What does Christianity look like?
I know every denomination of Christianly interprets the bible differently and pastors/ministers often have their own take as well. Are churches like Westboro Baptist what people that actually follow the bible look like? What I mean by “actually follow the bible” is that often people will say something was not literal or they take it out of context to make it fit their beliefs. Are groups like Westboro following more of the literal meaning in the bible or are they making it fit what they believe? I know they seem like a bunch of malevolent hate mongers, but if they were made in the image of god…
As an atheist, anytime I read any religious writings I take it for what it says. I don’t look for hidden meanings or analogies to fit a belief system. I know what something says but then I hear a lot of "what this means is" and often what it "means" isn't what it says. Is Westboro what Christianity should look like to an atheist or what should it look like?
I am genuinely attempting to understand this. A lot of you are much more familiar with the bible than I am, which is why I am asking. This could very well be the dumbest question EVER for all I know :)
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Graham on -
Not a dumb question at all. You're right to be confused. God loves you, right? But isn't the Bible full of stuff that suggests otherwise?
It strikes me that the Bible - and just about any other proscriptive scripture - is written in such a way that leaves interpretation wide open to the reader, or more specifically the purveyors of the faith to make it say pretty much what they want it to. That gives the Westboro Baptist lunatics carte blanche to read whatever they want into the "teachings" of the scriptures.
This being the case, atheists should be very wary of any individual or group that waves a scripture at you, and tries to tell you how to live your life. Immoral people preaching their immorality at you as if it's the highest form of morality, as laid down by their god. Simply disgusting.
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Permalink Reply by Doug Reardon on -
You might consider reading: The Year of Living Biblically: One Man's Humble Quest to follow the Bible as Literally as Possible - a book by A. J. Jacobs
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Permalink Reply by Meghan McWilliams on -
Thank you. I will look into that.
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Permalink Reply by Evan Meinel on -
as will i
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Permalink Reply by Dave Porter on -
If ever anyone says we should look to the bible for moral guidance I ask them if they think those that work on the sabbath should be put to death. Failing that I ask them if they condone slavery and the beating and branding of slaves. Or perhaps I may ask them if they think men with damaged genitalia should be banned from religious congregations (this would for example exclude men with testicular cancer). Basically I always find the best retort is to actually read them passages from the basic doctrine of their belief system. When you do that it soon becomes apparent (to any thinking person) that the bible was written by primitive men. The irony is that I often use their own theology to debunk there own arguments. It doesn't always work but I enjoy doing it. ;-)
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Permalink Reply by Sassan K. on -
It is important to differentiate the New Testament and the Old Testament as the vast majority of Christians don't take the Old Testament seriously and do not follow it whatsoever.
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Permalink Reply by Dave Porter on
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Yes it's true I often hear that argument. The answer to it is simple. If you are not a creationist & you do not take the old testament seriously (as it is full of nonsense & backwardness) then the basic doctrine of Christianity (& all the abrahamics) is false.
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Permalink Reply by Sassan K. on
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All religion is false - but Christianity with the teachings of Jesus is a much better and more peaceful religion than both Islam and Judism - I rank the religions from bad to worse in this order (of the three main religions): 1) Christianity 2) Catholic version 3) Judism 4) Islam
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Permalink Reply by Evan Meinel on
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Well what Ive come to learn is that fundimental Islam itself is actually very peaceful (if a little restricting) its the exetremism from those religions and that cast the normal idiot sheep that follow religion in a worse light than they are already cast in.
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Permalink Reply by Meghan McWilliams on
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Yeah, that is also what I was wondering too. I was under the impression the new testament said you should not deny the old testament or something, but that came from someone who followed both.To me, I think the old testament sounded so gruesome and horrifying people were like “no ones gonna wanna believe this horrible shit” and they made up the new testament.
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Permalink Reply by Stephen Walski on -
Where do you get these ideas.
If christians didnt follow the old testament..
They would have no reason to claim god dislikes gays,
They would have no reason to follow any of the ten commandments,
They would have no creation story to argue
Without the old testament there is no Jesus.. since there is no messianic prophecy.
.. i could go on but if that is not enough i have to question where you are finding your special christians.
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