Religion Christians of the forum - what do you think is the true essence of being a Christian?

I suspect you just added fly shit to the pepper.

 

It is the ability to suspend your belief in reality.

 

best to talk about the subject...not me again Marz....you either have an opinion about it or you don't but no need to make me your suspect here

 

Well, if Christianity is a spice of life for some people, that's good. But sprinkling it with disdain for needing a guide, is like sprinkling fly shit in the pepper.

 

just piss off with your judgements....there's no disdain in any of my posts about Christianity and I think it does good in the world but not always throughout history....yours however have been filled with disdain for me for some reason...if you think the 10 commandments aren't a guide for lost souls....you haven't read the book...I have read it multiple times...Jesus is referred to as a shepherd with his flock all the time......sprinkle some perspective on your brain...maybe look up the meaning of disciple as well while you're at it....

 

you realize Jesus invites all to be guided by the Lord....so actually what your post means is Jesus is talking shit...very unchristian-like dude

 

I'd say that's a matter of persepective but religion does preach following a doctrine.....my saying I'd rather not follow a doctrine shouldn't mean I feel superior to those who do...they just mean I chose to make my own path concerning my spiritual growth without an organized dogma to support it. I wish all Christians joy in life....I also wish all agnostics joy in life...you are free to believe in a heaven, hell or supreme being.....I'm in no way asking anyone not to....but really if you consider it.....the idea of God is one of a superior being calling the shots and determining fate

 

I think it is unreasonable to see that.....it's like someone telling me not to laugh in church

 

you subscribe to a religious practice that follows a higher being, yet mention that my opinion about why I don't is coming from a superiority identification...I posted some humorous replies to homer ......yet it seems like to you, I was laughing in church.....hopefully that clarifies it. People take their convictions seriously but some of us don't take those beliefs seriously....there's room for both schools of thought. I think you are probably a really good Christian and respect you for it....respect for not being a Christian often does not come back.

 

I have influences and my life will be a work in progress until the end of it....how that translates to superiority is kind of lost on me. I'm influenced by the words of Jesus, Gandhi, Lao Tsu, Martin Luther King, many many great teachers....but I see them as just human teachers, not saints or angels or devils...that's a choice. My parents were staunch atheists....as a young man I rebelled against that and embraced Christianity....left it for other spiritual practices and eventually, eased into my own traffic signals of right and wrong....I think we're born with those tools and they don't require following what I consider a mythological being...I call God something quite different....I call it life....as to afterlife....I have serious doubts but reincarnation fascinates me.

 

actually Jesus talked about that a lot....lost souls finding salvation in the Lord....but I'm not implying that's a bad thing...I apologize if my opinions offend any Christian forum members...and to rasta if I've entered the thread as a non Christian...I realize the question in the OP was not asked of me

 

I didn't need an apology, but I accept the recognition, your post made me cringe in considering the Christians. And as you see, I don't think I was the only one.
Actually most of us living in the western culture have adopted what ever morality code we have from the Christians, whether we admit it or not. We do not learn it on our own as if we are a complete system within ourselves. That we do have a common morality code makes it possible for us to have a coherent society and make agreement with each other. We can thank the Christians with their written guide, for this contribution, even if you reject everything else.

 

this is projection on your part.....I clearly stated that I valued good teaching...good is always good no matter where you find it. I'm not a Christian but I don't reject goodness from any group of people...rejection is what many religions do to non believers...

 

Fair enough river. I am not able to be a Christian either, but I have never found a teaching of Jesus in support of rejection. But then I haven't found rejection in any writing by the Buddhist monks
or Hindu scripture. I do know scripture of another religion full of teaching rejection, but that is for another day.

 

Christianity has forms of rejection...from eternal life...or criteria for eternal damnation...Jesus rejected money lenders in the temple and paganism...false idols..the Buddhists not so much although the Taoists were the least judgmental in my view...Lao Tsu is my guy...he didn't even want anyone to write his stuff down...basically wanted to walk into the woods and be left alone....with the tao which probably would come closest to defining my view of a higher state of existence.