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Christian or Pretending to be Christian?

stvdv

Veteran Member: I Share (not Debate) my POV
Is Christianity itself defined by how Christians themselves behave? Normally people do judge by what they see and act. However, technically, Christianity should be defined, not on how Christians behave, but rather on what the message Jesus gave.
That means that Jesus determines who is a Christian and who is not. No need and not smart that we sit on the chair of Jesus. Leave it to Jesus
 

Subduction Zone

Veteran Member
IF the program is about "defining what a Christian is"



THEN I see no use to prove that certain things are false in Christianity

IF you want to do that THEN do that in another program

That is my opinion on this. I see no need to prove the religion of others wrong. Some people feel this need, but I don't go with that. Defining what a Christian is, on the other hand, is an interesting topic. And "trying to prove the other's Faith wrong" does not belong in such a discussion

Some people want to have prove about things. Peer reviewed etc. I don't need that. I am fine that others need it. That is their opinion. Also with Corona vaccine or other remedies, they need not start to me about "peer reviewed". That is all bull. A good research takes at least a decade with medicine, preferably 2 decades, to see the impact after many years. They have not done that with Corona vaccine, hence those people should not criticize others who try out things

Again that is my opinion. You are free to have your opinion. You depend heavily on peer reviewed stuff. And I trust my self. So we will never agree on this. And that is fine with me. I don't want you to change. I just shared my opinion on the questions asked by @Sunstone in the OP, that is all.

I got negative vibes from Cooper, and not much from Lindell. Of course he can be a fake, but this I could not see from those 14 minutes. Time will tell

Factual reporting is not a slap.
 

Kenny

Face to face with my Father
Premium Member
That means that Jesus determines who is a Christian and who is not. No need and not smart that we sit on the chair of Jesus. Leave it to Jesus
As we believe the story went, there was one spirit-person who tried that... it didn't work. :)
 

stvdv

Veteran Member: I Share (not Debate) my POV
Yes, that is a typical tactic of scammers. It is all that is required to satisfy their true believers usually. Of course if there actually was a study he could have posted it any time since then. Why didn't he?

I would not be so quick to throw out the claim of "fake news". Sometimes news stories are made with limited information. That does not necessarily make them "fake news". By his claims it is very clear that he is lying. You never claim to have studies if you cannot support that claim. He lied.
IF I read @Sunstone his OP correctly, he is asking about "is this man a Christian or pretending to be a Christian"

So, there is no need to focus on his claim for me. More important is to decide "what is your criterion for being a Christian"

This is purely subjective, unless you have spoken with Jesus; at least I assume Jesus is the right person to answer this question

Because it is purely subjective and speculation, there is no need to debate either, for me. All have their opinion and all speculate. No more no less
 

stvdv

Veteran Member: I Share (not Debate) my POV
As we believe the story went, there was one spirit-person who tried that... it didn't work. :)
I am not an expert in the Bible, but I know it's not wise to sit on Moses' seat, let alone sit on Jesus' seat:)
Matthew 23:2 "The scribes and Pharisees sit in Moses' seat.
Woes to Scribes and Pharisees
1Then Jesus spoke to the crowds and to His disciples: 2 “The scribes and Pharisees sit in Moses’ seat. 3So practice and observe everything they tell you. But do not do what they do, for they do not practice what they preach
 

amorphous_constellation

Well-Known Member
Hebrews 5:12 For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you again the basic principles of the oracles of God. You need milk, not solid food, 13 for everyone who lives on milk is unskilled in the word of righteousness, since he is a child. 14 But solid food is for the mature, for those who have their powers of discernment trained by constant practice to distinguish good from evil.

And why is it so complicated. Why is this writer making it into such huge educational or developmental feat in order to decide what is good, and what is evil. Why does it even need to hide behind metaphors. Fast forward from these words to the present. You can see how splintered things have become, you can see that Christianity is now a tree of many fruits. It aimed to grow one kind of fruit, but could it do that? Better to grow many fruits with intent of doing so, than to aim to grow one kind of fruit and fail, right?
 

Clara Tea

Well-Known Member
I was just curious enough to check out a video that popped up in my feed earlier, thinking I'd spend no more than a minute watching it.

As it turned out, my forecast was about as accurate as that time I first heard about genetic engineering and became so excited I took out a second mortgage to invest with a traveling band of professional toenail painters who had convinced me their plan to engineer designer house cats whose fur would glow in the dark like some jellyfish do was actually feasible. That was 30 years ago. Still waiting for them to pass through town and tell me how my capitalization of our enterprise panned out.

At any rate, I watched the whole video and it struck me in several different ways, but the one way I'd like to discuss here involves the MyPillow guy's claim that he is not only a Christian, but that Jesus guides his actions: "I do what Jesus would have me do".

Please take a look at the video. It's long, but it sure can be fascinating! The specific question is, is the MyPillow guy a Christian? Or is he merely pretending to be a Christian?

The more general, and I think by far the more important questions are: What makes someone a Christian? And is Christianity itself to be defined by how Christians themselves behave? Or is it to be defined by how they ought to behave according to some source or authority such as a tradition, the Bible, their clergy, the majority of self-identifying Christians, etc.?


I tot I taw a putty tat.

No one who supports war (or presidents who make war) is a Christian. God said "thou shalt not kill" and "turn the other cheek" and Revelation was God's order not to attack Iraq or face dire consequences (like Revelation 15: (7 plagues, including COVID), and eventually God will destroy all life on earth).

Many believe themselves to be Christians, but they won't make it into heaven. To be a Christian, you must follow God's laws, and specifically, the way God's laws were modified by Christ.

Jews also had laws of God, but they had God's laws for them, which changed as God's laws were adapted to non-Jews. For example, now Christians control nuclear bombs, and it is far more important in modern times to be tolerant of others.
 

Scott C.

Just one guy
I was just curious enough to check out a video that popped up in my feed earlier, thinking I'd spend no more than a minute watching it.

As it turned out, my forecast was about as accurate as that time I first heard about genetic engineering and became so excited I took out a second mortgage to invest with a traveling band of professional toenail painters who had convinced me their plan to engineer designer house cats whose fur would glow in the dark like some jellyfish do was actually feasible. That was 30 years ago. Still waiting for them to pass through town and tell me how my capitalization of our enterprise panned out.

At any rate, I watched the whole video and it struck me in several different ways, but the one way I'd like to discuss here involves the MyPillow guy's claim that he is not only a Christian, but that Jesus guides his actions: "I do what Jesus would have me do".

Please take a look at the video. It's long, but it sure can be fascinating! The specific question is, is the MyPillow guy a Christian? Or is he merely pretending to be a Christian?

The more general, and I think by far the more important questions are: What makes someone a Christian? And is Christianity itself to be defined by how Christians themselves behave? Or is it to be defined by how they ought to behave according to some source or authority such as a tradition, the Bible, their clergy, the majority of self-identifying Christians, etc.?

I think of two criteria to be a Christian. Both need to be met. A Christian believes the New Testament and believes Jesus is the Son of God and our Savior. A Christian tries his best to live a moral life as exemplified by Christ and as taught in the New Testament.
 

Kenny

Face to face with my Father
Premium Member
And why is it so complicated. Why is this writer making it into such huge educational or developmental feat in order to decide what is good, and what is evil. Why does it even need to hide behind metaphors. Fast forward from these words to the present. You can see how splintered things have become, you can see that Christianity is now a tree of many fruits. It aimed to grow one kind of fruit, but could it do that? Better to grow many fruits with intent of doing so, than to aim to grow one kind of fruit and fail, right?

I don't see it as "complicated" but just natural growth of life (spiritual or physical). Every child is "educated" and "developed" into knowing what is good and evil. Every parent does that.

I'm not understanding why it is "hiding behind metaphors" since metaphors helps understanding.

You see the church as splintered and certainly and sectors will have some. But by and large I see the church as simply different parts that make up the whole.

We have an event coming up with 200 churches involved. Each church is different but we all together work as a body. Just because a body has a part that looks like a toe, another a heart, a third as an ear, a fourth as a liver (and so on) - we don't see the body splintered but simply with a different function.
 

blü 2

Veteran Member
Premium Member
At any rate, I watched the whole video and it struck me in several different ways, but the one way I'd like to discuss here involves the MyPillow guy's claim that he is not only a Christian, but that Jesus guides his actions: "I do what Jesus would have me do".
As you said, the interview has a weird quality that makes it easy to watch.

Our hero is loony, dangerous and a Trump man.

As for being a Christian, I have the impression that in his own mind he's whatever he has to be at any particular millisecond of the interview.

His eye is on the buck, the whole buck and nothing but the buck.
 

Subduction Zone

Veteran Member
As you said, the interview has a weird quality that makes it easy to watch.

Our hero is loony, dangerous and a Trump man.

As for being a Christian, I have the impression that in his own mind he's whatever he has to be at any particular millisecond of the interview.

His eye is on the buck, the whole buck and nothing but the buck.
There is a part II as well. It got even more heated.
 

9-10ths_Penguin

1/10 Subway Stalinist
Premium Member
That means that Jesus determines who is a Christian and who is not. No need and not smart that we sit on the chair of Jesus. Leave it to Jesus
Do you take this approach to other religions, i.e. that a religion has to be true in order to have members?
 

amorphous_constellation

Well-Known Member
I don't see it as "complicated" but just natural growth of life (spiritual or physical). Every child is "educated" and "developed" into knowing what is good and evil. Every parent does that.

I'm not understanding why it is "hiding behind metaphors" since metaphors helps understanding.

I think it's complicating it to wrap it up in concepts of metaphor, faith, and justification. This makes it into something roughly amorphous. Apparently things were so unclear that someone like Constantine, for example, would take it be a war religion, and start imbuing shields with Christian symbols straightaway. I think if you can draw that kind of thing out of a religious concept due to mistaken inference, then maybe the concepts in the religion weren't clear enough to tell you what not to do. Which should be pretty concerning, because I think it's better if one knows plainly what they are to do or not do
 
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