A message for the Christians

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Please do non-Christians a major favor and keep your religion to yourself.

There's a good fellow.

ruveyn

What happened?

"PPR" >< "Preaching Preferred Rhetoric"

I think you will find that the Nicene Christians [which ethnocentrically I generally take to be THE Christians, forsaking all others who have in various ways counted themselves out] have pretty much done just that except where you have raised the issue.

Some of us may correct egregious misstatements of fact from MCalavera, kxmode, or you - that does not come under the head either of proselytization or harrasment.

Personally, I renounce and condemn all propaganda in this forum, and so far as in me lies try to stick to straight discussion flavored withe occasional soupcon of snide innuendo.

But how will they save us heathens from burning in a lake of fire for eternity but by talking at us?

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As you know, Judaism is the original, major religion and Christianity is only an attempt to reform Judaism by a liberal member of Judaism known as Jesus.

The local politicians in Jerusalem messed it all up by printing at sign over Jesus's head which said "King of the Jews" vs a sign which said "King of the Christians." Non-profit religions have been messed up since that printing error - all caused by bumbling politicians who failed to print the signage correctly and identify Jesus as a radical, extremist TV televangelist interested in collection plate money.

Also:

So are you saying that Barack Obama and John McCain should not have met at Saddleback Christian Church in California to publicly proclaim they were Christians so as to try to get elected president of the White House? In my view, keeping religion quiet is no longer possible due to the fact that extremist Bush, Jr. created a USA department of religions, later reformed by extremist Obama.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/White_Hous ... rtnerships

Non-profit, tax-exempt religions are now part of America.

Who has messed a lot of the non-profit, tax-exempt religions up? Bumbling politicians in Jerusalem, Israel and Washington, D.C.

- Politics, Philosophy, Religion

The validity of that statement is greatly dependent upon one's understanding/definition of Judaism.

The total post also strikes me as a prime example of the sort of thing ruveyn legitimately complains about.

Was early Christianity similar to the contemporary Judaism of the time? Was there a period of overlap between 30 CE and say 150 CE?

As exemplified in recent posts, Jehovah's Witnesses have 'witnessing' (here, synonymous with proselytizing) as their specific focus. No getting out of it, keep the tally sheet close at hand, etc. Shift to non-brand name Christianity and the foremost idea is simply 'being like Christ': something quite capable of being "kept to self" in the manner that you wish. Discussed where there's interest, left silent where there's not.

@pgd: What evidence might you have to show Ruveyn actually knows as you have alleged?

A major theme of the non-Gospel NT writings was how and if Christianity should distinguish itself from Judaism in practice. Circumcision, kosher law, attending synagogue. Did one first have to become Jewish and take on the requirements of the Old Covenant before becoming Christian. Luke (in Acts) and Paul had their hands full on that score; and there was major overlap until Jerusalem was beseiged in 70 AD and the Temple was destroyed. Judaism and Christianity both had to change in reaction to that; but they did not, and did not have to, change together.

Reformation and Counter Reformation were not dissimilar, though bigger.

I know nothing of the kind. I was born 1900 years after all this stuff.

ruveyn

A doubting Thomas come to judgement. A high level of dubiety regarding the reliablity of 1st century texts.

What is the cutoff? Do you know about the Roman Empire, Byzantium, Charlemagne, Louis XIV, Queen Victoria, the Civil War?. This is a sincere question seeking data on the boundaries of your brand of scepticism.

A lot of the Gospels, which were written sometime after the Romans sacked Jerusalem, display a violently anti-Jewish sentiment. Prior to that, Christianity was probably regarded as a bizarre Jewish cult.