Southern Baptists urged to reject any laws legalizing gay marriage

[Science Friction]

You pity them.

 

They pray for you.

 

Great arrangement.

 

 

I pity that I grew up being indoctrinated into that backward type of thinking. I'm thankful that rational thinking prevailed. It always will if you allow it to. And no, they don't pray for me.

[Cardinals2745]

I pity that I grew up being indoctrinated into that backward type of thinking. I'm thankful that rational thinking prevailed. It always will if you allow it to. And no, they don't pray for me.

 

I am sure that they do.

 

I will too, Science Friction.

[InItToWinIt]

I pity that I grew up being indoctrinated into that backward type of thinking. I'm thankful that rational thinking prevailed. It always will if you allow it to. And no, they don't pray for me.

 

I've mentioned it on this site before, but I think it is relevant here as well.

 

You are obviously entitled to your own opinion, but please remember that it is possible that the people who defend positions 180 degrees from yours have questioned and challenged these teachings. You would say I was "indoctrinated" at a young age, but my parents just passed along to me what was important in their hearts. Since then, I have had my beliefs and morals challenged often, and through those challenges my beliefs have actually become stronger. I have thought deeply and rationally about them for many years of my short life and have come to find some truth in them. Not everyone who defends the Church is a blind follower. Many of us have thought rationally and found truth.

[Science Friction]

I am sure that they do.

 

I will too, Science Friction.

 

 

If Love overcomes Hate, which I believe it will, we all win. Thanks for your thoughts. I think we both believe in the power of Love in the Universe. I have some wonderful Christian friends who are devout believers. I don't see evidence, none whatsoever, for their Biblical God but I admire the way they live their lives. I do know when something feels right, like a walk in the forest, a beautiful day, an ocean breeze, the canopy of stars in the night sky, and the feelings of Love and Appreciation. Maybe all of these things are manifestations of God. I believe strongly in soul, energy, spirit... and Love. None of those things need man's religion, myths, superstitions, or scriptural allegories. A man can be a spiritual soul without the drag of religiosity. I have seen religion squeeze the spirituality out of men. Men often hate and kill in the name of religion and have since the beginning of time. I would like to see the peoples of the world become more focused on their spiritual connection to the Universe and less on an adherence to some man-made religion which often pretends Love and perpetuates hate.

[Cardinals2745]

If Love overcomes Hate, which I believe it will, we all win. Thanks for your thoughts. I think we both believe in the power of Love in the Universe. I have some wonderful Christian friends who are devout believers. I don't see evidence, none whatsoever, for their Biblical God but I admire the way they live their lives. I do know when something feels right, like a walk in the forest, a beautiful day, an ocean breeze, the canopy of stars in the night sky, and the feelings of Love and Appreciation. Maybe all of these things are manifestations of God. I believe strongly in soul, energy, spirit... and Love. None of those things need man's religion, myths, superstitions, or scriptural allegories. A man can be a spiritual soul without the drag of religiosity. I have seen religion squeeze the spirituality out of men. Men often hate and kill in the name of religion and have since the beginning of time. I would like to see the peoples of the world become more focused on their spiritual connection to the Universe and less on an adherence to some man-made religion which often pretends Love and perpetuates hate.

 

Jesus of Nazareth has an empty tomb!

 

Amen!

 

Men killed others due to other men telling them to do so in the name of religion. These same men did not kill other men in a truly spiritual sense. They were filled with hatred and sin.

 

There is a difference.

[Jim Schue]

I would have to look it up but my guess any Christian presence was very minimal compared to Buddhism n Taoism.

 

Not necessarily in Indochina, where Cambodia is located. Indochina grew up as a French colony and there is a significant Catholic influence in SE Asia as a result. They are certainly outnumbered by the Buddhists, though.

[oldgrappler]

Good point. All religions were banned, foreigners were expelled, education halted, health care eliminated, and a bunch of other wonderful stuff according to several sites.

Obviously the end of the church there...whatever the faith.

 

I'm not sure what location you are referring to when you say, "Obviously the end of the church there."

 

In China when the communists took over and began to expel missionaries, persecute Christians (among others), etc. the church in the west was afraid for their Chinese brothers and sisters. When relations in China began to improve and contact was once again reestablished with the west, mission agencies and human rights groups were surprised to learn how much the church had grown during those years. There were an estimated 2.3 million Christians in China in 1920 (last time a solid figure was known). In the 1990's when it became possible to again make estimates of the # of Christians in China the estimate of Christians had jumped to 60-100+ million. One figure deemed accurate because of the careful method used is around 90 million believers. The church went underground during the cultural revolution and multiplied beyond what anyone expected. God was at work in China and continues to be today. The number of Christians is exploding in China. They estimate that by 2030 the total number of Christians in China will be 247 million and it will make China the nation with the largest number of Christians in the world. Here's a link to an article on this China on course to become 'world's most Christian nation' within 15 years - Telegraph

[broadcaster240]

In an earlier note, I quoted a friend who said "things didn't go well when the church age ended...."

 

The massacre of millions of Chinese in the last century would seem to go hand-in-hand with that comment.

 

I had said "The good news is that Christianity is not coming to an end." And, as you pointed out, Christianity (almost totally in the underground) is going strong.

[broadcaster240]

Sorry; didn't answer your question. As noted earlier, I was talking about Cambodia.

[The Professor]

I'm not sure what location you are referring to when you say, "Obviously the end of the church there."

 

In China when the communists took over and began to expel missionaries, persecute Christians (among others), etc. the church in the west was afraid for their Chinese brothers and sisters. When relations in China began to improve and contact was once again reestablished with the west, mission agencies and human rights groups were surprised to learn how much the church had grown during those years. There were an estimated 2.3 million Christians in China in 1920 (last time a solid figure was known). In the 1990's when it became possible to again make estimates of the # of Christians in China the estimate of Christians had jumped to 60-100+ million. One figure deemed accurate because of the careful method used is around 90 million believers. The church went underground during the cultural revolution and multiplied beyond what anyone expected. God was at work in China and continues to be today. The number of Christians is exploding in China. They estimate that by 2030 the total number of Christians in China will be 247 million and it will make China the nation with the largest number of Christians in the world. Here's a link to an article on this China on course to become 'world's most Christian nation' within 15 years - Telegraph

 

A quick look at Wikipedia has the general consensus that China has between 25 and 40 million Christians, around 2.5% of that nation's total population. It also states that since the 1980s that figures of 100 million+ have been greatly exaggerated and inflated by various sources.

 

That doesn't mean that Wikipedia is accurate either but just thought I'd throw that out there.

[oldgrappler]

Yes, I found many different sources with wide ranges in their estimates. I went with the source that compared many sources and went with what they considered to be an accurate one. At any rate, the decline of the church in China is greatly exaggerated (to borrow and modify a quote of Mark Twain).