Christians do not have a right to assemble if by doing so they harm others. Full stop.
If Christians were all observing COVID19 precautions, atheists such as myself wouldn’t care what Christians do on Sundays. But some of the most vorciferous advocates for re-opening churches are the very people who denigrate these precautions the most. These believers flaunt their “I’m a Christian, I’m not afraid to die” propaganda like it’s a badge of honor. Given the long history of conservative Christians churches placing proselytization ahead of public welfare, why would anybody trust them to self regulate?
Why is this my business? Because I don’t want to go into lock down all over again this fall because some churches want to weaponize COV19 precautions for apologetic purposes. This is exactly the kind of “hatred of humanity” that Tacitus was talking about.
So, in your opinion, Christians have the right to pass on the coronona virus to their friends and families and neighbors and if these same friends and families and neighbors try to prevent this, it’s presecution. This really is hatred of humanity. I’m glad I’m not a Christian.
Do you get it? Please show some sign that you get this. -- Sree
I do it in the very next two sentences.
The writings of and about Jesus were written by Jewish writers using Jewish texts and oral traditions as their basis. But, he wouldn’t say that because that really sounds like religion.
This is how religion constantly reinvents itself. There is always something new that says it is not that old “religion”.
I’m pretty sure he got it, since he goes on one of his attempts at obfuscation.
Says you. Can you offer any facts to back that up? Come on, lay out your case against Spong so we can crucify him.
Just look at Spong's "Twelve Points for Reform of Christianity". Amateurish. As you pointed out, he didn't make sense. You know why? He should have thrown the baby (Jesus) out with the bath water. He didn't know how. Spong wanted to have the cake and eat it too. I have not researched his personal life but he sure comes across as a gay ex-Catholic priest I know. At least, my friend dealt with his situation with God in private without making a fool of himself taking on the Church.
Try reading a few books first. These are roughly chronological, so you can see where Spong came in.
Thanks for showing me your blog. It is as well put together as the one belonging to @citizenschallengev3. Like Trump, I don't read. The President relies on intuition. I prefer divine inspiration.
The President relies on intuition. I prefer divine inspiration.
T rump's intuition and your "divine" inspiration, combined, are MUCH WORSE than nothing at all. His intuition and your inspiration are both promoters of death and economic failure. Because they can generate stupid LIES, that will result in deaths.
So, in your opinion, Christians have the right to pass on the coronona virus to their friends and families and neighbors and if these same friends and families and neighbors try to prevent this, it’s presecution.
Are you condemning all Christians as viral threats? This amounts to bigotry.
Tacitus said that Christians were roundly despised by the Romans for their “hatred of humanity.” Why? Because the ultimate good for Christians was to spread their faith. Tertullian said that the blood of the martyrs was the seed of the church. In principle, evangelism and witness relativized every other value for them. Considerations of family, friends, society and tolerance were always secondary.
The drive to re-open churches is being used by some Christians for political and apologetic purposes. These Christians will scream that they are being persecuted for their faith. Tertullian would be pleased. But to the rest of us, this seems like a brazen disregard for the public good. Maybe Tacitus was right.
Thank you for speaking truth, that Evangelical Christians do not care about humanity, if it gets in the way of spreading their faith. And if political power can enhance that spread and can also promote their dogma, then that is a priority for them, also. 1/3 of the RepugLIARS Party voters are now the Evangelicals. They are only 1/6 of the larger population. The % of Evangelicals that are Dem Party voters is negligible to non-existent. IOW they vote in a block for the RepugLIARS.
Are you condemning all Christians as viral threats? This amounts to bigotry.
No, not at all. I’m condemning those Christians who are trying to weaponize the virus precautions for apologetic purposes. You know–the ones for whom “Don’t tell me what to do!” is the apex of their moral philosophy and willfull ignorance of the facts is their go-to epistemology.
Christians engage in biological warfare??? You mean like the Christians who gave infected blankets to the Native Americans? How could Christians who are, above all, concerned with gaining wealth and political influence do such a thing?
I think that just because someone calls themselves a Christian, doesn’t mean that they would act, in the least, like Jesus. The word “Christian” means “follower of Christ”. But these “Christians” piss on the legacy of Jesus’s healing the sick, caring for the poor, and whipping the butts of money changers in the Temple.
I think that just because someone calls themselves a Christian, doesn’t mean that they would act, in the least, like Jesus.
Likewise, just because you call yourself an American doesn't mean that you would act in the interest of the country. Heavy is the burden that the rest of us must bear.
@elphidium55: I’m condemning those Christians who are trying to weaponize the virus precautions for apologetic purposes.
@sree: So, you are now accusing Christians of engaging in biological warfare?
In what possible alternative universe does the statement "weaponize the virus precautions for apologetic purposes" equal "engaging in biological warfare?"
Sorry, maybe that was too harsh. Perhaps you are not a native English speaker or maybe your school district cut Reading Comprehension from the curriculuum. Or maybe you are just rhetorically challenged or extremely literal minded.
Or maybe you are just rhetorically challenged or extremely literal minded.
There are only two key words in the conversation that matter: "weaponize" and "virus". Everything else is smoke screen. I am not liberal-minded and predisposed to nit-picking and slicing and dicing things to death based on a technicality. Be smart. Don't go downrange if you don't want to get shot.
Sorry, maybe that was too harsh. Perhaps you are not a native English speaker or maybe your school district cut Reading Comprehension from the curriculuum. Or maybe you are just rhetorically challenged or extremely literal minded.
I think Sree is mostly just suffering from a chronic case of being a b-hole, who is under the deluded impression that he occasionally says something clever.
In what possible alternative universe does the statement “weaponize the virus precautions for apologetic purposes” equal “engaging in biological warfare?”
Saying this question is "nit-picking and slicing and dicing things to death based on a technicality" is an evasion, pure and simple. If you are going to make this kind of egregious comparison, then you owe us an explanation.
timb said: And there are people who are not religious who are not particularly afraid of death.
sree said; Do you know of any to back up your claim?
I am not religious and I am not afraid of death. There is nothing to be afraid of when you’re dead. There is nothing at all…
I am afraid of dying, because that means that my mind dies and I won’t enjoy the good stuff in my life anymore. After death, there is no emotion of any kind.
