Social The fastest-growing religious affiliation in the United States is “no affiliation"

[MMAViewer]

so they don't teach murder is bad?

Yes. They teach us urban areas have more blacks and they tend to murder. Blacks murder. It's not the right thing to do.

 

[Ripskater]

So your church is the one who gets to decide which cities and churches are Christian? And you decided no black churches from Chicago? There's levels to this stuff? Sounds kinda political to me. Do you not see the absolute hypocrisy of christianity Rip?
I think you do!

Rip it up!

I'm sure there's good churches in Chicago. But Obama's Black liberation theology Church is not Christian.

The other guy was saying Chicago was 70% Christian. He doesn't know what Christian is. Chicago is just a corrupt city run by democrats. So corrupt that the city of chicago alone is a gigantic stain on the whole state of Illinois.

 

[MMAViewer]

I'm sure there's good churches in Chicago. But Obama's Black liberation theology Church is not Christian.

The other guy was saying Chicago was 70% Christian. He doesn't know what Christian is. Chicago is just a corrupt city run by democrats.

Corruption isnt racist, it likes all humans and it isnt partisan.
You conflate urban with blacks and corruption.
You know damn well there are as many corrupt white Republican cities.
Let's not forget that corruption is attracted to money and power. The rich and the church! And they are full of it! Far more than the poor and powerless because corruption has nothing to feed on at that level.

 

[Mr. Shickadance]

I'm sure there's good churches in Chicago. But Obama's Black liberation theology Church is not Christian.

The other guy was saying Chicago was 70% Christian. He doesn't know what Christian is. Chicago is just a corrupt city run by democrats. So corrupt that the city of chicago alone is a gigantic stain on the whole state of Illinois.

Can Democrats be Christian? Or is it only people who agree with your political ideology ?

 

[Ripskater]

Can Democrats be Christian? Or is it only people who agree with your political ideology ?

Democrats can be Christian. If you repent and believe that Jesus Christ died for your sins, then you are saved.

 

[Mr. Shickadance]

Democrats can be Christian.

Youre phrasing made it seem like you thought they couldn't, but to me it seems like your letting party affiliation effect your view on your fellow Christian's.

 

[Devout Pessimist]

The thing is people dont need to apply religion to their lives that's why they are leaving. They realize religion was developed as a way to control people first not as a way to enrich lives. Good parents can teach empathy and compassion and morals without a book with ridiculous science fiction.

I agree that people do not necessarily need religion. I do not agree that religion was initially developed to control people. I think it was developed as a way of understanding the complexities and mysteries of life and some people later found a way to use religion to control others. Religion in itself is not the problem. It is the immature, selfish and silly approach to religion that is the problem. It is a problem that is not limited to only religion. Politics, Science and Philosophy all have the same problem with selfish and ignorant people using certain ideas to take advantage of each other. You can get rid of religion, but it will not stop people from killing each other over ideas and ideologies.

 

[evansusmc2]

North Korean government doesn't have any religion in it.

Let’s not let North Korea or China put the face on atheism.

 

[evansusmc2]

The reason we need Christ is so that we might be saved from the wrath of God for our sins.

Without the Bible, man's morals have shown to become twisted. What's good is said to be bad and vice versa.

This is the kind of crap I was threatened with my whole childhood. “The rapture is coming!” This shit was supposed to happen in 1992. Every news channel was showing live footage of churches all around the world going into epic prayer mode. Then... NOTHING.

 

[7437]

On the surface, Sweden is one of the most secular nations in the world but beneath the surface, the religious void needs to be filled with other esoteric meanings.

37% believes in the super natural
22% believes in telepathy
16% believes in ghosts
13% believes in astrology

There are also other venues that channelizes these secular people's yearning for a higher purpose:

* The climate change. It's good to care about the climate but when some believe that facts are irrelevant if it serves a greater good, then it's "religiosity".
* Mass-immigration. It is one thing to believe in helping those that are in need, but it's totally different from preventing a plane from taking off with a convicted criminals that wanted to be deported.

Dont religious people by definition believe in magic?

I mean the supernatural. Adult magic.

 

[7437]

wait are religious people really calling non religious people sheep now, funny how they don't say that until it starts impacting their bottom line.

Come back to the flock or you are a sheep!!!!

 

[hillelslovak87]

But Obama's Black liberation theology Church is not Christian.

He doesn't know what Christian is.

And you do?

 

[Codpiece]

No rip my sins are not forgiven by any god, spirit, son or spaghetti monster, maybe and hopefully by Santa though. And I think you are as good as me, we dont have to be better than each other. I've also been a terrible person at times. I believe you will try to be the best person you can, and I will too. I forgive you Rip for whatever you believe are original sins. I hold nothing against you even though I dont believe in your religion or views of religion. We can be good without god and we dont need to live in fear of religion. We should be tolerant of everyone's beliefs not just the fairy tales you believe in. Let people practice any religion they choose. Others lack of sharing your beliefs or religious feelings is not what is making this country or world bad. I would argue it us what makes us great. Accepting all humans as equals and not excluding any based on theological differences. It is not religion that makes a human good or bad rip. If you believe your "god" does not like me, forgive me, or allow me something I will not hold that against you. Would you do the same for me?

Pretty sure @Ripskater will tell you that God doesn’t just like you, He loves you. And the qualifier for whether you’ll be forgive is that you ask to be.

I don’t disagree that people can be comparatively good without God. Since Christianity teaches that people are made in God’s image that should be expected. But Christianity also teaches that comparatively good isn’t good enough. We aren’t simply talking about a mere Platonic morality here. You, me, Rip...all of us readily admit at times we’ve been downright awful as people. The difference is that Rip and I believe that God is also wronged when we hurt other people or ourselves, and that mere ‘goodness’ or passage of time won’t eliminate that debt.

In short, we can choose to pay the penalty or we can ask Jesus to. A Christian asking for forgiveness in that way doesn’t make them ‘better’ or ‘more good’ than a non believer.

Sorry to butt in. You can let me know if it’s not welcome.

 

[MMAViewer]

Pretty sure @Ripskater will tell you that God doesn’t just like you, He loves you. And the qualifier for whether you’ll be forgive is that you ask to be.

I don’t disagree that people can be comparatively good without God. Since Christianity teaches that people are made in God’s image that should be expected. But Christianity also teaches that comparatively good isn’t good enough. We aren’t simply talking about a mere Platonic morality here. You, me, Rip...all of us readily admit at times we’ve been downright awful as people. The difference is that Rip and I believe that God is also wronged when we hurt other people or ourselves, and that mere ‘goodness’ or passage of time won’t eliminate that debt.

In short, we can choose to pay the penalty or we can ask Jesus to. A Christian asking for forgiveness in that way doesn’t make them ‘better’ or ‘more good’ than a non believer.

Sorry to butt in. You can let me know if it’s not welcome.

I dont mind your opinion or " butting" in at all. I do not believe in any god, so I dont believe I wronged a mythical figure when I was a "awful or terrible" person. When I hurt other people I seek their forgiveness and I tell them I'm sorry not anyone else unless I've hurt them too. You and rip are free to feel you are better than my "comparatively good" life. It is a Christian thing to do.
Maybe to understand my lack of god and belief in your fairy tales of heaven and hell you should open your mind. I was Christian for 19 years. until I realized the hypocrisy and bullshit well outweigh the reason. There is an easy read that explains that good without god is not comparative.
It is called "good without god" . You should check it out. I've checked out the bible too btw.

 

[MMAViewer]

And you do?

Religious people by nature and with great ignorance believe only their religion is the "right" one. That all others even other Christian religions arent adequate to theirs.
They are more violent the closer their beliefs get in fact. Example, Christians vs Jewish. Sunni vs shia. Romans vs Protestant.
Religion has been the most used excuse in history to kill other people simply due to a perception or belief.

 

[Ripskater]

And you do?

Yes. I know the Gospel of Jesus Christ. We are sinners in need of forgiveness and salvation. That can only be gotten from Christ's death on the cross. Repent and believe in him and you will be saved by Grace (it's a gift from God), through Faith in Christ alone. Not by works, so no man can boast.

 

[Which Doctor]

Religious people by nature and with great ignorance believe only their religion is the "right" one. That all others even other Christian religions arent adequate to theirs.
They are more violent the closer their beliefs get in fact. Example, Christians vs Jewish. Sunni vs shia. Romans vs Protestant.
Religion has been the most used excuse in history to kill other people simply due to a perception or belief.

Wrong. Money and resources. Under the guise of Religion? Sometimes, but when there is no religion and you see people acting the same way, then what? This shit has been going on since 10 cave folk were in one fruit orchard and the mob of 40 had already deforested their own orchard and became a bunch of hungry, angry losers.

 

[Alcibiades007]

It's about time cause the religious ratio in the US was always shockingly high. Looked like a 3rd world country statistic. The difference was while poor countries simply embraced religion via sklavenmoral, the American propaganda(they always aced this shit) taught peeps that God wants America to be great.

 

[Codpiece]

I dont mind your opinion or " butting" in at all. I do not believe in any god, so I dont believe I wronged a mythical figure when I was a "awful or terrible" person. When I hurt other people I seek their forgiveness and I tell them I'm sorry not anyone else unless I've hurt them too. You and rip are free to feel you are better than my "comparatively good" life. It is a Christian thing to do.
Maybe to understand my lack of god and belief in your fairy tales of heaven and hell you should open your mind. I was Christian for 19 years. until I realized the hypocrisy and bullshit well outweigh the reason. There is an easy read that explains that good without god is not comparative.
It is called "good without god" . You should check it out. I've checked out the bible too btw.

I read and listen to quite a bit of atheist and secular humanist literature. I'll give "Good Without God" a go in future and let you know my thoughts.

I don't feel my life is better than your "comparatively good" one. That's not what I was trying to say at all. Christians can definitely be massive hypocrites, including me. But you judge Christians by Jesus, not Jesus by Christians.

 

[MMAViewer]

I read and listen to quite a bit of atheist and secular humanist literature. I'll give "Good Without God" a go in future and let you know my thoughts.

I don't feel my life is better than your "comparatively good" one. That's not what I was trying to say at all. Christians can definitely be massive hypocrites, including me. But you judge Christians by Jesus, not Jesus by Christians.

I try not to judge but as humans we tend to anyway. When I do, I don't judge christians by jesus. I try judge people on individual merit without bias but am not always successful. I will be honest and say I judge christians on their (imo) lack of reasoning and hypocrisy in believing jesus rose from the dead for christians and was from a virgin blah blah blah fucking bullshit.
I suppose when you were fed religion from infancy, fed the fear of hell and sins, or told of the wonders of a city in the clouds where you hang out with your dead relatives, it must become difficult to think clearly.