JESUS FREAK

if we are all christians than why do we all keep judging everyone else for what they keep saying.......and yea...I'm a Jesus freak, and I'll wear that lable proudly

I just don't understand people who need to proselytize, especially the purported Christian. Christianity is a theology deeply rooted in a personal relationship with god. While this is facilitated by communal worship, the core of the faith lies with the individual. The scriptures do indeed speak of sharing the message, stating a believer should be compelled to “spread the word of God”. I fail to see how this simplistic message of sharing the message is interpreted into intrusively fervent dogmatic propaganda pushing.

In the business world, we have a simplistic yet vital practice called “goal setting and evaluation”. The principle behind this practice is the evaluation of current procedures so as to determine how well they facilitate the reaching of our goal. Shoving their religion into people’s faces, unabashed despite it being unsolicited, thusly inducing the opposite of the goal (i.e. recipients shunning the message, and possibly ((if not probably)) harboring negative imagery and emotion, due to the inappropriate manner in which the message was delivered) is NOT congruent to winning hearts and minds. Concordantly, I inexorably fail to understand how this is perceived as being either what was stated by the scriptures nor how this is perceived as “Christian love”.

Assuredly, if a person is willing to lend an ear with an open mind behind it, make them informed! Tell them of your beliefs and personal relationship with it. Make your case for your God. However, if they are not of such a mind, you would serve your “truth” far better if you simply made it known to them that you respect their decision and would perhaps be willing to discuss it at a later date if they change their mind.

Bbarr said it well a few days ago. I have learned to stop “second guessing the divine”. The truth is the truth, regardless of anyone’s perception. It does not need me to make it the truth, it is the truth. If I have found it I can help others reach it when they are ready. Regardless, no one can find it if they do not wish to. Attempting to force them to will hinder them in the process, not help them. People can, and will, make up their own minds on the matter…… and wouldn’t God want it that way? 😉

Pax Vobiscum,
Omnislash

Originally posted by Omnislash
I fail to see how this simplistic message of sharing the message is interpreted into intrusively fervent dogmatic propaganda pushing.

Nice post, slash...

Do you think it could be a case of uncertainity in their beliefs? I'm sure many a rabid proselytizer (word?) might deny that, but as an armchair psychoanalyst, the type of behaviour you describe looks like a need for validation.

ps - Jesus is still a mythical allegory, though...sorry. 😉

Originally posted by David C
Nice post, slash...

Do you think it could be a case of uncertainity in their beliefs? I'm sure many a rabid proselytizer (word?) might deny that, but as an armchair psychoanalyst, the type of behaviour you describe looks like a need for validation.

ps - Jesus is still a mythical allegory, though...sorry. 😉

Thank you. 🙂

I think validation may be the cause with some, but not all. It is my opinion that much of the tenure is derived from popular evangelical propaganda. The motive may be debatable, but the implementation and results not so much. Many a modern "Christian" church teaches its followers to be proselytizers (I'll take it as a word 😉 ).

I believe a significant portion of these "bible thumpers" are very well meaning individuals who simply are unable to discern the effects of their invasive preaching, often due to misplaced trust in the teachings of their specific church. In their eyes they are doing the work of God, following the command of God, giving the greatest gift of existence to the people they "reach out to". I specifically recall a quip on a Christian radio station a few years back that went something like this:

"Just think, no matter how many people turn you away, no matter how many people shun you, no matter how many people refuse to hear the truth of the Lord, if you can reach just one person, that person will live with the heavenly father for ever and ever, and when you are both in heaven they will come up to you and thank you and praise you forever for their salvation. You must never relent, you must never give up, the only thing, the ONLY thing you must do in this life is bring as many people as you possibly can to our Lord Jesus Christ."

This is the kind of message that is taught in many churches today, every week. The people shoving it in our faces are simply........highly misguided and misinformed (in my opinion). I think the churches advocating this behaviour need a lesson in marketing. It's not always about how many commercials you run. 😉

Best Regards,
Omnislash

EDIT:
p.s., RE: Jesus-mythical allegory: No need to apologize. My beliefs do not require me to convince you otherwise. Unless you ever wish to reconsider your position, I will not attempt to persuade you.

Originally posted by Omnislash
Thank you. 🙂

I think validation may be the cause with some, but not all. It is my opinion that much of the tenure is derived from popular evangelical propaganda. The motive may be debatable, but the implementation and results not so much. Many a modern "Christian" church teaches its followers to be proselytizers (I'll take it as a word 😉 ).

I b ...[text shortened]... otherwise. Unless you ever wish to reconsider your position, I will not attempt to persuade you.

The motive may be debatable

heh, yeah. See below.

This is the kind of message that is taught in many churches today, every week.

Well, yes...but that's just the Church's self-preservation in action. Of course the Christian Churches and the bible will command their followers to 'bring as many people as you can to JC'. Anything else means dwindling numbers in the congregations, and eventually the end of xtianity. There are a lot of faiths to choose from, each one claiming to be the path to heaven.

It's not always about how many commercials you run. 😉

I disagree. Take two excellent commercials for different products. Clever, enjoyable, perhaps funny or poignant. Now, show one of the ads once...and the other 50 times a day for the next three weeks. While a few people may remember the ad shown once, an much greater percentage will have awareness of the other product...probably even singing the jingle or repeating the catchphrase (Where's the beef?). This is precisely why the Jesusbots are commanded to go forth and spread the word, early and often.

Originally posted by David C
ps - Jesus is still a mythical allegory, though...sorry. 😉

And you thouroughly believe this?

Alexander the Gay is also a mythical allegory. Plato, Socrates... hell, throw in a caesar or two.

Admit it, the reason why you don't believe Jesus was a real person is not because of lack of evidence, but you just don't like Christianity. There is far less evidence on Plato, but I'm sure you believe he was real. Why aren't you a skeptic of Buddha or Confucious? They're just as real as Zeus's @$$...

Taking your criteria, in twenty years time, the halocaust and Hitler were also simply Jewish propaganda and allegory on why facism is not beneficial to mankind (in the perspective of closed-minded Semites)

...sorry. :'(

Originally posted by RatX
Why aren't you a skeptic of Buddha or Confucious? They're just as real as Zeus's @$$...

I think David is right and wrong. The Christian Christ is a perfect solar myth; the people who set the religion up knew what they were doing. At the same time, in my opinion, Jesus existed; the link between that person and the myths that grew up around him are extremely tenuous. The same goes for Buddha...although for some reason Buddhists are happy to acknowledge that part of his story is myth.

Originally posted by Bosse de Nage
I think David is right and wrong. The Christian Christ is a perfect solar myth; the people who set the religion up knew what they were doing. At the same time, in my opinion, Jesus existed; the link between that person and the myths that grew up around him are extremely tenuous. The same goes for Buddha...although for some reason Buddhists are happy to acknowledge that part of his story is myth.

The one-liner king posts again! Another "historical writings about Christ are crap because he couldn't have done what they said he did"...

Originally posted by RatX
The one-liner king posts again! Another "historical writings about Christ are crap because he couldn't have done what they said he did"...

Oh yawn.

What makes the historical writings about Christ (which ones exactly?) so very, very different from the historical writings about other magicians--Apollonius of Tyana, for instance? Maybe they're all true. That would be great.

Originally posted by RatX
And you thouroughly believe this?

Alexander the Gay is also a mythical allegory. Plato, Socrates... hell, throw in a caesar or two.

Admit it, the reason why you don't believe Jesus was a real person is not because of lack of evidence, but you just don't like Christianity. There is far less evidence on Plato, but I'm sure you believe he was real. Why a ...[text shortened]... ism is not beneficial to mankind (in the perspective of closed-minded Semites)

...sorry. :'(

Stick to your other username, and perhaps I might bother to respond.

...sorry. :'(

Originally posted by David Cr@p
Stick to your other username, and perhaps I might bother to respond.

...sorry. :'(

Your post has just proved that there is no such thing as unutterable nonsense... Still clear that you're a closed-minded bigot who won't accept me for who I am - I have no other username, so no more tiresome drivel on this would be appreciated. But I know that won't happen because I know you.

Oh, please don't bother to respond...

Originally posted by RatX
Oh, please don't bother to respond...

Nice meltdown. Maybe some bible study would help you control your threadrage?

Originally posted by Bosse de Nage
Oh yawn.

What makes the historical writings about Christ (which ones exactly?) so very, very different from the historical writings about other magicians--Apollonius of Tyana, for instance? Maybe they're all true. That would be great.

Ok... let's take this slowly and try to keep up:

You're saying that the "starters" of the Christian faith created the myth around Christ and used that to kick-start the religion and get millions to believe in it and die for it and so on? Hmmm...

Now these guys (Peter, John, Matthew and the gang) knew that their writings about Christ were therefore myth and ultimately, made up?

I may believe this, even if they spent the rest of their lives proclaiming their myth and changing the world as was known those days, but I cannot believe that they did not recant their "story" when faced with death. Psychology proves that a person won't die for something he knows is not true.

Why did these men die for something they knew was not true? Why did they stand by their writings to death?

To your coming response: Oh yawn...

Originally posted by mighty chickens 42
a person who trusts God and is on fire and is not ashamed to spread the word

As long as you don't expect us to listen politely you won't have a problem

Originally posted by David C
Nice meltdown. Maybe some bible study would help you control your threadrage?

Oh, you have not seen me in rage, my dear fellow. This was a quiet and simple response to your blabberings...