Is there a substantial difference between the two?
Not really.
1 Like
Well, in one case a Coke bottle falls out of the sky and almost kills you, in the other you imagine that happened.
Well, it looks like Newsweek is starting the new year off with a bang.
This examination is not an attack on the Bible or Christianity. Instead,
Christians seeking greater understanding of their religion should view
it as an attempt to save the Bible from the ignorance, hatred and bias
that has been heaped upon it.
And Fox News is doubling down, attacking the writer, while making it obvious that they havenāt read the article, either.
Gave me quite a turn, seeing someone use my phrase of ācafeteria Christianityā like that though.
The article is written as a gotcha piece. The inconsistencies are there in many places. Is it āturn a cheekā or eye for an eye? Is it OK to be a prostitute or not? Should you care for your children or throw your virgin daughters to the mob? They could talk about Eros, Philia, Storge, and Agape, and how they were translated as love. Love thy neighbor is not Eros, but likely Agape or Philia.
The choice of topics makes this a hit piece, and the normal suspects are going to hit back before knowing, if they ever know, whatās going on.
Also, once again the WBC shows up in a photo line up of right wing people.
It took me a long time to find the church Iām in right now somewhat because of the focus on the other churches on being anti-homosexual, or too pro money, or too showmanlike.
How many people just go to church to listen to some music and feel better about themselves? It doesnāt matter a bit to them, and millions like them, what the inconsistencies in the Bible are.
I usually assume that anything that directs people to do something to another group of people that Iāve misunderstood the message or that there is something wrong with the message. Iāve left two churches because of āthe otherā type of message. Once for minorities and once for gays.
Iāve seen Cafeteria Catholics, or Ale Cart Catholics before.
I agree with you there.
But there are a lot of good points, as well as rehashing old research that has been ignored for a long time. I was a little disappointed that he didnāt go into what we know is the correct wording of the verse in Leviticus, but heās right, thereās just too much there to talk about.
And in the interests of fairness, one cathedral is getting it right:
They may be hateful people, but the Islamification of Europe is an issue.
Of course, if the government wasnāt packing them into projects and giving them checks not to work, it would be a lot less of a problem. Integration seems to be stunted by over generous welfare to new immigrants.
One of the things I like about our current churchāa lotāis that preparing for church often consists of putting tools, warm clothes, and my thermos in the pickup to go do some good somewhere. I donāt need new shoes or a tie, but I could do with some insulated overalls.
3 Likes
What kills me is that these people leave in search of a better life but then they want to make their new country just like the shithole country they came from (sharia law, etc). Why even leave in the first place? I donāt think itās too much to ask immigrants to respect the laws and customs of their new homes.
4 Likes
ā¦ which is what made the new home nice enough to want to move there.
Dead on, @Force10 .
1 Like
Well, I can see where someone in a strange new place, feeling isolated and confused, might cling to old traditions and habits in pursuit of a sense of stability.
But I see this all over, not just immigrants to the US (or other countries). People who move from one part of the country to another seem to want to bring all the baggage of their former home to the new one, regardless of how attractive that baggage might or might not be.
We see a lot of this in San Francisco, with people moving here to be part of th eculture, and then trying to supplant the culture with the mores of their old home.
Iāve seen it in Palm Springs, too. As a (somewhat humorous) example, why would someone move to Southern California to escape the winter, and then run their air conditioner at a level equal to a winter climate?
Thereās got to be a term for wanting to move somewhere fun and exciting and then trying to impose the boring and tedious on it.
In my case, I long for some peace and quiet (and warmth). Iām not trying to impose that on San Francisco (although some consideration would be nice). Iām trying to get out of San Francisco, to a place where that is available.
Like the people who move from California to Colorado or Texas because they are cheaper to and there is less hassle. Then the first thing they do is agitate for policies that will make where they are just like where they came from.
1 Like
Weāll be leaving CA this year. Moving up to Washington. Cheaper, less policy/taxes, etc, and family being there is an added bonus. Actually, policies being what they are, itās one of the main reasons weāre leaving. Iād rather not have Washington turn out like California. Iām hoping it doesnāt.
I digress, but silly as it is though, the plastic bag ban (see, you now pay the govāt for the rights to use plastic bags every time) is probably one of the stupidest ones Iāve seen, and I hate it. So does everyone else Iāve talked to, and yet, our city (soon to be County, if Iām not mistaken) passed this asinine ordinance. To be honest, Iāve stopped using the bags from time to time, but as far as I can tell, 80% still pay to use plastic bags.
1 Like
Also known as the salmonella and botulism expansion law. Since itās been found that many people will stick meat in their cloth bag, and then not ever wash their bags, then put salad in it a week later and get dog-sick.
I like plastic bags, I get four or five uses out of each one usually. On average, itās a grocery bag, then a lunch bag, then a cat/dog poop bag or a trash bag. Sometimes itās an overnight bag for the youngest at the last minute. The plastic bags get used almost to the point where they are falling apart. I also have a bunch of reusable bags, but a lot of them just arenāt good for washing and most the time I forget them in the car.
I like my reusable bags. They hold more and are sturdier than the plastic bags. That being said, Iām not sure that the plastic bag ban is a good idea. Are paper bags really more environmentally friendly? Sure, they compost better, but what impact does their manufacturing have? I kind of see the ban as a way to allow stores to charge for bags.
1 Like
Didnāt somewhere out there ban mylar balloons too?
Aaand weāre still on topic, since political environmentalism seems to have taken on religious connotations.
There has been some education on this, so I would hope this is getting better.
Here in SF, the only plastic bags they can use are recycled/recyclable plastic bags. Which is better anyway, as they are much sturdier than the old ones, and can be reused quite a bit.
I just got a new bag from Safeway. It is insulated, with a mylar lining, and could probably fit a case of cans of soda.
The fact that I got it for free, for ordering groceries delivered, is a bit strange, but Iām not complaining.
What part of Washington, @PadrinoFive7? It should be better than California (almost anywhere is), but not a LOT better, depending on where you move. 
I, too, am liking our new church a whole lot. Itās smaller, but itās based on the words of Jesus, not a heap of church traditions.
Iāve discovered Iāve become something of a Christian feminist in my middle age (this, of course, is distinctly different than a modern secular feminist). I want my religion to be smarter, but itās only in the past year or so that Iāve realized just how denominational our ānon-denominationā has become, and how much I dislike it. I find apologetics endlessly fascinating, and am no longer likely to stay as shut-up as the tenets of my former denomination would like me to be. Itās really quite empowering. 
I donāt like that word. You already had the power, you are just (re)discovering it. And I support that, itās a great feeling.
Every once in a while I suddenly stop and think āokay, why am I letting these clods manipulate me into this?ā
1 Like