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BBM and the sin of Sodom

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Impish:

--- Quote from: Aussie Chris on May 02, 2006, 01:56:02 am --- I admit that I do hold a certain amount of resentment towards Christians (this is experiential), and there may be some tarring with the same brush in how I express it from time to time.  For that I do apologise.  You talked in another thread somewhere about the difference between spirituality and religion, and on that point I whole-heartedly agree.  For me, connecting completely with spirit, and internalising the messages of compassion and forgiveness, supersedes any text or sermon.  In a way, I find evangelism to be a step in the wrong direction for humanity, although I acknowledge that you would feel differently.

I hope this post better states my thoughts and feelings with less derision?

--- End quote ---

Chris, I agree with you and admire your ability to write so calmly about it.  I see Christianity as a negative force in the world, and what makes it so insidious is that it's followers are largely good, well-meaning people.  They don't see the repercussions of a religion that teaches them that at their core of their being -- their very essence -- is "original sin." 

Christian leaders think they have a monopoly on morality and goodness, and therefore they can't see the harm that Christianity has done and continues to do.  It breaks my heart.

TJ:
The only reason that Lot, his wife and his two still-at-home never-dated-before daughters were saved from the destruction of Sodom was that Abraham was Lot's Uncle and had raised him.

Lot was not very righteous in the fact that the reputation of Sodom was well known before Lot even decided to leave the country of Cannan and move to the Plain of Jordan.

There was a raiding party of the Cities of the Plain and Lot and family were kidnapped with his good stolen. Uncle Abraham was asked by the kings of those cities to help them get their stuff back. Since Abraham was rich, he apparently had enough men for his own army.

When Abraham rescued Lot, who had been living in his encampment near Sodom, Lot did not stay outside of town. He moved to a house inside Sodom itself. Lot decided to move to Sin City instead.

One of the New Testament Epistle writers claims that Lot was righteous; but, the author of Genesis doesn't exactly portray him that way at all.

TJ:
Speaking as a somewhat formally educated theologian here, the religion of Christianity, aka "Christian Orthodoxy" as it is know formally by "Orthodox theologians" or "Orthodox Christianity" by common folks, was started in 325 AD by the Emperor Constantine. Constantine convened the first of the Seven Church Councils and he presided over the first one in Nicea in 325 AD.

That was the beginning of government being involved in the control of church leaders who had believed in Jesus the Christ. It was Constantine's idea that his selected group of "early church fathers" create a creed which supposedly summarized their doctrinal beliefs. According to some sources, which I don't have current documentation on, the early church in the 1st 3 centuries did not think a creed was necessary; they believed faith alone was enough.

It was also his idea that they compile an anthology of books which were supposed to have been in the Pre-Jesus Period and also written during the first Century AD by the followers of Jesus the Christ. It took around 60 years or so before those "fathers" could even finally decide on what should be in that which we call a "Bible." Some of the accepted, aka canonized, works quote for sources which they rejected. In the short Epistle of Jude, the archangel Michael is disputing with the Devil over the body of Moses. The source of that was apparently from a work which was Jude's source called "The Assumption of Moses."

TJ:
I subscribe by snail mail to the Wittenburg Door magazine. It is actually a Christain version of Mad Magazine and the National Lampoon combined and the church group which publishes it is actually Pentecostal. I first found out about the magazine way back in the 1970s when I was a graduate theology student at Oral Roberts University. One of the students brought the magazine to the class and even the professor thought it was quite funny. Unlike Oral Roberts who was an undergraduate seminary college drop-out, all of my professors had doctorates and the lower ranking faculty who taught my other courses all had at least a master's degree. I even had two degrees in Education from a state college before I attended.


http://www.wittenburgdoor.com/

The cartoon below was in the latest email newsletter.

kirkmusic:
As interesting as the original post sounds, I know how these conversations usually go on TOB and can't bring myself to check it out.  This thread however has been most informative.  Thanks all.

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