Beauty in Christianity

[syo]

I don't think the very Christians understand the beauty of Christ fully. If all Christians practised Jesus' words, it would be the most beautiful religion. But do Christians follow God's words? No. No way. Almost all Christians I know, live their lives and just worship Jesus in name only. What happens to ''agape''? The first Christians I think were honest believers and lived by God's word. But today? The first Christians had guidance from the Apostles and many Saints. Maybe that's the reason. Do we need more saints? Do we need guidance?

 

[syo]

What saddens me is that Church members worry about atheism. They don't care about love, they care if someone believes in God or not, that's bad in my opinion. What happens to ''agape''? Is theism more important than love???

 

[pearl]

They don't care about love, they care if someone believes in God or not, that's bad in my opinion. What happens to ''agape''? Is theism more important than love???

Unfortunately Christians get caught up in the intellectual battle over which is the 'right', true one instead of the model for what is referred to as 'agape', which is the relation within the Trinity, and given to us through Grace.

 

[Kenny]

I don't think the very Christians understand the beauty of Christ fully. If all Christians practised Jesus' words, it would be the most beautiful religion. But do Christians follow God's words? No. No way. Almost all Christians I know, live their lives and just worship Jesus in name only. What happens to ''agape''? The first Christians I think were honest believers and lived by God's word. But today? The first Christians had guidance from the Apostles and many Saints. Maybe that's the reason. Do we need more saints? Do we need guidance?

Actually, people are people. The early church had the same problems mainly because God is taking them out of a previous lifestyle that was detrimental and the change is a process.

That is why the Bible mentions, baby, carnal, mature, and other types of Christians.

What is required is a dedicated Rom 12:1-2 attitude and effort.

 

[Unveiled Artist]

I don't think the very Christians understand the beauty of Christ fully. If all Christians practised Jesus' words, it would be the most beautiful religion. But do Christians follow God's words? No. No way. Almost all Christians I know, live their lives and just worship Jesus in name only. What happens to ''agape''? The first Christians I think were honest believers and lived by God's word. But today? The first Christians had guidance from the Apostles and many Saints. Maybe that's the reason. Do we need more saints? Do we need guidance?

Isn't that a huge generalization. Christianity is being more watered down but christians faith and their authenticity varies by how they have a relationship with Christ and where they are growing spiritually in christ. No one is perfect so a person's actions wouldn't define their faith. Their faith helps guide their actions.

I met a lot of christians, and I know a lot, who I, if I were christian to judge, would consider them not so christian. But that's basing it on their actions not their relationship with Christ. Then when I talk with them about christ, I see they are at different paths. Since I am not christian, I see the beauty in all christians faiths without segregation. One nonchristisn action I always hated was christians talking against each other. Christ said to be help and correct brothers and sisters in Christ not tell them they don't follow Christ.

 

[Earthling]

What saddens me is that Church members worry about atheism.

I don't know if I'm qualified to answer this because I wouldn't enter into a church, but why would they worry about atheism? I certainly don't. God gave us two choices in the matter. Reject him or accept him. That is, try and approach the purpose he has for mankind as a goal, or not. Both are acceptable to God and should be to Christians.

Our differences, though, and our emotional attachment to them often cause us to react in a negative fashion in the heat of the argument if we don't control this emotional attachment.

There is no atheist in the world that I wouldn't set my differences aside and help them when they were in trouble if I were able to do so. There can be even more heated exchanges over doctrine between believers, but that doesn't mean there isn't love there.

There are three other words in the Bible that are translated as love and three that I know of that are translated as hate. Its perfectly acceptable to God that we hate in the meaning of two of those words. One of those words means to have nothing to do with and the other means to love something less than another thing. Both of those things I may do, but the form of hate unacceptable to God is to call evil down upon someone. To wish for or delight in their misfortune, for example. I never do this.

They don't care about love, they care if someone believes in God or not, that's bad in my opinion. What happens to ''agape''? Is theism more important than love???

Most Christians, in my opinion, are only Christian in the sense that they attend a church. They don't know or care much about what the Bible says. It's a social, cultural or traditional, even a familial practice. They often are patriotic or nationalistic and would kill other Christians in war. Usually these Christians feel that their country is some sort of representation of God. That God is on their side. This has nothing to do with Christ. These people have been deceived, but you have to ask yourself, why were they looking for God in that manner? Could you convince them that God has nothing to do with it? How did they miss him? They were never looking for him in the first place.

 

[sun rise]

What happens to ''agape''? Is theism more important than love???

I know there are those who I would call practitioners of Churchianity not Christianity. That's true of all the major world religions where, in Biblical terms, the letter is elevated over the spirit and that results in the dying of the religion.

But I do know those who I would call Christians who quietly live the essential message of the Christ. They don't very often make the news but their lives are models of service to "the least of these".

 

[Earthling]

Unfortunately Christians get caught up in the intellectual battle over which is the 'right', true one instead of the model for what is referred to as 'agape', which is the relation within the Trinity, and given to us through Grace.

What about the first 400 years of Christianity before the Trinity was accepted as a Christian teaching but rejected by Christians as pagan in origin, from Plato's discoveries of more ancient paradigms?

 

[Earthling]

I know there are those who I would call practitioners of Churchianity not Christianity. That's true of all the major world religions where, in Biblical terms, the letter is elevated over the spirit and that results in the dying of the religion.

But I do know those who I would call Christians who quietly live the essential message of the Christ. They don't very often make the news but their lives are models of service to "the least of these".

I am inclined to doubt this. For example, if I asked you what is the essential message of the Christ could you tell me? How could you see it if you don't know it? If you mean they are quite, humble, law abiding citizens wouldn't those same attributes also apply to nearly all atheists?

 

[sun rise]

I am inclined to doubt this. For example, if I asked you what is the essential message of the Christ could you tell me? How could you see it if you don't know it? If you mean they are quite, humble, law abiding citizens wouldn't those same attributes also apply to nearly all atheists?

The essential message of the Christ is contained in the statement of the two "Greatest Commandments" and the Sermon on the Mount.

While it's not true in the beginning when effort is being expended to bring move love into one's heart, after a while I see it in how someone responds especially to little things such as a harried mother in a checkout line trying to get a credit card out of her purse while a child acts up and the line behind her grows longer.

Of course there's a natural tendency to get annoyed etc, but it's possible to notice someone correcting such a feeling and reacting with compassion.

To your other point: having an open and loving heart is not restricted to Christians, nor to followers of any religion, but is possible for anyone explicitly including atheists.

I know at least some atheists would dispute this, but there are atheists who don't believe in a transcendent God but believe and act in a way that I would call believing in an immanent God, thinking of the world as divine.

 

[GoldenThread]

I don't think the very Christians understand the beauty of Christ fully. If all Christians practised Jesus' words, it would be the most beautiful religion. But do Christians follow God's words? No. No way. Almost all Christians I know, live their lives and just worship Jesus in name only. What happens to ''agape''? The first Christians I think were honest believers and lived by God's word. But today? The first Christians had guidance from the Apostles and many Saints. Maybe that's the reason. Do we need more saints? Do we need guidance?

I think you hit the nail on the head with this one.

If we want people to truly see the beauty that comes with following Jesus, then what we need to do is 'practice what we preach'. As you observed, most churches are more concerned that people believe that a person named Jesus existed and that they believe He is God. They don't touch on Jesus' teachings that are found in the four gospels.

That is where true followers of Christ must arise and share the true gospel of Jesus by being the light in this dark world.

As Jesus said...," They will know we are Christians by the love (agape) we have one to another."

In peace

 

[RabbiO]

As Jesus said...," They will know we are Christians by the love (agape) we have one to another."

Since you put quotation marks around it, I'm assuming that there is some place in Christian scripture where Jesus refers to himself and his followers as Christians.

I'd greatly appreciate a cite to the source. Thanks in advance.

 

[GoldenThread]

Since you put quotation marks around it, I'm assuming that there is some place in Christian scripture where Jesus refers to himself and his followers as Christians.

I'd greatly appreciate a cite to the source. Thanks in advance.

While I am sure you are aware of where the scripture it is I am referring to (John 13:35). I can see the main purpose of your comment is to touch on the part where Jesus never called us 'Christians'? If that is the point, then the answer to that question can be found in Acts 11:26. Disciples & Christians mean the same thing (i.e., you can't be a Christian, if you are not a disciple of Jesus). How people interpret these two words seem silly to me, since it is clear from scripture where that word originated from.

Use the word disciple if you like, but it still amounts to the same thing.

In peace
P.S. In future, please be more clear in what you are referring to in your question. Just so there won't be any confusion to the 'hidden' speech that people so often get in to. Thanks in advance

 

[RabbiO]

@GoldenThread -

I am not a Christian, although I have studied Christian scripture as well the sacred literature of other traditions. Because I am not an expert in Christian scripture, although I am familiar with the verse in John, I thought perhaps there might be some other verse with which I was not familiar.

I got confused because you put quotes around a paraphrase and you had Jesus saying "We" instead of "You".

 

[syo]

most churches are more concerned that people believe that a person named Jesus existed and that they believe He is God. They don't touch on Jesus' teachings that are found in the four gospels.

yup. and they create atheists.

 

[9-10ths_Penguin]

What saddens me is that Church members worry about atheism. They don't care about love, they care if someone believes in God or not, that's bad in my opinion. What happens to ''agape''? Is theism more important than love???

In defining a religion? Absolutely.

Think about it:

- giving onesself brownie points for just accepting the main tenets of religion as true is way easier than having to do real work.

- if Christianity defined itself in terms of charity, it would be setting itself for an existential dilemma, since plenty of non-believers - and believers of other religions - are very charitable without the Christian God.

 

[GoldenThread]

@GoldenThread -

I am not a Christian, although I have studied Christian scripture as well the sacred literature of other traditions. Because I am not an expert in Christian scripture, although I am familiar with the verse in John, I thought perhaps there might be some other verse with which I was not familiar.

I got confused because you put quotes around a paraphrase and you had Jesus saying "We" instead of "You".

Thanks for that reply. Well, I hope I answered your question in through my reply.

Sorry, I shouldn't have assumed that you were being condescending with your question.

I can appreciate that you might have thought that I quoted a different verse than what you expected, so asking the question wasn't wrong. Sorry, I should have been slow to speak, but quick to listen.

In peace

 

[roger1440]

I don't think the very Christians understand the beauty of Christ fully. If all Christians practised Jesus' words, it would be the most beautiful religion. But do Christians follow God's words? No. No way. Almost all Christians I know, live their lives and just worship Jesus in name only. What happens to ''agape''? The first Christians I think were honest believers and lived by God's word. But today? The first Christians had guidance from the Apostles and many Saints. Maybe that's the reason. Do we need more saints? Do we need guidance?

Ask one question and I will try to answer. You are going off in many directions.

 

[truthseeker11]

Hi everyone,

I enjoyed reading all of the comments on this thread and I think it is an excellent topic for discussion. Particularly, I thought this quote was intriguing.

If all Christians practised Jesus' words, it would be the most beautiful religion.

It seems to me that the spirit of what Jesus said was to practice love for others and God through service and self-sacrifice. That too seemed to be practiced from other seemingly sincere individuals in the 20th century like Gandhi, sister Teresa, or Martin Luther King Jr.

But from my experience, sadly, I haven't seen much of that kind of 'agape' love in the world today, including in myself , so I don't have many other examples to share. But I wonder if that is a justification for me or anyone to "not try" to love others in the way we love ourselves? I wonder if even a handful of people attempted to put into practice that kind of 'agape' love, if a lot of the world's problems today would be reduced?

 

[syo]

Hi everyone,

I enjoyed reading all of the comments on this thread and I think it is an excellent topic for discussion. Particularly, I thought this quote was intriguing.



It seems to me that the spirit of what Jesus said was to practice love for others and God through service and self-sacrifice. That too seemed to be practiced from other seemingly sincere individuals in the 20th century like Gandhi, sister Teresa, or Martin Luther King Jr.

But from my experience, sadly, I haven't seen much of that kind of 'agape' love in the world today, including in myself , so I don't have many other examples to share. But I wonder if that is a justification for me or anyone to "not try" to love others in the way we love ourselves? I wonder if even a handful of people attempted to put into practice that kind of 'agape' love, if a lot of the world's problems today would be reduced?

Hello

Jesus gave the way to live as brothers and sisters. Today's society doesn't want that, they want exploitation and profit. The first Christians were true christians. Now, if you share, they will exploit you and leave you excommunicated.