Is there such a thing as too Christian?

[Paragon]

Take my sister, for example. She's openly Christian, yet she doesn't rub it in everyone's face and make a big deal out of it. On the other hand, you got Mel Gibson who makes such a huge deal out of it that it's a turn off. So, is there such a thing as "too Christian"?

:evilgrin:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=105&topic_id=967441&mesg_id=967441

[NewHampshireDem]

1. No, but ...

One can be too annoying, though one shouldn't be. One can also be too pushy or too self-righteous. In fact, being self-righteous at all is probably being too self-righteous.

[Asteroid]

2. Yes! They are all on the 700 Club.

Just listen to those people, and tell me that they are a little too Christian, and of course full of bigotry.

[terrya]

6. None of those people are Christian. They think they are.

But they're not. They twist and pervert and ignore anything that could truly be called Christian.

They're radical right wingers, with an agenda.

Terry

[Rhiannon12866]

27. I agree. n/t

[Xithras]

14. Hey, I'm in the 700 Club

O8)

11 posts to go and I can return to my old evil self....

[PartyPooper]

3. "Is there such a thing as too atheist?"

:evilgrin:

[Ladyhawk]

22. Probably.

I'm trying not to let my anger lead me into this trap and I'm having a tough time.

[blondeatlast]

30. Yes--see the 700 Club for an analogy.

Respect all abnd keep your feelings to yourself and those whose beliefs you share.

[Davis_X_Machina]

4. In the strict sense, no...

Too ready to sell all you have and give it to the poor?
Too ready to clothe the naked, feed the hungry, visit prisoners?
Too ready to turn the other cheek? To return blows with love?

Not ready enough to judge, lest you be judged?
Not ready enough to cast the first stone.

Not bloody likely.

[NewHampshireDem]

5. Nicely Put ...

:)

[HawkerHurricane]

7. To quote H.L. Mencken...

"Christianity has not been tried and found wanting. It has been found diffucult and left untried."

There are too many people who call themselves 'Christian' who are not.

It is not that they are 'too Christian', but that they are obnoxious about thier claims of being Christian, especially since they are not.

Businessman: I want to go to the Holy Land, a view the Ten Commandments in the original!
Mark Twain: Why don't you just stay here and keep them?

Organized Christianity has probably done more to retard the ideals that were it's founders than any other agency in the world. - Richard Le Gallienne

Going to church doesn't make you a Christian any more than going to a garage makes you a car. - Laurence J. Peter

[billybob537]

8. You can't be too Christian

You can however be a hypocrite.

P.S. Don't try to tell the confused coalition Jesus wasn't WHITE!!!O8)

[HawkerHurricane]

19. Whoops!

I told one that not only was he not Northern European White (Semites are Caucasian, but so are Hindis, Arabs, Pakistanis...), but he was born and raised Jewish!

[Ladyhawk]

23. The bible is contradictory, too.

This doesn't help when you try to definte the term "Christian." Personally, I let people label themselves. Fred Phelps is every bit a Christian as Martin Luther King, Jr. was. Each follows/followed scripture that fit with his personal philosophy. The bible is malleable. It can be twisted to justify any world view. If you don't believe me, look out the window.

[blondeatlast]

31. True enough--and I love the sig!

[jmowreader]

9. Go to this website...

http://www.godhatesfags.com

and you'll find someone who's way too Christian.

[Asteroid]

10. What? Jesus wasn't white? n/t

[patchdickens]

21. are you for real?

who cares! I am assuming that you are joking! jesus cound be orange for all I care!!!

[AntiCoup2K4]

24. Fred Phelps isn't remotely a Christian.

A True Christian would live according to the teachings of Jesus Christ. Fred Phelps lives by his own fucked up interpretation of one verse of Leviticus. And his murderous hatred is the exact opposite of what Jesus taught.

So to answer the original question, it's not possible to be too Christian. Reality is that even those of us who DO try to live by His teachings aren't Christian enough. :(

[stopbush]

11. No way! In fact, if you follow the teachings of Jee-bus,

you read this little morsel in Luke:

12:51
Suppose ye that I am come to give peace on earth? I tell you, Nay; but rather division:
12:52
For from henceforth there shall be five in one house divided, three against two, and two against three.
Family Values
12:53
The father shall be divided against the son, and the son against the father; the mother against the daughter, and the daughter against the mother; the mother in law against her daughter in law, and the daughter in law against her mother in law.

Sounds to me like *bush the divider* is the biggest Xtian of them all!!

[strategery blunder]

25. Bu$h* a Christian?

Luke 18:18-22

(18)A certain ruler asked him (Jesus), "Good Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?"
(19)"Why do you call me good?" Jesus answered. "No one is good--except God alone. (20)You know the commandments: 'Do not commit adultery, do not murder, do not steal, do not give false testimony, honor your father and mother.' "
(21)"All these I have kept since I was a boy," he said.
(22)When Jesus heard this, he said to him, "You still lack one thing. Sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me."

At best, bu$h selectively interprets the Bible to support his ultrafreeper views. At worst, he is a wolf in sheep's clothing.

Christianity has split into hundreds of denominations and sects over bitter disagreement over theological questions. I believe the passage you quoted applies to those splits, as religious disagreements are a potent way to break up families. But to quote it in the context that you did, in my view, ignores the good that can be found in the Bible.

[stopbush]

28. "But to quote it in the context that you did, in my view,

ignores the good that can be found in the Bible."

You're correct, of course. But how does that make me any different from every single Xtian sect on Earth that selectively quotes the Bible to support their particular philosophy? The same people who condemn homosexuality based on their interpretations of a few OT verses fail to read a few lines down to see that people wearing multi-fabric clothes are worthy of death. And what about divorcees? The Bible says to kill 'em. Oops. There goes 43% of Americans!

Yes, there's plenty of good in the Bible, the exact same good that's found in every other religion on the planet. But that good is no better or at a higher moral standard than atheistic, agnostic or humanist beliefs.

There's also plenty of bad in the Bible and other religions. At the end of the day, it's a wash, sort of like reading a horoscope.

[INTELBYTES]

12. Mel Gibson doesn't give a rat's ass if you see his movie.

I thought it was an awesome movie, but how do you figure he is pushing it off on you. Last time I checked you had the freedom to take or leave a movie. Get serious...

[Spider Jerusalem]

13. Yes...

Religion qua religion, as the belief in an omniscient and omnipotent deity, is patently absurd, anyway, and SHOULD be grounds for involuntary commital to long-term psychiatric care. (And is, if it doesn't take one of the forms recognised as "acceptable"...try telling people that an all-powerful alien named Zarg created Earth as a breeding farm for harvesting the electromagnetic energy fields of bio-organisms. Develop an ethical system and eschatology. Proselytise. Distribute tracts. See what happens to you.)

And for examples of "too Christian", see for instance the extreme religious psychopaths like Pat Robertson, Jerry Falwell, Fred Phelps, et cetera.

By the way: anyone who says "they aren't Christian" (re post #6) is wrong; they profess Christianity, act in what they say is the name of Christ, and are perceived as Christian; your attempt to define "Christian" in a manner that makes your religion look better than it would WITHOUT these yahoos won't wash.

[DemBones DemBones]

18. Falwell and Robertson aren't "too Christian," they're too

insensitive and not Christian enough. Phelps is far more insensitive and far less Christian.

[AlFrankenFan]

15. Yes

You can be way overboard. Like Ned Flanders. Or kinda like Cartman (but he's just a warped anti-Semite). You go way overboard, I believe, if your abosolute goal is to convert all your friends and such.

[DemBones DemBones]

16. How does Mel Gibson "make such a huge deal of it"?

I haven't seen him doing that --- and I'm easily turned off to people who talk about how Christian they are. I think he's a bit of a macho jerk but a) I could be wrong, and b) if he is, he's not the only one out there.

I've seen Mel say in an interview how he was helped in rehab by really focusing on Christ's Passion, and that led him to make the film, to help others to focus on the Passion so it could help them, too. A lot of people are reporting being positively affected by the film. Of course, he will make a lot of money off it but there was no guarantee of that and he used his own money to make it, so I think it was a labor of love. He also built a church for himself and his family and other traditional Catholics to worship in and I don't think he's promoted that as a good deed. I think he did both things because he wanted to and could afford to.

Christians are supposed to tell others about their beliefs and I don't have a problem with him doing that, unless he starts running it into the ground. Most of us believers, whether Christian, Jewish, Muslim, Buddhist, Hindu, would, if asked, tell others what we believe and how our faith has helped us.

In my views, other peoples' religion becomes a problem when they try to convert you when you're not interested, not when they're just open about it. Nothing wrong with being open about agnosticism or atheism, either. As long as people respect other's views, we can all get along.

Too Insensitive to others' views and feelings is the real problem, not "Too Christian," "Too Muslim," "Too Atheistic," etc.

[EstimatedProphet]

17. No, not really

Because someone who is truly Christian would embody some very virtuous ideas. someone who is fake Christian (perfect example-Fred Phelps) tries to use Christianity to prove their own ends rather than determining what should be true by Christianity.

[ScreamingMeemie]

20. Yes, as witnessed in the parable "The Good Samaritan" there is such

a thing about being too open in one's piousness and yet not actually living one's religion. A good example of this is a church parking lot after Sunday mass...

:hi:

[blondeatlast]

32. HAH! So true, so true!

[DrWeird]

26. Mel Gibson is no christian.

He's a rich, anti-semitic, homophobic asshole.

[blondeatlast]

29. Definitely, there is such a thing as too much PROFESSING

of Christianity, but a true believer can't BELIEVE too much, if that makes sense.

Christ wasn't too happy with the hypocrites that made a public showing of their prayer and worship, so I believe He thinks so. I agree with him.

Society has made abundant opportunity to pray and worship among ourselves (Saturdays and Sundays off, for instance).

[IronLionZion]

33. Hell No!

you can be too right-wing (or left-wing?) or you can throw it in people's faces too much but you can't be too Christian.

[IronLionZion]

34. Are people too white?

how about too atheist?

:eyes: :crazy: :wtf:

[InkAddict]

35. It's a sin to associate w/sinners, doncha know

SHUN 'EM - cause they'll drag you down w/them (how very isolationist)Besides, Christians can always pray that God alone will change the ways of the heathen (liberal human intervention just not required), and then, PRAISE JEBUS, Christians can then make a bundle through rehab after the crime.

(A)HYPNOTIZE AND/OR CONVERT 'EM - but give them no hope of redemption or acceptance as human beings. If the sinners don't have enough $$ to spend on the very righteous causes selected by the elders, they'll make excellent wage-slaves that can be continuously extorted generation to generation. If Christians withhold just ennough opportunities and permit a token or two, Christians can convince the sinners to "just keep trying" from the public pulpits --FASCISTS

(B)If the sinners do have just enough, then steal it through persecution and discrimination, i.e., long bouts of unemployment and denial of basic needs will bring 'em back around to (A) --COMPASSIONATE CONSERVATIVES

WELCOME ALL BORN AGAIN HYPOCRITES - Your talents will be used according to your wealth, your connections to oil/arms, and your public prayers. (RW FUNDIE REPUGS)

WATCH OUT! - This is Holy Roller Week - Hypocrite Friday coming up followed by frenzied SCHIZO-EUPHORIC Rock Rolling (masquerading as Eggs)on Sunday!