Atheists, Jesus and Christianity......my humble thoughts

[LynneSin]

I have a friend who is a proclaimed Atheist. Doesn't make any difference to me because if you met this person, she is one of the most amazing people out there. According to some Christian folks, someone like her will spend eternity in hell because she's not a believer and yet myself as a Christian, well I have a hard time believing that one.

I don't think the keys to Heaven are based on the concept of praising the name to one messiah or another. I also do not believe it's based on how many people you can convert to your faith. As I read the new testament and especially the Gospels (Please - never Paul), there are few basic thoughts that come to mind.

First and most importantly - Jesus was a Jew. Although he asked people to follow him, he never ever once said "Oh and btw, to follow me you have to believe in this new fangled religion I'm naming after myself - Christianity. Jesus was born a Jew, lived as a Jew and even as he died the title "King of Jews" was on his cross.

Second - Jesus spent his entire ministry helping others. Here's a man who had no real job, no money, no home and no source of income. I see these types of folks in the street today and I cross the street because the last thing I want is for them to bug me for cash. But for a man who had nothing, he spent his entire ministry giving to others. Today, I see a growing number of preachers asking "What can you send to me" instead of asking "What can I do to make this world a better place". It almost seems like Christianity as a whole has become one giant size fundraising lobbyist corporation that forgets the fact that there are people in this world, who like Jesus, has no real job, no money, no home and no source of income. And just like I would cross the street if I see a homeless person in the street asking for spare change, I feel many of these preachers are doing this to entire sects of humanity.

Finally I ask myself, who better represents the ministry of Jesus Christ? My friend who has given so much of herself to others without ever asking for anything back or these Corporate Lobbyist Preachers who demand so much from us even when we have given everything we've had.

I'd like to think that there is something in this afterlife. It's hard to imagine that this thinking, breathing entity that I am will one day no longer exist and I'd yes, I live in this idea that when I die, my soul will move on to new things - maybe that will be heaven, maybe a new body for my soul to enter. But I've always hoped that it's the good souls that get to move on while the evil ones are made obsolete and terminated from future contamination. But if that's afterlife, I think it's folks like my friend and many others who I've met like her who have given back to the world that deserve a special place. To me, these people best exemplify the true faith of Jesus even if they don't profess in his faith.


Gandhi was once quoted as saying "The best thing about Christianity is Jesus Christ and the worst thing about it is the Christians (Khephra sent me that quote). I truly don't believe that one has to profess the faith of Christianity in order to live a life in a way similiar to Jesus Christ. Many of us have been blessed in life even with sometimes the smallest things like a job and a roof over our heads. But we all know that in this world, that's not the case for everyone. We can all live a life like Jesus when we start thinking globally - not just donating money to good causes, but working hard to make this place a better world for everyone.

[Dhalgren]

1. Well, I personally would never have any problems

with anyone who professed a belief system like yours. It is reasoned, respectful, and gracious. It is a philosophy of life that many of the world's sages could have lived with - but I am afraid that many, many Christians would say that you aren't one. But I wish more were like you...

[LynneSin]

2. maybe then we just need to be more vocal about this concept

Instead of allowing these fundies to claim they speak for our faith

[H2O Man]

3. "The need of the moment

is not one of religion, but mutual respect and tolerance of devotees of different religions." - Gandhi

[stellanoir]

4. thanks LynneSin

for sharing your thoughts and by doing so, distilling all this absurdist religious rancor down to what really matters.

Ahhh. . .that would be basic human decency and kindness.

I truly believe that it's how one treats others, not what one espouses to believe that truly matters in the grander scheme of things.

There is some truth in all faiths. I always tell clients,"I don't care what you believe, just as long as you believe in something larger than yourself, that inspires you to grow and evolve, and that it doesn't hurt any living thing."

Though I rarely show it here, humor is a rather huge part of my faith. And you certainly inspire droves of that. So thanks again.

Your friend sounds like an absolute gem as well.

[Auntie Bush]

5. Thanks Lynne...That was so well written and thought out. It speaks

for me. Wish everyone in this country/world could read your post.
We'd all have a lot more understanding and tolerance of one another. Geeeeees...Maybe even Dems & Repubs could get along.

[Blue_In_AK]

6. Thank you, LynneSin.

You think very much as I do on this subject (even down to the issue of Paul).

[LynneSin]

8. Xtians are really Paulists

Paul started the movement of converting everyone or else!! His ideas were that the gates of heaven were based on faith alone and not action; whereas many christians like us believe it's more on actions and not faith.

For anyone who doubts this you only need to read a Chick Track to get a mindset of these Paulists

[Blue_In_AK]

10. Yes, that site represents everything that's wrong

with the right-wing Christian mindset. Yechh..

[H2O Man]

11. Many Christians are not Paulists.

I agree with your point that the Paulist interpretation is prone to error. I like this quote from Gandhi:

"Jesus was a Jew. He was the finest flower of Judaism. You can see that from the four stories of the four apostles. They had untutored minds. They told the truth about Jesus. Paul was not a Jew, he was a Greek. He had an oratorical mind, a dialectical mind, and he distorted Jesus. Jesus possessed a great force, the love force, but Christianity became disfigured when it went west. It became the religion of kings."

[Dhalgren]

12. Thank you for that quotation.

I had read that 35 years ago and had all but forgotten it. I am off to dig through my library. Thanks to you!

[H2O Man]

13. I'm glad you like it.

I read it 27 years ago, in a book I borrowed from a sibling. I wrote it down in the book of quotes I've kept for most of my life. (I would venture that we might have many of the same books in our libraries.)

[Az]

7. Thanks

We are all born blind and screaming into this world and it is only by coming together that we make any progress.

[Rowdyboy]

9. Excellent job, Lynne....You pretty much sum up my beliefs......

I think Christianity would be a much more appealing religion if the writings of Paul were just omitted from the Bible. His arrogance and his narrowmindedness are in sharp contrast to the teaching of Jesus and the basic message of the gospels. His writings are verbose and his logic is convoluted -he adds nothing that I can see to the faith.

I think your friend will fare a lot better in any afterlife than any number of contemporary evangelists.