Spent the early part of year discrediting Christianity Jesus

Mr. Ed

Mr. Ed

Be what you is not what you what you ain’t
Location
Central NY
I know how Christianity is supposed work, give up Life to Jesus, Holy Spirit moves in who guides and protects you. A curious thing has happened since my rant of unholiness toward the Big Three. To be clear I have yet prove the existence of sin, forgiveness or salvation but in the course of 1 week with the pastor and his family I realized the source of discontempment falls on the negligence of my parents, my father’s cowardliness and my mother’s ignorance. Together, their unpreparedness in life negatively affected an entire generation.
 

I think many of us grow-up blending our perception of God with what we know of our parents. We pray "Our Father" and we can't stop the image of our earthly father coming to mind. I know lots of women who grew up under domineering fathers who reject the masculine in any religion.

Worst of all is the effect it has on children to grow up in a strict fundamentalist church where simple harmless things are looked on as great sins and older church members frighten and dominate the little ones.

It's too bad, because true Christianity is all about love and forgiveness and these humans keep others away from what could be such a great comfort in their lives.
 
didn't christ once say "suffer little children to come unto me and forbid them not, to come unto me: for of such is the kingdom of heaven."
Matthew 19:14 - yes you are quite right - churches often run incorrectly and follow the dictates of man and fathers and uncles and no Christ - funny how even the churches of all denominations are unable to follow simple directions from the gospel?
 

Some people use religion as a facade, but are actually great sinners. Another reason that there are not as many religious people in the younger generation, as there used to be. A person is seen holding a bible and preaching or posing for a picture, and the younger generation sees a hypocrite.
 
Mr. Ed said:
I know how Christianity is supposed work, give up Life to Jesus, Holy Spirit moves in who guides and protects you. A curious thing has happened since my rant of unholiness toward the Big Three. To be clear I have yet prove the existence of sin, forgiveness or salvation but in the course of 1 week with the pastor and his family I realized the source of discontempment falls on the negligence of my parents, my father’s cowardliness and my mother’s ignorance. Together, their unpreparedness in life negatively affected an entire generation.
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I have heard this same discontentment expressed by so many people who have been forced to accept their parents' dogmatic beliefs. The child has no choice but to do as their parents tell them, or they will be punished ( and that is because God doesn't like what you're doing or thinking ). This is a form of brain washing. The child has no idea that the world isn't like what has been told to them. They are left with a fractured view of cultures, and human activity.

Yet, this same authoritarian dogma is still being fed to our children. It is up to the adults to expose these stories as mere myth, and let the young people learn from all cultures and religions, and they will understand that man has been making up religious stories for centuries, and none of them tell the same story.
 
As a Christian, I was surprised when my BFF told me that Christians worship Jesus! I never got that impression growing up in our AME church, which is classified as Methodist. We worshipped God, who the Bible says created heaven, earth, man and other creatures. So it was not a big jump for me to continuing worshipping God (Allah in Arabic) when I accepted Islam in my late 40s. Although Jesus and other prophets are revered in Islam, we do not worship any of them (some mistakenly believe we worship Prophet Muhammad [PBUH]. An Islamic book honoring the prophets: "Stories Of The Prophets" by Ibn Kathir, which of course includes Moses and Jesus, as well as others also mentioned in the Bible.

Christians who focus their worship on Jesus, apparently do not know that when asked, Jesus told one of the high council members who had summoned him, that he was not worthy of being worshipped. That council member wanted to trick him, thus have a reason to order harsh punishment and perhaps death, for him. After asking Jesus a couple of more times, Jesus maintained he was not worthy of being worshipped. This story was relayed several decades ago by a Christian minister on a public T.V. broadcast.

Additionally, Jesus asked his followers to worship as he worshipped and he certainly did not worship himself...he worshipped God. I wonder if Jesus would be appalled to know that people are worshipping him instead of worshipping God, our Creator. I was immersed in the Christian faith from childhood, then studied Islam starting in my 40's. Never once did I doubt the existence of a higher power, even though I question some things and have experienced heartbreaking events. Having faith is a part of who I am and not having it would just seem weird to me. My parents set down a foundation for me....certainly different than yours Mr. Ed.
 
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Paco Dennis said:
I have heard this same discontentment expressed by so many people who have been forced to accept their parents' dogmatic beliefs. The child has no choice but to do as their parents tell them, or they will be punished ( and that is because God doesn't like what you're doing or thinking ). This is a form of brain washing. The child has no idea that the world isn't like what has been told to them. They are left with a fractured view of cultures, and human activity.

Yet, this same authoritarian dogma is still being fed to our children. It is up to the adults to expose these stories as mere myth, and let the young people learn from all cultures and religions, and they will understand that man has been making up religious stories for centuries, and none of them tell the same story.
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That's been going on for quite awhile and is probably the main reason Christianity and other religions have declined markedly in the last fifty years and more and more young people are checking "none," after religion. I don't see an improvement in our society. Instead I see young people filling a hole left by this lack of guidance with a new set of values formed by fashion and rap music
 
@OneEyedDiva
"Christians who focus their worship on Jesus, apparently do not know that when asked, Jesus told one of the high council members who had summoned him, that he was not worthy of being worshipped."
"Additionally, Jesus asked his followers to worship as he worshipped and he certainly did not worship himself."

Then why did he say:
“I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me” (John 14:6).??????

What does except through me mean if not praying to? Is praying to not the same as worship?

Thanks.
 
Della said:
That's been going on for quite awhile and is probably the main reason Christianity and other religions have declined markedly in the last fifty years and more and more young people are checking "none," after religion. I don't see an improvement in our society. Instead I see young people filling a hole left by this lack of guidance with a new set of values formed by fashion and rap music
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Over the past few decades, there has indeed been a decline in religious adherence, especially among younger generations. I don't think a hole has been left within them. As societies become more modern and interconnected, traditional religious beliefs may lose prominence. People seek alternative sources of meaning and purpose beyond religious institutions. The current young folks' search for meaning and truth remain strong. They have new ways of expressing their religion. :) Young people today have exposure to diverse perspectives, which can lead to questioning and reevaluation of religious dogmas.

You mentioned fashion and rap music as new sources of values. Pop culture plays a significant role in shaping attitudes and beliefs. Music, art, and media influence how we perceive the world and our place in it. I am not ready to throw our young people under the bus just yet. Give them a few years to understand the new era we have entered. It is going to take us all time to adjust.

Also, scandals, hypocrisy, and institutional shortcomings within religious organizations have also contributed to declining trust and participation.
 
Pepper said:
@OneEyedDiva
"Christians who focus their worship on Jesus, apparently do not know that when asked, Jesus told one of the high council members who had summoned him, that he was not worthy of being worshipped."
"Additionally, Jesus asked his followers to worship as he worshipped and he certainly did not worship himself."

Then why did he say:
“I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me” (John 14:6).??????

What does except through me mean if not praying to? Is praying to not the same as worship?

Thanks.
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Well I knew that quote would come up Pepper. Perhaps he meant following his way (which was doing good deeds and worshipping God) was the way to get to heaven. I can't say for sure, but I believe that quote in and of itself is why people feel they are following the right path in worshipping him.
 
Mr. Ed said:
I know how Christianity is supposed work, give up Life to Jesus, Holy Spirit moves in who guides and protects you. A curious thing has happened since my rant of unholiness toward the Big Three. To be clear I have yet prove the existence of sin, forgiveness or salvation but in the course of 1 week with the pastor and his family I realized the source of discontempment falls on the negligence of my parents, my father’s cowardliness and my mother’s ignorance. Together, their unpreparedness in life negatively affected an entire generation.
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At the end of the day, religion is a personal choice. The best we could hope for is a respectful acceptance of a difference of opinion. Those who believe in a God with every fiber of their soul simply can't comprehend that they may be mistaken. And those who have found no evidence, have never been spoken to, and have come up zero for in their inward looking for a "soul" or God, simply can't accept there is such a thing.

There are also people somewhere between the two extremes. Some are searching for the answer, many not.

If one who disparages the belief in a God is doing so in an effort to dissuade believers, then it's a fools errand. At the end of the day, even explanations of why a believer thinks as they do are inadequate. I think it comes down to whether you're willing to dip into plain old "faith", or not. Or put another way, hard evidence or simply a trust.

The irony is - it doesn't matter. Neither a lack of evidence nor a blind belief tells us whether there truly is a God. It speaks only of our individual belief. So, in the end, be respectful, no matter which side of the fence you fall.
 
OneEyedDiva said:
As a Christian, I was surprised when my BFF told me that Christians worship Jesus!...Christians who focus their worship on Jesus, apparently do not know that when asked...Additionally, Jesus asked his followers to worship as he worshipped and he certainly did not worship himself...he worshipped God. I wonder if Jesus would be appalled to know that people are worshipping him instead of worshipping God, our Creator.
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The answer is in the belief of the "Trinity"....which is hard to grasp unless you believe by faith. It's complicated but I'll explain in my words from what I understand from the Bible.

The Trinity is God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. One in 3 forms with separate purposes. It's like an egg. The egg is one entity but has a yolk, a white, and a shell which have their own separate purpose...just like God is one entity with Jesus and the Holy Spirit having their own separate purpose.

Jesus' purpose was to pay the punishment of our sins so we could be forgiven of our sins if we ask and believe. The Holy Spirit's purpose is to heal us and fill us with love and His spirit to comfort us...also if we ask and believe. He's our Helper.

Therefore we pray to God through Jesus because Jesus is relatable for us because he came in human form for that purpose
 
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Lara said:
The answer is in the belief of the "Trinity"....which is hard to grasp unless you believe by faith. It's complicated but I'll explain in my words from what I understand from the Bible.

The Trinity is God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. One is 3 forms with separate purposes. It's like an egg. The egg is one entity but has a yolk, a white, and a shell which have their own separate purpose...just like God is one entity with Jesus and the Holy Spirit having their own separate purpose.

Jesus' purpose was to pay the punishment of our sins so we could be forgiven of our sins if we ask and believe. The Holy Spirit's purpose is to heal us and fill us with love and His spirit to comfort us...also if we ask and believe.
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Thank you Lara. I'm aware of The Trinity because this was often at the end of our prayer in the church services "In the name of The Father, The Son and the Holy Ghost" Even still, I never got the impression our worship was focused on Jesus. Maybe that's just how my young mind interpreted (or misinterpreted) things. :unsure:
 
OneEyedDiva said:
Thank you Lara. I'm aware of The Trinity because this was often at the end of our prayer in the church services "In the name of The Father, The Son and the Holy Ghost" Even still, I never got the impression our worship was focused on Jesus. Maybe that's just how my young mind interpreted (or misinterpreted) things. :unsure:
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I totally understand. It's hard to grasp but God did it that way on purpose. It was a BIG DEAL for God to offer His GIFT of Salvation from our sins in a way we could relate and believe. So He wanted to be on earth face to face with us in human form with His message. Worshipping Jesus is worshipping God in a relatable way as God designed.

When I start my prayer I usually say "Heavenly Father or Lord God, and when I end my prayer I say "In Jesus Name Amen".
 
Mr. Ed said:
but in the course of 1 week with the pastor and his family I realized the source of discontempment falls on the negligence of my parents, my father’s cowardliness and my mother’s ignorance. Together, their unpreparedness in life negatively affected an entire generation.
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@Mr Ed

You probably know this verse;

Num. 14. [18] The LORD is longsuffering, and of great mercy, forgiving iniquity and transgression, and by no means clearing the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation.

Seems it applies

Sounds like you've gotten ahold of a good paster
It's a prize
 
The pastor you mention is the person who invited us into his home until we can make arrangements to move into an RV. He is also my neighbor and friend.
At the church we are members of we are between pastors and the interim pastor is not my cup of tea. We continue to go and support the church because interim means temporary.
 
A couple of things are going on, eliminated 3 medications and (TMS) Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation treatments 3 days a week. Perhaps everything rolled into one is contributing to the change?
 

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