Wednesday, November 19, 2008
-
recommend
- recs 0
- give stars
- votes 0
-
share
-
email
- sent 0
Post a Comment
- Back to revelife's Revelife Site!
- Note: your comment will appear in revelife's local time zone: GMT -05:00 (Eastern Standard - US, Canada)
Comments (30)
1. The Crusades, where we slaughtered thousands, if not billions, in the name of Christ.
2. The Inquisition
3. The Salem Witch Trials (and other trials associated with witches), when many innocent people where killed.
4. Emperor Constantine, when Christianity first became a "national religion" and thus various pagans "converted" because it was politically advantageous.
5. The Forty Years' War. Or pretty much any time Catholics and Protestants duked it out using armies.
6. Any time a "heretic" was put to death rather than mere excommunication
7. Persecution of one branch of Christianity by another
8. Televangelists
9. Making the good news of the gospel--the joyous reality of Life More Abundant--into a "religion" centered around dry and boring rules.
10. Adding rules that are not found in Scripture
11. Perpetuating the lie that admission into heaven is based on a life of good deeds, rather than based on the sacrificial death of Jesus.
Anything and everything involved in the forceful "conversion" of individuals in any culture, anywhere in the world. (i.e. Inquistion, Conquest)
hmm ... i think there are things I wish did not happen. However, I don't think I should regret history (especially since I did not play that part) but I should learn from it so I do not play that part in the future.
regretting history is pointless. there are many things christians have done that have been less than advantageous to spreading the workd of God, but without the Crusades, the various domineering "christian" rulers, and persecutions of others, christianity would today be a very different faith. all religions go through certain bad stages (king solomon was pretty mean when it comes to kings), and those events shape religions and their followers, along with the world itself. and come on- the crusades were just COOL. :)
I really regret that Christians didn't speak up and react faster when the tragedies of the Holocaust and the genocide in Rwanda and Darfur were happening.
13.) support of slavery
14.) not so much "history" but condemnation of homosexuality (the state rather than the act) in which we do not follow Jesus' example and hate the sin, love the sinner
15.) every schism that ever took place
16.) the priest molestation scandals
17.) any time the church persecuted science (e.g. inquisition of Galileo)
18.) Selling of indulgences
19.) When the Pope became a political rather than religious figure
I could go on...but I'll let other people take it from here
I believe every single event in history up until now, happens exactly the way it should be for a divine reason, that only God knows. :)
@ChrisRusso@xanga - good ones!
@shanella - I think that I'm with you. While there are things that I didn't wish happen, I'm not sure that I can *technically* regret them if I didn't personally cause them/wasn't personally involved with them.
Just because those people called themselves Christians does not make them Christian. Many people have done things in Jesus name that actually dishonor His name. The real Christians were those who gave their lives to save others, those who took in and protected Jews during the Holocaust, those who left their homes to care for orphans, those who sent their money & prayers to the hungry and unloved. Others may call themselves Christian but according to James "Pure and lasting religion in the sight of God our Father means that we must care for orphans and widows in their troubles, and refuse to let the world corrupt us."
Amen to
<li class="itemtimestamp">
11/19/2008 11:27 AM
<li class="itemsubmitter">
yet_still_learning@xanga:)
God allowed all these things in history, so it must have greater purpose... We'll ask Him face to face in Heaven, if we care about it then :P
@K28@xanga - @yet_still_learning@xanga - God allowed the Holocaust, the Crusades, the Salem Witch Trials, Televangelists (LOL), and centuries upon centuries of suffering? Ooouu... tough one. Your statement may be true, but it makes it look like God is the cause of all the problems throughout history.
From that point of view, the Old Snake can just say, "Hey, wasn't my fault in the end. I just go up to God, present my plans for humanity's demise, and God allowed it."
I think the only way we (by we, I mean collectively as a nation not just specifically Christians) can amend for some of these regrettable mistakes is by educating future generations about it. Was it Santyana who said it? "Those who do not remember history are condemned to repeat it"
I agree that there are some things that happened in history that we should learn from, but it's my opinion that we have to keep in mind that God allowed everything that happened, for a reason. It doesn't mean that everything was good, just that He had a purpose for that.
@NoHeroesForTomorrow@xanga
I agree with educating future generations...
But my point is answering the "Is there anything in history that Christians should regret?"
I do not regret things in my past, let alone the entire Christian history.
There is a difference between regretting & repenting... I would choose the latter of true repentance of sin, rather than think/reflect/wallow in the past.
That is all :) Have a good day. I need to get back to writing my paper for Bible School. bye~*
@NoHeroesForTomorrow@xanga - I think you misunderstood my point. God doesn't cause things to happen. The key cause of it derives from Satan, the devil. God only allows things to happen for a divine reason and whatever the divine reason behind that will be in the best interest for everyone. If you read in the Bible, it will state that somewhere. I can't quote it off the top of my head. But I do recall an account for it.
@Stephanie_J_B@xanga - I agree with Stephanie_J-B@xanga.. She got my point, exactly.
@yet_still_learning@xanga - Right, I meant to say that I agreed with you!
@yet_still_learning@xanga
@Stephanie_J_B@xanga
I was really encouraged by Revelation 4~5 :)
@NoHeroesForTomorrow@xanga
The question is, do you believe in God's Sovereignty...? Read above.
@K28@xanga - Thanks for the reference! I just read those chapters, and it's great to see how mighty God really is, isn't it? I think it's awesome to see how He really shows some of His power there.
@yet_still_learning@xanga - @K28@xanga - I certainly don't mean any offense by going in opposition in anyway. The issues of God's affair with human history - allowing certain events to happen like human suffering - has always been one of those bothersome theological notions in the back of my head. I may come off as a non-Christian, but I just tend to question my beliefs.
God is the author, this I know. He has the end of the story in mind. We're mere characters of such story. Maybe I'm just one of those characters who struggles with such Author.
But alas, back on topic! sorry if I threw this off track! :P
@NoHeroesForTomorrow@xanga - haha, no prob. You're just being inquisitive. Nothing wrong with that. :)
@K28@xanga - @Stephanie_J_B@xanga - Thank you!
let's see... the Crusades, the Inquisition, destruction of pagan history and culture, support of feudalism, support of slavery, the Church's influence on the New World, labeling AIDS the "gay disease", the selling of indulgences and church offices, blaming 9/11 on homosexuals and pagans and feminists, book burnings, persecution of fellow Christians, persecution of other human beings in general, the witch trials, ignoring the Holocaust (or secretly supporting it), Popes having grandchildren, the Babylonian Captivity and having three "official" Popes........
you get the picture.
Regretting history is one thing...but as several pointed out the question we should be asking is: Are we learning from history?
"Those who fail to learn from history are doomed to repeat it." Churchill.
"The only thing we learn from history is that we learn nothing from history." Hegel.
Romans 15:4; I Cor. 10:6.