- Hatred
- Judgement
- Greed
- Prejudices
- Bigotry & Racism & Systemic Racism & Racial Supremacy
- Greed
- Selfishness
- Unwillingness to help others
- Always choosing the path of conflict instead of peace
What Jesus taught and what Christianity is are two different things. Too much manipulation and distortion have impacted the theology to the point where it no longer resembles what the teacher taught. Then you eventually get to the point where mainstream Christianity advocate murder, warfare, systemic racism, capitalism and more. Cannot label myself a Christian. The cherrypicking of what Jesus taught to fit your personal agendas and prejudices has to end or just be honest and call yourself a person without a faith. It’s time to get it back on track.
Jesus was not Christian and Buddha was not Buddhist. They were teachers and words should live on without the control or influence of others. Jesus was God and recognized he was God as everyone else should, but religious indoctrination is about control and enslaving your spirit as spiritual teachings get passed down. Christianity as it is stands today barely has any resemblance to what he taught and I am fairly sure Jesus would agree.
What Jesus taught as the path to spiritual enlightenment was the truth, but none of what he is taught is practiced/reflected in most if not all of the cultures that identify as Christian. Any person who wants to continue calling themselves a Christian needs to actually follow what he says.
What are some of the ways Jesus teachings were corrupted and distorted in the 2000 years since his death?
The accumulation of massive amounts of money/power/influence was contradictory to what Jesus taught. It is difficult to have any faith in the confidence of a spiritual organization when then they own so much material assets and
The downplaying of values of forgiveness, compassion and empathy was downplayed but an increase of emphasis on sin and punishment instead in the effort to control population.
Christian and cultures engaging in warfare is an automatic betrayal of Jesus instructions to be peacemakers and pursue peace (Blessed be the peacemakers). No culture or country can claim to be truly Christian if they violate those teachings. Jesus describes true power as demonstrating mercy and forgiveness, not strength.
In Christian communities it became totally fine to embrace and celebrate material possessions and wealth, to the point where megachurch preachers live in multimillion dollar homes.
References
Judgmental Attitudes: Jesus emphasized love, compassion, and non-judgmentalism (“Judge not, that you be not judged” – Matthew 7:1).
Lack of Forgiveness: Jesus taught the importance of forgiveness (“Forgive us our sins, as we forgive those who sin against us” – Matthew 6:12). Yet, some Christians may struggle with forgiving others or holding onto grudges.
Materialism: Jesus cautioned against the dangers of materialism and prioritizing wealth over spiritual matters (“You cannot serve both God and money” – Matthew 6:24). However, some Christians may place excessive focus on wealth accumulation or material possessions.
Lack of Love and Compassion: Jesus commanded his followers to love one another and to show compassion towards all people (“Love your neighbor as yourself” – Matthew 22:39). Sometimes, Christians may fail to show genuine love and compassion towards others, especially those who are different or marginalized.
Selective Application of Biblical Principles: Some Christians may cherry-pick certain teachings or passages from the Bible while ignoring others that may be inconvenient or challenging to follow consistently.
Hypocrisy: Jesus strongly condemned hypocrisy and emphasized the importance of genuine faith and integrity (“Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites!” – Matthew 23:13-36). Christians may sometimes be perceived as hypocritical if their actions do not align with their professed beliefs.
Political Idolatry: When political ideologies or affiliations take precedence over spiritual values and teachings, it can lead to a distortion of Christian principles and priorities.
Failure to Follow the Sermon on the Mount: The Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5-7) encapsulates many of Jesus’ core teachings on humility, peacemaking, purity of heart, and more. Christians may struggle to fully live out these ideals in their daily lives.
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