Christian Intelligence

[MHz]

That's almost certainly a different John, not one of the apostles, probably writing during the time of Emperor Domitian's widespread persecutions, around A.D. 95.

Mary of Bethany, Disciple of John the Baptist. Afraid that messes up your whole theme but you did get the date pretty close as she could not have been allowed to live past that 120 year barrier. Being in prison would that be Roman persecution against the Jews or against the Christians. In either way she was a writer so that would make her a leader and all she got was being banned to an island prison rather than fighting lions in Rome. Perhaps the persecution was against the rebels in the temple in Jerusalem. The money-changers that got away with all the gold and left some helpless worshipers to pay the price to Rome for the uprising. Is that the persecution you are referencing Dex?

 

[Dexter Sinister]

Are you seriously suggesting Mary of Bethany as the author of Revelation?

 

[Motar]

The verses reveal much of what was created was done in darkness because the sun and stars were only created on the 4 day.

Which verses, HK?

 

[TIFFANYDICE]

Just compare those countries who have different percentage of Christians. Countries ruled by atheists or Buddhists are poor and less developed, ruled by tyranny, lack of freedom and equality, with polluted air, instead of intelligence, the citizens are relatively more ignorant, coward and negative. China, north Korea, India, Thailand. just look at the facts and data..... On the other hand, Countries with high percentage of Christians are relatively more happy, wealthy, enjoy freedom and equality. The citizens are more intelligent, courageous and positive. Atheist NORTH KOREA IS LIKE HELL, South Korea has almost half Christian population, How different are they ?! Denmark has over 95 percentage of Christians, they are happiest and smartest citizens ever. Facts speak louder than arguments.

 

[Dexter Sinister]

Your facts are nonsense. You need to take a closer look at the level of religious belief in Europe, for starters. Denmark is certainly not 95% Christian, it's one of the most secular states on the planet. The real factor you're looking for is the difference between places where religion or some toxic dogma like communism that's tried to replace it has secular power.

 

[JLM]

Your facts are nonsense. You need to take a closer look at the level of religious belief in Europe, for starters. Denmark is certainly not 95% Christian, it's one of the most secular states on the planet. The real factor you're looking for is the difference between places where religion or some toxic dogma like communism that's tried to replace it has secular power.

I'm a little confused...........how can "facts" be nonsense?

 

[Dexter Sinister]

By being false facts. There are true facts, and things presented as facts that are false.

 

[darkbeaver]

“Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.

The road leads to life, so where do we suppose we are? Here in the here and now. The Bible says your dead crushed under the material phase, level, dimension, grade closet. History is full of stories of souls who found " it" by accident, blows to thee head, blinding light etc.

 

[TIFFANYDICE]

Your facts are nonsense. You need to take a closer look at the level of religious belief in Europe, for starters. Denmark is certainly not 95% Christian, it's one of the most secular states on the planet. The real factor you're looking for is the difference between places where religion or some toxic dogma like communism that's tried to replace it has secular power.

What do you mean secular state? Just Like Canada? No, it's not called secular state, nor religious state, it's called a state with religious freedom, it's the separation of politics and religion. That does not mean religion is no longer there, that only means non-believers enjoy the same freedom. Canada have 65 percentages of believer. The churches are the facts, they are everywhere. In North Korea there is no church. In china, there is few. In the whole world, the best seller book Bible are the facts. If so called secular state means religion is replaced. The churches should dissappear, and the bible will be only found in library.

 

[darkbeaver]

I'm a little confused...........how can "facts" be nonsense?

I'm confused about that too now that you mentioned it.

 

[Dexter Sinister]

What do you mean secular state? Just Like Canada? No, it's not called secular state, nor religious state, it's called a state with religious freedom, it's the separation of politics and religion. That does not mean religion is no longer there, that only means non-believers enjoy the same freedom. Canada have 65 percentages of beliEvers. The churches are the facts. In the whole world, the best seller book Bible are the facts. If so called secular state means religion is replaced. The churches shold dissappear, and the bible will be only found in library, not book store.

Yes, Canada is a secular state. It just means a nation in which the governing power structure is officially neutral in matters of religion, not a state where religion doesn't exist. There are none of those. It can also mean, depending on context, a state where the level of religious belief is very low, as I used the phrase in describing Denmark.

 

[darkbeaver]

A state and its religion are bound till the end. that's a fact insert smiley

 

[TIFFANYDICE]

Yes, Canada is a secular state. It just means a nation in which the governing power structure is officially neutral in matters of religion, not a state where religion doesn't exist. There are none of those. It can also mean, depending on context, a state where the level of religious belief is very low, as I used the phrase in describing Denmark.

the level of religious belief is very low in Denmark? Where does your conclusion come from? There is no anti-religious tyranny there. Churches are everywhere.
North Korea and China has the lowest religious belief, because of anti religious tyranny.

 

[JLM]

By being false facts. There are true facts, and things presented as facts that are false.

Oh! I always thought something was a fact or it wasn't.

 

[TIFFANYDICE]

I saw a religious map on time magazine months ago. The lowest religious countries are China and north Korea. Not Europe.

 

[darkbeaver]

Oh! I always thought something was a fact or it wasn't.

Obviously you were wrong, there is an exception.

 

[JLM]

Obviously you were wrong, there is an exception.

"There's an exception to every rule"

I saw a religious map on time magazine months ago. The lowest religious countries are China and north Korea. Not Europe.

I would have thought Holland was.

 

[darkbeaver]

I saw a religious map on time magazine months ago. The lowest religious countries are China and north Korea. Not Europe.

And they have all our gold. They have god in vaults, dirty rotten heathens.

 

[Harikrish]

The only people God appeared to are the Jews and Arabs through their prophets. The rest of the world either developed their own religion or converted to Christianity or Islam. Ironically the people who claim God spoke to them directly are also the same people trying to destroy each other. God must be playing a cruel joke on those he personally touched.

 

[Dexter Sinister]

the level of religious belief is very low in Denmark? Where does your conclusion come from? There is no anti-religious tyranny there. Churches are everywhere.
North Korea and China has the lowest religious belief, because of anti religious tyranny.

Most Danes, close to 80% if my memory is correct, are nominally members of the Church of Denmark, a Lutheran sect, but only 3% of the Danish population regularly attends church services, which should tell you something about how seriously they take it as a group. Information like that's easy to find: Wikipedia, Pew Research Center, various polling organizations...

Anti-religious tyrannies aren't the only reason for low levels of religious observance. Most quality of life indicators--education, prosperity, opportunity, stuff like that--are negatively correlated with levels of religious observance all over the world. Christianity--and religion in general--is not a force for progress in the world and never has been. Christianity in particular has resisted every advance in Western science and philosophy since at least Galileo's time, and continues to fight losing rear guard actions over subjects like evolution in certain jerkwater places. Much of the history of the Western world over the last four centuries or so can be understood as the Christian church retreating from making empirical claims about the nature of the world in the face of the scientific revolution. Progress happened in spite of Christianity, not because of it, and the only reason it's as relatively benign as it is now is because it no longer has the power to be anything else. When it did have power, it behaved pretty badly, and would do so again if it got back the power it used to have.