Christian or Pretending to be Christian?

[Windwalker]

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'll be blunt. Of course they are not Christians. The man in this video is deliberately lying. He is a con man. There is no moral core at work in him.

These people co-opt the language of modern science, to bamboozle people into buying snake oil, and they co-opt the name Christian as a slogan to get people to trust them. It's like Trump when they asked him what his favorite verses from the Bible were, and he just made up some smokescreen, betraying he has no idea what was in it.

"By their fruits you shall know them," not by their claims to a religion that they have no idea what it is about at any level, other than a self-serving tool to be exploited for personal gain. This style of Christianity, is like the Christianity of White Supremacists with burning crosses and lynch mobs, except intent on fleecing people instead of murdering them.

 

[Subduction Zone]

No mr pillow pillow for me.

You got his name wrong:

 

[Windwalker]

Who wants to play a round of No True Scotsman?

If the guy says he is a Christian I guess I have to take him at his word.

Would you take the word of someone who says they love you, but then robs you blind and kills your dog? "But I love you. What you don't take me at my word, but instead are looking at my actions? You hater!"

 

[Audie]

I'll be blunt. Of course they are not Christians. The man in this video is deliberately lying. He is a con man. There is no moral core at work in him.

These people co-opt the language of modern science, to bamboozle people into buying snake oil, and they co-opt the name Christian as a slogan to get people to trust them. It's like Trump when they asked him what his favorite verses from the Bible were, and he just made up some smokescreen, betraying he has no idea what was in it.

"By their fruits you shall know them," not by their claims to a religion that they have no idea what it is about at any level, other than a self-serving tool to be exploited for personal gain. This style of Christianity, is like the Christianity of White Supremacists with burning crosses and lynch mobs, except intent on fleecing people instead of murdering them.

Everyone has their own ideas what a true Xian is.
It appears there is no there there.

 

[Audie]

Would you take the word of someone who says they love you, but then rob you blind and kills your dog?

Could still be a christian but definitely not a redneck

 

[Windwalker]

Everyone has their own ideas what a true Xian is.
It appears there is no there there.

I think the definition of a Christian as one who loves others as himself, is probably pretty clearly understood.

 

[Subduction Zone]

Damn you @Sunstone , You hooked me. Part II:

 

[Windwalker]

Could still be a christian but definitely not a redneck

Christian as they go to a church and call themselves Christian? Well, sure, so do White Supremacists who lynch people. But Christian in the sense of actually trying to following the teachings of Jesus in how to live their lives? Of course not.

To say you can't call that out as a lie, is to say the least ill-advised. Jesus did say, "By their fruits you shall know them," so that was guidance to others in order to be able to discere who was sincere in the faith, as opposed to just calling themselves a follower of Christ, but doing the exact opposite of his teachings.

Think of it like someone who calls themselves a musician, but when pressed which instrument they play they make all kinds of excuses, and when pressed further are shown to have no idea how to play any instrument at all. Are they really a "musician" then, or just a liar?

 

[Revoltingest]

An assertion about the definition of a lie,
unsupported by any dictionary, anything
but your chosen belief as to what is true.

So what is this that thou doest?

We live in a post-dictionary personal definition age.

 

[Audie]

We live in a post-dictionary personal definition age.

If the pure definition were widely adapted
the web of lies would be nearly infinite.

And when a deliberate falsehood gets good results-?

Often they do, for the lieista.

 

[Windwalker]

We live in a post-dictionary personal definition age.

Personally, it's pre-dictionary, as well as pre-truth. Post-truth, is too sophisticated a concept.

 

[Audie]

Christian as they go to a church and call themselves Christian? Well, sure, so do White Supremacists who lynch people. But Christian in the sense of actually trying to following the teachings of Jesus in how to live their lives? Of course not.

To say you can't call that out as a lie, is to say the least ill-advised. Jesus did say, "By their fruits you shall know them," so that was guidance to others in order to be able to discere who was sincere in the faith, as opposed to just calling themselves a follower of Christ, but doing the exact opposite of his teachings.

Think of it like someone who calls themselves a musician, but when pressed which instrument they play they make all kinds of excuses, and when pressed further are shown to have no idea how to play any instrument at all. Are they really a "musician" then, or just a liar?

Hard to argue with
"By their deeds...."

 

[Revoltingest]

If the pure definition were widely adapted
the web of lies would be nearly infinite.

And when a deliberate falsehood gets good results-?

Often they do, for the lieista.

The age of alternative facts meshes well
with with the age of personal defintions.

 

[Windwalker]

Hard to argue with
"By their deeds...."

Exactly. Using that analogy about someone claiming to be a musician, but has never played any musical instrument, versus someone else claiming to be a musician. "By their fruits you shall know them," would be hearing them actually play something. If they just make excuses, that's their fruits, lies instead of actual music.

Exact same thing for those who claim they are "saved", or "believers". Where's the music, if you say you're really a musician? If all we hear and see is lies and sowing discord, that's pretty safe to say they aren't actually understanding the message. It's like blowing nothing but sour notes on a horn. That's not playing music, that's flatulence.

 

[Audie]

Exactly. Using that analogy about someone claiming to be a musician, but has never played any musical instrument, versus someone else claiming to be a musician. "By their fruits you shall know them," would be hearing them actually play something. If they just make excuses, that's their fruits, lies instead of actual music.

Exact same thing for those who claim they are "saved", or "believers". Where's the music, if you say you're really a musician?

I got the idea.

Reminds me of a new yorker magazine cartoon.

Broadway stage, an actor is down!

Another actor calls out, "is there a doctor in
the house?

An audience member is halfway to his feet.
the bubble showing his thoughts reads-

"Am I a doctor?:

 

[PureX]

Everyone has their own ideas what a true Xian is.
It appears there is no there there.

That's why I say the claims of "belief" are irrelevant. It's the actual consequence that matters.

 

[Twilight Hue]

We live in a post-dictionary personal definition age.

Yep. I still remember when the word gay used to mean that you were happy.

We all know now that the dictionary is just a compilation of lies!

 

[Revoltingest]

Yep. I still remember when the word gay used to mean that you were happy.

We all know now that the dictionary is just a compilation of lies!

That's just a definition being expanded.
It's cromulent, unlike personal definitions.

 

[Twilight Hue]

That's just a definition being expanded.
It's cromulent, unlike personal definitions.

Ah.

The happy gay connection.

 

[Thief]

What makes someone a Christian?

similar to my thread about catholicism

where do you draw the line?

shall I post a fresh thread for you?