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Re: Question for the born-again Christians (re: Sandy Hook)
I am only addressing her statement:
"I would speculate that a person that performs an act of heroism as such would most likely have some form of relationship with God in order to do something so selfless."
That is what seems to have caused the biggest stir. Besides, I already said I don't buy into the whole "To receive salvation, you do not have to do good deeds or try hard to be a "good person" to get into heaven. All that is required is your faith in Christ."
FWIW, Cincy, she wasn't saying that Atheists are immoral. Just that they can't be selfless. And yeah, that is exactly what she was trying to say. Even after the offensiveness of her actual statement was pointed out to her, she didn't retract that statement.
Weren't you the one that said context matters? It's so weird that you're defend a statement, which if taken as it's written, is offensive to non-Christians.
I am not defending it, just can't believe one would think you have to be a christian to live a selfless, caring life.
Anybody who thinks Christians are the only good hearted, selfless, loving caring people in the world need to take a peak at the perversion of some people who claim to be Christian...like the clowns of the WBC.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/under-god/post/westboro-baptist-church-to-picket-sandy-hook-funerals-4-ways-to-respond/2012/12/17/520a6ba0-488e-11e2-b6f0-e851e741d196_blog.html?wprss=under-god&google_editors_picks=true
Love a Duck!!! I have never had my words so carefully analyzed in all my days.
Here is what I am saying: for someone to perform such an act, I would speculate that they have a relationship with God because the crux of Christanity is selfless acts.
This is like saying- the woman at the buffet has all foods on her plate except meat and dairy therefore I assume her to be a vegan. It's an assumption, maybe even profiling. It could be that the lady is on some sort of a diet.
I'm not at all saying atheists or wiccans or any other faiths or non faiths are incapable of acts of heroism or good deeds at all. The gentleman that I lease my office space from is very atheist and he has a very good heart. I do not believe anyone else on this planet would be as good and forgiving to me and my wayward staff of employees as he has. If he were in the position of the teacher that the OP mentioned, I'm sure without a doubt he would do the same thing.
In re: bolded type: aren't you contradicting yourself? Your OP said your acts don't matter- only faith in Christ matters. Which is it?
My OP was in response to her question about the teacher going to heaven. Acts do not matter in terms of going to heaven.
I abhor religion, but I am not an atheist. I have absolutely no intellectual way to defend a belief in God, re-incarnation, or any of the other things I believe in, so I don't bother.
I find your belief that acts do not matter in terms of going to heaven to be interesting. You believe people will go to hell if they don't believe in God, yes?
The idea that nothing on earth affects your place in the afterlife is actually really prevalent among people who have had an NDE. I was sort of obsessed with them a while back. The overwhelming similarity between so many of them is that it's TRUE acts don't matter - but only because NO ONE is going to hell. There is no hell. God loves everyone the same. Exactly the same.
While I don't know that I believe in that either, I am much more likely to believe that, over accepting the idea that good people who don't believe in God will go to hell. That's pretty far-fetched, IMO.
I'm probably going to do a poor job of explaining this but in Christanity, we are taught that we are all born with a sin nature. The only way to atone that is to accept Christ as savior and ask for forgiveness. God does not require one to seek salvation through righteous works. He just asks that you repent and believe..that's it. No matter how many mistakes you make along the way, you are still a Christian and can never be excommunicated etc.
Apart from that, as Christians we are taught to follow the example that Christ left for us during his time here on earth.. Seek peace, feed the poor, have compassion etc.
I see what you are saying. It's very at odds with what I feel. Personally, I would rather believe in nothing, than think the Sandy Hook killer may go to heaven because he believed in God, while a teacher who shielded the kids in her classroom from harm and sacrificed her own life would go to hell because she didn't believe in God.
To each their own. It's just not something I personally could ever believe in.
selfless acts are the crux of a number of different religions.
So.. you only must have faith in Christ to go to Jesus? BUT you are to follow His example. His example being showing good works/having good acts, ON TOP OF having faith in God. Again, I will site James 2:26- faith without works is dead. It seems odd to me that as a Christian, you choose to ignore that scripture- especially since Jesus himself said it.
When read in context, this passage was written during abtime of great economic hardship. James is calling Christians to act. It is because of their faith, that they should act. The work that James requires is not to be done instead of faith. He is saying because of your faith you should be doing xyz.
Ephesians 2:8- for it is by grace you have been saved through faith and not of yourselves, it is a gift from God. Not by works lest any man should boast.
Jesus and Christ are on int same..Jesus Christ or Jesus the Christ.
I am not going into. Bible debate with you..if this is what you are pulling for
The Bible has multiple, contradictory interpretations?
Also, lol at candygirl for debating the issue then saying 'I'm not going into a Bible debate with you if that's what you're pulling for.' Way to try and get the final word!
lol...but that comment had a deeper purpose
I personally favor James 1:26 Those who consider themselves religious and yet do not keep a tight rein on their tongues deceive themselves, and their religion is worthless
It's a GIRL!
I always get inspiration from 2 Kings 2:23-24
23 From there Elisha went up to Bethel. As he was walking along the road, some boys came out of the town and jeered at him. ?Get out of here, baldy!? they said. ?Get out of here, baldy!? 24 He turned around, looked at them and called down a curse on them in the name of the Lord. Then two bears came out of the woods and mauled forty-two of the boys.
Don't make fun of bald prophets, or you will be eaten by bears.
LD, is that sort of like [exit, pursued by a bear]?
Maybe.
Revelations? Definitely. There's some awesome stuff in there.