Ship of Fools: Maybe Christians should take a chill pill

Thread: Maybe Christians should take a chill pill Board: Purgatory / Ship of Fools.

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Posted by Unum Solum (# 18904) on :

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 . . .

Posted by Stetson (# 9597) on :

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.

Posted by jacobsen (# 14998) on :

If the idea is that our *religion* should ideally inform our daily lives, I agree.

Posted by Martin60 (# 368) on :

The incarnation was to get our attention. The gates of Hell are ever closing on that it feels. Chilling indeed.

Posted by SvitlanaV2 (# 16967) on :

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 ]

Posted by mousethief (# 953) on :

Physician.

Posted by LutheranChik (# 9826) on :

Hang out with Lutherans. We’re so chill we’re constantly accused of being the Frozen Chosen.

Posted by Rossweisse (# 2349) on :

No, that's the Anglicans/Episcopalians.

Posted by Nick Tamen (# 15164) on :

Nope to both of you. Anyone who's seen "White Men Can't Jump" knows that Presbyterians are God's Frozen People.

Posted by mark_in_manchester (# 15978) on :

I'd join with one or other of you myself, if only to ensure I could not be confused with the lukewarm.

Posted by Lyda*Rose (# 4544) on :

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.

Posted by Golden Key (# 1468) on :

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.

Posted by Schroedinger's cat (# 64) on :

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.

Posted by Unum Solum (# 18904) on :

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.

Posted by Gramps49 (# 16378) on :

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.

Posted by RdrEmCofE (# 17511) on :

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?

Posted by SvitlanaV2 (# 16967) on :

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 ]

Posted by gorpo (# 17025) on :

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.

Posted by mousethief (# 953) on :

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 ]

Posted by Russ (# 120) on :

Chill out about what, precisely ?

Sex ? Politics ? Economics ? Doctrines ? Rituals ? Holiness ? God becoming man ?

Or all of the above ?

Posted by Twilight (# 2832) on :

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!

Posted by Martin60 (# 368) on :

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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