As an atheist/agnostic, is this a valid quote?

Question

The biblical concepts of sin and salvation are an integral part of Christian doctrine. Christianity first creates a problem (sin) and then offers a "solution" (salvation). This is not unlike the protection racket; you either buy protection - OR ELSE.
--Don Morgan

Answer 1

Yes the quote is valid. I like Dan Barker's famous quote a bit better though..

"The very concept of sin comes from the bible. Christianity offers to solve a problem of its own making! Would you be thankful to a person who cut you with a knife in order to sell you a bandage?" - Dan Barker (Former preacher)

Answer 2

Its valid in the sense that that is what Christianity has BECOME (largely through Augustine and the Western Churches) but its not what it was INTENDED to be.

Early Christianity was about spiritual liberation, development and transformation - the divinisation of humanity (what the Byzantines called Theosis). It was also about throwing out legalistic morality and operating through Love on a personal and spiritual basis.

It was when it became organised and found itself with power over human beings that the Sin and Redemption matrix became paramount. Its a corruption of what Christianity was, not a fulfilment of it.

Answer 3

There has to be opposition in all things....to understand light there has to be dark.Christians did not create this Principal of opposition it just has always been that way....opposition is what divides... you just decide what side you want to be on.

I would have to say no...that is not a valid quote.

From the beginning God made a plan for our growth....We all lived with him learned all we could spiritually first but we lacked first hand experience with knowledge of good and evil(opposition)...the only way to gain such knowledge would be to descend from our Heavenly Fathers glory and give up our prior knowledge for the time we are in this mortal probation(earth life)...Heavenly Father told us the natural consequences to choosing opposite of truth and light would be death and hell (sin)... and in order to be redeemed of these consequences we would need a savior to return home ...this was the only way to gain such knowledge and still retain our freedom to choose our own course in the eternities....

Answer 4

Good and evil will always exist as long as there is a
'you' and an 'I'. If you have any sort of conception of your own being, or of the being of others, you will feel empathy for your fellow living creatures, whether or not you espouse a religion. It's one of the most basic human emotions to care for others, and they need not be present to us. So I care for the humans and the animals that will exist a hundred years after me, and don't want them to suffer pain. Christianity is a ridiculous side issue on morality.

Answer 5

I don't think that is fair. As an atheist, I believe religions actually do embody (or have coopted) many of the values that we as human beings share. We recognize many things as evil (like murder for gain) that are labeled by Christians as a sin. Shared values there. Gives me hope. On the other hand, the attrocities committed by god and in gods name in the OT would probably be characterized by many people of faith as evil, if they were presented outside of the context of the bible.

Answer 6

Let me get this straight, Christianity "created" the problem of sin? So, lying, stealing, raping and murdering were all considered perfectly OK before Christianity came along?

Christianity explains the problem and offers a solution, but we did not "create" the problem. It was there a long time before Jesus was born, and by golly it's still here today.

Taken as a whole, no your quote is not valid.

Answer 7

Christians believe that God did not create little puppets on a string. He gave us free will, to choose to love Him or not. We cannot force people to love us (damn, you should have seen the girl who sat behind me in Math class those years ago), and God chooses not to force us to love Him.

We are weak and foolish, and a loving God offers redemption.

Maybe you could answer a question for me, Don. Is it true that atheists do not enjoy having sex, because there is nobody to talk to while having an orgasm?

Answer 8

My remark is this: i'm familiar with the belief of the recent Covenant changing Mosaic regulation with the regulations that Jesus set down. in spite of the undeniable fact that i'm the two familiar with Christians crossing returned over to the previous testomony to justify their homophobia via pointing out Leviticus. you won't be able to have it the two methods - if the recent Covenant is now in result than you ought to sentence homosexuality with Jesus' own words on the undertaking. Oh, it is authentic - there are no. via the way, fundies are keen on claiming that the *finished* Bible is inerrant and could be taken by way of fact the literal certainty. whilst they declare that for the duration of spite of the undeniable fact that they have crossed over the line returned into the previous testomony and that they are caught protecting the declare that bats are birds, that animals can talk, and that the earth has corners. returned, you won't be able to have it the two methods.

Answer 9

That's about the picture--Christianity is the olny religion on the planet that says we are all born rotten & evil to the core--hence need saving--it's an insane stance.

Answer 10

Some Christians do try to buy Heaven Insurance. I don't think it works that way. God looks at hearts. In other words, putting God above everything in your life.