What is the worst thing to happen to Christanity? (Full Version)

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BlackCapnHarlock -> What is the worst thing to happen to Christanity? (3/28/2008 10:27:35 AM)

In your opinion what is the worst thing that has happened to Christianity since it's inception by THE CHRIST?

To me the WORST thing, worse than any false doctrine, worse than any schisms, is something that is causing us problems unto this day.

The merger between Christianity and Politics.

What say ye?



1love1God1way -> RE: What is the worst thing to happen to Christanity? (3/28/2008 10:42:12 AM)

I would say the loss of a fear of God.



rcjames -> RE: What is the worst thing to happen to Christanity? (3/28/2008 10:43:05 AM)

quote:

ORIGINAL: BlackCapnHarlock

In your opinion what is the worst thing that has happened to Christianity since it's inception by THE CHRIST?

To me the WORST thing, worse than any false doctrine, worse than any schisms, is something that is causing us problems unto this day.

The merger between Christianity and Politics.

What say ye?


I think Paul spoke to in here;

(Gal 1:6) I marvel that ye are so soon removed from him that called you into the grace of Christ unto another gospel:

(Gal 1:7) Which is not another; but there be some that trouble you, and would pervert the gospel of Christ.

(Gal 1:8) But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed.

(Gal 1:9) As we said before, so say I now again, If any man preach any other gospel unto you than that ye have received, let him be accursed.

In my estimation perversion of the Gospel is the worst.

Thanks
RC



SD456 -> RE: What is the worst thing to happen to Christanity? (3/28/2008 10:44:18 AM)

That's a tough one. I guess I would say pretty much the same thing as the OP - the point when the emporer constantine made it the religion of the state and people were forced to convert. That encouraged every powerful family from then on to put their 'unsaved' family members into positions of heirarchy in the church because the church had so much power and they just wanted to extend their family's power.



GroupW -> RE: What is the worst thing to happen to Christanity? (3/28/2008 11:07:25 AM)

I think all of you are correct so far. The worst thing to happen to Christianity is us. People. The one's Christ came to save.

While he left us the Holy Spirit to help guide, for the most part he left his Church (big "C" as in the body of Christ universal) in the hands of us very fallen individuals. We've done some nasty things with the church (little "c" as in the visible institutional church) in his name.

Constantine's institutionalization of the church is a good example (though not all bad - it gave us the Nicene Creed, for example, and at least a modicum of consistency in theology. We also weren't getting killed & tortured any more - all things considered that's a good thing.) Today's alliance between the conservative politics and conservative Christianity is possibly another - I don't think it's helped us in our evangelism.

As long as people remain fallen and as long as the church is composed of the imperfect images of God that we are, the church (with little "c") will remain a pale shadow of the ideal community that God will someday create for us.



Ps103 -> RE: What is the worst thing to happen to Christanity? (3/28/2008 11:37:27 AM)

Just a note--Constantine did *not* force everyone to become a Christian. He himself did not become a Christian until shortly before his death.

What he did do was to *decriminalize* Christianity. Prior to that, it was perfectly legal to persecute Christians, and Constantine put a stop to that.

The worst thing that has happened? Same as in the NT: factions, dissention and in-fighting, which, rather than draw unbelievers to Christ not only pushed the unbelievers farther away (because, like Jesus said, people will know we are His followers by our love for one another, and we fail miserably in that), but also wounds those within the Body and pushes them out.

I am not talking about winking at sin, which we are not to do--I am talking about the near-constant bickering and one-upmanship that can be easily demonstrated by clicking on any thread in this folder.



mcleod -> RE: What is the worst thing to happen to Christanity? (3/28/2008 12:18:31 PM)

quote:

We also weren't getting killed & tortured any more - all things considered that's a good thing.)


What book did you stop reading? It has not stop in fact if you didn't agree with the so-called church of that day you were torchered to great extremes. Let us not forget that we as humans think this; if you don't agree with me, then the off to eternity you must go.

I was recording the history channel this past weekend on the protestant church and other stuff. What amazed me was the hatred that was shown from one sect to another. From the RCC to the Protestant haterd to each other. And then every time a group would split from the main sect's thought and interputation. Just over how much water is to be used in baptism. They would drown the ones they didn't agree with them. This country was found on a group of people who got treated rudely in England and set out to go west in order to have peace. Yet they forgot what drove them from their land and proceed to do the same thing to others.



DayStar43 -> RE: What is the worst thing to happen to Christanity? (3/28/2008 1:41:21 PM)

The persecution that the early Christians underwent and that stopped with Constantine was a good thing because we weren't being killed anymore? There are Christians being killed around the world now. The Church has always thrived under persecution. There are Christians in areas of the world where Christian are being persecuted who would not trade places with a Christian in the US; indeed some of them pity us. I think the ease and comfort that we enjoy in this country have been detrimental to the Church. Everytime I see or hear something about "our rights", I cringe. Where did we get the idea that we have rights? We gave up our rights when we "died" in Christ. Do dead people have rights? We've enjoyed a comfort level in the US that has done more harm than persecution ever did.



redeemedsaint -> RE: What is the worst thing to happen to Christanity? (3/28/2008 2:44:17 PM)

1) The Prosperity Gospel
2) No fear of God
3) Watering down of the Gospel.
4) Preaching a lot of how God loves us (Which is fine) and not preaching enough about sin and the consequences. There needs to be a balance.
5) It's a relationship, not a denomination.



lw9 -> RE: What is the worst thing to happen to Christanity? (3/28/2008 2:45:09 PM)

quote:

rcjames: In my estimation perversion of the Gospel is the worst.


I strongly agree. There are probably other contributing factors, such as the loss of the fear of God, but when you think about what the Bible warns us of so many times, it usually revolves around the same theme: Perversion of the Gospel, and false christs, false teachers and prophets, false signs and wonders, etc. I don't think things have really changed that much from then til now. I think a lot that has gone wrong today goes right back to those Biblical warnings.



blue1914 -> RE: What is the worst thing to happen to Christanity? (3/28/2008 3:37:11 PM)

quote:

ORIGINAL: Ps103

Just a note--Constantine did *not* force everyone to become a Christian. He himself did not become a Christian until shortly before his death.

What he did do was to *decriminalize* Christianity. Prior to that, it was perfectly legal to persecute Christians, and Constantine put a stop to that.

The worst thing that has happened? Same as in the NT: factions, dissention and in-fighting, which, rather than draw unbelievers to Christ not only pushed the unbelievers farther away (because, like Jesus said, people will know we are His followers by our love for one another, and we fail miserably in that), but also wounds those within the Body and pushes them out.

I am not talking about winking at sin, which we are not to do--I am talking about the near-constant bickering and one-upmanship that can be easily demonstrated by clicking on any thread in this folder.


AMEN! (though I'm really as guilty as any other of the bickering, etc.)



SD456 -> RE: What is the worst thing to happen to Christanity? (3/28/2008 4:00:23 PM)

quote:

Just a note--Constantine did *not* force everyone to become a Christian. He himself did not become a Christian until shortly before his death.


True. Constantine himself did not 'force' people into conversion. I just meant that after him it became a common practice amongst many kingdoms to force people into conversion - most of the Gauls in the north of europe were all forced or executed horribly.

quote:

Same as in the NT: factions, dissention and in-fighting, which, rather than draw unbelievers to Christ not only pushed the unbelievers farther away (because, like Jesus said, people will know we are His followers by our love for one another, and we fail miserably in that), but also wounds those within the Body and pushes them out.


Agree. Now I'm hard put to decide which is worst.



FurGodWurLivin -> RE: What is the worst thing to happen to Christanity? (3/29/2008 4:28:22 AM)

I would be somewhere between Denominationalism, and Hellenization of Western Christianity. One divides the church as a whole, the other worships the mind and it's education instead of God.

Adam



rlj -> RE: What is the worst thing to happen to Christanity? (3/29/2008 10:57:29 AM)

The split between the Apostle Paul and the Apostle Barnabas in Acts 15. The church has been split and people have disagreed and left each other ever since. : (



earthless -> RE: What is the worst thing to happen to Christanity? (3/29/2008 11:11:56 AM)

quote:

ORIGINAL: redeemedsaint

1) The Prosperity Gospel
2) No fear of God
3) Watering down of the Gospel.
4) Preaching a lot of how God loves us (Which is fine) and not preaching enough about sin and the consequences. There needs to be a balance.
5) It's a relationship, not a denomination.


the above post is earthless approved..



RJR_fan -> RE: What is the worst thing to happen to Christanity? (3/29/2008 11:44:02 AM)

quote:

I would be somewhere between Denominationalism, and Hellenization of Western Christianity. One divides the church as a whole, the other worships the mind and it's education instead of God.


One reason the Puritans lost their minds was because of their misplaced reverence for "classical" education. They nurtured their bright young preacher boys on Greek and Latin myths -- and those lads began treating the God of the Bible the same way the ancient pagans treated their ludicrous deities -- as fascinating metaphors for human realities.

Those were some influential young scholars -- and, one by one, churches in the northeast took the cross off the steeple, and replaced it with the weathervane. Today, unitarianism is the state religion of the USA. Families are not compelled to attend a unitarian worship service for an hour a week. Rather, American children are legally required to marinate in the unitarian world view (there is no lord or savior but Caesar) for 30 hours a week, 9 months a year. Unless their parents value their eternal destinies enough to find legal loopholes. In which case, their tax monies continue to fund the unitarian indoctrination of their neighbors.



colliefan -> RE: What is the worst thing to happen to Christanity? (3/29/2008 1:27:46 PM)

quote:

I was recording the history channel


Don't forget the History channel has a "worldview" that it wants to promote and it isn't too friendly to the Church of Christ. And I am not talking about the one Obama attends.



mistichd -> RE: What is the worst thing to happen to Christanity? (3/29/2008 3:05:29 PM)

I am a new member. Hello!

I agree with RLJ on this topic 100%. The early Acts days were "action" packed. In Acts 15, the leaders of the early church began bringing legalism back into the Body of Christ. After that, it seems the Apostle Paul and others were constantly trying to get back to the early Acts days. Galatians is the book that backs this theory up. It is very interesting and brings a great deal of freedom. Loose the legalism and restore the church.



sue244 -> RE: What is the worst thing to happen to Christanity? (3/29/2008 3:12:40 PM)

putting experience one equal or greater standing then the Bible. Gnosticism just keeps rearing its ugly head throught out church history.



fallenstar -> RE: What is the worst thing to happen to Christanity? (3/29/2008 4:04:12 PM)

What does everybody on this forum mean by "fear God" ? I thought we were to have a close relationship with Christ and love God with all our heart, not
fear Him. I am new Christian, so please explain this to me. I don't understand how we are to fear God, because he is not evil or bad. I have seen this sevral times before in scripture, but I had no idea what it meant.



abu_khomar -> RE: What is the worst thing to happen to Christanity? (3/29/2008 6:35:32 PM)

Its hard to pick one thing, but off the top of my head I would have to go with:

1. Loss of the fear of God

2. Sinner's Prayer

3. Churches that do not urge and actively engage in their members drawing closer to God.

4. People or churches who "Go through the motions."

These of course not nec. being referred to at Christianity as a whole, but more towards churches in general.



turtleman -> RE: What is the worst thing to happen to Christanity? (3/29/2008 8:00:33 PM)

The worst thing that has happened to Christianity is that some christians have become self appointed spiritual police. They go around condemning some as heretics and ignoring the faults of those they approve of. All this does is to divide the body and drive others away from the church and from Christ.



SD456 -> RE: What is the worst thing to happen to Christanity? (3/29/2008 8:04:23 PM)

quote:

ORIGINAL: FurGodWurLivin

I would be somewhere between Denominationalism, and Hellenization of Western Christianity. One divides the church as a whole, the other worships the mind and it's education instead of God.

Adam


Oh, those are good ones too. Hellenization definately. There is a lot of false teachings that come from the worship of the intellect and a lot of fear-mongering that happens because of it and a lot of loss of understanding that God is a supernatural God.

Gosh, there are all kinds of things that have been bad on Christianity. But for the grace of God we would no longer exist. What a powerful God we serve!

quote:

The worst thing that has happened to Christianity is that some christians have become self appointed spiritual police. They go around condemning some as heretics and ignoring the faults of those they approve of. All this does is to divide the body and drive others away from the church and from Christ.


Definately a good one. (or I should say a bad one)



SD456 -> RE: What is the worst thing to happen to Christanity? (3/29/2008 8:09:13 PM)

quote:

ORIGINAL: fallenstar

What does everybody on this forum mean by "fear God" ? I thought we were to have a close relationship with Christ and love God with all our heart, not
fear Him. I am new Christian, so please explain this to me. I don't understand how we are to fear God, because he is not evil or bad. I have seen this sevral times before in scripture, but I had no idea what it meant.


hi fallenstar. To fear God means to have a reverence for Him as the holy, all-powerful God. It's a reverence that makes you in awe of Him and makes you want to bow your knee in worship to Him.

We are to have a close, loving relationship to Him and at the same time we can reverence Him.

quote:

ORIGINAL: mistichd
I am a new member. Hello!


Hello mist! Glad you joined.



Lurker -> RE: What is the worst thing to happen to Christanity? (3/29/2008 8:11:23 PM)

I'm torn between Martin Luther's schism or the great schism between east and west.



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