Cipher Girl

Hmmmmm, Magus you said
Wasn't there a couple of threads in the recent past where you claimed you were a Messianic Jew and not a Christian? Even when shown the evidence that this cult is a version of the Southern Baptist Church? Why the change of label?

Just wondering.

Magus55

A Messianic Jew is a Christian. It was the atheists here who said I have a problem being referred to as a Christian. I don't consider myself a Christian in the sense that most people think of it, an organized religion or "status" title that you check on some tax form. I'm a Christian because a I'm a follower of Christ ( which is what christian means). But I prefer the term Messianic Jew, because I still hold on to my Jewish birth heritage, on top of worshipping Jesus as the Messiah.

And I don't really care whether you think Messianic Judaism is a Baptist organisation because it isn't. Jews for Jesus maybe be, but I don't follow that organization. Messianic Judaism isn't just in the U.S, its also gaining a large following in Israel, where there are no Baptists. Half the Messianic Jews over there have probably never even heard of Southern Baptists. A Messianic Jew just means someone born of the Jewish bloodline, who worships Jesus as the Messiah, but holds on to the Jewish heritage and roots, something most gentiles don't do.

Haven't we buried this in the ground enough? Its off topic, and no one here particular cares what my beliefs are because I just get ridiculed and called a fraud anyway.

winstonjen

In that case, perhaps we should stop telling you about our beliefs, especially if they are Catholic or atheist, as you seem to think that we are deluding ourselves, believing a lie that your god sent in the first place...

If Christians would actually obey the "Love thine enemy" command and not burn people who disagreed with them at the stake, the world would be a better place for it.

brighid

One modern day example of some Christian organizations impeding scientific progress would be the opposition it provides against stem cell research. I would also say some Christian organizations are partly responsible for the spread of AIDS because they attack non-abstinence programs and oppose the use of condoms. I would creation-science and the push for that being as a part of public school teaching is at the least an attempt to supress actual scientific knowledge from young minds, and in that sense it harms scientific progress by leading students astray.

Brighid

Cipher Girl

I know this is somewhat off topic, but when have I called you a fraud? I simply noted the inconsistency of your arguments between threads. Being a math person by trade, inconsistency bugs me. I know it's just a pet peeve. But Magus, why so defensive?

Back to the topic at hand.

Factfinder, as a christian, what do you use to guide your selections of what to follow in the bible? Wouldn't you need to have a sense of morality first to guide your selections?

peripeteia

Hello all!

I really find this thread entertaining and cant help wondering if some of you here actually take yourselves seriously or believe this a farcical play..A disconcerting feature of your reprisals towards ‘Factfinder’ is the ludicrous examples you use as supporting frameworks for your arguments..Look this well be a general ridicule[im to tired and lazy to cut and paste and frankly i will not go through the whole thread rereading the posts]…Your all intelligent enough to recognize ‘who’ im criticizing..

A couple of you mentioned several atrocities evident within the history of Christianity as if those would disavow and attenuate the veracity and validity of it..Please don’t embarrass yourselves with such pathetic selective processing assuming them pertinent to your objections..

{deleted-Aqua}Be so kind to look at the instances of exploitation, repression, genocidal murders, racial cleansing, and political suppression permeating the literature in postcolonialism..Hell the whole subdiscipline was established in its hybridized form especially because of these issues..Or if you {deleted-Aqua}are to {deleted-Aqua} in your continental leanings let me provide you with some ‘easy’ material to read to familiar yourselves with the ‘pristine nature’ of your humanity towards your ‘others’[subaltern].. You should read Glover, Neimann, and Gourevitch..If you desire a more detailed history of particular genocides committed under political aspirations than read Hedges[bosnia], Balakian{Armenian] and Kieman [pot pot regime 1975-79]]..And my last reference will be for a book I highly recommend by Eric Weitz..I think the title is ‘Genocide’ but I could be mistaken since I forgot and am to lazy to search it out..But regardless it’s a comparative look at genocide and quite interesting..

People all I mentioned is an infinitesimal small number compared to whats out there..Hell I didn’t even mention the infamous Holocaust nor the ‘utopia’ of Stalinism..But im sure your well aware of these [personally iv been very interested in the Holocaust not only from a historical perspective but from a theo/philosophical one]..

OH and one last thing before school is out and all the bad little tikes choose to stay after and complain…Don’t bring that crap about the debates between science and religion..Kiddies iv done most of my graduate training in continental philosophy and postmodernism has been a mainstay of a substantial amount of my readings..Even a cursory study of the philosophy of science and critical theory should make the complicated nature of the issues obvious[and please don’t bring up the ‘Sokal scandal’]..Im not here to teach you the basics; any good academia will do that..But unless your willing to trump up anachronistic appeals, I believe we should stay with the issues of the thread and lets see what happens...


And for the rest of you who are neither belligerent atheists nor die-hard fundamentalists[I don’t care what camp: Christian proselytizers, gay activists, or agnostic wannabees] I aplogize for sounding a little pissed off..I merely wanted to bring the discussion to a more enlightened level..
And for those of you who were personally affronted please be so kind to maintain some standard of decorum..I can cuss with the best of you and even can play sublimated schizoid parlor oratorics but that is not my intention nor my kick..What I want is something a little more interesting and intelligent..Which means is that I expect you ‘deviants’ to substantiate your arguments and write accordingly, befitting your ‘superior’ intellectual standing..No I don’t want page numbers, not even titles of articles or books, but I do want to know where the hell you gained your knowledge..Im not interested in esoteric ‘gatekeeping’ nor in epiphaneous intuitiveness..

One last thingy..Eventhough i agree with some of your arguments regarding the 'negatives' of religion, I deemed it necessary to provide a balance..Yes i sadly agree that all the 'idols' we have created have been found wanting[political, economic, and religious] and yes perhaps we need to reconstruct new 'icons' more congenial to human falicity and benevolence--- perhaps even according to the principles of the 'second naivette'[ Recoeur]---But that is a whole other subject...


Thanks and enjoy…

Magus55

Catholics forbid contraception, most Christians don't. And how is it their fault for the spread of AIDS? What an ignorant response. Don't want to get AIDS? Don't sleep around. Its your own fault if you get it, not Christians. Christians actually prevent the spread of AIDS because Christianity forbids premarital sex, and promiscuity.

winstonjen

Contraception can reduce the risk of AIDS.

Plank...own...eye. Or, alternatively, pot...kettle...black

What if you get raped by a Christian pedophile priest who happens to have AIDS?

Magus55

How is that any different than getting raped by an atheist pedophile? Because some priests choose to commit crimes, that automatically means Christianity is at fault? Think i'm gonna go back to ignoring you winston.

winstonjen

Atheist pedophiles tend not to say "Come to Daddy. The HEAVENLY Daddy!"

Not only the priests, but the institutions themselves hide the problem by moving the priest to a new parish.