This is exactly right! We are all hypocrites saying what our peers
expect of us so that we may belong to the tribe. Sad to say but true! @:(>
Sam Franc wrote:
Gary VanderMolen wrote:
If you ask ten people who don't go to church if they consider
themselves religious and/or believe in god, I'll bet most would say
yes. But if that is actually true, why are they so anti-religious in
their daily actions? I'm guessing most people either feel they MUST
say they are religious, or use religion as a salve to cover their own
guilty consciences.
There's a lot of truth in what you say. There are many different degrees
of religious belief, and for some people it is only a thin veneer.
In the end, each one of us will have to stand in front of the Judgment
seat and our actual adherence to Jesus' teachings will be revealed.
Here's a quote from Jesus, talking about eternal life:
"For the gate is narrow and the way is hard, that leads to life, and
those who find it are few." (Matthew 7:14, RSV)
and elsewhere: "Unless you change and become like little children
you will never enter the kingdom of heaven." (Matthew 18:3)
I think what he is saying is that the way of salvation was
purposefully made difficult to accept, requiring child-like faith,
and a non-reliance upon acquired wealth, intellect, or degree
of scientific knowledge.
Gary VanderMolen
I have been following this thread with no comment to date.
Here is my 2 cents:
I believe there are very few "Christians".
Ones that really live the life Jesus taught.
There are numerous ones that speak it.
The same can be said for Muslims, Jews, Budhists and the rest of them.
Whether they believe in Evolution or Intelligent design is another
matter. I think most of them parrot what they think their peers expect
of them. Not too many of them are capable of independant thinking and
scientific analysis.
A great example is President Bush. We would not be in the terrible
situation we find ourselves in if he was a real "CHRISTIAN" that he
claims he is. A person who lived Jesus teachings could not slaughter
innocent people. And he would not have a foe.
The human race has not evolved enough or Intelligent Design was a failure.
Sam
