Anyone Watch the Latest Democrat Debate? Anyone care?

[_Res Ipsa]

Chap, your first point is excellent advice for anyone who wants to see beyond his own personal bias.

[_EAllusion]

The Bible endorses slavery and divine right of kings, yet I see lots of Christians who are opposed to slavery and monarchy. People reconcile their secular beliefs and ways of living with their scriptures all the time.

[_DoubtingThomas]

Unless he wins over religious leaders. Any Democrat will want to do that.

You have the oppose abortion to win over religious leaders that voted for Trump in 2016.

[_DoubtingThomas]

So the whole 'how can you be a Christian if you do <stuff that I believe to be forbidden by a moral code I claim to be based on the Bible>' thing seems to be based on some pretty fundamental misunderstanding of what Christianity is about.

Okay, but Christianity is causing a lot of problems in the US. Would you disagree?

[_Res Ipsa]

So the whole 'how can you be a Christian if you do <stuff that I believe to be forbidden by a moral code I claim to be based on the Bible>' thing seems to be based on some pretty fundamental misunderstanding of what Christianity is about.

Okay, but Christianity is causing a lot of problems in the US. Would you disagree?

Let’s assume it is. What do you think follows from that?

[_DoubtingThomas]

Let’s assume it is. What do you think follows from that?

The world won't be a better place with more Christianity.

[_DoubtingThomas]

The Bible endorses slavery and divine right of kings, yet I see lots of Christians who are opposed to slavery and monarchy. People reconcile their secular beliefs and ways of living with their scriptures all the time.

Yes, like the Mormon apologists do all the time

[_Chap]

The Bible endorses slavery and divine right of kings, yet I see lots of Christians who are opposed to slavery and monarchy. People reconcile their secular beliefs and ways of living with their scriptures all the time.

Yes, like the Mormon apologists do all the time

I hate to break it to you ... but to most impartial outsiders, Mormons are part of the very varied, fuzzy-edged, and sometimes frankly weird portfolio of faith systems that can reasonably be labelled 'Christian'.

Given that, it is difficult to see the point of your reply to EAallusion's point, which was essentially contained in his last sentence:

People reconcile their secular beliefs and ways of living with their scriptures all the time

.

He was, may I remind you, commenting on your earlier point:

I do not understand how a homosexual can be a religious Christian

.

Basically, you seem to have a grossly oversimplified view of how religious belief actually operates in the lived experience of believers. That makes discussion with you a little frustrating, especially when you respond to substantive points with irrelevant one-liners.

[_Some Schmo]

DT, one common complaint about religion is that it produces hypocrites. Why? Because people belong to a religion that they don't fully follow. Seeing a Christian speaking ill of the poor, for instance, screams hypocrisy.

One might ask, How can a Christian condemn the poor given what Jesus said about treating the poor?

It's because even though people call themselves a Baptist or a Catholic of a Mormon or whatever, what they really mean is they are their own version of that religion (just like everyone has their own version of their god - i. e personal god). Nobody lives their religion to the letter. It's not even really possible to do so, given religions' contradictory nature.

And this is yet one more reason I think religion is pointless, but people like their various fictions. You're going to live your life they way you want anyway. Why burden yourself with the religious crap? I digress...

Long story short: as long as you realize everyone lives their own version of the religion, you can easily make homosexuality compatible with Christianity. Hell, you can make prostitution compatible with Scientology, or gambling important to Methodists. Religious people are making it up as they go along anyway; they follow, discard, and write in what they want.

Fortunately for the business of religion, the churches get the credit, and therefore the cash. Quite the racket.

[_ajax18]

DT, one common complaint about religion is that it produces hypocrites. Why? Because people belong to a religion that they don't fully follow. Seeing a Christian speaking ill of the poor, for instance, screams hypocrisy.

One might ask, How can a Christian condemn the poor given what Jesus said about treating the poor?

It's because even though people call themselves a Baptist or a Catholic of a Mormon or whatever, what they really mean is they are their own version of that religion (just like everyone has their own version of their god - i. e personal god). Nobody lives their religion to the letter. It's not even really possible to do so, given religions' contradictory nature.

And this is yet one more reason I think religion is pointless, but people like their various fictions. You're going to live your life they way you want anyway. Why burden yourself with the religious crap? I digress...

Long story short: as long as you realize everyone lives their own version of the religion, you can easily make homosexuality compatible with Christianity. Hell, you can make prostitution compatible with Scientology, or gambling important to Methodists. Religious people are making it up as they go along anyway; they follow, discard, and write in what they want.

Fortunately for the business of religion, the churches get the credit, and therefore the cash. Quite the racket.

Talking to you and Doubting Thomas one might conclude that religion has never motivated anyone to live a more moral life. That's a warped and partisan view that's as far from any objective truth as you can get. It's also depressing. I feel sorry for you.