Where Have All the Christians Gone?

[NanceGreggs]

Jesus said we should feed the hungry, shelter the homeless, care for the sick, and treat others as we would wish to be treated ourselves.

If you are a true Christian, i.e. a follower of Christ and his teachings, the policies of the Republican party are completely contrary to everything you espouse to believe in.

The GOP opposes anything-and-everything that Jesus admonished his followers to do. They do everything in their power to dismiss the hungry as lazy parasites looking for a handout, to criminalize homelessness as though not being able to afford shelter is in-and-of-itself a crime, to ensure that healthcare means making a profit from the sick, and treating each other with empathy and compassion as a sign of weakness.

If you are a Christian, you cannot be a Republican. If you support Republicans, you cannot claim to be a Christian.

It's as simple as that. There is no middle ground, there is no wiggle room.

If you are willing to abandon the teachings of The Nazarene in order to adhere to the teachings of The GOP, at least have the courage to say so.

If you have decided that Jesus was some left-wing whack-job who delivered the Sermon on the Mount to a bunch of peace-loving idiots, stand up and say so.

So why not stop pretending you are Christians and instead just openly denounce the words of your alleged Saviour. - as your party of choice has urged you to do.

In other words, spare us all your hypocrisy. It's old, it's obvious, and it's blatantly demonstrative of just how easily-manipulated you are - and being easily-manipulated is exactly why the GOP rightly determined that you were all easy-pickin's when it came to convincing you that when it comes to "Christian voters", Jesus Christ is not only politically irrelevant, he is the poster-boy for everything that is abhorrent to your party-of choice.

There is nothing more pathetic than a so-called "Christian" who aligns himself with the party that has convinced him that the teachings of Christ are nothing more than leftist propaganda meant to undermine democracy.

[elleng]

1. Gone, after Gingrich.

[Celerity]

2. Unfortunately tens of millions are directly or indirectly attempting a christofascist takeover

No such thing as a 'true Christian' btw.

That is a basic 'No true Scotsman' logical fallacy.

[NanceGreggs]

3. I believe true Christians still exist.

Sadly, they are too cowed by fake Christians to speak up.

[Celerity]

5. Anyone can claim 'true Christian'. It is subjective and is a classic 'appeal to purity' fallacy.

Same for 'fake Christian'.

[NanceGreggs]

35. For me ...

... a "true Christian" is someone who follows the teachings of Christ.

If you're claiming to be a Christian, but are following the tenets of Republicanism (or worse yet, Trumpism), you have abandoned your Christian faith and replaced it with teachings that are the exact opposite of Christian teachings.

Republicans don't simply NOT do what Christ told his followers to do, they actively fight against the tenets he taught - feeding the hungry, etc.

That's why I say you can't be a Republican if you're a Christian, and vice versa.

[Celerity]

36. Good luck shearing off the Old Testament from 'Christianity'. Even doing that still leaves intact

the entire 'believe in me or perish/suffer eternal damnation' command and control bollocks.

All religions that have a god or gods require a wilful suspension of disbelief, and that is where it all goes off the tracks.

It is the biggest, oldest, and most tragic woo/con in the 2.5+ million years history of humans and hominids.

The entire schema is dependent on magical thinking that by its nature allows in profound and nefarious manipulation.

Human flaws are not mistakes of a god or gods, a god or gods are mistakes of flawed humans.

[phylny]

33. Really.

I just can't with this. Plenty of Christians I know walk the walk and talk the talk. They're not cowed by hypocrites.

[NanceGreggs]

34. Sad to say ...

... some of them are. I've seen some of them struggle with the disparity between their faith and supporting the GOP - and Trump in particular.

But if they are part of a church community where others are doing so, they go-along-to-get-along.

[speak easy]

4. Where are all the 'evangelical' leaders Standing With Ukraine,

condemning Putin's atrocities?

[KS Toronado]

10. Pat Robertson of the 7QQ club

praised Putler as "doing the right thing" to bring about the end times. He's probably busy right now giving
away all his money because it can't go through the eye of that needle with him. Wouldn't surprise me if
it's going to Russia instead of Ukraine.

[speak easy]

14. he/they hate LGBT men and women more than love life itself :(

[I_UndergroundPanther]

29. Thats the rub

They Want the endtimes. So they can be priest kings and beat everyone they dont like with iron rods.( Part of the perks of being gods chosen) Heaven has transparent floors where you can see into hell and watch all that torture. (Lazrus and being unable to give him water because of the invisible barrier verses) You get to see all those people you hate destroyed over and over and you can participate in the killings AND be a victim too because the whole world hates you like it did jesus. Its a dark triad wet dream and they will destroy everything to get what they want. Even if it is crazy. All that god like power and getting off on abuse of others all the time.

Christianity is a very ugly religion.

Both the sermon on the mount christians and the christofascists interpret the bible correctly. There is no way to tell which things get you saved being kind or being sociopaths. Only god knows who gets picked to be in the heaven club.

Because the bible is contradictory and as about as clear as mud..
And it is is as much about violence and cruelty as it is about love and peace.

The bible IS the problem.

[BlackSkimmer]

41. Heaven has floors? Really? Transparent ones?

Who knew?

[Goonch]

6. ;-{)🖖‍

[overleft]

7. The question you need to ask is 'where have all the religous people gone?'

Someone who lives by the teachings of Jesus Christ seeks to live by His teachings. Even in Jesus's day, the religious people, along with an authoritative ruler government, were the ones who crucified Him. Religion and politics were poor bed fellows then as well.

[treestar]

8. it is code for white

to most of them. Christianity was the religion of Europe. That's where they are really coming from.

Others of them will say Jesus did not mean the government, but charity. OK, where's the charity? We see some, but not enough to account for their numbers. And whoever insists on this being a "Christian nation" should be fine with the government being the operator of the charity, as they are claiming it to be fundamental to the nation.

[Bernardo de La Paz]

9. {musical notes} Where have all the christians gone? {musical notes}

Where have all the christians gone, long time passing?
Where have all the christians gone, long time ago?
Where have all the christians gone?
Republicans have picked them, everyone.
Oh, when will they ever learn?
Oh, when will they ever learn?


Where have all the Republicans gone, long time passing?
...
Gone for Russia, everyone.


Where have all the Russians gone, long time passing?
...
Soldiering to Ukraine, everyone


Where have all the soldiers gone, long time passing?
...
Gone to graveyards, everyone.


Where have all the graveyards gone, long time passing?
...
Gone to SunFlowers, everyone.

[Maeve]

15. Not bad, but now I'll have that tune stuck in my head the rest of the day!

There are still followers of Jesus, but they are too busy taking care of people to make news

[Bernardo de La Paz]

16. Yes, true followers like President Jimmy Carter. . . . nt

[Emile]

11. Where Have All the Christians Gone? They are on the shooting range

playing with their guns!

[McKim]

12. Main Line Traditional Christian Churches are Loosing Members

Main line traditional Christian Churches have been losing membership. They are still doing a lot of charity and leadership on national and international social justice issues. There is such a thing as Liberation Theology which is Christianity from The Left. For Example The United Church of Christ works hard on Racial Justice, Peace and Economic Justice. Unitarians are focused on Immigration Justice. So don't paint all Christians with the same brush. For me, Jesus is still speaking and has been during my 20 plus years in the Peace Movement.

[RedSpartan]

13. I see you've met my in-laws.

[okaawhatever]

38. Hahaha good one nt

[PJMcK]

17. All religions suck

They demean women.

They espouse fairy tales.

They belittle intellectualism and facts.

All I can ask is, why bother?

[Ferrets are Cool]

18. In answer to your question, pretending makes them feel better about themselves.

Simple as that.

[Ferretherder]

27. Just had to pop in here and say...

.. about your name...

...Yes, they are!

[Ferrets are Cool]

28. And your name could NOT be a bigger oxymoron.

[Ferretherder]

42. My second job is...

...herding cats!

[Ferrets are Cool]

43. Not sure which would be more difficult

or rewarding. We have rescued over 30 ferrets over the last 20 years. We have a beautiful boy named JJ right now.

[Ferretherder]

44. Doin' it right, my friend!

Say 'hi' to JJ...

[Ferrets are Cool]

45. ...

[Peacetrain]

19. Hi Nancy... I am still here.. Christian and strong in my beliefs..

And you ask some wonderful questions!.. Christianity has been used as a political tool since 395AD when Rome made it their state religion..

Some people see it like magic I guess.. they can open the bible and it will foretell what will happen to them next week.. instead of seeing it as a historical record of people in community..

Some think God is an old man who looks suspiciously like Zeus.. (back to 395 )

Instead of seeing God in their neighbor.. and in themselves.. they do not want any responsibility for the needs of others and responsibility for their own actions.. as if God would choose to let 1000's of children die in a drought so that they could understand how blessed they are.. (I absolutely abhor the term... "there for the grace of God go I".. )

Jesus was a man who lived and died at the hands of the conservative movement in their shared faith because he brought forward that we are all responsible for one another.. we have free will

We are still here..

[yardwork]

20. Christians acknowledge that Jesus was murdered for advocating that radical position.

Those positions are still unpopular and radical today.

[Mariana]

21. Yes, only non-Christians could be as horrible as that

because Christians are better people than non-Christians.

[MineralMan]

22. Gone to Jesus - Every One?

I think that's from a song or something.

Please pardon my word play...

[MagickMuffin]

23. Jesus will be busy upon his return 🙏 lots of smiting gonna be taking place, start with "temples"

Kenneth Copeland, Joel Osteen come to mind.

And ALL the other posers. Beat them down and turn them into dust.

[GoodRaisin]

24. The Pharisees have returned. nt

[LakeArenal]

25. We have real Christians on DU. Nice people, too.

I am not one of them but they are here.

Unfortunately, Jesus was not ever a Christian. He’s a Jew.

[Midnight Writer]

26. We still have Jimmy Carter.

[TomSlick]

30. Preach!

By their fruit you will recognize them. Do people pick grapes from thorn bushes, or figs from thistles? Likewise, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, and a bad tree cannot bear good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. Thus, by their fruit you will recognize them. Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven." Matthew 7:16-21.

[ymetca]

31. If there were ever any "true" Christians

they'd have been murdered long ago, devoured by lions or crucified, eh?

Sword-bearing Peter (aka "Petra" or "The Rock" ) started that whole deal, Paul went ape-shit crazy on the road, Emperor Constantine finalized it into an "incorporated enterprise" of mass subjugation and pillage. High-as-a-kite John wrote the epilogue, straight out of the Marvel Universe Collection. And Enoch wept.

Much like most other religions ever concocted, it starts out holy, ends in holy hell.

"Man created God in his own image". Hard to get past that. And no girls allowed!

I blame Akhenaten, and all the other solar-phallic sky god deities, which are his form. The sado- side of the -masochism impulse.

Nuit can't seem to shush them from their insolence toward Mommy Gaia.

[NanceGreggs]

32. There are true Christians ...

... I know quite a few. They follow Christ's teachings, and take his admonitions seriously.

And not a single one of them is a Republican. They recognize the disparity between their faith and GOP policies - like cutting food stamps, criminalizing homelessness, voting against lowering the price of life-saving drugs, etc.

[Faux pas]

37. Kickin'

[roamer65]

39. Atheists and even some Satanists are more Christian nowadays.

Whole world has gone upside down it seems.

[Xolodno]

40. R.I.P.....325 AD.

As soon as religion becomes part of politics, government, etc. it loses the entire reason why it existed. Religion and government are not compatible. The New Testament even implies it, Satan told Jesus he would give control of every government if he bowed down to him, he refused.