Why are Churches so pessimistic?

[Sakal Gharelu Ustad]

I have been on a European tour for the last 10 days and visited many churches as they form an integral part of history. Although, they are grand and capture a lot of artistic tradition but I found them to be depressing with depictions of misery in most paintings and sculptures.

What are your views about it?

 

[SinghSher1984]

That is how the religion is, it encourages the image of the Virgin mary and wants people to be a certain way aka softies.

Why do you think Europe only did anything after leaving the church?

 

[Kshatriya87]

I have been on a European tour for the last 10 days and visited many churches as they form an integral part of history. Although, they are grand and capture a lot of artistic tradition but I found them to be depressing with depictions of misery in most paintings and sculptures.

What are your views about it?

I have read the bible and it's critics views. Bible is full of misconceptions. It's faith completely relies in fear. It teaches people to have faith in god, if you don't then things will happen like hell, rapture etc.

Most Christians only follow Christianity because of fear.


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[mattster]

I have been on a European tour for the last 10 days and visited many churches as they form an integral part of history. Although, they are grand and capture a lot of artistic tradition but I found them to be depressing with depictions of misery in most paintings and sculptures.

What are your views about it?

Your are missing the context.
The Medieval Christian architecture is designed to depict the live of Christ and his followers and the challenges, temptations, and sacrifices that Christ made to save mankind.

It was not necessarily designed to make you feel happy, sad, exuberant, depressed, or fear.
It was simply designed to tell the story of the life of Christ and his sacrifice, and that you are in a solemn sacred space.

Whether you believe or don't believe in any of it, is not the point.......but you still have to understand the context and intent when you visit such places.

Hopefully this helps.

 

[W.G.Ewald]

I have been on a European tour for the last 10 days and visited many churches as they form an integral part of history. Although, they are grand and capture a lot of artistic tradition but I found them to be depressing with depictions of misery in most paintings and sculptures.

What are your views about it?

If you can, read Pilgrim's Progress by John Bunyan.

Pilgrim's Progress - Christian Classics Ethereal Library

 

[Known_Unknown]

Christianity revels in making its followers feel miserable, fearful and perennially guilty. Even a newborn baby is considered to be a "sinner" barely moments after taking its first breath. Even though Jesus is supposed to have died for our sins, there is still a "lake of fire" where God will send those who sin. And most laughably, you could be the most peaceful, saintly individual in the world, who has never hurt a fly in his life, yet you will still go to hell merely because you did not convert to Christianity.

Compared to the sophisticated Indian or Chinese philosophical traditions, Christianity feels like the work of a third-grade dropout.

 

[hit&run]

Christianity revels in making its followers feel miserable, fearful and perennially guilty. Even a newborn baby is considered to be a "sinner" barely moments after taking its first breath. Even though Jesus is supposed to have died for our sins, there is still a "lake of fire" where God will send those who sin. And most laughably, you could be the most peaceful, saintly individual in the world, who has never hurt a fly in his life, yet you will still go to hell merely because you did not convert to Christianity.

Compared to the sophisticated Indian or Chinese philosophical traditions, Christianity feels like the work of a third-grade dropout.

They are improving, they are adding sophistications, they are appropriating available knowledge from other sects and trying to sync it with Christianity.

 

[rvjpheonix]

Christianity revels in making its followers feel miserable, fearful and perennially guilty. Even a newborn baby is considered to be a "sinner" barely moments after taking its first breath. Even though Jesus is supposed to have died for our sins, there is still a "lake of fire" where God will send those who sin. And most laughably, you could be the most peaceful, saintly individual in the world, who has never hurt a fly in his life, yet you will still go to hell merely because you did not convert to Christianity.

Compared to the sophisticated Indian or Chinese philosophical traditions, Christianity feels like the work of a third-grade dropout.

It feels like that only if you dont know the relegion which you clearly dont.

 

[rvjpheonix]

They are improving, they are adding sophistications, they are appropriating available knowledge from other sects and trying to sync it with Christianity.

Can you give me one example? Adding sophistications? We have a set bible and for the orthodox and catholic churches a few moew books from early saints. Unlike hinduism christianity is NOT ADAPTABLE. period.

 

[Known_Unknown]

It feels like that only if you dont know the relegion which you clearly dont.

Ohh....trust me, I know Christianity like the back of my hand. The decades of BS that I've endured right from pseudo-conversion drives at school by distribution of Gideon's International bibles to the countless hours spent on forums like beliefnet debating braindead missionaries to dealing with evangelical buffoons in real life, my opinions on issues of comparative religion have been formed by trials of fire.

 

[rvjpheonix]

Christianity revels in making its followers feel miserable, fearful and perennially guilty. Even a newborn baby is considered to be a "sinner" barely moments after taking its first breath. Even though Jesus is supposed to have died for our sins, there is still a "lake of fire" where God will send those who sin. And most laughably, you could be the most peaceful, saintly individual in the world, who has never hurt a fly in his life, yet you will still go to hell merely because you did not convert to Christianity.

Compared to the sophisticated Indian or Chinese philosophical traditions, Christianity feels like the work of a third-grade dropout.

Have you ever read paul's epistles? Its about faith and hope. If you read only a part of the bible you will feel like that. You must know it in its entirety to take it in context and understand its true meaning. Its not about fear or grief. Its about Gods love. God has given everyone an option. But like everything else your decision will have repercussions, good or bad. And yes we do believe that a human is weak and that he is sinful by nature. But as far as I see its very true.

 

[Sakal Gharelu Ustad]

Your are missing the context.
The Medieval Christian architecture is designed to depict the live of Christ and his followers and the challenges, temptations, and sacrifices that Christ made to save mankind.

It was not necessarily designed to make you feel happy, sad, exuberant, depressed, or fear.
It was simply designed to tell the story of the life of Christ and his sacrifice, and that you are in a solemn sacred space.

Whether you believe or don't believe in any of it, is not the point.......but you still have to understand the context and intent when you visit such places.

Hopefully this helps.

I understand the context under which the architecture was designed. But the question is about the impact of these buildings on the your psyche when you look at it. And I found it to be pessimistic.

 

[Sakal Gharelu Ustad]

If you can, read Pilgrim's Progress by John Bunyan.

Pilgrim's Progress - Christian Classics Ethereal Library

I will try to read it. Thanks.

 

[hit&run]

Can you give me one example? Adding sophistications? We have a set bible and for the orthodox and catholic churches a few moew books from early saints. Unlike hinduism christianity is NOT ADAPTABLE. period.

The orthodox church will always pretend to be non adaptable but since the times of Galileo Christianity has changed itself through its proxies.

They say something else inside the Church but outside they claim to be more sync with the world. Like I have said here before, about Hinduism and Sikhism, same is the case with all other religions, that they all are full of contradictions and Hypocrisies.

The phenomenon of Atheism is an example of Church proxies, subtly criticising the Church but going no holds bar against Muslims and Hindus. If today Hindu religious heads start criticising Christianity then it will take them more than two centuries to cause the same damage Christians have already inflicted to Hinduism. Being so outlandish and visible in what they have been saying against us, now they are finding it difficult to be that forthcoming. The phenomenon of Atheism which has trolled many Hindus as well is an example of the bait been eaten and numbers been compromised, when Vedic literature within Hindu clout could have catered the Atheist itch very well of those dick head Hindus; rather better.

BTW the direct example of them improvising are Christian Yoga, Christian Bharatnatyam, Concept of Karma, further go and see their channels and see how similar they are now talking like their Hindu or Buddhist counterparts on spirituality, meditation etc.

 

[Kshatriya87]

It feels like that only if you dont know the relegion which you clearly dont.

The bible is a lie, right from the first line of the first page.

 

[Ray]

The bible is a lie, right from the first line of the first page.

Nothing is a lie.

Faith overcomes everything.

Or are all Faiths lies?

 

[Kshatriya87]

Nothing is a lie.

Faith overcomes everything.

Or are all Faiths lies?

That's exactly the thing. In the end, all religious debates turn from reasonable thinking to blind faith.

 

[mattster]

I understand the context under which the architecture was designed. But the question is about the impact of these buildings on the your psyche when you look at it. And I found it to be pessimistic.

I think you are using the wrong term here......pessimistic is probably not what you are trying to say.
I think you really mean to say "solemn".

Churches, mosques, temples, synagogues, etc are not really "pessimistic or optimistic" - they are really designed to be solemn meditative spaces that move you to a different mental & spiritual state........A state of contemplation, meditation, and introspection.