Christians in Pakistan Killed

[skidadl]

Also false

zero substance in this response.

If Christianity is shrinking, Islam won't be far behind it.

Izzz that right?

As a Christian, I am offended by the notion that Islamists are more resistant to the factors that would deter people from being religious than Christians are. IMO it's Christian alarm at watching the effects of industrialization wreck havoc on the modern church

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You are offended but what are you doing about it? Prolly nothing. Preference and convictions are two different things. I'd say this is merely a preference with very little conviction. Wait, maybe I don't understand what you just said.

But the same thing is gonna happen to Muslims; in fact, their entire terror movement is a direct result of that same fear.

The conceptualization that Islam is currently growing and Christianity is currently shrinking may be true, but it's also remarkably ignorant of the reasons those two things are happening. 1) Christianity is experiencing industrialization at much more widespread rates, and 2) Islamo countries are still mostly in the stone age so they are having babies at higher rates because that's what stone age countries do

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This statement dos nothing to address the fact the Muslim influence will and has grow.

Not sure what you can do about it. Be a beacon for God's message by living your life the right way and be willing to share the message when and where you can. That message is never gonna be able to single handedly stem the tide of the temptations that are all around us.

Dang bro, it sounds like your version of Christianity is a powerless, limp wristed version. The difference is an authentic relationship. Not all of this well shucks I'll do my best and wish for good results. What a passive, pussified approach. That just makes me sad to hear. It sounds like Jesus has way less pull in your life than, say, the cowboys, your job or politics. Why even bother if it's so passionless?

 

[skidadl]

Islam is not a "threat" to us as such. If Islam's numbers are increasing it is due to the unavoidable and unchangeable nature of population growth and decline on our planet right now.

And yet it will mellow out the more it comes into contact with the inevitable charm of westernization (which is really liberalization -- and I use that term to mean economic and political development, not the left-leaning half of the US current political spectrum) just like every society does.

Dude, if the religion grows it will have influence. Influence = change. Change = culture. How is that not obvious? You don't change that by eliminating Muslims. No, Christians are commanded to love. You change that by having a genuine faith of your own.

 

[skidadl]

I honestly don't wanta throw my bro under the bus here. I generally find it uncool to do that. Nobody likes to have their faith called out.

Still though, it sounds like your religion sucks. Genuine non-believers can at least respect something that has some value to the believer. Otherwise you just sound like a cherry picker who doesn't give a damn on a deeper level.

Most people see christianity the way you described it: 1) help me Lord to not do bad things 2) if I do forgive me 3) shout out to the man upstairs occasionally 4) couple of signs of the cross here and there and call it good.

Lame.

 

[superpunk]

I prefer the "Fuck Muslims, annoy everyone with your evangelism and try to mold politics to your fantasyland worldview" style of Christianity myself.

 

[Smitty]

Izzz that right?

Yep, that's right.

You are offended but what are you doing about it? Prolly nothing. Preference and convictions are two different things. I'd say this is merely a preference with very little conviction. Wait, maybe I don't understand what you just said.

Maybe not. What I'm saying is that the notion that Christianity is somehow subject to all the evils of modernization and that we will lose our religious convictions, but Muslims won't when they get subjected to those same evils, implies that either Christianity is inferior to Islam or that the people who believe in Christianity are inferior to the people who believe in Islam (ie, have less strong faith). I find both of those statements to be false.

Thus, Christianity isn't shrinking in regards to any losing battle regarding its message. Its just that as people modernize, more and more of them feel that they can get by without it. The same thing is true of the people who are muslims.

This statement dos nothing to address the fact the Muslim influence will and has grow.

The number of people who are Muslims are currently growing. But as they westernize, they will get more apathetic, so you'll see a very similar situation as to what is happening in the US with Christianity right now.

They'll also stop having babies at such a high rate so their population will stablize and they'll stop growing.

Dang bro, it sounds like your version of Christianity is a powerless, limp wristed version.

It kinda is; as industrialism progresses, people's values have changed. Religious fanaticism has decreased, that's just how it's been.

The difference is an authentic relationship. Not all of this well shucks I'll do my best and wish for good results. What a passive, pussified approach. That just makes me sad to hear. It sounds like Jesus has way less pull in your life than, say, the cowboys, your job or politics. Why even bother if it's so passionless?

Probably not as much as it should, but that doesn't change what I'm saying.

 

[VA Cowboy]

I prefer the "Fuck Muslims, annoy everyone with your evangelism and try to mold politics to your fantasyland worldview" style of Christianity myself.

Sounds like a fantasyland stereotype you've created in your own mind.

 

[Smitty]

I prefer the "Fuck Muslims, annoy everyone with your evangelism and try to mold politics to your fantasyland worldview" style of Christianity myself.

You prefer a stereotyped delusion that is easy to paint as the bad guy because it makes it easier for your simplistic worldview.

 

[VA Cowboy]

They'll also stop having babies at such a high rate so their population will stablize and they'll stop growing.

Not sure "westernization" will keep their rate down. If anything, the growing welfare state will encourage more births.

 

[Smitty]

Not sure "westernization" will keep their rate down. If anything, the growing welfare state will encourage more births.

Yes, I can see your point, since westernization has brought down birth rates literally everywhere else in has touched on the globe.

No reason that should continue though.

 

[skidadl]

Smitty, it sounds like you are saying that Muslims and Christians have about the same effect if they live a modern life.

Wow.

 

[skidadl]

It kinda is; as industrialism progresses, people's values have changed. Religious fanaticism has decreased, that's just how it's been.

I think you are missing the point. Authentic believers aren't guided by the culture. They set the temperature. It sounds like you pretty much have folded your hand. Sad.

If you go back to the beginning of the thread you will see that I referred to waking up. That was sorta the point.

 

[skidadl]

I prefer the "Fuck Muslims, annoy everyone with your evangelism and try to mold politics to your fantasyland worldview" style of Christianity myself.

Look like I am safe because you pretty much haven't described me.

Mine is more about love Muslims, love people and don't try to push my religion into the political arena since that is the opposite of the purpose of the consitution.

Any more closed minded perceptions that you would like to share?

 

[Smitty]

I think you are missing the point. Authentic believers aren't guided by the culture.

The prevailing attitudes of the religion are definitely guided by changing attitudes. Christians used to burn people at the stake and go to war over religion. More recently, it was frowned on for women to be in the workplace. Now, even for authentic believers, no one has a problem with women working if they need to.

The fundamentals don't change, but a lot of the things that would cause conflict between Christians and Muslims will (ie, value of freedom, capitalism, etc).

 

[superpunk]

It's almost like religious beliefs are shaped by society or something.

 

[Smitty]

It's almost like religious beliefs are shaped by society or something.

That's the ignorant way to look at it.

 

[superpunk]

Oh I forgot that it was god who stopped in, talked to everyone and corrected their viewpoints and then went back to his castle in the sky. oh wait that's not what happened at all.

 

[Smitty]

Oh I forgot that it was god who stopped in, talked to everyone and corrected their viewpoints and then went back to his castle in the sky. oh wait that's not what happened at all.

boring troll is boring

 

[skidadl]

The prevailing attitudes of the religion are definitely guided by changing attitudes. Christians used to burn people at the stake and go to war over religion. More recently, it was frowned on for women to be in the workplace. Now, even for authentic believers, no one has a problem with women working if they need to.

The fundamentals don't change, but a lot of the things that would cause conflict between Christians and Muslims will (ie, value of freedom, capitalism, etc).

Obviously those who burned people at the stake were not authentic believers. That doesn't even make sense.

Again, you make it seem like you DGAS what happens. Oh well, that's just the way things evolve.

Heres the deal: I encourage anyone who is a believer to really live there lives like Christ taught. Not how our preacher/priest, foxnews or grandma told you. If yoy do that our life will chane and you won't have to try to make an impact in our sphere of influence. It will simply be a byproduct of genuine faith. That's what I've been preachin for the almost 10 years that I've been at the DCC an everywhere else.

 

[skidadl]

You're so cute, SP.

~pinches cheeks~

 

[superpunk]

boring troll is boring

Right. Society didn't allow women in the workplace or decide it was a bad idea to burn people for the imaginary crime of witchcraft, it was a mandate from the lord.