Freethought & Rationalism Archive

Slavik91 · 04-23-2003, 01:43 PM

In this thread, you (Magus) stated, and I quote;

Quote:

Mormonism is a cult, not Christian.

Could you (or any other Christian) please define what qualities that a true Christian possesses?

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tdekeyser · 04-23-2003, 01:46 PM

They don't know. They just spew hate for everyone who is not of the SAME faith. It is disgusting....

No wonder they feel persecuted. They brought it on themselves.

Spaz · 04-23-2003, 02:00 PM

I really don't get what more it takes than believing in the divinity of jesus (and not breaking the ten commandments and shit like that) to be a christian.

Dargo · 04-23-2003, 02:57 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Spaz
I really don't get what more it takes than believing in the divinity of jesus (and not breaking the ten commandments and shit like that) to be a christian.

Evangelical Christians believe that a true Christian is one who accepts Jesus Christ as their lord and savior and asks god to forgive them of all of their sins. As an ex-Southern Baptist fundie this would have been my definition. Although some of them may not feel that this guarantees salvation. I've heard it said that you have to "truly" repent on your sins and believe with "all your heart" that Jebus is your savior whatever that may mean. I've heard some preachers say that saving faith will have works to prove it and apathetic Christian were never really saved in the first place. They also say it only takes the faith of a grain of mustard seed (Jesus said something about this but the subject wasn't salvation) to be saved so its kind of confusing. It gives them a cop out to explain why some people would leave the faith or why someone who has supposedly been saved would comit a felony.

Some charismatics (all charismatics are evangelicals but not all evangeicals are charismatics) claim that speaking in tongues is a sign of faith and only those spewing giberish are truly Christians. Some people I used to go to church with said that speaking in tongues comes from Satan, and any one doing that is demon possesed. As a general rule though, evangelicals will concede that other denominations who have core beliefs reasonably similar to their own will be going to heaven. Many charismatics do believe that non-charismatics can be saved and vice versa.

I'm pretty sure the official Catholic church position is still that anyone who doesn't submit to the authority of the Catholic church is not really a Christian although not all Catholics believe this. Liberal Christian have the broadest definition of Christian which is probably similar to your definition.

As you can see, there seems to be a lot of confusion as to what exactly a true-Christian is. Each viewpoint can find probably find Bible verses to back up their position. I'm sure their are several other defintions of what a Christian really is.

Tabula_rasa · 04-23-2003, 03:06 PM

True Christians follow the True Christian religion and go to the True Christian Church right up the street from where I live. Turns out they are a cult. At least they started out as one

Tabula_rasa

winstonjen · 04-23-2003, 04:11 PM

The answer to the question depends on who you ask. It can even vary between members of the same denomination, hence it is impossible to get a consistent answer. Who are we supposed to believe? Hitler? Augustine? Catholics? Protestants? All of them? None of them?

Infidelettante · 04-23-2003, 04:52 PM

Even a careless reading of the NT reveals that those who spent the most time with Jesus had no idea who he was or what his teachings meant.

I find it odd that two thousand years later people can think they really know anything about Christ at all much less what it takes to be a follower of his.

If the ones who sat in front of him and looked him in the face as he spoke could not understand him how does anyone think they can understand now.

And don't give me the *we got the NT now* bit. It was written by people who didn't know him at all, he having been gone long before any of them began to make up his story.

So, as I see it you have on the one hand those who didn't understand him and didn't write anything down about him and on the other those who didn't know anything at all about him and wrote it all down.

Now tell me again, who are the real Christians?

JT

Paul2 · 04-24-2003, 04:55 AM

The last true christian died on the cross.

Slavik91 · 04-24-2003, 05:01 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by Paul2
The last true christian died on the cross.

And even HE was Jewish!

beth · 04-24-2003, 05:35 AM

I always thought that a true Christian was someone who had accepted Christ as Savior, lived a moral life, and was kind and non-judgemental of others.

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04-23-2003, 01:46 PM	#2
tdekeyser Regular Member Join Date: Oct 2001 Location: Dallas, TX Posts: 341	They don't know. They just spew hate for everyone who is not of the SAME faith. It is disgusting.... No wonder they feel persecuted. They brought it on themselves.

04-23-2003, 02:00 PM	#3
Spaz Veteran Member Join Date: Feb 2003 Location: 6th Circle of Hell Posts: 1,093	I really don't get what more it takes than believing in the divinity of jesus (and not breaking the ten commandments and shit like that) to be a christian.

04-23-2003, 03:06 PM	#5
Tabula_rasa Regular Member Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: East of Dumbville, MA Posts: 144	True Christians follow the True Christian religion and go to the True Christian Church right up the street from where I live. Turns out they are a cult. At least they started out as one Tabula_rasa

04-23-2003, 04:11 PM	#6
winstonjen Veteran Member Join Date: Nov 2002 Location: Brisbane, Australia Posts: 3,425	The answer to the question depends on who you ask. It can even vary between members of the same denomination, hence it is impossible to get a consistent answer. Who are we supposed to believe? Hitler? Augustine? Catholics? Protestants? All of them? None of them?

04-23-2003, 04:52 PM	#7
Infidelettante Senior Member Join Date: Jan 2003 Location: The Deep South Posts: 889	Even a careless reading of the NT reveals that those who spent the most time with Jesus had no idea who he was or what his teachings meant. I find it odd that two thousand years later people can think they really know anything about Christ at all much less what it takes to be a follower of his. If the ones who sat in front of him and looked him in the face as he spoke could not understand him how does anyone think they can understand now. And don't give me the we got the NT now bit. It was written by people who didn't know him at all, he having been gone long before any of them began to make up his story. So, as I see it you have on the one hand those who didn't understand him and didn't write anything down about him and on the other those who didn't know anything at all about him and wrote it all down. Now tell me again, who are the real Christians? JT

04-24-2003, 04:55 AM	#8
Paul2 Veteran Member Join Date: Sep 2002 Location: Ohio Posts: 1,088	The last true christian died on the cross.

04-24-2003, 05:35 AM	#10
beth Veteran Member Join Date: Jan 2003 Location: where orange blossoms bloom... Posts: 1,802	I always thought that a true Christian was someone who had accepted Christ as Savior, lived a moral life, and was kind and non-judgemental of others.

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