that Christianity was forced upon people using the threat of death and force. It began with Constantine who accepted both Paganism and Christianity but then began outlawing Paganism backed by the threat of the Roman army. Christianity spread through Europe and Paganism was outlawed and driven underground. The threat of force and inquisition was used to prevent dissent. Then South America received a visit from the Spanish and Portuguese who forced Christianity upon the masses under threat of the Musket, sword and cannon before the British travelled to Africa to impose Christianity upon the masses there using their soldiers.
That is the legacy of Christianity. Everything that came after is a learned and socialised behaviour that is programmed by society from birth.
If God was experienced in the heart then there would have been no need for death and destruction carried out by "Christian soldiers".
2007-09-26 01:02:29 · 19 answers · asked by Anonymous in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
Old Know all, the orthodox chuurch is number one in Russia not Christianity.
2007-09-26 01:13:25 · update #1
Old know all, if you read my post correctly by the time the soldier went away Christianit had become a learned and socialised behaviour. Several hundred years of fear does that!!!!
2007-09-26 01:14:49 · update #2
Spacepirate, you will never know whether you choose christianity willingly or not due to the hundreds of years of social programming that has gone into the religion. Society is programmed to believe that a God exists and it is only a matter of which God you choose. You could easily ave been a Muslim if you lived else where or if your family were Muslim.
2007-09-26 01:32:22 · update #3
MLF, I bet you haven't given up all of your possessions to follow Jesus. I bet you didn't even give away half like Zaccheus did! Jesus ordered his disciples to give up everything. What have you given up for Jesus. If God deals with you up close and personal then you had better start shedding that material wealth quickly.
2007-09-26 01:34:16 · update #4
Moonwolf - you rock my world. You are prepared to experience all. You don't look inward, or judge others from what I can understand. You look for balance. At least you are honest in your beliefs and not contradictory!
2007-09-26 01:37:41 · update #5
Firstly it is not God that makes humans cruel or tyrannical but the human animal.
Humans have always strived to be dominant, it’s our fight or flight gene.
So as you say “Christians,” but all and many factions of religion have always been at war with one another. Or strived to be the more dominant. One religion conquers another and transfuses the old religion into the new to quite the masses. To use religion as a political tool.
(If God was experienced in the heart then there would have been no need for death and destruction carried out by "Christian soldiers".) Here I don’t think you can blame God, but more the Governments, politicians, kings and the human animal.
As for God being an experience in the heart!!!
As I am Pagan, I find the “DIVINE’, not only in the heart only, but in the mind, the spirit, the soul, In nature. My Gods are with me and part of my life and the world around.
As in Awen…..
is the energy of divine inspiration, the flow of spirit, the essence of life in motion. It is the exquisite power of sacred relationship, the power that floods through the body and soul when spirit touches spirit, life is acknowledged, a moment's experience shared, divine energy exchanged. Awen is the focus of the deep inner quest; it is what we all seek as we stumble through life, that which brings us wisdom, clarity, freedom, ecstasy, the joy of being alive, simply being, peaceful, presence. It is fire in the head, poetic frenzy, lust for breath, complete purpose in perfect serenity.
Awen/|\Omness
MoonWolf
2007-09-26 01:33:19 · answer #1 · answered by *.â?¥Moon)0(Wulfâ?¥.* 1 · 2⤊ 0⤋
I wasn't forced to become a Christian as a teenager. I chose it willingly, and no one had a red-hot poker held to me to induce me to make that choice. I also left Christianity with equal deliberation and free will as a twenty-something. Every religion has a "legacy," but isn't this like blaming all white people for slavery? You're right to point out the bloody history of Christianity, but this does not make it a good argument to refute the idea that God is experienced in the heart, only that Christians have a bloody track record for trying to force others to share their views. The two do not equate. There IS no need for death and destruction, but Christians are human and they have been human throughout history. Many do not understand the principle of "live and let live." This does not prove or disprove God or the idea that Christians and God use or approve of the same methods to convert non-Christians.
Edit: Point taken about pre-programming my choices; however, if you apply that reasoning, you must apply it across the board. We are all products of our pasts, but we do have the ability to discern. A born Muslim might eventually switch to Christianity, while a born Christian might choose Buddhism. This does not mean they were programmed to do it; the programming is overcome in these cases. My parents were not churchgoing and did not play ANY part in my choice to be Christian as a teenager. I attended alone, without them, once I could drive. We are not limited to the dictates of the past if we have a mind and the willingness to use it.
2007-09-26 01:14:15 · answer #2 · answered by Black Dog 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Don't be so caught up on the Christian soldier thing. No rational person would say that all wars fought by atheists mean that all atheists are delusional. Jesus never asked anyone to fight wars, it's just foolish men who like to defend their beliefs a little vehemently.
For a view of the truth read Lee Strobel books. Very interesting how so many intelligent, hard headed atheists convert to Christianity when they actually start to look at the evidence for themselves instead of pretending that the views of biased others count for anything much.
2007-09-26 01:50:54 · answer #3 · answered by good tree 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
People have always had a need for religion and a god, even before Christianity became, well "popularised" in the way you explained.
The desire to get in touch with the divine has existed long before Christianity, so it could be reasonably argued that god is experienced in the heart. It's just that this is not necessarily the god that Christians believe in.
primoa1970: pensterx is not "judging" you or anyone. (s)he is merely questioning the peacefulness of the origins of Christianity.
old know all: I love your point btw.
2007-09-26 01:14:01 · answer #4 · answered by Marvin the pedantic martian 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
"That is the legacy of Christianity" - incorrect. That's the legacy of people acting in the name of Christianity, which actions contradict the teachings of Christianity.
People following rituals and rules without actually giving their hearts to God and accepting him does not make them Christians. A person can spend every day in church and not be a Christian. Following rituals and rules is not the same as following God when those rituals and rules are man-made.
You are completely correct in your last sentence. There was absolutely no need for people to force Christianity on anyone and such actions were not sanctioned by God.
2007-09-26 01:16:55 · answer #5 · answered by Machaira 5 · 2⤊ 0⤋
You are one confused dude. Constantine forced organized religion on the citizens of the Roman empire as did others. God has never forced Himself on anyone.
What organized religion has done in the name of "Christrinity" is not the true history of the Bible. God deals with people one at a time...up close and personal...organized religion deals with the masses and is in for money and power.
2007-09-26 01:13:29 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
God is your unconcious mind and nothing really to do with religion, more about personal faith. The unconscious always speaks the truth and that is essentially what religions say is God's will. Our mind naturally extends itself beyond our physical body but for so many people it is in conflict with the conscious mind and we don't believe it
2007-09-26 02:03:46 · answer #7 · answered by ? 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Are you saying there is no God/Creator. What you recite of history is true, but as far as I am aware no-one in modern times has claimed that this was approved by their Deity!
If there is a living/loving God/Creator then surely the way to experience him/her/it is in the heart/mind
2007-09-26 01:16:33 · answer #8 · answered by scrambulls 5 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Strange that. When the soldiers went away, Christianity stayed. On the other hand, Stalin and his chums used guns, bombs and starvation to impose atheism on his empire. Once the threat had gone away, Christianity flourished.
2007-09-26 01:07:55 · answer #9 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 1⤋
God exists only in the minds of men
2007-09-26 01:07:13 · answer #10 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 0⤋