Christians:Do not Hate Your Brother (grace, hell, sinners, bible)

[athanasius]

Originally Posted by Katzpur

Latter-day Saints believe that we are all brothers and sisters. We are all children of the same Father in Heaven, who loves us equally. Draka and Hema and Danisty are my sisters, as are you. Sunstone and Victor and The Truth are my brothers. I truly believe it breaks God's heart when we fail to recognize each other as His children. We are all a part of His family. Some may be temporarily estranged, but that's between them and Him. It's our responsibility to love and respect everyone, regardless of their personal convictions. I don't need to agree with Catholic doctrine in order to call a Catholic my brother or with Baptist doctrine in order to call a Baptist my sister. This exclusionary attitude so many Christians have is just so... well, "un-Christian"!

We Catholics in a sense would agree with much of what you said. We believe that everyone has God as thier Father and Jesus as thier savior and creator whether they believe it or not. We can say that in the human family, the non-Christians are really are brothers and sisters to us by that much and we need to love and care for them. We Catholics even believe there is much good and much truth in Non-catholic and non-Christian relgions and people outside of our own Chistianity can and do really foster realtionships with God albeit in a incomplete and partial sense. We also hold to the possibility that God may be merciful to them and save them(Only By Christ) if they never had a chance to hear and reflect upon the Gospel do to invincible ignornace on thier part and the mercy and Grace of Jesus. We do however want and believe that these people need to come to the fullness of truth as given by Jesus and and revealed by the Holy Spirit in the Catholic church. In a formal theological sense, they(non Christians) are separated from the body(the Church). But in a informal sense God may unite them in a "mystical" way, seeing the goodness of thier heart and the partial light of truth that they do have if they choose to follow it and not reject the Gospel. But that is up to him. At least that is the Catholic understadning In a nutshell.

You can see this more spelled out in the Catechism of the Catholic Church (a sure norm for Catholic teaching).

You can read this in Catechism paragraphs 818-819, and paragraphs 836-845

Here is a online version:

http://www.scborromeo.org/ccc/ccc_toc.htm

[Aasimar]

Originally Posted by Katzpur

Latter-day Saints believe that we are all brothers and sisters. We are all children of the same Father in Heaven, who loves us equally. Draka and Hema and Danisty are my sisters, as are you. Sunstone and Victor and The Truth are my brothers. I truly believe it breaks God's heart when we fail to recognize each other as His children. We are all a part of His family. Some may be temporarily estranged, but that's between them and Him. It's our responsibility to love and respect everyone, regardless of their personal convictions. I don't need to agree with Catholic doctrine in order to call a Catholic my brother or with Baptist doctrine in order to call a Baptist my sister. This exclusionary attitude so many Christians have is just so... well, "un-Christian"!

Do Atheists get to be your brother too?

[Katzpur]

Originally Posted by Aasimar

Do Atheists get to be your brother too?

Stop crying. Of course you do.

[Aasimar]

Originally Posted by Katzpur

Stop crying. Of course you do.

[ChristineES]

It is very sad when people exclude people in love. We are supposed to love everyone, not just some people or people like us. We are even supposed to love people that make us angry (what makes me angry are people who are child molesters, murderers, rapists, and others like that). It is hardest to love those who harm other people, but we are commanded to do it and to pray for them too. No one ever said being a Christian or any other religious person was easy. It is a very hard thing. It doesn't get easier, either- I still get incredibly angry when I hear about some child being kidnapped and murdered by some sicko and it is very hard to want to pray for said individual. I want to hate that person, but since Jesus told us to pray for him or her, I do it.

[sojourner]

I hear a lot of people discussing the fact that we are "supposed" to love others -- that is, loving others is an action that we are supposed to perform.

I prefer to think of loving others as an expression of who I am. We do not love others (an act), rather, we are in love with others (a state of being).

[ChristineES]

Originally Posted by sojourner

I hear a lot of people discussing the fact that we are "supposed" to love others -- that is, loving others is an action that we are supposed to perform.

I prefer to think of loving others as an expression of who I am. We do not love others (an act), rather, we are in love with others (a state of being).

It is discussed like an "act" but in reality it is what we become with the help of the Holy Spirit. God is Love and if we are a part of God then... I think you can fill in the rest.