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Is Christianity an off-guard religion?

Is Christianity an off-guard religion?

  • Yes, by all means

    Votes: 1 10.0%

  • It kinda is

    Votes: 2 20.0%

  • No, it isn't

    Votes: 5 50.0%

  • I don't know

    Votes: 0 0.0%

  • Other

    Votes: 2 20.0%
  • Total voters
    10
Canell

Canell

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Forgive all, pray for your enemies, do not revenge, turn the other cheek, be peaceful as a dove...
Is Christianity a 'off-guard' religion, what do you think?
Does Christianity sweep self-defence under the rug?

:confused:
 
We have seen terrible atrocities against the citizens in all countries where the populace has allowed itself to become disarmed by evil, rogue governments. They are then defenseless. Lack of any means of self defense is the key, not religious tenets.

The dominant religion is often the first target, as in the United States, because the government demands that the government itself be the only religion of the people, the purveyor of all things.

I know of no place where religion, in and of itself, results in a failure of self defense. If preparation is any indicator, we see quite the opposite in American homes.

This truly rankles the Obama government. If you wish to kill Americans who have faith, they tend to believe more in praying for your soul after your threat is neutralized, not before.
 
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Christianity, in and of itself, is a very turn the other cheek, pray for your enemies type religion. However, many of its followers have completely misconstrued this and decided to go the complete opposite direction: war-mongering and bigotry.
 
People don't need religion to cause atrocities on one another. You can do that without religion. I think it's a blessing on the world that there is a religion that preaches that and maybe tempers' some peoples' fists. though, as rabidalpaca said... there are people who conveniently "forgot" large parts of the bible and did exactly what it preaches against.
 
RabidAlpaca said:
Christianity, in and of itself, is a very turn the other cheek, pray for your enemies type religion. However, many of its followers have completely misconstrued this and decided to go the complete opposite direction: war-mongering and bigotry.
Click to expand...

Well, that's because the Lord has programmed in them instincts for self-preservation. Perhaps God never meant to turn people into "sheep to the slaughter" in the first place. Why would He?
 
Canell said:
Well, that's because the Lord has programmed in them instincts for self-preservation. Perhaps God never meant to turn people into "sheep to the slaughter" in the first place. Why would He?
Click to expand...

Being a war monger has nothing to do with being defensive. There's nothing wrong about having a strong military to defend your home. That is a far cry from the conversion at the tip of a spear that they've been perpetrating for over a thousand years now.

And it definitely doesn't cover their bigotry. If anything, their incessant bigotry and hatred towards homosexuals and anyone they deem unworthy is driving believers away.
 
Canell said:
Well, that's because the Lord has programmed in them instincts for self-preservation. Perhaps God never meant to turn people into "sheep to the slaughter" in the first place. Why would He?
Click to expand...

WHy would he? Good idea, try to bring logic into the discussion. Why would he have an apple tree of forbidden fruit when he knew that the result would mean killing his son? if you were to have such a tree why not protect it, make it 200 feet high, put fifty feet of brambles around it.


Why would he, indeed
 
rjay said:
WHy would he? Good idea, try to bring logic into the discussion. Why would he have an apple tree of forbidden fruit when he knew that the result would mean killing his son? if you were to have such a tree why not protect it, make it 200 feet high, put fifty feet of brambles around it.


Why would he, indeed
Click to expand...

Very true. It's like a father who lays a loaded gun out in the middle of the living room, then tells his 5 year old son he is NEVER allowed to touch it or play with it. It's child abuse and he knew damn well that kid was going to blow his brains out.
 
Canell said:
Forgive all, pray for your enemies, do not revenge, turn the other cheek, be peaceful as a dove...
Is Christianity a 'off-guard' religion, what do you think?
Does Christianity sweep self-defence under the rug?

:confused:
Click to expand...

Could you define "off-guard" please?
 
Canell said:
Forgive all, pray for your enemies, do not revenge, turn the other cheek, be peaceful as a dove...
Is Christianity a 'off-guard' religion, what do you think?
Does Christianity sweep self-defence under the rug?

:confused:
Click to expand...

The Christian Europeans did very good pro active defence, when they took South America for instance. The present softness and off guard stance is more the hedonistic secularism that has thence evolved. Something was lost in translation.
 
rjay said:
WHy would he? Good idea, try to bring logic into the discussion. Why would he have an apple tree of forbidden fruit when he knew that the result would mean killing his son? if you were to have such a tree why not protect it, make it 200 feet high, put fifty feet of brambles around it.


Why would he, indeed
Click to expand...

Apparently, God has a wicked sense of humor. ;)
 
rjay said:
WHy would he? Good idea, try to bring logic into the discussion. Why would he have an apple tree of forbidden fruit when he knew that the result would mean killing his son? if you were to have such a tree why not protect it, make it 200 feet high, put fifty feet of brambles around it.


Why would he, indeed
Click to expand...

You tell it like He is fooling us around. :roll:
 
Canell said:
Defenceless, toothless, non-violent. The Quakers are coming to mind as an example.
Click to expand...

Thank you. Now that I know what you meant, my answer is no. Christianity is not defenseless or toothless or always non-violent. Even Quakers recognize the defense of one's family, for example, as a God-given duty.
 
Canell said:
Defenceless, toothless, non-violent. The Quakers are coming to mind as an example.
Click to expand...

No, Christians are allowed to bear arms and defend ourselves. In fact, Jesus told his disciples to buy a sword.

Luke 22:36
He said to them, "But now if you have a purse, take it, and also a bag; and if you don't have a sword, sell your cloak and buy one.


The night Jesus was arrested shows an example of that. Peter drew his sword - why would he have a sword in the first place if it's not allowed - ready to defend Jesus. Jesus told him to put away his sword - not because it's not allowed - but because this incident has to happen.

We're supposed to protect the weak and the defenseless.


But yes, we are not to seek revenge. And we are to forgive.

As for turning the other cheek, that refers to how we'd deal with insults.
 
RabidAlpaca said:
Christianity, in and of itself, is a very turn the other cheek, pray for your enemies type religion. However, many of its followers have completely misconstrued this and decided to go the complete opposite direction: war-mongering and bigotry.
Click to expand...

There's nothing misconstrued about the government waging war against evil-doers. Romans chapter 13 is one of the places in scripture where the government is seen as God's agent of wrath against evil-doers.
 
Logicman said:
There's nothing misconstrued about the government waging war against evil-doers. Romans chapter 13 is one of the places in scripture where the government is seen as God's agent of wrath against evil-doers.
Click to expand...

Is there an evil that I can't find justification for in the Bible?
 
Moderator's Warning:
Religion forum... mind the rules.
 
tosca1 said:
As for turning the other cheek, that refers to how we'd deal with insults.
Click to expand...

OK, how do you interpret this? :)

Matthew 5:44 But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, 45 that you may be children of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous.46 If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing that?47 And if you greet only your own people, what are you doing more than others? Do not even pagans do that? [SUP]48 [/SUP]Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.
Click to expand...
 
Logicman said:
There's nothing misconstrued about the government waging war against evil-doers. Romans chapter 13 is one of the places in scripture where the government is seen as God's agent of wrath against evil-doers.
Click to expand...

Let's assume for a second that's true. Why do you only want the government going against gays and not also against those guilty of gluttony and lust? Shouldn't we be shutting down all the fast food and junk food? 40% of Americans are obese, and gluttony is one of the 7 deadly sins. Why is it not ok to legislate against the sins you're guilty of?

And just FYI, you sound exactly like the taliban.
 
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Canell said:
OK, how do you interpret this?

Matthew 5:44 But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, :)
Click to expand...

What do we pray about our persecutors? Do we pray for their death, or misfortune? No.

A Christian will pray for God to intervene that our persecutors may come to know Him. The prayer will be along the line that our persecutors will eventually be spiritually saved.

When Jesus said to love our enemies, He didn't mean the kind of gushy declaration of love as this world sees it. Praying for one's persecutor to have eternal salvation is the ultimate demonstration of love anyone can give.

The greatest example of a Christian persecutor who's found salvation would be the Apostle, Paul. He zealously hunted down Christians, and was also involved in the martyrdom of Stephen. Therefore, never write off anyone - no matter how evil they are.
 
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RabidAlpaca said:
Let's assume for a second that's true. Why do you only want the government going against gays and not also against those guilty of gluttony and lust? Shouldn't we be shutting down all the fast food and junk food? 40% of Americans are obese, and gluttony is one of the 7 deadly sins. Why is it not ok to legislate against the sins you're guilty of?

And just FYI, you sound exactly like the taliban.
Click to expand...


Taliban? I don't think so. As I understand it, the taliban kill and maim people for sinning.
 
If you follow what Jesus said only - which IMO would make people true Christians if they did - then yes, it's an off guard religion.

Unfortunately, the Bible contains any number of contradictory ideas, and arm-chair theologians will use that to support their hate-on for their fellow humans.
 
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