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I've never heard of him. And I do consider myself a Christian.
I have never understood this. Why do people think that all Christians feel the same way? There are many MANY shades of gray amongst them, just as there are in any other "grouping" of people. I can't stand any of these "preacher" types. And I live in the land of the top wacko - Pat Robertson. Yeesh. No one in my family can even STAND that man. So please throw your paintbrush away and stop making so many assumptions about people. Okie dokie?
LOL, I said the same thing. I used the word most, and they say that I am talking about true or false Christians, and I never said that. I guess if I use the world half, or a little, they might think that I am talking about atheists, or maybe even aliens.
This guy seems like a nut. As a Christian, I would not recommend people listen to this kind of fear producing doctrine. I did not hear him mention one scripture. This is just this mans interpretation of things based on his limited view of what is happening in America.
In fact, there is a lot of good for Christians in America. Better yet, the doctrine of Christ is Hope, Joy and Peace.
Romans 15:13 says: "Now the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that ye may abound in hope, through the power of the Holy Ghost."
I've never heard of him. And I do consider myself a Christian.
I have never understood this. Why do people think that all Christians feel the same way? There are many MANY shades of gray amongst them, just as there are in any other "grouping" of people. I can't stand any of these "preacher" types. And I live in the land of the top wacko - Pat Robertson. Yeesh. No one in my family can even STAND that man. So please throw your paintbrush away and stop making so many assumptions about people. Okie dokie?
1. I was making a funny/ironic point. (You know, harkening back to the German marking of Jews).
2. You demonstrate exactly the problem. You want to call yourself "Christian", but you don't want anyone to take any other "Christian" behavior and apply it to you. So the Christians who follow the televangelists are different Christians than you, and you get upset when that paintbrush gets applied. It's like doing a paint-by-numbers where every section is labeled "2", and there are sixty different colored paints provided. Do you not understand how that looks to us non-Christians? You expect us to take at face value that your self-applied Christian label means you adhere to a certain set of beliefs that result in certain behaviors, yet you get offended when we can't figure out which of hundreds of varieties of "true Christian" beliefs and behaviors are yours!
Ergo, you guys need better badges and labels. You all use the cross and the fish. That's a good start. Expand it a bit. I know the Catholics can be identified by a cross with a dead guy on it. I know the Jews have their little star. Why can't Protestants take a clue and add some identifiers to your jewels so we know which brand "true Christian" you purport to be?
Here's some suggestions.
Methodists: Cross overlaid with a hammer.
Pentecostal: Cross with some gibberish in a circle around it.
Lutherans: Cross with a post-it note on it.
Southern Baptists: Cross over a river.
Regular Baptists: Cross and bottle of bourbon.
I went and listened to some more of Paul Washers preachings on youtube and I find him very droll and boring. I would hate to have to listen to him every Sunday. The main problem with him that I find is that he talks about the importance of scripture, but I have not yet heard him quote one scripture in the bible (after 45 min. of listening to him).
1. I was making a funny/ironic point. (You know, harkening back to the German marking of Jews).
2. You demonstrate exactly the problem. You want to call yourself "Christian", but you don't want anyone to take any other "Christian" behavior and apply it to you. So the Christians who follow the televangelists are different Christians than you, and you get upset when that paintbrush gets applied. It's like doing a paint-by-numbers where every section is labeled "2", and there are sixty different colored paints provided. Do you not understand how that looks to us non-Christians? You expect us to take at face value that your self-applied Christian label means you adhere to a certain set of beliefs that result in certain behaviors, yet you get offended when we can't figure out which of hundreds of varieties of "true Christian" beliefs and behaviors are yours!
Ergo, you guys need better badges and labels. You all use the cross and the fish. That's a good start. Expand it a bit. I know the Catholics can be identified by a cross with a dead guy on it. I know the Jews have their little star. Why can't Protestants take a clue and add some identifiers to your jewels so we know which brand "true Christian" you purport to be?
Here's some suggestions.
Methodists: Cross overlaid with a hammer.
Pentecostal: Cross with some gibberish in a circle around it.
Lutherans: Cross with a post-it note on it.
Southern Baptists: Cross over a river.
Regular Baptists: Cross and bottle of bourbon.
You get the idea.
NO, I don't. YOU are the one insisting on painting everyone with your own foolish assumptions and labels. I would never ever try and categorize ANYONE into ANY particular type of behavior, just because they are a Christian or a Jew, or a Muslim, or a Buddhist, or an atheist. If you want to discuss "extremist" types, then make it clear that you are referring to only a specific segment of a population. But the label "Christian", is simply not a one-size-fits-all label. No matter how much you want it to be. Labels serve only to create misconceptions about people. Pull your head out of the sand and stop trying to apply them.
NO, I don't. YOU are the one insisting on painting everyone with your own foolish assumptions and labels. I would never ever try and categorize ANYONE into ANY particular type of behavior, just because they are a Christian or a Jew, or a Muslim, or a Buddhist, or an atheist. If you want to discuss "extremist" types, then make it clear that you are referring to only a specific segment of a population. But the label "Christian", is simply not a one-size-fits-all label. No matter how much you want it to be. Labels serve only to create misconceptions about people. Pull your head out of the sand and stop trying to apply them.
Waitaminute now. I am asking that people choose an accurate label so that I can apply appropriate expectations.
You are saying that "Christian" is not a one-size-fits-all label, that it is not accurate for all "Christians".
Hmm.
It seems we are saying the same thing. "Christian" does not accurately reflect all of the different "Christian" beliefs.
Hmm.
Wasn't that my complaint? Isn't that why I suggested "Christians" should use better, more accurately descriptive terms for themselves?
Labels have a purpose. They give us a starting point so that we can quickly and efficiently determine common or uncommon ground.
Waitaminute now. I am asking that people choose an accurate label so that I can apply appropriate expectations.
You are saying that "Christian" is not a one-size-fits-all label, that it is not accurate for all "Christians".
Hmm.
It seems we are saying the same thing. "Christian" does not accurately reflect all of the different "Christian" beliefs.
Hmm.
Wasn't that my complaint? Isn't that why I suggested "Christians" should use better, more accurately descriptive terms for themselves?
Labels have a purpose. They give us a starting point so that we can quickly and efficiently determine common or uncommon ground.
Actually she is right. There are many different types of atheists out there, so is if fair to group all of them in the same group?
But their are atheists who have opened fire in a church and actually killed people, their are atheists who have raped people, their are atheists who have gunned down people, but do they represent all atheists, no, that would be stupid to even say?
Their are muslims who are blowing themselves up and others in the name of allah, but then you also have peace loving muslims who hate the muslims that are killing others. So, would it be fair to say that all muslims are the same? NO it wouldn't.
So, by others grouping everyone together, it just shows ignorance on the persons part.
If I an reading a post from an atheists here, can I group that atheists with the same atheists that went inside of a church and killed countless people. NO, only foolish people do that who have a very very closed mind.
So, you see use commone sense. Every Christian is not the same. I may like something that another Christian does not like. I don't celebrate halloween, but there may be some who do. I may listen to a preacher that another Christian does not. I may not eat pork when another does. There are some Christian who are more devoted than some Christians.
You will even find some people who call themselves Christian, who have sex on a regular basis, might even be gay, murder, kill, so people use the term so loosely.
Me personally, I let the person's life speak for them. When I hear a person say that they are Christian, I don't even listen, I just look at their life. People in this day and age, live such a trashy life and some even put Christ name in it.
When I heard of the dummy atheists who went inside of a church and killed, I had enough common sense, to say," He is an idiot." I didn't say, "oh that is what atheists do." But sadly people lack common sense in this age, man do they ever.
People see muslims kill in the name of allah, and fear all muslims. It is ridiculous and then put them in the same group.
I am Christian and there are standards that I live by, things that I just want do. But I have even met some people who said that they were Christian, and did everything that God said not to do. So, you see, I even knew better than to take that them seriously. That's called common sense, more people need it. Not all atheists, muslims, christians, and other religions are the same.
How often do you hear of atheists telling other atheists they aren't "true" atheists?
See the difference?
The atheist that kills people is just as atheist as the person that doesn't.
One may be a murderer, and the other is not, but that is not related to atheism.
On the other side, a Christian that decries other people who are not "true" Christians is specifically bringing Christianity as the crux of the difference. When you (generic, not personal) point a finger at another Christian and say, "real Christian" or "false Christian", those of us who are not Christians get all flummoxed.
You see, Christians get all upset when we say, "Christians believe they are eating the flesh of a dead guy!" because some Christians say this, just not them. But as Christians, there is a severe distinction problem.
Basically, either you all are Christians, and you get to accept all possible "Christian" beliefs as part and parcel of how people are going to perceive you, or you need to choose a better description.
Now, I *do* judge people based on their individual concerns, beliefs, and behaviors. But until I learn what those are all I have is the label they choose to self-identify. If they choose a label that is inaccurate, they should not be upset when I ascribe to them inaccurate properties.
When you say to me, "I am a Christian", I get to make all of the assumptions that can possibly come with that until such time as learn more about you and draw a better picture. But there are so many variants that just getting to one of the major sects can be a huge frustrating battle, not mention when you get to the subsects and lesser known varieties.
I know you're frustrated by people assuming characteristics about you that are not true. But it is equally frustrating for us to be told over and over again, "This is a REAL Christian", with conflicting view and data. We don't know what your common message is because "Christian" has been so diluted and propagated that it no longer has a common message. The frustration goes both ways, which is why I would love to see better, more open and accurate descriptions than what is currently available.
Waitaminute now. I am asking that people choose an accurate label so that I can apply appropriate expectations.
You are saying that "Christian" is not a one-size-fits-all label, that it is not accurate for all "Christians".
Hmm.
It seems we are saying the same thing. "Christian" does not accurately reflect all of the different "Christian" beliefs.
Hmm.
Wasn't that my complaint? Isn't that why I suggested "Christians" should use better, more accurately descriptive terms for themselves?
Labels have a purpose. They give us a starting point so that we can quickly and efficiently determine common or uncommon ground.
Unless I completely misread your post, (and I don't think I did), you are using the label of "Christian", and applying your own expectations of behavior to every person in that group. That is just ridiculous. If you want to discuss behavior, then discuss BEHAVIOR. Stop using a label to define your own expectations. THAT is my complaint. Why the heck does everyone have to define themselves by every little shade of gray so that YOU might be able to more easily identify & segregate them, and put them into a little box so that you can be comfortable? How silly.
On the other side, a Christian that decries other people who are not "true" Christians.
And there you go. I've never known a single Christian to declare such nonsense.
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I have never understood this. Why do people think that all Christians feel the same way? There are many MANY shades of gray amongst them, just as there are in any other "grouping" of people. I can't stand any of these "preacher" types. And I live in the land of the top wacko - Pat Robertson. Yeesh. No one in my family can even STAND that man. So please throw your paintbrush away and stop making so many assumptions about people. Okie dokie? 
Labels serve only to create misconceptions about people. Pull your head out of the sand and stop trying to apply them.
