RE: Manufacturing proof of God
February 13, 2010 at 7:43 pm
(This post was last modified: February 13, 2010 at 8:10 pm by Watson.)
It's not a strawman, Rhizo, I am very aware that some churches dive headfirst into the meat of supposed issues, but they do so all from the perspective of their ritualistic and ceremonial view-points, basically saying things like 'if enough people do these things, then this problem will go away.' That is, of course, not how faith or how real life works.
Not only this, but when a person attending church brings up any idea which is critical of the church or counter to their specific dogma, they are regarded as fools and ostracized heavily. Bouncing ideas off of other believers is fine, but when the ideas being bounced are against the church's wishes, or from a different mindset than the church, it is usually quite frowned upon.
And I find it very funny that you say my view of what a church is is a strawman. Actually, my view of what church is and is supposed to be comes from having gone for several years asa child, and also from...*drum roll* the Bible itself.
You are aware that, in the Bible, when Jesus was among the people and speaking freely of his beliefs, he didn't go around trying to 'convert' all the non-believers or all those of other faiths? People would come to him and he would outline his views on religion very simply, in such a way that either A.) you hated his guts because he was right or B.) you loved him because he was right. Ironicaly, he was most critical of the churches and the dissent among the followers into seperated sects.
This is the whole reason why Jesus was crucified, because he offended the church and threatened to take followers(and with them, precious money) away from them.
Not only this, but when a person attending church brings up any idea which is critical of the church or counter to their specific dogma, they are regarded as fools and ostracized heavily. Bouncing ideas off of other believers is fine, but when the ideas being bounced are against the church's wishes, or from a different mindset than the church, it is usually quite frowned upon.
And I find it very funny that you say my view of what a church is is a strawman. Actually, my view of what church is and is supposed to be comes from having gone for several years asa child, and also from...*drum roll* the Bible itself.
You are aware that, in the Bible, when Jesus was among the people and speaking freely of his beliefs, he didn't go around trying to 'convert' all the non-believers or all those of other faiths? People would come to him and he would outline his views on religion very simply, in such a way that either A.) you hated his guts because he was right or B.) you loved him because he was right. Ironicaly, he was most critical of the churches and the dissent among the followers into seperated sects.
This is the whole reason why Jesus was crucified, because he offended the church and threatened to take followers(and with them, precious money) away from them.
