Has anyone ever thought about how selfish Christianity is?

[Deputy Purple 1,294]

I didn't know that Hitler killed millions in the name of Atheism

"The folkish-minded man, in particular, has the sacred duty, each in his own denomination, of making people stop just talking superficially of God's will, and actually fulfill God's will, and not let God's word be desecrated. For God's will gave men their form, their essence and their abilities. Anyone who destroys His work is declaring war on the Lord's creation, the divine will." - Adolf Hitler (Mein Kampf)

Hardly the words of an Atheist. In fact Hitler often attributed his survival of some 42 assassination attempts/plots as proof that Devinne Providence and/or God was looking after him and in support of his horrific policies. He also carried the Catholic belief that the Jews are responsible for the death of Christ.

He was no more an Atheist than he was a "Social Darwinist"...

[DEDixon 39]

If we think things are bad now, imagine how brutal the world would be if a majority of its inhabitants did not have the fear of hell guiding their decisions.

some people got to love HOLY WAR .... throws this one out the window.... killing people for God basically, can't beat that one.... the more they kill the higher in heaven they go... rock on baby!

[DEDixon 39]

selfish parents tick me off. all those parents out there bring kids into the world just so they don't get bored with themselves, parents need a few projects to keep them busy... got to be the most selfish act because after all the world is a sh$t hole so after a little thought, who in their right mind would want to subject another person to this mess?

are you a parent yet tiffmal?

[tiffmal 6]

selfish parents tick me off. all those parents out there bring kids into the world just so they don't get bored with themselves, parents need a few projects to keep them busy... got to be the most selfish act because after all the world is a sh$t hole so after a little thought, who in their right mind would want to subject another person to this mess?

are you a parent yet tiffmal?

Hell no. I wont bring a kid into the picture until I am extra bored

[Danno 1,228]

"The folkish-minded man, in particular, has the sacred duty, each in his own denomination, of making people stop just talking superficially of God's will, and actually fulfill God's will, and not let God's word be desecrated. For God's will gave men their form, their essence and their abilities. Anyone who destroys His work is declaring war on the Lord's creation, the divine will." - Adolf Hitler (Mein Kampf)

Hardly the words of an Atheist. In fact Hitler often attributed his survival of some 42 assassination attempts/plots as proof that Devinne Providence and/or God was looking after him and in support of his horrific policies. He also carried the Catholic belief that the Jews are responsible for the death of Christ.

He was no more an Atheist than he was a "Social Darwinist"...

There are large amounts of evidence which shows Hitler was no real Christian even if he did use terms and language which might indicate a general Christian faith to add persuasion to his ideas as a leader.

It's no secret he was enamored with the Occult and IIRC even had crosses lowed so as not to be higher than the Nazi emblems. He was also quite impressed with Darwinism

but I don't think it is fair to lay his actions at anyones feet but his own...... as he certainly was not a disciple of anyone but his own poisoned mind.

---------------------------------

Private statements

Hitler's private statements about Christianity were often conflicting. Hitler's intimates, such as Joseph Goebbels, Albert Speer, and Martin Bormann suggest that Hitler generally had negative opinions of religion, although the historical validity of some remarks has been questioned, particularly the English translation of Hitler's Table ...........

Goebbels notes in a diary entry in 1939 a conversation in which Hitler had "expressed his revulsion against Christianity. He wished that the time were ripe for him to be able to openly express that. Christianity had corrupted and infected the entire world of antiquity."[24] Albert Speer reports in his memoirs of a similar statement made by Hitler: "You see, it's been our misfortune to have the wrong religion. Why didn't we have the religion of the Japanese, who regard sacrifice for the Fatherland as the highest good? The Mohammedan religion too would have been much more compatible to us than Christianity. Why did it have to be Christianity with its meekness and flabbiness?"[25]

In 1941, Hitler praised an anti-Christian tract from AD 362, neo-platonist and pagan Roman emperor Julian the Apostate's Against the Galileans, saying "I really hadn't known how clearly a man like Julian had judged Christians and Christianity, one must read this...."[26]

In 1941, according to the diary of Nazi General Gerhart Engel, Hitler stated "I am now as before a Catholic and will always remain so."[27]

Author Konrad Heiden has quoted Hitler as stating, "We do not want any other god than Germany itself. It is essential to have fanatical faith and hope and love in and for Germany."[28]

[edit]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adolf_Hitler%27s_religious_views

[HeatDeath 430]

Christians are all about doing good deeds and helping people out. Why? So they can go to Heaven. They help others so that they themselves can get past the pearly gates.

What do you think?

You picked the wrong strawman, methinks. Orthodox Protestant Christianity is perhaps the only major religion on the planet that doesn't follow the "do good things -> get rewarded by <deity>" template.

Christianity's paradigm is that all of us are damaged and evil to one extent or another, completely and utterly undeserving of anything from God but eternal destruction. If that were the whole story it would be incredibly depressing. God has every moral right to hate everything we are and everything we stand for.

But the Gospel, the good news, is that God loves us. He loves us more than the most loyal human husband loves his wife. He loves us so much, despite our brokenness and our evil hurtful intents to each other, despite our open hatred of Him, that He agreed, as Jesus, to take the punishment and destruction we deserve, bear it for us, and let us live forever in a renewed and repaired universe.

God loves us, regardless of who we are, what we do, or even how hard we try. It's good news. Unbelievably good news for all of us.

[Dan J 277]

There are large amounts of evidence which shows Hitler was no real Christian even if he did use terms and language which might indicate a general Christian faith to add persuasion to his ideas as a leader.

It's no secret he was enamored with the Occult and IIRC even had crosses lowed so as not to be higher than the Nazi emblems. He was also quite impressed with Darwinism

but I don't think it is fair to lay his actions at anyones feet but his own...... as he certainly was not a disciple of anyone but his own poisoned mind.

---------------------------------

Private statements

Hitler's private statements about Christianity were often conflicting. Hitler's intimates, such as Joseph Goebbels, Albert Speer, and Martin Bormann suggest that Hitler generally had negative opinions of religion, although the historical validity of some remarks has been questioned, particularly the English translation of Hitler's Table ...........

Goebbels notes in a diary entry in 1939 a conversation in which Hitler had "expressed his revulsion against Christianity. He wished that the time were ripe for him to be able to openly express that. Christianity had corrupted and infected the entire world of antiquity."[24] Albert Speer reports in his memoirs of a similar statement made by Hitler: "You see, it's been our misfortune to have the wrong religion. Why didn't we have the religion of the Japanese, who regard sacrifice for the Fatherland as the highest good? The Mohammedan religion too would have been much more compatible to us than Christianity. Why did it have to be Christianity with its meekness and flabbiness?"[25]

In 1941, Hitler praised an anti-Christian tract from AD 362, neo-platonist and pagan Roman emperor Julian the Apostate's Against the Galileans, saying "I really hadn't known how clearly a man like Julian had judged Christians and Christianity, one must read this...."[26]

In 1941, according to the diary of Nazi General Gerhart Engel, Hitler stated "I am now as before a Catholic and will always remain so."[27]

Author Konrad Heiden has quoted Hitler as stating, "We do not want any other god than Germany itself. It is essential to have fanatical faith and hope and love in and for Germany."[28]

[edit]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adolf_Hitler%27s_religious_views

What makes someone a "Real Christian"?

[slim 1,525]

Christians are all about doing good deeds and helping people out. Why? So they can go to Heaven. They help others so that they themselves can get past the pearly gates.

What do you think?

I think people take religion way too seriously because there is no way for any one of us to prove we're right.

Should we be "good" people and try to live our lives the way one of those books says we should? Sure. Why not? They all say basically the same thing so there has to be some truth to them. But, when it gets to the point of forgetting what your book says or using it to justify taking out someone else's message, I think you've gone too far because when it comes down to it...

How do you know you're right?

I had a woman I worked with tell me one day she knew she was right because she prayed about it and God told her. I asked her, "well why didn't God tell that guy over there?" She, of course, had an answer for that too. Either he wasn't ready for God's word yet or it was the devil. Funny how when wonderful things happen it's all, "Praise Jesus!" But when something horrible happens it's, "that devil done did it again." Also funny how no matter what happens, it can either be justified or contradicted by some little story somewhere in that 2,000 page 2,000 year old book. I'm pretty sure I could do that with a Harry Potter novel too.

Folks, be good people. Don't do it because the man in the sky is going to give you a mansion when you die. Do it because if you do, you very well could live in a mansion down here too- even if that's only an old apartment. It can be a mansion if you let it be. And that's the whole point.

[BishopM 114]

I haz love for God...so, quit being selfish and just let me be selfish!

[slim 1,525]

It's interesting that God has enough love for every single one of us yet he expects us to love him only.

[BishopM 114]

It's interesting that God has enough love for every single one of us yet he expects us to love him only.

Him...and everyone else, including yourself (which again, is selfish)!

[slim 1,525]

love... but stop short of idolatry.

[Danno 1,228]

What makes someone a "Real Christian"?

I guess someone who has a genuine faith in Christ.

A lot of us are kinda born into a faith, we never really embrace it as our own but traditions and culture lead us to feel a link to it.

In these cases, is it fair for the whole of that faith should answer for the actions of someone who is mealy associated to it by habit or perfunctory custom?

It's the same way with these Muslim extremists, if they just happened to be Muslim it would be unfair to highlight their faith.

[웃 910]

It's (religion) the biggest brainwashing scheme ever known to mankind:

[Dan J 277]

I guess someone who has a genuine faith in Christ.

A lot of us are kinda born into a faith, we never really embrace it as our own but traditions and culture lead us to feel a link to it.

In these cases, is it fair for the whole of that faith should answer for the actions of someone who is mealy associated to it by habit or perfunctory custom?

It's the same way with these Muslim extremists, if they just happened to be Muslim it would be unfair to highlight their faith.

What makes someone a "Real Christian" is someone colored by the perspective of the person answering the question. There are Evangelicals that find Mormons to not not be "Real" Christians, but many of Mormons probably do have genuine faith in Christ. Members of the Westboro Baptist Church probably feel that they have a genuine faith in Christ, but many mainstream Christian denominations are pretty quick to distance themselves from that group.