Cases for Christians and their Practices

    Christianity is a big and wide religion of many millions, even billions of people; the history is coming up on two thousand years. As a person in my fifties, I now share in my lifespan 1/20 of the time of Christian believing and practicing this faith, which happens to be my sliver, yes, which can be debatable to some, but I believe I have bene ecumenical also. This means I have been a Christian broadly, celebrating and joining in with Christian brothers and sisters of the entire spectrum across the width and depth of its denominations and beliefs. Catholics, Eastern Orthodox, Protestants of all types, to include those considered peripheral to the more popular sects, such as Jehovah's Witnesses and Seventh Day Adventists, Christian Scientists and even Messianic Jewish folks.

    I, as a Latter-Day Saint, fit in another piece of the Christian pie; I own it, as most of us do. Well, a large number of us recognize that we do not fit into the picture of traditional Christendom, as it is known. That is part and parcel, the raison d'etre of my particular Christian practice and belief system. We believe that we are outliers because the traditional inliers, so to speak, have been misguided.

    Does my church have flaws and peccadillos? Certainly. To name a few:

    A history of early practice and doctrine of polygamy, which is clearly controversial or scandalous for most Christians of history and current day believers and non-believers. 

    In tandem with a male priesthood by most external measures, the masculine dominated hierarchy is another criticism against the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints thus far into the 21st century. In the Church's defense, women do perform temple rites using the priesthood powers and authorities, and the institution has pushed for more leadership and influence in the last generations.

    I could go on with a list of other serious issues, like the racism or endemic racial segregation that occurred for much of the Church history, or the claim on unique priesthood authority of God, a separate book of scripture outside the Bible, a prophet and modern quorum of twelve apostles, rules and regulations regarding drugs and common drinks to the world, or secret temple rites. Sure, in two hundred years that is a bit. 

    However, since the time of Jesus Christ in the early first century, many Christians of the traditional and non-common varieties have had a lot worse conditions, practices, and results. There was a thousand-year period called the Dark Ages, which was dominated in Europe by different brands of Christian faiths, primarily that of Rome since Constantine in the 4th century. There were many ugly times and instances for Christians. Christians killed other Christians, plus the battles and wars of Christians versus Muslims through the centuries, and the overall ill treatment of the Jewish and other non-Christian peoples.

    __--_____ Break in a couple days of writing, thinking, reflecting, analyzing...

    The Roman Catholic Church had its centuries of what I consider to be quite brutal and repressive behavior, beyond the Spanish Inquisition, among others. The Protestant Reformation brought new rounds of violence to Europe and the world. Christian colonizing countries also bring "Christian values" to the fore, much of it is tacked up as violent, mean, and devasting to native peoples and cultures the world over.

    Not a great record, really. Marxists or other anti-religionists, secular thinkers are given ammunition against Christianity and religion in general. Of course, Stalin and Mao proved how poorly the alternatives could be, as well. Communists have a poor track record of human rights and progress, to compare with societies and cultures that were driven by Christian ethics and mores.

    

    So, do Christians have a leg to stand on when it comes to making life better for individuals, communities, the greater cultures that they influence and impact?

    I would say, yes. However, we can all see and review case after case of the negative or positive.

    I do not have the time or space to go through all the cases (who does?).

    The original intent of my post was to evaluate how Christian worship, the hour per week or more that many of us dedicate to the sacraments of our faith in Jesus, compares in peaceful ways to Buddhist meditation sessions, Jewish shabbat services, or Muslim prayer and sermon times, and that those practices and sessions help us to be better, to come closer to God, or heaven, or community.

    To be peaceful and better, as people. As believers. As humans, as believers in Jesus Christ.

    Some see it as a waste of time, or even counter-productive. 

    To others, it is what we make of it. It depends, as it were.

    What we do we think, what do we believe? How does worship benefit anyone?

    You tell me. I think I have been helped by all of the above, including Muslim, Jewish, Buddhist, and all sorts and brands of Christian worship, private and more open.