January 12, 2007

Lisa: Maybe there could be a point system for sins.

Sometimes I think the church is simply a program engineered with the lowest common denominator in mind, aimed at corralling the largest percentage of people possible into heaven. It's kind of like Weight Watchers.

  • Every week you meet with a support group of people who share the same goal--weight loss.

  • At that meeting you are instructed on healthy ways to lose weight, learn mechanisms to cope with the urge to overeat, or hear inspirational stories of those who have succeeded through Weight Watchers before you.

  • You are provided with a point system: guidelines on the amount and type of food you can consume. If eat the right number of points, you will progress toward your goal.

  • By following this very structured program with the support of your group, you will remain focused on your goal and gain the tools you need to reach it.

    • If you follow the program, Weight Watchers works--there's no question. But...it's not the only way to lose weight, right?

    Posted by lisa at January 12, 2007 12:28 PM
    Comments

    wait, what is analogous in the church to the point system?
    also straight is the gate and narrow is the way lisa

    Posted by: Young Jeffrey on January 12, 2007 12:44 PM

    For those uninitiated, it's like this:

    (holiness/nihilism) * (humility) - (arrogance) + (optimism * selflessness) + (number of prayers - days you broke your fast) / days of church attended * number of years you held a temple recommend + (number of dirty thoughts - frequency of attendance at church activities) = heavenability quotient.

    It's kind of like your credit score.

    Posted by: Charles on January 12, 2007 01:17 PM

    Fantastic analogy!

    Posted by: Em on January 14, 2007 12:35 PM

    Church isn't like this.

    The Bible says that "all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God." and "there is none that are righteous - not even one".

    All human beings have failed to meet God's standards. We cannot do anything on our own merit that would be good enough to be acceptable to God. Because God loves us, he sent his son, Jesus, to die for us - in our place. It is only by accepting that we are sinners and not worthy to go to heaven and by believing in what Jesus did on our behalf, that we can be acceptable to God and spend eternity with him.

    This concept is called Grace.

    Have a read of the book of Romans in the Bible - chapters 1 to 8.

    Cheers,
    Andrew

    Posted by: Andrew on January 17, 2007 08:48 PM

    I have so many blasphemous things I could say... but I won't.

    However I will say, when I was in high school my friends and I devised a "sin-o-meter" where things like a white lie would be worth one point, whereas murdering someone and making their dead body do the hustle would be worth 100. It was some good times.

    Posted by: Mallory on January 19, 2007 01:41 PM

    who is andrew? And why is there a sermon here?

    Posted by: Young Jeffrey on January 23, 2007 02:18 PM

    DO THE HUSTLE! do dodododododo! DO THE HUSTLE!

    Posted by: sarah on January 23, 2007 08:17 PM
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