Human Reason and Christian Denominations

[Bahana]

What's interesting to me about all the different sects of Christianity is that it is a prime example of humans using their own reason to create a belief system. Look at how varied some denominations are. Some will allow a homosexual to lead a church while others will not let a known gay person through the door. They all use the same Bible but use their own reason to decide what parts to emphasize and how to properly interpret scripture. It's not like some supernatural being is communicating them to tell them exactly what to do. If some Christians here believe that is the case then feel free to provide evidence of your communication with this being.

[JackRussell]

Teh Gayz are bad.

[Minimalist]

At least we all know they are just making this shit up.  And they aren't claiming telegrams from fucking Planet Kolob like the idiot mormons.

[purplepurpose]

All of them are betting on afterlife vacation. That's a core trend.

[Jenny A]

Both Jesus and Paul were predicting imminent heaven on earth in the form of socialist equality. Jesus preached that to be part of that, one should give everything away and begin to act like that kingdom where already there. You have to twist pretty hard to avoid believing Jesus was wrong about the timing, if nothing else. But how you can reconcile the Gospels with capitalism is beyond me. As I understand it, the line is Jesus was preaching what you had to have done to survive the kingdom of God if he didn't die for their sins. Oddly, he failed to mention that last bit. Nor did he say some of you standing here won't taste death before the coming of the kingdom of God, unless I'm crucified in which case the kingdom of God will just mean that believers will be resurrected. He said the former but not the later.

When Paul said, better to marry than burn it was not an endorcement. If you can read The Gospels and Paul's letters and argue heterosexual marriage is the bed rock of Christian society, you have already done so much rationalizing that a little more here and there is hardly surprising.

[RoadRunner79]

What's interesting to me about all the different sects of Christianity is that it is a prime example of humans using their own reason to create a belief system. Look at how varied some denominations are. Some will allow a homosexual to lead a church while others will not let a known gay person through the door. They all use the same Bible but use their own reason to decide what parts to emphasize and how to properly interpret scripture. It's not like some supernatural being is communicating them to tell them exactly what to do. If some Christians here believe that is the case then feel free to provide evidence of your communication with this being.

That sounds silly to me too!   We all have different backgrounds, different biases, and different understandings about a number of things.  I wouldn't expect Christianity to be any different.  I don't think that any of us, are above reproach;  I've been wrong on things before, I changed my mind on things, and I've had to eat crow on occasion.   I'm still growing, still learning, and I'm sure still screwing up.

I do disagree, however, that any of this means that people are just making things up (perhaps some are).  But some of us, don't believe that we are free to just make things up, or that thins are subjective.   Some believe that there is an objective truth, that we are trying to achieve.

[Brian37]

What's interesting to me about all the different sects of Christianity is that it is a prime example of humans using their own reason to create a belief system. Look at how varied some denominations are. Some will allow a homosexual to lead a church while others will not let a known gay person through the door. They all use the same Bible but use their own reason to decide what parts to emphasize and how to properly interpret scripture. It's not like some supernatural being is communicating them to tell them exactly what to do. If some Christians here believe that is the case then feel free to provide evidence of your communication with this being.

Different views of the same umbrella label isn't a patent owned by one religion. 

Sunnis and Shiite Muslims don't agree on politics. You won't get a Tibet Buddhist to agree with a Chinese Buddhist and a Chinese Buddhist wont agree with a Japanese Shinto Buddhist.

Religion, WORLDWIDE is a horrible way to conduct political diplomacy, even within the same umbrella labels within the sub sects. It isn't that you can rid the world of any religion, to try would make you a monster.

I think the important focus, is to face more humans to consider that morality isn't in an umbrella label, or it's competing sub sects, but in that our species morality is in OUR GENES.

Theists of every label ARE capable of doing good and being good and non violent. I simply don't buy that a religion is needed to do that, or that it is some morality handed to humanity down from us from a magical place. Our behaviors, good or bad, are not in old mythology of any label, but in our genes, in our evolution, good or bad. It is still up to humans how we choose to interact with each other.

[Bahana]

What's interesting to me about all the different sects of Christianity is that it is a prime example of humans using their own reason to create a belief system. Look at how varied some denominations are. Some will allow a homosexual to lead a church while others will not let a known gay person through the door. They all use the same Bible but use their own reason to decide what parts to emphasize and how to properly interpret scripture. It's not like some supernatural being is communicating them to tell them exactly what to do. If some Christians here believe that is the case then feel free to provide evidence of your communication with this being.

That sounds silly to me too!   We all have different backgrounds, different biases, and different understandings about a number of things.  I wouldn't expect Christianity to be any different.  I don't think that any of us, are above reproach;  I've been wrong on things before, I changed my mind on things, and I've had to eat crow on occasion.   I'm still growing, still learning, and I'm sure still screwing up.

I do disagree, however, that any of this means that people are just making things up (perhaps some are).  But some of us, don't believe that we are free to just make things up, or that thins are subjective.   Some believe that there is an objective truth, that we are trying to achieve.

   I do not think they are consciously making things up but when what they read conflicts with their moral compass, they often find a way to rationalize it or interpret it in a different way. I remember doing this as a Christian when reading the Bible and thought it must not mean what it seems to say here. Sometimes I would ask others and get the dodge, "Well, some things we wont know until we get to heaven".

[RoadRunner79]

That sounds silly to me too!   We all have different backgrounds, different biases, and different understandings about a number of things.  I wouldn't expect Christianity to be any different.  I don't think that any of us, are above reproach;  I've been wrong on things before, I changed my mind on things, and I've had to eat crow on occasion.   I'm still growing, still learning, and I'm sure still screwing up.

I do disagree, however, that any of this means that people are just making things up (perhaps some are).  But some of us, don't believe that we are free to just make things up, or that thins are subjective.   Some believe that there is an objective truth, that we are trying to achieve.

   I do not think they are consciously making things up but when what they read conflicts with their moral compass, they often find a way to rationalize it or interpret it in a different way. I remember doing this as a Christian when reading the Bible and thought it must not mean what it seems to say here. Sometimes I would ask others and get the dodge, "Well, some things we wont know until we get to heaven".

Yes, and some atheists complain, that Christians don't say "I don't know", some complain when they do.   Some do both at the same time.  I don't find that many atheists are very consistent themselves.  But they usually have different rules for believers anyway.

[Catholic_Lady]

There is diversity and differing opinions within Christianity just as there is everywhere else.