Quote from: Ivan The Insect on Apr 03, 2022, 07:47:53 PM
Born into a protestant family (dating as far back as the very introduction of protestantism here) in a predominantly orthodox christian nation with an atheist dad.
Grew up in church, was taught by mom to be open minded and trust what I feel is right as well as never to judge myself or others because more often than not people act more cruelly and unforgiving than any god ever would.
Learned not to mention science or my own views on life and what lies beyond because people don't like to question themselves nor let others do the same.
Realised faith and science can not only coexist but be a healthy balance for a person if they're wise enough not to mix them when they obviously serve different functions and needs.
Like to say religion is to faith what politics are to sociality. One is more natural and points inwards while the other is more artificially constructed and is projected outwards. Faith is and should always be a personal matter.
As for my official designation... Considering there's more denominations in christianity nowadays than there are catalogued beetle species I'd stick to the good old "I'm a christian".
Well said, faith and science arn't enemies. They do indeed serve different purposes. To quote Brad S. Gregory, "Science can neither prove nor disprove the existence of God, it measures the seen world what can be examined with its instruments. The Spiritual deals with the unseen world and has its measures (means to perceive it)." (The Unintended Reformation: How A Religious Revolution Secularized Society, Yale Press).
Then again the God Particle did seem to bridge Science and Faith, a particle that was in two places, on two coasts, and yet was the same particle: helping make the omnipresence of God visible, if but for a moment.
Indeed there is Religion which Rodney Stark calls "The Church of Power," and faith which is the "Church of Piety." (God's Battalions: The Case For The Crusades). Jesus Christ himself spoke against the religious of his day (Matthew, Chapter 23) and called them vipers, sons of the devil, lawless, and etc. Christ was championing faith and a relationship via reconciliation with God through Himself not pioneering politics.
You eloquently point out the schisms (denominations), which are jarring; after all Jesus Christ wanted all Christians to be one, as He is One with God the Father (John, Chapter 17). I am Christian. I believe Jesus is Lord God and that following Him is more akin to the adventures of being a Jedi Apprentice (Disciple), an explorer like Elizabeth Shaw ("I'm still searching"), and Warrior in the Spirit World/Other Side like the Yautja/Predator.
I actually believe the Bible gets sanitized too much at the pulpit. The Engineers in Prometheus actually tie nicely to The Anakim or Nephilim in Genesis 6:4-12.
The Xenomorph is a great image of demon in us all, its primary weapon a tongue with teeth fits The Scripture, "life and death are in the tongue." (Proverbs 18:21).
God's arrival in Ezekiel 1 would thrill Stargate and Sci-Fi fans.
The Lightsaber of Star Wars and The Force is seen in Genesis 3 with the Flamming sword that levitates and floats.
David plays the devil and quoted Paradise Lost. The Engineers wanting to wipe out humans with the black goo is actually close to what the Four Angels of the Euphrates and The Four Horsemen of Apocalypse do in The Book of Revelation, Holy Bible.
My point is Scripture gets sanitized into a Puritan and Amish presentation, when actually it seems to be the basis intentionally or unintentionally for most great science fiction and fantasy stories; as J. R. R. Tolkien said, "we are telling the same story over and over whither we know it or not,"