Why do some Christians consider everything in modern society is a sin?

[redhot1]

I was raised going to a Roman Catholic church, and when I got older I started to let it go. I sometimes got the thinking about God being some sort of sovereign dictator and we are all his subjects, no matter what God you think you worship or lack of, no matter what beliefs you follow.

Now, some Christians take sin very seriously. Christianity allows very little individuality and creativity. I got the idea that the general outlook of Christian faith and condemnation of all modern things is representative of what God must be like. In fact, it says in the bible that people will no longer marry in relationships or reproduce. So if you wanted to have sex with a lover in heaven, you're screwed.

Now I really do feel like God is a type of dictator and his dictatorship is in Heaven. Since no Christian wants to budge on the idea that we might have reproduction or relationships in Heaven, that says a whole lot.

[Deborah]

American Christianity, even the Catholic part, is heavily influenced by Calvinistic Protestantism.  That has always been a very dour sect concerned with making everyone else conform to their particular vision of biblically literal Christianity. 


It is better to be hated for what you are than to be loved for what you are not.
André Gide, Autumn Leaves

[Lily Rose]

So if you wanted to have sex with a lover in heaven, you're screwed.

  LOL, or not?

as far as i have ever been told we are all on our own in the journey of the after life. as for christians in modern society. i have felt the catholic church has been leaning more liberal lately, haven't they? i have seen and heard of other groups and or denominations that are more liberal. i have a family member who "attends" church with a group of christians every morning on the beach. they consider this their church and attend sunday through saturday. i highly doubt they condemn anything LOL.

[redhot1]

Unfortunately, I haven't found any good general arguments for these even being things in the afterlife, let alone what Christians believe. I feel like a loser who will be friendless and die a poor virgin. Why is God so cruel?

[Janes Groove]

i have felt the catholic church has been leaning more liberal lately, haven't they?

I see no evidence of that.

And I was born and baptized into The Church, was an alter boy. Educated by Catholic institutions.  Spent a lot of time with Jesuits.  A trans reprobate of a conservative, extended, Irish Catholic family.

Not an inch. If anything, after the papacy and legacy of St. John Paul II, it is a much more conservative institution from the one I knew and a less catholic one too (see definition of catholic).

[stephaniec]

I think all the problems that come from all the religions established from the word of the New Testament is that the actual words of the New Testament are neglected in favor of the new interpretation of the religion or sect being formed. If the New Testament was taken as My Lords own words to be followed there would be no problem. All this falsehood of putting words into Jesus's preachings that do not belong is the root of the problem. The Catholic Church Is notorious for reinterpreting. How do you get something like saying the LGBTQ... community is disordered from the words LOVE THY NEIGHBOR AS YOU WOULD LOVE THYSEELF, there is one hell of a creative leap to go from that to being disordered.

[Lily Rose]

The Catholic Church Is notorious for reinterpreting.

  i would only add that all established denominations do. or they cherry pick what they want, it seems to me.

I see no evidence of that.

  i only posed this some what of a question because. i have seen priests on television who seem more liberal minded than what someone would think of a catholic priest (i do not know names). also if poling results reported on television can be trusted, catholics typically vote for more liberal candidates, don't they? not sure about the last presidential election i tuned out on that. also i have seen people say the new pope is not very liberal at all, but the consensus seems to me that he is the most liberal.

  with that said i have never been in a catholic church and only know a few catholics. do not know there politics but so far do not care because they seem to be nice people. although i have not told them that i am planning to see a gender therapist.

[another_special_grrl]

  $$$   

fear - money - POWER

  VS    refereed  by  (the church)

[Janes Groove]

they seem to be nice people. although i have not told them that i am planning to see a gender therapist.

They are nice people.  I know.  But I left The Church because it's not healthy for me to be around a religion that wants me to feel ashamed of the way The Creator made me 24 hours out of every day.  It's just too tiring.  Also, have you heard the term "Cafeteria Catholics?"  It's a derogatory term for Catholics who don't adhere strictly to the Vatican line. 

[Lily Rose]

"Cafeteria Catholics?"  It's a derogatory term for Catholics who don't adhere strictly to the Vatican line.

  no i have never heard this before. would this be a more understanding type of catholic person? would the new pope be considered by some as a "cafeteria catholic"?

  my family did come here from ireland as catholics and some where along the way converted to protestant. what i have always thought is catholic church is more forgiving than protestant. this is why (i thought) someone in my family tree converted.

[Amanda_Combs]

I've thought of this for years; and honestly,I think it is because of lazyness and sin.  People who don't want to actually consider their own morals and search for God's intentions will just accept whatever they are told, and so Christian beliefs contain the personal feelings of flawed humans throughout history.  Others are looking to justify their own hate and prejudices; they call themselves better than those who are marginalized and they are toxic to others.

[Lily Rose]

  Others are looking to justify their own hate and prejudices; they call themselves better than those who are marginalized and they are toxic to others.

  wonder what kind of skeletons are in their closets. my family converted to protestant only because there is no confessional every week (i think). probably was a few "wild and crazy guys". no one in my family is like these experiences i have read about. sure i would find at least a couple if i was to come out to all of them.

  the most religious person in my family has actually spoke in tongues, from what i heard many times and not even he is a hateful person. do not know what he would think if i was to come out to him, but most likely he would tell me why i should change my ways. also make sure i knew what is needed for forgiveness, but very much doubt he would dwell on it. he is really old and would not dump this on him lol. doubt he every knowingly met a transgender person but he would not condemn them if he had (he lives in a very small town).

  there are of course reasons my father left the church, and i have not found a church (what few i have been to) that did not some how contradict what i have been taught. always thought if i found a church that closest resembles what i have been taught. i would join and be baptized. looks more and more like this will not happen.

[DawnOday]

Like most things Christian there is a profit motive to it. The more they get you to conform. The more money they make. Joel Osteen for example lives in a $10 M mansion. Surprise, two of the biggest boosters of Christianity are both cults. Roman Catholics and Mormons are members of a cult. Somehow these and Evangelicals love to translate the Bible to suit their dogma. How can you have any closely held beliefs if you can't even get the two most important right and the third one for me is the deal sealer.  Love thy God with with all thy heart. There shall be no other Gods before me. Yet Catholics feel it is their duty to confess to the clergy, their sins. And don't forget Mary of course they say shes not an idol . Love thy neighbor as thyself. According to the Bible there are no greater commandments than these. Not gun ownership, save the babies, celebrate Christmas five months early, deny marriage licenses, deny cake decorations. This is not devotion. It is hate, pure and simple.

[Janes Groove]

  no i have never heard this before. would this be a more understanding type of catholic person?

Yes. Let's say you are Catholic woman who believes that she has reproductive rights and that the pope is all wrong on that issue. She is a cafeteria Catholic because she is putting her interpretation of Catholic dogma above that of the pope in Rome.  She is like a diner in a cafeteria that likes fish but she doesn't like red meat, so she picks and choose whatever she wants to eat from the menu.  The Church says there is no menu.  You have to eat everything that's put on your plate. Period. 
And when it's backed up by the treat of eternal perdition, it carries a lot of weight with the faithful.

would the new pope be considered by some as a "cafeteria catholic"?

Absolutely not.  By definition the pope cannot be a cafeteria Catholic because he is considered the infallible last word on the interpretation of church dogma. It even has a name. It's called "papal infallibility."
He has made some noise about being "nicer" to the LGBT community, but he has not changed official church dogma on the issue in any way whatsoever.  And as you probably know he is very anti-trans.

[Lady Sarah]

Nobody knows what heaven is like, since nobody that is here has been there. As for proclamations that everything is a sin,  remember the dark ages. People were slain, just for being curious, or for anything having to do with science. Remember the witch trials, which got women killed just for having opinions.
There are certain sectors that want to go back to "the good ol' days", when white men controlled everything. There are women that want this too. Personally, I think they are brainwashed.

[Lily Rose]

as you probably know he is very anti-trans.

  i did not know this only because i do not typically research such things. i assumed he is more liberally because that is what i see in the news.

thank you very much jane. 

[DawnOday]

Nobody knows what heaven is like, since nobody that is here has been there. As for proclamations that everything is a sin,  remember the dark ages. People were slain, just for being curious, or for anything having to do with science. Remember the witch trials, which got women killed just for having opinions.
There are certain sectors that want to go back to "the good ol' days", when white men controlled everything. There are women that want this too. Personally, I think they are brainwashed.

Oh you had to bring up "witch trials" not a bright spot on our family tree.

[Deborah]

I think it's much simpler than all of that.  Many in America are fundamentalists that believe everything in the Bible is the literal truth.  This includes Gods primary characteristic being wrath for sinners and Gods plan to destroy the earth and all sinners on it with fire.  They simply don't want to be one of the sinners that's going to be killed by God.

The are not unlike the ancients and their fear that Thor was sitting on a cloud waiting to throw thunderbolts down on his enemies.

If the Bible is literally true then their fear is justified.  If it isn't then there really isn't any reason to believe anything else written there.


It is better to be hated for what you are than to be loved for what you are not.
André Gide, Autumn Leaves

[KathyLauren]

When discussions of sin come up, I am reminded of a Keith Laumer science-fiction short story I read years ago.  One quote has stuck with me all these years.  I was able to find it online to get the quote right:

There's the real evil, and then there's sin. ... Sin is merely statutory evil - things that are regarded as wrong simply because there's a rule against them.

- Keith Laumer, "The Devil You Don't"

That pretty much sums it up for me.

[RobynD]

To some extent religion/faith could not exist and be carried over from century to century without some fear. Fear is a rich motivator. Fear of displeasing, fear of doing the wrong thing, saying the wrong thing, looking at the wrong thing and fear of our natural drives and tendencies. Fear of loss of control is part of many of those.

Sin, in the Christian tradition is "falling short" but it is universal too and the slate is wiped clean as it were. It magnifies our need for the creator and ultimately a savior.

It then stands to reason that the unknown or new has a tendency to be viewed with dis-trust. I have discussed for instance sciences drive to extend life indefinitely with Christian friends and almost universally, the response i get is skeptical, dismissive and in many instances even the effort as seen as shaking one's fist at God. These are people who benefit from science every day of their lives. It sort of goes back to fear.