A thought from many years ago, which underpinned a lot of what I have done for 20 years. I am at most a very occasional Church goer. Like most esotericists, I feel that all beliefs, including atheism, have their place in the chorus of the world's wisdom, though Hermetic philosophy is better than any dogmas or theology.
But I am dismayed by the reflexive and endless attacks on the Church and Christianity I see in my pagan and 'new age' friends and the political left. I understand why, but I want to ask everyone to stop, think and act constructively for the good of the future of society. I will write more on this theme and explain it better in a future series of posts.
---
Christianity is a very unusual religion in that quite a lot of people who claim to be Christian also claim that they are against 'organised religion' or the 'institutional Church'.
These kind of people - who are normally not actually Christians in any meaningful sense, but like to think of themselves as understanding Jesus and being like him - also think they are more Christian than the people who actually subscribe to a branch of the Christian religion!
I will tell the story of how this odd situation arose some other time. For now - as someone who is not a regular Church goer and - I would like to pose this question.
Most people of any religion - or none - are unlike Christ. Many of these people accept that being like Christ is a good thing.
So, would there be more people like Christ in this world if Christianity was wiped out, or less people??
Imagine a world with no Churches and no Christian teaching in it. Even if you are not a Christian, would you be happy to live in this world? If so, you are being consistent in attacking Christians and the Christian religion, and I respect your battle, though I think it is misguided. Russian Communism was very consistent in its attack on the Church. But if you don't really want to destroy the Church, PLEASE consider why you are attacking Christianity - probably more than any other religion. Really THINK about this.
For myself, I do not accept the theology of the Churches but I think it would be a spiritual DISASTER if every Church were ripped out of Western society, and a Starbucks put in its place. Do you really want to see a world where every religion in world history is respected and supported in Western society except for the religion of the people in these lands for the last 2000 years?
IF YOU DO NOT LIKE THIS VISION OF THE FUTURE, DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT.
To stop attacking Christianity at every moment and to start helping it to sort itself out would be one way.
But I am dismayed by the reflexive and endless attacks on the Church and Christianity I see in my pagan and 'new age' friends and the political left. I understand why, but I want to ask everyone to stop, think and act constructively for the good of the future of society. I will write more on this theme and explain it better in a future series of posts.
---
Christianity is a very unusual religion in that quite a lot of people who claim to be Christian also claim that they are against 'organised religion' or the 'institutional Church'.
These kind of people - who are normally not actually Christians in any meaningful sense, but like to think of themselves as understanding Jesus and being like him - also think they are more Christian than the people who actually subscribe to a branch of the Christian religion!
I will tell the story of how this odd situation arose some other time. For now - as someone who is not a regular Church goer and - I would like to pose this question.
Most people of any religion - or none - are unlike Christ. Many of these people accept that being like Christ is a good thing.
So, would there be more people like Christ in this world if Christianity was wiped out, or less people??
Imagine a world with no Churches and no Christian teaching in it. Even if you are not a Christian, would you be happy to live in this world? If so, you are being consistent in attacking Christians and the Christian religion, and I respect your battle, though I think it is misguided. Russian Communism was very consistent in its attack on the Church. But if you don't really want to destroy the Church, PLEASE consider why you are attacking Christianity - probably more than any other religion. Really THINK about this.
For myself, I do not accept the theology of the Churches but I think it would be a spiritual DISASTER if every Church were ripped out of Western society, and a Starbucks put in its place. Do you really want to see a world where every religion in world history is respected and supported in Western society except for the religion of the people in these lands for the last 2000 years?
IF YOU DO NOT LIKE THIS VISION OF THE FUTURE, DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT.
To stop attacking Christianity at every moment and to start helping it to sort itself out would be one way.