Wtf is up with churches in the US?

[ratsapprentice]

because it's actually something you had control over...

 

[drew_drummer]

To paraphrase a quote from MW2, "nationalism is the belief that your country is superior to others because you were born there." The concept of ancestors means nothing to me, I feel I have no more in common with my great-grandfather than I do with, I dunno, JBroll - traditionalist notions of "blood" are what keep so much of the world at war IMO.

Now feeling a connection with people because you all have chosen to believe in the same stuff and practicethe same religion is another story, of course, because it's actually something you had control over...

+1

Although I obviously feel more connected to white people. Because WHITE IS RIGHT FOLKS! NEVER FORGET THAT!

er... wuht?

 

[MarcusGHedwig]

?

 

[ratsapprentice]

Was just disagreeing that people have a choice when it comes to religion, tis all

 

[drew_drummer]

This is actually something I have to combat quite a bit with my girlfriend. She's Japanese, and she'll say stuff sometimes like "Japanese udon is the best!" ... and I'm just aghast.... it's just fucking udon! Any old prick could make it, doesn't matter where they are from!!

But she has big tits and swallows, so she's a keeper.

 

[Jarkko Mattheiszen]

But she has big tits and swallows, so she's a keeper.

Pics or it didn't happen.

 

[guitarguru777]

Was just disagreeing that people have a choice when it comes to religion, tis all

I had the choice, so do you. My father was a Jew and my mother was a Catholic. I am neither cause I CHOSE not to be either one.

EVERYONE has the choice. Whether you get your ass kicked for being different from the people around you is a separate issue.

 

[TheWinterSnow]

Ok ... so confused ....

NAY as in NO PRIDE or ANY as in you SHOULD NOT have PRIDE.

If you are saying you SHOULD NOT have pride then WTF! I am extremely proud of my heritage. My Great Grandfather on my mothers side founded South Street Seaport in NYC. One of my descendants on my fathers side started a village that is still going strong today. Thats not shit to be proud of?

The fact that my Grand father fought against the tyranny in WWII is not something to be proud of?

WTF

I said having pride in your nationality, and as Jeff corrected, I meant ANY. When it comes to personal pride, it should be kept to things that you accomplished. Being proud of what your family has done is legit, becuase its not a personal pride, but the actions someone made.

Pride comes from actions, not who you are or where you came from, but the effect you have on this world.

You're mixing up two issues.

Giving hiring preference to someone of the same race, or treating someone of the same race preferentially compared to others is racist.

Having pride in your heritage, especially enough to refer to a far-away land as your 'home,' is sociopathic.

thanks for the clarification.

I had the choice, so do you. My father was a Jew and my mother was a Catholic. I am neither cause I CHOSE not to be either one.

EVERYONE has the choice. Whether you get your ass kicked for being different from the people around you is a separate issue.

problem is that when we are talking about religion, we are talking about children, who's minds for the most part are are gullible to believe anything and as Dawkins put it, all humans want to have things in common with one another. When you place a family ideal within a child for so many years it becomes apart of them. That is why you hear of so many Christians saying that they wouldn't want to be told their wasn't a god because the tradition of their family or the way they grew up make them happy and they want to keep it that way and pass it down to their kids. Then there are some who break away from it, and its usually from more abusive religious parents or kids that spend more time free thinking and/or into science. For most children growing up, their parents opinions and lifestyles usually become their own.

 

[Jind]

+1

Racism is the belief that one race/nationality is superior to another. You don't have to hate any race, simply liking someone more or giving them more handouts (jobs, promotions, free shit) because of their ancestry is racist period. From personal experience, it tends be be African Americans, Filipinos, and generally everyone one from the middle east or near including Indians, Jews, and Russians which are this way, and I wouldn't think for a second that they aren't racist. Its just the Jews the are nice to everyone (although they show massive favoritism towards other Jews) makes it so damn hard to hate them.

Having nay pride in your ethnicity, or heritage is just plain stupid. You can't help the color of your skin nor can you help what your ancestors did, you can be curious to learn what your immediate family did and some general history, but anything beyond that is just like drew said, sociopathic.

I tend to not place much value in Nationalism as I tend to agree with Doug Stanhope on the subject.



"Go stomp ourselves some "Weigie" ass!"

 

[ratsapprentice]

I meant to say control, not choice...
And there is no budging me on this one
Not everyone has the choice, in fact most people don't

 

[guitarguru777]

I still disagree but hey it is what it is. Maybe its the "American" in me ....lol

 

[MarcusGHedwig]

FTR when I said control, I meant choice - hope we're moving towards a semantics debate here

 

[guitarguru777]

Its all semantics honestly.

 

[drew_drummer]

I fucking LOVE Doug Stanhope. Easily one of my favourite comedians.

 

[Zack Uidl]

I just want to say that Joel Osteen is NOT teaching Christianity, he teaches the prosperity gospel....which is totally against the actual Gospel.

In regards to churches needing multiple expensive units of gear: I think in some instances it is appropriate and in others it is definitely not. From a Christian point of view (as I am a Christian) I think that excelling at what you do is important. For example, if a great sound system helps express the message of the Gospel, I think that is a good thing. However, I do think that some churches, specifically "mega-churches" over do this and it is simply wasteful.

I left the church I was a part of because of this and other reasons which are irrelevant to this discussion.

I do get upset when churches spend money on things that are not needed. I do not think this is a Christian thing to do. Christians are called to be good stewards of what they are blessed with. Many churches are simply focused on bringing in more people, which is fine until that is their only goal. (Christians are called to spread the good news of the Gospel to everyone.) Their goals should be portraying and communicating the Gospel and they should not be fixated on the numbers of people who attend.

Certain things are necessary to allow, without distraction, this message. But, like I said, a lot of people and churches take this out of context and are wasteful.

Oh, and in case I fogot , Joel Osteen is not preaching from the Bible, he is teaching the prosperity Gospel which is NOT Biblical in the slightest

 

[colonel kurtz]

jesus makes that paper, nigga!

 

[midget donkeys]

Why do so many Christian sects accuse other Christian groups of not being real Christians? My very religious mother would explain away all negative behaviour of Christians by saying they were not "real" Christians. Which ironically included most every other denomination and especially the Catholics.

When I was in Iraq my Lt could speak some Arabic. So he made up a cover story of being half Lebanese and Muslim. The general people on the street would then open up quite a bit to him and talk about all sorts of stuff. One Sunni guy asked the Lt how he could be a Muslim and kill other Muslims in Iraq. The Lt replied back with how can Sunni kill Shites left and right since they are also Muslims. The mans answer, they aren't "real" Muslims.

I personally veto an organization that wants to cut part of a little boys dick off.

 

[MarcusGHedwig]

^And there's just as much of that infighting and competition over which sect of Judaism is the "real" one between the hasidics, reform, orthodox, etc.

 

[Zack Uidl]

Why do so many Christian sects accuse other Christian groups of not being real Christians? My very religious mother would explain away all negative behaviour of Christians by saying they were not "real" Christians. Which ironically included most every other denomination and especially the Catholics.

When I was in Iraq my Lt could speak some Arabic. So he made up a cover story of being half Lebanese and Muslim. The general people on the street would then open up quite a bit to him and talk about all sorts of stuff. One Sunni guy asked the Lt how he could be a Muslim and kill other Muslims in Iraq. The Lt replied back with how can Sunni kill Shites left and right since they are also Muslims. The mans answer, they aren't "real" Muslims.

I personally veto an organization that wants to cut part of a little boys dick off.

Not sure if this was for me or not, but I am assuming it is as I just posted...

It is not my place to assume if Joel Osteen is a Christian or not. But, honestly, you have to overlook some MAJOR parts/passages of the Bible to believe what he is teaching. Joel Osteen preaches the prosperity gospel and "self-help," which is very much against the Gospel.

I do not believe, however, that Catholicism is Christian overall. Catholic theology is very different from Christian theology.

I really did not mean to turn this into a religious debate so please do not take it as that. I just wanted to make my first post that I made in this thread about Joel. I am not looking for a debate or anything, I honestly just hope people here are able to understand that what he is teaching is NOT Biblical. I just really get infuriated when people group false gospel with Christian Gospel...

 

[Zack Uidl]

I should add that many of the things that many Christians or other religions bicker about is open handed issues. By this I mean that there are particular things that are assumed "fact" by Christians and there are certain things that are open for discussion. There are principles of Christianity that are "fact" and then there are things that are debatable. What J.O. teaches falls into the closed handed category where it it simply not Biblical.

For example, many Christians argue over the proper way to baptize someone. When in reality, the underlying meaning of the public profession of faith is the same. It really does not matter if someone if is baptized by full submersion or by a squirt-gun....the profession of faith is the same.