Is this good for Christianity?

[Heart2Soul]

To be honest, that still doesn't make sense to me in light of what I asked. I kinda feel like we're talking completely different languages.

Me too...lol...are you trying to determine if we are predestined?

 

[Sabertooth]

And maybe the biggest question for the Christians here: Do you think promoting and spreading those things under the banner of Christianity is gaining converts, or is it driving people away?

Besides all of the inter-mural conflicts observed in the OP, Christianity has an uphill battle to begin with.

"For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing,
but to us who are being saved it is the power of God." 1 Corinthians 1:18 NKJV

The Kingdom of God is an acquired taste and only holds appeal to those who recognize their own lost condition. Trying to make it popular/more marketable only serves to undermine its distinctive qualities. Popularity is a sacrifice that we expect to make.

Scandalon, Michael Card (1985)

 

[Justadude]

Me too...lol...are you trying to determine if we are predestined?

No, it's more to do with what God chooses to take direct action on.

 

[Justadude]

Besides all of the inter-mural conflicts observed in the OP, Christianity has an uphill battle to begin with.

"For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing,
but to us who are being saved it is the power of God." 1 Corinthians 1:18 NKJV

The Kingdom of God is an acquired taste and only holds appeal to those who recognize their own lost condition. Trying to make it popular/more marketable only serves to undermine its distinctive qualities. Popularity is a sacrifice that we expect to make.

Scandalon, Michael Card (1985)

What does that mean relative to the decline of Christianity in the US and the western world? Is it a good thing?

 

[Sabertooth]

What does that mean relative to the decline of Christianity in the US and the western world?

Christianity has never gauged itself according to popular culture. If your assessment is true, I suspect it is because fewer people are dissatisfied the emptiness of their lives right now. Some people experience that emptiness in poverty. Others, like King Solomon, experience it when they have everything that they ever wanted and still find it to be unfulfilling for them.

I suspect that this is still true. It is just that such isn't the poster child for "popular" culture.

 

[Justadude]

Christianity has never gauged itself according to popular culture.

From my perspective, it's whether Christianity will go the way of so many other religions and just fade away.

If your assessment is true, I suspect it is because fewer people are dissatisfied the emptiness of their lives right now.

The survey data shows that it's the behaviors and actions of Christians that's behind much of the decline.

Some people experience that emptiness in poverty. Others, like King Solomon, experience it when they have everything that they ever wanted and still find it to be unfulfilling for them.

I suspect that this is still true. It is just that such isn't the poster child for "popular" culture.

That's also characteristic of something else, but since it's rather insulting to Christians I'll just leave it.

 

[farouk]

Besides all of the inter-mural conflicts observed in the OP, Christianity has an uphill battle to begin with.

"For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing,
but to us who are being saved it is the power of God." 1 Corinthians 1:18 NKJV

The Kingdom of God is an acquired taste and only holds appeal to those who recognize their own lost condition. Trying to make it popular/more marketable only serves to undermine its distinctive qualities. Popularity is a sacrifice that we expect to make.

Scandalon, Michael Card (1985)

Great verse there; the Cross, Biblically understood, can only offend the world and the flesh.

 

[bbyrd009]

The people who believe those things frequently insist they are from God and his word, and therefore anyone who doesn't believe them is calling God a liar.


That's another thing I see that may be impacting the status of Christianity; this whole belief that the world sucks, is getting worse, and will continue to decline until the end times happens and Jesus finally decides to set everything right.


It looks to me like a lot of Christians think their beliefs are eternal, and everyone who disagrees is some sort of heretic promoting either their own personal religion or even furthering the cause of Satan.

From the outside, it just looks like y'all are making things up as you go along.

narf

youve touched on a couple themes we have kind of explored/discovered over the last year or so, dunning-kruger syndrome, the sky is falling--which drives me nuts in particular--beliefs actually being Absolute Truths and not beliefs, subject to change iow, and imo you hit the nail on the head, a big lot of the problem is wanting our aion to last forever i guess. And what really hurts imo is the vv that discuss the same issues? "The best cure for Christianity is reading the Bible"

how bout this forum tho? you gotta admit it is singular imo

 

[bbyrd009]

"For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing,
but to us who are being saved it is the power of God." 1 Corinthians 1:18 NKJV

Great verse there; the Cross, Biblically understood, can only offend the world and the flesh.

no offense but i bet i could Quote three Scriptures on them subjects and offend your butts off
tho, huh
like you prolly wouldnt even be able to respond right
No son of man may die for another's sins
your bargain with the grave aint happening
etc?
which i'm not saying for fun, ok

 

[bbyrd009]

The Kingdom of God is an acquired taste and only holds appeal to those who recognize their own lost condition.

word imo;
lets most believers out though i guess huh

Trying to make it popular/more marketable only serves to undermine its distinctive qualities. Popularity is a sacrifice that we expect to make.

i guess that horse left the barn long time ago too, wadr

 

[bbyrd009]

Richard Dawkins, a prominent atheist, believes that if Christians don't get back to actually believing the literal text of their own Bible, Christianity will be dead in two or three generations.

Therefore the problem is not what is happening outside of the church, but within the church itself with evolution, liberal, and humanist teaching which is undermining the authority of the Bible for the younger generations, who are deserting the churches in droves.

the dust of the earth?

gave you a like anyway :)

1. I got that from a quote by Richard Dawkins in a video of a message by Ken Ham on the Answers in Genesis set of Youtube videos. I can't direct you to the actual message or video, but if you genuinely want to know, you can go to Youtube and view the video messages about the problems resulting from the teaching of evolution in Sunday schools and Bible classes, for yourself.

2. Liberal and Humanist teaching is invading the churches. I am attending a Union church and have heard preaching that is more about improving us as people than teaching what the Bible actually says. One examine is the last message I heard from the minister concerning the Samaritan woman at the well in which he says that Jesus meant that the living water He told her about was for the healing of racism throughout the world and making us better human beings, which is liberal humanism. Every religious studies departments in our major universities and colleges, as well as many seminaries are teaching this - about the sole purpose of Jesus coming was to perfect the creation and make us more perfect people, totally ignoring the principles of the true gospel of Christ.

cant happen soon enough imo

Why do you think we see this differently?

But origin science is not true science because the scientific method of observation and experimentation cannot be used. No one was at the origin of the universe and our world to conduct any scientific observation of what actually took place, and this is an absolute requirement for anything to be scientific in nature.

ok, as long as you realize that you stating it as fact does not make it true, ok. We conduct plenty of observation on our origins, every day, mr Christensen, at least sure seems to me

 

[bbyrd009]

That's also characteristic of something else, but since it's rather insulting to Christians I'll just leave it.

ha c'mon, spit it out, anyone getting offended isnt a Christian anyway, according to the Bible

 

[farouk]

I would say that without the Holy Spirit it would be impossible to achieve a life of holiness.

Well, exactly...

 

[bbyrd009]

Well, exactly...

Ha but we just can’t figure out why the pimps and hoes are beating us in LOL

 

[Justadude]

youve touched on a couple themes we have kind of explored/discovered over the last year or so, dunning-kruger syndrome, the sky is falling--which drives me nuts in particular--beliefs actually being Absolute Truths and not beliefs, subject to change iow, and imo you hit the nail on the head, a big lot of the problem is wanting our aion to last forever i guess. And what really hurts imo is the vv that discuss the same issues? "The best cure for Christianity is reading the Bible"

It's like a conversation I had with a Jehovah's Witness, where after hearing all their rhetoric about how awful this world is and how the only life that really matters is "eternal life", I asked "Are you disappointed when you wake up every day and see that you're still alive and the world is continuing on?" The answer shocked me (it was basically "yes"). I can't imagine such a bleak existence.

how bout this forum tho? you gotta admit it is singular imo

Actually I think much of what I see here is pretty common within Christianity and certainly within Christian message boards and forums, especially those that are Christians-only.

 

[bbyrd009]

Actually I think much of what I see here is pretty common within Christianity and certainly within Christian message boards and forums, especially those that are Christians-only.

really? I find that i am able to broach subjects here that are completely forbidden elsewhere; i have been banned from more than one site just for Quoting No son of man may die for another's sins, No one has ever gone up to heaven, etc

It's like a conversation I had with a Jehovah's Witness, where after hearing all their rhetoric about how awful this world is and how the only life that really matters is "eternal life", I asked "Are you disappointed when you wake up every day and see that you're still alive and the world is continuing on?" The answer shocked me (it was basically "yes"). I can't imagine such a bleak existence.

i know, huh? My best friend as a kid was adopted by JWs, so i picked up some of their theology, and i gotta say even agreed with it; i dont do Christmas--didnt like it even as a kid!--dont celebrate my birthdays, etc, but sad to say they are the most joyless bunch imo, although SDAs in my experience ran a close second. Dunno how either cult(ivar) ever recruits a soul tbh

 

[Justadude]

really? I find that i am able to broach subjects here that are completely forbidden elsewhere; i have been banned from more than one site just for Quoting No son of man may die for another's sins, No one has ever gone up to heaven, etc

Oh. I think we were talking about different things. I thought you were referring to some of the crazy stuff that gets posted here, and whether that sort of thing was common on Christian boards.

i know, huh? My best friend as a kid was adopted by JWs, so i picked up some of their theology, and i gotta say even agreed with it; i dont do Christmas--didnt like it even as a kid!--dont celebrate my birthdays, etc, but sad to say they are the most joyless bunch imo, although SDAs in my experience ran a close second. Dunno how either cult(ivar) ever recruits a soul tbh

From what I've seen, they seem to attract people who are deeply unhappy with their lives and are therefore more likely to buy into the whole "it'll be paradise when Jesus comes back and fixes everything". I guess that gives them some sort of hope.

 

[bbyrd009]

Oh. I think we were talking about different things. I thought you were referring to some of the crazy stuff that gets posted here, and whether that sort of thing was common on Christian boards.

ha ya i guess thats not much diff huh...but then "crazy" is subjective i guess lol

From what I've seen, they seem to attract people who are deeply unhappy with their lives and are therefore more likely to buy into the whole "it'll be paradise when Jesus comes back and fixes everything". I guess that gives them some sort of hope.

imo that is even in the Bible, although i dont harp on it too much; but "believers" are likely those in the worst shape possible, as indicated by many Bible vv, What did you go out into the wilderness to see? seven worse spirits, twice the sons of hell you are, your gatherings do more harm than good, Legion, on and on. The "Good" Samaritan, understand why the tax-collectors and prostitutes are beating you into the kingdom, i could fill a page i guess. The Bible is very plain that that up there is not going to happen, too, many vv for that as well.

i mean dont get me wrong, when we find Immanuel life can be a paradise imo, but it looks nothing like what believers imagine i guess, not a religious thing at all, at least in my experience. Well, and apparently the Good Samaritan's too :)

 

[Paul Christensen]

ok, as long as you realize that you stating it as fact does not make it true, ok. We conduct plenty of observation on our origins, every day, mr Christensen, at least sure seems to me

Evidence is viewed in the present, and assumptions are made from it about the past. No one really knows how everything originated because no one has been able to go back into the past to make a direct observation. So whether a person believes in Creationism by God, or evolution through time and chance, it is still a belief system, a religion, and not a true science.

 

[bbyrd009]

Evidence is viewed in the present, and assumptions are made from it about the past. No one really knows how everything originated because no one has been able to go back into the past to make a direct observation. So whether a person believes in Creationism by God, or evolution through time and chance, it is still a belief system, a religion, and not a true science.

and if one brings no preconceived beliefs to the equation?

i think "assumptions" are decent enough beginnings...they become theories, etc?
do you know a better way to test everything, m christensen?