Belinda wrote: ↑Sun Mar 16, 2025 1:29 pm
Self -affirmed Christians in this philosophy forum can't seem to offer any reasoned support for Christianity. I would love to read a church-going Christian who can reason that Christianity is good. I am not being flippant or ironic I state a matter of fact.
Immanuel Can comes closest to reasoning for Christianity, but fails when he confuses the Christ of faith and the Jesus of history.
The essential, or fundamental, part, or teaching, of "christianity" is based on, or off of, who and what "jesus christ", itself, was, or is, or what the actual words, name, and label "jesus christ" was meaning and/or referring to, EXACTLY.
So, who and what were those words referring to, EXACTLY?
They referred to a 'child', and more so a 'child of God'. But, which was also a 'human being child', AS WELL. Now, the word "christianity" obviously comes from or relates to the word "christ". So, being "a christian" is more or less just being 'christ-like'. That is; 'child-like' is OPENNESS, and Honesty, while being Truly CURIOUS. Absolutely EVERY young child is CURIOS, WANTS TO LEARN, FULLY OPEN, and TOTALLY Honest. And the ABILITY to become, and remain, Truly CURIOS, FULLY OPEN, and TOTALLY Honest is ALWAYS WITHIN. After all the 'inner-child' ALWAYS REMAINS, WITH-IN 'us', 'older ones'.
The human being who was living about two thousand years ago, from when this was written, (and who is said to 'die' in about eight more years, fours weeks, and at three pm, again two thousand years ago), was also said to have 'known' what is Right, in Life, by 'the age of nine'. (Which, by the way, itself also holds significance, which does come-to-light with the 'second-coming'). Anyway, the fundamental teaching of 'the story of "jesus christ" is that as A 'child' 'we' ALL KNOW/KNEW what IS Right, and Wrong, in Life, and that through, and by, USING 'childhood-logic', which is just an never-ending QUEST, THIRST, and HUNGER FOR LEARNING, while being Truly OPEN, and Honest, with an also absolutely LOVE-OF CHANGE, and thus of becoming-NEW, and WISER.
So, "christianity" is just 'A way' of life, and living', where 'we', as 'the SAME one/s', that is; 'child like', again, are just being OPEN to continual learning, towards continual changing for the better.
And, for those who are, also, Truly CURIOS, and 'we' KEEP continually learning AND changing UNTIL 'we', eventually, 'grow up', and 'mature', IN-TO what 'we', as One, have ALWAYS been DESTINED TO BE, and BE-COME.
Now, WHY, in "christianity", BELIEF is so STRONGLY TAUGHT, and HELD, is because if and when 'older' or 'adult' human beings PUT BELIEF IN-TO ('their'), then 'children' 'grow up' and/or 'mature' BETTER, or IN-TO MORE ' 'rounded, capable, and/or well adjusted' human beings ', as some would say. In fact it is BELIEF IN "one's" 'self' HOW and WHY EVERY thing has been ACHIEVED and CREATED BY human beings CAME-IN-TO FRUITION, and/or CAME-TO-EXIST.
The reason adult human beings do NOT have THE BELIEF in "themselves", as they got 'older' is from not having BELIEF, itself, IN-STILL-ED IN 'them', when 'they' were 'younger'.
A HUGE part of 'the story, of "jesus" ', is about BELIEF IN "jesus", namely; (your) CHILDREN.
In fact, and for 'those' who WANT TO DELVE IN-TO 'the story', of "jesus", it is said that 'the story' was written even before 'the one' named "jesus christ" was even 'born'. Which, more or less, just MEANS that 'that one' was only, literally, put up-on such a 'pedestal' of HIGH REGARD because others around 'that one' SAW it as being 'good' or 'better' all along. Because others around 'that one' HAD 'FAITH' IN it, and HAD BELIEF IN it', 'they' were, literally, 'the ones' PUT THE FAITH and PUT THE BELIEF IN 'that one'. Again, you human beings can and do ACHIEVE and can and do CREATE things MUCH BETTER, more easily, more simply, and much quicker when 'you' HAVE FAITH, and/or BELIEF, IN "yourselves". Obviously, if and when children 'grow up' WITHOUT others HAVING, nor, literally, PUTTING FAITH, or BELIEF, in 'them', then 'those children' with END UP WITHOUT FAITH, nor BELIEF, WITH-IN "themselves".
Also, and just to add just SOME more on here, now, ALL young children will only do what is good, or Right, ONLY. That is; UNTIL they COPY, and/or LEARN, FROM others. And, doing good, or what is JUST, Right, in Life, is NOT some thing that ANY one should be 'proud' of NOR be 'praised' FOR. Just DOING GOOD is JUST 'what IS Right, in Life, and IS JUST NATURAL FOR ALL young human beings, and thus is JUST what "jesus christ", that is; CHILDREN, OF God, (ALL human beings) JUST START OUT DOING, NATURALLY, anyway.
If you like "belinda" I can DELVE IN-TO 'this' MUCH, MUCH FURTHER, and in MUCH, MUCH MORE DETAIL, SHOWING HOW "christianity", or just 'being child-like' IS GOOD, but which is also ONLY JUST A VERY SMALL PART OF what IS ACTUALLY GOOD and Right, in Life.
See, "Islam" and just ' being a "muslim" ' is ALSO what IS ACTUALLY GOOD and Right, in Life, and combined-together HELP IN MAKING 'Life', Itself, MUCH BETTER, and MORE HARMONIOUS, FOR EVERY one. But, 'this' is obviously 'another story', FOR 'another day'.
No argument there, for me.