For All You Believers (Religious)

[ChasingBlueSky 0]

  Quote

  Quote

He then looked at the preacher and said, "Okay Pastor, I got rid of all the hypocrites...Now you may begin your service. Have a nice day!"

And the two men turned and walked out.

Damn. I thought the punchline would have been that they shot the stupid ones who stayed as an object lesson in Darwinism, although the lesson that I seem to get from the story is that churchgoing christians fall into two categories, the hypocritical and the stupid.

Probably not the point that it really wanted to make I expect.

I understand what the story was trying to point out...but I think it is insulting to those that do have true faith but prefer to live. A good pastor would have been the last one out of the church after making sure his congregation was safe from the radicals. I'm certain from my 7+ years of schooling in the seminary that the right choice would have been to leave.

Once again, I understand the spirit of the message, but the point is a very dangerous one. This extreme perspective on religion is the same that drives people to blow themselves up in the name of their god. This is not what faith is about, this is not what the Bible teaches.

I respect those that have faith and live it everyday. I used to be one of them and lost it many years ago. Just remember that what you believe is one of the most personal things a person can have and there needs to be respect for the variations of those beliefs.

Not all ministers evangalize. From my experience those that need to push their faith and beliefs on others tend to be weak. It's not that they want others to experience the love in their god, but they need inclusion to feel they have made the right choice themselves. Those with the strongest beliefs live it everyday and affect those around them just by being there. These are the people that truly inspire and show people the beauty of what they hold true.

_________________________________________
you can burn the land and boil the sea, but you can't take the sky from me....
I WILL fly again.....

[freethefly 6]

So, Jesus is not opposed to GUNNING DOWN a church full of people!!!!!! Where's the love, where's the love! I also suspect that Jesus may have obtained these fully automatic firearms illegally. This would make him an religous extremist. A crazed zealot.
Any info on what caliber and make Jesus uses when he blows away the compitition. Any gun that is good for god is good for me.

"...And once you're gone, you can't come back
When you're out of the blue and into the black."
Neil Young

[CanuckInUSA 0]

Maybe I'm wrong, but this sounds more like a fictional story than anything else. Who in their right mind would approve of such behavior? If this happened at a church I was attending you better believe that the cops would be called and the leaders of the church would be punished for this unacceptable behavior. Good grief ... what's this world coming to?

Try not to worry about the things you have no control over

[billvon 3,070]

>One Sunday morning during service, a 2,000 member congregation
>was surprised to see two men enter, both covered from head to toe in
>black and carying submachine guns.

>One of the men proclaimed, "Anyone willing to take a bullet for Christ
>remain where you are."

>Immediately . . .

. . . Dave Smith drew his handgun and fired, dropping the two terrorists. "Geez, guys, it was only to make a point . . . why did you kill him . . .what did . . ." one of them said before he died.

Police later released Smith pending charges. The families of the slain religious activists labeled Smith an "anti-christian killer," a charge he vemenently denied.

>Funny how someone can be so fired up for Christ on Sunday...but be
>an invisible Christian the rest of the week.

Also funny about how a message that ends with this starts out with what happens in a church on sunday.

I don't really care what people do on sunday. I do care what people do with their lives. I know some very 'devout' people who go to church every sunday, and spend the rest of their week making money, sitting at home and counting their savings. I know a lot of other people who don't go to church, and take the time to try to help others during the week. The latter are the ones following the teachings of Christ.

[sfzombie13 324]

nice story, bill. i rather liked it much more than the original. i will have to open up by stating the fact that i'm a former cristian. that being said, there are only 12 christians that ever existed, they were the original disciples. jesus was a gnostic, and a very wise prophet. he had mentioned that he didn't care if you hid in your closet to pray, he just wanted everyone to live by the spirit of his teachings. then along came man and so thouroughly corrupted the word god, that all we have left is a bunch of power-hungry, hypocritical, idiots. every single faction that i've read about is the "right" one, and all others will burn in hell for not believing their way. most of the bloodshed in the last 2000 years has a direct line back to religion. i'm not trying to pick on anyone in particular, and i'm sure that many people have nothing but the best intentions.....but like they say, they make good pavers on the road to hell.

_________________________________________
Si hoc legere scis nimium eruditionis habes

[Darius11 12]

I am Muslim.

My religion tells me to run to save my life.
Islam tells me to save my life and not to die for something as stupid as proving my point to a few guys in black masks.

I agree that there are a lot of hypocrites but who are we to judge how someone worships or how they choose to believe.

I will use my self as an example.
I drink, I have premarital sex, and love bacon. All goose against being a Muslim.
But would you call me a hypocrite. I really don’t think you have the right to call me any thing.
There are many things I don’t do because of my beliefs and I have my reasons for not listening to certain parts of my religion. I truly believe I am a good person and I think I am more devoted to my religion then many who pray daily.

In the end religion is a personal choice. Unfortunately it also becomes a fab. More and more you hear people say I am not religious but spiritual. I know some truly believe that but you have to wonder why some terms become popular and more and more people seem to throw it out there.



I think we need to concentrate more on our feelings. Feeling are messages from your soul, your brain is juts a tool. That’s the way I look at it doesn’t mean its right or wrong. It is what I am comfortable with.

I'd rather be hated for who I am, than loved for who I am not." - Kurt Cobain

[CanuckInUSA 0]

And you are one cool Muslim by my books.

Try not to worry about the things you have no control over

[Darius11 12]

Thanks bro.
The feeling is mutual

I'd rather be hated for who I am, than loved for who I am not." - Kurt Cobain

[CanuckInUSA 0]

  Quote

The feeling is mutual

But I'm not Muslim. I'm agnostic.

Try not to worry about the things you have no control over

[justaflygirl 0]

What an awesome story! Im gonna save it, so I have it to pass on. Thanks & God Bless!

[Darius11 12]

The cool part is mutual.
I know your not a Muslim

I'd rather be hated for who I am, than loved for who I am not." - Kurt Cobain

[StevePhelps 0]

Okay, funny but true story.

In the early 80s I was recently out of the Green Berets and attending my brother's church. In walked three uniformed guys (no weapons). They said they were part of a large group of people taking over the state and organized religion would be outlawed. I thought it was all bogus and sounded like something my brother (the pastor) would do to prove a point. But my dad and another older gentleman were getting upset. My dad had heart problems. Then one of them slapped my brother. Joke or not, illustration or not, I dove accross the pew and took out two of them. While wrestling with them on the ground my brother and the guys were saying in veiled whispers "Steve, Steve, it's okay! It's all a set up!" I guess I ruined their "illustration"

Next time you think that might be a good way to illustrate a point, remember about 10% of SFers are believers,

[Zenister 0]

the early church had this problem.. the heathens were dying just as well when thrown to the lions as the faithful...

if dedication as shown by a willingness to die is proof of ‘truth’, then I’d like to point out the scoreboard currently shows that the Muslim extremists (and mind you there are extremists in every religion, so I’m not singling them out) are in the lead...

____________________________________
Those who fail to learn from the past are simply Doomed.

[TrophyHusband 0]

  Quote

He then looked at the preacher and said, "Okay Pastor, I got rid of all the hypocrites...Now you may begin your service. Have a nice day!"

*

aren't the people who ran the ones who need to be in church the most? from my readings of the bible, i got the idea that church was for the sinners and for the people who have little faith. in this story, the preacher and the men with guns are the hypocrites. i know this is only a story, but it parallels my real life experiences with organized religion.

"Your scrotum is quite nice" - Skymama
www.kjandmegan.com

[windcatcher 0]

hi Amanduh
thanks for posting that story, I've heard it before. Whether true or fictional, I believe the point of the story, is to show that there are many people in church, who really aren't dedicated to living a life for God, regardless of the persecution that may come their way--yet still attend church on a regular basis.
I of course, if it was a true story, would have stayed and gladly taken a bullet for Christ, if the gunmen made me reject Christ or die. Dying just means I would be in heaven that much sooner

Mother to the cutest little thing in the world...

[kelpdiver 2]

for my sunday morning bed....it's a sin to commit suicide, at least for Catholics, so sticking around to be killed sounds more hypocritical then running.

[Amanduh 0]

Honestly, the reason I posted the story was not only for religious debate or purposes.


What I personally took from the story was the lead to being 'hypocritcal'; in all walks of life, not only in the Church. Are there certain things you say or do, that in an instance you would run if confronted? Stand for what you believe. Whether it be respect, faith, pride, love...it doesn't matter.

THAT is why I posted it.

[rhys 0]

  Quote

How come every one in SC has got to try to start some kind of controversy over every single post???


that is why it is the speakers corner. is religious belief not controversy? i am a believer in a higher being but my belief certainly does not involve the bible. most christians are hippocrites who are blindfolded to reality. if you understand your religion then why do you have to go to church and pray? should you not be out there tryng to protect your environment from greed, or are you part of that greed?
you recycle, walk when you can or buy free range eggs? if you don't you are a hyppocrite.

christians blindfold themselves to fact until it gets to a point where they look stupid if they don't agree. for example the church was adamant the earth was flat and ridiculed any opposing thought until science could prove it beyond reasonable doubt. once this happened 'then' the church agreed yes the earth is a sphere and included that in their beliefs this was only a few hundred years ago. much the same as the big bang theory, where is the cosmos included in the bible? it isn't is it, this is because nobody knew what it was when the bible was written, not even your mate jesus.

once again i do beleive in a higher being as there is some sort of magic involved in life. life does not revolve around humans as the bible suggests. our world is fucked due to greed, christianity is part of that greed (what kind of car does your vicar drive?b.m.w.?, i bet he doesn't walk)

go pick up some rubbish and plant a tree instead of pushing your selfish belief onto others.

'the mind is like a parachute, it works best when it is opened........ fully'

"When the power of love overcomes the love of power, then the world will see peace." - 'Jimi' Hendrix

• Quote

[windcatcher 0]

hellothought I'd try and debate with you about your post...

  Quote

if you understand your religion then why do you have to go to church and pray?

why go to church? because it is important for other believers to gather together, see one another, have fellowship, come together in unity to worship God. I don't go to church to understand my "religion". I go to church, to hear the Word of God preached, because trust me, I need reminders all the time of how I am to live my life. It is hard enough, being naturally self-centered, to get the focus off myself on my own....church definitely helps me remember to love and serve others.
BTW...you forget it is not just Christians who gather together as common believers...I do believe other religions gather for purposes too.

  Quote

should you not be out there tryng to protect your environment from greed, or are you part of that greed? you recycle, walk when you can or buy free range eggs? if you don't you are a hyppocrite.

I do believe the I am supposed to be a good steward of everything God gives me...and yes, part of that includes taking care of the environment.
BUT... I also believe loving people and giving of myself is the most important thing to do on earth, yes, even more important than recycling.
As far as being a hyprocrite goes...I leave that judging to God.No human is perfect, no Christian is perfect, no matter how hard I try to love and obey God....I still fall short. I do not call people hypocrites, I let God decide who is a true follower of Him or not--after all, He is the ONLY ONE who I will give an account to of how I lived my life and what I did with the knowledge of His son and His death on the cross for my sins.

  Quote

life does not revolve around humans as the bible suggests. our world is fucked

yes, you are correct.Life revolves around God---He is the reason everything exists--without Him, there would be no earth, no humans,etc.
Yes, our world is messed up too--but there are also plenty of good things here, mainly people and skydiving
and I guess I don't worry too much about how messed up everything here is, because it's not my home, I'm just passin through

Mother to the cutest little thing in the world...

[Antidote 0]

  Quote

and I guess I don't worry too much about how messed up everything here is, because it's not my home, I'm just passin through

Well it IS my home, and while I ain't staying for long it's still where I keep ALL my stuff, be it spiritual or material, so I'd appreciate if you try to keep it tidy while you're in transit .

[rhys 0]

i do like debating.

***I do believe the I am supposed to be a good steward of everything God gives me...and yes, part of that includes taking care of the environment.
BUT... I also believe loving people and giving of myself is the most important thing to do on earth, yes, even more important than recycling.



so who was it that told you everything has been 'given' to you. was that stuff not there before people were ever here? are we not dessemating this fragile plannet at an alarming rate? is that not a worry to you because you've got heaven to look forward to? i guess those charachters who crashed into the world trade centre are now making love to the 88 virgins they were promised as well?

christians are very selfish.

can you let me know where the bible mentions the rest of the cosmos? or has that jus appeared in the last coupleof hundred years too. also dinosoars i want to see where they fit into gods picture too.

now i believe in a higher being so i am not saying i am a non believer somthing had to have happened to create existance but the bibles myths of everything being created in seven days and all that yarn doesn't add up as much as all the genius' putting thier ideas together based on fac, seem to come up with the same conclusions. the bible doesn't add up?

what are you theories on the big bang? do you belive that the univers is expanding and had to begin at some point or do you believe the earth is the center of the universe?

you said that you beleive that human existnce is more important then the existance of all living things, do you really beleive that? is that not selfish?

"When the power of love overcomes the love of power, then the world will see peace." - 'Jimi' Hendrix

[bobsled92 0]

  Quote

***
One Sunday morning during service, a 2,000 member congregation was surprised to see two men enter, both covered from head to toe in black and carying submachine guns.

One of the men proclaimed, "Anyone willing to take a bullet for Christ remain where you are."

  Quote

I agree.
In my jaded ways/past/present, I'd still die for my children and my FAITH.
I'm not perfect but, I am commited.

Interesting, but somewhat flawed. If Jesus came in and asked me to take a bullet for him .... sure. If some insane terrorist asked me to offer up myself or my children just to prove to HIM that I am a believer ... hell yeah I'd run ... and I'd be using my body to shield my children in the process. I don't owe that terrorist anything, least of all my life.

_______________________________
If I could be a Super Hero,
I chose to be: "GRANT-A-CLAUS". and work 365 days a Year.
http://www.hangout.no/speednews/

• Quote