the (mainly) non-Christians thread.

[Tribble]

And that idea has been helped along by Jim Jones, Heaven's Gate, Order of the Solar Temple, the Branch Davidian Seventh-Day Adventists, ... the list is long.

Apart from those that harm others - we are too quick to label belief systems that we don't understand, or agree with, as cults.

[-Prometheus-]

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[Tribble]

Oh believe me they do. When I was a Christian I did to. We all did.

[-Prometheus-]

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[hamin_aus]

Seventh-Day Adventists...

Hang on, I'm good friends with some SDA's and I would hardly class them as a cult... They impose an irritating moratorium on partying on a Saturday, but other than that they are no more batshiat insane than any other Christian denomination - which isn't saying much

I have also never myself seen any christian classify something as a cult because they believe it is "bad"

I have witnessed firsthand Christians denouncing all sorts of beliefs as cults. I have heard a Christian minister tell his (predominantly indian) congregation that anyone who attends Hindi prayers and festivals risks demon possession.
And another one who maintained that young boys who refused to cut their hair were bewitched.

Don't make blanket statements about other peoples blanket statements - Christianity is rife with petty hate and contempt for other beliefs and practices, and can often be cult-like in it's efforts to segregate Christians from people with other (or no) religious beliefs.

I'm looking at you, "saved" churches... saved from what?

[-Prometheus-]

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[hamin_aus]

Okay so your argument is semantics? Very well.

I have heard leaders of Christian churches denounce other religious systems, beliefs and even personal grooming styles which run contrary to their interpretation of what is right as demonic or witchcraft.

Is that better? Are you happier now? Does that paint Christians in a better light

[Tribble]

Seventh-Day Adventists...

Hang on, I'm good friends with some SDA's and I would hardly class them as a cult... They impose an irritating moratorium on partying on a Saturday, but other than that they are no more batshiat insane than any other Christian denomination - which isn't saying much

the Branch Davidian Seventh-Day Adventists,

is what I actually said

[hamin_aus]

David Koresh and his merry band of whackjobs were SDA's
That info will come in handy next Saturday when I give my friends a call

[Tribble]

The Branch Davidians (also known as "The Branch") are a Protestant sect that originated in 1955 from a schism in the Davidian Seventh Day Adventists ("Davidians"), a so-called reform movement that began within the Seventh-day Adventist Church ("Adventists") around 1930. The majority of those who accepted the reform message have been disfellowshipped (excommunicated) due to the Adventist church rejecting it.

From its inception in 1930, the reform movement inherited Adventism's apocalypticism, in that they believed themselves to be living in a time when Bible prophecies of a final divine judgment were coming to pass as a prelude to Christ's second coming. The name "Branch Davidian" is most widely known for the Waco Siege of 1993 on their property (known as the Mount Carmel Center) near Waco, Texas, by the ATF, FBI, and Texas National Guard, which resulted in the deaths of their leader, David Koresh as well as 82 other Branch Davidians and 4 ATF agents.

Have fun

[Prime]

I have heard a Christian minister tell his (predominantly indian) congregation that anyone who attends Hindi prayers and festivals risks demon possession.

Predominantly indian as you say...

And another one who maintained that young boys who refused to cut their hair were bewitched.

Aha...

I have witnessed firsthand Christians denouncing all sorts of beliefs as cults.

Uh-huh, you have. WAIT a minute... I don't see any examples where you have... mate!

I've seen the Anglican church tell people not to associate with other religions. Hell, this is the message we were fed by numerous leaders and "respected" authors when I was still a young Christian more than 5 years ago. One author went so far as to tell his readers that you shouldn't kiss until you get married.

Cornerstone is well known for it's fire and brimstone tactics, so is REMA.

Prometheus, I've got a book published by Youth with a Mission that tells young people who they shouldn't associate with. It also brands several religious groups including the mor(m)ons and several African ones as cults. When YWAM is selling this message to several thousand people, we have a bit of a problem.

[-Prometheus-]

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[hamin_aus]

Your argument is invalid.

Just because you don't think they are Christians does not mean you get to discount their actions.
If they identify themselves as Christians, they are Christians.
what does going to church regularly have to do with being a Christian?
Last time I checked believing that Jesus is the son of God and your only hope of salvation was all you needed in order to be a Christian.
When did your church attendance roster get added to the list of prerequisites?

Yes, not all Christians are like this, most of them are decent human beings with no ill-will towards anyone, but the few that are are more in number than you want to admit.

[-Prometheus-]

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[hamin_aus]

Your argument is invalid.

You're entirely missing the argument.

Break it down for me.

Yes, not all Christians are like this, most of them are decent human beings with no ill-will towards anyone,

Thanks for actually proving my argument...

No, I was clarifying my stance since you made it like Prime implied all Christians were prejudiced against other beliefs, which is silly.

but the few that are are more in number than you want to admit.

How many more? Are you perhaps forgetting that it's the largest religion in the world with more than 2 billion members? If I follow your logic I can pick up a rotten apple and conclude from that that apples don't taste good.

2 Billion? So if only 10% of them are rotten apples that's what, 200 million bad apples? Yeah, what harm can they do

Also, not the largest religion for long...

Islam is growing at a staggering rate, and more and more Christians, being from the developed world and with access to unbiased education, are realising that religion is not really all it's cracked up to be and are leaving.

In 2006 a census was taken here in Australia and 18.7% of people polled said they did not have a religion. And Australia is one of the more conservative of the first world countries.
UK - 20%
France - 33%
Spain - 18%
Germany - 25%

So we have a decline in Christianity in the West and a rapid growth of Islam in the West, Middle and far east, plus Northern Africa, if anyone cares about that.

At least heaven wont get overcrowded - the less Christians there are, the less people going to heaven.

[lancelot]

[hamin_aus]

[Sojourn]

Jam, that "pie" is totally misrepresented... unless you count muslims/hindu's as christian too.

[hamin_aus]

Your pie

[senile]

It's ironic how atheists have nothing better to do than make fun about Christians

[hamin_aus]

It's amusing how some people don't understand what irony is...

[senile]

It's amusing how some people don't understand what irony is...

Irony is when atheists spend more time thinking about Christianity than Christians do

[hamin_aus]

I guess that could be considered ironic... please consider my previous sarcastic comments withdrawn if you can show me an atheist who sits and think about Christianity for any significant period of time.

The only reason Christianity gets discussed at length here is because most of the forum is Christian. If most of you were Hinu We'd be arguing the merits that religion, ditto Judaism, Islam, Taoism, Confucianism etc etc...
You can substitute Christianity for whatever flavour of kool-aid you prefer and I'd happily engage you in debate.

When I ponder the existence of God, it is a general all-purpose God, not specifically the Christian one.

Also, I don't consider myself atheist, more agnostic... but meh.

[jee]

hamin huns a bit of ponder fodder

[hamin_aus]

Disparate theories from the world's major religious systems, when reconciled, provide an overall concept that has credibility.

Didn't get further than that, sorry
Also, who designed that page - an autistic child on tik