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Source: (consider it)
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Thread: Maybe Christians should take a chill pill
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Unum Solum
Shipmate
# 18904
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Posted
You know when I talk to my brother we talk about everything and anything, the garden, the weather, our families, our doubts and fears, and just shit that happens sometimes. Jesus came that I might become an adopted brother, so we could waffle on to each other while I do the dishes.
Jesus died so that I could get to know Dad (Abba, God the father) again. So he could yell good humouredly through from the lounge while Jesus and I are talking crap. Or I could go sit at his feet and tell him work was the pits today and I feel trapped. Or what’s with the rain and the sun not being able to make up its mind at the moment. Or I could just sit there and listen to how his day has been, what’s on his mind, what I might like to do tomorrow that would be a help, or maybe where I got it wrong today.
God the Father, God the Son, God the Spirit - Dad, Bro, and the One who is always around but doesn’t say much. Maybe we should just chill out a little and get off our high horse, maybe the worship and adoration doesn’t serve to draw us closer but keep us at arms length.
Maybe Jesus didn’t die so we would be amaaaaazed, maybe he died so we could all hang out, after all isn’t that why God created us. Maybe we need to lose the ‘red letter’ stand offish, mouth open, eyes downcast, hands raised . . . . And just treat God as family.
Maybe we need to take a chill pill and get over ourselves . . .
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I will not say do not weep for not all tears are an evil. - Gandalf
Posts: 53 | From: Auckland, New Zealand | Registered: Jan 2018
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Stetson
Shipmate
# 9597
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Posted
quote:
Maybe Jesus didn’t die so we would be amaaaaazed
Well, I personally never thought that the point of the Crucifixion was to be an Evel Knievel stunt ride over a row of burning campers. So yeah, if that's all people are taking from it, they're probably missing something.
Posts: 6574 | From: back and forth between bible belts | Registered: Jun 2005
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jacobsen
seeker
# 14998
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Posted
If the idea is that our *religion* should ideally inform our daily lives, I agree.
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But God, holding a candle, looks for all who wander, all who search. - Shifra Alon
Beauty fades, dumb is forever-Judge Judy
The man who made time, made plenty.
Posts: 8040 | From: Æbleskiver country | Registered: Aug 2009
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Martin60
Shipmate
# 368
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Posted
The incarnation was to get our attention. The gates of Hell are ever closing on that it feels. Chilling indeed.
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Love wins
Posts: 17586 | From: Never Dobunni after all. Corieltauvi after all. Just moved to the capital. | Registered: Jun 2001
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SvitlanaV2
Shipmate
# 16967
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Posted
Unuum Solum
Perhaps you need to spend more time with the kinds of Christians who chill out?
I've just googled the churches in New Zealand, and they don't all seem to be as intense as you're implying.
[ 07. February 2018, 11:54: Message edited by: SvitlanaV2 ]
Posts: 6668 | From: UK | Registered: Feb 2012
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mousethief
Ship's Thieving Rodent
# 953
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Posted
Physician.
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This is the last sig I'll ever write for you...
Posts: 63536 | From: Washington | Registered: Jul 2001
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Rossweisse
High Church Valkyrie
# 2349
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Posted
No, that's the Anglicans/Episcopalians.
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I'm not dead yet.
Posts: 15117 | From: Valhalla | Registered: Feb 2002
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Nick Tamen
Ship's Wayfaring Fool
# 15164
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Posted
Nope to both of you. Anyone who's seen "White Men Can't Jump" knows that Presbyterians are God's Frozen People.
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The first thing God says to Moses is, "Take off your shoes." We are on holy ground. Hard to believe, but the truest thing I know. — Anne Lamott
Posts: 2833 | From: On heaven-crammed earth | Registered: Sep 2009
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mark_in_manchester
not waving, but...
# 15978
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Posted
I'd join with one or other of you myself, if only to ensure I could not be confused with the lukewarm.
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"We are punished by our sins, not for them" - Elbert Hubbard
(so good, I wanted to see it after my posts and not only after those of shipmate JBohn from whom I stole it)
Posts: 1596 | Registered: Oct 2010
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Lyda*Rose
Ship's broken porthole
# 4544
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Posted
quote:
Originally posted by Nick Tamen:
Nope to both of you. Anyone who's seen "White Men Can't Jump" knows that Presbyterians are God's Frozen People.
I've always thought that "The Frozen Chosen" worked best for Presbies because of their roots in Calvinism. The Elect, ya know. However all those denominations named sometimes have shared a certain iciness.
I'm not usually that into the recent spate of overtly Christian films, but I have to say that I rather liked things about "The Shack". I liked "Papa" fixing tea and meals for her visitor, Jesus the Son showing him the wood-working shop, and Sarayu the Spirit showing off her garden. In God's Kingdom there are many mansions; and in the Shack it's a happy country house.
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"Dear God, whose name I do not know - thank you for my life. I forgot how BIG... thank you. Thank you for my life." ~from Joe Vs the Volcano
Posts: 21377 | From: CA | Registered: May 2003
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Golden Key
Shipmate
# 1468
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Posted
Yes, re Presbies known as frozen chosen. Very nice, though.
Lyda--I've never had any interest in "The Shack", but I may check it out now. I sometimes imagine God in similar ways. Thx.
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Blessed Gator, pray for us!
--"Oh bat bladders, do you have to bring common sense into this?" (Dragon, "Jane & the Dragon")
--"Oh, Peace Train, save this country!" (Yusuf/Cat Stevens, "Peace Train")
Posts: 18601 | From: Chilling out in an undisclosed, sincere pumpkin patch. | Registered: Oct 2001
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Schroedinger's cat
Ship's cool cat
# 64
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Posted
So I have been considering this thread for a while. In some ways, I agree - some Christians need to learn how to relax.
But I think the problem is that so many Christians are really active and passionate about the wrong things. Actually, I love their passion, I just wish they would focus it on more important things.
There is a lot to get very un-chilled about at the moment. Climate change; the opression of the poor, women, PoC; warmongering leaders. If some of the passion that some Christians put into what others do with their genitalia was put into these areas, it might make a difference.
Some Christians should take a chill pill and start to learn how to be normal. But others need to redirect their (often considerable) energy to the right causes. I don't feel that just chilling is actually called for at this time.
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Lord may all my hard times be healing times
take out this broken heart and renew my mind.
Posts: 18859 | From: At the bottom of a deep dark well. | Registered: May 2001
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Unum Solum
Shipmate
# 18904
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Posted
quote:
Originally posted by Schroedinger's cat:
Some Christians should take a chill pill and start to learn how to be normal. But others need to redirect their (often considerable) energy to the right causes. I don't feel that just chilling is actually called for at this time.
So much better than I put it. Being a Christian shouldn’t be about being different it should be the most normal thing in the world, the ‘realist’ thing in the world. I by the way don’t comply with this wisdom, I spend to much nervous energy trying to be what I think a Christian should be like (let alone believing what I think I am supposed to believe). Actually when I phrase it like that it just shows how little trust I put in Dad and Big Bro.
There is so much going on in the world that needs attention, living up to the worlds expectations of how a Christian is supposed to behave and believe is the least of them. Maybe if I chilled out and relaxed (trusted) in the Other members (all 3) of the family I would have more time for others.
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I will not say do not weep for not all tears are an evil. - Gandalf
Posts: 53 | From: Auckland, New Zealand | Registered: Jan 2018
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Gramps49
Shipmate
# 16378
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Posted
Jesus died because he was considered a threat to the religious and civil authorities.
What came next was extraordinary--the resurrection. That is the witness of the Christian community.
If there had been no resurrection we would have never heard of the Jew.
As to the point of Christians taking a chill pill, I am reminded of the Laodocian Church in the Book of Revelations. They were condemned for being lukewarm or insipid. Neither hot nor cold. (Rev 3:16)
That said, I would agree some Christians need to be more rational in their presentations
There is not a War on Christmas.
The USA is not based on any religion.
Christians can pray and have clubs on public school.
I do hate it when they become shrill.
Posts: 2193 | From: Pullman WA | Registered: Apr 2011
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RdrEmCofE
Shipmate
# 17511
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Posted
quote:
As to the point of Christians taking a chill pill, I am reminded of the Laodocian Church in the Book of Revelations. They were condemned for being lukewarm or insipid. Neither hot nor cold. (Rev 3:16)
Which is an interesting metaphor. Presumably the Frozen Chosen and the Red Hot Gospelers are both on the acceptable ends of the OKness spectrum. It might be interesting to know what so characterised the Laodician church to bring it under such disapprobation. The metaphor is linked to the luke warm spring water found locally, which was disgustingly unpalatable. But what was it about the church which prompted the analogy, I wonder?
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Love covers many sins. 1 Pet.4:8. God was in Christ, reconciling the world to himself, not holding their sins against them; 2 Cor.5:19
Posts: 255 | From: Southampton | Registered: Jan 2013
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SvitlanaV2
Shipmate
# 16967
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Posted
quote:
Originally posted by Unum Solum:
quote:
Originally posted by Schroedinger's cat:
Some Christians should take a chill pill and start to learn how to be normal. But others need to redirect their (often considerable) energy to the right causes. I don't feel that just chilling is actually called for at this time.
So much better than I put it. Being a Christian shouldn’t be about being different it should be the most normal thing in the world, the ‘realist’ thing in the world. [...]
There is so much going on in the world that needs attention, living up to the worlds expectations of how a Christian is supposed to behave and believe is the least of them.
What does it mean to be 'normal' anyway? Who gets to decide?
Lots of people, Christians and otherwise are trying to address the problems of the world. Of course, unless they highlight their faith you won't necessarily know what their religious allegiances are. But if you want Christians to be indistinguishable from anyone else then you can't complain about what Christians are or aren't doing, because you just won't know.
[ 09. February 2018, 19:59: Message edited by: SvitlanaV2 ]
Posts: 6668 | From: UK | Registered: Feb 2012
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gorpo
Shipmate
# 17025
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Posted
quote:
Originally posted by Schroedinger's cat:
There is a lot to get very un-chilled about at the moment. Climate change; the opression of the poor, women, PoC; warmongering leaders. If some of the passion that some Christians put into what others do with their genitalia was put into these areas, it might make a difference.
That´s the type of speech you´d hear from Leonardo Di Caprio or Meryl Streep at the Oscars, or an average priest/pastor/bishop from most mainline churches. Somehow what you expect christians to be worried about is exactly what the big churches are worrying about (or at least pretending they are).
On the other hand, I think hollywood actos, mainline clergy and all you white middle class liberals should chill out and stop worrying about what people from minority religious groups do and believe. You can do what you want with your genitals, does it really matter if people from minority religions think its cool or not? Why don´t you act like they were muslims - they are conservative in most moral issues, yet you don´t keep bringing this up all the time in the discussion, and still praise them for enriching the diversity in your culture.
Posts: 247 | From: Brazil | Registered: Apr 2012
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mousethief
Ship's Thieving Rodent
# 953
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Posted
quote:
Originally posted by gorpo:
On the other hand, I think hollywood actos, mainline clergy and all you white middle class liberals should chill out and stop worrying about what people from minority religious groups do and believe. You can do what you want with your genitals, does it really matter if people from minority religions think its cool or not? Why don´t you act like they were muslims - they are conservative in most moral issues, yet you don´t keep bringing this up all the time in the discussion, and still praise them for enriching the diversity in your culture.
The problem is, these poor conservatives you want me to treat like Muslims are working overtime to impose their religious narrow-mindedness on people outside their small religion. So no, I will not chill out about it. I cannot chill out about oppression. It's not in me, nor should it be for any Christian.
[ 10. February 2018, 01:32: Message edited by: mousethief ]
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This is the last sig I'll ever write for you...
Posts: 63536 | From: Washington | Registered: Jul 2001
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Russ
Old salt
# 120
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Posted
Chill out about what, precisely ?
Sex ? Politics ? Economics ? Doctrines ? Rituals ? Holiness ? God becoming man ?
Or all of the above ?
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Wish everyone well; the enemy is not people, the enemy is wrong ideas
Posts: 3169 | From: rural Ireland | Registered: May 2001
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Twilight
Puddleglum's sister
# 2832
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Posted
quote:
Originally posted by Nick Tamen:
Nope to both of you. Anyone who's seen "White Men Can't Jump" knows that Presbyterians are God's Frozen People.
I must watch that. My family is Presbyterian, but by the time my mother died they had moved and had no home church, so the minister conducting the service was a local Baptist. At one point he stopped his sermon and looked at my father brothers and me, all sitting stiffly in the front pew and said, "It's okay to cry, you know."
In public? Not likely!
Posts: 6817 | Registered: May 2002
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Martin60
Shipmate
# 368
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Posted
quote:
Originally posted by mousethief:
quote:
Originally posted by gorpo:
On the other hand, I think hollywood actos, mainline clergy and all you white middle class liberals should chill out and stop worrying about what people from minority religious groups do and believe. You can do what you want with your genitals, does it really matter if people from minority religions think its cool or not? Why don´t you act like they were muslims - they are conservative in most moral issues, yet you don´t keep bringing this up all the time in the discussion, and still praise them for enriching the diversity in your culture.
The problem is, these poor conservatives you want me to treat like Muslims are working overtime to impose their religious narrow-mindedness on people outside their small religion. So no, I will not chill out about it. I cannot chill out about oppression. It's not in me, nor should it be for any Christian.
Furthermore they claim to be Christian. They blaspheme Christ. In the name of Christ. We have NOTHING to say to Muslims until we have put our own house in order, taken the beam out of our eye. And then all we have to say to them is welcome, may I offer you a cup of tea? May I stand at the back in your masjid and bow my head and atone for Helmand?
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Love wins
Posts: 17586 | From: Never Dobunni after all. Corieltauvi after all. Just moved to the capital. | Registered: Jun 2001
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