Definition of Christianity.

Dhagon Krayt wrote:

I know that many here call it a church, but it does not fit the definition I hold for a church, well, atleast it didn't, it getting there. I'm trying to ignore that fact though, trust me its not a good thing. I concider this a Temple, since its right in the name. Up until fairly recently it has fit that description well, but its drifting further toward a church more and more.

DK

What are the things that you see that are making it more like a church? I was not raised around religion. My grandmother used to listen to gospel on sunday mornings when she cooked breakfast for the family. That's what I think church is.

Dhagon Krayt wrote:

I know that many here call it a church, but it does not fit the definition I hold for a church, well, atleast it didn't, it getting there. I'm trying to ignore that fact though, trust me its not a good thing. I concider this a Temple, since its right in the name. Up until fairly recently it has fit that description well, but its drifting further toward a church more and more.

DK

Church is synonimous with temple.

(wikipedia) The word church is used to describe a building used for prayer, worship, or other public religious services.

(wikipedia) A temple (from the Latin word templum) is a structure reserved for religious or spiritual activities, such as prayer and sacrifice, or analogous rites.

Hmmm, sound an awful lot alike to me...in fact I'd say they are the same darn thing.

There seems to be quite a few people who feel they have been let down by religion, myself included. But before we completely scrap the experiences of millions of believers, we should grant this belief at least one good looking at. We have to look, because the whole truth about God is not accessible with the pressing of a button. It is up to each person to look, it is each person`s responsability to find out, and it is each person`s personal burden to accept the challenge of faith. Illumination does not fall off the back end of a lorry.

Are those who want proof for the existance of God not putting limits on the way God reveals Himself through that very question? Does the very demand for a comprehensible proof of God not make us blind to the proofs which are already available? Well I have to be honest, if I told my wife \"I´ll believe you when I`m convinced!\" my marriage would not have lasted a day. How far are we prepared to look beyond the ends of our own noses?

You are correct Tom their worldly definitions are basically the same. I said my definitions are different, I wouldn't expect you to understand whats in my head, just know that It didn't previously fit that description, but is getting closer, thats all.

Br. Hans, I have looked and looked into this religion. For several years I did everything I could to follow what \"God's word\" was, both from the bible and the word he supposedly spoke through sermons from the pastor(s) of a few different churches. The simple fact remains, no matter how hard I tried, no matter how much work I did, it helped noone. Not myself, which is not why I was doing it, but it didn't make me feel like I was making a difference, or feeling even slightly warm from the supposed holy spirit, for doing the \"good works of God\". It didn't help anyone else either, in fact I realized later, that many of the things that we were \"supposed\" to do according to the church and bible drove more people away from the church than it brought. Of the many times I asked god to fill me with his spirit, to show me what he wanted me to do, I felt something only once and I'm quite certain it was because I lost control of my emotions, and cannot honestly say that I think it was anything other than an overpouring of those emotions. I know every God fearing man will say it was him, but noone knows exactly what I felt and therefore cannot say for sure it was anything other than that loss of control. So with all that junk being said, I have looked past my nose and given this religion more than a fair shake and chance, and it fell short.

DK

Words are so interchangeable the root word Church means gathering, you know that there are 200 ways to say love and hate they all mean the same thing in no matter how you spell it or speak it, it also depends on the user and there experience.
Tomato, tamato it is still the same food used in many ways, temple / church are interchangeable depending on your up bringing and both are valid for this place of worship and gathering which is what we do here and I'm sure that no one here makes sacrifices except sleep to keep up with the time zones in the IM-ing each other.

Mojiimoto - Jedi Padawan

You see, thats part of the problem, people come here to worship. What would a Jedi worship? The Force? I don't think so. So why come here to worship? I have no problem with people being any religion they want to, but if you want to worship God, Budda, Muhammed or whoever, that should be done at a church created for that purpose, or at home. Not in a Temple created for the development of the Jedi way of life, phylophy, and even for a Jediism spiritual journey. To me, that would be equivalent to going into a Muslim shrine and kneeling to pray to God, or going into a Catholic church and sitting on the floor or a pillow and begin chanting to begin your buddist meditation. Would either of those make sense? Not to me. I'm in no way saying that people should hide what they believe and so forth, but as far as discussion goes it should be directed more toward Jedi and Jediism.

DK

Dhagon Krayt wrote:

You see, thats part of the problem, people come here to worship. What would a Jedi worship? The Force? I don't think so. So why come here to worship? I have no problem with people being any religion they want to, but if you want to worship God, Budda, Muhammed or whoever, that should be done at a church created for that purpose, or at home. Not in a Temple created for the development of the Jedi way of life, phylophy, and even for a Jediism spiritual journey. To me, that would be equivalent to going into a Muslim shrine and kneeling to pray to God, or going into a Catholic church and sitting on the floor or a pillow and begin chanting to begin your buddist meditation. Would either of those make sense? Not to me. I'm in no way saying that people should hide what they believe and so forth, but as far as discussion goes it should be directed more toward Jedi and Jediism.

DK

Exactly, YOU don't think so. Many others do however think so and are more than welcome to do so. This is a a Jedi Church to be sure but Jediism is an interfaith religion, syncretistic in its form. That is what makes Jediism so great! You are more then welcome to feel the way you do. and it is that freedom in faith that strengthens our unity.

\"Etymology: Middle English worshipe worthiness, respect, reverence paid to a divine being, from Old English weorthscipe worthiness, respect, from weorth worthy, worth + -scipe -ship
Date: before 12th century
1chiefly British : a person of importance —used as a title for various officials (as magistrates and some mayors)
2: reverence offered a divine being or supernatural power; also : an act of expressing such reverence
3: a form of religious practice with its creed and ritual
4: extravagant respect or admiration for or devotion to an object of esteem <worship of the dollar>\"
-Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary

According to this there would be no reason not to be able to worship the Force.

Br.Dhagon, I thought a lot about what you said. Could we not consider Jediism as say a type of common lanuage we all speak here, and Christianity/Buddhism/Islam/Wiccan... as the (cultural) dialect in whic each individual Jedi speaks?

Jon wrote:

\"Etymology: Middle English worshipe worthiness, respect, reverence paid to a divine being, from Old English weorthscipe worthiness, respect, from weorth worthy, worth + -scipe -ship
Date: before 12th century
1chiefly British : a person of importance —used as a title for various officials (as magistrates and some mayors)
2: reverence offered a divine being or supernatural power; also : an act of expressing such reverence
3: a form of religious practice with its creed and ritual
4: extravagant respect or admiration for or devotion to an object of esteem <worship of the dollar>\"
-Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary

According to this there would be no reason not to be able to worship the Force.

Br.Dhagon, I thought a lot about what you said. Could we not consider Jediism as say a type of common lanuage we all speak here, and Christianity/Buddhism/Islam/Wiccan... as the (cultural) dialect in whic each individual Jedi speaks?

I Love it Hans...Dead On!

Please explain to me what there could possibly be to worship of the Force. I'm not talking about Christians who see the Force as the same thing as the Holy Spirit. I'm talking about the non-deity, part of everyone, everyone a part of, envelops and penetrates us all Force. What is there to worship?

DK