Can Christianity be meaningful and relevant?

[sentipente]

back to the OP, how do christians relate to the people around them.... having thought about this more, let me add the variable, given that most christians believe that some humans will end up in hell for disobedience, how do they relate to the humans around them? Can what is believed by christians be meaningful to the larger population, or is the "christianity effect" minimal?

For anything to be meaningful to the larger population it must be meaningful while they are not part of Christianity. This means that they must be able to interpret it without the influence of Christianity. If the interpretation requires "special" knowledge it cannot be universally applicable.

 

[Windmill]

A couple of comments from Brother Pythons got me to thinking about this question and how "christians" interact in the world around them... a couple of scenarios for your consideration:

What would you say to a young woman who believes she is bisexual and is currently involved in a same sex relationship?

How is it going?

If I met someone, and they told me they were Bi, I wouldn't blurt out "I believe thats a sin!" Because heck, when I meet someone, and they don't keep the Sabbath, I don't blurt out "I think thats a sin!" Nor did I, when convicted on the health food laws, blurt out to someone who ate some pork "thats a sin!" Otherwise you'd look like a lunatic because people sin all the time, and you'd have to blurt out "I think thats a sin!" So much.

And if you treated her because she's bi but your Christian friend who didn't keep the Sabbath differently (and you were convicted on the Sabbath issue) you'd be a hypocrite, but it is done all the time..

What would you say to a young man who attends church but witnesses his parents fighting on a regular basis sometimes resulting in his mother being physically beaten, but he doesn't know what to do because his father is the pastor?

Oh my. I would be very awkward in it. I would probably tell him he needs to get his father help ASAP and more importantly his mother help ASAP, but I would probably go talk to someone else because I'm not quite so sure what one should do. Thats a very serious situation! I am not qualified on giving him advice by myself- but the father/pastor needs to stop!

I don't get why you asked the last question?

Christianity is extremely relevant in todays society! The world is so harsh with one another. Even in Christianity. Everyone is so harsh! Where is the love? Seriously.

Besides... if it is true, and real... Christianity is relevant, BECAUSE it is real... and our only salvation from death.

 

[Avonia]

For anything to be meaningful to the larger population it must be meaningful while they are not part of Christianity. This means that they must be able to interpret it without the influence of Christianity. If the interpretation requires "special" knowledge it cannot be universally applicable.

This is an interesting point. We are good at convincing people that our context has meaning - and then offering a list of things within the context.