Orthodox Christianity?

"Denial" of anything implies that it is a proven and indisputable fact.

Christianity itself is, I think, is supposed to be about living a more moral life and loving your fellow human being.

It should not be about what you are required to accept or believe by any given church doctrine.

Since I created this thread I will answer your question. What good does it do to discuss it? I want to know if anyone, particularly Christians, know what the message of Christianity is.

Is it about "love" or is it about ... "accept this doctrine and believe this miracle happened or else you will go to hell."

Is that what it is about?

No, it's more than an idea...Real christianity is an "obligation" to do whatever we, as individuals, can do to promote the welfare of our fellowman.... It sounds easy, but it's damn hard....

Right on!

and more flowers for every posting of yours in this topic.

Apparently, atheists and agnostics want Christianity to simply be some kind of moral code only. Well ...



... because Christianity is about having a life that is abundant and eternal, made possible by a real God and a resurrected Savior.

Good to hear this.

People are not evil "by nature."

They simply to not know love.

Bibarnes had referred people to 'Adamic nature' instead of 'evil nature' and people are Adamic by nature because of sin and unbelieving.

There are two categories of people in Christian religion. Born again Christian and non born again Christian.

Those that are born again are born in the nature of our Lord Jesus Christ while non born again Christian are not yet born in that nature of Christ Jesus, and their nature is still Adamic (the nature of 'Adam' that brought sin into the world).

I don't buy into all that kind of symbolic thinking put forth by Biblical texts, but I understand the concept of being enlightened or finding enlightenment.

If you are or become truly enlightened, you realize that "self" and "God" are one. If you are enlightened and you have gone from ignorance and fear (evil)and you live in compassion and love, then you are "born again" in spirit and you are one with God.

A "sinner" embraces fear and disrupts and goes against the natural nature of life and joy with wrong thinking and wrong acts that stem from fear.

Love is the opposite of fear. Faith is to accept what is and live in serenity.

What I see as a common thread among Christians is an annoying trait that too often presents itself as a total lack of understanding about human nature...Christians act as if it's a given that they alone define goodness...In doing this they "work" to create the very thing they claim to be against, separatism...My problem is not with the "concept" of God, Jesus, or the written word, my problem is with Christians....For me, religion is a very personal matter....Advice on the subject from people who do not know me means little or nothing....

Yes this is true. Religion is personal. Consciousness is personal.

But it's not just Christians who think they are 'right' and everyone else is 'wrong' - and going to hell, every cult, every sect and denomination I have looked at have the delusion they they and they alone have got it right.

Perhaps it makes them feel special. If your religion makes you a better person then that is a good thing, but you should never go around with the idea that if a person does not buy into your particular dogma or religious book that they are lost souls not worthy of God. That is the ultimate arrogance in my opinion.

You're right, it's not just Christians, but the thread title is specific...You know Jeannie, I have never been able to figure out what it is...A feeling of superiority, specialness....What I do know is, more often than not, it comes off as a smugness that is, at times, unbearable...And let me be clear, not all Christians act this way, but far too many do...This tells me they have not evolved in their own personal development or they are hypocrites...

It really comes down to how one deals with the resurrection of Jesus.

Yes. It is something scientists call "false certainty." They are certain they are right and you are either a lost soul needing to be saved or that you have willfully chosen an evil path.

Smuggness is a good word. When they realize that you don't want to join their cult, then they separate themselves from you out of fear that you will "corrupt" their faith.

Interesting straw-man that you have presented.

Thank you for saying that because I wanted to and did not mostly because it has happened to me here on more than one occasion...It used to hurt, but now I understand it's not about me, it's about them...

Christianity isn't about "us vs. them".

What I see in this thread is a distortion of the Christian faith being presented by non-Christians.

I can't tell if you are serious or joking.

If you are serious, then I will say that it has nothing to do with how one deals with any particular Bible stories. I have no problem believing in miracles or of people coming back to life after having been dead. I actually know of several factual cases where this really happened.

Even if I said I believed that there was a spiritual man named Jesus and that he died and then came back to life, I don't think it is necessary to then have to believe that he died for the sins of mankind, or that he was the only begotten son of God, born of a virgin and all the other religious trappings they made up about him.

If Jesus really did make a deal with God or the Devil and exchanged his life for the lives of all mankind or humans on the earth, I am deeply grateful to him for that. I can't imagine why it would have been necessary to do that, unless there was some evil God that had decided to destroy the earth and all of mankind for their sins and Jesus stepped up and said, "Wait! Take me instead." Let them live.

Okay so he died and mankind was spared. But now some religious priests are telling us that we MUST now worship him and accept him as our savior IF we are going to be saved. Really? Another bargain? With priests and churches? Didn't Jesus already die for mankind? Now you want to round up volunteers to join your cult and worship him?

This just sounds a bunch of alien overlords fighting over the human slaves. It makes no practical sense.

Instead, I think I will just follow my own heart and experience my own relationship with the divine and walk away from the trappings of religious dogma and all of their perceptions and rules.

I am saved. I saved myself. Love, compassion, and faith will engulf me. There is no room for fear, doubt or evil.

I have never once said I am not a Christian David And by "them", I don't mean Christians, I mean hypocrites...