Recognizing Christians

[WatersMoon110]

Perhaps He was a redneck?

No - Jesus was Jewish!

He went into His Father's business. He lived at home until He was 33. He was convinced His mother was a virgin, and she thought He was God.

*laughs*

 

[NeTrips]

Matthew 5

46If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing that? 47And if you greet only your brothers, what are you doing more than others? Do not even pagans do that? 48Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.


Well, at least you are up to pagan standards. That's a start.

Pagan? What translation is this? The word is telōnēs which translates to tax collector or publican.

But whatever, it's good to have it demonstrated that non-Christians are capable of the hypocrisy that they charge Christians with as well.


Do your gods have a teaching that resembles Christ's teaching in Luke 6:42?

Either how canst thou say to thy brother, Brother, let me pull out the mote that is in thine eye, when thou thyself beholdest not the beam that is in thine own eye? Thou hypocrite, cast out first the beam out of thine own eye, and then shalt thou see clearly to pull out the mote that is in thy brother's eye.

 

[NeTrips]

No - Jesus was Jewish!

He went into His Father's business. He lived at home until He was 33. He was convinced His mother was a virgin, and she thought He was God.

*laughs*

Close but not quite.

Jesus was born of a virgin, but His siblings obviously were not. And Mary knew and believed her son was the son of God, she didn't just think it.

 

[Phred]

Close but not quite.

Jesus was born of a virgin, but His siblings obviously were not. And Mary knew and believed her son was the son of God, she didn't just think it.

And lucky for all of us we have you to tell us.

 

[NeTrips]

And lucky for all of us we have you to tell us.

There are many here who would be glad to tell you as well.

 

[NeTrips]

Heh. He was also a blue collar manual laborer, cut down trees and built stuff with them for a living, told people to drink alcohol in remembrance of Him, never went to school, hung out with fishermen, and beat people with a whip in Church. Also He did not walk everywhere. He rode a jackass sometimes, which is the old times equivalent of a four wheeler.

Perhaps He was a redneck?

Jesus is a conservative.

Liberals deny Him, they deny He even existed. Liberals deny Jesus' role in creation and they deny Him as Lord and Saviour.

Jesus never would tolerate liberal's moral relativism and tolerance of all religions. He said there was one way to the Father, not many roads that lead to one place.

Jesus just about abolished divorce except under one specific condition. Liberals think divorce ought to be free and easy.

The thief on the cross was sent to heaven, not rehabilitated and turned loose on society again. Liberals don't want the blame to fall on the person but on the system.

Jesus prayed to His Father to get direction and guidance, he didn't conduct a poll to see what other's thought he should do.

 

[Ramona]

*feels the stroke of a broad brush*

 

[Ramona]

In all seriousness, though, it's really difficult - if not impossible - to recognize a person's religion by their deeds in life. I can recognize when people act like Christ, but that doesn't make them Christians. If someone does something really spectacular for others, I don't think to myself, "Oh, that person must be a really fabulous Christian." One of the most Christ-like people I know in real life is a Hindu. Some of the most mean-spirited people I know wear crucifixes around their necks. I know loving Christians and I know hateful Christians. I know Christ-like non-Christians and I know really cruel non-Christians. Actions really don't show me what faith a person subscribes to.

 

[Beanieboy]

Quoted by NeTrips:
Jesus was gathered with his followers at the last supper. Judas had already been sent away into the night after receiving the sop. Jesus was addressing not all humanity, but those who believed in Him.

Believers in Christ are to love one another as Christ loved them. There are other verses that speak to a Christian's interaction with others, including non-believers, this is not one of them.

Jhn 13:34
A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another.


Quoted in the Mathew 5
New Living
46 If you love only those who love you, what reward is there for that? Even corrupt tax collectors do that much. 47 If you are kind only to your friends,[a] how are you different from anyone else? Even pagans do that. 48 But you are to be perfect, even as your Father in heaven is perfect.

King James
46For if ye love them which love you, what reward have ye? do not even the publicans the same?

47And if ye salute your brethren only, what do ye more than others? do not even the publicans so?

48Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect.

English Standard
) For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? 47And if you greet only your brothers,[a] what more are you doing than others? Do not even(B) the Gentiles do the same? 48(C) You therefore must be(D) perfect,(E) as your heavenly Father is perfect.

Regardless of the translation, it is saying that you are no better than those who are not followers of the faith, because even they love each other.

If you are going to quote the bible and say that Christians are only to love other Christians, you need to answer to what is written and said by Christ himself.

Whether it is tax collector, pagan, or Gentile, the point is pretty clear.

 

[ArchaicTruth]

Let's not forget Ghandi Friction (he's my hero)

 

[Ramona]

Let's not forget Ghandi Friction (he's my hero)

Mine too.

Hmm, Gandhi was a Hindu...Milosevic was a Christian...the plot thickens.

 

[Vene]

Let's not forget Ghandi Friction (he's my hero)

That is a good choice for a role model.

 

[Beanieboy]

My personal experience with those who are Christian is not one of humility, but rather, pity (that you don't have Jesus, that you aren't worshipping as they are, that you will be tortured forever), or condemnation (and focussing on your sins and the sins of others.)

Rarely is it one of servitude, or humility or hope, or compassion - not to say that that doesn't exist. Even my sister, who is Christian, treats me like the "lost sheep," the pitiful rebel of God.

I used to be that way myself as a Christian. It's like I knew some kind of secret, and I held all the answers, and I knew what God was like, and wanted that for everyone else, and pitied those that didn't have it.

It was self exhalting.

Contrast with that those who are Hindu, for example. They treat everyone they meet as a god, and serve them with humility. They put others first. They give of themselves.

I believe that is what Christianity is supposed to be, but too often, it becomes a "us vs. the world", and we are right back with the Pharisees asking Jesus why he is eating with the sinners.

 

[ArchaicTruth]

My personal experience with those who are Christian is not one of humility, but rather, pity (that you don't have Jesus, that you aren't worshipping as they are, that you will be tortured forever), or condemnation (and focussing on your sins and the sins of others.)

Rarely is it one of servitude, or humility or hope, or compassion - not to say that that doesn't exist. Even my sister, who is Christian, treats me like the "lost sheep," the pitiful rebel of God.

I used to be that way myself as a Christian. It's like I knew some kind of secret, and I held all the answers, and I knew what God was like, and wanted that for everyone else, and pitied those that didn't have it.

It was self exhalting.

Contrast with that those who are Hindu, for example. They treat everyone they meet as a god, and serve them with humility. They put others first. They give of themselves.

I believe that is what Christianity is supposed to be, but too often, it becomes a "us vs. the world", and we are right back with the Pharisees asking Jesus why he is eating with the sinners.

Sadly, this is the case.

 

[KalithAlur]

Gandhi refused eggs to his daughter, who needed protein or she was risking her life, on grounds that he would not sacrifice a sentient life form for the benefit of humanity.

the doctor told him they were unfertilized eggs, and only Then did Gandhi ok his daughter to eat them.

the message here is easily misinterpreted. is it sinful to care so much about sentient life you'r willing to risk your own health, and the health of your family, to protect it? Certainly, Gandhi was far from infallible.

What gives entity A the right to kill entity B is a question I don't think most people can answer.

with predators, it's not a question of rights, just instinct. there's no logical processing mechanism, except at the most basic level. yet many hindu temples extend love and compassion to predators... training tigers to survive on a vegetarian diet.

 

[ArchaicTruth]

No one said Gandhi was Jesus, but I'm fair sure he's a greater man than any here

 

[KalithAlur]

this msg board is composed of thousands of people.

is his greatness measured by accomplishment, character, or some conjunction?

for those of you who admire gandhi, i recommend you transcend at least his character... it is doable, merely dedication!

seek, seek after the truth
above all else,
the seeking the only obsession.

love, love without reason

find, find and shed thine last attachment (the seek)!

 

[Apollo Celestio]

My personal experience with those who are Christian is not one of humility, but rather, pity (that you don't have Jesus, that you aren't worshipping as they are, that you will be tortured forever), or condemnation (and focussing on your sins and the sins of others.)

Rarely is it one of servitude, or humility or hope, or compassion - not to say that that doesn't exist. Even my sister, who is Christian, treats me like the "lost sheep," the pitiful rebel of God.

I used to be that way myself as a Christian. It's like I knew some kind of secret, and I held all the answers, and I knew what God was like, and wanted that for everyone else, and pitied those that didn't have it.

It was self exhalting.

Contrast with that those who are Hindu, for example. They treat everyone they meet as a god, and serve them with humility. They put others first. They give of themselves.

I believe that is what Christianity is supposed to be, but too often, it becomes a "us vs. the world", and we are right back with the Pharisees asking Jesus why he is eating with the sinners.

What would you do if you literally found something like that? Such as the secret to free energy for all or something?

 

[IXOYE5]

A Christian is somebody that has a personal relationship with God the Father, through Jesus the Son. A "follower of Christ" is a disciple of Christ in that we follow in His footsteps, trying to live a life that exemplifies who He is. It is a very difficult thing, this "following", and as others have said before me, sometimes our human nature gets in the way, but more than that, because of other forces that have a sole goal of destroying God's plan. The best way to destroy God's plan is to cause those who serve Him to fall, because in this act, Christians bear a false witness of the Heavenly Father's love for mankind, and His desire to save us all. This is what keeps others from accepting the gift of Salvation through Jesus Christ.

In this temporary existence can sometimes exist circumstances that make it easier to fall toward a fleshly response. Even more so, the recognition that we are not battling against our own flesh and blood, but instead against rulers of darkness and spiritual forces that attempt to interrupt God's plan for humanity on both an individual level and a global level.

In short, we are strangers in this land. We are alienated from societies that do not accept Christ, and these are growing, while the faithful are diminishing. Much of this is due to power struggles within our own. We fight. We gossip. We backbite. We sneak, peek, battle, tear down, destroy, and this is because we forget who we are, and who we are actually battling. We make one another our worst enemy when in fact we should be embracing one another and standing together against the forces that are attempting to tear us down. Why do we do this? To lift ourselves up. Where does this come from? It comes from the first being to sin against God... the one who felt he could be as great as God, and who, after his fall, has continued to lure humans into believing the same.

This, I believe, is why Jesus commanded us to love one another. He knew what was coming for us. He knew that love, charity, forgiveness, and compassion would aide in healing.

When we fall for the allure of "greatness", we are become like the man who lived at the bottom of the well. He stood on top of the shoulders of others who lived there with him. They supported him, held him up, and cared for him, but all he could see was that he was the one closest to the sky.

It is often Christians who need the most reminders of His words. These scriptures might help to explain, better than I ever could:

For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. Ephesians 6:12

“If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated me first. If you belonged to the world, it would love you as its own. As it is, you do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you out of the world. That is why the world hates you. Remember the words I spoke to you: ‘No servant is greater than his master.’ If they persecuted me, they will persecute you also. If they obeyed my teaching, they will obey yours also. They will treat you this way because of my name, for they do not know the One who sent me." John 15:18-21


Often times Christians get wrapped up in who is the greater Christian among us. Who is better? Who is closer to God? Who should be asked to step down? Who should be asked to depart? Who should be pointed out as the one lacking humility and compassion?

In Luke 22:25-27 and Matthew 20:25-28 the Lord Jesus taught us about what exemplifes true greatness and it is through His example that we can bring ourselves back to the reality that exists in being a "follower" of Christ.


In short: To follow Christ means to admit being less than Him and requiring His compassion, forgiveness, and bloodshed, in order to be lifted out of the darkness in this world.


But Jesus called them unto him, and said, Ye know that the princes of the Gentiles exercise dominion over them, and they that are great exercise authority upon them.

But it shall not be so among you: but whosoever will be great among you, let him be your minister;
And whosoever will be chief among you, let him be your servant: Even as the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many. Matthew 20:25-28

Father truly you have sent labors into the vineyard, the Fruit is Good, but labors are few!

From the mouth comes forth His Wisdom and Knowledge from them that Love Him and Worship Him in "Spirit and Truth".


God bless you Sister!

 

[Catholicon]

Hmm... at the time of posting it would appear that I'm the only person who has selected option #1 as one of their multiple choices. (I also selected #2 as well.)

"People who can't be recognized by their love of all humanity are not Christians."

Jesus said to love one another, those who deliberately hate others because of their own, personal, prejudices are being untrue to His Word. Humanity as a species, deserve love and understanding. To regard them with distaste and a lack of basic compassion, goes against what Jesus says when He tells us to love one another.

"People can still follow Christ if they love most of humanity, but are working to love everyone."

I regard this as true because the intent is there. Even if people (such as myself) find it frustratingly difficult to see God in those who condemn, hate, and persecute others, the desire to try and love all people weighs heavy in my heart. I see this as following Christ, even if we are unable to follow the will of Jesus with total literality. (Is that even a word?)

People who blindly follow writings of the Bible that attribute certain ideologies or actions or decrees, to God, and repeating them - without paying attention to Jesus or Christ's teachings, surely aren't acknowledging the "Christ" part of the word "Christian". One may even go so far as to suggest they're committing "fraud".

I apologise if I've offended anyone by saying that, but it's a subject I feel very strongly about and I find bigotry demeaning to my self-identity of being a Christian and a follower of Jesus.