Why do Christians fail so miserably at promoting the faith?

a reply to: ThatDamnDuckAgain
I should have said:
"Win souls to Christ"
Reading back over my post, I see what you mean. It was not meant that way.
There is a battle for each and every soul.

a reply to: FlyInTheOintment

Everyone fails miserably at times.

That saying ... when Christians fail miserably, IMHO, it is for one reason:

They fail to emphasize, share, and follow 'The Golden Rule" : " Do unto others as you would have them / others do unto you".

That is the true heart of Christianity, and it is soooooo often overlooked.

a reply to: olaru12
I get what you are saying, to a point.
I don't attend church.
But this:

Even their churches were segregated; and coupled with a white Christian arrogance that i just couldn't accept.

Sounds like you may have some racist tendencies you need to resolve.

Black and White Churches are mostly segregated in the South.
It is a choice made by black and white people.
Kinda like what you see happening on college campuses across America now.
There are many interracial churches as well.

a reply to: Deetermined

Why do Christian's fight amoung themselves as to what scripture means. Were the authors unable to express the truth in clear concisive terms. Of cause they were. But therein lie's a problem, The original audience of scripture were the romans with their highly inflated ego's. A book that quoted "all highly inflated ego's were going to hell" simply wouldn't sell to that audience. So Chrsitianity has scripture that appease everyone. Yet those falsehoods are in themsleves a test. A mirror into ourselves. Those that see love in the Gospels are reflecting their own love. You should ask yourself what do lost tribes have to do with your salvation today.

The bible clearly tells you they will say peace and security and then sudden destruction comes because governments and politicians are after money and power not faith... “Peace and safety!” then destruction will come upon them suddenly like labor pains upon a woman with child, and they will not escape.

Source: bible.knowing-jesus.com... For you yourselves know full well that the day of the Lord will come just like a thief in the night. 3 While they are saying, “Peace and safety!” then destruction will come upon them suddenly like labor pains upon a woman with child, and they will not escape. 4 But you, brethren, are not in darkness, that the day would overtake you like a thief;

Source: bible.knowing-jesus.com...

a reply to: FlyInTheOintment

we live in a secular society, and you see how bad
things are,... EVERYWHERE YOU LOOK

originally posted by: tamusan
a reply to: FlyInTheOintment

Perhaps it is not directly the fault of Christians. Disinterest in organized religion has been growing. I remember reading that church membership among U.S. adults has gone below 50%.

That is still a huge amount. Here in the UK it is estimated that only 10% of people go to church weekly and 15% monthly. Although around twice that many are thought to "believe" but not feel the need to go to church.

a reply to: glend

Why do Christian's fight amoung themselves as to what scripture means. Were the authors unable to express the truth in clear concisive terms. Of cause they were. But therein lie's a problem, The original audience of scripture were the romans with their highly inflated ego's. A book that quoted "all highly inflated ego's were going to hell" simply wouldn't sell to that audience. So Chrsitianity has scripture that appease everyone. Yet those falsehoods are in themsleves a test. A mirror into ourselves. Those that see love in the Gospels are reflecting their own love.

Such is human nature when it comes to communicating. No matter how anything is written, different people are going to view it in different ways, just like someone taking someone else's verbal statements out of context. It was no different in the days of Jesus. The disciples themselves fought over the meanings of the words of Jesus Christ in trying to understand what he meant, and many of those times, they didn't understand what he was saying until much later. If "Christianity has scripture that appeases everyone", it's only because they make it so through their own personal interpretations. Much like you have in the past without taking context into consideration. The Bible isn't a mirror into ourselves, it's a story about God and the failures and triumphs of his people, lessons to be learned from their past mistakes. Should we be able to use their mistakes to learn something for ourselves too, sure, but many of those same people never learned from their own mistakes. Hopefully, we can.

You should ask yourself what do lost tribes have to do with your salvation today.

Once again, not every story in the Bible is about me or my own personal salvation. Many of the stories and warnings in the Bible pertain to the state of Israel and it's people. While we are told to watch Israel for these signs of things to come throughout the world, the 144,000 will specifically be targeting the Jews and their salvation. For a small group of people that was originally chosen to spread the gospel to the rest of the world, the majority of them have chosen to stick to their old ways and traditions of worship. They don't recognize Jesus Christ as their Savior and will be dealt with harshly...again! Once again, the Bible tells us that only a "remnant" of the Jews will survive in Israel. Once we see things start to turn in Israel, the time is near for the rest of us too.

a reply to: Deetermined

It has nothing to do with human nature. The 10 commandments of Torah is written in clear and concisive terms. Leaving no room for confusion or doubt.

You shall not make for yourself an image in the form of anything in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the waters below. You shall not bow down to them or worship them; for I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God, punishing the children for the sin of the parents to the third and fourth generation of those who hate me, but showing love to a thousand generations of those who love me and keep my commandments.

a reply to: glend

What does that have to do with Christians interpreting other scriptures differently or the understanding of the 144,000?

Are you trying to convince yourself that people don't need to understand anything in the Bible outside of the 10 commandments?

How are you going to understand who Jesus is with just the 10 commandments? After all, the first and greatest commandment is to love the Lord your God with all of your heart, mind, and soul. How does that happen unless you use the rest of scriptures to understand who he is?

originally posted by: Vroomfondel
I think this is a fairly easy question to answer based on my faith and the people I know who share it.

I don't force my faith on others. If it comes up in a conversation I am willing to talk about it, and if someone asks, I am very happy to help them find the faith for themselves. But I won't make it a talking point with everyone I meet every single day. I won't stand on a street corner shouting at cars driving by. My faith is personal. I will share it but I will not force it on anyone. Most of the people I know feel the same way. We don't go door to door, we don't ask for donations, we don't impose on others. We believe what we believe and we pretty much keep it to ourselves.

This is pretty much the opposite of people who are gay, vegan, or atheist. They have to make sure every single person they ever speak to knows that is what they are. Its as if the only thing that matters in their life is making others aware of that self imposed identity. I have never felt the need to introduce myself as a Christian heterosexual omnivore and force other people to acknowledge that identity. I wish others would show that same courtesy more often.

What a puss response. Whiney and absurd.

Lol

Those vegan, atheists and gay folk trigger you something fierce don’t they!

I’ve never had a vegan, atheist or gay person come to my door to try to convince me of a god damn thing, but I’ve had loads of religious folk try.

Snowflakery at its finest.

Out in left field; But wouldn't the "Son of man" be what gets called a "Saint"?

a reply to: Crowfoot

Jesus referred to himself as the Son of Man to point out his human side besides the divine, but also to point to everything that was written about him in the Old Testament scripture.

Such as...

Daniel 7:13-14

13 “I was watching in the night visions,
And behold, One like the Son of Man,
Coming with the clouds of heaven!
He came to the Ancient of Days,
And they brought Him near before Him.
14 Then to Him was given dominion and glory and a kingdom,
That all peoples, nations, and languages should serve Him.
His dominion is an everlasting dominion,
Which shall not pass away,
And His kingdom the one
Which shall not be destroyed.

Jesus often said things from the Old Testament that pointed to him without it being too obvious in order to get himself killed, but the words that Jesus spoke while he was on the cross from Psalm 22:1, many didn't understand that what he was saying was a sign that he was fulfilling scripture.

a reply to: Deetermined

1 Timothy 2:5 ESV
For there is one God, and there is one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus,

The Shakaya Gotma(Buddha) did the same thing(re-your post) referring to himself as 'Tathagata. It means basically; The one thus come or the one thus gone depending on the context... Since all the Buddhist Saints(Arhat) had the same "knowledge" or understanding as he(Gotma) and previous(Buddhas) did.

a reply to: Crowfoot

Buddha never claimed to be God. Buddhism is a philosophy, not a religion.

While Jesus is the only mediator between God and man, it's because he's God in the flesh, as described to us in the book of John, chapter 1. Jesus wasn't just "any" man.

a reply to: Deetermined

According to scholars; Dependent Origination is what The Gautama Buddha left the word with as significant to it.

Emanation is the same thing or "from the source" meaning not the origin but dependent on the origin for the continual arising or rebirth into everlasting life... however; it is seen as a hierarchy. What Christians refer to as Father, son, and Ghost or Spirit? Is what Buddhists refer to as the triple Gem or refuge...

The difference should be obvious as Christ said he was the only refuge; I suppose that means out of what he was guilty for and couldn't escape as cause and effect.

Taking refuge in Buddha, the law that removes past causes, and the followers seeking refuge or escape from their burdens. Even after what could be called Sainthood or emanation; He suffered a few headaches due to knocking on the head of a fish when he was a boy.

It simply just appears to me that "Godhood" is more of a trap or a curse or some rite of passage; to see if one falls into temptation to use and abuse power to form the Earth and the people how they want or desire it to be to suit them and them alone; Such a thing is arguably the most selfish thing one could agree too and the punishment for it? Teaching why trying to be "god" is not a good pursuit to attempt no matter who is asking or for whatever reason to force you to try to be one like in the case of Job.

Precepts vs. commandments is the real difference I suppose in the following a "lord" or emmination that gives off all these good feelings having been cause of so many "bad" ones and seeing them a source of good due to those attached feelings instead of oh no dude you did bad that "feeling" from you is a trap.

Those things called precepts or commandments can be practiced without the preaching... In Zen there's a comment of "Too many steps taken." as in following them instead of doing the practice that removes one's own "original sin(s)" kamma or whatever. Basically; Penance... one always knows what they did there is no way one does not know what they did; so that bearing of witness whether false or true is likely what makes "things" or "situations" appear as an eternity or like an eternal "life".

There are what I've noticed; Thieves in the spiritual world that manifest in the physical or emminations like fetches and familiars slaves or whatever... that sort of thing only seems to drag things out like previously mentioned... which is why I suppose so many people choose to enter a commune of some sort... However, the rules are just as likely to be be a problem like the theft or even mention or it by others as what householders go through.

Rightly self awakened; doesn't expect anyone else to undo all that business for you like a slave a fetch a familiar etc. or basically being humble. All that running around breaking commandments or precepts isn't doing anyone any favors in either "house" or anywhere in between.

But if personas are supposed to take refuge in Jesus or Christ; and then take refuge into the saints of Jesus or Christ so he can get a break from all his past "sins" he's working on? Then I suppose it makes some sort of sense.

I have no first cause or last cause in that individuals life so I don't know what to say about all those waiting on an anagammin they may or may not return and remember "himself" although after some time messing around? They'll remind him or her; however that is not rightly self awakened.

a reply to: Crowfoot

The difference should be obvious as Christ said he was the only refuge; I suppose that means out of what he was guilty for and couldn't escape as cause and effect.

Jesus Christ was the only refuge because he is the only human who ever lived who was sinless. The only thing he was guilty of was proclaiming himself to be equal with God the Father, which he is. He is God incarnated into flesh. He had to be sinless in order to be the perfect sacrifice for everyone else's sin. While there's too much on that topic to go into here, Jesus is referred to as the "Lamb of God" or the "Lamb" in the Bible for that reason. The rest would take some personal research to understand further.

a reply to: Quadrivium

The other thing most don't seem to realize too is that different peoples and even different sects have different ideas of what should constitute a worship service too. Typically, African American services are more jubilant and passionate where many Eurocentric ones are more solemn and ceremonial. That doesn't change the basic tenets of the religion itself, but a worshipper from one background isn't necessarily going to be comfortable stepping into the church services of the other sort for reasons not connected to race.

Look at how some Christians in the Philippines celebrate Easter - they actually still nail someone to a cross in some places and re-enact the day short of someone's death. No one in the US, black or white, would think that appropriate.

Proselytizing, the thing that so annoys most and is likely what is being discussed is a tenet of some sects, but not even most. Most Christians don't even really try to sit down and have a serious talk about the "Good News" with most other people unless they're open to it and invite it or we're having some kind of discussion like this one and others we tend to have here.

a reply to: Deetermined

I suppose you missed out that "being god" was the origin of that; Original sin?

Even though super or supra "natural" powers arise while on the path(marga) they are a hindrance to freedom or liberation... using them as a "god" one simply falls into the trap.

I'd say; even if you find "yourself" in heaven? Keep practicing the commandments or precepts as if there were no heaven... even if there is? That heaven likely, isn't yours... and even if it was? How could one deny oneself the living as a man there too?

a reply to: Crowfoot

Basically; Penance... one always knows what they did there is no way one does not know what they did; so that bearing of witness whether false or true is likely what makes "things" or "situations" appear as an eternity or like an eternal "life".

I'm not sure what you're trying to say here. Eternal life in the spiritual world of Christianity means a literal life of eternity spent with God in heaven after this human life is over. So, if you're trying to convey something different about the use of the term "eternal" or what it means in Buddhism, you're going to have to expand on that further for me. Thanks.