Whats the next best thing to be if you are not a christian?

Endeavourer said:

There isn't anything next best. A miss by a hair is the same as a miss by a mile.

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I disagree with this. I would say that some religions are nefarious, and one in particular (I will mention no names) reveres a man who did some pretty wicked things.

A Gerbil said:

I disagree with this. I would say that some religions are nefarious, and one in particular (I will mention no names) reveres a man who did some pretty wicked things.

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Where I'm troubled is that when looking at the history of Christianity, that religion has itself exhibited some pretty nefarious episodes even though the main teachings of the man it reverses is Love, compassion and helping those in need.

dlamberth said:

Where I'm troubled is that when looking at the history of Christianity, that religion has itself exhibited some pretty nefarious episodes even though the main teachings of the man it reverses is Love, compassion and helping those in need.

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Absolutely! Imagine how much worse things would be if one could point to the progenitor and say "he married a nine year old girl, so it must be okay", or to a law which prescribes death to apostates.

Buddhism is an interesting religion, and one which I would perceive as being peaceful and benign. That's not true of all non-Christian faiths, unfortunately.

A Gerbil said:

I disagree with this. I would say that some religions are nefarious, and one in particular (I will mention no names) reveres a man who did some pretty wicked things.

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I can name at least three religions that fit that description.

A Gerbil said:

Absolutely! Imagine how much worse things would be if one could point to the progenitor and say "he married a nine year old girl, so it must be okay", or to a law which prescribes death to apostates.

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When I look at history, and when I look at the level of human horrors bestowed on other human beings by not just one of the Abrahamic Religions, but by at least a couple of them, I honestly can't say which one of them has a worse historical record.

dlamberth said:

When I look at history, and when I look at the level of human horrors bestowed on other human beings by not just one of the Abrahamic Religions, but by at least a couple of them, I honestly can't say which one of them has a worse historical record.

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Imagine a God that loves us so much that He would be willing to sacrifice His only begotten Son in order to save us?

Now look at the life of Jesus Christ - born in a stable amongst animals, learned a trade as a carpenter, healed the sick, associated with the shunned, washed the feet of a man He knew would betray Him and which would result in his torturous death, and finally He would ask for the Father to forgive those who had murdered him so savagely. Jesus's philosophy was one of love and forgiveness - "turn the other cheek" and "going the extra mile" were literally phrases he coined.

That mankind is so evil and corrupt that it can do wicked things in Jesus' name, is paradoxically why He is needed in the first instance - as an example to us all, and as a blood sacrifice. One can acknowledge one's flaws and accept His grace, or be proud and be judged on one's own merits.

Christianity is a singular religion; as G.K. Chesterton wrote '...the hands that had made the sun and stars were too small to reach the huge heads of the cattle.' All other faiths are similar, only Christianity believes in the creator personified and sacrificing Himself to redeem man, who is obviously in great need of redemption. It should be noted that this extraordinary 'man' is revered in Islamic scripture as well as by Christians, and that He has inspired the world's biggest religion.

Of course Jesus was a Jew, one of God's chosen people. Just look at what Jewish people have achieved - Jesus (progenitor of the world's biggest religion), Einstein (physics), Oppenheimer (nuclear bomb), Freud (psychology), Marx (Communism), Durkheim (sociology), Rothschilds (banking), Boas (anthropology) - I could go on, however I will let Jewish academic excellence speak for itself: Jewish Nobel Prize Winners

Interestingly, the Jewish people have returned to Israel and with the capture of East Jerusalem in the 1960s, and demographic change there, the rebuilding of the temple is looking increasingly likely. Meanwhile the West is rejecting God in favour of materialism and mass-consumption, which is apparently endangering the planet. Overpopulation, weapons of mass destruction are further threats to the Mankind's future and likely to result in resource wars...so the Biblical eschaton is looking imminent, well within the next thirty years, at least. It wouldn't surprise me if it were to occur two thousand years after the crucifixion...

God bless.

A Gerbil said:

Imagine a God that loves us so much that He would be willing to sacrifice His only begotten Son in order to save us?

Now look at the life of Jesus Christ - born in a stable amongst animals, learned a trade as a carpenter, healed the sick, associated with the shunned, washed the feet of a man He knew would betray Him and which would result in his torturous death, and finally He would ask for the Father to forgive those who had murdered him so savagely. Jesus's philosophy was one of love and forgiveness - "turn the other cheek" and "going the extra mile" were literally phrases he coined.

That mankind is so evil and corrupt that it can do wicked things in Jesus' name, is paradoxically why He is needed in the first instance - as an example to us all, and as a blood sacrifice. One can acknowledge one's flaws and accept His grace, or be proud and be judged on one's own merits.

Christianity is a singular religion; as G.K. Chesterton wrote '...the hands that had made the sun and stars were too small to reach the huge heads of the cattle.' All other faiths are similar, only Christianity believes in the creator personified and sacrificing Himself to redeem man, who is obviously in great need of redemption. It should be noted that this extraordinary 'man' is revered in Islamic scripture as well as by Christians, and that He has inspired the world's biggest religion.

Of course Jesus was a Jew, one of God's chosen people. Just look at what Jewish people have achieved - Jesus (progenitor of the world's biggest religion), Einstein (physics), Oppenheimer (nuclear bomb), Freud (psychology), Marx (Communism), Durkheim (sociology), Rothschilds (banking), Boas (anthropology) - I could go on, however I will let Jewish academic excellence speak for itself: Jewish Nobel Prize Winners

Interestingly, the Jewish people have returned to Israel and with the capture of East Jerusalem in the 1960s, and demographic change there, the rebuilding of the temple is looking increasingly likely. Meanwhile the West is rejecting God in favour of materialism and mass-consumption, which is apparently endangering the planet. Overpopulation, weapons of mass destruction are further threats to the Mankind's future and likely to result in resource wars...so the Biblical eschaton is looking imminent, well within the next thirty years, at least. It wouldn't surprise me if it were to occur two thousand years after the crucifixion...

God bless.

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Harking back to the OP, I've come to the conclusion that on one hand there's Christ sitting fully in the Love, Compassion and Service to those in need. And over there standing apart from Christ is the religion we call Christianity. And it's only occasionally that they cross paths. Needless to say, I don't believe one needs to abandon Christ while at the same time questioning the state of the Christian religion. Are you maybe suggesting the same here?

I feel that what the Medieval woman mystic Marguerite Porete wrote is on point. She suggested that there are two churches. The first she called the High Holy Church. That church she wrote preaches Love. The other church she called the Little Holy Church. That church preaches rules, law and order. More often than not it seems to me that it's the Little Holy Church that Christianity has become. The BEST Religion I believe is the Church of Love. A final note about Porete, she was burned at the stake by the Little Holy Church.

dlamberth said:

Harking back to the OP, I've come to the conclusion that on one hand there's Christ sitting fully in the Love, Compassion and Service to those in need. And over there standing apart from Christ is the religion we call Christianity. And it's only occasionally that they cross paths. Needless to say, I don't believe one needs to abandon Christ while at the same time questioning the state of the Christian religion. Are you maybe suggesting the same here?

I feel that what the Medieval woman mystic Marguerite Porete wrote is on point. She suggested that there are two churches. The first she called the High Holy Church. That church she wrote preaches Love. The other church she called the Little Holy Church. That church preaches rules, law and order. More often than not it seems to me that it's the Little Holy Church that Christianity has become. The BEST Religion I believe is the Church of Love. A final note about Porete, she was burned at the stake by the Little Holy Church.

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i.e. as identified in and by God's Word, Scripture, and Exposed by His Spirit to His Children: the true Ekklesia or the false counterfeits.

A Gerbil said:

I disagree with this. I would say that some religions are nefarious, and one in particular (I will mention no names) reveres a man who did some pretty wicked things.

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Yes.
See if you like the pdf study on Galatians, key word "pernicious" and by "WUeST"....
it is a moderately long study, very detailed and enlightening for all who seek the truth trusting in our Father in heaven....

footnote: 'nefarious' and 'pernicious' have similar applications today, I think.

dlamberth said:

Harking back to the OP, I've come to the conclusion that on one hand there's Christ sitting fully in the Love, Compassion and Service to those in need. And over there standing apart from Christ is the religion we call Christianity. And it's only occasionally that they cross paths. Needless to say, I don't believe one needs to abandon Christ while at the same time questioning the state of the Christian religion. Are you maybe suggesting the same here?

I feel that what the Medieval woman mystic Marguerite Porete wrote is on point. She suggested that there are two churches. The first she called the High Holy Church. That church she wrote preaches Love. The other church she called the Little Holy Church. That church preaches rules, law and order. More often than not it seems to me that it's the Little Holy Church that Christianity has become. The BEST Religion I believe is the Church of Love. A final note about Porete, she was burned at the stake by the Little Holy Church.

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Yes, mankind is inherently sinful. Many churches have done awful things. However what Jesus preached was love, humility and compassion, as well as devotion to God.