Author Topic: Rant 1: Your "true" Christianity is Nothing Special  (Read 9005 times)

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Offline rageaholic

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Rant 1: Your "true" Christianity is Nothing Special
« on: August 10, 2013, 05:43:06 pm »
I’ve sure we’ve all heard this.  A “concerned Christian” comes on a board like this and sees a bunch of people bitter with religion.  So they come and share their “good news” that “true Christians” don’t have to be bigoted judgmental assholes, and how the “true gospel” is that you don’t need good works to get into heaven, you just need to believe.  “It’s not a religion, it’s a relationship with Jesus Christ” says the overly excited Christian.  I’ve seen that episode play out so many times on different forums that I practically know the dialog. 

Well sorry to burst your bubble, but what you’re offering is no different than what most of the other churches offered.  All churches claim to have the truth, most of the protestant ones emphasize faith in Christ as the most important thing, and the “it’s not a religion” is now such a cliché that saying it actually is a religion would be the real twist.  In reality, all churches have an idea of what the truth might be, there’s always some other catch to the faith thing (especially since they claim most people are going to hell anyway), and the “relationship” with God is in odd one (worthy of an entirely different topic).  When you bring Jesus dying for your sins into the equation, you’re not preaching anything revolutionary.  You’re just delivering in a different package (only it’s not really a different package now is it?). 

Offline Lithp

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Re: Rant 1: Your "true" Christianity is Nothing Special
« Reply #1 on: August 10, 2013, 09:36:13 pm »
Plus, that doesn't really change that these people do a bunch of damage in the name of Jesus Christ, "true" or not, & frankly I'd rather be judged by what I do based on what I arbitrarily believe.

I'm still trying to figure out why they think that this information is novel. The closest I've gotten is that they simply refuse to believe that anyone outside of their circle has heard this before. RR was pretty fond of telling me that I got their beliefs "wrong" because of minor differences in wording. They were particularly stuck on the (lack of) difference between "God sends you to Hell" & "you go to Hell because of your sins."

Offline Alehksunos

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Re: Rant 1: Your "true" Christianity is Nothing Special
« Reply #2 on: August 10, 2013, 10:44:07 pm »
I'm so fucking sick of people using "true" or "real" in everything and dismissing everything else as "false" or "fake". It's so No True Scotsman.

Offline Nightangel8212

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Re: Rant 1: Your "true" Christianity is Nothing Special
« Reply #3 on: August 10, 2013, 11:08:54 pm »
Guh, I can't tell you how many times I've heard, "You were raised Roman Catholic? Well, THAT'S your problem right there! You weren't following the REAL truth!" whenever I answer a Christian as to what religion I followed before converting to Paganism.

Offline Leafy

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Re: Rant 1: Your "true" Christianity is Nothing Special
« Reply #4 on: August 11, 2013, 02:18:05 am »
I'm wondering if the people who post those sort of things think they're going to change anyone's mind by doing it.

Offline PosthumanHeresy

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Re: Rant 1: Your "true" Christianity is Nothing Special
« Reply #5 on: August 11, 2013, 02:35:23 am »
I'd like to see more Christians saying it's not believing, it's good works.
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Offline Witchyjoshy

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Re: Rant 1: Your "true" Christianity is Nothing Special
« Reply #6 on: August 11, 2013, 04:48:07 am »
It kind of reminds me of wiccans who insist that if you don't follow a certain set of beliefs, you can't call yourself wiccan.  They have no specific objection to your actual spirituality, just what you call yourself.

What are those set of beliefs?  ... They won't say.  "Find out for yourself", basically.

Maddening.
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Offline Meshakhad

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Re: Rant 1: Your "true" Christianity is Nothing Special
« Reply #7 on: August 11, 2013, 05:29:15 am »
And while we're at it, how about the fact that many Christians don't consider that a lot of the people they're trying to convert are not confused or ignorant, but devout in their own non-Christian beliefs. A Christian telling me to convert is asking me to violate my own principles and turn against my own beliefs.
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Offline Askold

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Re: Rant 1: Your "true" Christianity is Nothing Special
« Reply #8 on: August 11, 2013, 05:42:33 am »
But... But... Butt...

You can't be happy if you live in HERESY! And obviously those principles can't be REAL principles since they haven't been founded in the true christian beliefs of MY particular brand. /fundie
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Offline Witchyjoshy

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Re: Rant 1: Your "true" Christianity is Nothing Special
« Reply #9 on: August 11, 2013, 05:49:36 am »
Or they're a rip-off of Christian values because no other religion has positive values but Christianity!  And specifically, MY brand of Christianity!

...I'm serious, we would sometimes have months of Sunday School devoted to why other religions and denominations our wrong and our specific religion and denomination is right.
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Offline RavynousHunter

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Re: Rant 1: Your "true" Christianity is Nothing Special
« Reply #10 on: August 11, 2013, 09:09:55 am »
The thing is, damn near EVERY religion says that they're "right."  How the hell do they know?  It actually kinda strikes me a little arrogant to assume that your religion is the one that got all the things right.  Let's just ignore the numerous scientific inaccuracies and downright impossibilities most religions teach as if they're simple facts of life.  Its down right maddening, sometimes.
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Re: Rant 1: Your "true" Christianity is Nothing Special
« Reply #11 on: August 11, 2013, 09:11:50 am »
I'd like to see more Christians saying it's not believing, it's good works.
Then what would be the point of Christianity existing in the first place?

Offline rageaholic

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Re: Rant 1: Your "true" Christianity is Nothing Special
« Reply #12 on: August 11, 2013, 10:51:54 am »
RR was pretty fond of telling me that I got their beliefs "wrong" because of minor differences in wording. They were particularly stuck on the (lack of) difference between "God sends you to Hell" & "you go to Hell because of your sins."

Yeah, "you send yourself to hell" is classic blame the victim.  God still decides who goes to hell and heaven so the petty semantic differences are a moot point.  I love how they completely miss the point and instead focus on the meaningless semantics. 

Offline PosthumanHeresy

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Re: Rant 1: Your "true" Christianity is Nothing Special
« Reply #13 on: August 11, 2013, 01:44:56 pm »
I'd like to see more Christians saying it's not believing, it's good works.
Then what would be the point of Christianity existing in the first place?
There are plenty of Christians that feel like that now, they're just outnumbered by the foaming at the mouth nuts.
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Offline Sigmaleph

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Re: Rant 1: Your "true" Christianity is Nothing Special
« Reply #14 on: August 11, 2013, 03:26:19 pm »
I'd like to see more Christians saying it's not believing, it's good works.
Then what would be the point of Christianity existing in the first place?

Inspire people to do those good works?

Also, if Christianity was true, it would be worth believing in even if it didn't send you to heaven. Much like everything else.
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