If you scour the world-wild-web for any amount of time using atheism as your search term, you will undoubtedly find pages and pages of sites laced with the famous proclamation, “I used to be a Christian.” While this may be intriguing to the seeker, desiring a glimpse at the testimony of a formerly professing believer turned cynic in hopes of discovering reasons to remain religiously repulsed by Christendom, or possibly the opposite - looking to see if their retroversion experience is sensible - one thing is certain…there’s no such thing as a former Christian.
Cultural Christianity is quite the phenomenon of the twentieth and twenty-first centuries. Nowadays, it is in fact chic to listen to Christian-pop music, adorned with cross jewelry, WWJD arm-bands, Messianic message clothing, and attend Gospel rock concerts or church and say, “I am a Christian.” You may even think that just because you come from a lengthy lineage of liturgy lovers or a millennia of mass members you are a Christian - simply because you, your parents and your progeny participate in these religious rites. Unfortunately, none of this legalistic religiosity makes you a disciple of the Lord, Jesus Christ.
For this reason, many youths that practice such pious performances growing up - become too intelligent to be fooled into following such archaic anthropopathy once the public school system serves up the contagious charismatic Kool-Aid of communistic clairvoyance - the evangelical evolutionist educational experience.
After “leaving the faith,” these misguided, false-converts then find their voices in the blogosphere, social sites, chat rooms, discussion boards and every other form of digital media outlet known to man - exhaustively expatriating as many “cardboard Christians” as they can sink their flaw-full claws into. Ironically, if they would spend as much time truly investigating and begging with a contrite heart, “God, please show yourself to me!” they would discover that He is absolutely faithful to do so - and the door the Lord has once opened, can be closed by no man.
These poor misinformed “ex-Christians” were never truly reborn of the Holy Spirit of God. They followed the crowd in church, were dunked under water, consumed crackers and gulped grape juice, sang songs, talked the talk, looked the part, memorized verses and so many other religious acts, but never came to a saving faith found in a relationship with the only begotten Son of God. Like so many of their contemporaries who weren’t led to the foot of the blood-stained cross of Calvary, they never saw their sins in the mirror of the ten commandments and consequently, never realized the magnitude of their debt - owed to a God who, because of His perfect love and justice, must punish sin - and they never saw the spotless Lamb for who He was and is, the ransom payment - the sacrificial substitute - who carried their sins before the Father and said “I will take their punishment.” Their prideful hearts of stone never crumbled under the weight of such a love and therefore, they simply socialized and enjoyed the music and learned to get along. But, of course, anyone who goes through a “phase” knows, it wore off and they moved on…and Jesus wept.
Let the reader understand, just as you can’t become unborn once you have evacuated the womb, you also cannot become un-born-again. It is impossible to un-ring a bell, un-cook an egg or un-kill the living. If you are a spiritual seeker, please know that there is no such thing as an ex-Christian and if you want the truth, please look in a good Bible teaching church for assistance. If after reading this you still claim to be a “former believer,” you just do not understand. And if you are a disciple and lover of the risen Christ, pray for them both. We live in an excruciatingly evil generation and the Lord will tarry for only so long.
Charles Smith is managing editor and a daily contributor to www.The-REVELATOR.com - Christian news source
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Comments
Wow...Yet another sad and misinformed Christian, who has his nose bent out of shape because there are SOOOO many of us atheists now.
To have the audacity to claim that former Christians were never actually saved, and were only going through the motions is pure ignorance. I doubt the author of this mediocre article has had a conversation with an atheist. Charles Smith seems to be very comfortable in his little world. Perhaps if he did a little more research, actually talked to an actual atheist, he might have his eyes opened. But from the sound of it he has them shut tight.
I feel sorry for you Charles.
I would count the fallacies in your article, but I was overwhelmed by the sheer stupidity of the argument half way through. It actually physically hurt to read the ignorance spewed by the author, that I am surprised anyone actually lets him write for them and be their representative in anything (unless he's some sort of warning about mental castration).
Wow...Yet another sad and misinformed Christian, who has his nose bent out of shape because there are SOOOO many of us atheists now.
To have the audacity to claim that former Christians were never actually saved, and were only going through the motions is pure ignorance. I doubt the author of this mediocre article has had a conversation with an atheist. Charles Smith seems to be very comfortable in his little world. Perhaps if he did a little more research, actually talked to an actual atheist, he might have his eyes opened. But from the sound of it he has them shut tight.
I feel sorry for you Charles.
Wow...you must be one of those who say they were once a Christian, huh Max. And a faithless fly-boy whose long list of accomplishments will mean nothing when he dies. You guys hold that banner high while you can. It's amazing that 2000 years later that the name Jesus either incites hatred or love. You two are the ones I feel sorry for. Such vitriol and hate. Talk about moral castration.
Hang in there Charles, if the world hated Him you know their gonna' hate you, too!
God Bless.
I would imagine Charles has had a comment with an atheist or two in his life time Max. And I disagree with him but for different reasons. I am basically a Wesleyan and therefore hold a different view of eternal salvation however we both believe and hold to the apostle's creed!
This foolish author should pick-up a copy of Julia Sweeney's CD or DVD. "Letting go of god." I think he would learn a thing or two about former Christians. How sad for all of you who see the world within the same narrow confines as Charles Smith.
And Dendra....You are living proof of the point I was making. You are as naive and intolerant as Charles. You find the best defense for Charles and yourself is through an insult. What an accomplishment for you. Poor Dendra. Follow your bliss...
Max, you totally correct. The only problem however, is that people who think as author would never allow themselves to even listen to Ms. Sweeney's monologue. Not only does the title "Letting Go Of God", make them uncomfortable; But they now have a preconception and giant misconception of what they would hear. They are too afraid to listen to someone speak about their path through spirituality and away from it.
So of course people like Charles Smith would never know how categorically wrong he is about former Christians. He's afraid of them. He's afraid to listen to them. Therefore, it's conceivable that his faith is not as strong as he thinks.
It's obvious what's going on here. Charles has said that the only way to be saved is through Jesus Christ, not around Him, which is upsetting those who don't want to accountable to anyone, especially God, and believe they will still be saved from perdition, or profess there's nothing after this life so we should just 'eat drink and make marry for tomorrow we die'. Oddly, you seem to want your 'saved' cake an eat it too?
Doesn't it seem strange to you that you would have such strong opinions against Mr. Smith's article if you don't really care what some nut-job Christian has to say in the first place?
I found nothing intolerant, unless you mean that he said Jesus is the only way. Since Jesus DID say He was the narrow path, then I guess that just makes us 'Narrow Minded.' You're free to take the highway to hell if you choose, we Christians just love you and don't want that to happen, but praise be to Lord Yeshua regardless.
God bless you, in Jesus powerful and holy Name.
That is exactly the kind of attitude I'm talking about LaQusha.
I think Charles's article is mediocre because he is not informed enough about what he is writing about. You perceive every opposing opinion as an attack on your own personal faith. So what do you do?
You resort to insults and misconceptions that do not apply to anyone here. You don't know my personal path away from religion, yet you insinuate that you do. You think that the life of an atheist is to forget what is important. Like go out and do the best you can in this world, and try to leave it a better place. But you think we atheists go out and drink and fornicate, and kill. Clearly there is more to us than you think, and perhaps your defensive reaction to us is in fact your own fear.
Maybe as Julian pointed out, your faith isn't as strong as you think.
Max, I don't know you from Adam, nor do you me, and I'm not judging you in any way because I am a sinner who is just as guilty of sinning against God as any and everyone else on the earth. That's the point you're miss in what I'm saying.
Charles is laying bare the essential doctrine of Christianity, all mankind needs the Savior because we have broken God's moral law. This is not what we say, it is what the Bible says...it's what Jesus said, that all are condemned before they come into relationship with Him. Charles, Joseph and I know the Lord intimately and we were all condemned until we were saved.
That's why it makes no sense to say *was* a Christian, because if you have been reborn of the Holy Spirit of God, and He has come to live inside your soul, and you have received forgiveness and His love, your are a new creation.
That is what the Bible means by the unforgivable sin - rejecting the Holy Spirit, which means someone is not saved.
It's not my word but His.
Luke 8:13 And the ones on the rock are those who, when they hear the word, receive it with joy. But these have no root; they believe for a while, and in time of testing fall away. (ESV)
Unconditional eternal security doctrine gives birth to many fallacies. There are indeed "former believers" as Jesus himself indicated in Luke's Gospel. Unless of course, you take the stance that even though Jesus says they believe "for a while" that He was just speaking metaphorically.
There is a difference between hearing and believing, and regeneration. Anyone can believe intuitively or intellectually and then walk away with no heart change, but to have been reborn into the family of God relies on trust, faith and love. Simple belief requires none of these.
sounds like a lot of hermeneutical gymnastics to me Ex-Atheist ;) So when Jesus says that they believed but later fell away, you're telling me that during this time they were just pseudo-believers and not really believers? Surely Jesus would have known the difference don't you think? And I would bet dollars to donuts that if that same person came to your church and said they believed and received the Word of God- you would indeed classify them as saved and eternally secure. Only afterward, would you come forth and say "they were never really truly saved/regenerated to begin with". So how does one know the difference? And how are we to ever know if we are the "good soil" of the parable or perhaps the "rocky soil" who later will fall away?
I think you have answered your 2nd question with your 1st post. Let's reason together. A man might believe his wife to be pure, but if he is told by another she has committed adultery against him, and he does not have faith in her fidelity, he will disbelieve and walk away, but if he has faith, he will remain by her side no matter what.
Who is any man to believe that he has the power to undo what the Lord has done. I think what you miss in Charles' article is that if you fall away, you were deceiving yourself, never really being a loving disciple and true believer who has received the gift of the Holy Spirit. If I am unable to save myself, then if I have truly been reborn, I cannot lose myself. I don't have the power. It's going to have to be an agreement to disagree.
'Believer', what about Judas? Wasn't he called by the Lord? Do you think he witnessed three years of miracles and all that surrounded Jesus' ministry, and didn't believe He was God?
Even though Judas knew in his mind, he had no loving relationship with the Lord, and the cares of this world, namely money, came in and choked out the Word. Judas betrayed Christ and perished.
Do you think he was ever a Christian? Or was he just deceived by his own wicked heart and following the lust of the eyes, flesh and the pride of life.
I'm with Charles on this, and I think Ex-Atheist is right, you can't undo what God has done. His sheep KNOW Him and He will never lose them. Is Jesus wrong? Be gone for I never KNEW you, again is Christ incorrect? No, it depends on a relationship with the Father, through the Son by the power of the gift of the Holy Spirit who makes His home inside the one who is really born again.
Praise Jesus!
I'm sad about the name-calling from both sides, but especially from those who claim to follow Jesus, as I do. Why are we so intent on labels and categories for others? How can any human be so certain what is, or was, in anothers heart? And why does it matter?
I'm called to love EVERYONE, so why would I purposely alienate non-believers when I believe that faith in Jesus is the path to salvation?
Get the plank out of your own eye before you get so worked up about condemning the speck in another person's eye!
Rich, I understand your what you mean, but were still called to point out error and untruth and to make sure our brothers and sister in Christ don't stumble even if it is not politically correct. Even while inspecting our own eye.
Do you remember any of these?
"You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come? Mat 3:7
You are of your father the devil, and your will is to do your father's desires. Jhn 8:44
These are spots in your feasts of charity, when they feast with you, feeding themselves without fear: clouds [they are] without water, carried about of winds; trees whose fruit withereth, without fruit, twice dead, plucked up by the roots; Jud 1:12
Being PC's not our command, it's to tell the truth in love and rebuke evil. As for 'former Christians' John said simply:
They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would have continued with us; but they went out, that it might be plain that they all are not of us. 1 J
I think if you examine the audience for at least two of those verses, it was the judgemental religious leaders who were more concerned with finding fault than with loving. If has nothing to do with being PC--if you believe that people need Jesus, why do everything you can to drive them away?
If you think labeling and threatening will bring people to Jesus, good luck. Personally, I don't want to be in that audience with the brood of vipers.
Rich, it seems to me that the author is talking about wolves who came in, played nice and left trying to draw others away with them. You can honestly say that is ok and not to judge or alert the sheep that wolves are in among us? By the way, we all have telephone poles in our eyes, including the both of us. So I guess we just sit on on our hands and don't evangelize, and let those who were false converts put stumbling blocks in front of the ones who we are supposed to be making disciples of? Brother, we are on the same side, and I want as many as possible to come to Christ, but I will stand with Charles and anyone else who loves the brethren enough to stand up and call out those who deceive the flock, especially anyone who said they 'used to be a Christian' but learned there's another way to the God, like the article said. They are anathema. If I say nothing, there's blood is on my hands. I think that's where Charles is coming from. At least that's how the article read to me.
If you're talking about "outsides" (ex-Christians) Paul specifically tells us not to judge them. (1 Cor 5:12) If my labeling and judging drives them further away, then the blood is indeed on my hands.
When Jesus was asked for the greatest commendment, what was the first word He uttered? Judge? Label? Reject?
Or...was it "Love..."?
Jesus' condemnation and rebuke was reserved for the pious, self-righteous religious leaders who were intent on on excluding the unworthy and making themselves the "in crowd." He asked forgiveness for those who crucified Him.
Condemnation of others makes us feel like we're part of the good guys.
Controversy sttracts attention and readers.
Grace, mercy, and love attract those who need Jesus.
Actually, if one says they were once 'inside' and came out because they 'learned the truth', these would be the same as those who are inside and practice the aforementioned abominations in the context of this chapter. I do not judge those who are outside the church, "for who am I to judge another man's slave" - but if someone portrays himself as having an 'insiders' viewpoint (which taught him some 'new way' or that 'it's all a fad' and 'he knows the real truth, because he was there') that gives him credence among those on the outside and if his desire is to pull them away, I do have a problem with that, as should you.
As for the author's motive, I can't judge him either, but I understand where he's coming from. PCsim is not love, love does the hard things, says the hard things and continues to love. Though I view these 'exChristians' as anathema, I would give them my last dollar, last bit of bread or the shirt off my back - and I will also tell them they are wrong. Shouldn't you?
Laquisha...That's exactly my point. I don't know you you certainly don't know me yet that didn't stop you from making y6our judgments about what kind of person I must be. You are clearly not on the same page here. Wake up.
Whenever someone starts telling me what I "should" do, my radar goes up. And PC is your issue, not mine. I try to avoid labeling because I believe it's what Jesus taught, not because it's PC.
I don't worry much about people pulling folks away from Jesus--His message is stronger than Satan's voice. But I AM concerned about people who claim to be Christians but push folks away with this sort of dogmatic attitude. The negative perception of believers in popular culture is mostly created by Christians themselvves, not by outsiders.
You're free to pontificate about the narrow way and decide who's missing the path, but I believe that attitude drives folks away. And that's not what we're called to.
Jesus asks us to be fishers of men--if we catch 'em, God will clean 'em.
I don't care to get involved with you two supposed 'brothers' argument, but being an an atheist and immune to your fairytales, I have way more respect for someone who thinks I'm in danger and tells me what he fears might happen as ridiculous as his argument may be than for someone who is kind to me but is afraid to tell me what he believes to be the truth just my 2 cents now please continue with your battle it's really quiet pathetic ding ding ding
someone pass the popcorn
The difference between me, an atheist, and the writer of this article is that I have been a Christian. The writer has NEVER been an atheist. Therefore, he does not know what he's talking about.
He can not compare my Christian experience to that of what he can only guess at. Which of obviously that of a slacker, or some light weight Christian. I was certainly no half baked theist. So why not do what Jesus would have you do, and don't judge. If you do then you're the one who loses.
You have a nice day.
So, Laurel, you decided that even after Jesus gave you the gift of eternal life and cleansed you from your sin, you would rather just turn your back and give that up?
I can't comment on the author, but I was an atheist for 30 years and once Christ called me to Himself, I couldn't even imagine telling my Savior, "I don't need You!"
I would have to say I don't believe you were ever saved if you now claim that you are no longer saved. Maybe you were just deceiving yourself.
I could call myself married but if I have no ring and have said no vows, had no wedding and have no spouse, I am obviously not married.
Did you ever have a broken heart for your sin that Jesus chose to die for? Were you ever remorseful for the hate you showed toward God before you realized how much He loved you? Did you ever contemplate how much love it must have taken to die in your place to give you what you don't deserve. I did, and have never been the same.
Like I said. You judge. You lose.
You don't believe I was a Christian? Well, I have news for you......I don't believe you were an atheist. How does that make you feel? Judged?
I think you are a liar. I think, there is a very good chance that you are the author of this article. Regardless. I AM free to judge. I'm not bound to dogma. Though you are....and you failed. I'm honest, and you.....have just sinned. Was it worth it? Really?
Once again. You judge. You lose.
Cheers!
Nice, 2 egomaniacs trying to convince each other they were what the other one now is. yawn, and I thought the article sucked
Laurel I never judged you. I don't have that power only God does. But I can make a judgment call like if my 12 yr old daughter wants to date a 30 yr old pedophile. It's called discernment. You can and will think what you choose but you will not be my judge either and it doesn't offend me. It does make me sad that you are convinced that you don't need salvation because I know how it feels to have no hope of anything but to fight your way through this world only to have nothing to look forward to. I know you don't want it but I will pray for you. Maybe God isn't through with you yet. And please understand when I call you a sinner I am convinced I have done far worse in my life than you probably ever have and that's why I know I need salvation. I am not condemning you, all of mankind are sinners.
Of course you judged me. That's what this article is all about.
You just can't stand the fact that you have no power over anyone.
So, you arrogantly make an assumption. I know. I've heard all your little arguments. I've used them to. I was more convincing than you and even the lump who wrote this article. I was a damn good Christian, and I believed in it all. Now,I am a happy, self-assured, educated person, who happens to be godless, and you can't stand it. And THAT, is what this is really about=D
Merry Commercial-mas!
Madmax, Next time you visit..bring a point.
Well...it's very interesting that some coward choose to delete my post AGAIN, and several others. Perhaps "someone" wants the posts which favor him more.
So I will reiterate.
This is a poorly written article. It's unfortunate that the author is so naive. Clearly objectivity is not a requirement to write for The Examiner.
umm, I don't remember referring to you, Wyatt Earp Clemens? Unless Ms. I used to be a xtian is your gfriend, in which case who cares. My point stands, she and this poor excuse for a writer are trying to convince each other they used to be what they are now. None of your concern, I'm sure. The point I bring extends from between my index and ring fingers.
Wyatt Earp, you sound a little paranoid to me. You think bigbrother's looking over your shoulder or something? Here let me help you
"Well...it's very interesting that some coward choose to delete my post AGAIN, and several others. Perhaps "someone" wants the posts which favor him more.
So I will reiterate.
This is a poorly written article. It's unfortunate that the author is so naive. Clearly objectivity is not a requirement to write for The Examiner. **With warm fuzzy love, Wyatt Earp Clemens**
The last little bit was my own little artistic addition, I hope you like it.
Laurel, I'm sorry if you believe I have judged you. As I said, I am unable to judge anyone because I am far worse than you, hence my need for Christ to save me. It's the Bible that says all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God, I just trust that God doesn't lie. Calling you a sinner is not a cut down, Mother Teresa, Ghandi etc. etc. are sinners by God's standards.
Anyway, I saw in another article that you had a problem with Oral Roberts, and in this one you said merry commercial-mas, and I happen to be in complete agreement with you on these.
Christmas has been taken over by money hungry commercialism instead of being celebrated as the birthday of Christ (which is of course not really the day He was born). And it's guys like Oral Roberts, Benny Hinn, etc. etc., that have actually tarnished the Name of Jesus. This is very sad IMHO. It's the very reason I was an atheist for 30 years - scumbags who fleeced their flocks and lined their pockets turned me off then, and now.
The bible says a lot of things. Most of it contradicts itself. All of the New Testament was written long after it's subject died. The Gospels can't even get their stories straight. The bible has been translated, copied and re-copied to infinity by people who had their own agendas. Certain books and scripture were left out,to fit into a designed canon. A dogma created by human beings who want nothing more than to think for everyone else.
I let them think for me for years,until I just had to go out and clear up all the contradictions for myself. Someone hear suggested the writer check out Julia Sweeney's Letting Go Of God.(GOOD IDEA!) My experience was very similar.
I only object to these Christian folks telling me that I was never REALLY saved, or that I called in faith on Sunday, or that I did not really know god. God was as real to me as my own conscience. So when you claim these things, you don't know what you're talking about. The argument is not convincing.
Cheers!
Ok Laurel, I'm confused. Are you still saved? Or did you give up being saved, or what? Just curious what all that means.
Anyway, still trying to figure out a way to see a pic of you :-D maybe a link er, something? Care to indulge a brutha?
Madmax asks an interesting question. Are you saying you once new God and have now turned away from Him? And, if you're saying you were once saved, what happened? The reason I ask is that if there is no God, then nobody can be saved because salvation doesn't really exist, so by default you actually weren't ever saved. You can see where this is confusing. I am not saying you were never saved, but are you saying that?
For the record, I don't let other people persuade me what to believe. My faith is personal and the conviction I have comes from the Holy Spirit. The Robert Tiltons, Paula Whites and Creflo Dollars of the world, sew a seed reap a million gimmie your money stuff is just crap and they will pay heavily when they face judgment for leading so many astray, just to make a buck. Like I said, I understand that side of your disgust with these types completely. And people actually fall for that crap. It's like luring people into a death trap with promises of riches. It's criminal.
Ex, do me a favor and refrain from piggybacking my posts.
Christian denial is hilarious.
I suppose it would be humiliating and degrading to have to accept that some people willingly give up the lifestyle you cherish.
It's so much easier to stick your head in the sand. XD lol
Atheist denial is hilarious.
I suppose it would be humiliating and degrading to have to accept that some people willingly give up the lifestyle you cherish.
It's so much easier to stick your head in the sand. XD lol
Christians have been arguing this point amongst themselves since the 16th century for crying out loud. I'm betting the author of this article has heard of neither Calvin nor Arminius. Perhaps an overview is in order? Google it...
I dare say Calvin made arguments that were at least based on Scripture rather than off-the-cuff anecdotal babble. Of course none of this debate would be necessary if the Bible were, you know, consistent. But what do you expect from a book written by different authors from different centuries and in different languages, with vastly different ideas of who/what God is/was?
I just wish I had figured all that out before spending 40 years as a devout fundamentalist Christian...
Poor, poor, arrogant sop.
What does it mean to be a Christian? I believe it is to act on John 3:16--Confess with your mouth that "Jesus is Lord" and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead. Is that the proper definition?
If so, then one who has done that, and now says, "Jesus is not Lord" and does not believe God raised him from the dead, I would assert, would be an ex-Christian. Fair? If so, I assert it is possible to be an ex-Christian.
The statements "It is impossible to un-ring a bell, un-cook an egg or un-kill the living" are false analogies to ex-Christianity. You can stop a bell from ringing, but you can't go back in time to prevent yourself from ringing the bell (time travel). You can't un-cook an egg because it's a chemical impossibility. I'm not sure what "un-kill the living" means, because if the living is killed, then the "living" is now dead. But saying you cannot be an ex-Christian is like saying you can't be an ex-Democrat, an ex-Muslim, or an ex-Atheist.
Charles,
I'm not sure what gives you the authority to make such a claim, but I am curious as to if you believe this theory is true for every religion out there. Is there no such things as ex-Muslims or ex-Buddhists? My point here is simply that religion is no different from any other ideology, school of thought, philosophy, whatever you want to call it. You can subscribe to it, love it, live it, and then subsequently change your mind and not like it at all and discontinue thinking and living in that sort of way. I take it you feel that Christianity is deserving of some type of special circumstance or status and therefore people cannot come and go from it. I respectfully disagree with this assertion and I also find it very arrogant of you sir to presuppose that Christianity is deserving of this type of status over every other religion and way of life/thought.
Good day sir.
It is astounding to me that those who post trying to repudiate what Charles is saying only serve to prove his point. I agree, if you have been saved by the grace of God through being reborn of the Spirit of God there is no leaving Him. Anyone who believes it's possible proves they have never had their heart changed, which means they were never saved to begin with. Does that mean that Christianity has a reserved, higher status? I think it does. Real Christianity is unlike any other religion or philosophy or whatever else. You won't see that unless you've been saved. It's not your fault. You can't see it unless God allows you to. It doesn't make us better. It makes us forgiven sinners. I don't know of any true Christ loving believer who feels superior to anyone. If anything, they are more humble because they know what they do deserve for their sins and are heartbroken for those who scoff and choose to turn their backs and refuse the gift of salvation offered. I'm with you Charles.
Disciple of Christ,
I think your post pretty much ends the discussion right there, sadly.
This particular piece right here, "Does that mean that Christianity has a reserved, higher status? I think it does. Real Christianity is unlike any other religion or philosophy or whatever else" is a direct contradiction to a statement you make in the same post which is "I don't know of any true Christ loving believer who feels superior to anyone."
In the same post, you say that Christianity does indeed have a higher status, which is an arrogant baseless claim, but also say that Christians are humble. In my opinion, making a claim like that doesn't qualify as being humble, but if it makes you happy then I guess more power to you.
I would like to thank you for pointing that out sir, because it is these types of contradictions and insincerity that have specifically turned me off to Christianity.
Good Day.
Humanist, you don't seem to understand. Christianity is not exclusive because I say it is but because Jesus says it is. He said He way the only way, the truth and the life and that no man comes to the Father or His kingdom, Heaven, except through Jesus. This is not a put down. It's just like saying there is only one key that will fit a lock. I'm sorry if it seems offensive, but your problem is between you and Him. By the way, all religions claim to be exclusive by their very nature, but that isn't the point. The world is always going to be ok with Buddha or Krishna or any other 'deity' with one exception, Jesus Christ. I get that and it's ok. Sad, but ok, in fact He has already told us that it would be this way. I do not condemn you or anyone else because we all are already condemned if we reject Him. Again, I know I m not holier than thou, if anything I'm probably way worse. I'm just a forgiven sinner because He saved me. I have nothing in me that's good apart from Him.
Disciple of Christ,
I think your post pretty much ends the discussion right there, sadly.
This particular piece right here, "Does that mean that Christianity has a reserved, higher status? I think it does. Real Christianity is unlike any other religion or philosophy or whatever else" is a direct contradiction to a statement you make in the same post which is "I don't know of any true Christ loving believer who feels superior to anyone."
In the same post, you say that Christianity does indeed have a higher status, which is an arrogant baseless claim, but also say that Christians are humble. In my opinion, making a claim like that doesn't qualify as being humble, but if it makes you happy then I guess more power to you.
I would like to thank you for pointing that out sir, because it is these types of contradictions and insincerity that have specifically turned me off to Christianity.
Good Day.
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