Christianity is the Believer's Social Life, That's All it Is, Was or Ever Will Be
On a Christian Blog I had the following exchange today. See what you think:
For you Christianity is your social life. That's all it is. That's all it ever is. It does not require you to explain how God can think (since thinking demand weighing temporal alternatives); it doesn't require you to explain how three persons of the trinity just happened to be united who have always existed as a single Godhead; it doesn't ask you to explain why God created something in the first place given the amount of horrible suffering in the world and the fact that he was supposedly perfect in love neither needing nor wanting anything; it doesn't ask you to explain the criteria for the human DNA chosen that made up Jesus's body (since Joseph was not supplying any); it doesn't ask you to explain how Jesus is 100% man and 100% God with nothing left over; it doesn't require you to explain where the human resurrected body of Jesus will spend eternity (can it simply be discarded since this Jesus was sinless, or does a trinue God now have a member who is embodied forever); it doesn't ask you to explain how a cannabalized body can be resurrected; it doesn't ask you to explain why a supposedly timeless God now chooses to live forever in time subsequent to creation lest all of the results of human history disappear; it doesn't ask you to explain much of anything crucial to what you believe, and I could go on and on and on.
You believe because you worship in a community of other believers who give meaning to your life. Take you out of that community for a few months or more, read some books, and your faith could suffer and even die. A faith like yours should be sustainable apart from the Christian community of believers but you'll never attempt this, will you?
czechaitian, said...I see Jesus as my center, empirically speaking, because it works for me-- makes sense of my experience, focuses my decision making, teaches me foundation and relationship and commitment, opens practical life opportunities. Why would anyone put something/someone at the center of their lives or mature toward something if that "something" is not producing measurable results?My response:
For you Christianity is your social life. That's all it is. That's all it ever is. It does not require you to explain how God can think (since thinking demand weighing temporal alternatives); it doesn't require you to explain how three persons of the trinity just happened to be united who have always existed as a single Godhead; it doesn't ask you to explain why God created something in the first place given the amount of horrible suffering in the world and the fact that he was supposedly perfect in love neither needing nor wanting anything; it doesn't ask you to explain the criteria for the human DNA chosen that made up Jesus's body (since Joseph was not supplying any); it doesn't ask you to explain how Jesus is 100% man and 100% God with nothing left over; it doesn't require you to explain where the human resurrected body of Jesus will spend eternity (can it simply be discarded since this Jesus was sinless, or does a trinue God now have a member who is embodied forever); it doesn't ask you to explain how a cannabalized body can be resurrected; it doesn't ask you to explain why a supposedly timeless God now chooses to live forever in time subsequent to creation lest all of the results of human history disappear; it doesn't ask you to explain much of anything crucial to what you believe, and I could go on and on and on.
You believe because you worship in a community of other believers who give meaning to your life. Take you out of that community for a few months or more, read some books, and your faith could suffer and even die. A faith like yours should be sustainable apart from the Christian community of believers but you'll never attempt this, will you?