pathetic!

[sirs]

LOL.....Chrstianity equates to Cannibalsm......riiiiiiight       

[Xavier_Onassis]

I did NOT say that "Christianity equates to cannibalism". I said that Communion is a form of ritual cannibalism.

Baptism is a form of ritual bathing, also.

In Old Tetsament Judaism, you were required to kill a sheep, goat or cow in order to get God to pay attention to you.

God asked Abraham to ritually murder his son, Isaac, and then, just before Abe stuck Isaac with a knife, God told him that it was not necessary, but he still had to murder a sheep that happened to be wandering by.

Jesus did not say a word about the priests requiring the sacrifice of animals in the Temple. He just got upset over the crappy exchange rate between pagan money (which had Caesar's face on it, and therefore was considered impure) and accepted Hebrew money (which was scarce, since it had not been coined for several decades). I suppose that it is some vague feeling that money should not be profane, as Jews considered Roman coins to be, that inspired Americans to mention "In God we Trust" on the coins.

The Crucifixion is seen as a form of blood sacrifice, like ritually killing sheep, goats, chickens and such. No Christians, so far as I know, require anyone to purchase animals and sacrifice them anymore. But the rituals persist. I suppose that this makes them more humane, but no less silly, if you consider it from a logical point of view.

[sirs]

Naaaa, not going to get away with the attempted backpedaling.  You're the one trying to lay claim that religion, Christianity included, was simply going to wither away, and be taken over by the more elitist version of Eurpoean non-religion, lumping Chrsitianity into not just cannabilism, but with the other hyperbolic additions of blood sacrafices and astrology.

Sorry to interrupt such a know-better-than-though tactic Professor Strawman, but religion, in particular Christianity, isn't going anywhere, nor is it going to be put in some box on the global shelf of what is or isn't important.  But like I said, next time you get wind of actual American Christians performing cannabilism or crucifixions, please give us the media link to check it out.  We thank you in advance

[Plane]

Babtism is actual bathing.

As a ritual it represents in symbols, buryal, as the faithfull person burys his old nature and begins a new life.

Calling communion ritual cannabalism is an extreme literalism, but I think that the Catholic Church has been just that literal , perhaps someone here has more Catholic Church experience than I do and can speak to that.

As most Prodestants, I accept communion as an important and actual connection between Jesus and his church, not even symbolicly cannabolism, but acceptance of Jesus offering his blood and his body to suffering and death that he did not deserve in willing sacrifice, standing in the stead of my damnation that I do deserve.

Baptism and communion are something like signing a contract.

[Xavier_Onassis]

I have never said that Christianity would disappear, just that over the next century or so, there will be more and more people for whom religion is unimportant. This is a worldwide trend. I am not responsible for it, nor do I find it to be a good or a bad thing, just an obvious trend. As science cures more diseases and we grow more sophisticated, more of us will be leaving the childish beliefs aside. We have pretty much all agreed that we no longer need to bring a goat or sheep and a sharp knife to church. Or at least I have not noticed this as commonplace. Men no longer deem it necessary to have their peckers altered for religious purposes, either. It might be more hygienic, and that seems to be the only real reason for circumcision these days.

Any way you look at it, Communion is  ritual cannibalism. You can call it a contract if you wish, but it is clearly not a contract. since it is between you and a Being up in the sky who may or may not exist. There may be One of Him, or perhaps he is Three male entities. There is no proof that monotheism is a valid supposition.

It is a bit like promising the Moon you will shape up and fly right or it can come down and squish you flat. You can believe this will all your heart and soul, but the Moon is still not going to punish you if you break your promise.

It would have made more sense for Jesus to pop down right after Noah and his crew disembarked from their Ark, since supposedly the entire human race and all land creatures, minus them and their menagerie, were wiped out. Instead, centuries passed before apparently God decided to send Jesus down rather than to try another flood, or perhaps a major incendiary event, as the Bible suggests. Of course, had God actually had the power to see into the future, then logically a design tweak or so might have been in order so as to make the mass extermination unnecessary.

[sirs]

Given your propensity for referencing the "obvious" as the supposed validation for your opinion, I think it's a safe bet to disregard your conclusions, as it relates to religion & Christianity in particular

[Plane]

It would have made more sense for Jesus to pop down right after Noah ...................

That supposes that you understand what God is trying to accomplish, which I doubt , and don't claim for myself either.

[Xavier_Onassis]

Why should a Deity give us a brain and an ability to be logical and still keep Himself all veiled in mystery?

I always told my daughter why I wanted her to do things in a certain way as soon as she was old enough to understand. Hell, I even told the CAT why she could not go out when the neighbor's dog was loose.

[Plane]

Why should a Deity give us a brain and an ability to be logical and still keep Himself all veiled in mystery?

I always told my daughter why I wanted her to do things in a certain way as soon as she was old enough to understand. Hell, I even told the CAT why she could not go out when the neighbor's dog was loose.

This is explicitly explained in easy to understand terms, I wonder whether you will allow yourself to understand it , or whether you would rather not.

That explains wht is going on in my terms , here is how Jesus answered that question;

http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Matthew+13&version=NIV

10 The disciples came to him and asked, “Why do you speak to the people in parables?”
 
11 He replied, “Because the knowledge of the secrets of the kingdom of heaven has been given to you, but not to them. 12 Whoever has will be given more, and they will have an abundance. Whoever does not have, even what they have will be taken from them. 13 This is why I speak to them in parables:


“Though seeing, they do not see;
    though hearing, they do not hear or understand.
 
14 In them is fulfilled the prophecy of Isaiah:


“‘You will be ever hearing but never understanding;
    you will be ever seeing but never perceiving.
15 For this people’s heart has become calloused;
    they hardly hear with their ears,
    and they have closed their eyes.
Otherwise they might see with their eyes,
    hear with their ears,
    understand with their hearts
and turn, and I would heal them.’[a]
 
16 But blessed are your eyes because they see, and your ears because they hear. 17 For truly I tell you, many prophets and righteous people longed to see what you see but did not see it, and to hear what you hear but did not hear it.

[Xavier_Onassis]

Religious apathy has occurred in Europe and continues to occur there. It is occurring in the US and will continue to increase. Whether you believe it or not is immaterial and will not change a thing.

[Plane]

Religious apathy has occurred in Europe and continues to occur there. It is occurring in the US and will continue to increase. Whether you believe it or not is immaterial and will not change a thing.

Apathy is alright if you like apathy.

Proverbs 29:18
Where there is no vision, the people perish: but he that keepeth the law, happy is he.
 http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Proverbs+29:17-19&version=KJV

This is cause of suffering, but that is a knoledge that one can avoid.

[Xavier_Onassis]

People die no matter what their religion or lack of same is.

It is simply a fact that every year, churches have fewer members. I have nothing to do with it.