<p>Jews, Christians, and Muslims all worship the same God: the God of Abraham. Very basically, Christians believe that Christianity is the continuation of Judaism, and Muslims believe that Islam is the continuation of Christianity.</p>
<p>Personally, I think that the friction between us comes from the relative closeness of our faiths. All agree on a great many things, but the relatively little things that with disagree on, we REALLY friggin' disagree on. The friction becomes even greater with the relatively minor disputes within each faith -- Orthodox Jews vs. Reform Jews, Catholics vs. Protestants, Sunnis vs. Shiites. So close, yet so far away.</p>
<p>"...Actually, as a Catholic, I very often find it easier -- and more rewarding -- to discuss religion with Muslims, Jews, Buddhists, Hindus, etc, than I do with Protestants. I have some great friends who are practicing Muslims, Jews, Buddhists, and Hindus, and somehow we are able to dialogue on religious matters with surprising ease, mutual grace, and a spirit of true friendship and love...."</p>
<p>That's interesting. I've met many 'born-again' Christians who think all of those people are 'satanic' and could never engage in a respectul discussion.</p>
<p>I'm glad to see that not all Christians are that way.</p>
<p>It has been my experience that the vast majority of Catholics not that way at all. It's one of the reasons why I chose Catholicism over "born-again" Christianity (evangelical Protestantism) when I decided to become a Christian. I always found the attitudes of the latter toward other faiths (including non-Protestant Christians) to be repellent, and still do.</p>
<p>In many ways, I blame the born-agains for my being such an anti-Christian during my teens and into my early twenties. Somehow they convinced me that all Christians were like them.</p>
<p>
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With most of the Protestants that I have been engaged with in religious discussion, however, there always seems to be a disaproving air emoting from them regarding my Catholicism. You just know what's coming. "Would you like to come to my church?"
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<p>I can totally relate </p>
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In many ways, I blame the born-agains for my being such an anti-Christian[
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I second that, in my opinion the evangelicals put a bad face on Christianity.</p>
<p>
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the Catholic Church was founded by Jesus Christ 2,000 years ago and spread through His Apostles.
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<p>Haha. Jesus Christ never founded any church. He was Jewish, and had no intention of creating any other kind of religious establishment. If wasn't until after his death...and 300 hundred years, was Christianity of anykind fully established.</p>
<p>What do you disagree with, the fact that he was Jewish? that he actaully did create the elaborate christian religion before he died? And if he did...why would he name it after himself? </p>
<p>And what's really the kicker, is that the real Jesus of Nazareth based his life on helping people, the misrepresented; jews, slaves, women, all of whom this man tried to help. If Jesus himself personally created this religion, why would it chant against homoxexuality, chant that women are inferior, and that if you didn't belong to this religion you were automatically going to hell? </p>
<p>Jesus of Nazareth preached love to everyone, not just straight men, and he stood by those who were stomped on by society. If he were around today who do you think he would take sides with? The underrepresented, those with no voice.</p>
<p>...and the bible was put together in approx. 300 AD, by Emperor Constantine. It was a political decision as to which books were to be considered the 'word of God.'</p>
<p>This is documented in a number of places. For starters, try the book </p>
<p>The Christian Conspiracy: How the Teaching of Christ Have Been Altered by Christians by L. David Moore </p>
<p>(it's actually written by a Christian who has a problem with Christianity being twisted into a dogma that does not reflect the teachings of Jesus at all.)</p>
<p>That's not to say that someone cannot find a genuine faith in Christianity - personally I don't really think it matters which religion one follows. What matters is what's between you and God.</p>
<p>check out jesusisaliberal.com for some interesting scriptures along the lines of what Smallz just stated.</p>
<p>"The Christian Conspiracy: How the Teaching of Christ Have Been Altered by Christians by L. David Moore </p>
<p>(it's actually written by a Christian who has a problem with Christianity being twisted into a dogma that does not reflect the teachings of Jesus at all.)"</p>
<p>In other words, he's a non-denominational Protestant -- someone who reads the Bible and starts his own version of Christianity, either for himself or for others through an independent ministry. Which usually results in, over time, a new established Church with its own set of dogmas. </p>
<p>There are currently over 30,000 such ministries/Churches in the Western world, all teaching different and often contradictory things about Jesus and what you need to do to get to Heaven. All this has done, in my view, is divide Christians further and further and cause mass confusion among the faithful.</p>
<p>What I meant was is that he is a follower of Christ. The title could imply that he thinks all of Christianity is bogus, or maybe he isn't Christian, or maybe he thinks Christians are trying to take over the world (ha) something like that.</p>
<p>If you were to read the book, you would understand that the very idea of 'starting one's own religion' is silly. The very premise of the book is that it is the dogma itself that is antithetical to Jesus' teachings.</p>
<p>As far as Christians being 'confused' - why is it that one must follow the authority of another human? That is what I do not understand about organized religion. Why can people not trust their own guidance from the living Spirit that dwells inside them? Why must they be told what to believe?</p>
<p>"The Christian Conspiracy is the best source for unbiased information on biblical sources"</p>
<p>I did not say that. Are you saying that? Not sure what you mean. I was merely offering the book for those who might be interested in separating the teachings of Jesus from the political, dogmatic structure that is the religion in his name.</p>
<p>"This thread just gets more and more ridiculous."</p>
<p>It's ridiculous to offer a recommendation of a scholarly work on the history of the bible? Please explain.</p>
<p>"GUYS THIS BOOK SAYS ON GOOD AUTHORITY THAT JESUS SLEPT WITH MARY MAGDALENE"</p>
<p>Well you are certainly entitled to your opinion about the da Vinci Code. But, I don't recall that being brought up in this thread. Undoubtedly there are other threads about that topic. The book 'The Christian Conspiracy' has nothing to do with the Da Vinci Code. The former is a scholarly work while the latter is a fictional novel (though some believe it to contain elements of truth). </p>
<p>They are completely unrelated, thought there might be a few elements of overlap (none that I can think of - not sure what The Christian Conspiracy says about Mary Magdelene - that is not the point of the book).</p>
<p>Well, I don't see how anyone familiar with the Gospel narratives and who truly believes that Jesus was the Son of God (ie. a Christian) can conclude that Jesus' intention was for everyone to come to their own personal conclusions regarding His message.</p>
<p>Read the Gospels. Read them again. You will see that Jesus wasn't wishy-washy at all. He was not a Buddha. Never does He say, "Believe whatever you want -- it's all good!" He plainly came for a reason, to tell men how they should live, in a specific way, if they want to attain true grace now and eternal life with God in Heaven. This is Christianity, as it has always been... or at least was, before the Protestant Reformation and all of the "fruits" it has brought forth.</p>
<p>Whether you like it or not, based upon the Four Gospels, Jesus was often quite dogmatic. I'm not saying that He wasn't kind, and I'm not saying that He wasn't loving -- Jesus was the absolute epitome of kindness and love. </p>
<p>Think of a parent who loves his children: he doesn't say "do whatever you want, go play in the road, sleep around, son -- it's good! What, you're hooked on herion? Right on, champ!" No, a truly loving parent is strict with his children, because he loves them. He wants to see them do well in life. This is the kind of loving that Jesus was and is. Real love.</p>
<p>"...Jesus was the absolute epitome of kindness and love..."</p>
<p>I agree with this part, and that is actually my point. I do not understand how Christians claiming to be followers of Jesus can justify war and discrimination.</p>
<p>As I said in that other thread (where I countered your points point by point, and invited you to do the same with mine, but never got a reply from you, btw), war, discrimination, judgment, and elitism are all old testament 'values' and entirely conflict with the teachings of Jesus.</p>
<p>To illustrate my point, can you think of a situation in which Jesus would throw stones at a person? or would start a war?</p>