is Christianity a force for good?

[Margaret Pilkington]

You might just as well ask if the internet is a force for good, or a force for evil.

Christianity is a set of beliefs, behaviours and actions that have the potential for good.
It is human beings who distort these values for their own agenda who tarnish a faith.

A knife is a fine tool.....you can use it in peace and in harmony......but it can be used for cruelty and killing......so should we ban knives when the vast majority of people use them safely and as a valuable tool.

Faith, religion and belief are individual choices. Choices which may help some people through times and events that they would struggle to get through without this faith.

I don't consider that people who have a strong religious faith to be weak, or to be ill educated, or gullible....just that they have made a choice for themselves which may have been influenced by some event in their life.

[Restless]

Originally Posted by Less

I cannot understand why a self proclaimed Atheist would start this thread, never mind have a poll about it.

Tuttut les.You know I have never self proclaimed myself to be atheist. But I have said borderline-agnostic-atheist. And I blame the bottle of whisky

[Margaret Pilkington]

Originally Posted by Restless

interesting results for catholic church

Margaret. Wasn't after lengthy debate. Just results of the poll

I think if you psoe a question like that Rob, you have to be prepared for a debate....lengthy or otherwise.

[Eric]

I can't answer the question as posed ... and I think that the question is not quite as neutral as it appears. And there is the assumption that we all agree on what is "good" ... I don't think we do. We may come to some reasonably close consensus on the difference between right and wrong, esp. those of us who belong to the generation that had it beaten into them ... but right and wrong are not necessarily synonymous with good and evil ... "good" and "evil" carry too much baggage, loaded onto them by various religions.

Now, if I were asked: "Can Christianity be a beneficial force," I could answer. And I would probably say "yes." But so could Islam. Judaism. The WWE even.

[Restless]

After spilling my whisky in to my PC that cost me best part of £900. I declare that I am going to try and quit drinking alcohol. So. Then you can rest assure that I probably won't be posting such a thread again

[Graham Hartley]

For help in answering this question, read the New Testament - particularly those parts which refer to Christ. Don't expect perfect goodness.

[jaysay]

Originally Posted by Graham Hartley

For help in answering this question, read the New Testament - particularly those parts which refer to Christ. Don't expect perfect goodness.

I prefer the Dandy or Beano myself

[Boeing Guy]

Well we have had the Crusades, 30 years war, Lebanese Civil war, the Northern Ireland troubles and currently the war in Afganistan.
I would say no, religion is not a force for good.

However Oxfam, Médecins Sans Frontières, Band Aid, Save the Children, Action Aid etc are all non government or have religious conections, yet save many many lives worldwide.

Less, in the other thread, said that the people of Africa were quite happy until the Missonarys came and taught them the way of the Lord.
Having seen the corruption and poverty in various parts of Africa, I even have had a AKMS (folding stock version of AK47, I think) aimed at me and my crew in Nigeria, I feel I am able to comment on this.

Graham, welcome, please be aware we have a quota for preachers of the good book and that is already taken by your brother K99wrd

[JCB]

Originally Posted by Boeing Guy

Graham, welcome, please be aware we have a quota for preachers of the good book and that is already taken by your brother K99wrd

The trouble , BG , is that they are not preaching the good book but their own opinions .

I could take a Bible and use it to justify almost anything simply by taking things out of context .

The Bible says : " There is no God . "

People may not believe that , but it's in the Bible .

[Eric]

Originally Posted by jaysay

I prefer the Dandy or Beano myself

Don't forget "Topper" and "Eagle"

[jaysay]

Originally Posted by Eric

Don't forget "Topper" and "Eagle"

ya the free gifts were wizard

[DtheP47]

As peoples lives got better through time they had the time to worry about death.
With the invention of heaven came greater optimism and it enabled people to look beyond their lives.
Interesting too that the peoples of the Americas came up with the self same ideas as Eurasia and Africa.
i.e. If crops failed there were the same kind of conclusions, the same kind of gods and the same kinds of people trying to please the gods.

[Eric]

Originally Posted by jaysay

ya the free gifts were wizard

Talking of "Wizard" ... I enjoyed that too ... and "Rover" ...

Oh ... and please don't say "free gifts," or the smoke will be coming out of Susie's ears.

By the way, in what sense is Christianity a "force"? Smacks a little of "Onward Christian Soldiers" ... or, come to think of it, Jedi Knights.

[kestrelx]

If your a bible bashing, do gooder - Yes! - but remember "the road to hell is paved with good intentions!"

[susie123]

Originally Posted by Eric

Talking of "Wizard" ... I enjoyed that too ... and "Rover" ...

Oh ... and please don't say "free gifts," or the smoke will be coming out of Susie's ears.

By the way, in what sense is Christianity a "force"? Smacks a little of "Onward Christian Soldiers" ... or, come to think of it, Jedi Knights.

There was also Hotspur - yes, I enjoyed boys' comics more than the girlie ones. Did I ever tell anyone on here that I went to college with the brother of the man who invented the Bash Street Kids ? Leo Baxendale from Preston.

Talking of free gifts, the true facts (heh heh) are that I hate another relatively modern idiom which really sets my teeth on edge - a final ending, finally we got to the end ofthe road etc. AAARRRGGHHH!!! Do I really look like that when I'm fuming...not a pretty sight!