Christian Discussion Thread V

[Menassa]

The movie 'God's not dead' came up earlier, though it seems like anything interesting that might have been said was swept up in USSR's silliness (and boy am I glad that's over.)

So I just wanted to ask... does anyone want to take a go at trying to defend this movie? Because to me, it just comes off as an anti-Atheist hate film. The Atheist professor acts in a ridiculously unethical manner that would get any real philosophy professor fired and inspire protests outside of his college in the real world.

No, it was trash.

Dumpster tier of a movie....

Speaking of, I have been meaning to ask the group here what they think of modern Christian fiction like the left behind series and other things.... I also would like to know if anyone read the book 'Addicted to Mediocrity' by Frankie Shaefer.

[Tarsonis Survivors]

The movie 'God's not dead' came up earlier, though it seems like anything interesting that might have been said was swept up in USSR's silliness (and boy am I glad that's over.)

So I just wanted to ask... does anyone want to take a go at trying to defend this movie? Because to me, it just comes off as an anti-Atheist hate film. The Atheist professor acts in a ridiculously unethical manner that would get any real philosophy professor fired and inspire protests outside of his college in the real world.

No, it was trash.

Dumpster tier of a movie....

Speaking of, I have been meaning to ask the group here what they think of modern Christian fiction like the left behind series and other things.... I also would like to know if anyone read the book 'Addicted to Mediocrity' by Frankie Shaefer.

As a preterist I find Christian Fiction to be exactly that, Fiction. Though I will say the Movie Megiddo was an interesting movie. Hard to go wrong with Lee Ermey and Michael York.

I do find some Christian "fiction" movies, (I hesitate to call them fiction but I don't know what else to call them) that focus on the Exorcism arm of the Catholic Church. Specifically movies like The Exorcist, or the The Rite. Mainly though, because this concept has always fascinated me so these movies I find very interesting.

[Caille]

I want to weigh in as an agnostic atheist who was raised a Christian (specifically, Catholic). Sometimes I feel called to join back with the fold, against all personal intuition. But I hesitate to because of internal theological and political disagreements.

I support gay marriage, am pro-choice until viability, and have more of an evidence based view on the world. There have been instances where I wanted to pray to relieve stress, but stopped myself because I do not believe that anything supernatural is occurring. Many times in my life I have found that "speaking to God" makes me feel very relaxed and at peace with myself. It's a real feeling. But when I look at the evidence, I can determine that this experience is caused by chemical releases in the brain, and emotion.

What say the Christians?

[Pope Joan]

Most scholars agree that the original text of Mark's Gospel ends with 16:8, so the verse about snake handling is not even scriptural.

Even if we admit it, there is no reason to think that there is any mandate for snake handling. It reminds me of glossolalia which also claims authority of a few verses in order to set up some artificial system of spiritual prowess. These skills, if legitimate, are to be used for the greater good. Not for personal glory.

[Tarsonis Survivors]

Most scholars agree that the original text of Mark's Gospel ends with 16:8, so the verse about snake handling is not even scriptural.

Even if we admit it, there is no reason to think that there is any mandate for snake handling. It reminds me of glossolalia which also claims authority of a few verses in order to set up some artificial system of spiritual prowess. These skills, if legitimate, are to be used for the greater good. Not for personal glory.

Please see my post.

[Tarsonis Survivors]

I want to weigh in as an agnostic atheist who was raised a Christian (specifically, Catholic). Sometimes I feel called to join back with the fold, against all personal intuition. But I hesitate to because of internal theological and political disagreements.

I support gay marriage, am pro-choice until viability, and have more of an evidence based view on the world. There have been instances where I wanted to pray to relieve stress, but stopped myself because I do not believe that anything supernatural is occurring. Many times in my life I have found that "speaking to God" makes me feel very relaxed and at peace with myself. It's a real feeling. But when I look at the evidence, I can determine that this experience is caused by chemical releases in the brain, and emotion.

What say the Christians?

If you want to break down life to its simplest functions, then what we call life has no intrinsic value. Just a series of molecules moving through space, no different than any other molecules. A living being is indistinguishable from stream of water, an asteroid, or a star.

[Pope Joan]

Most scholars agree that the original text of Mark's Gospel ends with 16:8, so the verse about snake handling is not even scriptural.

Even if we admit it, there is no reason to think that there is any mandate for snake handling. It reminds me of glossolalia which also claims authority of a few verses in order to set up some artificial system of spiritual prowess. These skills, if legitimate, are to be used for the greater good. Not for personal glory.

Please see my post.

I was trying to reply to Unified Imperial States but was unable to use the quote function, so I simply posted the response.

[Tarsonis Survivors]

Please see my post.

I was trying to reply to Unified Imperial States but was unable to use the quote function, so I simply posted the response.

Sorry I was too vague and hasty in my response. I was specifically meant it as an address your claim that "it's not even scriptural." This is not true.

[Russels Orbiting Teapot]

If you want to break down life to its simplest functions, then what we call life has no intrinsic value. Just a series of molecules moving through space, no different than any other molecules. A living being is indistinguishable from stream of water, an asteroid, or a star.

Indeed. To a secular humanist, what has value is the pattern that emerges from all this mere matter and energy, and we are the ones who make things meaningful. Just because your desires arise from the chemicals in your brain does not make them unworthy.

[Menassa]

No, it was trash.

Dumpster tier of a movie....

Speaking of, I have been meaning to ask the group here what they think of modern Christian fiction like the left behind series and other things.... I also would like to know if anyone read the book 'Addicted to Mediocrity' by Frankie Shaefer.

As a preterist I find Christian Fiction to be exactly that, Fiction. Though I will say the Movie Megiddo was an interesting movie. Hard to go wrong with Lee Ermey and Michael York.

I do find some Christian "fiction" movies, (I hesitate to call them fiction but I don't know what else to call them) that focus on the Exorcism arm of the Catholic Church. Specifically movies like The Exorcist, or the The Rite. Mainly though, because this concept has always fascinated me so these movies I find very interesting.

Yes, but my question mainly lies around the fact that there is good fiction ... and then there is bad fiction ... and then there is Christian fiction.

This is not to say that the issue is how fact-based the media is, but how poorly they are made. Which is why the faith and spirituality part of netflix makes me cringe.

[Tarsonis Survivors]

As a preterist I find Christian Fiction to be exactly that, Fiction. Though I will say the Movie Megiddo was an interesting movie. Hard to go wrong with Lee Ermey and Michael York.

I do find some Christian "fiction" movies, (I hesitate to call them fiction but I don't know what else to call them) that focus on the Exorcism arm of the Catholic Church. Specifically movies like The Exorcist, or the The Rite. Mainly though, because this concept has always fascinated me so these movies I find very interesting.

Yes, but my question mainly lies around the fact that there is good fiction ... and then there is bad fiction ... and then there is Christian fiction.

This is not to say that the issue is how fact-based the media is, but how poorly they are made. Which is why the faith and spirituality part of netflix makes me cringe.

well like any genre, there's the good, the bad, and the ugly.

Good movies are generally like "The Exorcist, or The Omen" The okay ones IMHO are like the Tyler Perry Movies. The laughably bad movies, are any movie staring Kirk Cameron or im assuming God's not dead. And then you have the "Ugly" ones, like End of Days.

[Menassa]

Yes, but my question mainly lies around the fact that there is good fiction ... and then there is bad fiction ... and then there is Christian fiction.

This is not to say that the issue is how fact-based the media is, but how poorly they are made. Which is why the faith and spirituality part of netflix makes me cringe.

well like any genre, there's the good, the bad, and the ugly.

Good movies are generally like "The Exorcist, or The Omen" The okay ones IMHO are like the Tyler Perry Movies. The laughably bad movies, are any movie staring Kirk Cameron or im assuming God's not dead. And then you have the "Ugly" ones, like End of Days.

I see your point, I hadn't thought of those movies as Christian Fiction since they don't pretend to tout a Christian Message like many of the others... Freedom of Silence being one.

[Pope Joan]

I was trying to reply to Unified Imperial States but was unable to use the quote function, so I simply posted the response.

Sorry I was too vague and hasty in my response. I was specifically meant it as an address your claim that "it's not even scriptural." This is not true.

All right, I am sure it shows up in Jerome and the Jerusalem Bible. It's not in my NIV or Phillips, and it is not given equal treatment in Nestle Aland greek text.

[Ripolla]

I'm a Hellenistic Jew that agrees with some tenants of satanism, which form of Christianity does that fall under?

[Salus Maior]

I'm a Hellenistic Jew that agrees with some tenants of satanism, which form of Christianity does that fall under?

Satanism is not at all Christianity...

[Menassa]

I'm a Hellenistic Jew that agrees with some tenants of satanism, which form of Christianity does that fall under?

Hellenistic Jew... what does that mean... you believe in like, Greek Gods?

[Tarsonis Survivors]

Sorry I was too vague and hasty in my response. I was specifically meant it as an address your claim that "it's not even scriptural." This is not true.

All right, I am sure it shows up in Jerome and the Jerusalem Bible. It's not in my NIV or Phillips, and it is not given equal treatment in Nestle Aland greek text.

That's interestig as it appears in my Phillips, NIV, NRSV, KJV, ESV, and my scans of the 1599 Geneva bible, as well as being included in the 28th edition of the NAG.

Editions are keen to note that it's a second century edition to Mark. However as I said, this obsession over the original as being the Authoritative, is entirely a modern concept, one early Christians would reject.

[Tarsonis Survivors]

I'm a Hellenistic Jew that agrees with some tenants of satanism, which form of Christianity does that fall under?

Well, since you're a Jew,... none.

[Prussia-Steinbach]

I'm a Hellenistic Jew that agrees with some tenants of satanism, which form of Christianity does that fall under?

Are all your beliefs confusing contradictions?

[The United Neptumousian Empire]

No. I haven't seen the movie, nor do I care too. These movies are supposed to be for "evangelizing" but they're produced in such a way that they're just a circle jerk for the Choir.

This^, I have no interest in seeing it (much to the surprise of my non-religious friends who thought I would hop on it's bandwagon...) and it seems like it would be kind of like the left behind series (which I watched for it's apocalyptic themes. The religious themes I ignored, I still came away from it like a preacher tied me to a chair and lectured me for 2 days nonstop). Really it's kind of rare for me to like religious movies that are directly religious intentionally, I prefer the ones that use symbolism better or recounting biblical stories. Take for instance the Kingdom Hearts game series, it certainly isn't a Christian work but it has some Christian symbolism (as well as other religion's symbols) and it's a fantastic work. So I'll say the ones that try too hard are the ones that suck, like God's not Dead for this reason.

I enjoyed the Book of Eli, which seems to be a religious film.

[The United Neptumousian Empire]

No, it was trash.

Dumpster tier of a movie....

Speaking of, I have been meaning to ask the group here what they think of modern Christian fiction like the left behind series and other things.... I also would like to know if anyone read the book 'Addicted to Mediocrity' by Frankie Shaefer.

As a preterist I find Christian Fiction to be exactly that, Fiction. Though I will say the Movie Megiddo was an interesting movie. Hard to go wrong with Lee Ermey and Michael York.

I do find some Christian "fiction" movies, (I hesitate to call them fiction but I don't know what else to call them) that focus on the Exorcism arm of the Catholic Church. Specifically movies like The Exorcist, or the The Rite. Mainly though, because this concept has always fascinated me so these movies I find very interesting.

I also enjoy those kinds of movies. It's also of note that they are the only sort of horror movies that actually scare me to any real degree, because unlike the rest, I actually believe in demonic possession.

[Caille]

I want to weigh in as an agnostic atheist who was raised a Christian (specifically, Catholic). Sometimes I feel called to join back with the fold, against all personal intuition. But I hesitate to because of internal theological and political disagreements.

I support gay marriage, am pro-choice until viability, and have more of an evidence based view on the world. There have been instances where I wanted to pray to relieve stress, but stopped myself because I do not believe that anything supernatural is occurring. Many times in my life I have found that "speaking to God" makes me feel very relaxed and at peace with myself. It's a real feeling. But when I look at the evidence, I can determine that this experience is caused by chemical releases in the brain, and emotion.

What say the Christians?

If you want to break down life to its simplest functions, then what we call life has no intrinsic value. Just a series of molecules moving through space, no different than any other molecules. A living being is indistinguishable from stream of water, an asteroid, or a star.

That does not take away from the meanings we construct for ourselves.

[Aelex]

How do you know she didn't have a series of extremely convenient (or inconvenient) miracles?

Basically because she's a bitch who know that she would kill her own subjects if she unleash her power but do it anyway because she's fucking selfish. And miracles ain't performed by selfish people.

Plus, the real end of the film should be either her public execution by the "smallfolk" who would have revolted while she was doing her "initiatic journey" with her sis' and the instauration of a republic in a bloodbath; or her murder and the seizing of the throne by people who are afraid of her power and who would put her sis' as a puppet to control the kingdom.

[Aelex]

I also enjoy those kinds of movies. It's also of note that they are the only sort of horror movies that actually scare me to any real degree, because unlike the rest, I actually believe in demonic possession.

Really? O_o

[The Alexanderians]

This^, I have no interest in seeing it (much to the surprise of my non-religious friends who thought I would hop on it's bandwagon...) and it seems like it would be kind of like the left behind series (which I watched for it's apocalyptic themes. The religious themes I ignored, I still came away from it like a preacher tied me to a chair and lectured me for 2 days nonstop). Really it's kind of rare for me to like religious movies that are directly religious intentionally, I prefer the ones that use symbolism better or recounting biblical stories. Take for instance the Kingdom Hearts game series, it certainly isn't a Christian work but it has some Christian symbolism (as well as other religion's symbols) and it's a fantastic work. So I'll say the ones that try too hard are the ones that suck, like God's not Dead for this reason.

I enjoyed the Book of Eli, which seems to be a religious film.

Yes but it's not as preachy as say the left behind series, Book of Eli is an "on the fence one" because some people hate it and others love it