Loving One Another......

[LinksOcarina]

Time for a semi-serious discussion all of a sudden.

I am watching an interesting documentary on Netflix called "Lord, Save us From Your Followers"

Yeah it sounds kind of anti-religious at first, but the filmmaker is a Christian and southern baptist, but he is one of the few documentaries that doesn't go for a left or right approach when it comes to Religion, the culture war or any of that stuff.

What it does is promotes the old school axiom of "love one another" over anything else. The entire point is to not be divided by faith, but even if your Christian, Catholic, Jewish, Athiest, and so forth, the point is to do good things instead of dividing one another.

Yeah it is easier said than done, but the point is that liberal or conservative, Christian or Athiest, Gay or straight does not matter.

At least that's what I got out of it. Take it for what it is though. So what do you think though? You know me as a non-religious person, but you don't have to agree on everything to work together.

 

[De-Ting]

"As I have loved you,
love one another.
This new commandment,
love one another.
By this shall men know
ye are my disciples,
if ye have loved
one to another."

Mormon primary children's song.

 

[UrbanMasque]

I think i know what I'm going to watch tonight - tomorrow I'll be able to offer up an opinion of the film.

but... i think you know how I feel, if I'm only judging the film based on the title.

 

[Hlallu]

Well, Im a semi-Dem, semi-Buddhist.
Ive lived my life not defining people by race, religion, sexuality. Im open to it all, and I respect everyones decision to be whatever they feel is right.
However...
My stepdad is a Super-christian and super-republican and super-racist and he HATES everything I am. The older I get, and the closer I get to leaving this house, the more he treats me like crap and tries to make his own ideas more outspoken. Id get kicked out if I spoke up against him.

 

[Longo_2_guns]

That's one good thing about the Mennonite church, we love everyone! The church is even somewhat accepting of gays and lesbians now. Kind of.

But still, the whole point of religion should be to love everyone. Every single western religion was founded on this, even Judaism and Islam.

 

[Chris_Crime]

ahh, the good parts of spirituality that atheists are all too quick to dismiss (or reword and replace with their own dogmatic principles, depending on your view).


The Bible. So it's a book of allegory, sure fine, but it's also a great template of how people should treat one another. It's that whole "under God" line that pisses the atheists off [oh wait, that's our national anthem :mrgreen:]. But is that really reason enough to throw baby (jesus) out with the wash?

okay, throw baby jesus out. Can we still kick it with Matthew, Mark, Luke and John? They were some upright gentlemen of their own, and without all the magic tricks. That's faith I can believe in.

 

[DocMoc]

That's one good thing about the Mennonite church, we love everyone!

The Mennonite church is something we have in common, Longo. I had no idea you were a Menno! I didn't think there were many Mennonites in California.


This documentary seems to be a striking contrast to the film, "Jesus Camp". Both films depict realities of the Christian church but it''s the message in the documentary you present that I wish was well known. Instead, Non-Christians seem to always relate back to the "Jesus Camp" idea of Christianity.

 

[De-Ting]

okay, throw baby jesus out. Can we still kick it with Matthew, Mark, Luke and John? They were some upright gentlemen of their own, and without all the magic tricks. That's faith I can believe in.

The whole point of the bible is to testify of the works wrought about by faith in Christ...so...

 

[Longo_2_guns]

That's one good thing about the Mennonite church, we love everyone!

The Mennonite church is something we have in common, Longo. I had no idea you were a Menno! I didn't think there were many Mennonites in California.

Actually, there are a whole bunch of Mennonites in California, especially in the Central Valley. Fresno Pacific University is a Mennonite founded and run university, which is awesome because I'm probably cousins with half the people who work there. And there's also the city of Reedley not too far away, which is like 20% Mennonite. So yeah, we have a few. I don't know if there are as many as in Canada though.

 

[Chris_Crime]

The whole point of the bible is to testify of the works wrought about by faith in Christ...so...

The whole point of the new testament? Christ is never mentioned in the Old Testament, there are only prophecies about a messiah that's to come. And what kid doesn't grow up hearing about the whale chomping, earth flooding (lion denning, giant slaying, rib smacking) stories of the Old Testament?
Moral being..
The teachings of the prophets from the Bible aren't nearly as important as their actions - Jesus or no Jesus. That's not a bad thing; all things considered, it seems to have worked out very well.

But in the end
"No one comes to the Father except through me."
What ardent Christians and fervent Atheists have in common is their stubbornness.
Neither extreme is willing to find a peace somewhere in the middle. I'd bet the majority of Atheists and Christians - any religious denomination, really - are actually practicing middle-of-the-road faith. But we're happy to be labeled, we're happy to be so fucking black and white. And I can't see this ever being acknowledged... because the squeaky wheel gets the oil, pretty much. Without these labels, what's the point, right? Practicing without preaching?! Never. And there goes baby, out with the wash.
I think you can get something out faith without ever putting back in, even if it's only on a personal level. And without the label.

 

[kingg5]

I love dinner at 4 p.m,
Partys that never end,
and twins



Sure as hell don't love any of you, well maybe except links.

 

[Rakon]

This is why I'm against religion. It gives a reason to NOT love one another, even though it's the core lesson (with the ones I'm familiar with).

BTW, <3 you guyz

 

[MikeyVassallo]

I was going to come in and ask if this was an orgy topic... but I won't ruin it.

Love is the center of Christ's message. Never once did Christ hate, even in the temple when he threw out the merchants and traders.

Christians don't grasp that concept.


Atheists don't grasp a whole different world of concepts... so I won't even start in on those guys.

 

[Bretimus_v2]

I've found that loving one another is mostly about slowing down in your daily grind and freeing up time to care about others. We pack our days, or convince ourselves that we're too busy, when sometimes it just comes down to saying hello, smiling, being considerate or taking the fifteen minutes to help someone.

I don't think religion vs. religion (or atheism) has to produce hate. Had some Baptist ministers knock on my door two weekends ago. We shared a ten minute conversation and all ended it smiling.

 

[MikeyVassallo]

I'm glad you view Atheism as a religion. I do too. Everybody worships something. Atheists just don't worship a god... big whup.

 

[DocMoc]

So yeah, we have a few. I don't know if there are as many as in Canada though.

There are very large concentrations in Southern Ontario (where I'm from), in Winnipeg MB (where I am now), and in Abbotsford BC. If we played the Mennonite game, we might find ourselves related.

 

[Chris_Crime]

i'm going to whataburger, anyone want something? That's love
course the reality is i'm not really buying anyone anything. fake love. Fake love should be good enough.

 

[Longo_2_guns]

So yeah, we have a few. I don't know if there are as many as in Canada though.

There are very large concentrations in Southern Ontario (where I'm from), in Winnipeg MB (where I am now), and in Abbotsford BC. If we played the Mennonite game, we might find ourselves related.

Yeah, probably. All Mennonites are related to each other. That's why if I go to any of the Mennonite places everyone is at least my third cousin, if not closer.
Do you happen to have one of the extremely common Mennonite last names? I'm a Janzen myself.

 

[Bretimus_v2]

Wait...you have Whataburger's where you live? I haven't seen one in like twenty years.

 

[MikeyVassallo]

Oh man. wataburgers are staple down here.

Best fast food joint period.

I may be getting one for lunch now that we are talking about it!