I'm So Sick Of Seeing Christians ...

[ItsjustMe]

[keithbvadu2]

1. "I like your Christ, I do not like your Christians. Your Christians are so unlike your Christ." ―

“I like your Christ, I do not like your Christians. Your Christians are so unlike your Christ.”

― Mahatma Gandhi

[roamer65]

3. Gandhi had that one nailed.

[Evolve Dammit]

25. A perfect statement if there ever was.

[Celerity]

44. Unfortunately Gandhi never said that.

7 Gandhi Quotes That Are Totally Fake

https://gizmodo.com/7-gandhi-quotes-that-are-totally-fake-1716503435

[keithbvadu2]

45. Doggone! It's such a good statement.

Doggone! It's such a good statement.

[dalton99a]

2. Nobody is persecuting them. They are the ones persecuting other people

[roamer65]

4. If they keep up their nonsense, we will start defending our rights.

Like freedom FROM religion.

[Sibelius Fan]

5. Things Jesus said:

“If any man come to Me and hate not his father and mother, and wife and children, and brethren and sisters, yea, and his own life also, he cannot be My disciple.” Luke 14:26

“Think not that I am come to send peace on earth: I came not to send [or bring] peace, but a sword." - Matthew 10:34

Then there’s his encounter with the Canaanite woman:

“Leaving that place, Jesus withdrew to the region of Tyre and Sidon. A Canaanite woman from that vicinity came to him, crying out, “Lord, Son of David, have mercy on me! My daughter is demon-possessed and suffering terribly.”

Jesus did not answer a word. So his disciples came to him and urged him, “Send her away, for she keeps crying out after us.”

He answered, “I was sent only to the lost sheep of Israel.”

The woman came and knelt before him. “Lord, help me!” she said.

He replied, “It is not right to take the children’s bread and toss it to the dogs.” - Matthew 15: 21-26

Gentle Jesus, meek and mild.

[rateyes]

8. To be fair, you should read on and finish telling the story.

[Mariana]

11. Reading on and finishing the story:

Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” Matthew 28 : 16-20

He did not go on to say, "...unless they don't want to be my disciples, in which case respect their decision, and live with them in peace and harmony."

[Dawson Leery]

23. Not exactly peaceful.

[keithbvadu2]

47. Sounds similar to right winger claims that Islam wants forced conversion to their beliefs.

Sounds similar to right winger claims that Islam wants forced conversion to their beliefs.

[Sibelius Fan]

14. Why? To read Jesus' equivalent of "I have lots of black friends?"

First, he refuses to even acknowledge her. Then he tells her his divine mercy is not for her. The man was mentally and verbally abusing a woman who was in obvious mental pain. He even compared her to a dog. Then after she literally grovels at his feet he declares that her faith in HIM has made all the difference, and he’ll help her daughter? No mercy for a mother in pain due to her daughter’s maladies? What if she had got up and walked away after Jesus compared her to a dog? Just how much abuse was she supposed to take before he relented in his sickening abuse?

Sorry, but it still really, really, really sucks. Anybody being that abusive in today’s world would lose their job, at the least. And they certainly wouldn’t be held up as a moral leader.

[rateyes]

27. Let's consider this story in the context of the entireity

of Jesus’ teachings. The disciples were telling Jesus to send her away. Perhaps Jesus, when he said what he said by calling the woman a dog said it sort of tongue-in-cheek to the woman so that it would bring out the reaction (such as you had) of shock in the disciples hearing the slur out loud, and the woman, following his lead, said what she said in the belief that Jesus would certainly grant her request. When you look at Jesus’ attitudes toward those who were not of the Jewish faith, and his inclusion of them, understanding that it is exactly this attitude which got him crucified, I think it warrants giving him the benefit of the doubt.

[Sibelius Fan]

32. Again, putting the best possible spin on words that would be considered to be

loathsome were they spoken by you or me.

[rateyes]

34. There are folk in my life who could call me a derogatory

name to my face with whom I would not be offended if spoken in the right context. I have a real good friend who calls me a magnificent bastard all the time.

[gratuitous]

17. Maybe it wouldn't serve the narrative

I'll pick it up beginning at verse 27:

27 “Yes it is, Lord,” she said. “Even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their master’s table.”

28 Then Jesus said to her, “Woman, you have great faith! Your request is granted.” And her daughter was healed at that moment.

I've long maintained that this story is one of the most startling in the Christian testament (it's also recounted in Mark, Chapter 7 verses 24 through 30) in that Jesus takes a position quite reasonable in his society and is bumped off of his position by the Syrophoenician woman's persistence. A woman, it should be noted, who has no standing in society, doesn't have a man to front for her or give her status, who is asking for a favor for her daughter, who is even lower on the hierarchy.

[TygrBright]

12. And the woman said "Even the dogs are allowed crumbs from the children's table... " and Christ said

"Behold this faith, your prayer is granted."

Context is important.

exigetically,
Bright

[Sibelius Fan]

15. Yep. The context makes it even worse.

[TygrBright]

16. As with everything about religious belief, it's subject to interpretation. n/t

[Sibelius Fan]

26. Indeed. Pity that when it comes to the megalomaniac of Nazareth the

default position seems to be viewing everything he said and did in the most-positive light possible, even if that means engaging in twisted logic and attaching Enlightened ideals to words that stand at the opposite end of the spectrum.

[AZ8theist]

33. You guys can argue all you want....

A lot of us believe "Jesus" was imaginary....

[dhol82]

40. And a lot of his "words" were written a hundred years after his death.

The only reason Christianity took hold over Mithraicism was because of Constantine. He made it the state religion. The rest is history.

[AZ8theist]

46. Exactly.

No contemporaneous evidence of an actual Jesus.

A conglomeration of multitudes of so-called "prophets" running around the mid east around that time.....

[jaxexpat]

54. Mostly it's a refinement of the definition of " faith".

It's the most mysterious, illusive and fundamental of Christian principles.

[Collimator]

19. I want to treat your post. . .

. . . and your perspective with respect. However, I must make a counterpoint to your summation of "Gentle Jesus, meek and mild."

Jesus is a Rorschach test*. People see in him what they want to see, and then use him as the inspiration or justification for their attitudes and actions.

The Bible is a compilation of many writings-- comprising history, poetry, allegory and agenda. It's an important work and I'm glad that I have read it. But I no longer follow it. This does not mean that one cannot still learn valuable lessons from it.

In a similar vein, the character of Jesus can offer insight and guidance, even to those--like myself--who reject the notion of his historical reality to say nothing of the supernatural claims made about him.

Redemption and compassion are not Christian values. They are human values taught and reverenced in many cultures through different stories and texts.

I support and appreciate your valuation of the character traits of gentleness and mildness. Given the world we live in, gentleness is desperately needed. And still, the Gospels also note Jesus saying things that can be interpreted as divisive or radical, or yes, even conciliatory towards the status quo. His character is very much in the eye of the beholder.


* This is not an original observation on my part. I've noticed that in this country, Lincoln is also something of a Rorschach test. He becomes different things to people depending on what they wish to highlight--or broadly interpret-- about him to support their own position. It wouldn't surprise me to find Gandhi and Buddha utilized the same way in different cultures.

[JT45242]

28. Omitted key pieces in proof text work

He healed the daughter even though she wasn't jewish. Not the only story like that. The point in larger context was that even outsiders saw him as a prophet of God.

The part about hating father etci s about the cost of following him. It might cost you your family and your life.

Since all but one of the twelve was executed, seems like a fair warning.

Proof texting is dangerous whether it is used to condemn gays, support slavery, or say Christ was warlike.

Many christian people don't live what he said.

Love God. Love your neighbor. That's it. Love.

[Mariana]

48. "Since all but one of the twelve was executed, seems like a fair warning."

How do you know all but one of the twelve were executed? The Bible doesn't say this.

[wnylib]

6. Reminds me of something that

the Seneca leader, Red Jacket, said in reponse to missionary requests for permission to preach to the Seneca people.

First he pointed out that the Seneca had their own religious teachings and practices that were very old. He mentioned some of their own beliefs about sharing and about gratitude to the Creator. He questioned why his "white brothers" talked about such things but did not seem to practice them.

Finally he said that there was a white settlement with a church nearby. He said that the Seneca people would observe their white Christian neighbors to see if their religion made them less inclined to steal from "the red man" and would give their answer about having a mission after that observation.

[politruk]

7. Apart from having churches in every town in America,

and Christian television and radio networks, and Christian schools and colleges, and Bibles in every hotel room in the country, the Christians are totally getting canceled!

[Roc2020]

10. Persecution is part of Christianity

and it will get worse.

[Layzeebeaver]

41. Christians these days are nothing if they don't have their persecution on their sleeve

I’m sure there a few exceptions.

[Dawson Leery]

13. kick

[FakeNoose]

18. They should be honest about the "Prosperity Gospel"

... it has nothing to do with Christianity, and everything to do with the Seven Deadly Sins.

[smb]

21. Millions Of MAGAtroids Follow The Earthy Avatar Of The Seven Deadly Sins nt

[keithbvadu2]

31. The collectors of Prosperity Gospel seem to do a lot better than the donors.

The collectors of Prosperity Gospel seem to do a lot better than the donors.

[Towlie]

20. Chritianity isn't experiencing persecution but it is experiencing attrition.

 
?

As society gradually develops higher moral values, people are understanding more and more that they don't need to consult the writings of our primitive ancestors, reflecting an imperfect and long-obsolete morality, to figure out what's good and what's evil. What was once a guide to higher moral standards than what prevailed has since depreciated into a repository of excuses for acts and policies that we can now recognize as immoral.

Jesus was ahead of other folks in his day but he's way behind us, and Christianity is dying because it's forever based upon a compilation of stories that can never be amended because they were ingenuously (or disingenuously) attributed to an infallible supreme being.

[TexasBushwhacker]

43. Young people are leaving traditional Christian churches

because they have LGBTQ friends or family members and they don't accept that they are damned just because of their orientation. They accept that women are equal human beings. They don't think sex for pleasure is a sin and most believe that abortion should be a woman's choice. They think that the theory of the Big Bang and Evolution make sense. They don't demand that EVERYONE have the same religious beliefs.

Obviously there are still young people who are very religious, but there are fewer and fewer of them every year.

[Ford_Prefect]

22. The same people have stolen our flag and claim to be patriots as if the term did not exist before

they used it. Likewise they claim to be the true Christians while asserting old testament god as supreme. I have news for them: You can't have it both ways.

True believers never have a sense of history and never admit to another interpretation of faith. They are paranoid fantasists hiding inside their delusions and blaming everyone else for their fears and discomforts.

They so badly need to get real and get off our necks!

[BobTheSubgenius]

24. People have said variations of the following, but I like the way Jon Stewart said:

"You are confusing persecution with not getting everything you want."

[mntleo2]

29. Cannot agree more ...

...I am a church attendee and I am sad about conservative "Christians" who overlook the very thing our prophet taught.

Try being (gasp) Muslim, Jewish, Hindu, or Buddhist, you nimrods! They have actually been attacked and even killed by your sort!

IMO these crybabies are not Christians because they ignore the teachings they should be observing. Their feeling sorry for themselves because of their greed, their exclusiveness, their bad take on scripture is rather disgusting. They think that when they are laughed at and mocked is because they are "being persecuted."

No you fools, you are being laughed at because you are so obviously out of touch with your own prophet!

Cat in Seattle

[ChoppinBroccoli]

30. When They Started Screaming For Lil Nas X To Be Cancelled............

............I thought, wow, they sure went from screaming about "religious freedom" to getting out the torches and pitchforks awfully fast. Seems Christian wackos are only for religious freedom when it's a religion they LIKE.

[Martin68]

35. Exactly!!!!!

[Goodheart]

36. I think Ms. Lee is wrong. Christians know very well that Jesus, if he existed at all,

was not a nice guy.

Among other things:

- He forced a Canaanite woman to admit to being a dog before he consented to help her ailing daughter.
- He cursed a fig tree for not bearing fruit... out of season.
- He praised the punishment of a simple man called to a wedding, who had not expected an invitation and was thus not dressed for the occasion.
- He mercilessly drove 2000 pigs off a cliff to their deaths.
- He forbade divorce to anyone, even those in relentlessly unfit, miserable, and cruel marriages.
- He lashed out at his own mother after he had gone missing and she expressed dismay at his disappearance.
- He stole a boat from an innocent and apparently poor stranger.
- He spoke in parables because, according to his own admission, he didn't want to give those people who did not understand the opportunity to understand.

I could go on, but I'll repeat.... yes, Christians DO know and practice the teachings of Jesus: anybody not like themselves, anybody devoid of their blind faith, are evil.

[keithbvadu2]

42. "He forbade divorce"

"He forbade divorce"

Jesus allowed divorce in the case of the spouse not being religious enough.

... but most Christians ignore the divorce stuff anyway.

To most Christians, the Bible (and Jesus' words) are just suggestions to be cherry-picked as desired and ignore the rest.

[Karadeniz]

37. Oooh, boy! I just can't emphasize enough to not take the gospels literally. Once you've found the

Karma and reincarnation in the parables, it's easier to find most of the other symbols. It has been noticed by scholars that Jesus' travels from city to city don't always reflect a logical route. One said it was almost as if the area was unfamiliar to the writer. When we look at the reincarnation parable, we see that the soul travels from city to city before arriving at the place of unclean flesh. Clearly, cities here represent the different spiritual levels and each has its ruler. This is what Paul refers to by many gods, princes, principalities.

One episode confused me at first. Presented as an actual event, it uses so much parable imagery, and Jesus comes across as a bit disrespectful in his behavior. I finally figured out that the episode doesn't take place on earth at all, but a low spiritual level. So now I can add more symbolic imagery to my list of clues to decode the gospels. Understood, Jesus isn't disrespectful!

The bottom line: Don't take the gospels at face value. Lord knows, there are enough discrepancies to make one realize that accuracy of physical facts was not the priority. With the hidden messages revealing karma, reincarnation, thought reality and Plato's descending levels of perfection, however, we can assume that the authors were not of the Orthodox persuasion. The beliefs reflect either Gnostics or Essenes, both of whom followed reincarnation. And, for the first 150 years, Paul was known as the apostle to the heretics... the Gnostics loved him.

Modern Christianity doesn't want its members to know about their history.

[usaf-vet]

38. Anyone that agrees with a law that says you can't give water to a thirsty person IS NOT A CHRISTIAN!

Let's start there and the list goes on from there.

Here is a couple of easy ones.
Anyone who thinks it's alright for the "pastor" to have a private jet and multiple homes is no a Christian but rather is a grifter.

[Mariana]

49. Yes, only non-Christians could be so awful as to agree with that law.

And only non-Christians grift. Is that how it works?

[Blue Owl]

39. K&R

[mac2766]

50. Persecution in their eyes is...

Other people not allowing them to persecute others.

I've been saved and baptised, I've read the entire old testament and a good bit of the new. I'm now a non-believer.

I've found that those in the Baptist religion get upset when they encounter a person that doesn't believe exactly what they do.

To them, freedom means that you and I are free to believe whatever we want, unless it differs from their beliefs. Then there is a problem.

[Tommymac]

51. The European Christian Theocracy was brutal and set Mankind back at least a thousand years.

Christianity is all about POWER, and keeping the Patriarchy relevant.

Islam and Judaism have the same issues.

I like to take the path John Lennon advocated.

[czarjak]

52. The possibility of Jesus' return isn't carte blanche to be an asshole...

Actually the opposite. You think Santa is watching you rubes.

[The Jungle 1]

53. It is called cafeteria style Christianity.

They pick and choose which teachings of Christ to follow.
The whole help the poor thing is not on their plate.