What it means to be Christian is what someone with an agenda selectively quotes from a religious text. Too easy.
Ha! Says the man that will not read, the Bible, the Koran, or even the Bhagavad Gita. But he knows!!!
I haven't read those books ... Because you say so? I also read Aesop's Fables and Grimm's Fairy tales and found them equally compelling. I don't see a difference. What I do see is bible thumpers quoting and misquoting the bible as a means to express hate. Hate of gay people. Hate of Muslims.
What about those Catholic Irish bombing Protestant English pubs? How about those murderous atheists that used their state of atheism to murder hundreds of millions? How about those murderous republicans intervening in the Vietnam war? What about them murderous liberals in Los Angeles in the L.A riots? They come in all shapes and sizes... It's called humanity
See here is the real scoop.... Every belief or ideology have their crazies that murder for their cause. But the funny thing is how an atheist will be quick to judge the entire belief because it's by a theist, then deny that an atheist was ever part of the same murderous nature in the name of their ideology or belief. Funny how that works huh?
True you are Mags, but there is a difference here. The Muslim can indeed believe he is following the teachings of his prophet while doing despicable deeds. In the middle east, some call the non believer an infidel just like the Koran does but kafir is often used.. In Africa and much of eastern Asia they call the infidel "Kaffir" . It's common practice to capture one or more and ransom the Kaffir to whom ever will pay. All within the fair play to do unto infidels. I can vouch for the fact that they enjoy the game, from first hand up close observations. I sort of enjoyed fucking up a few those events myself, without remorse I might add. I can not find that sort of teaching is any other religion and I have tried. Denny calls it selective reading but he can't name a specific either. Denny All Mouth, or Head up ass Denny, hard to tell.
Just the opposite, Mags. I don't judge ALL Christians or ALL Muslims because of abortion clinic murderers or other terrorist acts. I'll settle for being a heathen. Is that another word for "infidel?"
That's not at all what the Bible says. Misperceptions like this are the kind of thing that prevent people from hearing what the Bible actually says.
It is by grace you are saved, through faith, and this not of yourselves, it is the gift of God. Not by works, lest any man should boast. Eph. 2:8-9 If you declare with your mouth, "Jesus is Lord," and believe in your heart Good raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. Rom. 10:9 Salvation does not come through obedience; it comes through faith in Christ's sacrifice on our behalf. The misperception is that Christianity is based on adherence to an arbitrary set of "do's and don't's", when it's actually based on faith in Christ, nothing more. The Bible says that holiness, obedience, righteousness are supposed to follow out of devotion to God, not intended to secure eternal position. So no, the Bible does not say "Obey the church or burn in Hell." It says, "ALL have sinned and are deserving of eternal separation from God, but you can be with him if you choose to accept His provision as sufficient."
But the Bible also says you'll burn in hell. Quotes Jesus as saying so. I deliberately showed you two specific passages out of many. Many that the "bible actually says." "For those who do not obey the truth... burn in hell." Truth as defined by who? The church, the Pope, the local minister/priest, the cult leader, etc. They are there to interpret the words of the book for you.
If I believed that you were interested in legitimate discourse, I would address your misinterpretations. As it is, I believe you only seek to antagonize, so I will simply bid you good day. If you do have interest in discussing the tenets of Christianity and how all various verses work together to form a complete theology, feel free to PM me and we can delve further.
I am not interpreting or misinterpreting. It is a fact that the bible says the things I cited. No more, no less.
How about a discussion of how all the various verses of the Koran work together to form a complete theology? I think many people here "get" the Bible and Christianity. I only see cherry picking of selected verses, as I have done with the bible, with the intent of painting the religion as a threat to humanity.