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FWIW I think that this attitude is at the core of issues such as mass shootings and police violence. That I think it's largely cultural is also why I'm not conv
by lazulicurio 5y ago
FWIW I think that this attitude is at the core of issues such as mass shootings and police violence. That I think it's largely cultural is also why I'm not convinced that gun restrictions will be super-effective at combating it. I think that all humans experience some measure of schadenfreude at seeing people they dislike get a comeuppance, but I don't think that enjoying physical retribution is innate. I remember one year we were over at my sister's house for the holidays and watching A Christmas Story. My 2yo niece was with us on the couch when the scene where Ralphie beats up the bully came on---you could tell that she was horrified whereas noone else seemed to think twice of it. Unfortunately cultural issues are difficult to solve. Christianity brought "turn the other cheek", but 2000 years later look where we are.
- klmadfejno 5y ago> Christianity brought "turn the other cheek", but 2000 years later look where we are. I've no interest in a debate on religion, but Christianity is the religion that brought "bad people burn in hell for eternity".
- supernovae 5y agoSince they're borne to sin, they can do whatever they want.. God will forgive them
- klmadfejno 5y agoGenuine question. Does Christian god forgive everyone? Or only the repentant? Or only the baptized-believer-repentent? If the answer to the first question isn't yes, can you still go to hell with god's forgiveness?
- fortran77 5y agoChristians hold that non-believers will spend eternity in a hell.
- lazulicurio 5y agoWhile that is true for certain denominations, it is most definitely not universal[1]. [1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christian_views_on_Hell https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christian_views_on_Hell
- lisper 5y agoI'm an atheist so I don't really have a dog in this particular fight, but Jesus was pretty clear about this: Mark16:16 He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned.
- loeg 5y agoNot all Christian sects (nor individual Christians) are textual literalists. (Probably most aren't, with respect to arbitrary single verses. There's a lot of random crap in there. E.g., https://www.salon.com/2014/05/31/11_kinds_of_bible_verses_christians_love_to_ignore_partner/ https://www.salon.com/2014/05/31/11_kinds_of_bible_verses_ch... )
- lisper 5y agoI didn't say they were. I just said that Jesus was pretty clear about this.
- loeg 5y agoSure. Even that is somewhat debatable; Mark wasn't written until 3-4 decades after Jesus' death.[0] > The Church has consequently derived its view of Jesus primarily from Matthew, secondarily from John, and only distantly from Mark. [0]: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gospel_of_Mark https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gospel_of_Mark
- objectivetruth 5y ago> I just said that Jesus was pretty clear about this. Not unless you feel "damned" in that sentence is adequately defined, and as the earlier link to the Wiki article on the many different Christian theologies about Hell shows... it's NOT adequately defined.
- notsuoh 5y agoI think it's a little different across sects, but I grew up around a lot of baptists and the line was that anyone who asks was forgiven at any point, so I think this falls into the repentant category, though I don't think it actually requires repent. Lots of tough questions around someone who lives a virtuous life who asked forgiveness at an early age versus an evil person asking for forgiveness on their death bed and them both ending up in the same place.
- hcrisp 5y agoA verse you might want to consider is "... we have our hope set on the living God, who is the Savior of all people, especially of those who believe." My interpretation is that forgiveness is available to all but made effective only in those who respond in faith. The scriptures do not say anything about those who are ignorant about God's salvation.
- lazulicurio 5y agoMy point wasn't so much that Christianity is a solution, but rather that despite how widespread Christianity became since its founding, one of it's core messages hasn't culturally sunk in.
- Stupulous 5y agoChristianity doesn't have the power to torture people for eternity, and it does have the power to influence believers towards forgiveness. "Bad people burn in hell" is a reassurance that the universe is just, which further enables forgiveness on earth.
- throwaway1090 5y agoThe thing is 'bad people' include those who masturbate, LGBTs and many other such crazy definitions that cause real harm to kids and adults. Obviously, not all Christians and factions of Christianity. Edit: Also, in some factions, a big part of 'forgiveness' is confessing to a male 'virgin'. For kids and adults.