Apocolyptic Apathy

[Clarence]

I knew a lot of members of the chirch before I knew they all went to the same church. All good people. One was my 10th grade Social Studies teacher and his family. Eventually he left. The members of the church work very hard to help eachother gain wealth. One is a good carpenter. The others are real estate people. They buy houses fix them and sell em. My cousins (brothers) and their wives joined and the combination of prescription antidepressants with their prescribed faith is nauseating. The problems is that the ones still left at the church have been blindly voting republican because the are told too. Also, they are turning thier backs on outsiders. They believe they are going to experience rapture. I don't know if this is how New Hope is or just the one in my town. I shouldn't judge though. They have wonderful plastic smiles across their faces in between private breakdowns. I simply believe the church has becaome a trap and is preventing good people from affecting the world positively by bottling them up. But, I could be wrong.

[Autolykos]

Quote by: Marconius Do you mean a technology singularity?

Something like that, yes.

However, I don't see it as a singularity per se. Too many people believe in "The Singularity" (yes, they capitalize it) as if it were something mystical, like a secular version of "The Kingdom of God". Not me. We'll still be just as human as we are now, with the same vices and virtues. On the other hand, some fundamental conditions of our existence will have changed, namely the end of economic scarcity.

- Rob

[phoenix_fire]

Quote by: Clarence I knew a lot of members of the chirch before I knew they all went to the same church. All good people. One was my 10th grade Social Studies teacher and his family. Eventually he left. The members of the church work very hard to help eachother gain wealth. One is a good carpenter. The others are real estate people. They buy houses fix them and sell em. My cousins (brothers) and their wives joined and the combination of prescription antidepressants with their prescribed faith is nauseating. The problems is that the ones still left at the church have been blindly voting republican because the are told too. Also, they are turning thier backs on outsiders. They believe they are going to experience rapture. I don't know if this is how New Hope is or just the one in my town. I shouldn't judge though. They have wonderful plastic smiles across their faces in between private breakdowns. I simply believe the church has becaome a trap and is preventing good people from affecting the world positively by bottling them up. But, I could be wrong.

Well, I think that a lot of people try to do Christianity wrong. That's not to say that I think I or my church are in possession of the only and absolutely correct way. I'm just saying that far too many people don't look into what the Bible actually says (and/or do anything about it). As I said before, obsession with the Rapture is the mark of either a very immature Christian or a pre-Christian. Christian maturity is marked by self-denial, by a disciplined life that seeks increasing communion with God, by ever-increasing concern for others' spiritual (evangelism, for example) and physical (charity, for example) welfare, and by the building and growing of their community with other believers.

I would say that the phenomenon you are experiencing is pretty common. A great many people, especially in places like the Bible Belt, don't really pursue their faith much. Being Christian is like being a Texan: you're born into it, you may be really proud of it, but it's a social expectation. Many of these people's lives are nearly indistinguishable from their secular counterparts.

I can't say that I would place the entire blame on the church system. After all, those pews are filled (or sometimes not) with often intellectually incurious people. Not all churches are like that. The church is supposed to be a positive thing. It is supposed to mean the community of believers that work and build each other up in their lives and in their faith. Nowadays, however, it usually just means an empty building.

[Dadoo]

Only a theocracy would mention "god" in state documents.

Now, where were we? In America the democracy, perpetually troubled by violent, biased leaders...

Or, are we in America the Theocracy "Under God", with the dawning realization that a tree is known by it's fruit.

Divided we stand, no matter what propagandic line you should choose to believe.

Look around, get a grip, know where you are and suffer no more.
An angel among devils?
What is the difference.

I learned this quickly, and subsequentially stopped complaining.
(as in "DOH!")

Dadoo

[phoenix_fire]

I do not see how this relates. It seems to be another of those disconnected rants.

[Clarence]

I think I understand, Dadoo. I'm not inclined to give up. IF there is a God and he is good, giving up might be letting him down. I'm not gonna say 'Doh!' and just watch the progress our civilization has made laid to waste. In my opinion, niether should God's people. Just because we aren't governerned by a theocracy, doesn't mean God or religion can't be a driving force behind the quest for peace and prosperity here on earth. What could it hurt?

[phoenix_fire]

I think that the principles of Christ cannot and should not be enforced at the point of a sword. He didn't mean it that way. No one will be truly made a Christian forcibly. Nor will God honor the appearance of holiness perpetuated by fear of law enforcement. Those who think they can win the world over to Christ by having the government force everyone to live by a Mosaic-type law are lazily ignoring their personal responsibility to the Gospel and hoping that someone else will do it for them. We are, instead, meant to take personal ownership of the Great Commission and personally reach people one at a time to truly disciple them.

[Compugasm]

phoenix_fire, ever listen to the "Jesus Christ Show"? I'm not religious, and I listen to it. Good show. The Radio Jesus answers all kinds of questions in a format similar to Dr Laura, but he's not as abrassive.

[phoenix_fire]

Quote by: Compugasm phoenix_fire, ever listen to the "Jesus Christ Show"? I'm not religious, and I listen to it. Good show. The Radio Jesus answers all kinds of questions in a format similar to Dr Laura, but he's not as abrassive.

No, never heard of it.

[Dadoo]

A rant is a rant.
Read my rants...
they are very coherent and very much on topic.
I'm sure wyou will find this "cryptic".
MY peers get me.
They are not average people, however.

I'll keep it on a 4th grade level for ya, next post.
And, I'll make sure to say what is appropriate.

[phoenix_fire]

Don't hurt yourself.............................................---------------> I'm up here.
An argument means nothing....................----------
If it is in your mind ......................-----------
alone........................-----------------
By the way: --------------

[Dadoo]

Autolykos-
Indeed! The "singularity" is here and now, whether it is noted! Once noted, it changes nothing. The secular wholly grail singularity of Go'd Kingdom is another name for everything at once.
Phoenix-
Forgive me. If my speech seems evasive it is because I have a style.
Please don't get lost in form and function. My function is true. My form, true yet individualized. No answer is fine. Read my quote below.

What I sense is a fundamental need to follow proscribed points of view.
Whether one lives scripturally, legally or academically, they follow a path well-laid.
In the end, we are all the same. We see this similarity emerge during unexpected dramas and emergency. If we are true to self, we see ourselves in everyone.
If you have to look past the end of your nose to see into another man's heart, you are looking too hard.

Apocalypse is shared event. If it directs our lives, so be it. I feel the journey is more important than the destination. Our actions here and now will affect our future lives.
To concern over another's lack of empathy, kindness or compassion is to concern over our own lack.

You keep rockin.
I'll see you in the after-life, guar-un-teed.

Every chicken comes home to roost.
Why worry at all?

dadoo

[phoenix_fire]

Dadoo, your "style" leaves something to be desired, namely substance. As brevity is the soul of wit, I'll make this short. I get what you're saying; I just think it's pointless.

[Clarence]

I like the style.

In the end, we are all the same. We see this similarity emerge during unexpected dramas and emergency. If we are true to self, we see ourselves in everyone. If you have to look past the end of your nose to see into another man's heart, you are looking too hard.

I got lost at the end. You believe in afterlife? Chicken comes home to roost? You forgot the little smilie, maybe.

I believe there is a healthy level of concern a person should feel and respond to. Not apathy. When things get rough, humans respond. Worry prevents fires. I'm not a worry bug in my day to day. I just feel that we all know a global crisis looms. What went wrong? What did we do?

There's other enablers. I'm not blaming this all on the christians in america.

[phoenix_fire]

It's too cliche. That can hardly be considered style.

[Dadoo]

In that I type to communicate, and my terminology leaves much to be desired, you are actually correct, Phoenix Fire. I quite like your function, while the form is actually quite cliche.
Cliches are truths in single-serving packages.
I am a doggerelist, and cliches pay my bills. We all sell out in some way, to survive here.

A sign reads:
"You Are God!"
One man says in response, " No I'm not!!"
Another says, "Than the sign was not meant for you!"

Although we needn't agree on everything, that which arouses ire, disdane and contempt may be either too challenging, misunderstood or intended for another audience.

Clarence- Ambivalence is not apathy, and no smilies needed where they are inferred. Rhetoric is a filter, and weeds the garden. No need to get soft, it doesn't do any good to euphemize so one may be heard!
Style is the filter that draws some into religions and pushes others away.

The substance in all faiths is intrinsically "good"
The form exposes cultural and personal bias as well as perspective.

The only control we have is how we feel about something.
That is why we are here, on this site; to expose our feelings and endure both agreement and disagreement.

Smiling,
Dadoo

[Clarence]

This guy doesn't like me.

[Nathan Struth]

Well....I don't think Christians really do anything to help things like genocide in Darfur, if anyone who REALLY wants to change it it'd be the Jews. Yep...apocolypse will be here soon, the technology of nuclear weapons is spreading and due to the american intellect; the Earth will soon be gone. I'd give it max 75 years, aww but that's in my life!! SO yes, christians are apathetic, but so is everyone else...including me. So clarence, I'm sorry to say that our system has too much inertia and the american empire will soon become an analogy to the ancient roman one with an apocolyptic twist!!

[phoenix_fire]

No, there are a good number of people who actually try to do something about that kind of thing. You should look into it.

[Nathan Struth]

Dude I go to those protests all the time (darfur, anti-war, gay rights, anti-nukes) I'm not a hippy. I care, but nothing happens; and I'm unfortunately infinitesimal at this moment at age 15. And even though the minority cares, how will they affect the majority significantly?? Pheonix?