"Religious" display in public area

[Telerea]

An interesting news story about a "religious" display in front of a courthouse.Excerpt:Funny. Deplorable. Profound. Weird. Those are just several of the reactions one might hear when discussing the Cumberland County courthouse’s newest lawn ornament – the Flying Spaghetti Monster.Thoughts?If nothing else, this can probably be used to justify the nativity scenes and ten commandments displays.

 

[walking4him]

If that is allowed than yes any of the Christian elements should be displayed. This really does annoy me that a new age religion is allowed to have a display like that but Christian themes that were part of the creation of the United States are are taken out.

 

[RaddSpencer]

Well, the flying spaghetti monster is actually a jab at the Intelligent Design movement. The basic idea is that (according to them) god can be anything, including a flying spaghetti monster. It proposes the idea that this monster can be the legitimate monothestic god just as much as Allah or Yahweh.(in my opinion, it basically mocks the Christian worldview wholesale)http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flying_Spaghetti_MonsterThis is why the church needs to get serious with Christian Apologetics. We don't believe in a God who has NO evidence to support Him, Oh, on the contrary Jesus has a whole lot of evidence in His favor (just read books by Norman Geisler and Josh Mcdowell). The "spaghetti" monster has none, zip, zero.What I don't like about this movement is that it completely mocks both Jesus and His position of God. It shows no respect towards the Creator or remote avenue of possibility that there is a God out there who cares about us and wants to help us. And we know what the bible says about this:"The fool says in his heart, 'There is no God.'" psalm 14:1http://members.aol.com/BaxterInstitute/Fool.html

 

[MWM]

Yet, when I mock atheism and EVILution, I am labeled a fanatical religious fascist bigoted whack job.

 

[walking4him]

I'm very new but where do I/ how would I become knowlegeable of Christian Apologetics?

 

[Telerea]

(walking4him;44601)
I'm very new but where do I/ how would I become knowlegeable of Christian Apologetics?
READ! Know what your version of Christianity is first, then start trying to explain and justify it to others (within your denomination, outside your denomination but who are still Christian, and those who do not claim to be Christian).Know what you believe first.Then read up on what exactly apologetics is.Then formulate your own, based on your knowledge and experience.But that's just my advice.

 

[Telerea]

(walking4him;44585)
This really does annoy me that a new age religion is allowed to have a display like that but Christian themes that were part of the creation of the United States are are taken out.
~~~~~~~~(RaddSpencer;44594)
Well, the flying spaghetti monster is actually a jab at the Intelligent Design movement. The basic idea is that (according to them) god can be anything, including a flying spaghetti monster. It proposes the idea that this monster can be the legitimate monothestic god just as much as Allah or Yahweh.(in my opinion, it basically mocks the Christian worldview wholesale)
FSM is in no way a "new age religion", in its original form, as Radd correctly implied, a jab at Intelligent Design.There are some who now follow this ... worldview/religion/I don't know what to call it... and it seems to work for them.Question for all (but in direct response to Radd): Why can't God be anything? Is our vocabulary too limited when it comes to describing divinity?If I remember correctly, Muslims have 99 (or 100) names/attributes for God. And I think there is some old Greek quote that goes something along the lines of: if horses had gods they would be horses too. Basically implying that we make our God(s) in our own image... or potentially, whatever image we want.

 

[Wakka]

Evolutionists really get annoying some times.It makes me mad that religious freedom is taken being neglected. They had to remove the 10 Commandments from a courthouse some time ago.