G’day!

These 10 signs were posted in another forum. They are informative on how the world looks at Christians. More comment at the end.

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Top Ten Signs You’re a Christian

10 – You vigorously deny the existence of thousands of gods claimed by other religions, but feel outraged when someone denies the existence of yours.

9 – You feel insulted and “dehumanized” when scientists say that people evolved from other life forms, but you have no problem with the Biblical claim that we were created from dirt.

8 – You laugh at polytheists, but you have no problem believing in a Triune God.

7 – Your face turns purple when you hear of the “atrocities” attributed to Allah, but you don’t even flinch when hearing about how God/Jehovah slaughtered all the babies of Egypt in “Exodus” and ordered the elimination of entire ethnic groups in “Joshua” including women and children!

6 – You laugh at Hindu beliefs that deify humans, and Greek claims about gods sleeping with women, but you have no problem believing that the Holy Spirit impregnated Mary, who then gave birth to a man-god who got killed, came back to life and then ascended into the sky.

5 – You are willing to spend your life looking for little loopholes in the scientifically established age of Earth (few billion years), but you find nothing wrong with believing dates recorded by Bronze Age tribesmen sitting in their tents and guessing that Earth is a few generations old.

4 – You believe that the entire population of this planet with the exception of those who share your beliefs — though excluding those in all rival sects – will spend Eternity in an infinite Hell of Suffering. And yet consider your religion the most “tolerant” and “loving.”

3 – While modern science, history, geology, biology, and physics have failed to convince you otherwise, some idiot rolling around on the floor speaking in “tongues” may be all the evidence you need to “prove” Christianity.

2 – You define 0.01% as a “high success rate” when it comes to answered prayers. You consider that to be evidence that prayer works. And you think that the remaining 99.99% FAILURE was simply the will of God.

1 – You actually know a lot less than many atheists and agnostics do about the Bible, Christianity, and church history – but still call yourself a Christian.

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I have grouped these under 3 headings:

– The nature of God (10, 8, 6) – Science and knowledge (9, 5, 3, 2, 1) – The problem of evil (7, 4)

Tackling these in each group ….

**************************************** NATURE OF GOD

10 – You vigorously deny the existence of thousands of gods claimed by other religions, but feel outraged when someone denies the existence of yours.

8 – You laugh at polytheists, but you have no problem believing in a Triune God.

6 – You laugh at Hindu beliefs that deify humans, and Greek claims about gods sleeping with women, but you have no problem believing that the Holy Spirit impregnated Mary, who then gave birth to a man-god who got killed, came back to life and then ascended into the sky.

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How is the Christian God different to any other god? How is the Christian God similar to other gods? Paul used pagan poetry referring to Zeus to explain that we live and move and have our being in God. However, if we claim that Zeus does not exist, what status is attributed to the quote? Fact or fiction? Can we learn about God in other sacred texts? If we believe in One God why do we have three named? How much of the Christ story is fact and how much legend?

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SCIENCE

9 – You feel insulted and “dehumanized” when scientists say that people evolved from other life forms, but you have no problem with the Biblical claim that we were created from dirt.

5 – You are willing to spend your life looking for little loopholes in the scientifically established age of Earth (few billion years), but you find nothing wrong with believing dates recorded by Bronze Age tribesmen sitting in their tents and guessing that Earth is a few generations old.

3 – While modern science, history, geology, biology, and physics have failed to convince you otherwise, some idiot rolling around on the floor speaking in “tongues” may be all the evidence you need to “prove” Christianity.

2 – You define 0.01% as a “high success rate” when it comes to answered prayers. You consider that to be evidence that prayer works. And you think that the remaining 99.99% FAILURE was simply the will of God.

1 – You actually know a lot less than many atheists and agnostics do about the Bible, Christianity, and church history – but still call yourself a Christian.

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This applies more to fundamentalists than other Christians but we are lumped together in the eyes of the world. We are seen as stupid and backward and lacking in basic knowledge of the world. Fundamentalism and creationism have dome much damage to the credibility of Christianity by rejecting the truth found in science. All truth is God’s truth. The impact of the charismatic movement is also seen in this grouping. By focusing on tongues and being ‘slain in the spirit” the emphasis is taken away from the claims of Christianity and the light shone on the weird and bizarre that some Christians take as “normal”. How credible do the words of “some idiot rolling around on the floor speaking in tongues” appear to contemporary people? Would you hire such a person to manage your business or vote for such a person to run the country? Why? / Why not?

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EVIL

7 – Your face turns purple when you hear of the “atrocities” attributed to Allah, but you don’t even flinch when hearing about how God/Jehovah slaughtered all the babies of Egypt in “Exodus” and ordered the elimination of entire ethnic groups in “Joshua” including women and children!

4 – You believe that the entire population of this planet with the exception of those who share your beliefs — though excluding those in all rival sects – will spend Eternity in an infinite Hell of Suffering. And yet consider your religion the most “tolerant” and “loving.”

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These only partially address the problem of evil. It does not mention one of the favourite criticisms of the existence of pain, suffering and death.

How can one honestly say “God loves you” and in the next breath add ” ..but you’re going to fry in hell if you don’t become a Christian …now!” How credible is such a statement? How can we rationally conclude that God is loving when the history of the bible (particularly the Old Testament) and the church over the last 2 000 years seems to indicate otherwise? Can Christianity ever remain the same after the Holocaust?

PERSONAL RELEVANCE

Of the 10 points in the list only one seems personally relevant to me. No1!!! There are plenty of people over a wide range of belief who know more than I do and atheists and agnostics have enriched my life.

The problem for me is that I don’t like being lumped with Christians who have the other 9 areas as very relevant (if not essential) to their faith. If I talk with others about Christianity I am at a disadvantage because I have to explain how the 9 other areas are not part of my faith. I have to explain the type of Christian I am. The term “Christian” is almost synonymous with ignorance and intolerance when the exact opposite should be the case. The terms God, Christ and spirit likewise need explanation as they are bandied about without real meaning or understanding.

MISSION (IM)POSSIBLE????

What SHOULD be the “Top Ten Signs You’re A Christian”? Every second Christian will name the fruits of the spirit as quoted by Paul. Is it sufficient? What is required to drag such list into the 21st century and make it relevant?

You task, should you choose it, is to create a “Top Ten Signs You’re A Christian” without using Christianese, Christian clichés, Christian idioms, or bible quotes. These items should be VISIBLE. (A sign is visible.)