Why has a Christian society drifted so far away from Jesus' teachings ?

Question

The values of a society can be measures by how that same society treats minorities. If the basic premesis of a society is to only follow the will of the majority, then that society is not a very high valued society.

A society is as strong as its weakest link. In this case that would be the smallest minority. A high-valued society would always accept anything other than "the normal standard", embrase and support it full-heartedly.

In the eyes of many a christian society is a high-valued society. When i see how christianity treats different minorities, i highly doubt if a christian society is as high-valued as assumed. We only have to look, as an example, at how the majority of christians treats gays.

Jesus would full-heartedly embrase any minority, probably also offer teachings on how to accept and welcome those minorities.

It's sad, as a non-believer, how many times i have to remind people of Jesus' teachings.

Why has a Christian society drifted so far away from Jesus' teachings?

Answer 1

I've wondered about that question before. I think there's something in the Christian religion that suits it better to being the minority itself. Its predecessor, Judaism, was birthed under Pharaonic slavery and grew while imprisoned in Babylon. Judaism gave these downtrodden people hope and strength. Christianity was born under the thumb of the Roman Empire. Jesus was oppressed and early Christians had to resort to symbols and secret codes for fear of persecution. In this era, Christianity florished. It was David against Goliath; the small against the great.

Jesus fought against the gang mentality, against undue process and against persecuting the 'extremes of society'. Jesus's teachings have nothing to do with what Christianity has become in the heatlamp of societal supremacy. Once in power, Christians learnt that keeping people in place was necessary, and they invented a million restrictions, a million laws and a million ways to keep their hold on power - by any means necessary.

The religion of the bullied became the religion of the bullies.

What's ironic is that some Christians still, 2000 years later, carry that persecution complex with them. Note the following quotation given in answer to a question of mine:

"Christians have been abused for the last 2000 years and still are... No one ever taken pity on Christians the way they have other religions. We have been burned at stake, crucified, boiled in hot oil, beheaded, tongue pulled out, drawn and quartered, used for target practice, every manner of evil to do to a person have been done to Christians. So no doubt about it we have seen a lot of sad days... Our 2,000 years of history, we are the only religion that had to fight like a madman for 2,000 years to become established in the world, whereas all the rest was freely accepted." (triple dots are mine to edit unneccesary elaborations)

How can you reason with someone who oppresses and complains about being oppressed all at the same time?

Answer 2

if you're a believer, i'm shocked that you or the different individual answering, gave any indication of the particular incontrovertible reality that God has already instructed us. Jesus states it obviously contained in the e book of Luke: "be careful, or your hearts will be weighed down with dissipation, drunkenness and the anxieties of existence, and that day will close on you suddenly like a capture. For it is going to come across all those who stay on the face of the finished earth. Be continually on the watch, and pray that you're prepared to flee all it really is about to ensue, and that you're prepared to face earlier the Son of guy". (Luke 21:34) If this isn't a sparkling sufficient caution, i do not comprehend what is going to be.

Answer 3

The Christian people that comment about Gays are quite often mean spirited and hateful.
I have even seen where they would type ..... rather than the word they wanted to use. If your going to do that you might as well type it you thought it.
We need preachers that preach the compromising Word of God and will not waver for fear of losing money.
God says homosexuality is wrong.
Almost the entire world knows that by now consider ring how many times the subject comes up on Y/A.
Have a problem with that take it up with GOD, don't shoot the messenger.

Answer 4

I think we started drifting away the day Adam and Eve sinned. It has been a slow and steady process ever since. But what can you expect? The atheist and agnostics have taken Jesus/Christ out of everything because it "offends them". We took the Pledge of Allegiance out of schools. We can teach that the world just exploded into existence, but do not dare mention it was created by a supreme being. We crawled out of the ooze and swung from trees, but we were not created by God out of the dust of the earth and he did not breathe into us the breath of life. Can't talk about that. We can't pray in public. My kids can't pray at lunch or carry a bible but Muslims can pray to Allah and carry a koran.
Now you seriously want to know why we are as far from God as we are, as a society?!
But I can't blame it all on atheist/agnostics. It has happened because Christians have not stepped out and spoke up! We have not put our foot down as often as we should have! We have not allowed our voices to be heard from the rooftops. And we surely have not spent enough time on our knees begging God to move throughout the USA and awaken a mighty revival.

Answer 5

I think it is mainly because man is fallible. Also, (just as an example) the Catholic religion has as its ruler, a Pope. As much as we'd like to believe that the Pope is infallible, he is a person who is capable of corruption. I don't mean to offend anyone, but for many years during the Dark and Middle Ages, the Pope was more of a political figure than anthing else. Read up on this time period for a real eye-opener.

Answer 6

I think that you are right that society has drifted away from the teachings of Christ, but you are way off base if you think that Jesus would accept immorality. When Jesus dealt with immoral situations He often said to them, "Go and sin no more." Jesus came to this earth to save us from our sins, why do you think that He would put His stamp of approval on things that He had condemned when He gave the world the ten commandments?

Answer 7

Because his teachings are too hard.

I'm an athiest and even I admire much of his teachings, along with Buddha, Mahomed, Lao Tzu, et al. Ironically, I follow more closely to Jesus' teaching than almost all christians that I've met.

the_pretty_one22 wrote:

"wait...you are a Nonbeliever and you think you know Jesus teachings better than a believer?"

Conveniently, it was written down.

Answer 8

Because religion (in this case Christianity) often becomes the facade for other things - power, wealth, feelings of superiority, greed, manipulation - it is a sensitive thing, that often masks other goals, even in a seemingly "Christian" society (whatever a "Christian" society even is)

Answer 9

There is truth in what you say, however it has hollow ring to it. Every society has minorities. The minorities are able to find jobs without being a citizen. You did not list a particular grievence that is why I say there is a hollow ring to what you say.

Answer 10

I will assume you are trying to relate homosexuals to being a minority ( which it is not, it is a sexual perversion)

Jesus would have loved the people, he would have either cured them, or merely told them they are forgiven and to go and sin no more.

Sadly they don't want to be cured, and they don't want to go and sin no more.

So he would have loved them, but not accepted thier life style ever.

As for as real minority, blacks, women and the such, there are not problems.

Answer 11

wait...you are a Nonbeliever and you think you know Jesus teachings better than a believer? reminds me of when Jesus was on earth, the scribes thought they knew more than those who had faith in the Christ...if you knew any true Christians, not hypocrites you would know you are wrong n the question above. ty :)