What is the objective of Christianity?

[BCRanger10]

What is the objective of Christianity? What do you believe to be its ultimate aim or goal?

Saving souls/Leading people to God

Helping the poor

Influencing social issues

Teaching morality and values

Affirmation/Validation

Other

[BlueScorpio]

The whole goal of Christianity is that Jesus died for the world/sinners so that they might be saved. Jesus paid the ultimate price for all of us cause the reality is not a single person here on earth would be worthy enough to enter God's kindom. We have all fallen short of His grace, because God loves us and is merciful, He still gives us a chance to this day to make things right here on earth. Everyday you wake up, is a day that God remembers you, is a day that God is giving you the chance to know Him and His son, His word so that when you leave this earth you won't have to worry about losing the one important thing you have- that being your soul.

People say it's about control and just keeping you chained in box forever. It's about life lessons, teaching you how to live rightously, to live a fufilling and loving life. And yes, it's to help humans learn some self control, look at the way the world is today, everyone is questioning and angry about how messed up and chaotic the world has become today and that's because humans have lost self control. One mintue we say we want to be able to do whatever we want on this earth, then when we do it and don't like the outcome we immediately want to complain about the consequences we put ourselves. That's because we have free will, if you use your free will to make your life or someone else harder then the only person you can blame is yourself.

[Varanus]

It's about control. It's a way to keep people ignorant and easily manipulated.

In many areas, religion is your primary connection to your community, and for most of human history, the approval of your community was directly tied to your survival. That gives the people who control the direction of the church and which of its conflicting rules are followed immense power.

This is pretty obvious when you look at the actual teachings of Christ written in the Bible (turn the other cheek, help the poor, treat the sick, let he who is without sin cast the first stone), and cross reference that with the values modern Christians tend to have (persecute others, get rich, fuck the poor, bomb the nonbelievers, etc). Modern Christians usually do almost the exact opposite of what their own holy book tells them to.

[HighlyQuestionable]

I've noticed this contradiction.

Why do you say that in the past, the approval of a community was tied closely to survival?, It would seem to have been less so in the past when one could "hunter-gatherer" their way through life.

[Varanus]

@HighlyQuestionable Hunter-gatherer does not mean you're capable of surviving long-term all alone. Humans evolved as tribes of people working together, and you relied on the efforts of each other to survive. It may not be easy to find another tribe and be accepted by them, so getting kicked out of your tribe is very close to a death sentence.

[Guy13]

To glorify God and bring as many of the Lost to Him as possible. Giving everyone Free Will to choose Him or choose Him Not makes life difficult. At the same time when one comes to know of God, given we are in the Devil’s Playground, it glorifies His name.

[HighlyQuestionable]

@Guy: Let me first say that I do not entertain the world view that you reference.

But rhetorically: Why "glorify" a god? He/It is already omnipotent (or nearly so).

[Guy13]

@HighlyQuestionable We are created in His Image…Imago Dei and following His Word and precepts is glorifying God. Obedience is Blessed and Disobedience is cursed.

[HighlyQuestionable]

I am curious @Guy13, what exactly does it mean "to be created in the IMAGE of God" ? Does it mean that "God" is humanoid in appearance? ( I am not "baiting" or being ignorant in deception, just curious about your religion).

"Obedience is blessed" ? Why would "God" want submissive followers? If "He" does want submissive followers, why bother creating people with their own free will?

The God of the religions of the book seems like a being that enjoys games, and has the nature of the Gambler about him.

[Guy13]

@HighlyQuestionable This is imply question, however, in your case it is going to require some Bible. Bible is the Word of God. It possesses His precepts (10 Commandments example etc..). It is God's Truth, therefore, Absolute in its Nature.-Given it is Absolute truth, one has to follow it absolutely. This is where the Issue lies in the Flesh and World... Some verses and next section that directly addresses Question... (Matthew 3:13)-more coming.

[Guy13]

@HighlyQuestionable Image of God: means to bear His likeness in the forms of Attributes. The difference being infinite (Creator, God) and finite (man). So, Love is Agape in God where as "Iittle l", love is eros/phila (sexual/brotherly) in man. As fallen and sinful people (school shootings, Putin, history), we are incapable of Love or say Good or Just etc. We are "good-hearted but clearly not good natured... not Good. Just: even though Courts are fundamentally underpinned by 10 Commandments and procedures found in Bible, man is not just in his judgments and decisions, where as God is Just... provider of Precepts that are used. www.biblestudytools.com and type in Attributes in search window.-much more thorough. Often, Evil suffering etc questions arise of of God's attributional character. Those are solvable with Free Will, innate knowing of right/wrong or good/evil, conscience to guide/officiate, man's obvious fallen nature (look around you), and some other things...

[Guy13]

God in the form of man/humanoid: reading the Bible will give you both timeline and context but skipping to "humanoid" : Jesus the Christ as God was baptized positional as Man... phrase is "God-man"(comes with a theological definition) with a mission to Aatone for the fallen nature of man and creation as a whole... restore Earth back to Garden of Eden (Genesis). Jesus, who lived sinless/unfallen took upon Himself global sinfulness at the Cross in his blood as a substitutionary atonement (theological definition).
Jesus rose from the grave and their is all kind of apologetic evidence in Roman history, religious history, forensics, witnesses etc. This is the bulk of Proof for Jesus the Christ as God. The details prior, the 3000 years ago prophecies that came true in the minutest detail is also part of the Proof.-This requires a cover-cover Bible reading to grasp.

[HighlyQuestionable]

@ Guy13

Most of what you you state, I can agree with from your standpoint, But suggesting human beings are incapable of Agape Love is nonsensical. The very word "Agape" is greek, the greeks who were polytheists / multitheists. If they could conceive of Agape, they were probably capable of it in rare instances.

Very rare instances, I would admit.

I am an infidel, but I always thought that Christians believed that the advent of christ/Christ somehow negated or rendered the 10 Commandments somehow modified.

I have a couple of questions that I would very much like to hear a Christian's take on:

1. I am not a Muslim, but the Islamic concept of the "erudite path" to God has always appealed to me on a philosophical/intellectual level, what, if anything does Christianity have that is an analogue to this.

2.(very important) What is the Christian view on a Man falling in love with a Woman, but without the crude sexual component. How does this fall into the Greek/Christian concept-words of love?

3. (later)

Thank you.

[Guy13]

@HighlyQuestionable
Agape is an in spite of Love. It is God’s Love and it is not romantically base as the Greek language defines it.
Even though there is nothing commending about us to Him, He loves us. Firstly, He created us and does not kill us for violating His precepts and commandments. That’s a Grace-filled, Merciful, Sovereign, Wrathful, and Loving God.

He needs us Not but yet he has provided us a sacrifice for our Sins.-In the form of Jesus the Christ perfect in life and risen as he defeated death.

Christian Love ; Man/Woman relationship read Ephesians 5 as directions for MSN and woman are there. Search Proverbs Wife and read that straight from Bible online too. These include Eros and Phila love and how to carry them out.

[HighlyQuestionable]

It is a Greek word, hence, ONLY the Greek language has a right to define it's meaning.

This is one point of umbrage I have with Christians, and Christian derived cultures some of them think they can steal or rip-off others cultures.

From churches using "bait" to attract kids, to some of them thinking they can redefine the meanings of words in a language that predates them by thousands of years.

Maybe it's time to think about "canceling" Christianity?

Seriously, you guys in the "Religions of the Book" have managed to stumble your way through a few millennia, causing wars and destroying cultures. Yes, you've improved a few things here-and-there, and introduced a couple of good principles along the way... but...

it's not you, it's us.

[Guy13]

@HighlyQuestionable that's the point. It is not redefined. It is from the Greek and Hebrew. Men are Evil and fallen and choose their suffering. School shootings to Putin etc... It is the state of man as there is no good in Him and that's why we require a sinless sacrifice In and through Jesus the Christ for our redemption and reconciliation before a Holy and Creator, God.

[HighlyQuestionable]

If Men (I presume you mean the whole Homo sapiens, not just males) were "Evil" there would be no altruism, there would be no strangers rushing into burning buildings to save other strangers.

This PROVES that Humanity is not "Evil"

But I get what you were saying about the origin of "Agape", I was only confused by the phrasing (Mea Culpa)

[Guy13]

@HighlyQuestionable Humanity has the capability to choose good and choose Evil. If one can choose Evil and does... obviously we do then we are Evil. Look around you... Putin. Gun shootings killing kids. Man is Totally Depraved, fallen, and sinful. We have moments of good and Evil, therefore, we are Evil.

[Googlemyahoo]

In military training what do you do? Stand up, get down, run, repeat the same phrases and commands. Until you’re fully “trained.”

Goto church on Sunday what do you do? Stand up, sit down, kneel repeat the same phrases. Until what… fully brainwashed.

[HighlyQuestionable]

Yeah ,@Googlemyahoo, you have a point. Any ideas on benevolent deprogramming methods?

[Googlemyahoo]

@HighlyQuestionable read books about the decline of rome & rise of Christianity & the reformation of the Catholic church.

[HighlyQuestionable]

@ Googlemy: Already have read much on those periods, if you are making the argument to replace Christianity w/ another "staged revelation" that would be replacing one potential problem with a bigger potential problem.

[Googlemyahoo]

@HighlyQuestionable replace fuck no more like abolish all of them. Secularism & rule of law not backwards religious cultural hysteria

[CindersFire]

I mean it really depends on your perspective. At a base level religion is supposed to give people a guideline/ explanation to life. In early Hebrew cultures (which was likely polythiestic) this included a basic "view" of the world which was obviously way off reality but it allowed them to interact with the world with out constantly being faced with the unknown (genisis). It than evolved into some basic/ or not so basic overview of how to act based on the society you lived in (the old and new testament). Now you could put more nuanced purpose onto it which as caring for the less fortunate and saving one's soul. However, those could be labeled as by product rather than the purpose.

[Agape93]

Control.

It's fine to pray in private. It's fine to preach and spread your word. But Christians don't stop at that. They historically forced you to conform to their beliefs, and if you don't or question it, you died and often painfully. The only reason they're calm now, is because society forced it to calm down. So now, what do they do? They try to change that society, through politics and social shaming, to yet again make it conform to them and their wishes.

[HighlyQuestionable]

I think you are on to something @Agape93

[AndrésC64]

Absolutely. To quote Madeline Murray O'Hare

"I'll tell you what you did with Atheists for about 1500 years. You outlawed them from the universities or any teaching careers, besmirched their reputations, banned or burned their books or their writings of any kind, drove them into exile, humiliated them, seized their properties, arrested them for blasphemy. You dehumanised them with beatings and exquisite torture, gouged out their eyes, slit their tongues, stretched, crushed, or broke their limbs, tore off their breasts if they were women, crushed their scrotums if they were men, imprisoned them, stabbed them, disembowelled them, hanged them, burnt them alive.

And you have nerve enough to complain to me that I laugh at you."

-- Dr Madalyn Murray O'Hair

[Agape93]

Exactly

[Agape93]

My people would have been tortured and burned alive.

[242plusInfinity]

Probably however that's not the intent of the Bible. That is the intent of transitional Christianity perhaps and many transitional religions. The Bible is simply a guide to having a better life. It's not about hell or heaven as traditionally people think of them. It isn't about a God that judges, which God is incapable of. It isn't even about rules. At it's core it is about personal development and you will find what the Bible teaches in just about every self-help book. You will find the true meanings. People don't dislike or not believe in God because they inherently reject it. They do so because they were taught wrong. They were wrong false truths about the word of God. Anyone who is religious and follows traditional beliefs has been brainwashed by others. I personally dislike religions however I know the Bible is the greatest book ever written and it is no accident that it is still around. And no I don't mean God. God doesn't care.

[BlueScorpio]

If that was true, God wouldn't of allowed you just type what you just said. You still have free will.

[Agape93]

Who are you talking to blue?

[dustybiker]

I honestly think it started as a form of control. Help humanize people back in that age. And now it’s turned into self comfort. Like family. Something familiar they can turn to when needed. Stop fears, especially of death.

[HighlyQuestionable]

@dusty, That's very insightful.

I have noticed Christians constantly fall back on family and friends.

The downsides to this are 1. their lack of a strong sense of self. 2. their lack of interest in attempting to solve the "Big" problems.

I live in a (very) conservative area. I constantly, accidentally "step" on Christians without even meaning to do so (and it hurts me when It happens to be someone that I care about). They always assume that their values are your values.

[dustybiker]

@HighlyQuestionable Yes. I get that. I too find it hard to find the correct words at times. It is hard talking to people with strong personal beliefs that you respect.

[HighlyQuestionable]

Yes. But I think this is part of the problem: Christian Conservatives always seek "self-comfort" .

It is very rare that someone can grow personally while seeking "self-comfort". This is why conservative/fundamentalist religious groups have always been associates with bigotry, , racism xenophobia, socially ostracizing others, etc

The have knee-jerk reactions to anything that is "weird" or "different".

I don't have to speculate on this, and it's not just my opinion.

I live it most every day.

[HighlyQuestionable]

@dusty, I said I cared about them. I don't necessarily respect their point of view, they seem irrational, childish, toxic and uncommunicative.

[dustybiker]

@HighlyQuestionable I think more dependent and less confident. Fear pushed on you can do that, especially if it’s fear without base to personal experience.

[HighlyQuestionable]

@dusty, Please elaborate a bit.

I purposely exposed myself to Christianity at a young age (around 8-10), I found it boring, incomprehensible and off-putting.

I have overcome nearly every fear I have ever encountered, often through nothing but brute force, so I am at a loss to grasp understanding here.

[Rikastin]

The goal is to make people aware of their need to connect with God in order to become eternally existing and happy. This is to be achieved through the acception of:

- our own sinfulness

- need for mercy from true God

- our ability to use given power to gradually get rid of sinful habits and thoughts (this last part gets often missed by protestants)

[HighlyQuestionable]

@Rikastin,

At least your vision of Christianity has "self-improvement" as a goal.

[John_Doesnt]

They want money and power. They get %10 of your income in exchange for nothing and they tell everybody how to live their lives. It is a tool for oppressing the masses.

[HaveNoName]

As soon as religion becomes an organization or with a controlling body, it does not remain "faith".

The Pope, The Church... what are these?

[Iron_Man]

Saving souls/Leading people to God

Teaching morality and values

Affirmation/Validation

helping everybody in the world

And so much more

[slatyb]

Attracting people to donate to support church leaders.

[jshm2]

Depends what sect of Christianity you're talking about.

[Anonymous]

Ultimately it's to help people establish a relationship with God. Salvation will take care of itself from there. I can't imagine anyone who's truly experienced God's love NOT wanting him in thier life.

[888theGreat]

Making earth like Heaven and converting people over so when they die , they will go to Heaven.

Currently earth is more like Hell and not many will be going to Heaven

[exitseven]

It started as a way to get people to practice good health habits.

[Phoenix98]

I guess if there was a primary objective for it then I’d be A.

[Dargil]

To worship G0d (in Christ) and love him forever.

[TroyDT]

Of the Faith itself? Salvation of those who believe.

Of many of the churches? enrichment of the leaders.

[SpaceGalaxy]

To get people to believe-in an imaginary friend up in the sky who they can talk to by calling it "faith" since they cannot explain it

[AndrésC64]

It's like a virus. It's only objective is to spread itself.

[RiseofArtemis]

modernism is a virus that destroys us, religion always comes when humanity is at their lowest which means when humans only follow pleasure and their own gratification.

[HighlyQuestionable]

@RiseofArtemis

Does your name mean that you are a member of a Mediterranean polytheist sect?

What about a religion that advocates mutual hedonism and simultaneously advocates total benevolence and the equal sharing of goods and services?

[captain_voidwalker]

It's ultimate goal is to bring you closer to your creator.

[admles]

Organised religions were developed for one purpose - controlling the masses.

[Fuentes]

Letting you know that will and can be judged later.

[Jenny-Marie]

It's a money making scam. Have you ever seen a destitute religion?

[Dinosaursandanime65]

I don’t think it has an objective really, it’s just existence

[jimmy2]

To be a child of the one true God and God live with Him in Heaven. Heaven is 1,500 miles sq and 1500 miles high

[HighlyQuestionable]

A. That sounds incredibly boring, honestly.

B. Wow, that heaven of yours is gonna get mighty crowded.

[Kerrim23]

To control people and judge people

[josephinelcajon]

Control people and wealth with fear

[FunkyMonkee]

Mostly, brainwashing and controlling you.

[FilmGuy93]

The objective is transformation.

[Andres77]

A personal relationship with Jesus Christ.

[HighlyQuestionable]

@Andres77: I cannot understand the concept of a personal relationship with a being that is not physically present.

[Andres77]

@HighlyQuestionable
Are you physically present? Then who am I talking to?
I’m not a good man. I’m not better than anyone else. I cannot accept that everything on this earth is just some cosmic chance.
There’s got to be something more.
Truth doesn’t change just because people believe it. Truth is truth. I’m struggling to find a way ahead.
I’m not trying to convince you of anything.
This is the path I’m struggling with.

[HighlyQuestionable]

Yes, Andres77, I am present at the other end of this wire that your computer/handheld is connected to.

I am physically present typing this message.

WHERE IS YOUR GOD PHYSICALLY PRESENT?

(and please, for the love of G*d, don't say something like "in my heart"...)

[Andres77]

@HighlyQuestionable
He is GOD.
He exists whether you believe in Him or not.
I’m not trying to convince you of anything.
We’re both going die. If you’re right, boop , we just cease to exist. If I’m right…eternity is a LONG time to contemplate one’s errors.
But you do you.

[TwoToTooTutu2]

To achieve Christ's ressurection for yourself.

[HippieVeganJewslim]

Either A, or something else.

[Gollum]

control of the masses. Religions are bullshit.

[OddBeMe]

Control populace. Earn money.

[imfreeze95]

It depends on the denomination

[WhiteBoyChill]

To prepare ourselves for Salvation

[HighlyQuestionable]

@Chill, Salvation is an interesting concept. I never really got it myself. I cannot convince myself of something so ridiculous as the mistakes of the supposed "first couple" somehow being my problem.

To convince me that I need to be "saved", you must first convince me that I am somehow condemned by God for someone else's mistakes.

The only entity that has ever condemned me to my knowledge are Christians.

[strateguy632]

a,.,

[Anonymous]

Brainwashing

[Agagagagaga]

Oh go read some more Marx you bigot.

[HighlyQuestionable]

@Agagagagaga , who was that "Marx/Bigot" comment hurled at?

[maximumpower]

Its a business.