Ghandi and Hitler

[Bonhoffer]

But bashing Christianity was a lot of fun...

I still do that now

Its healthy to laugh at yourself and I'm finding Christianity bashing far more fun now that I am actually a Christian.

Even God makes fun of us. In fact I beleive that most of my jokes about my faith are the inspired wit of God

 

[AlabamaMan]

I moved this thread to a more appropriate forum...if the mods here think it needs to be somewhere else forgive me...

 

[Captain Jackson]

Sweetsoulsong,

You said that people could decide to be atheists, or decide not to. Sort of like deciding to be a Boy Scout or not.

 

[Mr.Pious]

You can't decide like that. Either you believe or do not believe. You cant really force yourself to worship a god you don't think can exist...

 

[jon1101]

To answer the OP, I suspect that, if he genuinely renounced his evils, Hitler would indeed have been saved. Ultimately, however, I strongly disagree with the idea that we can "know" who is and who is not saved.

The teaching that anyone who does not follow a certain theology goes to hell is precisely the kind of dogmatism that nearly drove me from Christianity. Luckily, I've since realized that I can disagree with much of Christianity without rejecting Christ. It was really rather foolish of me to ever equate the two.

-jon

 

[seebs]

The teaching that anyone who does not follow a certain theology goes to hell is precisely the kind of dogmatism that nearly drove me from Christianity. Luckily, I've since realized that I can disagree with much of Christianity without rejecting Christ. It was really rather foolish of me to ever equate the two.

The way I figure it, I don't disagree with Christianity; I just disagree with a lot of things people have talked onto it.

Good to see you around again!

 

[EltronRangamma]

why do people like to play God and consign people they don't know to hell and heaven respectively?

 

[Natro]

The way I figure it, I don't disagree with Christianity; I just disagree with a lot of things people have talked onto it.

Good to see you around again!

You know seebs you remind me of a former preacher friend of mine(he is still a christian). Hates the church but love what its supost to represent. He always says "Thats the thing about the church... There not God."

 

[seebs]

You know seebs you remind me of a former preacher friend of mine(he is still a christian). Hates the church but love what its supost to represent. He always says "Thats the thing about the church... There not God."

To pretend I'm on topic again, I'll point out that Gandhi supposedly once said "I like your Christ, I don't like your Christians." It's a familiar problem.

 

[Bonhoffer]

To pretend I'm on topic again, I'll point out that Gandhi supposedly once said "I like your Christ, I don't like your Christians." It's a familiar problem.

And I (as a Christian) agree with Gandhi I love Jesus, but I cant stand the majority of Christians that I have met and seen.

 

[EltronRangamma]

Seebs and Bonhoffer, what makes you better than the Church or the majority of the Church? And do you think your isolationist attitudes can be effective in any way?

As part of the body of the church (Ephesians 1:22, 1 Conrinthians 12:7), do you think there would be room for isolationist, 'me' against 'them' attitudes?

Christ loves the Church, wouldn't it be your duty, as imitators of Christ, to do so as well?

 

[placebo]

If Hitler had only exterminated his 12 million victims 500 years earlier during the Inquisition. Then his contemporaries would not question whether he was doing God's work as he earned his ticket to heaven.

 

[jon1101]

The way I figure it, I don't disagree with Christianity; I just disagree with a lot of things people have talked onto it.

Good to see you around again!

It's good to be around again.

Anywho, I think that's what I meant to say. It all depends on whether "Christianity" is thought to mean "my theology," which, in my experience, is often how the word is used, or "the attempt to discern and follow the example of Christ as best I can," which is what I suppose the term ought to mean.

Regarding the OP, I think that, when we get our terms straightened out, the idea of us deeming anyone hellbound seems foreign to Christianity.

-jon

 

[jon1101]

Seebs and Bonhoffer, what makes you better than the Church or the majority of the Church? And do you think your isolationist attitudes can be effective in any way?

As part of the body of the church (Ephesians 1:22, 1 Conrinthians 12:7), do you think there would be room for isolationist, 'me' against 'them' attitudes?

Christ loves the Church, wouldn't it be your duty, as imitators of Christ, to do so as well?

This isn't directly addressed to me, and I can only speak for myself, but maybe it isn't as much a lack of love for the Church, or me thinking that I'm "better" than the Church, as much as it is frustration with what a lot of Christians do and say, specifically the attributions to Christianity which are often just the baggage handed to us by western culture? But of course I may be misreading something.

-jon

 

[seebs]

Seebs and Bonhoffer, what makes you better than the Church or the majority of the Church?

I don't know. I may well be just as bad, but this doesn't prevent me from seeing the behavior of mainstream Christians as incredibly harmful.

And do you think your isolationist attitudes can be effective in any way?

Well, that depends. I have brought a number of people closer to the faith, by letting them know that their outrage against the behavior of some Christians is, in fact, understandable.

Christ loves the Church, wouldn't it be your duty, as imitators of Christ, to do so as well?

I continue to try to do so, which is why I try to lead people closer to imitating Christ, and further from imitating angry people in bad suits.

 

[EltronRangamma]

I don't know. I may well be just as bad, but this doesn't prevent me from seeing the behavior of mainstream Christians as incredibly harmful.



Well, that depends. I have brought a number of people closer to the faith, by letting them know that their outrage against the behavior of some Christians is, in fact, understandable.




I continue to try to do so, which is why I try to lead people closer to imitating Christ, and further from imitating angry people in bad suits.

Alright fair enough.

I just don't think it's Christ-like to share the same sentiment Gandhi expressed.

Our duty is to uplift not to tear down.

 

[Mr.Pious]

So you are saying that Peacefully protesting the cruel rule of the British empire is a bad thing?

 

[wonder111]

Seebs and Bonhoffer, what makes you better than the Church or the majority of the Church? And do you think your isolationist attitudes can be effective in any way?

As part of the body of the church (Ephesians 1:22, 1 Conrinthians 12:7), do you think there would be room for isolationist, 'me' against 'them' attitudes?

Christ loves the Church, wouldn't it be your duty, as imitators of Christ, to do so as well?

well I can't speak for seebs or bonhoffer, but it was someone like them who brought me back to Christ. They showed me that just because someone calls themselves Christian, does not necessarily mean they are followers of Christ.

There are already many different denominations and 'isolationist' attitudes in the church

 

[TScott]

Christ loves the Church, wouldn't it be your duty, as imitators of Christ, to do so as well?

What Church, and how do you know this?

I just don't think it's Christ-like to share the same sentiment Gandhi expressed.

Which sentiment, exactly, was that?

 

[Nathan David]

If Hitler had only exterminated his 12 million victims 500 years earlier during the Inquisition. Then his contemporaries would not question whether he was doing God's work as he earned his ticket to heaven.

They probably would have made him a saint.