What Does It Take To Be A Christian?

I think it takes four attributes to be a Christian:

1. One must know the religion.
2. One must understand the religion.
3. One believe the religion.
4. And one must do the religion.

And I believe that obtaining these four attributes is very hard to do.

Thehoodedmonk said:

I think it takes four attributes to be a Christian:

1. One must know the religion.
2. One must understand the religion.
3. One believe the religion.
4. And one must do the religion.

And I believe that obtaining these four attributes is very hard to do.

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Out of curiosity, who gets to determine when/if your conditions have been met?

Thehoodedmonk said:

I think it takes four attributes to be a Christian:

1. One must know the religion.
2. One must understand the religion.
3. One believe the religion.
4. And one must do the religion.

And I believe that obtaining these four attributes is very hard to do.

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Sounds reasonable

Thehoodedmonk said:

I think it takes four attributes to be a Christian:

1. One must know the religion.
2. One must understand the religion.
3. One believe the religion.
4. And one must do the religion.

And I believe that obtaining these four attributes is very hard to do.

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Then its just like math!?

I think I can agree with that. The problem, I think, is that how one should understand Christianity, what constitutes correct belief, and what is the proper observance varies drastically from one sect to the next. If you took Thomas Jefferson's view on Christianity and put it next to CS Lewis and Ken Ham's you'd have three entirely different belief systems.

Thehoodedmonk said:

I think it takes four attributes to be a Christian:

1. One must know the religion.
2. One must understand the religion.
3. One believe the religion.
4. And one must do the religion.

And I believe that obtaining these four attributes is very hard to do.

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I don't see anything the least bit difficult about them. It's not like one must do them particularly well.
Tom

columbus said:

I don't see anything the least bit difficult about them. It's not like one must do them particularly well.
Tom

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Ah! Not like math then!?

siti said:

Ah! Not like math then!?

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I see math and religion as near opposites. With math there's always one correct answer.
Tom

Thehoodedmonk said:

I think it takes four attributes to be a Christian:

1. One must know the religion.
2. One must understand the religion.
3. One believe the religion.
4. And one must do the religion.

And I believe that obtaining these four attributes is very hard to do.

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I have a problem with what defines the religion. There are thousands of christian religions each with slightly different sets of beliefs. Can I just pick the one I like the best or is there a right one.

columbus said:

I see math and religion as near opposites. With math there's always one correct answer.
Tom

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Quite - and very difficult to find - with Christianity there seems (contrary to Cantor and Leibniz) to be an actually infinite set of equally right answers which are all equally wrong, eminently easy to find and the world and his dog can simply take their pick and feel absolutely justified - I never felt that way about my math homework - even when I did, by sheer fluke, get the 'right' answer. But the OP made it seem so straightforward. But like math - when the answer seems so simple, it probably means you didn't understand the question. BTW - what WAS the question? Whaddya mean there wasn't one?

columbus said:

I see math and religion as near opposites. With math there's always one correct answer.
Tom

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didn't Albert E. call his own handiwork?.....the greatest blunder he ever made

Thehoodedmonk said:

I think it takes four attributes to be a Christian:

1. One must know the religion.
2. One must understand the religion.
3. One believe the religion.
4. And one must do the religion.

And I believe that obtaining these four attributes is very hard to do.

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how about....
walk on water
raise the dead
feed thousands at a moments notice
the blind see
the lame walk

and move a few mountains

I don't call myself Christian....that's heaven's declaration to make

and I seem a little short on the list I read about in the testament

Thief said:

didn't Albert E. call his own handiwork?.....the greatest blunder he ever made

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I am not sure what you mean. I understand that he deeply regretted his role in creating nuclear weapons. Is that it?
Tom

Thief said:

didn't Albert E. call his own handiwork?.....the greatest blunder he ever made

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Yep- and God said the same thing about his handiwork in Genesis 6:6

columbus said:

I am not sure what you mean. I understand that he deeply regretted his role in creating nuclear weapons. Is that it?
Tom

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no...I saw it in a documentary
he never seemed as sure as people tend to believe

I heard he shelved his work for two years for lack of certainty
brought it down and made delivery only because he heard someone else was close to making
public announcement ahead of him

columbus said:

I am not sure what you mean. I understand that he deeply regretted his role in creating nuclear weapons. Is that it?
Tom

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No Einstein invented the "cosmological constant" to put into his relativity equations to make the universe 'static' - when we found out it wasn't static, he called that his 'biggest blunder'. It turns out though that cosmological constant is needed, not to make the universe static but to counteract gravity so that the universe can expand - as it seems to be doing. So Einstein's biggest blunder wasn't really a blunder after all...God's biggest blunder, on the other hand...

Thief said:

no...I saw it in a documentary
he never seemed as sure as people tend to believe

I heard he shelved his work for two years for lack of certainty
brought it down and made delivery only because he heard someone else was close to making
public announcement ahead of him

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...the point being...?

siti said:

...the point being...?

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i thought the point was obvious.....
if someone of skill would doubt his own handiwork.....
how then to follow him?

math is not superior to religion

the fault in religion is found in the practitioner
not in the God that inspired it

Thief said:

i thought the point was obvious.....
if someone of skill would doubt his own handiwork.....
how then to follow him?

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There's the difference between math and religion. The correct answer in math is correct regardless of who solves the problem. In religion, there are no answers that can be much examined. So people must put their faith in humans, who are well known for delusions and mistakes and lies.
Tom

Hello and welcome to RF.

Thehoodedmonk said:

I think it takes four attributes to be a Christian:

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I agree....but with some qualifications.....

1. One must know the religion.

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Do you think the churches of today really "know" what Christianity is?
What I see them believe and practice is nothing like the model Jesus left. It was foretold that Christianity would be corrupted, just like Judaism (the weeds of Jesus parable) So IMO I don't see too many "Christians" today who know what it really means to call yourself a follower of Christ. (Matthew 13:24-30; Matthew 7:21-23)

2. One must understand the religion.

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It's not really a matter of just understanding "the religion", but more a matter of "knowing" God and his Christ and understanding what they require of us. (John 17:3)
Humans invented 'religion', not God. (what 'religion' were Adam and Eve? ) The only reason that God chose Israel as his people was to separate them from the nations who did not worship the true God. He gave them a unique set of laws and a unique way of worship that set them apart from everyone else.

3. One believe the religion.

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What does it mean to "believe"?

James wrote...."You believe that there is one God, do you? You are doing quite well. And yet the demons believe and shudder." (James 2:19) 'Believing' then has to be more than just accepting that something is true, because the demons believe in God, but they are sentenced to eternal destruction. (Matthew 25:41)

4. And one must do the religion.

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Perhaps "follow" would be a better word. The apostle Peter wrote of Jesus......"He committed no sin, neither was deceit found in his mouth. When he was reviled, he did not revile in return; when he suffered, he did not threaten, but continued entrusting himself to him who judges justly." 1 Peter 2:22-23)
He also said...."In fact, to this course you were called, because even Christ suffered for you, leaving a model for you to follow his steps closely."

Following Jesus closely isn't just something you "do"...it is a way of life. A Christian is one 24/7....never off duty.

And I believe that obtaining these four attributes is very hard to do.

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We have to remember that Jesus was perfect...without sin. We, on the other hand, find it difficult at times to maintain Christian standards because we are far from perfect. What are we to do then? Jesus' sacrifice makes it possible for God to forgive us on the basis of Jesus' shed blood. (Hebrews 9:22) This cannot be used as a license to sin, or taken for granted as an excuse to do the wrong thing wantonly; it is a precious gift that only truly repentant ones can receive. The sinning has to stop in order for forgiveness to be given.