This is exactly how the mob works. They beat you up (tell you have sin for super natural things like sex and being born), and then you have to make up for those natural things the rest of your life (guilt and give money to the church). Yes, they provide the carrots, but only after they’ve repeatedly hit you with a stick. They’ll then “save” you from the stick.
tell you have sin for super natural things like sex and being born
Idk, it doesn’t bother me to be told I’m a sinner cuz the same doctrine preaches that everyone’s a sinner. You, me, the goddamn pope. Ned Flanders himself is also a sinner. The guy yelling at people through a megaphone with the turn or burn speech? You bet your ass he’s a sinner.
It’s kinda setting a baseline - humanity itself is flawed. It def has its peaks and highpoints, but I cannot deny that it is flawed, esp amidst today’s political and environmental concerns - can you?
I’m not bothered by acknowledging we’re imperfect shitters, since that sticker is applied to humanity as a whole. Even the most pious, trying their hardest to adhere to religion person, is still preached to be a sinner. Christianity then preaches that nothing you can do can change that except to accept to accept Jesus or something.
Idk - I’m probs not not the best discussion partner for this as I’m not particularly keen on spirituality and I’m likely missing nuance.
guilt and give money to the church
There might be those, but what drew me to the churches I attended was that they also regularly served the community. Hell, I was a homeless ministry outreach leader myself for years when I was in college. Every week we’d split up into pairs walking around downtown area at night handing out food, water, and building up relationships with folks.
This is exactly how the mob works. They beat you up (tell you have sin for super natural things like sex and being born), and then you have to make up for those natural things the rest of your life (guilt and give money to the church). Yes, they provide the carrots, but only after they’ve repeatedly hit you with a stick. They’ll then “save” you from the stick.
Idk, it doesn’t bother me to be told I’m a sinner cuz the same doctrine preaches that everyone’s a sinner. You, me, the goddamn pope. Ned Flanders himself is also a sinner. The guy yelling at people through a megaphone with the turn or burn speech? You bet your ass he’s a sinner.
It’s kinda setting a baseline - humanity itself is flawed. It def has its peaks and highpoints, but I cannot deny that it is flawed, esp amidst today’s political and environmental concerns - can you?
I’m not bothered by acknowledging we’re imperfect shitters, since that sticker is applied to humanity as a whole. Even the most pious, trying their hardest to adhere to religion person, is still preached to be a sinner. Christianity then preaches that nothing you can do can change that except to accept to accept Jesus or something.
Idk - I’m probs not not the best discussion partner for this as I’m not particularly keen on spirituality and I’m likely missing nuance.
There might be those, but what drew me to the churches I attended was that they also regularly served the community. Hell, I was a homeless ministry outreach leader myself for years when I was in college. Every week we’d split up into pairs walking around downtown area at night handing out food, water, and building up relationships with folks.
There are some good churches out there, it sounds like you were lucky enough to find one.
100%. I fully recognize that this is solely what I’ve experienced and not what’s taught across the board (especially maybe in Republican states).