What does it mean to be a Christian

[Barry Shnikov]

regardless of your excuses you stood in front of a priest/father, vicar or whatever and made a pledge to the church and your partner

this is what makes me smile.

I caught so much flack from my family...you wouldn't believe.

[Barry Shnikov]

exactly. And agreed.

but isn't that what faith is about. The hope that we have something after death, regardless of what religion we follow or what kind.

I beleive this is exactly what its about, nothing more, nothing less.

Funny. I have Frank Sinatra on WMP at the moment. As I read your post, he was singing Old man river - last lines "I'm tired of livin', but I'm sceared of dyin', and old man river, he jest keeps rollin' along!"

[geoff332]

I actually hope they are at least agnostic, as it's not easy having the feeling of being absolutely certain of nothingness after death.

I'm certain that when I die, I will cease to exist. To be perfectly honest, that doesn't worry me. In fact, I kind of like it.

Most people don't really get nihilism (at least not Nietzschian nihilism). Nihilism is the belief that the universe /existence doesn't have any meaning. That is, we can't reason our way to any universal principles of morality or to prove the existence of a higher power. Nietzsche argued that this is only negative because we valued this higher power. When people realise God is dead, it's kinda depressing because we'd been banking on Him for the last 2000 years.

But it's not quite that simple. Nihilism was originally coined as the idea that there is no objective meaning to the universe: there is no higher power and no objective morality that we could reason out of existence. But the idea that the lack of objective meaning is the same as the lack of meaning is a religious conceit: it is only meaningful if one presumes there is a God (or whatever).

What is left is subjective meaning and morality. But given that's all there was anyway, all that's lost is the conceit. Sure, when we die, that's it. But that means that I have to live my life in the most meaningful way I can. It means we (the collective everyone) are responsible for the society we live in. That's not negative: that's positive and empowering. If I want to live in a moral world, I have to act to create the world as a moral place. If I want to be a good person, I have to decide what a good person is then live my life according to that standard.

[Twirly]

When people realise God is dead, it's kinda depressing because we'd been banking on Him for the last 2000 years.

How can God be dead if he didn't even exist in the first place?

[Barry Shnikov]

Oh dear.

Another thing that it means - to some people - to be christian.

What a very nasty, nasty man. He's worth gazillions, apparently. No doubt the Gilbert Deya Ministries flock think that he is a persecuted, righteous man - and probably are continuing to stuff money in his pocket as fast as he can count it. Sigh.

[Double Trouble]

What a very nasty, nasty man.

Plug ugly too. As if any woman would let that impregnate them 5 times.

[Twirly]

Don’t forget that what is considered to be “insane” is a very moveable feast.

What is considered sane/insane is very much predicated on social mores, and these change. Thank goodness.

I just found a classic example of this. Be warned - it's very sad, nearly made me cry in the middle of the office.

[Raul]

Very soon many Christians will be celebrating the birth of the person who has taught the half of the World the principles that they (live)/(try to live)/(do not live) their lives by. It is a time of Joy.

Other persons are happy to go with the season of goodwill while it is there.

Others just have a few days off, eat and drink too much, spend too much money on unwanted presents and suffer the company of people they would rather not be with.

[Double Trouble]

Very soon many Christians will be celebrating the birth of the person who has taught the half of the World the principles that they (live)/(try to live)/(do not live) their lives by. It is a time of Joy.

Other persons are happy to go with the season of goodwill while it is there.

Others just have a few days off, eat and drink too much, spend too much money on unwanted presents and suffer the company of people they would rather not be with.

What's your point? Or are you just stating the bleedin obvious?

[straycat]

Other persons are happy to go with the season of goodwill while it is there.

Is year-round goodwill too much to ask these days then?

[Barry Shnikov]

Very soon many Christians will be celebrating the day that has been artifically appointed as the alleged birth of the possibly non-existent person who they - despite an almost total lack of evidence - believe has taught or at least, repeated from many philosophers who pre-dated him half actually, very much less than half of the World the principles that they (live)/(try to live)/(do not live) their lives by. It is a time of Joy.

Fancied a woman called Joy once. Married to my dad's accountant, sadly.

[MartinHarper]

Very soon many Christians will be celebrating the birth of the person who has taught the half of the World the principles that they (live)/(try to live)/(do not live) their lives by.

Jesus hasn't taught anyone ethical principles for some centuries now, on account of the whole "dieing on the cross" thing.

[Isis]

Fancied a woman called Joy once. Married to my dad's accountant, sadly.

Pains me to admit it but this whole post is bloomin' hilarious.

[Barry Shnikov]

Pains me to admit it but this whole post is bloomin' hilarious.

If all else fails, get 'em with humour...