- Sep 6, 2008
- 1
- 0
- 44
- Faith
- Catholic
- Marital Status
- In Relationship
- Politics
- UK-Conservative
Hello all,
Is a Christian one that just reads the Bible, can quote the many things inside and recite like a taped recording or more? Is a Christian even a person who has read or knows the Bible? According to Jesus, perhaps not! I would define a Christian a person who has a certain way of life. Let's face it, most of the early Christians wouldn't have been able to read but would have known what it means to be a follower of "The Way". In the Bible we do see examples of this, The Good Samaritan, Ruth etc... etc... This then maybe means we are foolish to assume that a non-Christian is not good if not perhaps even better than the one's who hold the title Christian. Perhaps it equally means that we would be fools to assume that anyone that claims the title of being a Christian is necessarily good ("Note most of the Sicilian and Italian Mafia are Catholic by tradition").
So what is it to truly be a Christian? In my mind, my current girlfriend is who in fact strengthens my determination to be better. However she is not a Christian nor until recently knew of it or took interest in it. Before knowing her, she has engaged in many practices, she is Chinese and we live in China. She gives blood and has pity on others especially the poor (note poor here literally means to have nothing. There is no support mechanism. no work = no eat). When planning our lives, as we intend to marry as I am quite ambitious her comment was "When we have enough money can we help people?". A woman who has not read the bible, knows little of it (I by my own decision have decided long long ago that I would not impose my faith upon her directly or indirectly. I possess no crosses, trinkets or even a bible. I read the Gospel online. I personally believe a person will be convinced by my actions as a Christian not by other means). She has personally investigated Christianity and informed me of it after the fact. I do answer her questions but still I'm not at liberty to make it my big evangelical project. Jesus himself influenced us by action not by promoting his recent best seller or his recent merchandise. But it is incredible I think of my girlfriend, one who has grown up as a communist to believe "Religion is the opium of the people", to have not read the bible and know little of it. Yet would be that much more Christian than me.
My conclusion is that being a Christian is the nature of a persons soul. Belonging to a church, knowing the book, quoting the psalms, wearing the trinkets do not define a Christian at all. In my mind, my girlfriend who long before China opened up was doing the best she can, not being from a wealthy family still willing to commit herself to aiding the next person, is the true Christian. In this personally, I am much less of a Christian than her since I had never thought about it. We need to keep in mind, God is all around us. Even the non believer can teach us what it is to be holy and what it is to be moral. We need to remember that books do not write people, but people write books. How many of us have been lost in the bible and ignored true action? How many of us recite prescribed prayer yet neglect to offer the true prayer?
Is a Christian one that just reads the Bible, can quote the many things inside and recite like a taped recording or more? Is a Christian even a person who has read or knows the Bible? According to Jesus, perhaps not! I would define a Christian a person who has a certain way of life. Let's face it, most of the early Christians wouldn't have been able to read but would have known what it means to be a follower of "The Way". In the Bible we do see examples of this, The Good Samaritan, Ruth etc... etc... This then maybe means we are foolish to assume that a non-Christian is not good if not perhaps even better than the one's who hold the title Christian. Perhaps it equally means that we would be fools to assume that anyone that claims the title of being a Christian is necessarily good ("Note most of the Sicilian and Italian Mafia are Catholic by tradition").
So what is it to truly be a Christian? In my mind, my current girlfriend is who in fact strengthens my determination to be better. However she is not a Christian nor until recently knew of it or took interest in it. Before knowing her, she has engaged in many practices, she is Chinese and we live in China. She gives blood and has pity on others especially the poor (note poor here literally means to have nothing. There is no support mechanism. no work = no eat). When planning our lives, as we intend to marry as I am quite ambitious her comment was "When we have enough money can we help people?". A woman who has not read the bible, knows little of it (I by my own decision have decided long long ago that I would not impose my faith upon her directly or indirectly. I possess no crosses, trinkets or even a bible. I read the Gospel online. I personally believe a person will be convinced by my actions as a Christian not by other means). She has personally investigated Christianity and informed me of it after the fact. I do answer her questions but still I'm not at liberty to make it my big evangelical project. Jesus himself influenced us by action not by promoting his recent best seller or his recent merchandise. But it is incredible I think of my girlfriend, one who has grown up as a communist to believe "Religion is the opium of the people", to have not read the bible and know little of it. Yet would be that much more Christian than me.
My conclusion is that being a Christian is the nature of a persons soul. Belonging to a church, knowing the book, quoting the psalms, wearing the trinkets do not define a Christian at all. In my mind, my girlfriend who long before China opened up was doing the best she can, not being from a wealthy family still willing to commit herself to aiding the next person, is the true Christian. In this personally, I am much less of a Christian than her since I had never thought about it. We need to keep in mind, God is all around us. Even the non believer can teach us what it is to be holy and what it is to be moral. We need to remember that books do not write people, but people write books. How many of us have been lost in the bible and ignored true action? How many of us recite prescribed prayer yet neglect to offer the true prayer?
