The Christian Thread

Hello?  Miracles Out Of Nowhere, Sparks Of The Tempest?  Maybe not overtly Christian...
C'mon, I bet you can come up with some other songs.

Epignosis wrote: Chicapah wrote: I don't want to overstep my bounds here but perhaps this is an argument best carried on through personal messages.  I don't think this thread was intended to provoke.   On a lighter note, I'm pleased to see (from some of the comments) that Christianity is still breathing and being practiced in Europe.  One of my best friends is married to a girl from Holland and she tells me that the church is struggling to stay alive there. No, this argument is best not being carried out at all. Anyway, I've not been to Europe, but I've read some about Christianity's decline there.

I'd be willing to say that 5% of England is actually practicing Christian and not just saying they're Christian. Really annoying...

progismylife wrote: Epignosis wrote: Chicapah wrote: I don't want to overstep my bounds here but perhaps this is an argument best carried on through personal messages.  I don't think this thread was intended to provoke.   On a lighter note, I'm pleased to see (from some of the comments) that Christianity is still breathing and being practiced in Europe.  One of my best friends is married to a girl from Holland and she tells me that the church is struggling to stay alive there. No, this argument is best not being carried out at all. Anyway, I've not been to Europe, but I've read some about Christianity's decline there. I'd be willing to say that 5% of England is actually practicing Christian and not just saying they're Christian. Really annoying...

I've grown up in "The Bible Belt" of the US, where a large percentage of people attended church at least.

progismylife wrote: ^Attending churches doesn't mean anything unfortunately.

Precisely why I said "attending church."

I'm very impressed with this thread so far, a lot of good could come from this.  I might have some things to say of a personal nature later on, but the bottom line is I've struggled mightily trying to be a person of faith - it's a minor internal turmoil that very few know about, actually.

Thanks Rob - well I'm still not around too much but I will say this - do you find John 3:16 (a powerful passage despite being an unfortunate cliche) resonates more now that you are a father?

As somebody born and bred in Europe, I have to say that the figures for Italy are higher than in other parts of the continent (I'm talking about western Europe at least) as regards religious practice. However, to be perfectly honest, though most people call themselves Catholics, it has mostly to do with keeping up appearances (like having your children baptised, or getting married in church) than with real faith.

Personally, though I was raised as a Catholic, and attended church regularly at least until the age of 21, I now consider myself an agnostic, and my view of the Catholic Church and its role is extremely critical. However, I don't like people who insult those who are religious and call them brainwashed (unless, of course, we are really talking about fanatics), and I have often reported posts of people who overstepped the mark in this sense.

I have something I'd like prayer about:

Some of the other youth in my church. The way they act / talk / stuff they go to and call good is a bit scary and I'm thinking its leading them down a road that isn't good. I hope I'm wrong, but its just bugging me. Also they don't see the amazing stuff I see in sermons and this concerns me.

Chicapah wrote: Some Christians might have objections to satirical slants on God and consider them blasphemous but I find material like Tull's "Oh, God" or "Passion Play" (as well as Randy Newman's "God's Song" and the majority of his take on "Faust") to be relevant because they poke fun of how mankind pictures the Almighty as having the same emotions, feelings and hangups as we have.  Fact is, we were created in His image, not the other way around.  Not sure what I'm trying to say here except that songs like those mentioned can be instructive in pointing out our tendency to view God as a big guy in a robe sitting on a throne in the clouds.  He's obviously much, much more than that.  Any thoughts?

Satire is an ingenious way to get one's point across, to be sure.  The Bible even contains some.  It's sad, however, that there's so much about Christianity to lampoon.  Christians should be thirsty for discovering the many nuggets of truth in the Bible, and yet many of them are content to just judge others (to make themselves feel better), view God as a cosmic Santa Claus (who will give them what they want), or use Christianity as a way of "covering their bases" (a "just in case it happens to be right" religion).

Sad really, and until we clean up our act, we give lyrical masters like Anderson and other such people reason to satirize us.

cacho wrote: Sorry if I'm going off-topic, but I really don't want to start another thread, unless you, Robert, want me to do so... What do you think of people of "believing more" after watching the Passion of(the?) Christ?

I think it's wonderful.

There's so much in the world aimed at tearing down the believer's faith, that I welcome anything that builds it up.

As to the movie itself, I saw it and intend to purchase it at some point.  I found watching it in the theater as a draining but immensely touching experience.