Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunter's Campfire What's wrong with church

Didn't read the whole thread and will not. I can tell you the quote is not true with respect to Baptists. It would be impossible to get a group of Baptist churches to agree on a mission statement for ANY corporate umbrella. There simply is no Baptist "tax exempt corporation" and no "franchises". The Baptist churches I am personally experienced with are independent PERIOD. There are local and regional Baptist associations (i.e. Southern Baptist Convention) that cooperate on various projects and initiatives but no hard and fast international Baptist constitution that is followed.

I can also tell you Baptists are not perfect; just take a look at me. However, acts that are tolerated, even accepted as 'normal' in certain other 'religions', are reason to be kicked out the back door of the churches I have been a part of with no waiting period, no counselling. That's one thing that made me just shake my head when the pope made his remark about 2% of Catholic clerics being pedophiles. He didn't say how many are KNOWN practicing homosexuals. How many of these pedophiles has he personally and publicly excommunicated?? How many of the known practicing homosexuals has he removed from authority??

But I digress, and not being Catholic, Methodist or Lutheran will stick to my personal experiences with the Baptist church.

I understand that rainbows are the result of light refracted through raindrops. There is not need for a god to explain this phenomenon.

The big problem is, when the leader of these cults dies or gets whacked, the following dies then or soon thereafter.
The gospel truly has a life of it's own, or should I say the life of God in it. Otherwise, it would have died out like the cults you mention.

I've never viewed it as an explanation; there are many Christians who recognize the Bible is not a science textbook.

On the other hand if the Creator wants to assign a particular meaning to a phenomenon which occurs as a result of nature's abiding by His laws, He can do that.

Again, just a matter of perspective.

The reason Christianity and Islam continued so long is each was useful to a evolving State.

No.

That's God reminding us that big [bleep] floods are a thing of the past.




Travis

History does not bear this out.

Let me know when those hit 2000 years. I should add that longevity is just a single piece of the evidence

not supernatural powers that lead to their long term success.

No threat in asking for the Lord to reveal Himself. See what He says about that.

Catholicism ended in England when it was no longer of use to the reigning monarch, Henry VIII.

Catholicism is a religion, not the church. The church is the believers and followers of Jesus Christ, in their hearts, not a religion or a nationality.

More properly translated murder. There is a time to kill as it plainly states. I think it was proper and good for the Waldensians to take up the sword to defend themselves from slaughter. Many other examples could be put forth including the good Covenenters of Scotland.

The greatest murderer of all time would be that good socialist Stalin, atheist that he was.

Atheist, anti-Christian societies have sprouted up from time to time; the Communist block societies and France at the time of the French revolution. I cannot imagine why the Christian haters are not beating down the doors to live in such places.

Your statement presupposes the existence of a creator. As a result it's of no evidentiary value.

Just as lightning is not evidence for the existence of Zeus, rainbows are not evidence for the existence of the Christian God.

You do understand (I recognize you don't agree) the difference between what you said implying Christians "need a god to explain a rainbow" and what I said do you not?

So you believe in the literal interpretation of the story of Noah?

Sadly this is partially true.

I tend to believe that Christianity lost an awful lot when it gained worldly prominence, as is well illustrated by the historically correct accusations hurled in this thread against the church. Power does indeed corrupt, and absolute power corrupts absolutely. No where have we seen this truth illustrated more powerfully than in the church for many reasons but chiefly that our Savior repudiated and refused such power even as He hung on a cross.

Of course your theory on Christianity's survival falls apart in areas of the world where the state has suppressed its message and oppressed its adherents. The Church thrives where the blood of saints is spilled.

Yes. That's why I'm going to heaven.

You don't, so you're going to hell.

Travis

I was simply pointing out that all Christians aren't the pre-enlightenment knuckle-dragging superstitious dullards many who don't believe in God make them out to be.

Ok let me rephrase the question.

You do recognize the difference between an explanation & an assigned meaning do you not?

EFW, if you look at Travis's quote, you will observe how some believers do a good job of portraying themselves as "pre-enlightenment knuckle-dragging superstitious dullards" all by themselves....