what idiot would do that? certainly no ex president without abolute immunity. They would be too worried about being indicted.

Most, not all, now see their God as requiring more hate than love.

I'm not sure what the stats are regarding most Christians. I know the racists, bigots, and hypocrites get the spotlight, so the stats might be hard to discern.

Last edited Fri Apr 26, 2024, 03:08 PM - Edit history (1)

There are plenty of Christians who are neither MAGA nor fundamentalist. Add up all the Lutherans, Episcopalians, Presbyterians, Friends, and most Catholics who aren't hateful. You could be right that there are more haters, but unless you have some data to prove your statement, I'm not buying it.

Edit: Forgot the Methodists.

and have studied it in its original languages I can honestly say that some of the best people I have known were truly Christians. But there are millions who "call" themselves Christians who are neither followers of Jesus nor his teachings in the New Testament. Their religion is based on hate, not love. I have no idea of what percentage they are of the total of those who call themselves Christians. Jesus in Matthew said that many are called but few are chosen, so maybe the haters are the majority. There's no way for us to know and there's no "data" to prove anything.

Last edited Fri Apr 26, 2024, 05:05 PM - Edit history (1)

I don't think anyone would disagree that the people who represent themselves as Christians but still support Trump and other hateful things/people are the ones foisted on us constantly. But as a Christian, I hate the implication that there are only a few of us who give a darn about what Jesus of Nazareth actually preached. It's rough enough to watch the others drag our faith through the dirt. We don't need others stating negative generalizations about us without the data to support them.

As a Christian, scripture must mean something to you. I can't prove the number but neither can you disprove it no matter how much you dislike the idea.

You made a statement of fact about the majority of Christians without data to support it. I’m telling you that as a scientist As well as a Christian.

If I tell you, the majority of human beings are over 6 feet tall, do you believe it because the religious book says it? No. You’d want to see data.

I would think an atheist would understand this.

certainly the loudest, though.

I'd love to put on my car mybumper sticker that says "Jesus calles - he wants his church back." But I ive in a red area.

I'm gonna steal that line.
(I mean, "borrow" )

... there has always been a proportional inversion between how loudly someone brays about how CHRISTIAN! they are, and what their actions show them to be. "My cross is bigger than your cross!" is not an accurate measure of one's adherence to the Beatitudes. Bling and bombast don't get you there.
I have long believed that a Liberal gets up in the morning and asks, "Who can I help today?" A conservative gets up and says, "Who can I punish?"
The combination of malicious conservatism and sanctimonious religiosity invariably results in a malevolent view of the world.
But that's just me.

Soldier on, soldierant!

I wish someone would remind them that when they want to Pray they should go into their room and close the door. They should not pray on the street corners like the hypocrites.

Reminds me of Beau of the Fifth Column pouring out truth bombs and ending with "It's just a thought."

There are many progressive churches in the country that aren't full of right-wing whackos, and mine is one of them. They don't see God as requiring more hate than love, though it's easy to see why that would seem to be the case.

The thing about the bad people is, they make the news while the good people don't. You did say "most, not all," but I don't think it's even "most" due to the huge amount of charitable works by those who aren't fundies or televangelists. And those are works of love, like volunteering with Habitat for Humanity, raising large amounts of money for the need, running a food pantry, etc. I believe there are more good Christians than bad ones--they just don't make the news. : )

Do good works. Yes, I believe because Carter says he is a Christian, his works come from his belies.

All the stuff we learned about in Catholic school - about faith and good works and how that's what helps you get to Heaven. He shows by doing.

But if you do claim to be a Christian, it had damn well better have something to do with it.

But kudos to the Carter family for trying all through their entire lives.

The hypocrisy of Evangelical "Christians" never ceases to baffle me........

and some of the motions ---

thoughts and prayers, all

It's not about what you show off to the world and draw attention to yourself and make sure lots of photos are taken that you can push into people's faces to "prove" how much of a "man of faith" you say you are.

It's what you do when no one's looking. And THAT is a big part of the problem (AND the explanation).

and it was in Corinthians 13, often called "The love chapter."

1 Corinthians 13
1
If I speak in the tongues [1] of men and of angels, but have not love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal.
2
If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but have not love, I am nothing.
3
If I give all I possess to the poor and surrender my body to the flames, [2] but have not love, I gain nothing.
4
Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud.
5
It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs.
6
Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth.
7
It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.
8
Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away.
9
For we know in part and we prophesy in part,
10
but when perfection comes, the imperfect disappears.
11
When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put childish ways behind me.
12
Now we see but a poor reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known.
13
And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.

———

[1] Or languages
[3] Some early manuscripts body that I may boast

https://web.mit.edu/jywang/www/cef/Bible/NIV/NIV_Bible/1COR+13.html#:~:text=Love%20does%20not%20delight%20in,Love%20never%20fails.

It's a logical fallacy.

Only if you do this or that are you a real Scotsman. Who gets to decide what makes you a "true" Scotsman or a "true" Christian?

In my mind if you claim the title Christian, you are a Christian.

(and gender.)

"Christian" is defined by belief, which, becuase we can't read each others' monds, is defined by choices. Unlike DNA, those are visible to others. So anyone who is familiar with the teachings of Christ canmake an educated guess.

Of course, the final determination is from Christ himself:
21 “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. 22 On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?’ 23 And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness."

Anyone can claim Christianity if they want. After you are dead it won't matter anymore despite the ancient Bible quote.

Who's going to decide who is Christian or not? You, the government, some religious organization? Once your dead, it won't matter anyway.

And how much Scotsman DNA makes you a real Scotsman? 10%, 20%, 80%? Do you or your relatives have to have lived there?

What's Scotsman DNA anyway? They really don't know. It's a group of traits they attribute
to people who live in the area. But populations move and change frequently.

Irish ancestory has a lot of Scottish bloodlines because England gave vast amounts of Irish lands to the Scots.

"Starting in 1609, Scots began arriving into state-sponsored settlements as part of the Plantation of Ulster. This scheme was intended to confiscate all the lands of the Gaelic Irish nobility in Ulster and to settle the province with Protestant Scottish and English colonists."

Are their descendants in Ireland Scottish? Or are they Irish?

So both claims about being Christian or Scottish don't have 100% validation. It's a logical fallacy to think they do. If you insist on logical fallacies, you are being irrational.

Anyone can claim anything if they want. as an example, see George Santos. Neither you nor i is under any obligation to believe them.

Most people believe you if you tell them who you are, unless they have evidence otherwise...case in point Santos and Trump.

that was written by Jimmy Carter. It is called, "Our Endangered Values." Even though it was written in 2005, it is still very relevant. Also, it is not what you think it is! Read it, if you have a chance. Jimmy Carter is a national treasure.

He respected and admired Carter as much as I do. He also left the Church when he was pretty young, went on to learn from several old women living out in the country in Europe. Reckon you could label him an agnostic hagaphile.

I think he would be the way he is even if he wasn't a Christian.

He’s done more good in the world by his example than many another has, and I admire him greatly.

It’s not up to us here when talking about Jimmy Carter to compare his faith to those who fail to live up to theirs.

Since the former guy came into our lives, the RETHUGS have turned into MONSTERS, and force everything they believe in forcing all others to believe in the same. If people do not wake up we WILL lose our democracy, that i have no doubt about.

A few good apples.

The rest are redefining Christianity as what we see today. No wonder organized religion is dying these days by all statistical measures.

Last edited Fri Apr 26, 2024, 08:40 PM - Edit history (1)

distort the amount of Christian believers who gravitate towards tRump. You'd think from the coverage they get that conservative Evangelicals are the majority of Christians in America. They are a vocal minority who do vote according to who chases their demons most publicly. They are not the majority of voters, nor are they the majority of Christian faithful in the US.

They are a significant part of the motivated GOP base, however.

the Magic R.