Problems with Christian Church

[NoFaith2Burn4]

I have a few questions regarding your perspectives on the church and Christianity..

**What are the big problems/issues you see in the Christian church today?
"The Church" doesn't exist, there are too many of them, all separated on account of the petty tyrannies of long-dead leaders who refused to compromise with newer, differing views. With over 4,000 sectarian divisions within Christianity alone, that's not exactly a winning score for a faith system which purports to exist for only one god.

**Is your perspective of the former question from the inside (ie, your background was in church) or that of an outsider looking in? What took you away from church, if your background was church?
I've been there, and seen it all. I've seen the oppressive older generations of Roman Catholics, and the newer, re-invented liberal spin on Catholicism. I've seen country churches crowded with residents who were there primarily to socialize and drink coffee, I've seen those who worshiped quietly, glum-faced and clad in shiny shoes, dour suits, frumpy dresses, while carrying their bibles in swank leather sheathes. They essentially prayed for Jesus to come and deliver them soon from the misery which they had created for themselves through their fearful, paranoid ideas. They are ugly, mean people, many lawyers and accountants among them. I've seen churches full of those who worship loudly, and with great joy, allowing their imaginations to run wild and make them high on the ideas which they were taught. Many of the people there are recovering drug addicts and often they are particularly scary, criminal losers. Most are dropouts with low education. Then there are the serious evangelicals, where it would be hard to fit in if you aren't either planning an overseas proselytizing mission or supporting one. I remember one which a high school friend was involved in, the majority population there were young and spoiled brats, the offspring of other missionaries who managed to enrich themselves through their "charity" business. They tend to be reasonably intelligent, but so weirdly obsessed on their faith ideas - it's enough to scare off sensible people just as you may decide to avoid one who analyzed the hat which you happened to be wearing down to the last thread within 20 minutes after having met you. 

I stopped going to churches when I realized I could not play the dishonest game which kept the majority there from leaving. I had long suspected that most people who go there think no differently than I on the spuriousness of all claims to knowing any supernatural ideas as truthful, or knowing anything about the unknowable supernatural and its demands on mortal humans if it did exist. They stay because leaving is difficult - they knew they would be vilified for this by the ignorant assholes in their congregations, most of whom they never liked, but controlled what friends they had. They themselves had been taught to trust a rapist or a murderer more than anyone who doesn't believe what they do, however ridiculous it may be, therefore they stayed for fear that leaving would make them bad people. Due to the migratory nature of my parents' churchgoing patterns during my childhood, my personal ties weren't strong with any particular church, and the more I searched for any group worth spending my Sunday mornings with, the more comfortable I became with finding better ways to spend that time.

**What do you think about the person Jesus Christ? Is he real, historical person? Faked?
There is no sufficient evidence by which one can rule on that question. On "Jesus Christ", nobody was ever born with that name. "Christ" is a title which a man named Joshua was endowed with more than a century after his death. Joshua was one of many Joshuas who lived among the Jews of his generation, and also one of many others who were leading the rebel-rabble of a population which was unhappy with Roman rule, and particularly infuriated by the violent outrages of Roman-appointed kings such as Herod. It does appear that at least one Joshua who was in that business made enough of an impression on his followers that they took his message abroad, even after he was gone. So, which rebel named Joshua was it who's rabble later traveled the world? Was it really only one among them? Pleeeeeezzze don't say it was Joshua of Nazareth, born in Bethlehem during the census which never actually took place - let's keep it historical! Anywho, the Greeks gave him their linguistic interpretation of the name Joshua, and from there on to Rome, where Joshua became Iesus. The "I" is because no "J" exists in Roman Latin. So the name "Jesus" didn't really exist until 1500 years later when the bible was transcribed into English.

**What is the point or purpose in your life? What do you live for?
I don't need a purpose for my life - I live because life is good, and is preferable to the alternative. Sometimes I will re-orient my priorities for the benefit of other people, but this is always my choice - I don't dance on the end of anyone's strings, and I will not be any imagined entity's slave.

I'm especially interested in your responses to the first question!!

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I have a few questions regarding your perspectives on the church and Christianity..

**What are the big problems/issues you see in the Christian church today?
"The Church" doesn't exist, there are too many of them, all separated on account of the petty tyrannies of long-dead leaders who refused to compromise with newer, differing views. With over 4,000 sectarian divisions within Christianity alone, that's not exactly a winning score for a faith system which purports to exist for only one god.

**Is your perspective of the former question from the inside (ie, your background was in church) or that of an outsider looking in? What took you away from church, if your background was church?
I've been there, and seen it all. I've seen the oppressive older generations of Roman Catholics, and the newer, re-invented liberal spin on Catholicism. I've seen country churches crowded with residents who were there primarily to socialize and drink coffee, I've seen those who worshiped quietly, glum-faced and clad in shiny shoes, dour suits, frumpy dresses, while carrying their bibles in swank leather sheathes. They essentially prayed for Jesus to come and deliver them soon from the misery which they had created for themselves through their fearful, paranoid ideas. They are ugly, mean people, many lawyers and accountants among them. I've also seen churches full of those who worship loudly, and with great joy, allowing their imaginations to run wild and make them high on the ideas which they were taught. Many of the people there are recovering drug addicts and often they are particularly scary, criminal losers. Most are dropouts with low education. Then there are the serious evangelicals, where it would be hard to fit in if you aren't either planning an overseas proselytizing mission or supporting one. I remember one which a high school friend was involved in, the majority population there were young and spoiled brats, the offspring of other missionaries who managed to enrich themselves through their "charity" business. They tend to be reasonably intelligent, but so weirdly obsessed on their faith ideas - it's enough to scare off sensible people just as you may decide to avoid one who analyzed the hat which you happened to be wearing down to the last thread within 20 minutes after having met you. 

I stopped going to churches when I realized I could not play the dishonest game which kept the majority there from leaving. I had long suspected that most people who go there think no differently than I on the spuriousness of all claims to knowing any supernatural ideas as truthful, or knowing anything about the unknowable supernatural and its demands on mortal humans if it did exist. They stay because leaving is difficult - they knew they would be vilified for this by the ignorant assholes in their congregations, most of whom they never liked, but controlled what friends they had. They themselves had been taught to trust a rapist or a murderer more than anyone who doesn't believe what they do, however ridiculous it may be, therefore they stayed for fear that leaving would make them bad people. Due to the migratory nature of my parents' churchgoing patterns during my childhood, my personal ties weren't strong with any particular church, and the more I searched for any group worth spending my Sunday mornings with, the more comfortable I became with finding better ways to spend that time.

**What do you think about the person Jesus Christ? Is he real, historical person? Faked?
There is no sufficient evidence by which one can rule on that question. On "Jesus Christ", nobody was ever born with that name. "Christ" is a title which a man named Joshua was endowed with more than a century after his death. Joshua was one of many Joshuas who lived among the Jews of his generation, and also one of many others who were leading the rebel-rabble of a population which was unhappy with Roman rule, and particularly infuriated by the violent outrages of Roman-appointed kings such as Herod. It does appear that at least one Joshua who was in that business made enough of an impression on his followers that they took his message abroad, even after he was gone. So, which rebel named Joshua was it who's rabble later traveled the world? Was it really only one among them? Pleeeeeezzze don't say it was Joshua of Nazareth, born in Bethlehem during the census which never actually took place - let's keep it historical! Anywho, the Greeks gave him their linguistic interpretation of the name Joshua, and from there on to Rome, where Joshua became Iesus. The "I" is because no "J" exists in Roman Latin. So the name "Jesus" didn't really exist until 1500 years later when the bible was transcribed into English.

**What is the point or purpose in your life? What do you live for?
I don't need a purpose for my life - I live because life is good, and is preferable to the alternative. Sometimes I will re-orient my priorities for the benefit of other people, but this is always my choice - I don't dance on the end of anyone's strings, and I will not be any imagined entity's slave.

I'm especially interested in your responses to the first question!!