ok. After having read all of the posts on whether God exists or not, I feel I should say something. First, not all christians are like these guys. I have a friend who is awesome and a christian.
She knows where I stand on the belief of God and yet she doesn't judge me. She also knows I have 3, yes 3 children and I have never been married. And yet she still doesn't judge me. She has NEVER in my life told me to repent because I was going to burn in the fires of hell.
I feel she is the real type of christian. She is loving and caring to all people, without judging them for what they do. She would help a person out when they needed it even if they did live in sin.
She is able to forgive everyone, everything. She believes God has a purpose, even when she's down.
I feel this is the true meaning of being a christian. NOT telling people to repent over and over and over...
So please, enough with the repent. If a person wants to repent they will, but they won't do it any faster just because somebody keeps telling them they are going to burn in the fires of hell.
Thanx and have a good night everyone.
JerusalemSong wrote: The mark of a true Christian is love for others and obedience to God???s Word.
The mark of a true Christian is love for others and obedience to God???s Word.
having said that, how many true Christians are left on the planet?
WWJD...So true...I am laughing.
Most non-believers need to repent because their SINS are KILLING them!
Hebrews 4:12
For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.
Repent!
WWJD--I was wondering, are you the only True Christian on this forum? Even though I did find some post by other religious memebers, the post I read are all old.I just found this site recently and I really like it. I like it because it's local and we have to help these people.I haven't had time to make many post here but I will.
Oh...and I was reading many of "Bible Thumpers" post but I noticed he or she hasn't been here lately.
Whoever that person is, they seem to have a way with words. Very good writer and speaker. In a unique way "Bible Thumper" combines his sense of humor, his love of writing, and his love of God and truth and concerns, in words that are so true. I also manage to listen to a testimonial that was posted by "Bible Thumper" and it was great and inspiring. I don't know if you have heard it but you should, everyone should.
Keep spreading Gods words and don't stop.
They will come around.
BillyBob wrote:Newsong--you look to be a beautiful and smart lady I take it. Are you a Christian? and if so what made you go that way? and please don't say God cause I'll vomit.
Bulert wrote:why does anyone here get to say who a proper christian is? cant we mind our own affairs? yeesh
Only GOD and Jesus can define a real Christian. No human can nor will ever be able judge or be able to officially claim that definition.
Celeste wrote:A true Christian would never denounce others who say that they are Christians. How "true" do you have to be to qualify? What makes one a "true" Christian? Because if the the goal is have others believe, then how can you then deny them.
spyn wrote: She knows where I stand on the belief of God and yet she doesn't judge me. She also knows I have 3, yes 3 children and I have never been married. And yet she still doesn't judge me. She has NEVER in my life told me to repent because I was going to burn in the fires of hell. I feel she is the real type of christian. She is loving and caring to all people, without judging them for what they do. She would help a person out when they needed it even if they did live in sin. She is able to forgive everyone, everything. She believes God has a purpose, even when she's down. I feel this is the true meaning of being a christian. NOT telling people to repent over and over and over...
well said..and true.
I believe in God, I am a Christian, but I know I cant tell you what to do, nor can you tell me and have either of hope to listen to the other. ( you are listening right *grin*)
Yes, indeed. I also like the quote "Do unto others what you would like done to you" (shhhheshhh, I think I misquoted that one).
I just love the way you explain things.. direct to the point without attacking; very well taught out and hats of to you.
"Satan has blinded you, you're going to hell, [If] you support abortion, you are supporting murder!"
I can't count how many time I have been assaulted with statements such of these. Never has my political views, my religious beliefs and my behavior has been targeted by such verbal abuse. And what happens is you find yourself defending your choices against individuals so bent on their own agenda that nothing you say makes a difference? And these attacks are coming from fundamentalist Christians. What you have to remember is these people come from an extreme wing of the Christian Faith.
I do not believe they represent all of Christianity. They couldn't possibly. And by definition, which they use, they have set themselves up as defenders of the "fundamentals" of the faith, as the guardians of righteousness, as soldiers of the truth.
Fundamentalists are very tough to deal with. They can be abrasive, angry, judgmental and downright mean, but they are not true representatives of any of the faiths for which they claim to speak about.
The real trouble with them is not their specific faiths. It's their addiction to thinking they are right. It's an addiction to believing they have a corner on the market of truth. In other words, it's an addiction to a "made-truth," that is, to a belief that the truths they've created in their minds are indeed absolute truths and that everyone else must be made to believe in the same truths lest they perish. They are addicts. And like other addicts, they do not respond to logic or sound arguments.
Fundamentalist Christians use the Bible as their sole authority. Anything else is suspect at best - satanic at worst. If you wish to mount a good defense, you must use their own "authoritative" book against them.
And like other addicts you should not take their attacks personally.
Hi notme,
If you read just a couple of verses further, verse 39 says "He that finds his life shall lose it: and he that loses his life for my sake shall find it." Sound confusing? One must remember that Jesus spoke in parables or what some might call riddles. Many of Jesus' words weren't meant to be taken as literal as what some interpret.
I believe what these verses are trying to express is that Jesus came to show us the ultimate example of love in an effort to see whether people would truly love Him in return. When you truly love Him, you will place His words above the opinions of friends and even family. After all, I am pretty sure that I don't have any friends or family members who would suffer a death as traumatic as that of Jesus just so that someone would forgive me for something I did wrong!
The Bible verse doesn't actually say that Jesus came to bring war - it says He came to bring a sword. Swords are used for dividing. When I am separated (divided) from the opinions of friends/family/general public, I am standing alone - in a position to decide for myself how much I love Him and how devoted I will be to serving Him.
God IS good and just. And you're right - He WILL do anything to get our attention - including giving His life.
Just my thoughts on this. Anyone else care to pipe up with YOUR interpretation?
actually what i found was that he was like a politician he spoke with a fork tongue since one minute he says something and then oops he says the opposite .......
notme wrote:actually what i found was that he was like a politician he spoke with a fork tongue since one minute he says something and then oops he says the opposite .......
WWJD wrote: notme wrote: actually what i found was that he was like a politician he spoke with a fork tongue since one minute he says something and then oops he says the opposite ....... maybe you're the hypocrite for quoting jesus who you say is fork tongued.why quote a man you claim is a hypocrite?you're the real hypocrite, not jesus
notme wrote: actually what i found was that he was like a politician he spoke with a fork tongue since one minute he says something and then oops he says the opposite .......
Jesus is probably the most quoted and probably the most misquoted man in history. Being a fluent parable speaker if He spoke to a group of five people all five might walk away with an interpretation of His words. Who can honestly say they fully understand every word He said.
well if you can prove to me that he does not speak with a fork tongue try it so far all i found is that one minute he says savew only the jews , then a while later he say save the world ..
he also claim claim that he is good but good people do not go on killing rampage even if they are offended
he also claim to be just but we are not allowed to love our kids
Should I say you are anti-Christian because you spend most of your time on Christianity? No. But that is what Christians say about Atheist. I will say this, although technically a misunderstanding, there is some valid points in the above comment. There is no ignoring the fact that many atheist spend a great deal of time with the doctrines and beliefs which are specific to Christianity or, at the very least, to traditional forms of Western monotheism while at the same time ignoring other religions and more general theistic beliefs.
Why?
Because most of the atheists involved live in Western countries where Christianity and monotheism are part of the dominant culture. So logically most atheists are more familiar with Christianity, and therefore they have to contend with Christianity on a daily basis in their lives, and perhaps even were raised as Christians. And maybe, just maybe it is understandable why Christianity is more of a focus for atheist critiques than Buddhism or Hinduism.
Lets imagine if a Buddhists came to online communities to convert atheists or if Hindus came knocking on our doors to share the Hindu faith with you, things would be different. Well, that isn't the case at all and the reality we have to deal with is the dominance of Christianity where we live - thus, it is unavoidable that Christianity will play a major role in our critiques of religion.
Yes, it is true that some atheists are indeed vehemently anti-Christian. It isn't simply that they object to religion and, hence, object to Christianity. On the contrary, they display an almost unreasoning hatred for everything associated with Christianity - even to the point where they can act downright irrational about the entire matter. This is unfortunate, but often very understandable.
You have to remember that many atheist come from a Christian backgrounds where we were discouraged from doubting and questioning , anything. Once we started learning, we found that we had been deceived and lied to by religious leaders and this is the result of the lingering resentment and even hatred of the religious beliefs and power structures which allowed such deception to occur and allows it to continue to this very day.
In fact many of us continue to suffer from discrimination and abuse from our friends, neighbours, family, and colleagues. Most of the time I am unable to even reveal that I am atheists for fear of reprisals and ostracization. So while in this situation, it isn't possible to expect a person to have kind, warm, fuzzy feelings about a religion which is used, from our perspective, to foster hatred and repression towards us simply because we are unable to adopt your religion. Christians who find such anti-Christian attitudes disturbing should probably focus on eliminating the persecution and hatred those atheists endure rather than trying to convert those atheists to Christianity.
Atheists who have to contend with such experiences manage to overcome their anti-Christian feelings, but not all do. In no way, however, does such hatred have any implications for atheism itself. Even if all atheists happened to hate religion generally or Christianity specifically, that would not mean that atheism itself is unreasonable and theism reasonable. It would simply mean that atheists sometimes adopt unreasonable positions, but not unlike Christians.
willie c wuddle wrote:Hey Dougman, wassnew? In your last post did you say I used the word "exegetical" ? I don't even know that word but in all respects I will learn it.
Sorry Dougman I was reading slow and typing fast.
While many dictionary defines a Christian as ???a person professing belief in Jesus as the Christ or in the religion based on the teaching of Jesus.??? I'd say this is a good starting point in understanding what a Christian is, like many secular definitions, it falls somewhat short of really communicating the biblical truth of what it means to be a Christian.
The word Christian is used three times in New Testament (Acts 11:26; Acts 26:28; 1 Peter 4:16). Followers of Jesus Christ were first called ???Christians??? in Antioch (Acts 11:26) because their behavior, activity, and speech were like Christ. It was originally used by the unsaved people of Antioch as a kind of contemptuous nickname used to make fun of the Christians. It literally means, ???belonging to the party of Christ??? or an ???adherent or follower of Christ,??? which is very similar to the way Webster???s Dictionary defines it.
Although over time, the word "Christian" has lost a great deal of it significance and is often used of someone who is religious or has high moral values instead of a true born again follower of Jesus Christ. Many people who don???t believe and trust in Jesus Christ consider themselves Christians simply because they go to church or they live in a "Christian" nation. But going to church, serving those less fortunate than you, or being a good person does not make you a Christian. As one evangelist once said, ???Going to church doesn???t make one a Christian anymore than going to a garage makes one an automobile.??? Being a member of a church, attending services regularly, and giving to the work of the church cannot make you a Christian.
If you read your Bible it teaches us that the good works we do cannot make us acceptable to God. Titus 3:5 tells us that it is ???not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us, through the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit.??? So, a Christian is someone who has been born-again by God (John 3:3; John 3:7; 1 Peter 1:23) and has put their faith and trust in Jesus Christ. Ephesians 2:8 tells us that it is ???by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God.??? A true Christian is someone who has repented of his or her sin and put faith and trust in Jesus Christ alone. Their trust is not in following a religion or a set of moral codes, or a list of do???s and don???ts.
A true Christian is a person who has put his or her faith and trust in the person of Jesus Christ and fact that He died on the cross as payment for sins and rose again on the third day to obtain victory over death and to give eternal life to all who believe in Him. John 1:12 tells us: ???But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name.??? A true Christian is indeed a child of God, a part of God???s true family, and one who has been given new life in Christ. The mark of a true Christian is love for others and obedience to God???s Word.