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I can only think of one way a Christian can fail at being a Christian: by not believing that Jesus Christ was the son of god, came to earth, died for the sins of humanity, rose from the dead, and is now in heaven with his father.
If you believe all those things you are a Christian, no matter how unsavory your other creeds or deeds are. The history of the world is replete with the most vile and heinous crimes being committed by Christians.
I can only think of one way a Christian can fail at being a Christian: by not believing that Jesus Christ was the son of god, came to earth, died for the sins of humanity, rose from the dead, and is now in heaven with his father.
If you believe all those things you are a Christian, no matter how unsavory your other creeds or deeds are. The history of the world is replete with the most vile and heinous crimes being committed by Christians.
If you don't, you're probably not a Christian.
Hitler wrote: "I believe that I am acting in accordance with the will of the Almighty Creator: by defending myself against the Jew, I am fighting for the work of the Lord.." As a boy, Hitler attended to the Catholic church and experienced the anti-Semitic attitude of his culture. In his book, Mein Kampf, Hitler reveals himself as a fanatical believer in God and country. This text presents selected quotes from the infamous anti-Semite himself.
My feelings as a Christian points me to my Lord and Savior as a fighter. It points me to the man who once in loneliness, surrounded only by a few followers, recognized these Jews for what they were and summoned men to fight against them and who, God's truth! was greatest not as a sufferer but as a fighter. In boundless love as a Christian and as a man I read through the passage which tells us how the Lord at last rose in His might and seized the scourge to drive out of the Temple the brood of vipers and adders. How terrific was His fight for the world against the Jewish poison. To-day, after two thousand years, with deepest emotion I recognize more profoundly than ever before in the fact that it was for this that He had to shed His blood upon the Cross. As a Christian I have no duty to allow myself to be cheated, but I have the duty to be a fighter for truth and justice.... And if there is anything which could demonstrate that we are acting rightly it is the distress that daily grows. For as a Christian I have also a duty to my own people.... When I go out in the morning and see these men standing in their queues and look into their pinched faces, then I believe I would be no Christian, but a very devil if I felt no pity for them, if I did not, as did our Lord two thousand years ago, turn against those by whom to-day this poor people is plundered and exploited.
-Adolf Hitler, in his speech in Munich on 12 April 1922
So, Hitler isn't going to hell, because he believed in God.
Mega churches are a joke. They are basically cultish arenas for guilt laden people to go and pretend to repent.
Or people go to them for entertainment..they like the music, upbeat-ness of the church and attend just so they can say "I'm a Christian! I go to church!" but really they don't listen to the actual spiritual part of the church.
A decidely liberal view of Christianity from a decidely liberal publication. I, for one, am not surprised. Perhaps the author can live by example and spare us his "opinion" of how Christians ought to live, and focus instead on his own relationship with God. This piece was nothing but bait for the anti-religious. I expect nothing less from Huffington Post.
So? Jesus never taught in a fancy air-conditioned Church. He taught by the mountain side in a cloth robe. He didn't ask for money. He didn't selectively exclude his followers. I don't see any pastors or priests doing that on a regular basis. Do you?
If people go because they are moved by the music and the entertainment. Then let it be. What is your problem?
Quote:
Originally Posted by strawflower
Or people go to them for entertainment..they like the music, upbeat-ness of the church and attend just so they can say "I'm a Christian! I go to church!" but really they don't listen to the actual spiritual part of the church.
Hitler wrote: "I believe that I am acting in accordance with the will of the Almighty Creator: by defending myself against the Jew, I am fighting for the work of the Lord.." As a boy, Hitler attended to the Catholic church and experienced the anti-Semitic attitude of his culture. In his book, Mein Kampf, Hitler reveals himself as a fanatical believer in God and country. This text presents selected quotes from the infamous anti-Semite himself.
My feelings as a Christian points me to my Lord and Savior as a fighter. It points me to the man who once in loneliness, surrounded only by a few followers, recognized these Jews for what they were and summoned men to fight against them and who, God's truth! was greatest not as a sufferer but as a fighter. In boundless love as a Christian and as a man I read through the passage which tells us how the Lord at last rose in His might and seized the scourge to drive out of the Temple the brood of vipers and adders. How terrific was His fight for the world against the Jewish poison. To-day, after two thousand years, with deepest emotion I recognize more profoundly than ever before in the fact that it was for this that He had to shed His blood upon the Cross. As a Christian I have no duty to allow myself to be cheated, but I have the duty to be a fighter for truth and justice.... And if there is anything which could demonstrate that we are acting rightly it is the distress that daily grows. For as a Christian I have also a duty to my own people.... When I go out in the morning and see these men standing in their queues and look into their pinched faces, then I believe I would be no Christian, but a very devil if I felt no pity for them, if I did not, as did our Lord two thousand years ago, turn against those by whom to-day this poor people is plundered and exploited.
-Adolf Hitler, in his speech in Munich on 12 April 1922
So, Hitler isn't going to hell, because he believed in God.
Good to know.
Sorry Memphis, history has shown that Adolf Hitler was a huge opportunist, he would skew or say anything to get people to side with him. I mean if God were to judge someone wouldn't (for the sake of the arguement I'll say "He") He judge them by the content of their heart (ie: Hitler was an evil SOB, he doesn't deserve heaven with all the pain he caused.)
Hitler's religious beliefs were quite fluid on and off during his lifetime, but seeing the kind of man he was he would twist anything to meet his ends, thank God he's gone though.
This Christian firmly believes that Hitler isn't having a good time right now.
Sorry Memphis, history has shown that Adolf Hitler was a huge opportunist, he would skew or say anything to get people to side with him. I mean if God were to judge someone wouldn't (for the sake of the arguement I'll say "He") He judge them by the content of their heart (ie: Hitler was an evil SOB, he doesn't deserve heaven with all the pain he caused.)
Hitler's religious beliefs were quite fluid on and off during his lifetime, but seeing the kind of man he was he would twist anything to meet his ends, thank God he's gone though.
This Christian firmly believes that Hitler isn't having a good time right now.
My statement wasn't directed at you. If you read the post I quoted, you'll see what I'm saying.
Just because someone says they believe that Christ is the son of God, and that he sacrificed himself for the good of mankind, doesn't mean you get a golden ticket into heaven.
COUNTLESS people have said those words, and probably believed them, and still killed thousands of people in the name of Christ.
I don't know where Hitler is, or whats left of him, or what awaits any of us in the afterlife. I have my beliefs, but they are mine. However, saying that everyone who believes gets an express lane ticket to heaven, is asinine.
A decidely liberal view of Christianity from a decidely liberal publication. I, for one, am not surprised. Perhaps the author can live by example and spare us his "opinion" of how Christians ought to live, and focus instead on his own relationship with God. This piece was nothing but bait for the anti-religious. I expect nothing less from Huffington Post.
"I like your Christ. I dislike your Christians. They are so unlike your Christ."
1. 75% of "Christians" haven't read the bible, yet, most of them take it as the word of God. (Need I say more?)
2. Instead of making up their own mind, they trust a preacher, who is a man and flawed, to make up their minds for them. (Yep, because Jerry Falwell is God, so is the pope)
3. They let political parties use them to further their agenda, by playing with their heart strings, when in reality they don't care about you. (The Bush administration put gay marriage on the ballot in key states, to get re elected in 04)
4. Denying Evolution, when there is strong scientific evidence to show that evolution is how the great diversity of the planet, came into being. (Seriously, most rational people understand that evolution isn't how life began, its how life changed, after it began)
5. Not nearly charitable enough. Jesus was a poor man, and gave everything he had to someone else, without thinking twice about it. (I know a lot of rich Christians)
6. Worrying about what everyone else is doing, instead of cleaning up their own household first. (I submit to the jury, Sarah Palin).
7. Building huge churches, for no reason. (Jesus taught in the woods, on the hills, on the shores, I don't think he ever taught in a church, why do you need a huge Mega church?)
8. Not knowing the history of their own faith. (You do know that men wrote the bible, right? Jesus never wrote it, neither did Moses)
9. Rejecting those who ask questions. (Because questions to unanswerable questions, are bad, and cause doubt)
10. Not standing up for your faith, and demanding idiots like the pope step down, when its clear he was in on covering up child molestation. There are also several examples of hypocritical situations in the church, where people simply look the other way.
Thats my top 10. Some have room for debate, but thats just how I feel.
The biggest thing for me is those who hold the bible dearly yet are big into their guns and killing (i.g. Iraq and Afghanistan). Thou shall not kill.
Last edited by thePR; 05-13-2010 at 09:31 PM..
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