could the end of the church be the beginnngof Christianity
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There are two post-modern prophets that foresaw this coming. They saw the end of Church-ianity as a good thing. They are S├Г┬╕ren Kierkegaard and Dietrick Bonhoeffer.
S├Г┬╕ren Kierkegaard wrote "Attack On Christendom" in which he celebrated Christendom's decline! He longed for the day when Christians would simply be "followers of Jesus." He felt that "being Christian" merely because one was born in a so-called Christian nation and was even baptized by the church was not good enough. In fact, he saw this as the end of Christianity. "When everybody is a Christian, nobody is a Christian." Such people are only "playing Christianity." Kierkegaard was no lover of Church-ianity. He was, however, a lover of Jesus. He believed that in order to be a follower of Jesus, one needs to take a leap of faith. (His idea of the Leap of Faith was picked up by two recent films: Vanilla Sky and Kate and Leopold)
Dietrick Bonhoeffer, was a true prophet of our day. Like most prophets he was killed for his faith. It was Adolph Hitler and his murderous Nazis who assassinated Bonhoeffer by hanging. Bonhoeffer saw the futility of the modern era and how irrelevant the modern church was. Bonhoeffer welcomed secularization because it was "a clearing of the decks for the God of the Bible." He prophesied of a time when a viable form of Christianity would emerge. "A religionless Christianity." Can you imagine that? A Christianity free of religion. Wow! He saw a time when lovers of Jesus would speak without "religious jargon" and would effectively speak "in a secular fashion about God."
This represents what I believe to be the basics of my faith, a time when people like me will abandon the church its liturgy and traditions and devoid of religious jargon, we enter a new age where the God of the universe can finally and openly speak to all. The church was and is a perversion of the real god of the universe
Re: could the end of the church be the beginnngof Christian
Re: could the end of the church be the beginnngof Christian
Uhh...
What "churches" specifically are you refering to Wes? Catholic? Anglican? Baptist? Lutheran? Pentacostal? Born-Again-Jezuz-Freak-Mega-Churches? Eastern Orthodox?
All of them?
And should we also get rid of all the Prelates, priests, nuns, religious scholars, preachers....
I guess we could all go to the internet for spritual guidance and google/wiki Jesus.
Would "true Christianity" then flourish?
Interesting topic you raise...great for a bar discussion.
Reminds me of my college days.
Re: could the end of the church be the beginnngof Christian
Quote:
Originally Posted by Wesley
http://www.hollywoodjesus.com/comments/david/2004/11/major-decline-in-church-attendance.html
...... we enter a new age where the God of the universe can finally and openly speak to all. The church was and is a perversion of the real god of the universe[/b]
What proof is there that there is either (a) a God or god of the universe, or (b) that there is only one of him/her (or Him/Her)?
Re: could the end of the church be the beginnngof Christian
Quote:
Originally Posted by kenc
Uhh...
What "churches" specifically are you refering to Wes? Catholic? Anglican? Baptist? Lutheran? Pentacostal? Born-Again-Jezuz-Freak-Mega-Churches? Eastern Orthodox?
All of them?
And should we also get rid of all the Prelates, priests, nuns, religious scholars, preachers....
I guess we could all go to the internet for spritual guidance and google/wiki Jesus.
Would "true Christianity" then flourish?
Interesting topic you raise...great for a bar discussion.
Reminds me of my college days.
I believe it is the end of the church as we know it, not right away of course but the beginning of secular church, one with out all the hang ups we bitch about. That means all churches will eventually go to the more secular approach to Christendom. I am already that way and everyone accepts the fact. The teachings of Bonhoffer is usually the main part of what I have to say.. So, no matter if they like me or not I will be busy for the rest of my life. I donтАЩt get upset when there are others who disagree with god, no god, transcendental god, or a black God, that is up to them. It really does not bother me if someone is like homi. He has his rights as well to believe in what ever he wants to believe it and if that is nothing then it fits his empty head. Two more weeks in Thailand and I would have been Buddhist anyway
All the best!
Wesley
Re: could the end of the church be the beginnngof Christian
Quote:
Originally Posted by cottmann
Quote:
Originally Posted by Wesley
http://www.hollywoodjesus.com/comments/david/2004/11/major-decline-in-church-attendance.html
...... we enter a new age where the God of the universe can finally and openly speak to all. The church was and is a perversion of the real god of the universe[/b]
What proof is there that there is either (a) a God or god of the universe, or (b) that there is only one of him/her (or Him/Her)?
There is no proof, it was it was Kierkegaard who says you have to take the leap of faith to belive in anything, its perfectly okay if you don't belive in any thing at all.
Its a persoanal thing and you can certainly believe anything you like.
All the best,
Wesley
Re: could the end of the church be the beginnngof Christian
Quote:
Originally Posted by cottmann
What proof is there that there is either (a) a God or god of the universe, or (b) that there is only one of him/her (or Him/Her)?
Wesley's rich fantasy life is the proof - that and the fact that Wesley is gay so God must have chosen to make him that way, which means there must be a God. Are we going round in circles yet?
The End or the Beginning, or in the Beginning, The End?
Quote:
Originally Posted by Wesley
...I believe it is the end of the church as we know it, not right away of course but the beginning of secular church, one with out all the hang ups we bitch about. That means all churches will eventually go to the more secular approach to Christendom. ....
Quote:
Originally Posted by homintern
...Are we going round in circles yet?
Ok, I give up Wes. I'm not anywhere near drunk enough to have a fcuking clue what you're talking about. :pop: