When is someone not a Christian?

[Jordan St. Francis]

If there is no resurrection, your faith is likely to be practicing the teachings of Jesus here, on this Earth, in this life, and doing whatever you can to transform this world into the kingdom of God. You make Jesus a sage, a role model, a teacher, a light in the darkness and the human voice of your God on earth.

The resurrection should be the cause of our boldness and courage for all these things. It is precisely because God exists, made us in the image of His Son, and revealed that image in the incarnation, that we should work towards bringing that image- obscured by sin and death- to perfection.

 

[free spirit]

Did Christ worship a book?

No He din't worship a book, nither do I: but the book points the way.
We read in matthew 7:22-23, "Many will say to me on that day, Lord, Lord did we not prophesy in your name, and in your name cast out demons, and in your name perform many miracles? And then I will declare to them, 'i never knew you; depart from me, you who practice lawlessness." By the look of the above scripture many are PRETEND CHRISTIANS because of the ignorance that is in them.

But here is a comforting notion for the superficial believer. Once I read the definition of a Christian in a non English dictionary; it said that a "Christian is a human being" that is all it said.

 

[Alceste]

No He din't worship a book, nither do I: but the book points the way.

What book did Jesus claim pointed the way?

We read in matthew 7:22-23, "Many will say to me on that day, Lord, Lord did we not prophesy in your name, and in your name cast out demons, and in your name perform many miracles? And then I will declare to them, 'i never knew you; depart from me, you who practice lawlessness." By the look of the above scripture many are PRETEND CHRISTIANS because of the ignorance that is in them.

But here is a comforting notion for the superficial believer. Once I read the definition of a Christian in a non English dictionary; it said that a "Christian is a human being" that is all it said.

We read all kinds of things in books. So what? You still need to develop a virtuous, coherent ethical framework to live by. That's you, not your favourite preacher, or your favourite writer. Developing an ethical framework is a basic requirement of human life. Sorry to disappoint you, but you can't get ethics from books. You have to think, and feel.

 

[free spirit]

What book did Jesus claim pointed the way?

We read all kinds of things in books. So what? You still need to develop a virtuous, coherent ethical framework to live by. That's you, not your favourite preacher, or your favourite writer. Developing an ethical framework is a basic requirement of human life. Sorry to disappoint you, but you can't get ethics from books. You have to think, and feel.

and do.

 

[blackout]

I find our obsessions with labels to be wholly tiresome.

Be what you want.
Call yourself whatever works for you.
It's all fine. (as long as you don't expect 'others' to understand or "confirm" you).

Best stay away from the critics anyway.

 

[Terrywoodenpic]

So is someone "not a christian" if they believe in Jesus and His work but do not believe in super-natural occurrences such as resurrection?

They are indeed Christian in his wider Church... Jesus teaching on how we should live our lives comes shining through... He never gave us a list of things we have to believe.
He did demonstrate how important faith in the power of God was, both to us and to him.
I prefer to to not rely on super natural stories from the Bible... This does not mean none of them happened... but that they are not vital to my faith.

Anything based on Genesis I hold in deep suspicion as factual, however the stories in it do indicate what people believed at the time it was written.

 

[confusedius]

They are indeed Christian in his wider Church... Jesus teaching on how we should live our lives comes shining through... He never gave us a list of things we have to believe.
He did demonstrate how important faith in the power of God was, both to us and to him.
I prefer to to not rely on super natural stories from the Bible... This does not mean none of them happened... but that they are not vital to my faith.

Anything based on Genesis I hold in deep suspicion as factual, however the stories in it do indicate what people believed at the time it was written.

This is exactly how I have been feeling for quite some time. I am not sure why it is important to me to believe I am a Christian, but there it is.

Middle ground is a thankless place, methinks. I go to the Catholic forums, and my position is totally out of place because I can not accept things that are so obviously illogical and without proof. Then I go to the Deist forums and try to explain why I believe in things that they find illogical and that I can not prove.

I pray regular thanks to the Manufacturer, but I sure could use a clearer set of operating instructions!

James

 

[free spirit]

Here is a comforting notion for the superficial believer. Once I read the definition of a Christian in a non English dictionary; it said that a "Christian is a human being" that is all it said, I wish was as simple as that. Before I become a born of the spirit Christian I was also a PRETEND CHRISTIAN, believeing in God through a Christian denomination. If I explain to you how it feels to be a Christian born of the spirit you would not understand, but if I explain to you how it feels to be a PRETEND CHRISTIAN you should be able to identifiy with that if indeed you are one of them.
(A pretend Christian goes through the motion and requirement of his Christian denomination but his soul feels empty: empty of understanding, empty of joy, empty of real belonging, empty of hope, full of doubt, he knows that he is not right before God, because sin is in his life.) That's the way I was before I was born of the spirit of God. You must be born of the Spirit of God before you become a real Christian there is no other way. The Spirit of God will guide you into repentance to cleanse you from those things.

 

[Jenegospelsinger]

Here is a comforting notion for the superficial believer. Once I read the definition of a Christian in a non English dictionary; it said that a "Christian is a human being" that is all it said, I wish was as simple as that. Before I become a born of the spirit Christian I was also a PRETEND CHRISTIAN, believeing in God through a Christian denomination. If I explain to you how it feels to be a Christian born of the spirit you would not understand, but if I explain to you how it feels to be a PRETEND CHRISTIAN you should be able to identifiy with that if indeed you are one of them.
(A pretend Christian goes through the motion and requirement of his Christian denomination but his soul feels empty: empty of understanding, empty of joy, empty of real belonging, empty of hope, full of doubt, he knows that he is not right before God, because sin is in his life.) That's the way I was before I was born of the spirit of God. You must be born of the Spirit of God before you become a real Christian there is no other way. The Spirit of God will guide you into repentance to cleanse you from those things.

I agree with you!

 

[Alceste]

Free spirit and Jenegospelsinger, I don't think either of you are really Christians so I guess it's just a matter of perspective.