Is the Christian church failing it's mission?

[SecularMotion]

Moral issues have created some of the most divisive controversies in recent political campaigns. While some Christians try to argue these issues from the Biblical perspective, their arguments have been falling on deaf ears, often because the Christians themselves are such an integral part of the problem.

For His followers, Jesus laid out a set of moral values, expanded by the Apostle Paul, that were intended to be the lifestyle blueprint for anyone claiming to be a Christian.

In a recent Gallup poll, 77 per cent of Americans claimed to be followers of Christ. At least, they declared themselves to be Christians. But integrating the results of various polls, we are hard-pressed to find credibility in this percentage.

http://www.westfargopioneer.com/content/christian-church-failing-its-mission

[muriel_volestrangler]

1. The Apostrophe Protection Society is failing *its*

Not your fault, I know. The West Fargo Pioneer seems to be a genuine newspaper, but it can't get its headlines correct,

[Nay]

4. You know, the 'its' and 'it's' error has always confounded me because it is so easy to

determine which is correct in a sentence. 'It's' ALWAYS means 'it is.' Always. If you don't want to say 'it is' in your sentence, then 'its' is the correct form to use.

[okasha]

13. Former English teacher here.

The distinction's easy to remember.

"It's" is always a contraction for "it is."

"Its" (no appostrophe&quot is always the neuter possessive pronoun, used when the referent is an inanimate object. E. g., "It's (it is) an old house; its (possessive) paint is peeling."

[Nay]

14. Did you intend to reply to Muriel, not me? I said what you said in my post....

[muriel_volestrangler]

2. FWIW, the list of 'morally acceptable' acts asked about

http://www.gallup.com/poll/162689/record-high-say-gay-lesbian-relations-morally.aspx

Strangely, 'suicide' is only acceptable to 16% of people, but 'doctor-assisted suicide' is acceptable to 45%. And yet a doctor assisting suicide is illegal in most of the USA, while attempted suicide is not. And there is some difference between "having a baby outside of marriage" (60% acceptable) and "an unmarried woman having a baby" (67%), but I can't work out what.

[cbayer]

3. What a disgusting piece of right wing crap. What is the point of posting this here?

[trotsky]

5. I must have missed the announcement.

You know, the one where you were declared "the decider" on what is allowed in this group.

I think it's important to study how religion is used/abused across the political spectrum. Knowing how others think is key to understanding them and perhaps even bringing them around to a better point of view. As you yourself continually promote, it's been religious groups coming around to accepting homosexuality that have allowed the tide to turn and LGBT rights to be expanded.

Don't you agree, cbayer?

[Heddi]

6. tsk tsk. See, it's acceptable and even applauded to post right-wing crap

if it's about Atheists. Especially if it's about SEXISM! Double plus good if it's a poorly written blog by an unknown person who thought about questioning God once and so they're like, "Atheism is *totes* a religion because I, like, prayed before my Chemistry final!" and then they read another blog by another person and OMG! they said mean things about a girl and OMG! Oh yeah. STALIN!!1!

Absolutely verboten to post anything about Christianity(tm) that isn't glowing and full praise and a reminder of the good things that Christianity(tm) has done and how it's changing and helps more people that secular charities and and and and LIBERAL CHURCHEZ!!1

you really should be aware of these things by now, Trots. Sigh. Please follow me down the hallway for re-education...

[trotsky]

7. Argh, I keep forgetting.

My bad.

I keep thinking that one day we can have truly OPEN discussion where religion is analyzed honestly and thoroughly. That day is not here yet.

[Heddi]

8. ZOMG!

STALIN!11@!!!

LIBERAL CHURCHESSZZ!!2@!!11

[trotsky]

9. I've had enough from you, you privileged atheist!

Funny how we're simultaneously bashed for being privileged AND a tiny insignificant minority because as everyone knows, very few of those with "no religion" are actually atheists. (Be sure to sneer when you type it.)

[Heddi]

10. NONES!!!

take that!

[okasha]

15. The buried assumption in this "essay"

is a meme very often seen here: Christians must take the Bible literally and follow all its precepts literally. Ignorant, and rather boring at this point.

[cbayer]

16. I'm not sure what to make of it.

The internet is full of RW fundamentalist crap like this, and this isn't even a decently written piece by one of them.

I guess it is meant to show that there are literalists out there. Ok, but I think most people pretty much know that.

[hrmjustin]

11. The fact that human beings fail to live up to standards they set is nothing new. But the fact is

that happens with believers and non-believers.

[dimbear]

12. That question presupposes we know more or less exactly what the mission is. If we understand quite

correctly that it is to support the ruling classes and government, then......it's not. It's doing fine.