The Monopoly Game Christian

[Cieza]

Let's say Pete is a human and his intellect tells them that it is not possible for an omniscient & omnipotent being to exist - or perhaps he has never given it any thought. Pete becomes acquainted with many Christians & goes to church and reads the Bible. While he values the fellowship and many of the moral lessons taught, his intellect and rational thinking tell him
1) that a man couldn't have risen from the dead
2) there can't be a fully omniscient & omnipotent being in existence
3) man and the rest of the world couldn't have been created through intelligent design

Or perhaps he never gives #1, #2 & #3 any critical analysis or thought.

However, he wants to fit in with his fellow Christians. So he does what his fellow Christians tell him to do. He accepts Jesus as his Lord and Savior (all the while his intellect tells him Jesus never rose from the dead or perhaps he doesn't give it any thought), he prays to God (even though his intellect tells him there can't be such a higher being - or perhaps he doesn't give it any thought) and he proclaims that he has a personal relationship with God.

Essentially what he is trying to do is buy himself insurance in the event his fellow Christians are right. But his intellect tells him everything the Christian church taught him about the physical world is fictional or perhaps he gives it little or no thought. So by feigning church, he thinks he has bought a Get Out of Jail Free card that will only be necessary if his Christian acquaintances are right about the afterlife.

 

[ChristianT]

Let's say Pete is a human and his intellect tells them that it is not possible for an omniscient & omnipotent being to exist - or perhaps he has never given it any thought. Pete becomes acquainted with many Christians & goes to church and reads the Bible. While he values the fellowship and many of the moral lessons taught, his intellect and rational thinking tell him
1) that a man couldn't have risen from the dead
2) there can't be a fully omniscient & omnipotent being in existence
3) man and the rest of the world couldn't have been created through intelligent design

Or perhaps he never gives #1, #2 & #3 any critical analysis or thought.

However, he wants to fit in with his fellow Christians. So he does what his fellow Christians tell him to do. He accepts Jesus as his Lord and Savior (all the while his intellect tells him Jesus never rose from the dead or perhaps he doesn't give it any thought), he prays to God (even though his intellect tells him there can't be such a higher being - or perhaps he doesn't give it any thought) and he proclaims that he has a personal relationship with God.

Essentially what he is trying to do is buy himself insurance in the event his fellow Christians are right. But his intellect tells him everything the Christian church taught him about the physical world is fictional or perhaps he gives it little or no thought. So by feigning church, he thinks he has bought a Get Out of Jail Free card that will only be necessary if his Christian acquaintances are right about the afterlife.

The reason you didn't get any Christian objections is because we agree with you on this view! All those like your "Pete" have bought themselves an empty belief. They didn't truly accept Christ as Lord and Savior, and they didn't get assurance of ethereal life. Jesus addressed this in Luke and I'm sure other gospel verse, "You will say 'Lord, Lord, ' but I will tell you that I have never known you. " here, you can see that no matter what practices or proclamations you "profess," G-d knows your heart and if Pete (insert your name here) did all that, "accepting Christ as savior" while consciously doubting, He knows and will judge based on your true feelings. So even if he did it just to be with G-d, he doubted G-d anyway, so it's not like it's worth it, he should have instead of blindly believed, looked into it and talked to a pastor or a friend in the church about the issue. That way he could learn for himself also through the bible, the truth about Jesus' resurrection and everything else. Basically, if you are thinking about copying Pete, don't. Talk to someone like a pastor or a friend in the church to talk about your doubts and if you continue to have doubts, then eternal life with your creator just isn't your cup of tea. You can always keep your doubts, just make sure that you have heard G-d's side of the story.

Yours through Christ.

 

[joey_downunder]

..... Pete becomes acquainted with many Christians & goes to church and reads the Bible. While he values the fellowship and many of the moral lessons taught, his intellect and rational thinking tell him
1) that a man couldn't have risen from the dead

Pete is half-right here. Man cannot rise from the dead.... unless a Higher Being makes it possible.

2) there can't be a fully omniscient & omnipotent being in existence

How does Pete know this for sure? Is Pete all knowing?

3) man and the rest of the world couldn't have been created through intelligent design

Again how does Pete know this for sure?

However, he wants to fit in with his fellow Christians. So he does what his fellow Christians tell him to do.

So Pete followed human advice to please people not God.

He accepts Jesus as his Lord and Savior (all the while his intellect tells him Jesus never rose from the dead or perhaps he doesn't give it any thought),

Pete does not believe in Jesus, he wants to be part of a club called Churchianity. Pete is not a Christian, Pete is not saved, Pete would not go to Heaven.
But what does it say? “The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart” (that is, the word of faith that we proclaim); because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved. (Romans 10:8-10 ESV)

he prays to God (even though his intellect tells him there can't be such a higher being - or perhaps he doesn't give it any thought) and he proclaims that he has a personal relationship with God.

Pete is not saved, and therefore God has not accepted him and will not answer his prayers.
And he [Jesus] said to him, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.(Matthew 22:37)
If Pete does not believe in Jesus then he does not love God and will automatically break the most important commandment.
If one turns away his ear from hearing the law,
even his prayer is an abomination. (Proverbs 28:9)

Essentially what he is trying to do is buy himself insurance in the event his fellow Christians are right. But his intellect tells him everything the Christian church taught him about the physical world is fictional or perhaps he gives it little or no thought.

Yes Pete is kidding himself and trying to fool christians and God at the same time. He may fool people but not God. God knows Pete's heart.

So by feigning church, he thinks he has bought a Get Out of Jail Free card that will only be necessary if his Christian acquaintances are right about the afterlife.

Only genuine faith in God will save Pete. Pete does not have any faith in God.

 

[drich0150]

Let's say Pete is a human and his intellect tells them that it is not possible for an omniscient & omnipotent being to exist - or perhaps he has never given it any thought. Pete becomes acquainted with many Christians & goes to church and reads the Bible. While he values the fellowship and many of the moral lessons taught, his intellect and rational thinking tell him
1) that a man couldn't have risen from the dead
2) there can't be a fully omniscient & omnipotent being in existence
3) man and the rest of the world couldn't have been created through intelligent design

Or perhaps he never gives #1, #2 & #3 any critical analysis or thought.

However, he wants to fit in with his fellow Christians. So he does what his fellow Christians tell him to do. He accepts Jesus as his Lord and Savior (all the while his intellect tells him Jesus never rose from the dead or perhaps he doesn't give it any thought), he prays to God (even though his intellect tells him there can't be such a higher being - or perhaps he doesn't give it any thought) and he proclaims that he has a personal relationship with God.

Essentially what he is trying to do is buy himself insurance in the event his fellow Christians are right. But his intellect tells him everything the Christian church taught him about the physical world is fictional or perhaps he gives it little or no thought. So by feigning church, he thinks he has bought a Get Out of Jail Free card that will only be necessary if his Christian acquaintances are right about the afterlife.

In the end "he" will find that he misread his "Get out of Jail free" card.
Going through the motions of Christianity means nothing to God. Or so say Christ in Mt 7. It would have been better for Him if He never knew God. Christ liken a person like this to the unfaithful servant in this parable:
14 “(K)For it is just like a man (L)about to go on a journey, who called his own slaves and entrusted his possessions to them. 15 To one he gave five [a](M)talents, to another, two, and to another, one, each according to his own ability; and he (N)went on his journey. 16 Immediately the one who had received the five (O)talents went and traded with them, and gained five more talents. 17 In the same manner the one who had received the two talents gained two more. 18 But he who received the one talent went away, and dug a hole in the ground and hid his [b]master’s money.

19 “Now after a long time the master of those slaves *came and *(P)settled accounts with them. 20 The one who had received the five (Q)talents came up and brought five more talents, saying, ‘Master, you entrusted five talents to me. See, I have gained five more talents.’ 21 His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and (R)faithful slave. You were faithful with a few things, I will (S)put you in charge of many things; enter into the joy of your [c]master.’
22 “Also the one who had received the two (T)talents came up and said, ‘Master, you entrusted two talents to me. See, I have gained two more talents.’ 23 His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and (U)faithful slave. You were faithful with a few things, I will put you in charge of many things; enter into the joy of your master.’
24 “And the one also who had received the one (V)talent came up and said, ‘Master, I knew you to be a hard man, reaping where you did not sow and gathering where you scattered no seed. 25 And I was afraid, and went away and hid your talent in the ground. See, you have what is yours.’
26 “But his master answered and said to him, ‘You wicked, lazy slave, you knew that I reap where I did not sow and gather where I scattered no seed. 27 Then you ought to have put my money [d]in the bank, and on my arrival I would have received my money back with interest. 28 Therefore take away the talent from him, and give it to the one who has the ten talents.’ 29 “(W)For to everyone who has, more shall be given, and he will have an abundance; but from the one who does not have, even what he does have shall be taken away. 30 Throw out the worthless slave into (X)the outer darkness; in that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.