© China2Valley.com
Ever since God revealed himself to Abraham at the burning bush, four thousand years ago God has been investing himself in mankind. Two thousand years ago he sacrificed himself for us. But he still continues to lose on his investment. This year alone potentially at least 4.5 billion people are going to hell, some of them will be unborn foetuses, some of them will be Muslim children, Hindu children, Atheists etc that don't care anything about differences between religions. This figure does not count Christians that Jesus does not "know", even though, they cast out demons in his name or those that are "Luke warm" that he will spew out of his mouth and send them straight to hell.
Christians make up one third of the worlds population. But they are totally confused and the reason is easy to find. It is in the interpretation of the scriptural text; it is so ambiguous and weak, that it is open to any, interpretation you would like to give it, according to your own fancy or pet theory. This observation is true, for if it was false, there would be fewer denominations, and more Christians in the world. Gods return on his investment would increase. That is not the case and there are 33,000 Denominations.
As defined by World Christian Encyclopaedia by Barrett, Kurian, Johnson Oxford Univ Press, 2nd edition, 2001 world Christianity consists of 6 major ecclesiastic-cultural blocs, divided into 300 major ecclesiastical traditions, composed of over 33,000 distinct denominations in 238 countries, these denominations themselves being composed of over 3,400,000 worship centres, churches or congregations.
God has been in the red since day one and is nearly bankrupt as the once mighty unsinkable ship of Christianity begins to list after it has hit some huge icebergs that have rubbished the claim that it is unsinkable. Liberal Christianity has jettisoned many obsolete doctrines (weights) in order to keep afloat and stay relevant; Genesis creation account, Original sin, Virgin birth, Hell, New Testament miracles and the Resurrection etc. have all been dumped.
However conservative Christianity, especially some Charismatics and Pentecostals have clung to the Bible with all their might and have even frantically added new - seeker - friendly doctrines; to cover up the ones they do not want you to know about (till you are hooked). The doctrines of Biblical Hell, Judgement, Exclusivity, Wrath, Suffering, Pain, Back sliding etc. have been overshadowed by doctrines of Love, Health, Wealth, Prosperity, Miracles, Eternal security, Tithing, Seed planting and a more humane depiction of hell (as separation from god) etc. This has caused a movement of disillusioned and disgruntled Christians seeking excitement and miracles away from boring historical churches to the new exciting and dynamic mega churches all across the land. There they are welcomed with big smiles directly in relation to the cars that they drive - a tiny smile for a VW, a larger one for a BMW and the biggest smile is reserved for those that drive Mercs.
This is just a rearranging of the deck chairs on the stricken ship as there are not nearly enough, if any, atheists, agnostics, secular, people from other religions etc added to Christianity in order to keep it out of the red. Every day we hear about another preacher/minister/clergy that leaves Christianity to become an agnostic or atheists and every second we hear about another Christian lay person that does the same. The ship is sinking and the enlightened are jumping ship. But when it comes to Christianity the less you know the better. Just believe. Don't question anything. Just have faith. Don't doubt. Doubt is Satan's way of leading people astray and oh before I forget "Jesus loves you". However Atheism is growing at an alarming rate. There are all ready over one billion atheists and counting. Not that atheism is a religion it is just a way of grouping rational thinkers that have adopted the attitude that there does not need to be a god to explain any thing; therefore there is not a god.
IMO These are some of the ice bergs:
*ICE BERG 1. Bible study and research -
Most apologists, theologians, missionaries, ministers, fundamentalists and liberals lose there faith with shock and horror when they discover that the Bible is not what they thought it was; the Bible is not infallible and inerrant and it is blatantly obvious that Yahweh is nothing more than a war like, blood thirsty, tribal God that only exists in the Bible and in people minds or imagination. The Bible makes several claims that to a rational human being, just does not make any sense. Therefore the gospel of Christianity is incredulous, preposterous and presumptuous.
* ICE BERG 2. Galactic and biological evolution -
have removed God from his role of creator and therefore there is no reason for him to exist. The Bible contradicts science and nature. According to the Bible, the world is only 6,000 years old, while science has proven that the world is, in fact, much older. This is only one instance in which science trumps the Bible. Original sin does not exist either as Adam and Eve is a myth, therefore there is no need for atonement and a saviour to remove our sin as we do not have any sin.
* ICE BERG 3. Evil in the world -
No omnipotent, omnipresent and omniscient God who calls himself love but rules by fear and creates evil will allow the scale of cruelty, evil and suffering to continue. Therefore there can be no such god.
* ICE BERG 4. Exclusivity of salvation and the punishment of hell -
only certain Christians can go to heaven and no one else. All other religions and Christians are false and are going to hell. If God truly loves everyone, why would he doom all of those people to torture in hell for eternity? All religions claim to be the only true religion, and therefore Christianity does not have the monopoly on conversion experiences, heaven or hell etc. Hell is a cruel place to suffer torture for eternity for a finite offence and is ridiculous.
* ICE BERG 5. Prophetic failures -
Many evangelical Christians are excited and expectant at the thought that they are the "last generation" and "Jesus is due to return soon." Thus according to them we are living in the last days. However armies of theologians and Christian apologists have spent centuries trying to "explain away" why Jesus has not come back again. Jesus, antichrist, Armageddon have not materialised and never will after two thousand years - where are they?
*ICE BERG 6. Lack of supernatural miracles (even in Biblical times) -
There are no supernatural miracles of healing, answered prayer, fulfilled prophecies etc taking place to day and therefore the Bible is not inerrant and/or infallible. Faith cannot exist if it is based on an erroneous Bible and therefore it unravels like a ball of string.
Peter sees: Jesus walk on water, then he walks on the water with Jesus, he calls Jesus the son of the most high God under direct revelation of the Holy Ghost from Father God in heaven, over a period of three years sees Jesus raise the dead, heal the sick, cast out demons, Peter chops a mans ear off, sees Jesus miraculously fix it back on his head and then promptly denies Jesus. Did he really see these miracles happen? If he did he would not deny Jesus ever. So-called miracles are used to manipulate people into believing in the supernatural or divine and have been used by all religions to convince sceptics. Jesus who was God could do no miracles in Nazareth. Why? Because they did not believe! Why is that a problem to God? He can do anything! Does God need acceptance from mere mortal sinners before he can perform one?
*ICE BERG 7. Hypocrisy -
There is no difference in morality between atheists and Christians, contrary to Biblical teaching, people are inherently good. People are people, whether they have a Christian or atheist view point. Some are kind, some are not, some are smart and some are dumb. You'll find atheists with hearts of gold, salt of the earth types, and born again 'Christians' that engage in sexual affairs, molest children, defraud on tax and covet and accuse their neighbours and vice versa. Bottom line is, forget the labels and look at the person and take each on their merits, because a person is 'known by their fruits', and this makes sense no matter what label you carry. The bible, religion and god has nothing to do with who you really are deep down in your being; your genes, your brain, your upbringing and your education or lack of make you what you are.
*ICE BERG 8. Confusion -
The texts are not clear and can mean anything you want them to mean. Therefore there is no unity as every one beliefs what they want to (except in the Catholic Church where the Pope decides what is canon or not).
* ICE BERG 9. Hate -
every one hates something if you are a Christian: For example Independent Baptists hate Catholics, Charismatics, Pentecostals, Armenians, Calvinists, Denominational Baptists, MTV, HBO, Secular radio, Contemporary Christian music, Christian TV, Rock and Roll music, long hair on men, short skirts on women, pants on women, smoking, drinking alcohol, Hollywood, Secularism, Humanism, Pluralism, Socialism, Communism, Liberals, Progressives, Liberal Christian colleges, women preachers, effeminate male preachers, effeminate men, hen-pecked men, haughty women, Church members who disagree with the pastor, premarital sex, extramarital sex, Christmas, World Council of Churches, world system etc.
* ICE BERG 10. Plagiarism - (Source)
Christianity is a faith that borrowed several of its, stories and teachings from older pagan traditions. Some research into this claim also reveals that most of the incidents of the Old Testament can be found in the myths and legends of older cultures. The Genesis creation, Noah's flood, the tower of Babel, the trials of Abraham, the miracles of Moses etc. are all Jewish adaptations of older Pagan myths. Biblical scholars date the earliest of the Old Testament writing around 960 B.C.E. All of the Pagan myths quoted are much, much older.
You already know Christmas trees and Easter eggs were originally Pagan, and you probably know the seasonal timing of the two holidays is Pagan too. Ancient cultures around the Mediterranean shared standard ideas about Gods and their powers and place in the universe and Christianity borrowed them. The core of Christianity - the worship of a miracle working, walking, talking god man who brings salvation - was also the core of other ancient religions that began at least a thousand years before Jesus. Heaven, hell, prophecy, demon possession, sacrifice, initiation by baptism, communion with God through a holy meal, the Holy Spirit, monotheism, immortality of the soul, and many other "Christian" ideas all belonged to earlier, older Pagan faiths. They were simply part of ancient Mediterranean culture. Along with miracle working sons of God, born of a mortal woman, they were common elements of pre-Christian Pagan religion. Mithras had them. So did Dionysus, Attis, Osiris, and Orpheus.
It also does not say only certain Christians can go to heaven. It says all will be judeged according to thier beliefs.
Hate does not need religion, or any form of Christianity. Evil hates.
Confusion is for those who love the material world and will do anything, pervert anything to sustain thier love of money.
Hypocracy would exist even if there were no such thing as Christianity. Man is born imperfect, and must devote his life to learning, chiefly about himself, so that he may grow to be what he was intended to be.
Lack of supernatural or miracles: Playing with definitions will not spread any joy, but enslave all in fear.
Prophetic failures. Harold Camping also sought to employ numerology, in the same way that some calculated the age of the Earth. The only failure is that the Bible was not written to support such calculation.
Evil in the world: The very old and tired blast against God/The All/The One/ etc. is hollow. This material world is not what is important. The soul of man is what lives on, beyond the cruelty of man's world that such evil men love to accuse God, thereby salving thier own conscience(or lack of consciousness) failures.
Every religion or belief system that is worth anything will tell you that the soul lives on. It is what becomes of the soul afterwards that is important.
The Bible, The Egyptian Book of the Dead (misnamed), Koran, Torah, etc. are not what the material world wants them to be or say. Now, that is shocking, and it should wake anyone up.
The Bible, like any other book of wisdom, is easily perverted and maniupulated to keep the massess ignorant and dependent, thereby enslaving.
Remember: The Church wasn't the first or only example of selling stairways to heaven. By the Middle Kingdom of Egypt, a once happy and cared-for population found themselves as prey, for the priesthood who were busy selling indulgences for thier eventual meeting with Horus.