Who is "the world" that Christians talk about?

[Beanieboy]

I often hear a post talking about "the world", and how "the world" hate God and Jesus, and will do everything they can to disobey God.

However, if one is talking about the US, they are talking about a Christian Population of about 75%, so "the world" is then the other 25%.

Is the other 25% all the people that are creating violent movies, or surfing the Web for porn, or promoting violent and angry music? Are they the ones buying the violent and angry music, going to violent movies, or watching racy TV?

It just doesn't seem that 25% of the pop. would be able to keep such things a float.

Take into this account that the non-Christian pop is then broken down to Muslim (which are very strict), Buddhists, Hindus, Atheists and others.

I suppose one could blame the usual suspect: Atheists, except then one would have to ignore most Atheists that you have spoken to. On YouTube, there is a very articulate guy under the name TheologicalB***S***. Why do I say you have to ignore guys like this? Because he thinks about it. He thinks long and hard about issues of Christianity, of morals, of right and wrong, about how people claim to follow the bible yet don't, and determining what it is that they are following.

On the flipside, I am still explaining to Christians that Sodom and Gomorrah wasn't destroyed because of homosexuality, but a number of sins from Ezekial, I book they rarely if ever read. I have been amazed at the number of Christians that misunderstand their own bible, or have even sat and thought about issues like: Say heaven is perfect. There are no problems. Ever watch a movie that is really slow, because not much happens? It's really boring. Now imagine that is your eternity.

I usually get the "I've never thought about it" line when asking a Lutheran if they believe that God does not welcome you as an infant until you are baptised, or how they feel about Luther's ideas of predestination.

If anything, often, many Christians use Christianity the way you use Life Insurance. You buy it, you pay into it once a week, and then you forget about it. They're saved. What else matters?

This is certainly not all Christians, but I think the church as skewed God in a way where I don't recognize him anymore. Was Jesus running around Nazareth telling people they were going to hell, or eating with those who needed saving, and in so, disobeying the society's standards of propriety and honor, and insulted the Pharisees - the people who taught in the temple? Was Jesus offering everyone a 5 knuckle sandwich, and threatening them with a God of Wrath, or was he being a God of Mercy, and living by example, transforming all those that came in contact with him?

The only "world" that fought against Jesus were the Saggucees and Pharisees, because Jesus humbled them, took away their authority, made the first last, and the last first.

So, who is "the world" that is such a threat to Christianity?

 

[Autumnleaf]

The world is everything outside of me.

 

[cantata]

Everyone and everything who doesn't fit in with the Christian in question's personal values is apparently "of the world". Generally speaking, "the world" is having more fun than the Christian. I think that's why (s)he's so cross.

 

[Beanieboy]

The world is everything outside of me.

So, when Christians say that they are to be in the world, but not of it, that means they are not to be any part of the world outside themselves?

 

[Beanieboy]

Everyone and everything who doesn't fit in with the Christian in question's personal values is apparently "of the world". Generally speaking, "the world" is having more fun than the Christian. I think that's why (s)he's so cross.

That is how it is usually told to me.
But, who was "the world" when Jesus walked, in the Gospel?

I suppose one could argue that the tax collectors and protitutes were "the world" of greed and sexual immorality (then again, it seems more of an issue with those who imploy prostitutes, imo), but they were of no threat to Christ.
Christ welcomed them, and they were surprised, and welcomed him as well.
One prostitute washed his feet with her tears, and wiped his feet with her hair. Was this the "worldly threat" of Christ?

My suspicion was that she wasn't crying tears of regret, of repentence, but rather, tears of joy for realizing that God the Father, and God the Son, loved her, despite what she was taught in the temple (if they allowed her in.) She was probably crying tears of joy for the forgiveness of sin, for mercy, for kindness, for being loved, and simply overjoyed.

That doesn't sound like much of a threat to me.

Like in the times of Christ, I think there is indeed a threat to the Church, but it wasn't the sinners then, it wasn't the unsaved then, it wasn't those that needed healing then, but something far more sinister living inside the walls of the Temple itself - wolves in sheeps clothing.

 

[keith99]

My take, at least some Christians agree.

The world is hte easy way out, the everyone else is doing it. Sometimes big things, but really more petty sins, little things that add up. Or put differently, going with the flow instead of doing what you think is right.

 

[Beanieboy]

My take, at least some Christians agree.

The world is hte easy way out, the everyone else is doing it. Sometimes big things, but really more petty sins, little things that add up. Or put differently, going with the flow instead of doing what you think is right.

This is usually what I was taught within the Church.
Basically, "the world" were the nonChristians that were obsessed with wealth, with status, living crazy party lives, etc.

As I said in the OP, 75% of Americans identify as Christian. Can 25% of the population (that includes Muslims, Buddhists, Hindus, Atheists) be the ones who are buying BMW's for status, getting drunk, watching snuff porn like Hostel, wearing labels as status, obsessed with materialism, the ones that don't care about the Health Care of others, that think that one should ingore Christ and tell those who are hungry to get a job, etc?

I think the problem is that "the world" is used as a euphemism for "NonChristian Sinners", when they populate much more of the "world" than the "world" does.

 

[rockytrails]

the world is not only the old adam in each and every Christian but also the unconverted
person who does not yet trust Jesus as their only savior from their sin's.

 

[Beanieboy]

So, the world is each individual?

Does that mean that each indiividual's old adam is a threat to Christianity, even Christians?

 

[keith99]

My second way of looking at 'the world'.

It is simply the everyday things that need to get done. Working for a living, taking the kids to school, walking the dog. Simple, usually harmless things that take up time and prevent a Christian from attending to things required by his faith.

Of course by this view a Christian has to look inward and see how he has failed to attend to things he should, instead of looking outward and lay blame on 'the world'.

This is a view many Pagans and members of other faiths and perhaps even those without a faith should think about. Have the simple everyday things prevented me from getting to other, in the long run, more important things.

 

[SiderealExalt]

That's certainly a nicer take on it than some others. Most of the time when I see Christians use the term, they seem to be using it simply to insult strangers and say people outside of their little sphere of live are immoral.

 

[feral]

Who is "the world" that Christians talk about?

Perhaps I'm cynical, but I tend to think most Christians use the term when describing anybody (either individual or group) that does not support or respect their agenda. Obviously, that's not true of all Christians, but I've seen that usage too often not to mention it. On message boards it seems that if a non-Christian responds to a Christian post with agreement and enthusiasm, nothing is said, but if the non-Christian disagrees, especially with solid evidence and a good point, then it's time to complain about the dreadful world that just doesn't understand and will get it's comeuppance in due time.

 

[PassionFruit]

Well......I was taught to believe growing up as a Christian that "the world" was anything that wasn't of God, never fully understood what that means. What would be considered "not of God?" Because it seems to be very broad. Some Christians may take that as listening to certain kinds of music and watching certain television programs. Then of course, there are other Christians who have a different view of this.

That's certainly a nicer take on it than some others. Most of the time when I see Christians use the term, they seem to be using it simply to insult strangers and say people outside of their little sphere of live are immoral.

Yeah, I think it depends. I have known some Christians to take it the extreme of not even associating with people who they feel don't share the same values as they do. Then like I pointed out, that could mean banning certain television programs from their homes, not listening to specific kinds of music. But also I agree with your point.

 

[Beanieboy]

My second way of looking at 'the world'.

It is simply the everyday things that need to get done. Working for a living, taking the kids to school, walking the dog. Simple, usually harmless things that take up time and prevent a Christian from attending to things required by his faith.

Of course by this view a Christian has to look inward and see how he has failed to attend to things he should, instead of looking outward and lay blame on 'the world'.

This is a view many Pagans and members of other faiths and perhaps even those without a faith should think about. Have the simple everyday things prevented me from getting to other, in the long run, more important things.

That rings true. I am hearing a song we sang in camp:
"I cannot come, I cannot come to the banquet, don't bother me know, I have married a wife, I have bought me a cow (which we always switched), I have fields and commitments that cost a pretty sum, be hold me excused, I cannot come.

Interesting take.Thanks

 

[Beanieboy]

Perhaps I'm cynical, but I tend to think most Christians use the term when describing anybody (either individual or group) that does not support or respect their agenda. Obviously, that's not true of all Christians, but I've seen that usage too often not to mention it. On message boards it seems that if a non-Christian responds to a Christian post with agreement and enthusiasm, nothing is said, but if the non-Christian disagrees, especially with solid evidence and a good point, then it's time to complain about the dreadful world that just doesn't understand and will get it's comeuppance in due time.

I think this is often the case.
Unfortunately, they often accuse "the world" of being haters of God, and thus, their enemy, and not children of God to be saved, or loved, for that matter. In fact, some seem excited about the future eternal punishment of others. I wonder, then, how God feels about that.

 

[keith99]

I think this is often the case.
Unfortunately, they often accuse "the world" of being haters of God, and thus, their enemy, and not children of God to be saved, or loved, for that matter. In fact, some seem excited about the future eternal punishment of others. I wonder, then, how God feels about that.

Taking it a bit more into focus. If the world is their enemy then what of:

For God so loved THE WORLD that he sent his...

God seems to be rather fond of the world, if the world is ones enemy perhaps so is God.

 

[BAFRIEND]

The world is morality in relation to ethics.

Morality stems from mores, which means to immitate. Ethics stems from the Greek alethia, which means: not to bury, or cover.

So, when in the context we speak of the world- we mean that which is evil we partake in that is accepted through immitation- like genocide being accepted through social norm like what occured in Nazi Germany or abortion being practiced today.

 

[feral]

The world is morality in relation to ethics.

Morality stems from mores, which means to immitate. Ethics stems from the Greek alethia, which means: not to bury, or cover.

So, when in the context we speak of the world- we mean that which is evil we partake in that is accepted through immitation- like genocide being accepted through social norm like what occured in Nazi Germany or abortion being practiced today.

What do you make of the idea that Christians should be "in the world, but not of it"? I've always taken 'the world' in this context to mean secular society. Christians physically live among secular people and people who practise other religions, but it seems they are meant to live like aliens and not to adopt the culture, values, ideals, etc of secularism. It seems to encompass a broader idea that just avoiding extreme human right's catastrophes, particularly since the Bible doesn't seem, to my worldly eyes, a catalogue of humanist triumphs but rather one where human rights are often irrelevant when they contrast with God's plan.