Offshoot discussion of "what religion are you" thread

[Rían]

Originally posted by Cirdan
We don't need to rearrange the universe to change the world of human existence externally of christianity.

I'm sorry, I'm not quite sure what you're saying ... could you please reword it for me?

Religions tend to divide the world a raise barriers to human relations. Some can see the true commonality and use religion as a basis of shared ideals but the masses move the opposite way, and the hate mongers find it a very useful tool.

Good thing Christianity isn't a religion! (at least in the sense that you're using it). It IS a true statement of the state of things, and the problems that humanity has, and the solution that God has provided, and a record of God's great love for us, and a statement about His holy and righteous character.

*Insert the song Imagine here*

And that's what I'm talking about when I say Christianity deals with reality. Imagine may be a very pretty song, but it's powerless to make any real changes. Real Christianity makes REAL changes for the permanent good.

Christianity is like democracy. It's the worst religion except all the rest. Neither is likely to provide a global solution to the world's (human) problems.

I disagree (obviously ) - Christianity correctly identifies the real problem, and provides a solution. The main trouble is we don't like the solution, because the main thing it involves is admitting we're not God...

We could change the world, and make it better than we found it, but we were doomed from the moment we were able the manipulate our environment, to destroy it.

Absolutely!!! That is right in line with Christian doctrine!! But it doesn't stop there ... the amazing news is that when we CHOOSE to admit we're not God, and admit our right and good need of our Creator, then we DO have God's power in us to overcome evil. And we find our true and intended and highest and best joy.



That's what's so wonderful about Christianity: it deals with REALITY - in all its strength and oftentimes ugliness. It's REAL - it's not a hopeful little ditty about something that will never happen. It's as gentle as a mother with a newborn, yet as tough as the nails that Christ submitted to have driven thru His hands (remember, he had hosts of angels at His call, and even His word in the Garden of Gethsemene had the power to literally knock people off their feet!)

It's as simple as the Golden Rule, but as complicated as having to die to yourself that you might have life in full.

It's Jesus loving people so much that he comes down to earth to be among us and to bear the well-deserved penalty of our sins. I love how in the book of Hebrews how it says that we don't have a distant and remote God, but one who lived among us and KNOWS, really KNOWS what it's like to suffer and to be tempted ... yet He was without sin.

It's beautiful how God reconciles His perfect and right holiness and justness with the stunning depth of His love for us - He Himself took on the responsibility of the consequences of creating people with free will by Jesus' substitutionary death on the cross.

Read thru Isaiah and Jeremiah - why is God grieved? why is there suffering? He longs for us to do right, and ... we don't. And it is a crime against the very universe and everyone in it to ignore wrongdoing. We as imperfect people have an abhorrance of major evils such as murder. And it is RIGHT to have this abhorrance. And a perfect and holy God is RIGHT - is RIGHT! - to abhor ALL evil. And again, He doesn't leave us, but provides the way of salvation for all who will choose to accept it. But again, this involves admitting, for one thing, that we are NOT God and can't make the universe how we would like it. And that price is too high to pay for many people.