Why do so many Christians behave as though they

[MineralMan]

have never heard of anything Jesus Christ was supposed to have said? Even many prominent Christian leaders behave that way. Why, if that Jesus is God incarnate, are those Christians and their leaders not absolutely petrified with fear?

Although I am an atheist, I am very familiar with the teachings that are supposed to be the words of Jesus. Much of what he is supposed to have said is excellent advice. So why are those teachings so widely ignored by his followers?

That is a great puzzle. It gives the lie to much, if not most, of organized Christianity. As an example, I give you the Roman Catholic Church and its hierarchy. It is the largest denomination of Christianity, and the harm it has caused for almost two millennia is the evidence I offer.

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

1. Jesus said that if you don't feed the poor, clothe the naked, welcome the stranger, etc.,

you'll go to Hell. I don't understand why the right-wing evangelicals, who seem to oppose a lot of those things, aren't worried about their immortal souls - if they actually take Jesus seriously. But that crowd has let their political ideology take precedence over what's supposed to be the basic tenets of their faith. In the words of Stephen Colbert: “If this is going to be a Christian nation that doesn't help the poor, either we have to pretend that Jesus was just as selfish as we are, or we've got to acknowledge that He commanded us to love the poor and serve the needy without condition and then admit that we just don't want to do it.”

[MineralMan]

6. Exactly.

[LonePirate]

2. Jesus is irrelevant to Christian evangelicals who crave white power & thrive on subjugating others.

[MineralMan]

10. Or never existed except in words written

After any facts occurred. All errors of fact, perhaps.

[Hoyt]

3. Believers in the White Jesus are different. They ignore all that humanity stuff.

[MineralMan]

9. Jesus was a man of color, if he existed

Dark hair, dark eyes and swarthy skin. Not a white man at all, really.
You
They claim to worship someone who never existed as they think of him. So, not at all.

[LastDemocratInSC]

29. God created man in his own image and man returned the favor.

[CaptYossarian]

4. They don't understand the goodness of Christ.

They choose not to be Christ-like because they only pray to Him for forgiveness after a day of being themselves. If you were to follow them or have a hidden camera on them all day, you'd see them cutting people off in traffic, cheating on their taxes, using racial slurs, and supporting certain politicians. Politicians who prey upon the sick, elderly, and poor--all the people Christ was an advocate for.

These people are very vocal about being a Christian, but actions do speak louder than words. It's also ironic that the people who vote "pro-life" are killing immigrants and are putting entire cities full of people at risk because of climate change. These people will be the first to enter Hell.

[MineralMan]

7. Or, as I suppose, it is all a fiction.

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

12. Even if it is a fiction, it's one that the fundies insist they totally and literally believe in,

and that the Bible is the inerrant word of God. Except, apparently, for the part about where you're supposed to help the poor and all that stuff.

[Voltaire2]

34. Inerrant but needs interpretation

While their almighty Easter Bunny’s words are recorded in their big book of bullshit, the Bunny can’t seem to say anything clearly, even when the words appear completely understandable to an outside observer. Thus it takes a special sort of yard ape, a “preacher”, to inform the rest of us, for a small fee, exactly what the Bunny meant.

[zipplewrath]

13. Then why did you ask?

Some one gave you an honest answer to your question and you just completely ignored it and didn't engage them at all an instead blew off their point of view completely.

[MineralMan]

18. Why should I not ask?

As for your other comment, I have not replied to everyone in this thread yet. I will, including you. My question for you is: Do you have any comment on the question I asked in the original post?

[RKP5637]

5. They are just hate clubs today. Jesus is irrelevant and in the way. n/t

[atreides1]

8. My theory, Cosplay

Many of them are actually into cosplay so they can be part of a clique...in the same way that some will dress as a Jedi Knight or a Imperial Stormtrooper, and play a part...many on those "Christians" do the same thing!

[MineralMan]

11. All theater, then, perhaps, with an ancient script?

Interesting.

[guillaumeb]

14. The short answer is: human nature.

If human nature is a puzzle to you, I understand because I am puzzled as well.

[MineralMan]

19. Oddly enough, I agree with you on that.

In fact gods and religions are a product of human nature and creativity. My question, though, is why self-professed believers do not follow the scriptural advice attributed to the central figure of their religion?

[guillaumeb]

28. Probably for the same reason that GOP voters will recite the pledge of allegiance,

especially the part about "liberty and justice for all", even thought they clearly do not mean it. It makes them feel good about themselves to say the words, especially in a group.

[MineralMan]

30. So, such Christians are fakes and are just mouthing the words?

Thanks for the confirmation.

[guillaumeb]

32. No. They simply repeat certain things reflexively.

And it makes them feel good.

[MineralMan]

35. Doesn't sound very thoughtful, does it?

And isn't that the trouble with most religious people?

[guillaumeb]

36. Are non-religious people exempt or immune to this?

Your statement should have read, "And isn't that the trouble with most people?".

[MineralMan]

37. This thread is about religious people.

I started it. Please re-read the initial post. If you want a thread about non-religious people not following their scripture or doctrine, you'll have to identify that scripture or doctrine. You can start a thread like that if you wish.

[guillaumeb]

38. Which avoids the actual point, and actual history.

But if you wish to disregard human history, and human behavior in general, that is your right.

[Karadeniz]

15. When Christianity became a state religion, chose the orthodox party line and kicked out

The heretics whose ancestors formed Paul's elite and knew how to teach the higher levels of knowledge...its leaders allowed it to become a political, power force. Its true meanings are not understood, so they're ignored. It's a mess. A religion which required no knowledge, required no change in behavior or materialistic aspirations, which promised forgiveness, immortality, salvation for the cheap cost of claiming faith replaced the original movement...but we still have the writings for those who desire the ancient knowledge. The Roman church replaced Jerusalem as where the leaders directed the teachers from. It's gone downhill ever since...warmongering, crusades, inquisition, dictating science facts, mistresses and children...a mess!

[MineralMan]

20. OK, but people still ignore the words of the central figure of

their religion, the character the religion is named after. Why they do that is my question. The words supposedly said by Jesus are easily accessed in the first four books of the New Testament. Why do people not follow that figure's supposed advice?

[JustFiveMoreMinutes]

16. It's Crazy.. but it's the PROGRESSIVE churches that tell of Christ's words....

.. and the Evangelical still focus on the Old Testament or the Apostles.

Just one of those strange things in life I guess.

[MineralMan]

22. In some cases, that is true.

That's why I qualified my question with the words "so many," instead of asking about all Christians.

[Major Nikon]

17. One thing is for sure, religion has nothing to do with it

It may seem that way since organized religion imparts self righteousness on its adherents which allows them to not feel guilty about their nefariousness, but rest assured that is all due to “human nature”.

Conversely when a religionist does something good that has nothing to do with “human nature” and we can thank religion because of reasons.

[MineralMan]

21. So it seems.

[trotsky]

23. They pick out the parts they like, and make excuses to ignore the rest.

Now it's not like everything Jesus said or did was noble or good, that's for damn sure. So there's quite a bit he said that SHOULD be discarded.

But both liberal and conservative believers are guilty of this sort of thing. They stammer about "context" and "who he was talking to" even when it's clear what is meant - any excuse to discard something they don't like. And in that way, you can customize the alleged teachings of Jesus to support just about anything. It's so easy.

[Major Nikon]

24. With metaphor all things are possible

Jesus said that.

[Iggo]

33. Cafeteria Catholics is what they were called back in the 60's.

And not in a nice way.

Maybe they still are.

(Man! Am I glad I'm not part of that bullshit anymore.)

[CrispyQ]

25. They think because their sins are forgiven they can behave however they want.

I've come to that conclusion. You can usually tell what kind of Christian someone is by the political party they affiliate with.

[Raster]

26. Cafeteria Christians... picking and choosing religious tenets like they pick and choose...

...at a buffet line.

[Farmer-Rick]

27. It's all about the money.

The supposed words of Jesus can easily be contradicted by other parts of the bible. The bible contradicts itself at every turn. There is no consistency, so they go with whatever some fool in a pulpit tells them.

And those fools and scoundrels in the pulpit have accepted money from kings, dictators, liars and fools for decades. The FBI report on Russian involvement in the election notes Putin reached out to Evangelical leaders with money. So, they are all about twisting whichever way keeps the money flowing. This is what happens in capitalism, even religion is all about making a profit.

Aside from being a cheating banker, being a religious leader is the quickest way to wealth. You can take money from anyone and you don't have to pay taxes on it. Just ask L. Ron Hubbard.

It is just so convenient that a story book of "gods" word is so mealy mouthed about helping others and so filled with immorality (slavery) and unethical behavior (incest, rape, genocide). Works out fine for the hate machine.

[Backseat Driver]

31. No puzzle there: Never enough money, the supreme symbol of worthiness and goodness

Last edited Fri Jul 19, 2019, 01:53 PM - Edit history (1)

One needs to hold onto it in every way possible, a widow's mite saved is a widow's might earned. (Please note it was not a "widower's mite" as well--women need just make a good match!) to which I LMAO. Time is (never enough) money, either, the longer to save, my dear. -- that's why it's said to "Follow the money," for that snake-inhabited Tree of (God-like) Knowledge and Life bore the valued fruit of ancestral seduction, the source documentation of "nasty women." As for those leaders, shepherds of flocks need "dumb" sheep to remain exceedingly worthy and employed for the duration of their time, hence a paid-by donation occupation thinking up ways to get more members and donations, with parish house and free meals at the homes of the righteous flock members.

Fundamentalist organized religion sucks! Looser organized denominations are just a band of organized rebels of human interpretation.

I'll opt for accepting there is a Higher Power of creation who set some basic rules for living, and I'd rather bet that there was a Son of God, JC, who went to prepare a place(s) where the energy that fuels what is me changes eternally than not believe that; therefore I choose to live with unorganized gratitude, generosity as I am able, and tolerance within some limits that I choose and in a place that expressed those choices as life, liberty, and the pursuit of what makes me happy to contribute my life's energy to the world in which I live or from which I travel--I choose 1 John 4:8 "He that loveth not knoweth not God for God is love," and 1 Corinthians 13:13 - And now abideth faith, hope, charity, these three; but the greatest of these is charity." I see very little of that in the GOP and none whatsoever in the poser, the embodiment of what constitutes the Seven Deadly Sins, pride, greed, lust, envy, gluttony, wrath and sloth, in the WH.

MineralMan - That said, I accept and respect your choice of atheism though I am not very adept at understanding that solely scientific (reasonable) viewpoint. I do hope your energy will be transformed into a form that will be useful to the Universe. How do you explain evil or Evil - or do you not believe that exists as well?