Religious Moderates

[Kether]

We are currently seeing a relatively progressive trend in Christianity. Many of the beliefs of the liberals are in direct conflict with the tenets of the Bible; they chose to believe some doctrines but not others. Why, then, are they Christians at all? The reason why they are in the first place is essentially because of faith, but to disagree with the object of faith is surely lack of faith.

[scameter]

The reason Christianity has persisted is because the majority of people are not the liberals you speak of; they are merely people, particularly those possessing alot of money or none at all, with hardly any of the people between those two extremes, that go to church to say they did to appear more and, in a sense, bonefied. :)

[Kether]

Most of Christianity was invented after Jesus was around. But Jesus was building on the Hebrew ethics and theology, which contained many arrogant, racist elements. To his credit, Jesus dispensed with much of this, but some of it, like the superstitious attitudes towards sex, survive in his teachings.
Faith in Christ above the Bible would still entail supporting some of the doctrines that liberals don't.

I think that Christianity has persisted because it became such a powerful social institution. The influence of this institution - or perhaps a better word would be 'force' - is present in the education of children. As Freud pointed out, childhood experiences are more powerful than those of later life, and even when people consider themselves rational they do not extend this rationality to ethics - probably because ethics are so emotive, and people percieve morality as divorced from reason. Why? Because they have been conditioned by religion.

[Kether]

I can relate to many of Christs doctrines of love, though I believe that they should not come from a religion. Assuming he existed as described, I agree with some of what he said - but as an individual, I would place him below Buddha and Socrates. I just don't think that brotherly love is compatable with a belief in eternal damnation.

[scameter]

I agree Kether, but I think that what remained of the original Hebrew faith, yes was partially Jesus's plan, but what remained of the morality and dogma was their own fault, especially the superstitions and arrogance. No Christian is truly Christian.

[deepakgang]

I think the true essence of what Jesus might have taught is being totaly fabricated by the church. When one gets power, gets a simple taste of it- one never wants to lose it. Church made Christainity spread all over the world. It became more powerful day by day. Bible can easily be taught in a way they want to. To retain power. Below that what Jesus taught might have been same as Buddha and all.

[scameter]

Most definitely. Buddha is not merely one man; buddha is a state of being, a title for one who has achieved enlightenment. In Osho's Zen book, he says that Jesus, Ghottama (possible mispell), Bodhidharma (again), Lao Tzu, and others were buddhas. Bodhidharma himself could remember 24, and I think that was just in India. :)

[MidnightSun]

System (if ur american or european) tells u to be a christian.

[scameter]

Oh they understand it, they just don't aknowledge it. Islams don't see Jesus as the son of God(Allah) as God's son, thus they are heretics, from the Christian's view. And from the Jewish view, all are heretics, and from the Islamic view all non-Allah(God) worshippers are heretics. They don't realize that all three, Jewish, Islamic, and Christian, originate from Abraham and are essentially all the same. Their prophets were just different.

[scameter]

:)