Hate filled...hypocrites? er...yes and no. Compared to God's love for us...it is most certainly correct to say that we are hate-filled human beings. Will be until we step into eternity. Our daily lives prove it. (No..i don't mean the outward smiley "isn't it great to be a christian" rhetoric...I mean the real us...you know...the ones who love God with all our heart and really intend to pray as we know we should...later.) Paul knew this as well as anyone..."Oh wretched man that i..."AM"...who will delver me..."
On the other hand...we are NOT completely hate filled...only by His mercy. We really DO love God...its just not nearly as much as we know we ought...But GOD...who is rich in mercy!.....
Vic and anair: Just because Christians are sinners doesn't mean they're hate-filled hypocrites. The fact that Christians are sinners doesn't make them all murderers, rapists, or adulterers either.
Don't buy into the media myth. Further, consider what the world means when it labels Christians as "hate-filled hypocrites." Do you think that that portrait is accurate? I certainly don't, and I've been a member of enough churches across the nation to come to a reasonable conclusion that the supposed hate-mongers are few and far between.
One could just as easily say atheists are ‘hate-filled hypocrites’ – but that wouldn’t help matters. Also, if you don’t stand for anything, you never have to run the risk of being a hypocrite : )
I didn't say that Christians are rapists, nurderers or adulterers. (Some are...some are not). That is irrelevant. Just because we are not as bad as we can be at all times....says nothing about our "goodness".
By listing speccific sins (that we as "good" Christians do not do).....We seem to speak of being sinners as if it is serious....but not THAT serious.
Same way when we speak so glibly about Christianity being about "love". God most certainly IS love...just not the kind most of us are thinking of.
Its not that atheists do not stand for anything....but what is there to prevent them from believing anything and everything? Its just that without transcendent basis for what you DO believe....it seems you get to make up your own basis...which as we see can be a "basis for believing in whatever might blow our hair back....regardless of of its truth.
If that offends...don't be miffed...just let us know the basis that WILL provide the basis for all of us. Give us that one truth and we can stop debating.
Of course not. I didn’t mean to imply that. I was merely pointing out that say, a hyper-sexed sex industry worker flinging him or herself around on the streets of San Francisco can happily call a Christian who speaks about “family values” a hypocrite when he or she makes a mistake. It’s probably incredibly satisfying.
Christians really are amazing people. Many are full of love and many are rarely hypocritical. BUT this is only Christ in them: their sanctification.
Without Christ, we are "like one who is unclean, and all our righteous deeds are like a polluted garment." Is 64:6
Moreover, Christians who are know they are clearly not "hate-filled hypocrites" are at risk of become conceited. We continually have to realize our fallenness as it is goes along with Jesus' mercy.
Moreover, Christians who know they are clearly not "hate-filled hypocrites" are at risk of becoming conceited. We continually have to realize our fallenness as it goes along with Jesus' mercy.
Hate filled...hypocrites? er...yes and no. Compared to God's love for us...it is most certainly correct to say that we are hate-filled human beings. Will be until we step into eternity. Our daily lives prove it. (No..i don't mean the outward smiley "isn't it great to be a christian" rhetoric...I mean the real us...you know...the ones who love God with all our heart and really intend to pray as we know we should...later.) Paul knew this as well as anyone..."Oh wretched man that i..."AM"...who will delver me..."
On the other hand...we are NOT completely hate filled...only by His mercy. We really DO love God...its just not nearly as much as we know we ought...But GOD...who is rich in mercy!.....
Posted by: Vic | March 25, 2010 at 05:57 PM
But Christians ARE hate-filled hypocrites (that is not a lie we are told)!
They are just justified by the blood of Christ, and being sanctified.
Posted by: anair | March 25, 2010 at 06:52 PM
Vic and anair: Just because Christians are sinners doesn't mean they're hate-filled hypocrites. The fact that Christians are sinners doesn't make them all murderers, rapists, or adulterers either.
Don't buy into the media myth. Further, consider what the world means when it labels Christians as "hate-filled hypocrites." Do you think that that portrait is accurate? I certainly don't, and I've been a member of enough churches across the nation to come to a reasonable conclusion that the supposed hate-mongers are few and far between.
Posted by: Naturallawyer | March 26, 2010 at 01:07 AM
One could just as easily say atheists are ‘hate-filled hypocrites’ – but that wouldn’t help matters. Also, if you don’t stand for anything, you never have to run the risk of being a hypocrite : )
Posted by: KWM | March 26, 2010 at 07:58 AM
KWM,
Do you mean to say that being an atheist implies not standing for anything?
RonH
Posted by: RonH | March 26, 2010 at 08:09 AM
Natural...
I didn't say that Christians are rapists, nurderers or adulterers. (Some are...some are not). That is irrelevant. Just because we are not as bad as we can be at all times....says nothing about our "goodness".
By listing speccific sins (that we as "good" Christians do not do).....We seem to speak of being sinners as if it is serious....but not THAT serious.
Same way when we speak so glibly about Christianity being about "love". God most certainly IS love...just not the kind most of us are thinking of.
Posted by: Vic | March 26, 2010 at 08:23 AM
Ron...
Its not that atheists do not stand for anything....but what is there to prevent them from believing anything and everything? Its just that without transcendent basis for what you DO believe....it seems you get to make up your own basis...which as we see can be a "basis for believing in whatever might blow our hair back....regardless of of its truth.
If that offends...don't be miffed...just let us know the basis that WILL provide the basis for all of us. Give us that one truth and we can stop debating.
Posted by: Vic | March 26, 2010 at 08:31 AM
RonH,
Of course not. I didn’t mean to imply that. I was merely pointing out that say, a hyper-sexed sex industry worker flinging him or herself around on the streets of San Francisco can happily call a Christian who speaks about “family values” a hypocrite when he or she makes a mistake. It’s probably incredibly satisfying.
Posted by: KWM | March 26, 2010 at 02:20 PM
To some people, ordinary people and their religion are not their cup of tea.... party.
Clinging to God and guns,
Frank
Posted by: Francis Beckwith | March 28, 2010 at 01:21 PM
Natural,
Christians really are amazing people. Many are full of love and many are rarely hypocritical. BUT this is only Christ in them: their sanctification.
Without Christ, we are "like one who is unclean, and all our righteous deeds are like a polluted garment." Is 64:6
Moreover, Christians who are know they are clearly not "hate-filled hypocrites" are at risk of become conceited. We continually have to realize our fallenness as it is goes along with Jesus' mercy.
Posted by: anair | March 28, 2010 at 05:43 PM
let me fix that last paragraph:
Moreover, Christians who know they are clearly not "hate-filled hypocrites" are at risk of becoming conceited. We continually have to realize our fallenness as it goes along with Jesus' mercy.
Posted by: anair | March 28, 2010 at 05:46 PM