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(July 28, 2015 at 4:02 pm)Drich Wrote: Seriously? Do you honestly believe it is easier to be a Christian, than a member of pop culture?
Nice false dichotomy. One can be a member of "pop culture" or one can be a Christian (those bold counter-cultural heroes!). Seriously? You can't imagine other possibilities? Or is "pop culture" now the Christian buzzword for being part of the World and of the Flesh?
People 'of this world' is How Jesus identifies people not aligned with God. Popular culture for this generation at least does not align itself with God. Therefore 'pop culture' and people of This world/non believers are the same.
(July 28, 2015 at 4:07 pm)Crossless1 Wrote: Nice false dichotomy. One can be a member of "pop culture" or one can be a Christian (those bold counter-cultural heroes!). Seriously? You can't imagine other possibilities? Or is "pop culture" now the Christian buzzword for being part of the World and of the Flesh?
People 'of this world' is How Jesus identifies people not aligned with God. Popular culture for this generation at least does not align itself with God. Therefore 'pop culture' and people of This world/non believers are the same.
That must explain why so many people who represent pop culture never thank god when they win an award, or score in their sport.
Oh, wait....
"I was thirsty for everything, but blood wasn't my style" - Live, "Voodoo Lady"
(July 28, 2015 at 4:07 pm)Crossless1 Wrote: Nice false dichotomy. One can be a member of "pop culture" or one can be a Christian (those bold counter-cultural heroes!). Seriously? You can't imagine other possibilities? Or is "pop culture" now the Christian buzzword for being part of the World and of the Flesh?
People 'of this world' is How Jesus identifies people not aligned with God. Popular culture for this generation at least does not align itself with God. Therefore 'pop culture' and people of This world/non believers are the same.
Yes, that's what I figured. Just to make sure I have this straight, when you say non-believers you are really saying non-Christians, right? Not necessarily just filthy libertine atheists and so forth, but everyone who is not of your faith. So observant Jews, Muslims, Hindus, Sikhs, Buddhists, Jains, Taoists, various types of latter-day pagans, etc. are all "pop culture" even if they spend their lives in contemplation in some sanctuary or spreading peace and love among the people. Right? Isn't that what your (and Jesus') accursed Manichean culling of "us versus them" is really about?
If so, then in answer to your question, I agree that it must be harder to be a Christian than to be part of "pop culture" since I don't have to waste time and effort twisting my reason into a pretzel to justify believing the crazy shit I would have to buy into to be a member of your selective club.
(July 28, 2015 at 4:10 pm)TRJF Wrote: Question not addressed to me, but I'll answer.
1) What the hell is a member of pop culture? (Maybe this was defined earlier in the thread, but I just skimmed.)
see my last post.
Quote:2) To respond to this question: do you honestly believe it is easier to be a Christian, than [a non-Christian]? Answer: it depends.
But, the real question:
on what?
Quote:3) Do you honestly believe it is easier to be a Christian [in the United States], than [a non-Christian in the United States]?
Being Christ despite circumstance is hard no matter what. It is so much easier to just give up and adopt some sort of bastardized morality and justify whatever you want so long as no one get hurt.
Quote:Yes. Unequivocally, yes. You have free reign to practice your religion
To have a pastor perform a ceremony that is against his deeply held legitmate religious views is not freedom to practice religion sport, that is a state mandated religious practice. Something our bill'o rights says we do not have to do, but popular culture says we must.
Quote: you're the large majority, AND you get the psychological comfort of "knowing" there's someone watching out for you, and that dying isn't really the end, and that you're important and the universe was created for you (rather than having to come up with your own meaning as an insignificant part of a cold, uncaring universe), and that the consequences of things on earth aren't really that great, because the end goal is so much bigger than this.
If this were true we would not be killing unborn babies, sanctioning gay marriages, and removing God from every aspect of public life, nor would the state mandate our religious practices.
Quote:Everyone, Christian or not, American or not, has their own problems. But, as far as we go: yes, it is much, much easier to be a Christian in America than not.
Where do you live? maybe we should trade homes.
There are two boys lost off the coast of Florida and a radio deejay who announced this news story ended, 'our prayers are with you.' I cringed because he said this on a non Christian station. The very next break he had to appologise for expressing his religious views on company air time and made a disclaimer statement that his company did not endorse his 'prayer.'
what kind of world do we live in, where we can not offer prayer to two 14 year olds lost at sea? More over if we live in a majority Christian country then why do we have to go about daily life as if we were stepping on egg shells all the time?
If you went to china, do you think they would keep their deeply held religious/cultural views out of the public eye so as to not offend some douche bag minority? Then why do we do it here unless those numbers are not repersentivite of who and what the majority of this country really is.
(July 28, 2015 at 4:35 pm)Crossless1 Wrote: Yes, that's what I figured. Just to make sure I have this straight, when you say non-believers you are really saying non-Christians, right? Not necessarily just filthy libertine atheists and so forth, but everyone who is not of your faith. So observant Jews, Muslims, Hindus, Sikhs, Buddhists, Jains, Taoists, various types of latter-day pagans, etc. are all "pop culture" even if they spend their lives in contemplation in some sanctuary or spreading peace and love among the people. Right? Isn't that what your (and Jesus') accursed Manichean culling of "us versus them" is really about?
No they are not apart of the pop culture in this country. Pop culture refuses all gods. That is my word for your lack of faith in anything.
Quote:If so, then in answer to your question, I agree that it must be harder to be a Christian than to be part of "pop culture" since I don't have to waste time and effort twisting my reason into a pretzel to justify believing the crazy shit I would have to buy into to be a member of your selective club.
But, don't you see the sword you swing has two sides... To be a member of popular culture you have you own rules to follow, your own verion of orgins, your own 'morality' and your own rewards and punishment to be apart of your own selective club.
You are just as messed up as the rest, you even think your version/life philosophy is the ONE true Philosphy and everyone else is wrong.
(July 28, 2015 at 4:15 pm)Drich Wrote: People 'of this world' is How Jesus identifies people not aligned with God. Popular culture for this generation at least does not align itself with God. Therefore 'pop culture' and people of This world/non believers are the same.
That must explain why so many people who represent pop culture never thank god when they win an award, or score in their sport.
(July 28, 2015 at 4:17 pm)KevinM1 Wrote: That must explain why so many people who represent pop culture never thank god when they win an award, or score in their sport.
Oh, wait....
Figured you wouldn't have anything but an assertion to go on.
Want me to post the Chris Pratt article where he talks about his faith? If anyone represents pop culture of the last couple years, it's him.
"I was thirsty for everything, but blood wasn't my style" - Live, "Voodoo Lady"
July 28, 2015 at 4:51 pm (This post was last modified: July 28, 2015 at 4:51 pm by Crossless2.0.)
(July 28, 2015 at 4:43 pm)Drich Wrote:
(July 28, 2015 at 4:35 pm)Crossless1 Wrote: Yes, that's what I figured. Just to make sure I have this straight, when you say non-believers you are really saying non-Christians, right? Not necessarily just filthy libertine atheists and so forth, but everyone who is not of your faith. So observant Jews, Muslims, Hindus, Sikhs, Buddhists, Jains, Taoists, various types of latter-day pagans, etc. are all "pop culture" even if they spend their lives in contemplation in some sanctuary or spreading peace and love among the people. Right? Isn't that what your (and Jesus') accursed Manichean culling of "us versus them" is really about?
No they are not apart of the pop culture in this country. Pop culture refuses all gods. That is my word for your lack of faith in anything.
Quote:If so, then in answer to your question, I agree that it must be harder to be a Christian than to be part of "pop culture" since I don't have to waste time and effort twisting my reason into a pretzel to justify believing the crazy shit I would have to buy into to be a member of your selective club.
But, don't you see the sword you swing has two sides... To be a member of popular culture you have you own rules to follow, your own verion of orgins, your own 'morality' and your own rewards and punishment to be apart of your own selective club.
You are just as messed up as the rest, you even think your version/life philosophy is the ONE true Philosphy and everyone else is wrong.
By all means, tell me about myself and my views on the big issues: What rules do I follow (aside from the civil laws to which we are all subject)? What is my version of origins? What are the basic tenets of my morality? What are the guiding elements of my philosophy? I've read your book, Drich. I doubt you've read most of mine.
(July 28, 2015 at 4:10 pm)TRJF Wrote: Question not addressed to me, but I'll answer.
1) What the hell is a member of pop culture? (Maybe this was defined earlier in the thread, but I just skimmed.)
see my last post.
Quote:2) To respond to this question: do you honestly believe it is easier to be a Christian, than [a non-Christian]? Answer: it depends.
But, the real question:
on what?
Quote:3) Do you honestly believe it is easier to be a Christian [in the United States], than [a non-Christian in the United States]?
Being Christ despite circumstance is hard no matter what. It is so much easier to just give up and adopt some sort of bastardized morality and justify whatever you want so long as no one get hurt.
Quote:Yes. Unequivocally, yes. You have free reign to practice your religion
To have a pastor perform a ceremony that is against his deeply held legitmate religious views is not freedom to practice religion sport, that is a state mandated religious practice. Something our bill'o rights says we do not have to do, but popular culture says we must.
Quote: you're the large majority, AND you get the psychological comfort of "knowing" there's someone watching out for you, and that dying isn't really the end, and that you're important and the universe was created for you (rather than having to come up with your own meaning as an insignificant part of a cold, uncaring universe), and that the consequences of things on earth aren't really that great, because the end goal is so much bigger than this.
If this were true we would not be killing unborn babies, sanctioning gay marriages, and removing God from every aspect of public life, nor would the state mandate our religious practices.
Quote:Everyone, Christian or not, American or not, has their own problems. But, as far as we go: yes, it is much, much easier to be a Christian in America than not.
Where do you live? maybe we should trade homes.
There are two boys lost off the coast of Florida and a radio deejay who announced this news story ended, 'our prayers are with you.' I cringed because he said this on a non Christian station. The very next break he had to appologise for expressing his religious views on company air time and made a disclaimer statement that his company did not endorse his 'prayer.'
what kind of world do we live in, where we can not offer prayer to two 14 year olds lost at sea? More over if we live in a majority Christian country then why do we have to go about daily life as if we were stepping on egg shells all the time?
If you went to china, do you think they would keep their deeply held religious/cultural views out of the public eye so as to not offend some douche bag minority? Then why do we do it here unless those numbers are not repersentivite of who and what the majority of this country really is.
Take another look at the article at your link. It is regarding "wedding chapels," not churches. Wedding chapels are basically businesses which marry people. Businesses are not allowed to discriminate. Churches are.
(July 28, 2015 at 4:17 pm)KevinM1 Wrote: That must explain why so many people who represent pop culture never thank god when they win an award, or score in their sport.
Oh, wait....
Better not let god see you doing that, and you're toast if even one see hits the ground.
