Damien Hinds thinks we are a christian country
- Thread starter Keawyeds
- Start date
Alcoholic_Author
Striker
Is that a genuine question or did you just spot a gap that seemed convenient to unload some conjecture?
Mercia Blackcat
Striker
It was a gnostic practice and the method was carried on for decades after the fall of Jerusalem by Ebionites in exile in Egypt, Syria and Arabia. I am not sure about what has been classed as gnostic scriptures though. The continued popularity of the Ebionites led to the Gospel of John being compiled which is more gnostic in flavour than the three earlier synoptic gospels. Personally, I think the most reliable gospel is Mark even though it is a drama written for recital or performance because contained in Mark hidden under the layer of fanciful story telling based on the Elijah-Elisha cycle is a Manual for Discipleship.
I think it's a genuine question. There have been Christian communities but I doubt if any country has ever been truly Christian despite watered down attempts.
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Alcoholic_Author
Striker
Better.
There is certainly a strong case for old testament Christianity to be closer to truth than the reformed accounts that occurred later. Yeshua seemingly learned something (knowledge) for which he was likely framed and killed. That said you shouldn’t hold disdain for followers of modern Christianity, which has arguably been subverted.
Mercia Blackcat
Striker
I don't hold disdain for sincere followers of Christianity even if I think their concepts are debatable.
The struggle that Yeshua became the centre of had been going on for over a hundred years but the Romans clearly saw him as a threat once they came out of the provinces into the centre of population, Jerusalem.
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Alcoholic_Author
Striker
Cultural Christianity would refer to a form of Christianity that is recovering from atheism. Young lads and lasses in 2019 who live modern lives but want to retain their sence of cultural identity in opposition to atheism or Islam, whilst understanding and paying respects to our grandparents, great grandparents and so on. In order to understand what it is, some slack should be given, young people can see the world as is for what it is in 2019- devoid of meaning and purpose.
Cultural Christians will naturally vary on a spectrum of religiosity, from church going to purely maintaining some traditions derived from Christianity. It’s important to understand that we are in remission from atheism.
Mercia Blackcat
Striker
Interesting points. Personally, I would hope that the humanistic message of Jesus survives and that we strive to find meaning in our inherent humanity, our true nature, with each individual trying to experience their full potential as human beings. The problem with material atheism is that it so willingly throws the baby out with the bathwater.
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Alcoholic_Author
Striker
Some modern cultural commentators have pointed out that atheism has accelerated nihilism, you can see this when young people have no sense of retaining and maintaining the world (or country) as a place to pass onto their children. Infact many do not want children for purely nihilist reasons. The “live for now” nihilism we’re seeing is likely a direct product of atheism.
The message of Jesus, and man it sounds so cheesey saying that, is one of love and morality. I’m certain at some
point in the near to medium future his story will resonate again.
Mercia Blackcat
Striker
Yes, what he was trying to do was in fact more universal to human beings than people give credit for because it centres around our humanity, what we are as human beings. That perspective is as relevant today as it was then and always has been significant. In fact if you look at other religious masters that have lived, the same central core perspective emerges no matter what was created in their name after they died. It will be the same in a thousand years because that's what we are and always will be.
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Alcoholic_Author
Striker
Problematically, the inherent nature of Christianity means it could occasionally fall to atheism because it promotes humanitarianism and is seemingly less tribal than other monotheistic religions. Perhaps how the story is told needs fortification? For sure I do not trust the CoE or Catholicism to stay strong in these times.
Mercia Blackcat
Striker
That perspective can be defined as Truth and it is eternal because it is timeless. Whatever we have to go through as a species in the century to come, Truth will survive as long as there are human beings on this planet and perhaps that is the most important thing, that Truth survives.
Alcoholic_Author
Striker
We disagree here then. There are clearly people subverting Christianity, there is no guarantee the Truth survives when people are actively looking to erase and rewrite it. Even you yourself talked about gnostic related Christianity, the New Testament made the old into a shibboleth of sorts, if you are too loose, too hippy with our faith it might die. It’s time for the Church to be strong, young people will respect that more in 2019.
Mercia Blackcat
Striker
Truth is that which is real, reality. It is that directly experienced by our consciousness within. Truth is within each human being. It is not external. Someone scientific might laugh and reject such experience and observation but what they are doing is exactly the same except they are observing and experiencing external phenomena that can be measured and compared.
Alcoholic_Author
Striker
I agree mostly. However morality can be rationalised, beware of charlatans. Don’t take truth for granted.
Nipple Salad
Winger
He should stick to cutting sharks in half, I wasn't impressed by the first one
Black Cat Gypsy
Striker
But it's part of the culture, heritage and history of the city. The city is build on ship building.
Kent_Mackem
Striker
Yes, agreed, but is no longer.
Perfect analogy for our country no longer being a Christian country. We've grown up.
Bob Fleming
Striker
Are we human or are we dancer?
Keawyeds
Striker
The Humanists movement (check their FB page) are all over Christian Fundamentalists, Anti-vaccers and the like
I bet you can remember the rest of it too. I can.
We had a prayer too but it may have been a Bishop based one.
Depends how you celebrate it. Do you go to church, midnight mass or sing carols etc?
Or do you celebrate "the holidays" as our friends across the pond would say
Depends on what you mean by celebrate Christmas.
And FWIW Christmas is the 25th December to the 5th January.
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Mercia Blackcat
Striker
Truth is a cognitive experience and understanding. It appears we have entered a post-truth era in more general terms. What we perceive to be the truth as an individual is what seems to matter whether that is absolute and universal or not. Our own experiences are dismissed as simply subjective by scientific rationalists whereas it is our interpretation of that experience rather than the actual experience which is limited. There is a paradox that results. Mathematics is rational and deductive. Scientific method is empirical and inductive which creates the problem that any 'truth' is simply relative and never absolute. Such a perspective has made us vulnerable to being deceived. We tend to fall back on our own experiences by default to maintain stability but people are telling us those experiences are not reliable. We become even more vulnerable to manipulation by anyone who claims expertise when in reality it is simply someone else's interpretation rather than Truth which is a cognitive realisation.
In other words we can know Truth through direct experience and cognitive realisation. Any concepts that result are simply interpretation and limited.
PS: Fuck me. Reading that back sounds complex but I hope you can grasp the gist of what I'm trying to say.
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