um, guys

submitted by SierraKiloBravo from i.redd.it

sorted by:
top
newinsightfulfun
you are viewing a single comment's thread.

view the rest of the comments →

[–]magnora7 5 insightful - 2 fun5 insightful - 1 fun6 insightful - 2 fun -  (20 children)

Seriously though.

I think the answer is because Christianity is actually centered around the martyrdom story of Jesus, rather than the teachings of Jesus. (Although it certainly depends on the denomination and the individual).

Once you realize that the whole reason Christianity is so popular and widespread is because of the martyrdom aspect, and the moral/social leverage that narrative provides, then it all makes sense, imo. Not saying all Christians are like this, but a lot of them are. They wield the narratives for social power, rather than actually following the teachings of Jesus. That's why they wear the cross.

[–]Tom_Bombadil 3 insightful - 2 fun3 insightful - 1 fun4 insightful - 2 fun -  (10 children)

There's also the resurrection/eternal life aspect.

Eternal life in exchange for a life of obedience to the church's guidelines.

[–]Canbot 4 insightful - 2 fun4 insightful - 1 fun5 insightful - 2 fun -  (8 children)

That is not a claim Christianity makes. You can literally be forgiven of your sins by confessing with the honest intent of being better. The criticism of religion that "it requires (or requests) obedience therefor is bad" is incredibly stupid. Not only is that a blanket criticism that can be levied at any and every religion, it essentially can be used to attack any structure including government or parental authority or any societal structure what so ever. Possibly the only thing that is exempt is total anarchy.

[–]Tom_Bombadil 2 insightful - 2 fun2 insightful - 1 fun3 insightful - 2 fun -  (3 children)

That is not a claim Christianity makes. You can literally be forgiven of your sins by confessing with the honest intent of being better.

Separate graveyards exist where unbaptized babies were buried.

This was a very real threat to the parents of any newborn.

[–]JasonCarswell 2 insightful - 3 fun2 insightful - 2 fun3 insightful - 3 fun -  (1 child)

A limbo garden where dancing is frowned on.

[–]Tom_Bombadil 2 insightful - 2 fun2 insightful - 1 fun3 insightful - 2 fun -  (0 children)

Spiritual terrorism.

[–]Canbot 2 insightful - 2 fun2 insightful - 1 fun3 insightful - 2 fun -  (0 children)

That doesn't change anything.

[–]JasonCarswell 1 insightful - 2 fun1 insightful - 1 fun2 insightful - 2 fun -  (2 children)

The premise of religion that it requires blind faith in invisible beings and their alleged rules is incredibly stupid.

Blind faith in "authority" is also stupid but has been beaten into us since time began by their monopoly on violence.

[–]Canbot 3 insightful - 2 fun3 insightful - 1 fun4 insightful - 2 fun -  (1 child)

Religions don't by default require blind faith, they offer "miracles" as evidence. It gets reduced down to blind faith when you challenge the validity of the miracles. Many people believe they experience "tiny miracles" all the time. Regardless of whether that is completely imagined, they believe it and therefore to them it is not blind faith.

It also seems that you are conflating faith and obedience. They are not the same thing at all. Every structured system has rules. If you break the rules that structure falls apart. When you go to school you have to listen to the teacher. If everyone ignored that it would be chaos and no one could learn. So the argument that something is bad because it requires obedience is patently absurd.

[–]JasonCarswell 3 insightful - 2 fun3 insightful - 1 fun4 insightful - 2 fun -  (0 children)

Miracles are bunk too. Just because it's rare, misunderstood, or unexplained doesn't make it a "miracle". /s/memes/comments/4cjo/i_heard_its_easier_to/

Living from a place of gratitude is definitely better for you, but being naive is not.

I'm clearly not conflating faith and obedience because because I've indicated that there was coercive brainwashing on a mass scale that lead to the social virus we call social order, in which many people certainly have their doubts, but many do indeed have blind faith in their authority - regardless if they obey all their laws or not. Further, it's not the people telling us to obey and have blind faith in the authorities and experts - it's they that tell us that, not to mention their psychopathic compulsion for secrecy for whatever reasons - from "national security" to "covert operations" to "need to know" - all subjective bullshit and obscurantism to confuse and cover their mafia activities.

[–]JasonCarswell 1 insightful - 2 fun1 insightful - 1 fun2 insightful - 2 fun -  (0 children)

" You can literally be forgiven of your sins... "

From a literal source, figuratively, allegedly. Some imaginary person will have some subjective imaginary judgements, then imaginary forgiveness - so the story goes.

[–]JasonCarswell 2 insightful - 2 fun2 insightful - 1 fun3 insightful - 2 fun -  (0 children)

I'd take a short life with freedom over an eternity of enslavement.

I guess that's what this simulation life is about. Finding out who's worthy of being a good slave in the next level of the game.

[–]OcelotEntente 3 insightful - 2 fun3 insightful - 1 fun4 insightful - 2 fun -  (0 children)

Well to get more in depth, it's less about the martyrdom per se, and more about the spiritual martyrdom with progressing past the "harsh god" of the old testament

The old testament god was infamously brutal, and mass killings/sacrifices of potentially innocent people were condoned, like the first born Egyptian sons dying for the crimes of their leadership

Let's remember that at the time it was fully expected for followers of god to engage in regular sacrifices of animals as offerings as well, with some more fanatical sects of levantine faiths engaging in human sacrifices, alongside other very strict practices more focused on ritual than about the well being of the followers

The new god of the new testament reformed the harsh world, and offered up himself in a flesh and blood form, through his own son Jesus Christ, as a sacrifice to show his love for humanity and change the world

Hence "Jesus is the lamb of god", lambs being the animal traditionally sacrificed for rituals by human beings

[–]Canbot 2 insightful - 2 fun2 insightful - 1 fun3 insightful - 2 fun -  (0 children)

the whole reason Christianity is so popular and widespread is because of the martyrdom aspect

Since when? That makes no sense. Is this why you like Christianity? Most people simply follow the religion of their parents. To explore why others converted to Christianity you would have to read a lot of history book, which you clearly did not. I can just about guarantee that people who did not originally believe in Christianity were simply told that Jesus died for them and went "well shit, I guess I should convert".

moral/social leverage that narrative provides,

Can you give an example of how this works?

They wield the narratives for social power,

I can't even imagine a scenario, no matter how absurd, that would actually give someone social power by talking about Jesus dying on the cross. It makes no sense at all.

rather than actually following the teachings of Jesus.

This right here, it seems to me, is the core of your belief. You came into this with the conclusion that Christians don't follow Jesus teachings and then created a whole fucking story to walk people to this claim. But your story is completely illogical, it does not support your conclusion, and your conclusion is clearly not derived from anything presented here; and sure as hell does not follow from "they wear the cross".

[–]JasonCarswell 1 insightful - 3 fun1 insightful - 2 fun2 insightful - 3 fun -  (6 children)

I forget what comedian saidit, but if Jesus were in the 20th or 21st century we'd all be wearing necklaces with electric chairs or lethal injection tables.

[–]Tom_Bombadil 2 insightful - 2 fun2 insightful - 1 fun3 insightful - 2 fun -  (5 children)

Or a bullet (firing squad).

Would suicide-by-cop fall into the state-sanctioned execution category?

[–]JasonCarswell 1 insightful - 3 fun1 insightful - 2 fun2 insightful - 3 fun -  (3 children)

Meh. I already ruined the joke. The punchline was just electric chair. I added injection table because I screwed up the opening by adding the 2 centuries instead of some contemporary phrase. I don't even recall how long ago I heard it but it stuck with me.

[–]Tom_Bombadil 3 insightful - 2 fun3 insightful - 1 fun4 insightful - 2 fun -  (2 children)

Can you make a meme of Jesus suicided by cops?

Try to make it really funny.

[–]JasonCarswell 1 insightful - 2 fun1 insightful - 1 fun2 insightful - 2 fun -  (1 child)

I try every time to make it really funny, but I have obvious limits. Some are funnier to different folks. Oddly enough I find my less funny obvious ones get more reactions.

Here you go:
https://saidit.net/s/memes/comments/4d8y/authority_a_tale_as_old_as_time/

I have 7 more finished on stand by but I don't want to excessively spam Saidit. I make them when I think of them, and now everything seems like a hypocritical joke.

[–]Tom_Bombadil 3 insightful - 2 fun3 insightful - 1 fun4 insightful - 2 fun -  (0 children)

Try to make it really funny.

I was being facetious. Making Cops shooting Jesus a funny thing is probably near impossible.

I'm sure that this one would be shipped over by Chappelle or Norm MacDonald, and they venture into taboo territory where most couldn't.