Religion Has Always Been the Dividing Factor Among People.

[Heart2Soul]

You can start from the beginning with Adam and Eve. For this thread, let's equate religion with relationship to God/Truth. Satan became determined to destroy God's creation the moment it began by tempting Adam and Eve.

From there is where the curse of sin and death was born, so to speak. As the earth began to populate, evil had made its devastating impact on God's people. Causing sins of the flesh to escalate into astronomical proportions. Witchcraft became popular and used instead of being guided by God's Spirit and Wisdom. This is the great divide between those who chose to obey and worship God and those who chose pagan God's to worship.

In time things became so evil that God decided to flood the world and save only Noah's family and anyone who wanted to enter the ark.

So the children of God got a reset and once again that same evil spirit began to rise up and cause division again. After God caused everyone in Babylon to speak different languages then people began to separate and disperse in different parts of the world.

Fast forward to God's plan of redemption where Jesus would be the ultimate blood sacrifice for sin, He had to choose a people that would become the lineage that Christ would come from.

After Jesus came on the scene, religious leaders from all around denied Him and sought to destroy Him and His teachings because they said it was blasphemy.

Then in Acts, on the day of Pentecost, God baptized everyone with the Holy Spirit and this was the beginning of the Church that God started. However, there were those who converted but chose to start their own church. The Roman Catholic Church, which the Romans who now ruled over Jerusalem, allowed to be established. Yet God's church continued to suffer persecution.

To Be Continued;

 

[quietthinker]

Religion Has Always Been the Dividing Factor Among People.​

Religion preaches at you. 'I know this and you have to know it too' approach. It's intolerable because it violates every sense of meaningful relationship.

 

[Heart2Soul]

Religion Has Always Been the Dividing Factor Among People.​

Religion preaches at you. 'I know this and you have to know it too' approach. It's intolerable because it violates every sense of meaningful relationship.

Indeed and it promotes self righteousness instead of humility.

 

[Kayla McCanny]

God came to divide. Divide right from wrong. A church unseen if divided can not stand. The church isn't a building. It's us temples of the holy spirit, but there is no in between so he calls to divide. Good vs bad until his wife is pure and blameless

 

[amigo de christo]

Religion Has Always Been the Dividing Factor Among People.​

Religion preaches at you. 'I know this and you have to know it too' approach. It's intolerable because it violates every sense of meaningful relationship.

you just accused GOD , the prophets , CHRIST , the apotels .
Hello they reminded always what we ought to do , what we ought not to do
what we should BELIEVE and what we should NOT beleive and do .
Try again quiet thinker .
CAUSE GOD did come , CHRIST did come to divide
to divide what is wicked from what is good
He purges His own as well . To remind people not to sin , IS NOT wrong .
TO beleive one can attain his righteousness by his own works , WELL that IS SIN .
cause none can be justified before GOD by his own effort . BY FAITH .
BY FAITH IN HE WHOM GOD DID SEND is how a man is justifed and made the righteousness of GOD in CHRIST .
But to correct , to rebuke , to warn , to teach and to inst ruct the church , YEAH that is dire necessary .
SEEING it IS OF GOD who works among the church to keep HIS own people sa fe and from stumbling .
And if one d oes e rr the others ought to correct and to restore such a one . DONT just leave them
stumbling in sin and error . THAT AINT LOVE , NOT the LOVE OF GOD ANWAY .
only the devil would teach the church to not correct their own .
IT is written HE who hates his brother is a murderer .
IT is written Ye shall not hate your neighbor in your heart , you SHALL CORRECT HIM and NOT ALLOW sin upon Him .
So , lets get busy learning the bible for a change and lets not his this wayward non correcting generation
WHICH Only corrects those who do the biblical pattern for correction . Enough with th is wayward love
TIME for the AGAPE LOVE OF GOD which does always WHAT IS BEST for the people .
THAT BIG TIME includes correction as well .

 

[Heart2Soul]

Let this topic be debated peacefully. It tarnishes the intent of the meaning that is trying to be shown.

 

[Heart2Soul]

Part 2:
In reading the Old and New Testament there is one factor that stays constant throughout. Self-righteousness...aka Self-importance....aka Self-promoted.
I could go on but at the beginning of all of them would be "self". The story of Cain and Abel resulted in Cain murdering Abel because God favored Abel's offering over his. This is an example of self-importance. Cain was the firstborn of Humanity, the first to commit murder, first to be banned from his tribe....and the first to exhibit jealousy. Jealousy is the product of being self-righteous.
Now I will stop here and ask for input please.

 

[Button]

I agree. Religion divides people.

Are we surprised?
Every practice claims the power within all creation loves them best. Or,solely.

And every other practice and people practicing,are wrong.

Christians claim our God is found in nd confined to a book,when he speaks to us.

There are faithful members in our community who will insist,if God answers your prayer,or speaks to you,and he hasn't first said something similar in the Bible,don't believe it.

So much for the Sovereign Dominion and immensity of God.
Be has to confine himself to what mortals
determined was canon,first.

Religion will always divide.
We try to insist we know how to define and contain eternal power.

It's egocentrism and pride. All religion is.

As if God,and all that means,which is way beyond our comprehension, needed to establish rules for his,as if power has gender, worship. Because it is all important to God that we do that. And get it right so to please God.

Phew! We got some kinda nerve in our sense of self importance,don't we? As religious people anywhere at all.

And in our case,as Christians,we then say our portrayal of God as contained by our idea of God,that we say God told us was true of himself, is to include him being a God of peace.

When,after,our history of portraying our God's ideal of himself and his teachings,isn't that.

No religion has a history of peace.

Why?
People.

What egos.
We own God.

And we can prove it.
Don't think so?
We'll kill you. Then,well convert those who live.

See?

God,of peace.

People.
Ahhhhhhh! We're funny.

 

[JustMe]

From Biblical and theological perspectives highlight this danger of fostering and nurturing self-righteousness and believing in an attained moral high-ground over others in religion(s). The Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 7:1–5) warns against judging others while ignoring one’s own flaws, illustrating how self-righteousness blinds individuals to their own sin. The parable of the Pharisee and the tax collector (Luke 18:9–14) exemplifies this: the Pharisee boasts of his righteousness, while the humble tax collector seeks mercy.

 

[Heart2Soul]

From Biblical and theological perspectives highlight this danger of fostering and nurturing self-righteousness and believing in an attained moral high-ground over others in religion(s). The Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 7:1–5) warns against judging others while ignoring one’s own flaws, illustrating how self-righteousness blinds individuals to their own sin. The parable of the Pharisee and the tax collector (Luke 18:9–14) exemplifies this: the Pharisee boasts of his righteousness, while the humble tax collector seeks mercy.

This is basically the center of what this thread is about.
I have stood firm on what I believe relating to scriptures teaching. The basics I learned from Sunday School teachers. My main beliefs come from studying the Word with the Holy Spirits help. I don't claim a denominational belief. I claim the Truth in Word as my doctrine. This took place in my early 20's when I broke away from the AoG and stayed clear of any indoctrination of denomination instead of Truth in His Word.
Religions have become an entity of self-righteous people who are blind to their own hypocrisy and how it divides the whole body of Christ.

 

[JustMe]

This is basically the center of what this thread is about.
I have stood firm on what I believe relating to scriptures teaching. The basics I learned from Sunday School teachers. My main beliefs come from studying the Word with the Holy Spirits help. I don't claim a denominational belief. I claim the Truth in Word as my doctrine. This took place in my early 20's when I broke away from the AoG and stayed clear of any indoctrination of denomination instead of Truth in His Word.
Religions have become an entity of self-righteous people who are blind to their own hypocrisy and how it divides the whole body of Christ.

I have a very similar view of religions. Thanks H2S, and bless you for your post and the thread itself. It is a topic for nearly all to self-examine.

 

[David in NJ]

You can start from the beginning with Adam and Eve. For this thread, let's equate religion with relationship to God/Truth. Satan became determined to destroy God's creation the moment it began by tempting Adam and Eve.

From there is where the curse of sin and death was born, so to speak. As the earth began to populate, evil had made its devastating impact on God's people. Causing sins of the flesh to escalate into astronomical proportions. Witchcraft became popular and used instead of being guided by God's Spirit and Wisdom. This is the great divide between those who chose to obey and worship God and those who chose pagan God's to worship.

In time things became so evil that God decided to flood the world and save only Noah's family and anyone who wanted to enter the ark.

So the children of God got a reset and once again that same evil spirit began to rise up and cause division again. After God caused everyone in Babylon to speak different languages then people began to separate and disperse in different parts of the world.

Fast forward to God's plan of redemption where Jesus would be the ultimate blood sacrifice for sin, He had to choose a people that would become the lineage that Christ would come from.

After Jesus came on the scene, religious leaders from all around denied Him and sought to destroy Him and His teachings because they said it was blasphemy.

Then in Acts, on the day of Pentecost, God baptized everyone with the Holy Spirit and this was the beginning of the Church that God started. However, there were those who converted but chose to start their own church. The Roman Catholic Church, which the Romans who now ruled over Jerusalem, allowed to be established. Yet God's church continued to suffer persecution.

To Be Continued;

TODAY's master-piece of DIVISION = 'masters of divinity' and 'doctorate of divinity'

 

[shepherdsword]

In a certain sense we are called to divide, the precious from the vile, good from evil, the righteous from the wicked and the truth from lies. Holiness is a polarizing trait. It will attract some and repel others. So there is a good form of division. However, division becomes an issue when it divides things that should be in unity, brother and brother, husband and wife and church body against church body.

 

[bdavidc]

There is such a thing as self-righteousness. Jesus had no patience with it. “The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself… But he that cleansed himself? went away justified before God” as opposed to “the publican that cried unto God” ~Luke 18:9–14. The Bible is crystal clear on that point.

But the Bible never says truth that is rooted in God’s Word causes division. Sin does. Light causes division because darkness violently opposes it. “This is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light” ~John 3:19. God’s Word does not create hypocrites. It reveals them. “The word of God is quick, and powerful… and judges the thoughts and intents of the heart” ~Hebrews 4:12.

A relationship with God is not opposed to sound doctrine. True relationship is the result of obedience. When Jesus said If ye love me, follow me, He didn’t say follow your feelings. He said, “If ye love me, keep my commandments” ~John 14:15. Intimacy with Christ can never be pulled away from truth. If you try to do so, you’re redefining both.

Personal experience will never take precedence over what God has already revealed. God does not negate Himself. “To the law and to the testimony: if they speak not according to this word, it is because there is no light in them” ~Isaiah 8:20. That is humility. That is laying aside our ownwisdom.

Scripture based correction is not self-righteousness. It is love in action. Open rebuke is better than secret love ~Prov. 27:5. Scripture even says that God gave us His Word for the purpose of doctrine, reproof, correction and training in righteousness ~2 Timothy 3:16.

Truth will always divide the sheep from the goats. Jesus told us it would. But the dividing line is not religion versus relationship. The dividing line is humility versus pride. Will we humble ourselves under what God has said or rise up against it?

 

[soberxp]

Part 2:
In reading the Old and New Testament there is one factor that stays constant throughout. Self-righteousness...aka Self-importance....aka Self-promoted.
I could go on but at the beginning of all of them would be "self". The story of Cain and Abel resulted in Cain murdering Abel because God favored Abel's offering over his. This is an example of self-importance. Cain was the firstborn of Humanity, the first to commit murder, first to be banned from his tribe....and the first to exhibit jealousy. Jealousy is the product of being self-righteous.
Now I will stop here and ask for input please.

Why God favored Abel's offering over Cain?
The question has come to my mind long time ago,
I didn't find a good answer about it by others,
Until I realize that put God first with all your heart mind and soul.
Abel was put God first to do something.
Cain put himself first to do something.

If you put yourself on the first, you maybe exhibit jealousy. Or Even commit murder.

 

[David in NJ]

Why God favored Abel's offering over Cain?
The question has come to my mind long time ago,
I didn't find a good answer about it by others,
Until I realize that put God first with all your heart mind and soul.
Abel was put God first to do something.
Cain put himself first to do something.

If you put yourself on the first, you maybe exhibit jealousy. Or Even commit murder.

Cain was putting God first also.
Therefore, the Answer from God which you seek is only Found in His Word = Genesis chapters 1 thru 4

 

[Wrangler]

Religion Has Always Been the Dividing Factor Among People.​

This reflects the true dividing factor among people: good v evil.

Religion is just the human practiced reaction to what divides us from each other and from God.

 

[Heart2Soul]

This reflects the true dividing factor among people: good v evil.

Religion is just the human practiced reaction to what divides us from each other and from God.

But all cultures adhere to a certain belief and resent those of other faiths. The RCC even persecuted ex members who rejected the RCC teachings.

Good vs Evil is an umbrella that applies to everything. But as we learn from the OT there were many battles fought over differences of belief. Example like Esther's uncle Mordecai who spoke to her to speak with the King about her people being threatened and were to be killed if they didn't honor the decree to stop and bow when the instruments were played. Religious persecution is a constant threat to Christians and has been since the beginning.
Christians continue to divide over their doctrines of faith.

 

[Wrangler]

But all cultures adhere to a certain belief and resent those of other faiths. The RCC even persecuted ex members who rejected the RCC teachings.

Good vs Evil is an umbrella that applies to everything. But as we learn from the OT there were many battles fought over differences of belief.

Why the butt monkey? Perhaps you never considered the Devil's most insidious temptation to get us to do evil is when it's wrapped in religious fervor?!



Remember Matthew 7:13-14, small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it? How about Proverbs 4:27 Don’t get sidetracked; keep your feet from following evil? Evil for evil sake is easy to discern. Evil for the sake of religious fervor is all too easy to not have eyes to see.

 

[Heart2Soul]

Why the butt monkey? Perhaps you never considered the Devil's most insidious temptation to get us to do evil is when it's wrapped in religious fervor?!

View attachment 79403

Remember Matthew 7:13-14, small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it? How about Proverbs 4:27 Don’t get sidetracked; keep your feet from following evil? Evil for evil sake is easy to discern. Evil for the sake of religious fervor is all too easy to not have eyes to see.

View attachment 79404

Which is the point I am striving to make. More evil occurs under the cloak of religious doctrine than we are willing to admit.