Meaning and purpose can ONLY be found in Christianity

[Bee_Brian]

Meaning and purpose can ONLY be found in Christianity.

I could've said that "Meaning and purpose can ONLY be found in religion", but since I'm a devoted Christian, I may as well stick to just Christianity...

I want to debate that such things (meaning and purpose) can only be found in Christianity and Christianity alone. In a way, I admire the atheist for managing to live a life without God. I personally am too weak for that. I need God in all aspects of my life, from resisting the urge to eat junk food to choosing who I marry. I'm weak, but my weakness is a hidden blessing because it makes me all the more faithful to Him.

In the famed Ravi Zacharias's book, Can Man Live Without God, Ravi mentioned a man by the name of Michael Polanyi. Polanyi was a man of wisdom and intellect, being recognized by his peers and contemporaries as a great scientist and philosopher. According to Polanyi, if science ruled the world, it would create destruction and despair. He mentioned that religion, poetry, and art are the disciplines that keeps people fulfilled and live a life of purpose. NOT science.

I agree with Polanyi. Without Christianity, the world would be a<staff edit> place to live.

 

[Ken Rank]

Meaning and purpose can ONLY be found in Christianity.

I could've said that "Meaning and purpose can ONLY be found in religion", but since I'm a devoted Christian, I may as well stick to just Christianity...

I want to debate that such things (meaning and purpose) can only be found in Christianity and Christianity alone. In a way, I admire the atheist for managing to live a life without God. I personally am too weak for that. I need God in all aspects of my life, from resisting the urge to eat junk food to choosing who I marry. I'm weak, but my weakness is a hidden blessing because it makes me all the more faithful to Him.

In the famed Ravi Zacharias's book, Can Man Live Without God, Ravi mentioned a man by the name of Michael Polanyi. Polanyi was a man of wisdom and intellect, being recognized by his peers and contemporaries as a great scientist and philosopher. According to Polanyi, if science ruled the world, it would create destruction and despair. He mentioned that religion, poetry, and art are the disciplines that keeps people fulfilled and live a life of purpose. NOT science.

I agree with Polanyi. Without Christianity, the world would be a <staff edit> place to live.

I actually disagree and I am a Christian. I think meaning and purpose are found in the Lord and His Word... and where we take that and what we do with that is between us and Him on a personal level, and us and the congregations we participate with on a corporate level. Christianity is a religion and Yeshua did not come to create a new religion... of the many things he came for, he came to walk prophetically and perfecting within an existing religion. In doing so, he revealed how far that religion had gotten from the desires of our Father. We can live without Christianity and Judaism, but we can't live without the Lord and His Word.

 

[Bee_Brian]

I actually disagree and I am a Christian. I think meaning and purpose are found in the Lord and His Word... and where we take that and what we do with that is between us and Him on a personal level, and us and the congregations we participate with on a corporate level. Christianity is a religion and Yeshua did not come to create a new religion... of the many things he came for, he came to walk prophetically and perfecting within an existing religion. In doing so, he revealed how far that religion had gotten from the desires of our Father. We can live without Christianity and Judaism, but we can't live without the Lord and His Word.

When I said "Christianity", I was referring to Jesus's relationship with an individual, NOT the institutions of Christianity. I guess I should've clarified better.

 

[ViaCrucis]

I suspect people are able to find meaning and purpose in almost anything. I think it goes without saying that many people find meaning and purpose in a lot of things--their vocation, their family, their loved ones, their friends, their wealth, their religion, their values, their social status. We may evaluate such meaning and purpose in regard to our own set of values and propositions about life, but it would be in error to say nobody derives meaning outside of Christianity.

The Christian proposition isn't that there is no meaning in anything else, or that others can't find meaning in whatever they find meaning; the Christian proposition is that the fundamental meaning of what it means to be a human person is intrinsically wrapped up in the person of Jesus Christ; of the inherent value of existence over non-existence, of life against death; and that therefore life is safeguarded against death in the person of Jesus who has overcome and conquered death by His resurrection. This is true in and of Himself because He has been raised up, and is true of all creation in the Age to Come. Namely that resurrection, not death, is central truth even in spite of the overwhelming appearance of death in the world. Thus the Christian looks in the face of death and confesses life; which is sheer absurdity by all observable accounts, but as the Apostle says, "to us who are being saved, the power of God". The absurdity and utter backwardness of the Christian confession and proposition is by no means obvious, it is perhaps the very opposite of obvious.

-CryptoLutheran

 

[durangodawood]

Meaning and purpose can ONLY be found in Christianity....

Well this is manifestly false, as people who hold to other religions have meaning and purpose too. And sometimes, even people with no religion have meaning and purpose.

I do respect that it works for you, though.

 

[Cearbhall]

I want to debate that such things (meaning and purpose) can only be found in Christianity and Christianity alone.

I've found meaning and purpose outside of Christianity. I don't expect you to believe me, but you sure as heck aren't going to convince me that my own experiences aren't real.

You seem to be asking for the chance to tell people that you know them better than they do, and that the things that are important and meaningful to them aren't actually so unless they're also meaningful and important to you. That's not a debate. That's just rude, and, to be frank, concerning.

 

[OldWiseGuy]

Meaning and purpose can ONLY be found in Christianity.

I could've said that "Meaning and purpose can ONLY be found in religion", but since I'm a devoted Christian, I may as well stick to just Christianity...

I want to debate that such things (meaning and purpose) can only be found in Christianity and Christianity alone. In a way, I admire the atheist for managing to live a life without God. I personally am too weak for that. I need God in all aspects of my life, from resisting the urge to eat junk food to choosing who I marry. I'm weak, but my weakness is a hidden blessing because it makes me all the more faithful to Him.

In the famed Ravi Zacharias's book, Can Man Live Without God, Ravi mentioned a man by the name of Michael Polanyi. Polanyi was a man of wisdom and intellect, being recognized by his peers and contemporaries as a great scientist and philosopher. According to Polanyi, if science ruled the world, it would create destruction and despair. He mentioned that religion, poetry, and art are the disciplines that keeps people fulfilled and live a life of purpose. NOT science.

I agree with Polanyi. Without Christianity, the world would be a s***** place to live.

I agree that the highest meaning and purpose can only be found in this relationship.

 

[jayem]

In a way, I admire the atheist for managing to live a life without God. I personally am too weak for that. I need God in all aspects of my life, from resisting the urge to eat junk food to choosing who I marry. I'm weak, but my weakness is a hidden blessing because it makes me all the more faithful to Him.

You've answered your own question. You need a god. Others don't. People are different. I'm 66 years old. As I think back, I have never believed in any kind of god--or anything supernatural for that matter. And I don't feel for a second that my life has lacked anything. As was noted, the meaning and purpose of my life comes in what I do with it. And that's trying to be the best husband, brother, uncle, friend, and citizen I can be. Why would I want more? To me it's rather sad that you need to believe in something supernatural to make your life meaningful. No offense meant, but I can't help thinking this is like a lonely 5 year old who concocts an imaginary friend to provide him with companionship, peace of mind, and a sense of security.

 

[bhsmte]

Meaning and purpose can ONLY be found in Christianity.

I could've said that "Meaning and purpose can ONLY be found in religion", but since I'm a devoted Christian, I may as well stick to just Christianity...

I want to debate that such things (meaning and purpose) can only be found in Christianity and Christianity alone. In a way, I admire the atheist for managing to live a life without God. I personally am too weak for that. I need God in all aspects of my life, from resisting the urge to eat junk food to choosing who I marry. I'm weak, but my weakness is a hidden blessing because it makes me all the more faithful to Him.

In the famed Ravi Zacharias's book, Can Man Live Without God, Ravi mentioned a man by the name of Michael Polanyi. Polanyi was a man of wisdom and intellect, being recognized by his peers and contemporaries as a great scientist and philosopher. According to Polanyi, if science ruled the world, it would create destruction and despair. He mentioned that religion, poetry, and art are the disciplines that keeps people fulfilled and live a life of purpose. NOT science.

I agree with Polanyi. Without Christianity, the world would be a s***** place to live.

Personal opinion, which you are certainly entitled to.

 

[Ron Gurley]

Christ-following is a unique and exclusive belief system.

John 14:6

Jesus said to him, (Doubtful Thomas)

“I AM
the WAY, and ( Greek 3598...hodos...manner of thinking, feeling, deciding (soul)
the TRUTH, and (Greek 225....aletheia...what is true in things appertaining to God and the duties of man (spiritually)
the LIFE; (Greek 2222....zoe.... absolute fulness of (spiritual) life...which belongs to God,

no one comes to the Father but THROUGH Me.

Hebrews 12 [Jesus, the Example]
Therefore, since we have so great a cloud of witnesses surrounding us,
let us also lay aside every encumbrance and the sin which so easily entangles us,
and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us,
fixing our eyes on Jesus,
the author and perfecter of faith,
who for the joy set before Him endured the cross,
despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.

1 Peter 2:21[Christ Is Our Example]
For you have been called for this purpose, since Christ also suffered for you,
leaving you an example for you to follow in His steps,

The heart of Jesus the God-Man's explanation of Christ-following's salvation is John 3, John 10, John 15

John 3: 1-20 (NIV)...Jesus teaches Nicodemus...extracts
...“Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is BORN AGAIN( spiritually from above) he cannot see the kingdom of God.”...
'You must be BORN AGAIN (spiritually).' (from above)
The wind blows wherever it pleases.
You hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going.
So it is with everyone BORN of the Spirit....(God the Holy Spirit)
Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the desert,
so the Son of Man must be lifted up, (Jesus crucified?)
that everyone who BELIEVES in Him may have ETERNAL LIFE..
For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever BELIEVES in him shall not perish but have ETERNAL LIFE.

John 10:7-27" ...Jesus is the Gate and Good Shepherd...extracts
“Very truly I tell you, I am the gate for the sheep...
I have come that they may have (eternal spiritual) life, and have it to the full...
“I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep...
No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord....
My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they FOLLOW me.
I GIVE them ETERNAL LIFE, and they shall never (spiritually) perish;
no one will snatch them out of my hand.
My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all; no one can snatch them out of my Father’s hand. (no loss of salvation)
I and the Father are one ( in spiritual essence)

For Sanctification, Obedience and Abiding in His love (i.e. FOLLOWING) is taught to His Disciples / Believers in John 15, 1 John

John 15 (NIV) (extracts...comments),,,,The Vine and the Branches
..."I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains (dwells?) in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit;
apart from me you can do nothing....(of spiritual value?)
This is to my Father's glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples....(followers)
As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love.
If you obey my commands (precepts/teachings), you will remain in my love,
just as I have obeyed my Father's commands and remain in his love.
I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete.
My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you...
This is my command: Love each other.

 

[Desk trauma]

Christ-following is a unique and exclusive belief system.

Just like all the other unique and exclusive beliefs.

 

[bhsmte]

Christ-following is a unique and exclusive belief system.

John 14:6

Jesus said to him, (Doubtful Thomas)

“I AM
the WAY, and ( Greek 3598...hodos...manner of thinking, feeling, deciding (soul)
the TRUTH, and (Greek 225....aletheia...what is true in things appertaining to God and the duties of man (spiritually)
the LIFE; (Greek 2222....zoe.... absolute fulness of (spiritual) life...which belongs to God,

no one comes to the Father but THROUGH Me.

Hebrews 12 [Jesus, the Example]
Therefore, since we have so great a cloud of witnesses surrounding us,
let us also lay aside every encumbrance and the sin which so easily entangles us,
and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us,
fixing our eyes on Jesus,
the author and perfecter of faith,
who for the joy set before Him endured the cross,
despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.

1 Peter 2:21[Christ Is Our Example]
For you have been called for this purpose, since Christ also suffered for you,
leaving you an example for you to follow in His steps,

The heart of Jesus the God-Man's explanation of Christ-following's salvation is John 3, John 10, John 15

John 3: 1-20 (NIV)...Jesus teaches Nicodemus...extracts
...“Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is BORN AGAIN( spiritually from above) he cannot see the kingdom of God.”...
'You must be BORN AGAIN (spiritually).' (from above)
The wind blows wherever it pleases.
You hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going.
So it is with everyone BORN of the Spirit....(God the Holy Spirit)
Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the desert,
so the Son of Man must be lifted up, (Jesus crucified?)
that everyone who BELIEVES in Him may have ETERNAL LIFE..
For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever BELIEVES in him shall not perish but have ETERNAL LIFE.

John 10:7-27" ...Jesus is the Gate and Good Shepherd...extracts
“Very truly I tell you, I am the gate for the sheep...
I have come that they may have (eternal spiritual) life, and have it to the full...
“I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep...
No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord....
My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they FOLLOW me.
I GIVE them ETERNAL LIFE, and they shall never (spiritually) perish;
no one will snatch them out of my hand.
My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all; no one can snatch them out of my Father’s hand. (no loss of salvation)
I and the Father are one ( in spiritual essence)

For Sanctification, Obedience and Abiding in His love (i.e. FOLLOWING) is taught to His Disciples / Believers in John 15, 1 John

John 15 (NIV) (extracts...comments),,,,The Vine and the Branches
..."I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains (dwells?) in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit;
apart from me you can do nothing....(of spiritual value?)
This is to my Father's glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples....(followers)
As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love.
If you obey my commands (precepts/teachings), you will remain in my love,
just as I have obeyed my Father's commands and remain in his love.
I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete.
My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you...
This is my command: Love each other.

Every belief can have a unique twist to it. Look at all of the denominations of Christianity alone.

This is just preaching, but if that works for you, knock yourself out.

 

[Ron Gurley]

No other belief system claims that God became Man and died for Man.

 

[OldWiseGuy]

Just like all the other unique and exclusive beliefs.

Christianity is one of the few 'beliefs' that helps one to confront their evil nature and to change it. In that sense it is a "here and now" religion (and very beneficial to society as a whole), as well as a "hereafter" one.

 

[Ana the Ist]

Meaning and purpose can ONLY be found in Christianity.

I could've said that "Meaning and purpose can ONLY be found in religion", but since I'm a devoted Christian, I may as well stick to just Christianity...

I want to debate that such things (meaning and purpose) can only be found in Christianity and Christianity alone. In a way, I admire the atheist for managing to live a life without God. I personally am too weak for that. I need God in all aspects of my life, from resisting the urge to eat junk food to choosing who I marry. I'm weak, but my weakness is a hidden blessing because it makes me all the more faithful to Him.

In the famed Ravi Zacharias's book, Can Man Live Without God, Ravi mentioned a man by the name of Michael Polanyi. Polanyi was a man of wisdom and intellect, being recognized by his peers and contemporaries as a great scientist and philosopher. According to Polanyi, if science ruled the world, it would create destruction and despair. He mentioned that religion, poetry, and art are the disciplines that keeps people fulfilled and live a life of purpose. NOT science.

I agree with Polanyi. Without Christianity, the world would be a s***** place to live.

While it's nice to make such bold assertions...there's a ton of evidence to the contrary. We can measure standards of living...by looking at things like literacy rates, poverty rates, healthcare, and so on. In many of the least religious places of the world...standards of living are amongst the highest. That very fact flies in the face of your claims here.

There's more to the matter though. Christianity didn't eliminate many of the diseases that dropped childhood mortality rates in the past century...science did. Christianity didn't reduce poverty in the west from astonishingly high numbers to what they are today...capitalism did. In fact, it's hard for me to think of any net positive effect on mankind which I can solely attribute to Christianity.

So while it's nice you have such a high opinion of your personal beliefs...that opinion seems more of an emotional one instead of a factual one.

 

[Rajni]

No other belief system claims that God became Man and died for Man.

Messianism is found in various belief systems, some of which preceded Christianity. There are variations on the theme, to be sure, but the general concept isn't unique to Christianity.

 

[OldWiseGuy]

While it's nice to make such bold assertions...there's a ton of evidence to the contrary. We can measure standards of living...by looking at things like literacy rates, poverty rates, healthcare, and so on. In many of the least religious places of the world...standards of living are amongst the highest. That very fact flies in the face of your claims here.

There's more to the matter though. Christianity didn't eliminate many of the diseases that dropped childhood mortality rates in the past century...science did. Christianity didn't reduce poverty in the west from astonishingly high numbers to what they are today...capitalism did. In fact, it's hard for me to think of any net positive effect on mankind which I can solely attribute to Christianity.

So while it's nice you have such a high opinion of your personal beliefs...that opinion seems more of an emotional one instead of a factual one.

Christianity is the foundation upon which western civilization is built. Buried and out of sight it receives little if any credit.

 

[Ana the Ist]

Christianity is the foundation upon which western civilization is built. Buried and out of sight it receives little if any credit.

Christians like to tell themselves that...but western society is more attributable to Aristotle than Christ (if we're picking someone). Western society and Europe in general languished under the dictates of the church for centuries...a period commonly known as the dark ages.

It's the period where christianity diminishes and logic and science flourish that we refer to as the enlightenment.

 

[OldWiseGuy]

Christians like to tell themselves that...but western society is more attributable to Aristotle than Christ (if we're picking someone). Western society and Europe in general languished under the dictates of the church for centuries...a period commonly known as the dark ages.

It's the period where christianity diminishes and logic and science flourish that we refer to as the enlightenment.

I think the Reformation was more effective at lifting humanity out of the dark ages than any achievement of science. The dark ages was a moral failing, not a failure of science. Recall that the Jews were blamed by some for the Plague because they kept God's sanitation laws and so escaped much of the deadly infection. Lot's of 'science' there without a scientist in sight, if you have eyes to see it.

 

[Ana the Ist]

I think the Reformation was more effective at lifting humanity out of the dark ages than any achievement of science.

Why? What did the reformation do?

The dark ages was a moral failing, not a failure of science.

So millions upon millions of people suffered and remained illiterate and uneducated (except for the bible of course)...and scientific progress ground to a halt by coincidence?

I know you've got an emotional attachment to it...but the fact is that for hundreds and hundreds of years, people decided all they needed to know was in the bible and if they just followed what it said they would have salvation....and as a result they suffered through a time so awful we literally call it the dark ages lol.

Recall that the Jews were blamed by some for the Plague because they kept God's sanitation laws and so escaped much of the deadly infection. Lot's of 'science' there without a scientist in sight, if you have eyes to see it.

Lot's of things were blamed for the plague...and I don't recall the jews being especially resistant to it. My guess is they died just as much as anyone else.

Also, that's not science.