Israel's International Crisis (escalation #1)

[2dimes]

If they say they are, then I'm not gonna argue with them. I don't really give a f*ck about it.

Does that go for other religions? If you didn't care you wouldn't have mentioned it.

[pimpdave]

Mormons aren't Christians.

[InkL0sed]

If they say they are, then I'm not gonna argue with them. I don't really give a f*ck about it.

Does that go for other religions? If you didn't care you wouldn't have mentioned it.

Yes, that does go for other religions.

And I beg to differ, sir. I believe that did happen.

[GabonX]

This thread pains me deeply..

So many people who know so little about issues regarding Israel and Palestine have such strong opinions about it. Some of the people who have demonstrated that they are completely ignorant of the history which doesn't support their view are positioning themselves as experts on the topic.

Frankly I don't even want to be involved with this particular conversation, but I do plan on writing something on the topic in the near future..

[PLAYER57832]

Actually, it's rather simple. According to the jews christians aren't jewish.

But according to jay, every other kind of Christian isn't Christian.

Exactly. Now, like I said, I am not going to debate this. It is something I remember discussing back when I was taking religious classes in college (I went to a religious college for my first 2 years), but that was a "few" years ago.

To add further to the mix, there have always been what are currently called "Messianic Jews"... that is, people who follow Jewish traditions, but who also accept that Christ is the Messiah.

My main point is that religious claims are usually discounted as a reason for any people to gain title to a stretch of land. Israel is about the only exception. Yet, that claim is, even by those who follow the Bible, not undisputed.

[PLAYER57832]

But according to jay, every other kind of Christian isn't Christian.

What sort of Christian do you feel is Christian?

Prior to Vatican II, Roman Catholics did not consider Protestants to be Christian. (some, debateably, still do not really)
Many Evangelical and Charismatic type churches speak of "saving people out of" both Roman Catholic and mainline Protestant churches.

Jehovah's Witnesses and the already mentioned Church of Latter-Day Saints are sometimes considered outside of Christianity or on its bare edges.

Some Pentacostals consider anyone who cannot perform certain "tests" to be not Christian or, at least, not true Christians. Many of the "Plain" people (the correct term for the group including Old Order Amish, Deckers, etc) have similar type strict beliefs.

Even beyond that, I don't think anyone would really claim that everyone who attends, is a member of a church is necessarily a "true believer". Also, even those who believe the above churches don't all represent Christianity, usually acknowledge that some people within those churches can be "true Christians".

I am less familiar with all the Judaic divisions. However, there are similar divisions there, too. The Bible makes reference, for example to the "Samaritans". That group was often despised by the other groups. There is the old division between the Sephardic Jews and others. Hasidism is a more recent development.

From the time of Christ there have always been those who felt Christian followers should follow the precepts of Judiasm, not abandon them. In recent times, this group is a minority.

However, if we are asked to accept as OK the complete eradication of a people and their lands to make way for this new land of Israel, then the question of "just who is a Jew" is one of the most important.

[pimpdave]

Yeah, and the Irish Catholics were the biggest dickheads about it. It's not like we protestants were worshiping Mormon Jesus and kidnapping teenage girls to rape them.

We just didn't cow to their idols or sanctimonious corruption and they got all butthurt about us rejecting their vile hypocrisy. So they bred like cockroaches and acted like douche bags about it. Classy move. WWJD stuff, for sure.

Only reason they decided to let up in Vatican II was because everyone knew how dickish they were, and they were losing the popularity contest that is tithing.

I'm not much of a church-going person, but forced to choose, I will always take the protestant ethic of the pastor just being the guy who spent 2-3 years in seminary (preferably the Princeton Theological Seminary) learning the text in and out and that's why he's the one teaching it versus the Catholic deception of some weirdo who not only acts "holier-than-thou" but actually believes that he is trying to lecture me about how he's so much holier than me.

Listening to a Catholic homily is like reading a Blitzaholic post.