[OT] Nation bashing

[dogscoff]

You mean we're going to end up living in a state of post apocolyptic anarchy? Cool, I'll have to watch Mad Max and Akira and The Stand again, just to remind myself how to survive. i don't remember the details but IIRC the important thing is to have lots of motorbikes...

Anarchy is a nice idea, and one distant day it might even be made to work in some bizarre form (think Culture novels- although technically that's more of a benign deified technocracy, but I digress.) However, as Krsqk points out, you are at the mercy of petty criminals and maurauding warlords kinda like in Xena warrior princess.

That said I do think that ignorance and discontentment would be less widespread in a society with no "big biz" and therefore rape/ murder/ drug abuse/ violence would also be reduced (although not eliminated by any means.)

The other major bummer with anarchy is that it would probably result in technology being set back several hundred years, because modern tech relies on complex business and production infrastructures that would be very hard to maintain in an ungoverned state. You'd have a few mad scientists and small-scale technology producers here and there, but by and large the world would start to resemble some kind of Amish Paradise.

[AJC]

THE END IS NEAR... quick everyone get out and buy duct tape and pLastic...

[dogscoff]

A Christian would be defined as someone who believes in Christ as the Messiah. I've also heard it said that you have to believe in the resurrection to be a Christian.

Plenty of atheists believe Christ lived, but that he was just a very persuasive mortal man.

Muslims believe in Christ as an important prophet, but not the Messiah. Not sure were Judaism stands on that issue. Hindus/ Sikhs etc aren't stemmed from the same sources, so they probably don't care one way or the other.

Personally, I think you should only be able to claim Christianity if you go to church regularly, or at least pray a lot. I know plenty of people who claim to be Christian but haven't seen the inside of a church since some cousin got married. It doesn't bother me that much since I'm an atheist anyway, but it does seem hypocritical to claim christianity without actually doing anything to prove it.

I've probably just offended someone haven't I? Sorry, just IMO.

[Omega_Prime]

Originally posted by dogscoff:


Personally, I think you should only be able to claim Christianity if you go to church regularly, or at least pray a lot. I know plenty of people who claim to be Christian but haven't seen the inside of a church since some cousin got married.

I've probably just offended someone haven't I? Sorry, just IMO.

Not offended, but Jesus never built a church, according to the Biblical account. In fact, he never once indicated that building a church was a good idea.
In Luke 21 we read,
Some of his disciples were remarking about how the temple was adorned with beautiful stones and with gifts dedicated to God. But Jesus said, 6"As for what you see here, the time will come when not one stone will be left on another; every one of them will be thrown down."

The point being, it's just a building. It is temporary. It will go away. The final temple is man's body, the very image of God.

So, I think that Jesus would have a different definition of Kristjun (using the middle-eastern transliteration, since the religion is from that region) than you.

What a delima...who to believe. You or Jesus.



Good thing I am Jewish.

[ February 13, 2003, 16:54: Message edited by: Omega_Prime ]

[oleg]

More than that !
"And when you pray, you shall not be like the hypocrites. For they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the corners of the streets, that they may be seen by men. Assuredly, I say to you, they have their reward. But you, when you pray, go into your room, and when you have shut your door, pray to your Father who is in the secret place; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly..." Matthew,6

Going to church have nothing to do with Christianity, IMHO.

[dogscoff]

Fair enough, point taken.

[Krsqk]

Jesus said that His church was not a building, but the people. The church is comprised of the people who believe in Jesus as the fulfillment of the Abrahamic covenant, the Mosaic law, and the earlier Messianic promises, and follow his commands and teachings. However, there is a practical need for a meeting place. In the early church days, people met in the homes of fellow believers. Roman persecution drove the church underground (often literally). After the legalization of Christianity, churches once again met in the open. When Constantine married the church and the Roman state, Christianity became somewhat of a fad among the Roman elite, who had previously been steeped in pagan tradition. They saw ornate buildings as a vital part of worship. The tradition of large, ornate church buildings can be traced back to this time. Modern churches generally fall into one of two camps: 1) Size and opulence are the way to go; or 2) Spend enough to get the building you need, and do it well, but not to excess. [edit] I guess there is a third group, the "whatever we can come up with is good enough for God."

A Christian cannot be defined as one who goes to church or one who prays (although a Christian will do these things). A Christian is one who 1) accepts that Jesus died for the sins of the world, fulfilling the law, and for his own sins, individually. They should 2) accept the authority of the Bible over man's word and tradition, and they should 3) try to conform their life to the principles found in the Bible. Many who believe 1) don't accept 2) and live in direct contradiction to 3); according to the Bible, they are still technically Christians, but they don't live out their faith.

[ February 13, 2003, 17:37: Message edited by: Krsqk ]