Protestants view New Agers as heretics and Catholics view Protestants as heretics

[Animal2692]

It's just a fact. It's not an attitude.Well, He's the only way to Salvation. If you're really a Christian, you should be elated about Him. It's pretty apparent, with your New Age comments that you don't believe in Hell. So, what reason do you have to embrace a Savior?

And whoever told you New Age would pass soon doesn't know much about it. It's been around a long time. And it is not at all compatible with Christianity.

I used to be very into it for about 14 years before I found Christ and the Bible. It was a priceless education into all that is wrong with all other belief systems and it helped me to have a keen sense of its signature characteristics any time somebody begins to speak about new, or other, belief systems. All false belief systems are somewhat grounded in a New Age-type philosophy.
You are so much like the many who come here to argue against Christianity while claiming to be Christian.

Can you tell us why you label yourself a Christian in the first place?

Do you know what the word really means? If you did, you wouldn't be saying all that you're saying about Christ.

It is futile for me to embrace Christ as my savior because Christians still condemn one another regardless of proclaiming Christ their savior or not. I personally think Christianity is about becoming more Christ-like. In a way I save myself because I come to Jesus to save me. It is my decision to be saved by Christ, therefore I am saving myself. People focus too much on the Jesus of Nazareth and not the Christ consciousness where Jesus knew he was one with the father. You'll probably consider all of what I said as New Age, but it's the only thing that makes sense to me. Strictly believing that I'm just some poor sinner who needs forgiveness actually strengthens the separation between me and Christ. It's like being in a relationship with someone who is so much more powerful than you that you just hate yourself even more. So no, I can't approach it like that, it doesn't feel right. And I don't want to reject Jesus either as if it's all about me. So instead I say it's both; I save myself by accepting Christ as my savior.

Any Christian whose not a Catholic and accuses me of heresy because of my New Age values, I gently remind them that they are also heretics in the eyes of the Catholic church because the Catholic church was the first church of Christ that also put the Bible together. Jesus gave authority to the Pope and church. For about 400 years, Christians didn't even know about a Bible. So for Protestants to go off of Sola Scriptura makes no sense. Jesus said to Peter, "You are Rock and on this rock I will build my Church." (Matthew 16: 18) Jesus gave Peter and the apostles the power and authority to carry out His work. "Whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven."(Matthew 16:19; 18:18) "Receive the Holy Spirit, whose sins you forgive, they are forgiven, whose sins you retain, they are retained."(John 20:23)

Tell me how much has hell been used throughout history to control people by making them fearful? The God in the Old Testament is worse than any tyrant with the amount of people he's killed. God commended Lot for offering his daughters to be raped by an angry crowd in Sodom. Christians will accuse me here of taking verses out of context when yet they do the same thing. We have all of these denominations because people took what they like out of the Bible.

Why do many of the hard-core Christians I run into live in so much fear? There's a condition called RTS (religious trauma syndrome) where people will suffer from panic attacks in fear of going to hell, being punished by God, etc. You said Hell is a fact, not an attitude. According to what, the Bible right? The same Bible that claims about itself that it's the word of God. The same Bible also says Noah is 600 years old in Genesis 7:6 which is impossible for humans. And every species of animal would also be impossible to fit on a boat given what we know about the animal kingdom today. I think hell is living an unfulfilled life, nothing is worse than being unfulfilled in this life since this life is the only life we got, the only life that is.

 

[GEN2REV]

It is futile for me to embrace Christ as my savior because Christians still condemn one another regardless of proclaiming Christ their savior or not. I personally think Christianity is about becoming more Christ-like. In a way I save myself because I come to Jesus to save me. It is my decision to be saved by Christ, therefore I am saving myself. People focus too much on the Jesus of Nazareth and not the Christ consciousness where Jesus knew he was one with the father. You'll probably consider all of what I said as New Age, but it's the only thing that makes sense to me. Strictly believing that I'm just some poor sinner who needs forgiveness actually strengthens the separation between me and Christ. It's like being in a relationship with someone who is so much more powerful than you that you just hate yourself even more. So no, I can't approach it like that, it doesn't feel right. And I don't want to reject Jesus either as if it's all about me. So instead I say it's both; I save myself by accepting Christ as my savior.

Any Christian whose not a Catholic and accuses me of heresy because of my New Age values, I gently remind them that they are also heretics in the eyes of the Catholic church because the Catholic church was the first church of Christ that also put the Bible together. Jesus gave authority to the Pope and church.

Tell me how much has hell been used throughout history to control people by making them fearful? The God in the Old Testament is worse than any tyrant. Why do many of the hard-core Christians I run into live in so much fear? There's a condition called RTS (religious trauma syndrome) where people will suffer from panic attacks in fear of going to hell, being punished by God, etc.

You said Hell is a fact, not an attitude. According to what, the Bible right? The same Bible that claims about itself that it's the word of God. The same Bible also says Noah is 600 years old in Genesis 7:6 which is impossible for humans. And every species of animal would also be impossible to fit on a boat given what we know about the animal kingdom today. I think hell is living an unfulfilled life, nothing is worse than being unfulfilled in this life since this life is the only life we got, the only life that is.

Sounds like you've got it all figured out. What do you need a Savior for?

You won't get any of that nonsense Hollywood-Christian sympathy from me. I don't think of you as a poor sinner that needs forgiveness. God ... hates ... sinners.

If God doesn't choose to call you to His Son, the only reward you'll ever have in this fallen world is a sinful life filled with endless chasing after the wind.

It's obvious that most of what you think you know about Christianity you have learned from Hollywood and mainstream modern christian nonsense; or from the New Age movement's typical campaign against all things Christianity.

It makes no difference whatsoever that there are fake christians out there, there are frauds of every kind, even in the New Age movement; heck, they created it.

All that matters for a Christian is their relationship to God and their diligent daily study of His Word. No other individual in all the world, especially not in any mainstream capacity, matters in the least when it comes to True Salvation.

If you're the kinda person that can't let go of an attitude of "The Bible is just circular reasoning", you have absolutely zero desire for God, or to know anything about Him at all so ..... what is the point?

Why are you here?

Hoping someone will beg you to believe or get saved, or to try and reason somebody out of their faith? What is the bottom line?

 

[Animal2692]

Sounds like you've got it all figured out. What do you need a Savior for?

You won't get any of that nonsense Hollywood-Christian sympathy from me. I don't think of you as a poor sinner that needs forgiveness. God ... hates ... sinners.

If God doesn't choose to call you to His Son, the only reward you'll ever have in this fallen world is a sinful life filled with endless chasing after the wind.

It's obvious that most of what you think you know about Christianity you have learned from Hollywood and mainstream modern christian nonsense; or from the New Age movement's typical campaign against all things Christianity.

It makes no difference whatsoever that there are fake christians out there, there are frauds of every kind, even in the New Age movement; heck, they created it.

All that matters for a Christian is their relationship to God and their diligent daily study of His Word. No other individual in all the world, especially not in any mainstream capacity, matters in the least when it comes to True Salvation.

If you're the kinda person that can't let go of an attitude of "The Bible is just circular reasoning", you have absolutely zero desire for God, or to know anything about Him at all so ..... what is the point?

Why are you here?

Hoping someone will beg you to believe or get saved, or to try and reason somebody out of their faith? What is the bottom line?

By saying, "If you're the kinda person that can't let go of an attitude of "The Bible is just circular reasoning", you have absolutely zero desire for God, or to know anything about Him at all so ..... what is the point?" You're indirectly it is circular reasoning at least without providing any valid reasons as to why it's not circular reasoning. Christians existed before the Bible for about 400 years. The Protestants came along with the idea of 'Sola scriptura' 1500 years later. There was no Bible to go off man.

You said God hates sinners, but God is also regarded as being love. That's a contradiction. Isaiah 45:7 says, “I form the light and create darkness: I make peace and create evil: I the Lord do all these things.” Evil also sprung from God with the creation of Lucifer. He literally created the devil.

You asked me what the bottom line is. The bottom line is that there's something very wrong within Christianity. Not only am I a heretic, but Christians who accuse me of being one are also accused of being heretics. They can't even get on the same page and you wonder why I'm not on the same page with any of them. And no, I don't want anyone to beg me to believe or to talk anyone out of their faith. I am sharing my experience here to see who can relate.

I have read the Bible and disagree with many things in it. Many athiests actually grew up in Christian households and got sent off to Bible school which blows my mind when believers say that athiests are clueless. There's also ex pastors who have studied the word daily, just like you've said, "All that matters for a Christian is their relationship to God and their diligent daily study of His Word"


Jesus said in Luke 16:8
And the lord commended the unjust steward, because he had done wisely: for the children of this world are in their generation wiser than the children of light.

 

[Jane_Doe22]

By saying, "If you're the kinda person that can't let go of an attitude of "The Bible is just circular reasoning", you have absolutely zero desire for God, or to know anything about Him at all so ..... what is the point?" You're admitting it is circular reasoning at least. Christians existed before the Bible for about 400 years. The Protestants came along with the idea of 'Sola scriptura' 1500 years later. There was no Bible to go off man.

You said God hates sinners, but God is also regarded as being love. That's a contradiction. Isaiah 45:7 says, “I form the light and create darkness: I make peace and create evil: I the Lord do all these things.” Evil also sprung from God with the creation of Lucifer. He literally created the devil.

You asked me what the bottom line is. The bottom line is that there's something very wrong within Christianity. Not only am I a heretic, but Christians who accuse me of being one are also accused of being heretics. They can't even get on the same page and you wonder why I'm not on the same page with any of them.

I have read the Bible and disagree with many things in it. Many athiests actually grew up in Christian households and got sent off to Bible school which blows my mind when believers say that athiests are clueless. There's also ex pastors who have studied the word daily, just like you've said, "All that matters for a Christian is their relationship to God and their diligent daily study of His Word"

I’m not quite sure what you’re trying to accomplish here other than to vent some hurt.

I’m totally willing to admit that
1) yes everyone is viewed as a heretic by someone else. So what?
2) yes the circular reasoning thing is dumb. I’m a Christian whom rejects it and find that many likewise reject it.

 

[Animal2692]

I’m not quite sure what you’re trying to accomplish here other than to vent some hurt.

I’m totally willing to admit that
1) yes everyone is viewed as a heretic by someone else. So what?
2) yes the circular reasoning thing is dumb. I’m a Christian whom rejects it and find that many likewise reject it.

Just frustrated because I just came to the bitter truth for the first time these past few days that everyone is a heretic to someone else. It all started with looking into Catholicism after me and a Catholic friend were debating a Protestant. I didn't even know the other guy is Protestant or what I was arguing against, but he told me my arguments were more anti protestant than anti Christian since I brought up the circular reasoning argument. He used to be athiest/agnostic and he said before he became a Chrsitian he ran into many Protestant claims which prompted him to seek the 'real Church'.

I grew up Orthodox but was too young to care to know what it was all about by the way. So with him being Catholic, I also learned what Orthodox was all about at the same time.

 

[Jane_Doe22]

Just frustrated because I just came to the bitter truth for the first time these past few days that everyone is a heretic to someone else. It all started with looking into Catholicism after me and a Catholic friend were debating a Protestant. I didn't even know the other guy is Protestant or what I was arguing against, but he told me my arguments were more anti protestant than anti Christian since I brought up the circular reasoning argument. He used to be athiest/agnostic and he said before he became a Chrsitian he ran into many Protestant claims which prompted him to seek the 'real Church'.

I grew up Orthodox but was too young to care to know what it was all about by the way. So with him being Catholic, I also learned what Orthodox was all about at the same time.

I get you being frustrated. I grew up very aware of religious differences and that everyone was called a heretic by someone else, so my journey is very different than yours in that regard.

 

[Animal2692]

I get you being frustrated. I grew up very aware of religious differences and that everyone was called a heretic by someone else, so my journey is very different than yours in that regard.

Has it ever bothered you how certain denominations within Christianity will claim that they have the correct interpretation, truth, etc. and all the rest are wrong? And on a bigger scale how every religion claims that -it- knows the truth and the rest are wrong? Yes, I get that Jesus was the only one who died and resurrected. And Buddha was the first to become enlightened. And no other religion has Muhammad as its prophet like Islam. My point is, each one is unique in its own right, no doubt. It really seems like on the surface they all have nothing in common but going deeper...every religion is there to give life some sort of meaning or fulfillment.

So with all of that in mind, what's the point in identifying with any religion? I'm not here to debate the existence of God, I'm here to ask that in the midst of everyone claiming they're the correct denomination or religion, whose right? What if the only true religion is no religion?

It's just hard for me to bring myself to any decisive choice. Every religion has some value, every religion has its crazies. I'm not fully for or against anyone. I just don't see how someone like me can identify with anything. I want to but the menu is too big and everything on the menu is claiming it's the way to go

 

[Jane_Doe22]

Has it ever bothered you how certain denominations within Christianity will claim that they have the correct interpretation, truth, etc. and all the rest are wrong? And on a bigger scale how every religion claims that -it- knows the truth and the rest are wrong? Yes, I get that Jesus was the only one who died and resurrected. And Buddha was the first to become enlightened. And no other religion has Muhammad as its prophet like Islam. My point is, each one is unique in its own right, no doubt. It really seems like on the surface they all have nothing in common but going deeper...every religion is there to give life some sort of meaning or fulfillment.

So with all of that in mind, what's the point in identifying with any religion? I'm not here to debate the existence of God, I'm here to ask that in the midst of everyone claiming they're the correct denomination or religion, whose right? What if the only true religion is no religion?

It's just hard for me to bring myself to any decisive choice. Every religion has some value, every religion has its crazies. I'm not fully for or against anyone. I just don't see how someone like me can identify with anything. I want to but the menu is too big and everything on the menu is claiming it's the way to go

It doesn’t bother me at all. Other people do their thing. But I should still look for Truth. It’s too important to be lazy on.

 

[Mantis]

Maybe it feels like everything opposes Christianity because Christians consider themselves to know the truth, essentially separating themselves from those who do not believe the same. Whenever you say, "I know the truth", that just leads to more bigotry. I don't even have to bring up examples of external sources that oppose Christianity; Christians themselves condemn one another of heresy among eachother. The Catholics think they have the truth while the Protestants think that they do.

Well I don't think many of us have it right. Some things like the "pre trip rapture" are so ambiguous that they very well could be correct and could be very well incorrect. But there is not enough definitive proof to take a stand on the pre trip rapture in my opinion.
So the reason I am a Christian is because Jesus revealed himself to me. So I know he is real. So what did I do after I met Jesus? I bought a bible. And what I thought was poorly written book just came alive. Christianity is truth as far a s I can tell. Now new Age is attractive don't get me wrong. The reason it attracts people is because it focuses on getting your earthly desires. And trust me when you open your third eye you play with demons. It is easy to do. They attach themselves to you. They move in and use your body and you don't even know it. All you know is your life is falling apart. This is a spiritual battleground and Jesus' way is not easy but it is worth it. The easy way is the way of the world. The wide path.

 

[Animal2692]

I think New Age gets a bad rap like anything else. Yes, when you start talking about "manifesting your earthly desires" or "opening your third eye", even I think that's bs. Spirituality is a loaded word just like 'God' is. People will attach crystals, horns, wings, and all sorts of stuff to those words.

My basic understanding in the very end is that I ultimately believe in God because I believe in myself. God or Christ are not somewhere else outside of me, but in me, as me, my truest and deepest self. The three things that I resonate with the most from New Age and Christianity are:

-Christ consciousness
-The Kingdom of heaven is within you
-I and the father are one

When someone asks me how can I consider myself to be God when God created everything? And the answer to that is the light of my consciousness. I only know what I know because I am alive at the end of the day. This aliveness is eternal, it's impossible to have the experience of no experience. I don't know what I really am as far as a word goes, but I know that I am. Without this subjective awareness, I can't know the Bible, I can't know about Jesus, I can't know about these forums. The only reason I know any of you is because I am. I didn't create any of you as a person, but as consciousness.

I don't believe in good or bad because in every good there's some bad and in every bad there's some good. Two sides of the same coin. One person's good is another's bad. There are no absolutes

I remember I've asked Christians, if a Christian murders someone who doesn't follow Jesus, whose going to hell? And their reply was the victim, not the murderer. It just doesn't compute

 

[GEN2REV]

I think New Age gets a bad rap ... This aliveness is eternal, it's impossible to have the experience of no experience.

The irony of all this drivel that you keep spewing is that your whole allegation toward Christianity is completely hypocritical. You say we can't know anything about Christianity, or the Bible, without having read it in the Bible; and thus believing it is circular reasoning. Well, guess what genius, you're doing the exact same thing.

Every bit of the New Age nonsense, that you are professing is truth, you read about in a book. And none of it is new. The very name itself is a misnomer. New Age has been around for at least a century at this point and it catches many, many people in its net as it goes. As I said, I was one of them for 14 years and I learned every single thing about it.

A lot of the doctrine you are spewing is identical to Buddhism/Hinduism. It's all Eastern Mysticism, with some Gnosticism sprinkled in here and there, etc. Light years from Christianity.

I don't believe in good or bad because in every good there's some bad and in every bad there's some good. Two sides of the same coin. One person's good is another's bad. There are no absolutes.

Yeah, that's all basic fundamental New Age nonsense you hear every single New-Ager spouting as if its deep, deep wisdom "From the Universe" so on and so forth.

I remember I've asked Christians, if a Christian murders someone who doesn't follow Jesus, whose going to hell? And their reply was the victim, not the murderer. It just doesn't compute.

I'm willing to bet an obscene amount of money that is absolute horse $4!7 you just now made up off the top of your head; and it wasn't even very creative.

That's your repeating pattern here: Painting scenarios of Christians as complete idiots in as many ways as possible. Pretending to be intellectually considering Christianity, but simply insulting, and belittling, Christianity.

You're literally saying ... nothing, ... but showing yourself to be very ignorant and opinionated against Christians and Christianity.

Ok. Got anything original for us?

 

[Animal2692]

The irony of all this drivel that you keep spewing is that your whole allegation toward Christianity is completely hypocritical. You say we can't know anything about Christianity, or the Bible, without having read it in the Bible; and thus believing it is circular reasoning. Well, guess what genius, you're doing the exact same thing.

Every bit of the New Age nonsense, that you are professing is truth, you read about in a book. And none of it is new. The very name itself is a misnomer. New Age has been around for at least a century at this point and it catches many, many people in its net as it goes. As I said, I was one of them for 14 years and I learned every single thing about it.

A lot of the doctrine you are spewing is identical to Buddhism/Hinduism. It's all Eastern Mysticism, with some Gnosticism sprinkled in here and there, etc. Light years from Christianity.Yeah, that's all basic fundamental New Age nonsense you hear every single New-Ager spouting as if its deep, deep wisdom "From the Universe" so on and so forth.I'm willing to bet an obscene amount of money that is absolute horse $4!7 you just now made up off the top of your head; and it wasn't even very creative.

That's your repeating pattern here: Painting scenarios of Christians as complete idiots in as many ways as possible. Pretending to be intellectually considering Christianity, but simply insulting, and belittling, Christianity.

You're literally saying ... nothing, ... but showing yourself to be very ignorant and opinionated against Christians and Christianity.

Ok. Got anything original for us?

Your argument is equally valid as mine, the difference is that I don't claim to pass off anything I say as absolute truth am merely sharing a point of view. Christians on the other hand, not so much. You will never hear say a Christian say, "I don't know anything at the end of the day." Because to them, they actually believe that they have the absolute truth. You say I bash Christianity but you bash New Age as nonsense. Are you not projecting your own hypocrisy onto me here?

We both read something in a book, you are 100% right. The difference between you and me however is that I consider whatever I read as A truth, not THE truth, just like the Bible. You however, take the Bible as the word of God. I think it's fashionable for Christians to take the Bible as the word of God even more so just because it's so far the world's most popular religion and because it's been around for a very long time despite all the criticisms of it. There is some validity to that, sure. But even that alone is not enough for me to fully consider it THE truth of all truths. I base my circular reasoning off of pure experience, not faith or belief. For example, I say that I am. I know that I am because I just am. Is it circular? Yes. Is it something that has to be read or taught? No. It's experiential. I am here right now as I am. No books needed, no calculations, nothing.

And all the New Agey things I just mentioned are actually valid experientially to ME. I don't just parrot those things, I feel them as truthful. For example, I'm always able to find the bad in every good and vice versa. I DO actually exist and because I exist is why I can know anything.

To me every religion truly has value and they all achieve the same thing, just the path is different. I don't care if you call it enlightenment or eternal life, both give some type of meaning to life/fulfillment.

And you can doubt whatever debates I had with Christians all you want if that makes you feel better, they said what they said whether you consider them Christian or not.

 

[Jane_Doe22]

Your argument is equally valid as mine, the difference is that I don't claim to pass off anything I say as absolute truth. I am merely sharing a point of view. Christians on the other hand, not so much. You will never hear say a Christian say, "I don't know anything at the end of the day." Because to them, they actually believe that they have the absolute truth.

We both read something in a book, you are 100% right. The difference between you and me however is that I consider whatever I read as A truth, not THE truth, just like the Bible. You however, take the Bible as the word of God. I think it's fashionable for Christians to take the Bible as the word of God even more so just because it's so far the world's most popular religion and because it's been around for a very long time despite all the criticisms of it. There is some validity to that, sure. But even that alone is not enough for me to fully consider it THE truth of all truths.

And all the New Agey things I just mentioned are actually valid experientially to ME. I don't just parrot those things, I feel them as truthful. For example, I'm always able to find the bad in every good and vice versa. I DO actually exist and because I exist is why I can know anything.

To me every religion truly has value and they all achieve the same thing, just the path is different. I don't care if you call it enlightenment or eternal life, both give some type of meaning to life/fulfillment.

And you can doubt whatever debates I had with Christians all you want if that makes you feel better, they said what they said whether you consider them Christian or not.

Please don't generalize "Christians". There are a lot of different persons / perspectives under that wide umbrella. Stereotyping benefits no one.

 

[Animal2692]

Please don't generalize "Christians". There are a lot of different persons / perspectives under that wide umbrella. Stereotyping benefits no one.

It's funny that I get called out for generalizing Christians or belittling them when they do the same to me. I get told I'm lost and that I'm a Godless heretic, etc. Etc. (Some guy Mantis here said New Age is all BS.) They look down on me because they think they're saved and I'm not. I don't look down or up to anyone because I don't have an absolute truth or any authority in my life. I am without a center. I'm just here and that's it, I don't know anything really. I may learn things about things but in the end...I know NOTHING.

My in laws for example are deeply Christian. My mother in law thinks her husband will be going to hell, that's all she ever repeats. How sad is that? I'm sorry but to me Christianity is perfect narcissim whether you think it's insulting or not. I can't think without risking to insult anyone, that's just the nature of life.

I have met Christians who aren't narcissists and the only ones who aren't are the ones who don't claim that the Bible is the word of God. Anytime some thinks they have the absolute truth, becomes a narcissistic bigot.

None of us came into this world knowing anything about the Bible, Jesus, or God. Everything that we know has been taught and imported from outside. That is a fact just as much as GEN2REV likes to claim about hell with regards to not accepting Jesus.

 

[Jane_Doe22]

It's funny that I get called out for generalizing Christians or belittling them when they do the same to me. I get told I'm lost and that I'm a Godless heretic, etc. Etc. They look down on me because they think they're saved and I'm not. I don't look down or up to anyone because I don't have an absolute truth or any authority in my life. I am without a center. I'm just here and that's it, I don't know anything really. I may learn things about things but in the end...I know NOTHING.

My in laws for example are deeply Christian. My mother in law thinks her husband will be going to hell, that's all she ever repeats. How sad is that? I'm sorry but to me Christianity is perfect narcissim whether you think it's insulting or not. I can't think without risking to insult anyone, that's just the nature of life.

Two wrongs don't make a right.

If you just want to be just stereotype "Christian=narcissist", you can choose to do that. I totally acknowledge that some Christian persons are narcissists (and a bunch of other strong words I could use). But not all. For example I'm a Christian and do not flame you or any other person-- you have there right to believe as you do and I respect that (even in those cases I passionately disagree with someone's beliefs). Frankly, I don't care what you think. But stereotyping is going to be a self-fulfilling prophecy to make "Christian=narcissist" in your eyes.

 

[Animal2692]

Two wrongs don't make a right.

If you just want to be just stereotype "Christian=narcissist", you can choose to do that. I totally acknowledge that some Christian persons are narcissists (and a bunch of other strong words I could use). But not all. For example I'm a Christian and do not flame you or any other person-- you have there right to believe as you do and I respect that (even in those cases I passionately disagree with someone's beliefs). Frankly, I don't care what you think. But stereotyping is going to be a self-fulfilling prophecy to make "Christian=narcissist" in your eyes.

None of us can help to not stereotype. I totally get what you're saying. There's truth to stereotypes but they're not aabsolute. I guess it's just how the words come out, I can't type up the perfect response free of errors or bias, no human being can.

I have met Christians who aren't narcissists and those are the ones who don't claim the Bible is the word of God or look at everyone else as going to hell for not following Jesus. Mind you, other Christiains wouldn't consider those to be Christians. So who knows??

I just cannot wrap my mind around how anyone can believe that everyone else who doesn't believe what they do, would be going to hell. No matter how much you try to respect those people, there's always going to be an 'ehh' attitude about them. I would not like walking around feeling sorry for anybody. That's just twisted

 

[Jane_Doe22]

None of us can help to not stereotype. I totally get what you're saying. There's truth to stereotypes but they're not aabsolute. I guess it's just how the words come out, I can't type up the perfect response free of errors or bias, no human being can.

I have met Christians who aren't narcissists and those are the ones who don't claim the Bible is the word of God or look at everyone else as going to hell for not following Jesus. Mind you, other Christiains wouldn't consider those to be Christians. So who knows??

I just cannot wrap my mind around how anyone can believe that everyone else who doesn't believe what they do, would be going to hell. No matter how much you try to respect those people, there's always going to be an 'ehh' attitude about them. I would not like walking around feeling sorry for anybody. That's just twisted

Well is there anything I can do/say for you?

 

[Animal2692]

Well is there anything I can do/say for you?

I guess not, my point is just that anytime anyone claims they have the absolute truth, they separate themselves from everyone else who doesn't see it the same. It gives them a sense of feeling special. Christians commonly say that Chrisitanity is the absolute truth but it doesn't stop there because there's certain types of Christians who claim they have the absolute truth over other types of Christians.

Even New Age isn't the absolute truth. I commonly say that the absolute truth is that there's none. I get we as humans want to have the answer to everything, we want to know. The truth is, it's impossible for us to know the absolute truth, we have finite minds. And I think this desire to intellectually know the absolute truth or to somehow capture it, is a cope to deal with the uncomfortable reality that we don't know anything at all.

You can't truly be free so long as you hold onto something at the end of the day. This means that even what I just said has to be let go of. I am not separate from life, I am life itself. We can get answers to relative questions such as what is 2+2 but I think that when we try to seek an answer to what life is, what it's all about, those are all the wrong questions to ask. Because an absolute answer to what life is, what we are here for, destroys life.

 

[Jane_Doe22]

I guess not, my point is just that anytime anyone claims they have the absolute truth, they separate themselves from everyone else who doesn't see it the same. It gives them a sense of feeling special. Christians commonly say that Chrisitanity is the absolute truth but it doesn't stop there because there's certain types of Christians who claim they have the absolute truth over other types of Christians.

Even New Age isn't the absolute truth. I commonly say that the absolute truth is that there's none. I get we as humans want to have the answer to everything, we want to know. The truth is, it's impossible for us to know the absolute truth, we have finite minds. And I think this desire to intellectually know the absolute truth or to somehow capture it, is a cope to deal with the uncomfortable reality that we don't know anything at all.

You can't truly be free so long as you hold onto something at the end of the day. This means that even what I just said has to be let go of. I am not separate from life, I am life itself. We can get answers to relative questions such as what is 2+2 but I think that when we try to seek an answer to what life is, what it's all about, those are all the wrong questions to ask. Because an absolute answer to what life is, what we are here for, destroys life.

Well have a nice day then

 

[Animal2692]

Well have a nice day then

I forgot to leave this last part. I had a debate with a Christian family member last. He's Protestant baptist and I pointed out to him that the Catholics consider him as a heretic. He said the denomination doesn't matter. So then I told him ok then if denomination doesn't matter then the Mormons are equally just as Christian. Right away he stops me. That's when I said, "Wait a minute, I thought denomination doesn't matter." And then I just get a long response taking me down all these rabbit holes. If someone has to make that long of a response, I think they're just trying to convince themselves at that point.

But anyways, you have a good day as well. I could sense a breath of fresh air talking to you to some extent. I don't really run into that often