It appears that you have not registered with NEEEEEXT. To register, please click here...
SOCIETY - How to improve it for the good of everyone > RELIGIONS
10 Commandments : "DON'T DO" or ... "DO" : Which one is better ?
(1/1)
PiJo:
Note from NEEEEEXT : all laws and religions insist on "Don't Lie", "Don't Kill", "Don't Steal", ... but our brain doesn't interpret the negation. Instead, it remembers the main word : Lie, Kill, Steal, ... and multiple repetitions reinforce this idea in the brain. Our world today is the result of this wrong use of negations purposely repeated to forbid all bad actions. The effects (as we can see everyday) are the total opposite.
Instead, we should use positive affirmations like "Speak the Truth", "Respect the Life", "Respect the Property of Others", ...
For more than 2000 years, religions guide (or control) our lives, our schedule, habits, attitude, behaviour and so on.
But ... are they really doing it the proper way ? Maybe not !!
We have recently discovered that human brain has difficulties to memorize negation and quickly forgets about it.
By example, if our parents say : "Don't eat chocolate", our brain hear "chocolate" and reacts accordingly in the subconscious : image of chocolate bar, memories of eating chocolate, sweet, saliva, craving, and so on ...
To obey our parents we will restrain temporaly our envy for chocolate, but temporaly only, just to please our parents.
"Chocolate" will remain in our subconscious longer that the "Don't eat".
Another example : if I say "This elephant is not pink" you will visualize "elephant" and "pink", not the negation.
Now, compare this with the teachings of western religions and let's see how we can transform negative suggestions by positive suggestions and have ... positive effects over time.
Here are the 10 Commandments given by God to Moses :
- "I am the LORD thy God."
Nothing wrong with this first commandment.
God is pure energy so he cannot be male or female, but both together (as in Yin and Yang).
For simplicity we will use "him" .
LORD means "Master", not a personnal name, just a position above all that exist.
Names of God (Wikipedia) : https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Names_of_God
HWH is called haShem. Some Quakers refer to God as The Light. Another term used is King of Kings or Lord of Lords and Lord of the Hosts. Other names used by Christians include Ancient of Days, Father/Abba, "Most High" and the Hebrew names Elohim, El-Shaddai, Yahweh, Jehovah and Adonai.
900+ Names and Titles of God : http://www.christiananswers.net/dictionary/namesofgod.html
If each religion gives him a name (instead of "Lord" in any language) we visualize him differently : an old man with or without a beard, a man with white or dark skin, an entity or a supreme intelligence, a king, ... and thus divide people about the way we must "imagine" him and communicate with him (mostly it is with love and respect, and without fear like with a loving father or mother).
- "No other gods before me."
There is only ONE God, not even TWO.
- "No graven images or likenesses."
God cannot be carved, drawn or even imagined as he is pure "cosmic" energy.
- "Not take the LORD's name in vain."
Don't offend him, swear or disturb him for nothing. He is always listening but ... quite busy !
Religion should say : Respect God's name, restrain yourself from abusing of it.
- "Remember the sabbath day."
Should I be punished by God if I work on "sabbath day" to feed my family ? I don't think so !!
Religion should say : Worship God wherever you are, whatever you are doing, at anytime.
Religion has not the monoploly over human life and our schedule.
- "Honour your father and your mother."
At last !!
- "Thou shalt not kill."
Religion should say "Respect all kinds of life"
- "Thou shalt not commit adultery."
Religion should say "Respect others' wives".
- "Thou shalt not steal."
Religion should say "Respect others' property".
- "Thou shalt not lie."
Religion should say "Only speak the truth".
If these teachings were positively formulated, humans should act differently, their minds filled with "Honour, Respect all life and all humans, Think and act properly, Speak the truth, ..."
instead of "Kill, Adultery, Steal, Lie, ...".
Proper education of our kids and common sense will change their behaviour and the world globally, but don't expect religions to do it !!!
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Author's page : http://www.mattmcwilliams.com/worst-four-letter-word-dont/
The Worst Four-Letter Word of Them All : DON'T
There is a single word in the English language that will bury you. It’s the worst four-letter word of them all (psychologically speaking). It’s the word “DON'T.”
The problem with this word is that your subconscious mind doesn’t understand the word “DON'T.”
To illustrate, try this:
" DON'T think of a piping hot pizza.
DON'T picture it coming out of the oven with steam rising off the top of the bubbling cheese and glistening pepperoni.
DON'T think of the amazing smells wafting from the kitchen."
Just writing that caused me to drool on my keyboard. If you are reading this at approximately 10am, my apologies. Treat yourself to a mid-morning snack.
You thought of the pizza, didn’t you? That’s how our minds work !!
-----------------------------------------------------------
What Water? A Lesson from Golf
When I was 16, I was an average competitive golfer. I’d only been playing for three years and for the first two years, my progress was rapid. However, my progress completely stagnated in the third year. I wasn’t getting any better and it was frustrating. My biggest struggle was with the mental side of the game. I simply could not keep the negative thoughts out of my head.
Then my dad forced me to take nine weeks off from the game. This was like torture for a 16-year old aspiring professional golfer. But during that nine-week break, he bought me a book that set me on a path toward eventually being one of the top ranked college golfers in the nation. It literally changed my life and impacts me even today.
The book was "Golf is Not a Game of Perfect" by Dr. Bob Rotella, a performance psychologist who works with many of the top athletes in the world as well as top companies. That book showed me how the subconscious mind doesn’t process the word “don’t” quite like we want it to.
“Don’t hit it left” translates instantly into an image of the ball traveling left, splashing into the water that I so desperately wanted to avoid. When I said things like “don’t hit it left,” I was solidifying in my mind the very thing I didn’t want. I experienced all the accompanying emotions of the ball in the water, as if it had already happened, such as:
- Disappointment
- Defeat
- Frustration
As I read the book, I thought of one particular hole at my home course that had given me fits over the years. There was water all down the left side of the hole. I’d probably hit forty balls in that lake over the years and every time I stood on the tee, I tensed up.
As I read the book, however, I began to visualize that hole without the water. I focused on picking a specific target in my mind. I played the hole over and over again in my mind. Each time, I hit the ball right at my target. I must have rehearsed that tee shot a thousand times in my mind before I played it next.
From that point forward, I never worried about the water. In fact, I often forgot that it was even there. It wasn’t until recently that I saw an aerial view of the hole that I realized just how narrow the fairway is. To me, because of my mental training, it seemed a hundred yards wide. It was, in fact, less than twenty-five yards wide.
Statistically, at my skill level, I should have hit at least a few balls in the water after that, but I never once hit another ball in that lake. All because I eliminated a single word from my golf vocabulary and focused on a clear, powerful, and positive vision of the result I wanted.
-------------------------------------------------
Where your Head Goes
I read a story once about a tightrope walker. He was asked about the secret to his success. His reply summed up what it takes to achieve any goal in life:
" The secret is to keep your eyes fixed on where you are going. You never look down. Where your head goes, that’s where your body is going, too. If you look down, there’s a good chance you will fall. So you always have to look to where you want to be. "
From Become a Better You by Joel Osteen (emphasis mine)
The secret to tightrope walking is to keep your eyes fixed on where you are going. The same is true for life.
When a tightrope walker looks down, it only shows him where he doesn’t want to be. Looking down leads to thoughts such as “don’t fall,” which causes him to think of falling. The vision then plays out in his mind of him falling to a nasty death.
Instead the skilled tightrope walker keeps his focus on where he is going.
Key Takeaway
>>> The key to any success is to focus on the positive, not the possible negative. It’s simply how our minds are wired.
Eliminate that one four-letter word DON'T and you’ll start to achieve more of what you want in life.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Author's page : https://definingthenarrative.com/god-hates-religion/
God Hates Religion
Yes, God hates religion…
I will give you Biblical support for that statement in a moment.
Someone may be thinking “I thought God invented religion!” Sorry, but God invented Man and Man invented religion.
Humankind is by our very nature, (designed so by our Creator) drawn to relationships. Relationships that range from familial, to friendships, to marital as well as communal. These relationships that we don’t even think about give us insight into what God intended for us. From the time we are born we learn that the family relationship provides security and safety and unconditional love. (That is why we call God the “Father”). A healthy family creates a relationship of trust, security and encouragement. As we grow older we learn the value of a loyal friend that we can trust with our cares and stand beside us when we need help. (Jesus is referred to as the “friend that sticks closer than a brother”.) As we mature and attract a mate, we learn how marvelous the intimate relationship between a man and woman becomes, and how to depend upon and serve each other to the point of becoming “one flesh”, as the Bible states it, not only physically but emotionally and spiritually. That relationship of marriage is the pinnacle of relationship theology. This is why Jesus is called the “Bridegroom” and the “Church” (don’t get ahead of me, just keep reading!), which is the entire congregation or number of believers, is called the “Bride of Christ”.
Now, we all know that not all of our relationships always work out this nicely. I would venture to say that those relationships not working out is not because God had anything to do with them, but more than likely because we kept Him out and did what we wanted to do. In other words, the reason the relationship failed is one or both parties put self interest ahead of the other. Self. God had nothing to do with the failure of those relationships. Can a broken relationship be restored? Sure! It happens all the time, but not until those interested persons are willing to put someone else ahead of themselves. This humility of spirit, seeking and offering forgiveness and restoration is absolutely necessary for a reconciled relationship.
God created Man for the express purpose of mutual relationship with him, but gave Man the power of choice and free will. Man chose to break that relationship and has been trying to find his own way by inventing religions and cults of all kinds in an effort to replace that void left by lack of relationship with his Creator.
But relationship with God cannot be found through religion. In fact, religion is the biggest roadblock to seeking a relationship with God. Religion is simply Man trying to reach out to God by doing something that he thinks will please God. “If I can do enough, say enough, pray enough, give enough, sacrifice enough perhaps God will show me favor”. Every religion is based upon this “works theology”. Neither ceremony, liturgy, creeds, sacraments nor money have ever brought one soul into a reconciled relationship to God. Abstaining from drugs, alcohol, tobacco, illicit sex and the places that provide them is a healthy thing to do but cannot of itself restore a broken relationship with God. Giving up a favorite food or drink, reciting ‘program prayers’ or self mutilation does nothing to convince or satisfy God.
“But my denomination teaches…” Do you really believe that God favors your denomination over others? Quite the contrary, if your denomination professes to be “the only true way”, I can pretty well guarantee that it isn’t ! Do you think that God’s intention was to have eleventy-five different denominations of His Church? They can’t all be right, and more than likely they’re all wrong.
Now, I realize that thus far I have been speaking in terms of Christianity. But the cults such as Islam easily fall precisely under the premise of “God hates Religion”; after all, I observe no one more committed to their religion than an Islamic Fundamentalist. Although the Muslim serves a different god (Allah is not the God of the Bible), he too is seeking to appease his god by doing. That is “works based theology” no matter how you slice it.
So you may be wondering where in the Bible it says that God hates religion. Starting in the Old Testament I will show you several references and then finish off with what Jesus Christ Himself said concerning religion.
Isaiah 1:13-14 states, “Bring no more vain oblations; incense is an abomination unto me; the new moons and Sabbaths, the calling of assemblies…it is iniquity…Your new moons and your appointed feasts my soul hateth: they are a trouble unto me; I am weary to bear them.”
David prays to God in Psalm 40:6, “Sacrifice and offering thou didst not desire;…Burnt offering and sin offering hast thou not required.”
Amos 5:21 says, “I hate, I despise your feast days, and I will not smell (the odors of their sacrifices) in your solemn assemblies.”
Micah 6:6-8 includes; “Wherewith shall I come before the Lord and bow myself before the high God? Shall I come before him with burnt offerings, with calves of a year old? Will the lord be pleased with thousands of rams, or with ten thousands of rivers of oil? Shall I give my firstborn for my transgression, the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul? He hath showed thee, O man, what is good; and what doth the Lord require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God.”
And there it is: “Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he shall lift you up.” James 4:10.
You see, the Israelites (Jews) of the Old Testament had forgotten the relationship with God and became dependent upon the religious system of works and sacrifice and offerings expecting spiritual redemption or to appease God. But in these passages we see God Himself saying, “I don’t care how you shake and dance, I’m not interested in your religious activities, I want your heart.” In fact that is exactly what He expresses here in Isaiah 29:13, “Forasmuch as this people draw near me with their mouth, and with their lips do honor me, but have removed their heart far from me…”(Jesus quoted this passage in Matt. 15:8-9 adding “…in vain do they worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men.”)
Imagine a pyramid which represents religion. The base is guilt, upon which is laid fear. Religion uses guilt and fear to incite works to appease which when applied results in pride.
Pride is the capstone of religion. But as in any pyramid scheme, only a few get to the top; everyone else is trying to work off their guilt and fear. It is a bondage that Jesus confronted with a tongue lashing directed at the religious leaders of the day; the Pharisee’s of Judaism. They sought to entrap and discredit Him and asked Jesus, (paraphrasing) “Why are your disciples disregarding our traditions…” Jesus answered, “Why do you transgress the commandment of God by your tradition?…You hypocrites!”(Matt 15:1-9)
Jesus really lets them have it in Matthew 23. Talking first to the people He said (paraphrasing), “The scribes and Pharisees sit in high seats and bind heavy burdens upon you that they themselves won’t even lift a finger to bear! They make themselves look pious before men so everyone will recognize their positions.” Then turning on the religious leaders He calls them hypocrites, fools and blind, tombs full of dead men’s bones. “Every time you open your mouth death comes out!” He called them snakes headed for the damnation of hell! These were the religious leaders!
Jesus said “Come unto me… and I will give you rest.” (Matt. 11:28) Religion can’t save you; only relationship and that comes through humility and repentance. Christ says in John 10:9 “I am the door: by me if any man enter in he shall be saved…” Guilt is the natural state of Mankind. We are all guilty before God. This leads to fear of all kinds. Fear of being found out. Fear of failure. Fear of change. Fear of the opinion of others. But doing something good (works) will notchange the fact you are guilty. The only cure is a relationship with God through Jesus Christ who took upon Himself my guilt and fear. I am no longer guilty and can act fearlessly and rest secure that I have a relationship with God, which then enables me to “work”, that being striving to do things that honor my relationship with Him.
The works are not to gain God’s blessing in my life; but to reflect God’s blessing in my life. “We don’t do to be, we do because we are.”
The relationship with God through Jesus Christ is more perfect and full than any earthly relationships we can forge because God is perfect. Other people are not. And even though we can have wonderful relationships with one another, these pale in comparison to a relationship with Him.
As with everything in Creation, the physical (material) is a manifestation of the spiritual. The human relationship of family teaches us of the security we have in Him as the perfect Father. The friendship we experience of our most loyal friend on earth is still imperfect compared to the Friend we have in Jesus. The picture of marriage shows us the intimacy and devotion that He has for us when believers are referred to as the Bride of Christ. If you read the Song of Solomon with the King as Christ and the bride as the “Church” you will see how this works. Better yet, if you have a great marriage, you have experienced the wonderful earthly manifestation of this relationship.
But as humans, we are flawed creatures, and still struggle within these relationships on the human level. The relationship with God puts Him as the guardian of the relationship and Jesus promised “I will never leave you or forsake you.” And if your relationship with God is good, you will realize that your relationships with other people are much better. That is, indeed, the abundant life that Jesus promises.
It is impossible to work your way into a relationship with God. You must be born into it. The second birth. The spiritual birth. Religion is not the answer. Religion IS the problem.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Author's page : http://agoodlifewithoutreligion.com/
A Good Life Without Religion
You may have arrived here out of curiosity.
You may want to know more because you're fed up with the way that religion is creeping into all aspects of public life – into politics, education (faith schools, for example), welfare services, and so on.
You may think that it's shocking that British schoolchildren are being taught that we were "created", and not that we evolved from primitive life forms over billions of years – the most interesting and exciting story ever told.
You may be angry because the state visit of the Pope to the UK cost so much money, and he's head of a church with an appalling record of child abuse that opposes safe sex, abortion, and equal rights for lesbians, gay, bisexual and transgender people.
You may feel that religion is increasingly irrelevant to life in the 21st century, a hangover from a time when people weren't encouraged to think for themselves, and that we should assert positive human values free from superstition.
Enough is enough, you might think – and so do we.
You're not alone; there are millions of others like you.
More and more people are now saying they don't identify with a religion.
More and more people aren't going to church, saying prayers or doing any of the things religion tells them to.
You don't have to be religious. You don't have to be anything. But more and more people are finding alternative ways to express their beliefs and share what they think is important with others.
Atheism
If you're an atheist, it means you don't believe in any god.
Many choose to describe themselves as atheists. Some people might even describe themselves as atheist even though they belong to a religion - maybe because their parents were religious, sometimes just because they enjoy the culture.
But calling yourself atheist doesn't say what you do believe in, only what you don't.
Humanism
Humanists believe that :
- we can gain knowledge through scientific research and looking at the natural world - what is real, what we can see and touch
- this one life is all we know we have
- our morality (our sense of right and wrong) comes from our human nature and culture
- what is right is what promotes human welfare and fulfilment
- we can and should create meaning and purpose in life
Many people hear this list and say "well, I guess I'm a Humanist". Maybe it's you as well. Most Humanists don't believe in God or belong to any religion, but call themselves Humanist because they share these values.
Humanism is older than all the religions.
There have been humanists since the beginning of recorded history, all over the world, though the word "Humanism" has only been used to describe our beliefs and values since the 19th century. These ideas have been recorded in Europe, from the 6th century BCE to about 6th century CE, in China from the 6th century BCE onwards, in India from the 6th century CE onwards, in the Arab world from the 12th century CE, and in the Western world from the 17th century CE to the present day.
People of religion usually inherit their beliefs from their families, depending on their culture. Humanists have always worked things out for themselves, and we’re still doing it now. For this reason, we’re sometimes called “freethinkers” because that’s what we do – we think freely, rather than believing.
The symbol of Humanism is the Happy Human, shown above, and this page was put together by a Humanist group.
Agnosticism
Agnostics believe that it's not possible to know for sure whether there is a god or not - there is always a bit of doubt when we talk about what we believe in, particularly when it comes to religion.
Agnostics may share many values with Humanists - such as the desire to keep inquiring and asking questions - but they allow for the possibility that some kind of god exists. It's possible to believe in a god of some kind without being religious, and many people do.
Mix it up...Secularism
Secularism is the idea that government and human activites, mainly political activities, should be kept separate from religion. You're more likely to call yourself a secularist if that is important to you, even if you're religious - and many religious people are also secularists.
Secularists want:
- a tolerant open society where no group (including religious groups) has unfair influence over others
- mutual respect and equality for all people
- no one view of the universe but lots of views
- all people to be able to realise their potential
Now you who who you really are.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Author's page : http://frankpowell.me/jesus-hates-religion
9 Reasons Jesus Hates Religion (And You Should Too)
by Frank Powell
April 6, 2015
Hey, I know what you are thinking. And I agree with you. I am just as tired of the religion versus Jesus conversation as you are. I mean, how many ways can you milk a cow (don’t think too hard about that)?
And, let’s be real, at its very core Christianity is a religion. By definition, religion is “an organized system of beliefs, ceremonies, and rules used to worship a god or a group of gods.” Sounds like Christianity, right?
But by that definition, almost anything can be a religion. Atheism. Islam. Marriage. Get the idea?
You see, saying religion and Christianity are two sides of the coin is theoretically true, but it’s not true in reality. It’s true on paper, but not in life. It’s like saying Duke (or Wisconsin) will win the National Championship in basketball because it has the best team on paper. Everyone knows stats and conclusions based on paper don’t win National Championships.
The same is true with Christianity. Christianity is much more than a set of beliefs used to worship God. Christianity is about a person, and his name is Jesus.
Religion breeds wars. Jesus breeds love. Religion says try harder. Christianity says stop trying. Religion says reach up to God. Christianity says God reaches down to us. This is why another post about religion versus Jesus is necessary. We need to be reminded. Often. While Christianity is a religion on paper, it is much more than a religion in reality.
Maybe you have drifted towards religion. Maybe you have always lived there. Maybe you have been hurt by religious people masquerading as Christians. Maybe you want to know how to love God more intimately and follow Jesus more passionately. Regardless, the dividing lines between religion and Jesus are clear.
Here are 9 reasons Jesus hates religion (and you should too).
1.) Religion sees people as the enemy. Jesus sees sin as the enemy.
Religion turns every argument and disagreement into an “us versus them.” Religion doesn’t allow for dialogue or open communication. Righteousness is based on knowledge and works, so righteousness is a product of self, not God. And when righteousness is a product of self, everyone must think like you. It breeds pride and arrogance. This is why religion causes wars. The more someone disagrees with you, the more offended and upset you become. Eventually the anger and pride pour over into persecution and even murder.
But true, authentic Christianity has never started a war. It has never killed another person. Jesus didn’t come to draw battle lines between people. He came to draw battle lines between God and Satan. He came to destroy sin. Because sin is the enemy, not people. Too many times Christians fight the battle against the wrong enemy. Jesus loved people. All people. Even those who hung him on a cross (Luke 23:34).
Any action, thought, or decision that doesn’t view sin as the enemy is fake religion.
2.) Religion says showing grace is dangerous. Jesus says, “I know.”
“I preached 15 years before I ever mentioned the word ‘grace’ in a sermon.” That statement was told to me by a man who preached at a church where I worked. I think about the magnitude of that statement often. Mostly because I am not much different. I go seasons in teaching where I don’t mention grace either. Here’s why.
Grace is scandalous. It’s like a wild animal that can’t be tamed. Except the animal is full of love, mercy, and forgiveness, not huge claws, sharp teeth, and a big appetite. But religion doesn’t care. It just sees something uncontrollable. And religion doesn’t deal with uncontrollable. It’s too dangerous. Even if the uncontrollable is God himself.
So, religion keeps grace in a cage. Religion puts conditions on grace. It can only be seen during business hours. And if the weather’s bad, don’t even bother. This is how God intends Christians to use grace, right?
Wrong. Grace is unconditional. Grace is uncontrollable. Think about it. God totally exposes himself and makes himself vulnerable because he knows this type of grace is the only thing sufficient to truly transform hearts. Nothing else will work. True grace has the potential to be abused, but without this layer, it wouldn’t be grace. It wouldn’t transform. And it couldn’t save us.
Without the scandalous grace God offers and Jesus models, we are left with lifeless, “follow the rules” religion.
3.) Religion grades righteousness on a curve. Jesus grades righteousness on a cross.
True story. In college, I took a Calculus class graded on a curve. My test scores were 25, 52, and 67. That’s called flunking in style. But here’s the beauty of a curve. My final grade in the class? B. Needless to say I signed up for the same teacher for my next math class. You see, with a curve you don’t actually have to pass the class or know the material. Just know enough to be average.
This is what religion says. The standard is those people closest to you. So, as long as Jill or Bobby don’t go “Jesus Freak” on you, everyone is good. In fact, religion secretly hopes some people fail. Religion is secretly okay if Jill or Bobby bombs every test. It lowers the curve.
With Jesus, however, righteousness is measured by the cross. When righteousness is graded on the cross, everyone looks strikingly similar. Murderers. Candy thieves. Liars. When you realize the cross alone is the standard for righteousness, you will run to it and praise God for taking your filthiness and replacing it with his perfectness. And you will encourage others to run with you.
With God there is no curve. There is only a cross.
4.) Religion makes God the boss and you the employee. Jesus makes God the father and you the son.
Religion is a like a contract. Contracts have conditions. Do the right things, you are fine. Do the wrong things, you will be looking for another job. There is no intimacy or relationship. Often times, there is no dialogue. Just do your part (act right) and God will do his (allow you into heaven).
Jesus says God is your father and you are his son or daughter. Children don’t have contracts. I have two boys, and they are welcome at my house as long as I have breath in my lungs. I don’t care how far they go off the deep end. This is why Jesus tells the story of the Prodigal Son (Luke 15:11-32). God not only allows his children to come home if they abuse his goodness, he throws them a friggin’ party! A party!
Now, that sounds like a God I want to serve!
5.) Religion says only listen to, attend, and watch “Christian” things. Jesus says look for truth everywhere.
Religion says anything that doesn’t have Jesus written squarely across the building, song, or movie is sinful. So, only go to Christian schools. Listen to Christian music. Watch lame Christian movies. And go to church events. And I am not against any of these things. I praise God for Christian schools and music.
But with Jesus there is no such thing as Christian and non-Christian schools, music, and movies. It’s interesting that many Christians say a sign on the outside of a building doesn’t make a church. Yet, these same Christians (myself included) turn around and say a school or movie is Christian because “Christian” is somewhere in the title.
Schools and music become Christian when Christians are present and truth is proclaimed.
Schools and events become Christian when followers of Jesus are present. Music becomes “Christian” when truth is present, even if the singer isn’t “Christian” (Phil. 1:18). Christians like to create distinct lines between secular and sacred, but those lines aren’t anywhere in the Bible. Neither are the terms.
This means we need Christians everywhere. Secular schools. Music. Movies. “Christian” schools. Law firms. Hospitals. Everywhere. God doesn’t create lines between “Christian” and non-Christian. Everything he creates is good. And every inch of the earth he wants to restore.
6.) Religion is fueled by fear and punishment. Jesus is fueled by love and mercy.
"The problem with fear-based Christianity is we only obey when the fear is present. Love, however, produces lasting joy."
Jefferson Bethke
Religion uses fear and punishment as primary motivators. “You better do all the right things or God’s wrath is waiting for you. Come to Jesus or you will burn in hell forever.”
Religion paints God as an angry, spiteful cynic who sits around with the angels waiting for someone to screw up so he can turn them into salt or something.
But Jesus’s life and actions were driven by love. You see, what makes God amazing is not his infinite power. What makes God amazing is he chooses to love relentlessly even though he has infinite power.
I get angry (holy anger, of course) when I think about the way many preachers drive people to God through manipulation and scare tactic. And once people are scared into Christ, every decision is filtered through whether or not God will strike them dead.
I wonder if many Christians (myself included) will have to answer for not erring on the side of love instead of fear. Fear creates lifeless religion. Fear creates Christians who only want God so they can escape hell. And eternity with God is not a place for those scared of hell. It is a place for those who love God.
7.) Religion is safe and practical. Jesus is radical and unpredictable.
With religion, there is no need to take risks. Maybe go on a mission trip once in your lifetime. But, generally speaking, just do the right thing. Religion is very practical. It makes sense. There are no surprises. Five steps to salvation. Church the same time every week. Religion doesn’t ask much from you. It doesn’t deliver much either.
But Jesus? If Jesus had a middle name, it would be “Unpredictable.” Jesus kept everyone on their toes. He ate with tax collectors. He scolded the religious people. He interceded on behalf of prostitutes. He claimed to be…(wait for it)…God.
And ultimately God died on a cross. For me. And you. Now that’s radical.
8.) Religion says if you follow God, he will bless your life. Jesus says if you follow God he will give you life.
Religion promises to prosper your life. Jesus promises to give you life.
Religion says if you behave, God will give you prosperity, a new house, and the hot guy or girl across the street. And Americans love to get stuff. Look no further than the two most important days on the Christian calendar. Easter and Christmas. Ironically (not really) these are also the two most materialistic days on the calendar. Jesus is overshadowed by Santa Claus and the Easter Bunny? Why does the God of the universe have to share his birth, death, and resurrection with presents and candy? What the frick? How would you not conclude prosperity is dependent upon behavior?
Jesus came to bring you life, not stuff. And to follow Jesus for any other reason than new life is to belittle the cross. You see, all of humanity was dead before Jesus. No life. No hope. And this is what Jesus came to give. New life. This is the greatest gift you could receive.
Houses, cars, and bank accounts are never totally yours. Once you die, someone else gets them. But new life is a gift that lasts for eternity. I’ll take the latter. Every time.
9.) Religion says come to church and serve. Jesus says go into the world and serve.
Two things circulate over and over in my mind when it comes to the church. The first is Jeremiah 29:7. “Also, seek the peace and prosperity of the city to which I have carried you into exile. Pray to the Lord for it, because if it prospers, you too will prosper.” The second is this question first posed in a book I read several years ago. “If your church closed its doors today, would the community even know (or care)?”
Religion doesn’t care about either of these. Religion says come to church. Serve in church. Protect your house. Don’t worry about anything outside the walls. And certainly not those bad sinners outside the walls. While I think it’s great to serve in church, this isn’t where the church’s responsibility ends.
In Matthew 16:18, Jesus tells Peter the gates of hell will not prevail against the church. Now, I am just thinking out loud here. But it seems for gates not to prevail, something (or someone) must be in a position to knock them over. This is where God’s people come into the picture. Christians are to go into the darkness and push down the gates of hell wherever they are. This is why the Great Commission tells us to “Go.” There is a direct relationship between the church’s mission of going out and hell’s gates coming down.
There is a direct relationship between the church going out and hell’s gates coming down.
This post is not an indictment on Christians. This post is an indictment on religion. Again, Christianity is a religion on paper. But in reality, Christianity and religion are polar opposites. Jesus didn’t go to the cross so we would follow some doctrines and commands.
Jesus didn’t die on a cross so we could escape the evils of the world and hopefully end up in heaven. Jesus died to give us life. Jesus died to put the scandal of grace and love on full display. And once we experience this scandal, our lives will never be the same.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Author'spage : https://www.thoughtco.com/why-atheists-dont-believe-in-gods-248065
Why Not Believe? Reasons Why Atheists Don't Believe in Gods
by Austin Cline
Updated September 11, 2016
Multiple Gods and Religious Traditions
It is difficult to credit any one religion as being True or any one god as being True when there have been so many throughout human history. None appears to have any greater claim to being more credible or reliable than any other. Why Christianity and not Judaism? Why Islam and not Hinduism? Why monotheism and not polytheism? Every position has had its defenders, all as ardent as those in other traditions.
They can't all be right, but they can all be wrong.
Contradictory Characteristics in Gods
Theists often claim that their gods are perfect beings; they describe gods, however, in contradictory and incoherent ways. Numerous characteristics are attributed to their gods, some of which are impossible and some combinations of which are impossible. As described, it's unlikely or impossible for these gods to exist. This doesn't mean that a god could not possibly exist, just that the ones theists claim to believe in don't.
Religion is Self-Contradictory
No religion is perfectly consistent when it comes to doctrines, ideas, and history. Every ideology, philosophy, and cultural tradition has inconsistencies and contradictions, so this shouldn't be surprising — but other ideologies and traditions aren't alleged to be divinely created or divinely sanctioned systems for following the wishes of a god.
The state of religion in the world today is more consistent with the premise that they are man-made institutions.
Gods Are Too Similar to Believers
A few cultures, like ancient Greece, have postulated gods which appear to be as natural as human beings, but , in general, gods are supernatural.
This means that they are fundamentally different from human beings or anything on earth. Despite this, however, theists consistently describe their gods in ways that make the supernatural appear almost mundane. Gods share so many characteristics with humans that it has been argued that gods were made in the image of man.
Gods Just Don't Matter
Theism means believing in the existence of at least one god, not that one necessarily cares much about any gods. In practice, though, theists typically place a great deal of importance on their god and insist that it and what it wants are the most important things a person can be concerned with. Depending upon the nature of a god, however, this isn't necessarily true. It's not obvious that the existence or desires of gods should matter to us.
Gods and Believers Behave Immorally
In most religions, gods are supposed to be the source of all morality. For most believers, their religion represents an institution for promoting perfect morality. In reality, though, religions are responsible for widespread immorality and gods have characteristics or histories which make them worse than the most vile human serial killer.
No one would tolerate such behavior on the part of a person, but when with a god it all becomes laudable — even an example to follow.
Evil in the World
Closely associated with taking action that should be considered immoral is the fact that there is so much evil in the world today. If there are any gods, why don't they act to eliminate it? The absence of substantive action against evil would be consistent with the existence of evil or at least indifferent gods, which is not impossible, but few people believe in such gods. Most claim that their gods are loving and powerful; the suffering on Earth makes their existence implausible.
Faith is Unreliable
A common characteristic of both theism and religion is their reliance on faith: belief in the existence of god and in the truth of religious doctrines is neither founded upon nor defended by logic, reason, evidence, or science.
Instead, people are supposed to have faith — a position they wouldn’t consciously adopt with just about any other issue. Faith, though, is an unreliable guide to reality or means for acquiring knowledge.
Life is Material, not Supernatural
Most religions say that life is much more than the flesh and matter we see around us. In addition, there is supposed to be some sort of spiritual or supernatural realm behind it all and that our "true selves" is spiritual, not material. All evidence, though, points to life being a purely natural phenomenon. All evidence indicates that who we really are — our selves — is material and dependent upon the workings of the brain. If this is so, religious and theistic doctrines are wrong.
There is No Good Reason to Bother Believing
Perhaps the most basic reason for not believing in any gods is the absence of good reasons for doing so. The above are decent reasons for not believing and for questioning — and eventually leaving — whatever theistic and religious beliefs a person might have had in the past. Once a person gets beyond the bias in favor of belief, though, they may realize something critical: the burden of support lies with those claiming that belief is rational and/or necessary. Believers fail to meet this burden and thus fail to provide good reasons to accept their claims.
Navigation
[0] Message Index
Go to full version