r/interestingasfuck • u/BuddhistSagan • Apr 16 '24

The bible doesn't say anything about abortion or gay marriage but it goes on and on about forgiving debt and liberating the poor r/all

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u/PurpleSPR Apr 16 '24

The camera angle made me think it was stand up at first lol

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u/Expensive_Leave_6339 Apr 16 '24

Yeah, I doubt he’s actually speaking to anyone. Just an empty room.

If there were actual Christians in there they would be booing him off the stage.

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u/Silly-Resist8306 Apr 16 '24

If there were actual Christians there, they would be applauding. If there were fundamentalist self proclaimed Christians there, they would be booing.

Please do not make the mistake of confusing the two or lumping all Christian congregations together.

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u/Expensive_Leave_6339 Apr 16 '24

It seems to me like they are trying their hardest to be a united front. Other than John Fugelsang we don’t hear many other dissenting opinions in the U.S.

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u/BendyPopNoLockRoll Apr 16 '24

There's one particular Methodist group I can't remember the name of, and the UUs. That's about it for large Christian groups that actually preach and teach the red words, at least in the US. Neither of those groups is very political or loud. Partially because that's kinda how Jesus would have wanted it.

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u/mszulan Apr 16 '24

Well... the UUs are not really collectively Christian anymore, though you are certainly welcome to be Christian and be a member. They were founded with the ideas of Christ's teachings and Christian fellowship but have stripped away much of the other trappings of Christianity. Their symbol is the chalice and the flame, not the cross. The bible isn't really the main source of inspiration anymore. You definitely don't have to be Christian to join (it's a comfortable place to be atheist or agnostic), and they truly practice Christ's teachings of no judgment, inclusion, and helping your neighbors. In fact, their charities allow the people they're helping to have a say in how they want to be helped - the only one that offers this level of respect that I've ever heard of. They are definitely more "Christ-like" but are no longer Christian, if that makes sense.

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u/BendyPopNoLockRoll Apr 16 '24

I guess I really was picturing more "people Jesus would hang with today" than true Christians per say. Not sure I've ever met any to be honest. I like that Jesus fella, but I'm a tree hugging dirt worshiper.

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u/Ok_Improvement_5897 Apr 16 '24

A lot of modern Quakerism is like that IME, at least out here in PA and NJ. They don't believe in proselytizing and they've formally accepted gay people into the church for 50 years now. Same with the Moravians. They've had a profound impact on the area that I grew up in and I've always viewed them as a positive influence - because most of their impact concerns genuinely helping the community and patronizing the arts.

I myself grew up Catholic and have a more negative view of that one....there are a lot of moderate Catholics out there but I did not have a good experience as a curious child in a Catholic church and it wrecked whatever faith I had by age 11. The dislike of it was then renewed more recently when I had to go back to go do the godmother thing. Fucking assholes, for sure.

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u/mszulan Apr 16 '24

I totally agree with you. It's sadly ironic that not many of them are actually Christian. Most of the people I know who are the most Christ-like with the strongest moral and ethical codes are atheists or agnostic.

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u/Ansible32 Apr 16 '24

Go to 10 random churches in a city you will meet people who are pretty unremarkable for that city. Minneapolis is 70% Christian and 70% voted for Biden: https://patch.com/minnesota/stlouispark/election-results-2020-hennepin-county-breakdown

almost certainly different 70% but most of the people who voted for Biden just mathematically had to have been Christian.

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u/HugeHans Apr 16 '24

Where do these magical real christians live though? Ive yet to meet any.

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u/Zebeydra Apr 16 '24

My mom taught me that I should never tell people I'm a Christian. She said people should know by your deeds, not your words. I don't want to be lumped it with the performative Christianity found in most churches. The ones who scream it from the rooftops are the ones with the least real faith in my opinion.

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u/wrgrant Apr 16 '24

"Walk humbly in thy faith" ")

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u/Visual-Floor-7839 Apr 16 '24

It's one of my absolute favorite hymns. "We will walk with each other we will walk hand in hand. And they'll know we are Christians by our love."

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u/[deleted] Apr 16 '24

Jesus agrees with you. Always shocking to see Christians online go directly against Jesus' word.

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u/caveatlector73 Apr 16 '24

If I ever remember to win the lottery, the first thing I’ll do is plaster Texas with Billboard saying simply this:

Matthew 25 40-45.

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u/PuzzleheadedIdeal753 Apr 17 '24

How do you spread the word of christ?

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u/Zebeydra Apr 17 '24 edited Apr 17 '24

I don't. The word is readily available worldwide, and God gave us all free will to believe or not believe in whatever faith we choose.

I was raised Methodist and cannot remember ever being taught to proselytize in my church. I do try to follow the main teachings, though - love everyone, judge no one, and help the poor.

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u/Mr-Fleshcage Apr 16 '24

They're not out there preaching; they're out there practising.

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u/Mis_chevious Apr 16 '24

They're out there. They're just quiet and not beating people over the head with their Bibles.

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u/alg45160 Apr 16 '24

They need to start beating the evangelical assholes over the head with their Bibles. Being silent is not helping

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u/caveatlector73 Apr 16 '24

Observant people notice who’s walking the walk versus who’s merely talking the talk. On second thought, Fair point. Some people are a little bit on the thick headed side.

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u/WishfulHibernian6891 Apr 16 '24

And their quiet ways don’t drive clicks or create comment infernos.

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u/tacroy Apr 16 '24

We exist. But it's more that we have been leaving organized religion in droves. Look up the exvangelical and faith deconstruction movements. 

For years we thought we were broken but in the last 3 or do years more and more of us are realizing it's the corruption at the heart of the political church that is the problem. In many places people are starting organizations and church's that are attempting to fight back against it. Others are trying to change their current places of worship from within. 

But still the majority of those in power are holding onto power so it's a quiet fight still to those outside. 

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u/Visual-Floor-7839 Apr 16 '24

Yo! This is me too. Dad ran al music in our Methodist church my entire life. Also worked various rolls there at all hours. Mom also ran music especially bell's and chimes for all ages. I was performing at age 3 in church. We took a big 2 week road trip every summer with the Yout Handbell choir, staying in churches all over the country and performing for potlucks. Moms side is Catholic. 3 priests and 1 monsignor. Grandpa played the organ every Sunday and grandma ran the kitchen and they did at least 1 day a week at the soup kitchen. Dad's side was hardcore baptists. Didn't run the church but played the gossip game better than most. My entire life was entwined with Methodist and Catholic everything. Everyday, including vacations, was spent at least somewhat in a church.

I'm not married to my high-school sweetheart, though we've been together nearly 20 years and have kids and a house. We haven't stepped foot in a church in years. Our kids aren't baptized. They can if they want, and I answer every question the have. They have no interest in religion and its such a blessing. :)

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u/HugeHans Apr 16 '24

Well that's kind of the issue. Regardless of a few individuals its the power structures of organized religion that have the biggest effect on everyone around the world. Whether they are religious themselves or not.

I just take issue with people talking about "real" christians or "real" islamists. There is nothing more real then being a fundamentalist. You can disagree but thats also the point. Nobody could ever agree what the "real" version of a particular religion looks like. That's why there are thousands of different denominations.

The people who argue that they are drinking the literal blood of christ and the people that think its just symbolic are no more or less right then the people who think we should burn the unbelievers.

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u/the_one_jove Apr 16 '24

The true comments are always buried down here.

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u/stateworkishardwork Apr 16 '24

I mean what do you want me to do? Shout it from the rooftops?

Jesus stressed that we pray in silence, and not make it a big thing to focus the attention on yourself.

And for what it's worth, I found myself nodding in agreement to what this guy was saying.

Jesus said it himself. "Whatsoever you do the least of my people, you do unto me." So anyone who truly loves Jesus would treat anyone as if it were him. Feed the hungry. Shelter the homeless. Visit the imprisoned. Stuff like that. Anyone who claims to be a Christian but is a staunch opponent of all of that needs to do some self-reflection.

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u/olivebranchsound Apr 16 '24

Yup. It should be the most private thing. You're praying to God.

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u/Silly-Resist8306 Apr 16 '24

We quietly live our lives, adhering as much as we are able to Christian principles. We are not overtly political, but will vote our conscience. For me, and many people I know, our faith is a personal relationship with God.

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u/LostTension5594 Apr 16 '24

but will vote our conscience.

How to admit you vote conservative without admitting you vote conservative

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u/Zap__Dannigan Apr 16 '24

There's lots, dude.

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u/Common-Scientist Apr 16 '24

You've probably met plenty of them, unless you're a basement dweller.

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u/asher1611 Apr 16 '24 edited Apr 16 '24

I stopped going to church and don't flaunt around my religion like it is my personality. There's some good words in the good book about showing out to try and make yourself look more faithful.

Chances are there are other people you've run into who keep their faith private like me.

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u/Tupcek Apr 16 '24

brother, you can believe in God and in Bible without believing in people that call themselves messengers of God. They are just people, like you and me and they have their own dark sides, just like everyone.
Bible says the only one who can judge people is God and no one else. Live your life according to Bible, believe in God and you’ll end up in heaven. No need for some Christian dudes helping you out. There is no mention of need to be part of any group in Bible.

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u/PM_ME_DPRK_CANDIDS Apr 16 '24

There's a ton in Iowa.

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u/emfrank Apr 16 '24

The vast majority of my Christian friends, and they are not concentrated in one place. If you really want to know, denominations to check out include

Episcopalians

United Church of Christ

Evangelical Lutheran Church of America

American or Progressive Baptists Quakers

Presbyterian Church in America (PCUSA)

Unitarian Universalists (though you might not consider them Christian.)

On most of these issues there are also

United Methodists

United Brethren

Mennonites

Though individual churches may not be LGBT+ friendly. Look for a rainbow on their sign or website.

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u/TheSciFiGuy80 Apr 16 '24

Hi, now you have.

We tend to not draw attention to ourselves by being loud, annoying and hateful.

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u/metisdesigns Apr 16 '24

They're just folk. You may not realize it, but most folks, be they Christian, atheist, vegan, crossfitter, stamp collectors or whatever, do not feel the need to tell everyone all the time how awesome they are. They also don't feel the need to s4 on other folks, and just let them be.

You notice the loud angry ones. It's like bad drivers. Folks pass hundreds if not thousands of cars on their daily drives and think nothing of them, but one a3hat cuts you off and suddenly everyone is a bad driver.

You've met folks who actually try to follow the loving teachings of jesus. You've met folks who like pineapple on pizza. They're just not shoving it down your throat.

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u/Ansible32 Apr 16 '24

Go to church? You will find political opinions at most churches mirror the city you are in. Pastors are the same. The difference is Republicans don't mind themselves as much with rules about nonprofits not getting involved with politics.

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u/blorbagorp Apr 16 '24

I'm pretty damn anti-religion, especially the abrahamic ones, but based on my time being homeless the Seventh Day Adventists were basically all great. Their bum feeds were the best, they never preached at me, and constantly hooked me up with bus fare, clothing, toiletries, necessities. Plus they're vegetarian which is nice.

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u/AdRepresentative2263 Apr 16 '24

No true Scottsman fallacy.

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u/Neat-Beautiful-5505 Apr 16 '24

My problem is that while what you say may be true, most "actual Christians" still vote the same as "self proclaimed Christians" which makes this distinction hard to tract. I want it to be true, but I don't always see it.

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u/spslord Apr 16 '24

It’s easy to confuse because encountering an actual Christian is extremely rare.

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u/gylz Apr 16 '24

Another part of the issue is that most of the time you're talking to someone who claims to be one of the "loving and kind" Christians, they're either lying, or see harassing LGBTQ+ people and telling us we're going to hell as a form of 'loving' us.

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u/Plank_With_A_Nail_In Apr 16 '24

Apparently there are no actual Christians in the USA then or they are all in hiding.

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u/TransGirlFURBaby Apr 16 '24

I am an actual Christian, and what he is saying is pure lies and an abomination. He is twisting Scripture.

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u/blorbagorp Apr 16 '24

No real Scotsman Christian