Website owner: James Miller
Everywhere I look I see a Christianity being taught and practiced in which the main, central ingredient of Christianity is missing
When I look about me it seems to me that everywhere I look I see a Christianity being taught and practiced in which the main, central ingredient of Christianity is missing. I look at different denominations and it is all the same. If you take a medicine in which the active ingredient is missing, it won’t do you any good. The same is true of Christianity. What is this main ingredient of Christianity that seems to be missing in all the denominations? It is the deliberate and conscious implementation of the principles that Jesus taught in our daily lives: the principles of meekness, humility, avoiding strife and argument, peacefulness, forgiveness, honesty, integrity, morality, virtue, goodness, etc. The ministers don’t preach the importance of following the teachings of Jesus, the importance of obedience to God in living righteous, upright, moral, good lives, and congregations come to equate Christianity to other things and not it. The preachers may preach the importance of “getting saved”, going to church, giving money to the church, soul-winning, being active in the church, etc. but they don’t talk about the importance of implementing the teachings of Jesus in one’s life. A preacher may spend the most of almost every sermon talking about the importance of “getting saved”, “being saved”, but he never talks about the importance of leading an upright, chaste, good life. The implication is that being a Christian is all about satisfying some formula for “getting saved”, that there is no more to being a Christian than that. I think this leads to high sham, self-deception and foolishness. People go to church, enjoy the singing of the religious songs (in some churches, maybe get carried away by a lot of hypnotic musical rhythm), endure a long, boring sermon that says little and doesn’t make much sense, become active in the church, and think they are Christians. Being a true Christian is a highly personal thing involving a personal commitment to God along with a good knowledge of the Bible, reflection, self-examination, possible changes in personal habits and outlook, upright living, self-discipline. It is not some group activity that you do in a church.
People, in general, are amazingly naive and gullible. Everywhere you look you see them believing a whole lot of foolishness emanating from some pulpit. They become avid followers of some handsome, smooth-talking, hypnotic preacher; foolish victims of some twisted version of Christianity. And in their daily lives they are no different than the rest of the world. They hear the Devil’s tune, they like it, and they dance to it. Why not? It is such a beautiful tune and everyone else is dancing to it.
What would you call a type of Christianity in which the main ingredient is missing? How about the term sham Christianity? Do you think that term would be appropriate?
Nov 2017
Jesus Christ and His Teachings
Way of enlightenment, wisdom, and understanding
America, a corrupt, depraved, shameless country
On integrity and the lack of it
The test of a person's Christianity is what he is
Ninety five percent of the problems that most people have come from personal foolishness
Liberalism, socialism and the modern welfare state
The desire to harm, a motivation for conduct
On Self-sufficient Country Living, Homesteading
Topically Arranged Proverbs, Precepts, Quotations. Common Sayings. Poor Richard's Almanac.
Theory on the Formation of Character
People are like radio tuners --- they pick out and listen to one wavelength and ignore the rest
Cause of Character Traits --- According to Aristotle
We are what we eat --- living under the discipline of a diet
Avoiding problems and trouble in life
Role of habit in formation of character
Personal attributes of the true Christian
What determines a person's character?
Love of God and love of virtue are closely united
Intellectual disparities among people and the power in good habits
Tools of Satan. Tactics and Tricks used by the Devil.
The Natural Way -- The Unnatural Way
Wisdom, Reason and Virtue are closely related
Knowledge is one thing, wisdom is another
My views on Christianity in America
The most important thing in life is understanding
We are all examples --- for good or for bad
Television --- spiritual poison
The Prime Mover that decides "What We Are"
Where do our outlooks, attitudes and values come from?
Sin is serious business. The punishment for it is real. Hell is real.
Self-imposed discipline and regimentation
Achieving happiness in life --- a matter of the right strategies
Self-control, self-restraint, self-discipline basic to so much in life