Christians are Usually the Last People on Earth to Know What Jesus was talking About

[Gadianton]

Imagine a hypothetical community that comes together by each individually discovering the words of Jesus as we tend to interpret them today as peace, goodwill, love thy neighbor, help the poor etc, and they start meeting and talk about how society doesn't get it and have forgotten these important values and they are really nice people and help the poor and are good neighbors.

Well, they have kids, and as the snowball grows, there's the values they try to pass on, but then there's also the sense of community, and so there's a tug-of-war between the mission and the community identity. When the community identity becomes all-important, then the mission is at risk.

That's one way to answer. Another answer is that I don't think that secularists necessarily know what Jesus was talking about any better, I don't think it's settled that Jesus was all about secular values of inclusiveness and help the poor etc.

Another answer is that a lot of unchristian Christianity is cultural. I remember on my mission one of the big challenges for me was that generally, the areas I worked in were very Christian, and while there were the nutcases here and there, all-in-all I felt that the Christian communities really had it together, and I would be doing them a disservice by dragging them into the local Mormon branch. I saw no practical benefit whatsoever. We'd make fun of the big Christian centers with the praise music and everything, but even those folks were pretty darn genuine; I got to know many of them. And even branch members made comments that the Christian youth groups were getting to their kids and I could see why, I went to a few of the youth services and they were incredibly inclusive compared to the culture of Mormon youth groups.

I don't think the KKK-friendly Trump churches in the deep south represent Christianity as a whole in deed, however, they have become the voice of unite-the-right, and good Mormons like MG 2.0 seem okay with having the worst of them in power.

[msnobody]

and while there were the nutcases here and there,”

I encountered one of those nut cases today. Guy asked for his temperature to be checked on his wrist rather than forehead stating, “For religious reasons-666.” I asked the required sexual orientation question and how you identify. His answer was,”God made two sexes, male and female. You’re either a hose or a valley.” I listed that under Other.

[Physics Guy]

It's nice to live a life based on purpose and principles, but sometimes the principles buckle a bit under the weight of supporting your life. Their role as basis for your habits inevitably tends to redefine them in practice. The distortion can become drastic.

I think this is an old trope in Christianity, in particular. For centuries people have been suddenly realising that what Jesus actually meant was something quite different from what they always assumed he meant. It's part of the cycle of revival and reformation through which the religion has always rotated.

[slskipper]

Jesus and God are idols which people can bend into whatever shape they want to fit their world view.

[malkie]

Jesus and God are idols which people can bend into whatever shape they want to fit their world view.

Back in Old Testament days, "God" (Elohim, Jehovah, or whoever) used to compete with other "gods" like Baal, Asherah, Dagon, Marduk, Moloch. Possibly one of them was just a pseudonym for the Flying Spaghetti Monster - would not surprise me, except that FSM seems too nice.

Now, there are various Christian "Gods" competing with each other. We know that they are not the same god, because they appear to have different characteristics, and to be saying quite different things to their groups of believers. Perhaps they are all equal, but the god of Mormonism is more equal than the rest.

[huckelberry]

Jesus and God are idols which people can bend into whatever shape they want to fit their world view.

Back in Old Testament days, "God" (Elohim, Jehovah, or whoever) used to compete with other "gods" like Baal, Asherah, Dagon, Marduk, Moloch. Possibly one of them was just a pseudonym for the Flying Spaghetti Monster - would not surprise me, except that FSM seems too nice.

Now, there are various Christian "Gods" competing with each other. We know that they are not the same god, because they appear to have different characteristics, and to be saying quite different things to their groups of believers. Perhaps they are all equal, but the god of Mormonism is more equal than the rest.

Being a Christian I felt a distinct discomfort reading this post. I find that my discomfort does not dispel the sense that there is some truth being placed in view here however.

I am wondering a bit about the opening post. Being a Christian what is this special Jesus message I am presumed to be unaware of?

[malkie]

Back in Old Testament days, "God" (Elohim, Jehovah, or whoever) used to compete with other "gods" like Baal, Asherah, Dagon, Marduk, Moloch. Possibly one of them was just a pseudonym for the Flying Spaghetti Monster - would not surprise me, except that FSM seems too nice.

Now, there are various Christian "Gods" competing with each other. We know that they are not the same god, because they appear to have different characteristics, and to be saying quite different things to their groups of believers. Perhaps they are all equal, but the god of Mormonism is more equal than the rest.

Being a Christian I felt a distinct discomfort reading this post. I find that my discomfort does not dispel the sense that there is some truth being placed in view here however.

I am wondering a bit about the opening post. Being a Christian what is this special Jesus message I am presumed to be unaware of?

For what it's worth, I think that the OP is overstated, especially with respect to the Christians I've encountered on this board - including you.

I wasn't particularly trying to make anyone uncomfortable, but if the discomfort you have felt is of value to you, then I'm happy. Not for the discomfort, but for the value.

[Doctor CamNC4Me]

Back in Old Testament days, "God" (Elohim, Jehovah, or whoever) used to compete with other "gods" like Baal, Asherah, Dagon, Marduk, Moloch. Possibly one of them was just a pseudonym for the Flying Spaghetti Monster - would not surprise me, except that FSM seems too nice.

Now, there are various Christian "Gods" competing with each other. We know that they are not the same god, because they appear to have different characteristics, and to be saying quite different things to their groups of believers. Perhaps they are all equal, but the god of Mormonism is more equal than the rest.

Being a Christian I felt a distinct discomfort reading this post. I find that my discomfort does not dispel the sense that there is some truth being placed in view here however.

I am wondering a bit about the opening post. Being a Christian what is this special Jesus message I am presumed to be unaware of?

That’s just the point he was making. No matter what anyone tells you, Huckleberry, Jesus the God is malleable enough to fit into whatever retort you might offer. You can quote some scripture, and then expound upon it to make your notions about Jesus seem like the Bible’s notions. It’s an infinite recursion of Jesus variations when people describe Jesus.

At least back in the day, instead of Vengeful Jesus, a person had their own unique asshole god. Spicy.

- Doc