Radical Christianity 101

[Chas]

Heretic.

If you really must know - It was a social experiment. I made a bet with myself as to which forum member would be the first to say something about the chopped paragraphs. The good news is, I was right - I knew you'd be the first person to bitch about it. The bad news is that now I owe myself five bucks.

The good news is that you just won five bucks.

[freedomfromforum]

If you really must know - It was a social experiment. I made a bet with myself as to which forum member would be the first to say something about the chopped paragraphs. The good news is, I was right - I knew you'd be the first person to bitch about it. The bad news is that now I owe myself five bucks.

The good news is that you just won five bucks.

Yeah, but I'm bad at paying gambling debts.

[Jackalope]

Heretic.

If you really must know - It was a social experiment. I made a bet with myself as to which forum member would be the first to say something about the chopped paragraphs. The good news is, I was right - I knew you'd be the first person to bitch about it. The bad news is that now I owe myself five bucks.

I figured there was a simple, logical reason - like you had lost your mind.

I don't go poking sticks into hornets' nests, nor do I mess with crazy people.

[Minimalist]

As long as you had a reason.

[freedomfromforum]

The impetus for this thread is a bit dark. Last night, when my wife arrived
home following a bible study, she talked about strong faith. I asked her if
she would be willing to deny christ if it meant that it would save her life.
She said, "No." I asked her if she would take a bullet and die rather than
deny christ; she said "Yes." I was sad. She asked why I got sad. I told her
that I was sad because religion had the power to take my wife's life away;
whether by the hand of a terrorist (whatever that is now), or by her own
free will. I am sad that my wife would effectively commit suicide for a lie.

[Captain Colostomy]

Read Christina Moss' "The Myth of Persecution" and find out how much of this martyr stuff is total bullshit.

Without benefit of reading it, I assume it calls historical martyrdom bunk. What is confusing is all these yokels claiming they'd die for jeebus. Is it posturing? Bravado for street cred at church? What? It's a sick sentiment, that...to applaud people's conviction of dying instead of a 'little white lie'. What a shit religion.

[Minimalist]

I highly recommend it. Moss is a good writer.

Think tourism....rather than street cred.

http://freethoughtblogs.com/almostdiamon...ists-talk/

[Crossless2.0]

Read Christina Moss' "The Myth of Persecution" and find out how much of this martyr stuff is total bullshit.

Without benefit of reading it, I assume it calls historical martyrdom bunk. What is confusing is all these yokels claiming they'd die for jeebus. Is it posturing? Bravado for street cred at church? What? It's a sick sentiment, that...to applaud people's conviction of dying instead of a 'little white lie'. What a shit religion.

Meanwhile in America, the "I'd die for Jesus" crowd -- having never come within sniffing distance of actual persecution, much less martyrdom -- have to content themselves with playing the persecution card when their idiotic ideas aren't incorporated into school science curricula, or when gay people's basic rights are recognized, or when mean people ask for evidence for their silly beliefs.

Bravado for street cred at church? Could be. But don't underestimate the narcissism involved in a lot of this. Mr. Dylan touched on this in a song:

"I wish I could give Brother Bill his great thrill.
I'd set him in chains at the top of the hill,
and send for the doctor and Cecil B. De Mille.
He could die happily ever after."

Imagining themselves the center of such a spectacle has, I'm sure, warmed the cockles of many a Christian heart -- especially those who are in no danger of such a thing ever happening.

[Doubting Thomas]

I'm guessing that most Christians in the U.S. know they'll never have to face such a dilemma, despite their most radical persecution fantasies.

[Neo-Scholastic]

Christian faith is radical and fanatical...
You do realize that christians and Muslims
believe the EXACT same things, right?
That everyone outside the faith (respectively)
is doomed to eternal hell where you and god
get to indulge in the pleasure of watching
'infidels' being tortured in hellfire - Right?

You capacity for creating strawmen is unrivaled.