What Religion are you?

[grumpy]

What happens if a translator mis-translates them? What happens if a a scribe with an overactive imagination adds to the text?

And a lot of it from Galatians which I find interesting as this was were Paul (poor soul) was in his really unhappy place sending firely letters to all those stupid Turks for listening to Jewish teachers telling them to follow the Law. I think (as a non-believer) that Galatians should be read in context and should not/cannot be quoted line by line because its a complex theological argument (and at times a counter-intuitive argument) about the Law of Abraham, the Covenant with God, mediating Angels and how faith fits/does not with with 4000 years of Jewish teaching and tradition. Does the fact that there was total radio silence after this one letter to the Galatians mean that he lost the argument? Did the jewish teachers win over the community from Paul? He referenced on many occassions his communities in Corinth, Macedonia and Ephesus for example, there is no other reference in any of his writtings or letters of the Galacian community.

Did the jewish teachers win over the community from Paul.. I don't know. I don't know gods definition of winning, he spoke the truth....Here are his final words..
Galatians 6:12-16 - These men who are always urging you to be circumcised - what are they after? They want to present a pleasing front to the world and they want to avoid being persecuted for the cross of Christ. For even those who have been circumcised do not themselves keep the Law. But they want you circumcised so that they may be able to boast about your submission to their ruling. Yet God forbid that I should boast about anything or anybody except the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, which means that the world is a dead thing to me and I am a dead man to the world. But in Christ it is not circumcision or uncircumcision that counts but the power of new birth. To all who live by this principle, to the true Israel of God, may there be peace and mercy!


12.15 PAUL EMPHASISES HIS TOTAL COMMITMENT TO JESUS; A FINAL BLESSING

Galatians 6:17-18 - Let no one interfere with me after this. I carry on my scarred body (from the persecution suffered during his missionary journeys) the marks of my owner, the Lord Jesus.

The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, my brothers, be with your spirit.

 

[Old_Trapper70]

9 If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. 10 For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved.


1).

Ephesians 2:8-9 “For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast.”

And this means what since scripture, which you ignore, also says "Faith without works is dead." I would suggest you read James 3 which I will not C&P all of:

James 3: 17-26 "Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone. Yea, a man may say, Thou hast faith, and I have works: shew me thy faith without thy works, and I will shew thee my faith by my works.

Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe, and tremble.

But wilt thou know, O vain man, that faith without works is dead? Was not Abraham our father justified by works, when he had offered Isaac his son upon the altar? Seest thou how faith wrought with his works, and by works was faith made perfect? And the scripture was fulfilled which saith, Abraham believed God, and it was imputed unto him for righteousness: and he was called the Friend of God.

Ye see then how that by works a man is justified, and not by faith only.

Likewise also was not Rahab the harlot justified by works, when she had received the messengers, and had sent them out another way?

For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also."

 

[Old_Trapper70]

"They want to present a pleasing front to the world and they want to avoid being persecuted for the cross of Christ."

Sounds like someone else we know of.

 

[The Scotsman]

And this means what since scripture, which you ignore, also says

The term "scripture", I read a book by Dale Martin on early christianity and in it he mentioned the problem of refering to the Bible as "scritpture" because essentially it means different things to different people, to whom is it scripture and why etc; Scripture is basically just a derivation on the latin meaning "written". I was just wondering what your thoughts on this were.

 

[dogtowner]

I would suggest scripture is, of course, writings accepted as defining the faith.
Not all books on Christianity are scripture.

 

[Old_Trapper70]

The term "scripture", I read a book by Dale Martin on early christianity and in it he mentioned the problem of refering to the Bible as "scritpture" because essentially it means different things to different people, to whom is it scripture and why etc; Scripture is basically just a derivation on the latin meaning "written". I was just wondering what your thoughts on this were.

"Scripture" is defined as "sacred writings contained in the Bible", and refers to the books, or letters, contained in the Bible. The Bible in and of itself is not "scripture", it is the entirety of scripture in one book.

The origin of the word "scripture" is from Latin "scriptura" or "written material", and scribere meaning "to write".

 

[grumpy]

Sounds like someone else we know of.

Now that I can deal with..sarcasm.. It could also fit you.

 

[dogtowner]

Now that I can deal with..sarcasm.. It could also fit you.

I thought he meant himself, no ?

 

[pocketfullofshells]

We have this view in the UK that on Sundays American churches are full of smartly dressed, merrily singing folk clutching their bibles and praising the lord and generally having a good time. I read somewhere that about 30% of Christian Americans go to church whereas in the UK that figure is less than 3%. If, as that research seems to imply I just wonder what's the point of doing something if you don't know what you're doing or why? Is it socially unacceptable not to attend in certain counties/states? It has always fascinated why it is frowned upon if the President isn't a regular churchgoer, do so many people see that as a Presidential requirement?

The people who run the church find its better if they just tell you what to think , then have them think for themselves and actually gain knowledge. Knowledge is frowned on in many parts of the US as well. W and Bush where both presidents...
Basicly you go to church, think your better then others, say your pro life...then go home ..ignore most of what Jesus says that would effect how you do things...focus on things like gays and Pro Life so you don't have to do the things like help the poor, treat Immigrants and Refugees as one of you. Sure your a poorly informed asshole, but you get to pretend your the moral one and going to heaven...without all that work of learning about your own religion.

Its sad how many thing Jesus was this Pale white Norwegian guy and that his birthday is Dec 25. I have relatives who think the world is 6000 years old and people lived on earth with Dinosaurs.... its just mind blowing.

 

[pocketfullofshells]

We have this view in the UK that on Sundays American churches are full of smartly dressed, merrily singing folk clutching their bibles and praising the lord and generally having a good time. ?

We use to joke at one of my Jobs that Sunday was the worse, because they came in all dressed up from church...and where just high and mighty assholes to everyone. Given the choice of the well dressed guy, and Hispanic guy that di dot speak much English...I would always go try my horrible Spanish and save myself the hassle.

 

[pocketfullofshells]

Yes I google d and found quotes too. The question is do they mean what you think or what you want ?
As gets pointed out, the devil can quote scripture as well as anyone.

Yes and when something is repeated 10-12 times in the bible...all pretty clearly...Republican Christians will still find a way to ignore it if it conflicts with their Republicanism. Fox news beats Jesus. Most don't know the bible well enough to know any context at all to the quotes. Just like many in ISIS...they know jack shit about their Religion outside what someone told them.

 

[The Scotsman]

I have relatives who think the world is 6000 years old and people lived on earth with Dinosaurs

I guess mind blowing doesn't do it justice. How.... I mean......how do people get so far down that rabbit hole? Are they taken aside and physically have their brains re-wired?

Amongst my friends and workmates I don't know anyone that attends church or even has an interest or a passing knowledge of religion - within the UK Christianity is simply dead and you can see that from the state of dis-repair of the churches; which is a real shame as I live just down the road from Rochester Cathedral which is in need of some tender loving care - we also have some fabulous old churches in the area which are again looking very forlorn. I like taking pictures of these old places and often spend a bit of time nattering to the vicars and one was saying that he had to combine the congregations of 4 churches just to have about 30-40 people in on a Sunday. I guess if the creationists are filling the pews and paying their dues then maybe they have it right.....

 

[dogtowner]

http://www.nytimes.com/1986/06/17/science/fossils-of-man-tracks-shown-to-be-dinosaurian.html

While these tracks may not be, strictly speaking, human, Adam & Eve may not have been either. It's said Noah was a giant.
More fun food for thoughtm

 

[pocketfullofshells]

http://www.nytimes.com/1986/06/17/science/fossils-of-man-tracks-shown-to-be-dinosaurian.html

While these tracks may not be, strictly speaking, human, Adam & Eve may not have been either. It's said Noah was a giant.
More fun food for thoughtm

given that Adam and Eve are Fictional they can be what ever you want. They also could be 900 year old Giants...and ride Dragons and you know Game of Thorns is real...

But the fact is the world is Billions of years old and Dinosaurs where long long long dead before the first human like creatures walked the earth. The Flintstones was not in fact a documentary...and im not counting Alligators are Dinosaurs.

 

[pocketfullofshells]

I guess mind blowing doesn't do it justice. How.... I mean......how do people get so far down that rabbit hole? Are they taken aside and physically have their brains re-wired?

Amongst my friends and workmates I don't know anyone that attends church or even has an interest or a passing knowledge of religion - within the UK Christianity is simply dead and you can see that from the state of dis-repair of the churches; which is a real shame as I live just down the road from Rochester Cathedral which is in need of some tender loving care - we also have some fabulous old churches in the area which are again looking very forlorn. I like taking pictures of these old places and often spend a bit of time nattering to the vicars and one was saying that he had to combine the congregations of 4 churches just to have about 30-40 people in on a Sunday. I guess if the creationists are filling the pews and paying their dues then maybe they have it right.....

here is is starting to die , slowly, but that just makes them more nuts. Christians make up about 85% of All Americans, they hold almost evry house and senate seat , every president ever ( Trump would say he is, and shows all the lack of knowledge of what that means as talked about already) ...But he Evangelicals think they are being persecuted and are a minority still....its really mind boggling. But as they say, when you have always been given special treatment, being held as equal feels like persecution.