I truly appreciate Christians who are NOT Insane

No kidding, there are millions and millions of perfectly sane, and perfectly wonderful Christians all over the world, and for their good works, I appreciate them. For their charity, compassion and all of their benevolent traits, and for endeavoring to be like Christ, I thank them and applaud them.

I was raised as one myself, and I know that 99.9% of them are the salt of the earth. It is of course only a tiny, loud percentage of them who make the rest look bad. The hypocrites and the blowhards always give themselves away in about two minutes, all religions have their fanatical wing.

While all the noise is going on, I have to remind myself, that I appreciate those believers who haven't descended into zealotry.

Happy Easter

I get along much better with Christians who follow the teachings of Jesus and concentrate on humility and kindness. The "other kind" are like the Pharisees that Jesus warned about.

A lot of the Christians I know in my church are pretty good people in general. I might disagree with them on political issues but most of the time they're caring people who like to help others. And it's just the crazy fundies who feel like they need to pressure all their beliefs into the law and "with us or against us" mentality I don't like. And like the hypocrites like Bill Frist, Tom DeLay and those making a show at the hospice.

suburban place,goes to the Grand Central Station each day and serves homeless people hot meals.She has been doing this for over ten years.Her selflessness and charity represents the true spirit of Christ. I assume she is the type of person you salute today.

i've known many quiet people like that, i should be more like that.

many nice insane people who are not christian.

Christianity has been hijacked by the extremists. They have dismatled it to the point where it's unrecognizable. On this day of resurrection, I will pray to God that true moral Christians can someday restore what has been stolen from us.

you who keep being inspired by the carpenter dude who was into love, peace, tolerance, compassion, sharing, justice, economic fairness, justice and opposed to hypocrisy, stoning, and using religion for ego and monetary gain. May the Great Spirit truly bless all of you who strive to live more like this remarkable being. Somehow, his message and the spirit behind it keep coming back, year after year, century after century. To that resurrection, I say WOW!
:grouphug:O8):bounce::bounce::hippie::pals::loveya::headbang::yourock::headbang::loveya::pals::hippie::bounce::bounce: O8):grouphug:

The most "Christ like" person I have ever known, who truly tried to live her life doing good for others and putting her disires at the bottom of the list, didn't even believe in Jesus. She was Jewish. Works, works, works. Not WHO you believe in. HOW you life your life.

I feel that it matters not what you believe and more how ethically you live your life. While I'm not a Christian, I do agree that there are good people of all faiths in this world and some that give faith and religion a bad name.

Living by The Golden Rule no matter what faith one has or not makes the most sense to me. (Hence, my user name and the core of my beliefs.)

Happy Easter to believers and non believers...whatever our beliefs, we can all still believe in the Easter Bunny...I know I do. :)

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The Universality of the Golden Rule in the World Religions

Christianity
All things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye so to them; for this is the law and the prophets.
      Matthew 7:1

Confucianism
Do not do to others what you would not like yourself. Then there will be no resentment against you, either in the family or in the state.
Analects 12:2

Buddhism
Hurt not others in ways that you yourself would find hurtful.
      Udana-Varga 5,1

Hinduism
This is the sum of duty; do naught onto others what you would not have them do unto you.
      Mahabharata 5,1517

Islam
No one of you is a believer until he desires for his brother that which he desires for himself.
      Sunnah

Judaism
What is hateful to you, do not do to your fellowman. This is the entire Law; all the rest is commentary.
      Talmud, Shabbat 3id

Taoism
Regard your neighbor’s gain as your gain, and your neighbor’s loss as your own loss.
      Tai Shang Kan Yin P’ien

Zoroastrianism That nature alone is good which refrains from doing another whatsoever is not good for itself.
      Dadisten-I-dinik, 94,5

She had an unbelievable amount of food in her cart. I asked her, "How many people are you having for Easter dinner?" She said, "50 or 60."

I was stunned and told her so. I couldn't even contemplate making dinner for that many people. She told me that she did it every week! "We have people from the Downtown Eastside (worst, drug infested neighbourhood in Canada) who are trying to get their lives together over after church every week."

Just nominated for Greatest! It could be seconded...

It's a good reminder to us all. Our remarkable democracy has likewise been hijacked, and how unfai it would be to conclude that the entire population was like that.

Thank God for those Christians and non-Christians who actually do follow the spirit of Jesus.

Edit to add nomination

In these tough times in our country it always helps and comforts me to know there are people out there who are real Christians and understand what is going on in this country and with our religion we hold dear. It's just not the same anymore. I'm glad more people do believe and all that, but just how they act and how the republican politicions use it is disgusting. Just look at Bush. He's the perfect example.

You are appreciated around here, too!

There are a lot of us here at DU, and we are getting sick of being lumped with the crazies and bashed.

Sometimes it does hurt me as a Christian to see so many people sniping at Christians based on the actions of a minority that, unfortunately, are very loud and adeptat hogging the limelight. I understand the need to denounce these people, but sometimes it does seem like people are lumping all Christians together with the zealots. Maybe it would help those people to remember that it was the zealots (small Z) that sought to derail Jesus at every turn. They didn't speak for him. Jesus himself warned of those who would speak in his name but in fact are ravenous wolves seeking to lead others astray. He warned not to pay heed to such people.

Most Christians are quietly living their faith, helping others, and bearing witness in fidelity to that faith without resorting to callousness or violence. Jesus on several occasions rebuked his disciples for using violence as an expression of their faith, or for speaking harshly of others when their own souls were in just as much jeopardy.

and the arrogant loudmouth hyprocrites be damned

and having a large cross on their front lawn draped in purple . . .

I actually had a neighbor complain that I was playing a radio "loudly" - middle of the afternoon - on the fourth of July.

Naturally, she was the one two houses away with the midget "Blessed Mary" statue in her lawn . . . Guess she didn't understand "freedom"

Anyone who has actually bothered to read the Bible knows that.

Not only did he feed the poor, hang out with the downtrodden and bless the meek, he also had long hair and wore Earth shoes! ;)

Life is full of wonderful people.

And he will you know :D

For the past few years, David, the Clerk of our Meeting has spent almost every Sunday afternoon in front of the Liberty Bell with a sign "Pray for Peace". It upsets some people, and inspires others.

One Nat'l Park ranger approached him, and David assumed he was going to be asked to move. But the ranger had a tear in his eye, and thanked him for his vigils. Said he, too, was praying for peace and for the safe return of his son who was in the military in Iraq.

This good man's vigils are inspired by his Quakerism and his faith in the "Carpenter dude" and His many and clear messages for peace and against war. Of course he squeezes this in between, work, family, and (unpaid) pastoral care of our congregation.

i am in panhandle of texas. lol. just wrote a thread, on the 20% with really loud voices. we have finally seen the number. they are all over the news and in the whitehouse, we think they are in the zillions, but they are merely a 20% same as always..............just a small number. we need not be afraid, the lite was shone, bah hahahahahaha in my greatest of witches cackle, lol

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Sorry, folks, but it's mind control, that's all it is...
Same as it ever was...
Still, in the interest of shared community and social tolerance, I toast you all in your faith: May the blessings of the Beatific Bunny be with you all!
D

Mopaul is not a 'believer', he did not start a post about the veracity of the beliefs....

:shrug:

It's a damn shame too.

Thank you, MoPaul.

I do not have a cross around my neck. But my belief is in living a good life. Helping those that cannot help themselves.

The fanatics make everyone look bad.

Judge not lest ye be judged comes to mind when I see those on TV, the Randal Terry's, those that condemn others.

And Happy Easter to those that celebrate.

at DU. To everyone else, hope you're having a groovy Sunday. I am.

Who do you think voted nearly a decade of George W. Bush and his whole gang of compassionless corruption into the presidency? Stop your pandering.

If you'd said something reasonable like:
- 30% are salt of the earth
- 40% hand over their moral judgement to the rhetoric of others
- 30% are pure anti-christ evil like Tom Delay

you'd have a bell-curve representation of Christians that would have been more accurate and honest. As it is, that 70% is on a rampage to give to those least in need and attack anyone who stands in their way.

pandering off into the sunset....

I appreciate those people, too. I was raised to pray in private and not talk about it (I am violating that right now!) and that, if you do good things, not to talk about them. Also not to go around talking about your religion or asking others about theirs. That's how generations of my family were raised, and I wonder what happened to that. Sometimes I feel horribly old-fashioned. But it was ALWAYS stressed to me and my brother that religion is a VERY private thing and not something you are to beat your chest about.

Great post, again.

(Always like your graphics, by the way!)