. I've done a fair bit of writing on transfigurations of Christ in modern literature and the concept of kenosis (emptying, typically self, as a term for Christ emptying himself of his Divinity to be filled with what it means to be human). I've encountered the usual indoctrinated negative responses to these works (especially the last temptation by kazantzakis) but also believe anyone who shows great interest in Christ as a psychological entity, who deeply respects his ideas of both love and fear of God, his Father, is in their own way following his teachings...certainly more so than people who forget Christ himself wasn't a Christian and had little interest in establishing a church or temple.

So here's my question: do you think it's possible to follow Christ's teachings without being Christian? My own beliefs are far more...elusive than any one church or even major religion, but I strongly resonate with what the man said and taught, moreso than the prophet Mohammed (Pbuh) or the Buddha. Or do you believe a person can adhere to his teachings but still look forward to eternity in hell (which I don't believe in) if they don't put Jesus first and think of him as the way and the life?

Thanks for your time. Great thread.

"

Xavderion wrote:

The one thing that really bothers me about god is how he's so anthropomorphic. It's just too convenient.

"

Boem wrote:

This gonna be gud.

As for a question, why do you need/want god to exist?

Peace,

-Boem-

"

Head_Less wrote:

There is no proof jesus ever existed. Flavius josephus was -6year old (born 6 years after jesus birth) when jesus "died".

First writings about him are all decades after his "death".
This is Paul creation and Christianism should be called Paultianism Imo.

About the cult itself, I like the message that poverty is better than being a greedy fuck.

My question: When God killed all the newborn of egypt, murdering poor little infants by thousands, don t you think it was a little cruel for those innocent egyptians families who were not really responsible for the pharao actions? How does a christian cope with the fact their god can be cruel at time?

"

Tribulation wrote:

"

solwitch wrote:

Attending theological seminars, I can tell you this. The raw was taken out of the Bible... Many uncultured or uneducated individuals whom practice any religion related to the mainstream bible don't know the holy book was edited.


I think what bothers me the most is how some preach without any knowledge or knowing of the history of his or her religion. If people only knew the actual rhymes and fairy tales, the origin of their existence.

Did you folks know that the cross actually had a piece of wood between the crotch of the many men AND woman that have been crucified? No... I didnt think so...

Edit: Almost forgot... People set themselves up for failure... Amen.

You have my attention. I would like to know what in the Bible was edited. Point me to scholarly articles if you can.

Regarding the rest--even assuming some of the Bible has been edited, can you say that it changes the message? The message that God wants us to call upon Him and have Him be the center of our lives?

"

Because I can't. I... had an experience... I can't prove it, I can't even explain it, but everything that I know as a human being, everything that I am tells me that it was real! I was given something wonderful, something that changed me forever... A vision... of the universe, that tells us, undeniably, how tiny, and insignificant and how... rare, and precious we all are! A vision that tells us that we belong to something that is greater then ourselves, that we are *not*, that none of us are alone! I wish... I... could share that... I wish, that everyone, if only for one... moment, could feel... that awe, and humility, and hope. But... That continues to be my wish.

"

solwitch wrote:

"Message/Messages," God for so many is a placebo. Even an atheist is caught in the end praying to God when medical science can't save your loved one/ones. So let's put it in that perspective. If you have someone that's dying that you cared for wouldn't we all regardless of religion pray for her/him to survive.

"

ELLIE: Occam's Razor, you ever heard of it?
PALMER: Hackem is Razor, sounds like some slasher movie.
ELLIE: No, Occam's Razor, it is a basic scientific principle. And it says, all things being equal, the simplest explanation tends to be the right one.
PALMER: Makes sense to me.
ELLIE: All right. So what is more likely (Palmer puts his jacket around Ellie), thank you...
PALMER: You’re welcome.
ELLIE: ...an all powerful and mysterious God created the Universe, and then decided not to give any proof of his existence, or that he simply doesn’t exist at all, and that we created him so that we didn’t have to feel so small and alone?
PALMER: I don’t know. I couldn’t imagine living in a world where God didn’t exist. I wouldn’t want to.
ELLIE: How do you know you’re not deluding yourself? As for me, I’d need proof.
PALMER: Proof. Did you love your father?
ELLIE: Huh?
PALMER: Your Dad, did you love him?
ELLIE: Yes, very much.
PALMER: Prove it.

So are you Ellie or Palmer?