From the top 3 google search results websites when asking what is a Christian:

http://www.gotquestions.org/what-is-a-Christian.html

http://answering-islam.org/Basics/god.html

http://www.100prophecies.org/christianity.htm

Question: "What is a Christian?"

Answer: A dictionary definition of a Christian would be something similar to "a person professing belief in Jesus as the Christ or in the religion based on the teachings of Jesus." While this is a good starting point, like many dictionary definitions, it falls somewhat short of really communicating the biblical truth of what it means to be a Christian. The word "Christian" is used three times in the New Testament (Acts 11:26; 26:28; 1 Peter 4:16). Followers of Jesus Christ were first called "Christians" in Antioch (Acts 11:26) because their behavior, activity, and speech were like Christ. The word "Christian" literally means, "belonging to the party of Christ" or a "follower of Christ."



Unfortunately over time, the word "Christian" has lost a great deal of its significance and is often used of someone who is religious or has high moral values but who may or may not be a true follower of Jesus Christ. Many people who do not believe and trust in Jesus Christ consider themselves Christians simply because they go to church or they live in a "Christian" nation. But going to church, serving those less fortunate than you, or being a good person does not make you a Christian. Going to church does not make you a Christian anymore than going to a garage makes you an automobile. Being a member of a church, attending services regularly, and giving to the work of the church does not make you a Christian.



The Bible teaches that the good works we do cannot make us acceptable to God. Titus 3:5 says, "He saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit." So, a Christian is someone who has been born again by God (John 3:3; John 3:7; 1 Peter 1:23) and has put faith and trust in Jesus Christ. Ephesians 2:8 tells us that it is "…by grace you have been saved, through faith--and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God."



A true Christian is a person who has put faith and trust in the person and work of Jesus Christ, including His death on the cross as payment for sins and His resurrection on the third day. John 1:12 tells us, "Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God." The mark of a true Christian is love for others and obedience to God's Word (1 John 2:4, 10). A true Christian is indeed a child of God, a part of God's true family, and one who has been given new life in Jesus Christ.



Have you made a decision for Christ because of what you have read here? If so, please click on the "I have accepted Christ today" button below.







WHAT DO CHRISTIANS BELIEVE?



Seven Things About God



1. We believe there is Only One Unique God. It is written: (Deuteronomy 6:4) Hear, O Israel; The LORD our God [is] one LORD.



2. God is Creator of everything, this vast universe. All was created by His Word. He spoke it into being. It is written: (Genesis 1:3) And God said... and it was so. His Word is powerful.



3. How can we created beings know anything about God? How can we puny creatures know anything about His thoughts?



We can - but only because God Himself has chosen to reveal something about Himself to us. He is the God of Revelation. It is written: (Deuteronomy 29:29) The secret things belong to the LORD our God; but the things that are revealed belong to us and to our children for ever, that we may do all the words of this law.



What has God revealed about Himself to us?



4. He is Holy - pure - absolutely no evil can exist in or with Him. He has nothing to do with any sin, or wrong thinking, or evil. It is written: (Habakkuk 3:11) Your eyes are too pure to look on evil; you cannot tolerate wrong.



5. He is Just - which means that all wrongdoing will be punished. Sometimes people are confused on this point. Justice is not the same as mercy. Justice means if you break the law, you pay the penalty.



God does not compromise His nature of Holiness. He punishes all wrong doing.



It is not as if God puts all our good deeds on one side of a scale, and all our bad deeds on the other side to see which is heavier. To use an example: If I were to murder your brother, would a judge be just who said, "It's OK. We can let him be free. He has done mostly good during his life." God does not close His eyes to wrong. He does not tolerate it.



But doesn't God know that we are all dust? That we are prone to make mistakes? There is no perfect man or woman. Yes, He knows. But does this mean that our mistakes don't matter to God? God is holy and just, so they matter greatly. If we understand this, then we realize that we are in a very bad situation.



If we are honest - which of us has never had a selfish or wrong thought? or never lied? Who can say that they have a pure heart before a Holy God?



And even if we were able to live without making mistakes now - what about the past? Does God have a poor memory? Does doing good erase doing wrong? No.



Each of us deserves God's judgment and Hellfire. It's not just a matter of saying a prayer, "I am sorry. I will try to do better next time." There would be no justice in that.



An example: If I drive through a red light and an officer stops me, is it any good saying, "But officer, I have been going through green lights the rest of my life!" If this argument wouldn't work with an officer, how much less with a Holy and Just God! It is written: (Romans 6:23) The payment of wrongdoing is death.



Fortunately for each one of us, this is not the end of the story.



6. God is Almighty - God can do anything He wants to. It is written: (Jeremiah 32:17) Ah Lord GOD! You have made the heavens and the earth by your great power and outstretched arm, nothing is too hard for you.



There are no limits - no bounds to His power.



God is consistent. God is not contradictory - He doesn't contradict His holiness or justice. He does not violate His law.



Let me ask a question: "How do you get to know someone?" You might be able to tell something about others from the way they look. But you can't know what they think, what's in their heart. We need to hear a person's words. Their words tell what is inside their heart, what they are thinking in their mind.



If I want to communicate my wishes to you, there are several ways of doing it. I might send you a letter, writing down my thoughts. You could read it. But you might have questions, or not understand something. A better way is to send my letter with a good friend, someone who knows me well. My friend would be able to explain something of what I am saying. Better yet, I telephone you, and you can talk with me directly. But best of all, I come to you in person, and we meet face to face.



God's Word spoke the universe into being. His Word is powerful beyond our comprehension. He wants us to know Him. God gave His written Word in the law. He sent the prophets to explain and clarify His Word. It is written: (Hebrews 1:1) In the past God spoke to our forefathers through the prophets at many times and in various ways.



God is so powerful that nothing is impossible - if God wants to, His WORD can actually come to us, face to face. His Word can become a man.



7. God is LOVE - God loves us and wants us to know Him - so His Word became a man.



It is written: (John 1:1,14) In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God ... The Word became flesh and made His dwelling among us. We have seen His glory, the Glory of the One and Only.



Jesus is the Word of God. The pure and Holy Word of God.



Remember Abraham and his son? (Genesis 22:1-14) Abraham wanted to obey and submit to God. He took his son to sacrifice him, and on the way his son asked, "The fire and wood are here, but where is the lamb for the offering?" Abraham answered, "God himself will provide the Lamb for the offering." Abraham laid his son on the altar for sacrifice and was about to slay him when God called to him, "Abraham! Do not lay a hand on the boy!" And Abraham looked up and saw a ram God momentously provided, caught by its horns, and sacrificed it instead. His son was ransomed.



The Bible calls Jesus the Lamb of God (John 1:29) when the prophet John declared, "Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!" He ransomed us. In love, God's Word took the judgment we deserved upon Himself.



But He didn't stay dead - He could not - He rose victorious - and conquered death.







How can we know God?



How can we know God? It isn't easy - it takes humility.



It takes humility to recognize that we are dust, that we have unclean hearts, and our deeds deserve Hell.



It takes humility to receive what God has done: He washes us clean, makes us pure, and gives His Spirit to help us live lives of obedience.



There is great joy and freedom in knowing God - the One and Only God, the Creator, the One who Reveals Himself, who is Holy, Just, Almighty, and Loving.



He calls us not to be servants, but His children. Jesus says (John 15:15) I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master's business. Instead I have called you friends.



It is written: (John 1:12) To all who received Him, who believed in His name, He gave power to become children of God.



Christian beliefs



Below is a list of some things that Christians believe:



1. God created all that is seen and unseen

Christians believe that God is the creator of all people, the world, the universe, and everything seen and unseen. This is based on various Bible passages, including the first chapter of the Bible's book of Genesis.



2. Jesus is the Son of God and is one with God

Christians believe that Jesus is the Son of God, that he is one with God, and that he was sent here for our salvation. In John 10:30 (NIV translation), John the Apostle quotes Jesus as saying, "I and the Father are one."



3. Jesus was conceived of the Holy Spirit and born of the virgin Mary

Christians believe that Jesus was conceived of the Holy Spirit of God and born through the Virgin Mary. As explained in Matthew 1:18 (NIV), "This is how the birth of Jesus Christ came about: His mother Mary was pledged to be married to Joseph, but before they came together, she was found to be with child through the Holy Spirit."



4. Jesus suffered and was crucified

Jesus suffered and died for our sins. Jesus was falsely accused of being an anti-government rebel and, as explained in Matthew 27:23-56, he was brought to Pontius Pilate to be executed through crucifixion. He was mocked, beaten, taunted and crucified by the Romans.



5. Jesus died and was buried

Jesus died after being crucified. He was buried in a tomb that was owned by a man named Joseph of Arimathea, who was a follower of Jesus. In Matthew 27:57-60 (NIV), the Bible says, "As evening approached, there came a rich man from Arimathea, named Joseph, who had himself become a disciple of Jesus. Going to Pilate, he asked for Jesus' body, and Pilate ordered that it be given to him. Joseph took the body, wrapped it in a clean linen cloth, and placed it in his own new tomb that he had cut out of the rock. He rolled a big stone in front of the entrance to the tomb and went away."



6. Jesus rose again (the Resurrection)

Jesus was resurrected, which means that he died and was brought back to life again. The resurrection of Jesus is described in various places throughout the Bible's New Testament, including in the New Testament book of John, chapter 20. As explained in the Bible, all people who die before Judgment Day will be resurrected. The people who believe in Jesus will be resurrected to eternal life in Heaven. Those who do not believe in Jesus will be condemned, eternally, by their own sins, as explained in John 3:18, and elsewhere.



7. Jesus ascended into Heaven

Jesus ascended into Heaven and is seated at the right hand of God the Father. This happened after Jesus was resurrected. We too can go to Heaven, through faith in Jesus Christ. As explained in Mark 16:19-20 (NIV): "After the Lord Jesus had spoken to them, he was taken up into heaven and he sat at the right hand of God. Then the disciples went out and preached everywhere, and the Lord worked with them and confirmed his word by the signs that accompanied it."



8. Jesus will return to judge the living and the dead

Jesus will return to judge the living and the dead, and his kingdom will have no end. In Matthew 24:30 (NIV), Jesus is quoted as saying that he will return: "At that time the sign of the Son of Man will appear in the sky, and all the nations of the earth will mourn. They will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of the sky, with power and great glory." Additional details are provided elsewhere, such as in the New Testament passages of John 5:28,29 and 2 Timothy 4:1-3. You can learn more about Jesus at the www.About-Jesus.org web site.



9. Anyone can have salvation

All people may receive salvation in the name of Jesus Christ. In Romans 10:12 (NIV), for example, it says: "For there is no difference between Jew and Gentile - the same Lord is Lord of all and richly blesses all who call on him".



10. People who repent of their sins will be forgiven

People are forgiven and saved if they confess their sins and confess their belief in the resurrection of Jesus. As explained in Romans 10:9-10 (NIV), "That if you confess with your mouth, 'Jesus is Lord,' and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved."



John 3:16 (NIV):

"For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life."



Does this represent a Christian? do the three websites paint a cohesive portrait of what a Christian is or do they contradict eachother? If they do, what does that mean and does it matter?

looks pretty ok to me

From my book, The Concept:
What Does It Really Mean To Be "Christian"?
What does it really mean to be "Christian"? It depends who you ask and when you ask it. In 2006, Knowledge Networks conducted a study. More than 1,000 self-identified Christians 18 years of age and older, living in the Unites States, were surveyed on their religious beliefs and practices. These 1,000 Christians were then divided into five categories; roughly equal sizes percentage-wise, based on their beliefs, or what they think it means to be "Christian". At one extreme, "Active Christians" believe salvation comes through Jesus Christ, are committed churchgoers, read the Bible, and are active in sharing the faith (evangelical). At the other extreme, "Cultural Christians" do not view Jesus as essential to salvation, are aware of God but have little personal involvement with God, and rarely go to church. With what appears to be such a major difference in theology, how can both groups be considered Christian? The term "Christian" is quite broad and allows for many specific and different beliefs. We have already seen from the time of Jesus to this very day, many groups, who call themselves Christians, separate and develop their own belief systems. This caused a problem for the early Christian leadership so certain groups of Christians created creeds, or lists of affirmations of their faith. While this did not technically define what it meant to be Christian, it did serve as a guideline that many, but certainly not all, Christians still use to this day. Just like ideas about religion and God, Christianity has continued to evolve all throughout its 2,000-year history as theologians, philosophers, and the Church Fathers continued to define and redefine the faith. But if we go back to the very beginning, the first usage of the term Christians, just over 30 years after the death of Jesus, can be found in Acts 11:26, "The disciples were called Christians first at Antioch". The word "Christians" comes from the Greek word christianos, which means simply "follower of Christ". The term "Christ" comes from the Greek word KhristÛs, which means "the anointed one". Some Christians hold that "the anointed one" specifically refers to the prophecy of Jesus in the Old Testament, but anointing is the also act of pouring a liquid on a person for spiritual purposes. In the Gospel according to John, the anointing of Jesus is described in some detail. To be referred to as Christ, he didn't need to be God, just smeared with a liquid. The disciples, or first "followers of Jesus", were perhaps the purest form of Christians before Christianity became diluted by 2,000 years of doctrines, rituals, and power-hungry individuals looking to exploit the faith using the "Fear of God". So what does it mean to be a follower of Christ? We know it does not refer to literally following the guy around. Based on the many current definitions of "follow", we can reasonably assume one or more of these definitions: ∑ to accept the guidance or leadership of ∑ to adhere to the practices of ∑ to take as a role model ∑ to accept as worthy of imitation ∑ to comply with, obey ∑ to grasp the meaning or logic of, to understand But it does not mean we need to sell all of our stuff and martyr ourselves. Although Martin Luther King Jr. was a self-proclaimed follower of Gandhi, he didn't live a life identical to that of Gandhi, rather he adopted his philosophy of non-violence. King was a follower of a person alive in his lifetime, which made it easier for King to know who he was actually following. Given that Jesus has been dead for about 2,000 years, and what we now know about the questionability of the historical accuracy of the Bible, how can we "follow" Jesus? We already looked at what I called the "Jesi". We know about Jesus today from a historical and theological perspective, but we don't know the real Jesus -- the man who walked the earth, nor do we even know with 100% certainty that he even existed. But through the historical study of Jesus, we can piece together enough information about what Jesus probably said and what he probably did, to get a sense of the philosophy of Jesus Christ. We don't follow Jesus because we want to perform miracles like he was said to have done, nor do we follow Jesus because we admire his ability to defy death. We follow Jesus because there is something we admire about him. This "something" does not have to be the same for everybody. To be Christian simply means to be a follower of Christ. How and why you choose to follow him, is up to you.

So Bo you believe that you can follow Christ without believing in God right? Do you think anyone else who proclaims to be Christian would agree with you if you say yes?

Yes. For me it is following the general teaching of "love thy neighbor". To me, that is one of the most powerful ideas we can embrace. I don't care if Jesus wasn't the first to say it. I don't even care if Jesus never existed. The Jesus character said it and gave the idea more attention than any real or literary character in history. It is for this reason I am a "Jesus Freak".
I thinks someone will, someday I have not met a Christian yet that was at least somewhat offended that I use the label "Christian" for my beliefs (or lack thereof). But I am not offended. Just about every group of Christians call other groups of Christians "not real Christians". I am fine that with that.

@ Bo, Have you ever wondered how it must have been, for Jesus to feel all the sin of the world, to have hold of him? All the demons, ungodly emotions grabbing at your flesh, and mind. All the evil, all the sin that had ever been committed or ever will be committed resting on you. God, the pain and agony must have been more then any regular human could possibly go through. He didn't do it, by simply having faith, he did it knowing the end result. I have owned and run a few business's through the years. One thing I never did was to ask someone who worked for me, to do anything that I couldn't do myself. God is like that. He don't put anything on us that we can't handle. Without Him, its a good chance that we would run into things that are to much for us, but with Him, we have power. God was with Jesus. That is what made it possible. We are asked to have faith. Thats it ! Just have faith and believe what the word of God tells us. Why do you think that the poor and needy know Him and the rich and worldly don't or don't want to? First, the poor and needy have no where else to turn. They have nothing else to turn to or depend on. So, they cry out to God, in hopes that He is, and that He will be their hope to pull them out of the hell that they are in. Did God have a choice? Yes, He could have directed his attention to those who lived a clean life, were honest and good. But He didn't. He did with Noah, and what did he do? He grew a vineyard and became a drunk. As soon as blessings come to a man, he runs with it and forgets where it came from. Those who are already living a righteous life, don't need help. There are those of the rich and worldly who call themselves Christians, but they don't really know what a Christian is. They belong to a church, they pray in their proper way of praying, they pay their tithes and some even support a charity or two. This frees them from the burden of guilt, knowing that they should do more, but are at least doing something so they can say they are doing something. This is not what a Christian is. This is what those who place themselves above others like to call " Being Christian". By the way, how many of those folks, do you believe " Love their neighbor?" If the rich and worldly truly loved God, they would feel a piercing in their hearts, telling them to share what they have. Reach out to those who are less fortunate then they are. The rich would never be above the poor, because we would all reap from the goodness of the world, through the spirit of God. That is love. That is what God wants His world to be like. But as long as we have those who place themselves above others, that will never happen. But it is God's will, so somehow, someway, I think that one day, it will. That is a Christ-in, or you call a Christian. Now, imagine Jesus baring all that sin and yet, we keep sining. Until we become like Him, we struggle within ourselves, giving into the devil, for every selfish thought or deed we have.

Have you ever wondered why God would make and innocent man suffer for the sins of the world? Have you ever wondered why God holds people responsible for the "sins of Adam" thousands of years later? Have you ever wondered how God can create everything with "his word" but yet could not forgive sins without a barbaric, bloody, human sacrifice? Have you ever wondered since Jesus is God, he couldn't die and therefore really sacrificed nothing?
Well, no. Don't forget the two people crucified with him. Plus the countless before and after. People have been tortured mercilessly since the beginning of recorded history and it has not stopped. And herein lies a major flaw with Christian theology -- Christians want their God to be 100% and 100% God, so in order to do so they must create an illogical impossibility, and use the "anything is possible with God" wildcard.
A little business advice for you Linda, you SHOULD pay people to do things you don't have to do yourself!
You are asked to have faith because the entire religion (yes, it is a religion) is filled with logical, moral, and ethical problems that are not in line with reason. You accept that the Christian Bible, as you read it today is "what God tells us". The Quaran asks you to have faith as well. Why don't you have faith in that book? Or any of the other Holy Books that ask the same and claim to be God's word? Because you are from the US, and in your time of trouble a friend introduced you to the Christian God. Had you been in Iran, you would be praising Allah. Like you said, it doesn't matter what you call God, it is all the same.
While it is true that there is a direct correlation between income and belief, but it is the education and belief that are related -- education just happens to be the driver for higher income. Again, this is generalization. There are many well-educated and rich people who believe in God. So you are begging the question (making a false assumption in your question and positioning it as a fact).
Should we now add the wealthy along with non-Christian women, prisoners, etc. to the category of "groups I am bitter against and don't like"?

Ask your God to help you see through labels and see individual people for who they are. Ask your God to help you realize that people are not defined by their income, sex, or police record. If there is a Holy Spirit, I cannot even begin to imagine that it is inside you guiding your prejudices. I am sorry if this sounds harsh, but I really want you to think about this.
How do you know what is or isn't in the hearts of others? Do you realize how many people the $1000 computer you are on now can feed? How many homeless people are you sharing your home with now?

My view on charity is contradicted with the Bible, but then again, any view is, depending on the passage quoted. Do you remember the passage where Jesus commends a woman for giving what little she has, and how that means more in the eyes of God than a rich man giving much more? But this is a way to please an imaginary God that does very little for human life. The rich man who gave much more (although less of his wealth percentage wise), did not please God as much, but did a much greater good for humanity.

My goal is not to please an imaginary God, Linda, but my goal is to serve humanity. If there is a God, and he has a problem with that, I will face the consequences head on.

Wealth is often a result of serving humanity. To quote Zig Ziglar, "You can have anything you want, if you give enough other people what they want." I am not ashamed or guilty of my wealth as it is a result of honest work that has helped perhaps millions of people in many ways. To me, I can't think of a better way to improve the lives of the greatest number of people.

WOW, Bo, You bated the hook, and I just chowed right in! OK, I can handle it. In my question about Jesus, taking on all the sin of the world, wasn't about the pain caused by the cross. I was talking about him baring all the sin. A sinner don't feel his sin, but for a good man to be subjected to sin and made to suffer, thats another thing. You said one time, that you speak at prisons. What if you mentally, took on all the guilt of all the crimes that were committed by all those who are in that prison. You, alone paid the price for everyone of them. In return, the doors were opened and all were set free to go out, free men, with the chance to start over again, having clean slates to live good lives. Thats what I was talking about. You said, Have you ever wondered why God would make and innocent man suffer for the sins of the world? Have you ever wondered why God holds people responsible for the "sins of Adam" thousands of years later? Have you ever wondered how God can create everything with "his word" but yet could not forgive sins without a barbaric, bloody, human sacrifice? Have you ever wondered since Jesus is God, he couldn't die and therefore really sacrificed nothing? No, I haven't wondered why Bo, I understood why. As for Jesus dying, He did die. He was flesh and blood the same as you and I. God wanted to make away for mans sins to be forgiven. To give the man He created a chance to know the difference between good and evil. To show his people how to come to Him. You said, A little business advice for you Linda, you SHOULD pay people to do things you don't have to do yourself! Where the hell did that come from? Do you think I hired people to work for me and didn't pay them. My point was, God don't put more on us then what we can handle. As for Jesus on the cross, God knew what the end result would be for him. His life ended as far as being flesh and blood, but he's still alive today. I lied anyway, I PAY people all the time to do things for me that I can't do myself. You said, The Quaran asks you to have faith as well. Why don't you have faith in that book? I don't really know anything about that book, but I don't believe its the word of God. If I was meant to be a muslim, I would have been born in another place. I am who I am. You said, in your time of trouble a friend introduced you to the Christian God. Not so, my Father told me about Him when I was very young. He has been in my heart ever since. His Father told him and so on. You said, Should we now add the wealthy along with non-Christian women, prisoners, etc. to the category of "groups I am bitter against and don't like"? Why do you take everything so personal Bo? First, I said, " there are those of the rich and worldly". I wasn't meaning everyone of them. Those who I was referring to don't need Him, (or they think they don't). Those who are in power over countries who hoard all the money and starve the people, are who I was speaking of. As far as women, I really hate to go there, because I have tried to make amends, but if you ever sat in hearing distance of a group of women and listened to them, maybe you would get an idea of what I am saying here. As for the prisoners, where did you get the idea that I had something against them. Most of my friends and people who have lived under my roof, have been in trouble with the law. I don't know of anyone who has had more compassion for them then I have or reached out to them as much as I have. You get a " Dang you" here. Bo, Im not the monster that you think I am. You hear me defending God and using examples, because I am in a debate. This isn't the way I feel in my heart or live my life in the world. Im not bitter or angry with anyone. Im actually a very humble person, unless Im backed in a corner or being treated unfairly. Your right, The Holy Spirit wouldn't live in a body of a person who was the way you see me. You said, Do you realize how many people the $1000 computer you are on now can feed? How many homeless people are you sharing your home with now? Hey, I paid 2,000. for my computer and it took me a long time to pay it off. But if I didn't have it, I wouldn't be able to argue with you or tell the world about my LORD. As for the homeless sharing my home, I sold my house and now live on my brother in laws land, where I built me a little three room place to live. But I would make room for someone, if someone came along and needed a place to stay. You said, Do you remember the passage where Jesus commends a woman for giving what little she has, and how that means more in the eyes of God than a rich man giving much more? But this is a way to please an imaginary God that does very little for human life. The rich man who gave much more (although less of his wealth percentage wise), did not please God as much, but did a much greater good for humanity. I gave my life Bo. Remember when I told about my being ready to take my life? God kept me from doing that. But then lead me to give it to Him. This isn't for everyone, nor do I think everyone needs to give up their lives and live for God, but I was about to end it anyway, so He spared me, infilled me and uses me for His will. Im sorry for the guilt trip you felt that I was putting you on. How many times do I have to say to you, I see the good in you. My comments are usually about the whole picture, not singling people out.

This would be wrong in so many ways. I would not want to "take on the sins" of a child molester. I would want the child molester incarcerated and separated from society, until such a time that a) he/she has served appropriate time (as determined by legal system) and b) they have been examined by a mental health professional and they are not likely to commit the crime again. It is completely wrong for an innocent person to pay for the crime of another -- not just for the one that takes the heat, but for the individual that does not pay for their crime, and the society that has to accept them back into society prematurely.
So could not just forgive? Your response makes no sense and does not address any of my questions.
May fault there... I totally misunderstood or misread what you wrote. Sorry!
Maybe someday I can be all good when I believe what you believe, until then, I will have to stay mostly evil I guess, simply because of what I don't believe.

So the jist of the Christian dogma is to believe in Christ, but more important than that is to strive to be Christ-like, and my argument would be Christians are hypocrites.

I think it's impossible for anyone to be Christ like today in today's socioty, not because we have become "worse" or "evil" over time but because we have changed and our ways of thinking are more evolved. Like Bo, I believe mentioned there are mennonites who when sued gladly give up the money and say thank you to the person suing them, but this opens you up to be decieved and taken advantage of because of your Christ-like nature, as a good Christian should you feel good about being taken advantage of?

Divorce is another very good example of Christian's not following Christ, so many Christian's are divorced, Linda you said you have been divorced 5 times, the only way you can get a divorce and it not to be a sin in the eyes of God is if your partner commits adultry. But the bible is also clear that anyone who marries someone who is divorced is an adulter, and from a statistics website on the US the #1 reason cited for divorce is not infidelity but irreconcilable differences, meaning they are just not happy together, the love is gone and they know for thier own personal happiness it is better to be appart.

Here is the biblical evidence that Christians who divorce for his reason are hypocrates and certainly not following Christ. 1) "So they are no longer two but one flesh. What therefore God has joined together, let no man put asunder" (Matthew 19:6 & Mark 10:9). 2) "Whosoever shall marry her that is divorced committeth adultery" (Matthew 5:32, 19:9 & Luke 16:18). 3) "Whosoever shall put away his wife, saving for the cause of fornication, causeth her to commit adultery" (Matthew 5:32). 4) "...whosoever shall put away his wife, and marry another, committeth adultery against her" (Mark 10:11 & Luke 16:18), which applies to women as well (Mark 10:12). I was wondering what is meant by the term "put away"? Does anyone know and can shed some light on that would be great. Do those of you who are Christian's think there are tens of thousands of people calling themselves Christian but are actually not because they get divorced not for being adulters but rather because things just "didn't work out" or is that one of the teachings of Christ that is no longer applicable, that you can just ignore?

First, to answer your question, "to put away" was how they translated the Greek "apolusē", "to set free", but modern language is just "divorce". How much was divorce back then like divorce today? No idea.
I don't think any "real" Christian would agree with this. Christian dogma states if you don't believe in Christ, you're screwed. Belief (faith) is more important than action. Most Christians believe that if you have "real" faith, your actions will take care of themselves. Reality tells us differently.

Hi Berbs, You said, Christian dogma is to believe in Christ, but more important than that is to strive to be Christ-like, Yes, He was the example for us. You've heard the WWJD ( What Would Jesus Do?) Jesus was God showing us how we should live. How we should treat each other. Problem was, to many would talk the talk, but didn't walk the walk. You ever see a car going down the road with a bumper sticker that says, ( Jesus on board), then as you pass the car, the driver gives you the finger? Oh ya! A lot of that goin on. You said,I think it's impossible for anyone to be Christ like today in today's socioty, not because we have become "worse" or "evil" over time but because we have changed and our ways of thinking are more evolved. This is so true. The will of man has removed God and chooses his will over God's will. Laws have been added or changed and right now, being made, to make things acceptable to suit man and not God. You said,as a good Christian should you feel good about being taken advantage of? Of corse not. That makes my blood boil when someone takes advantage of me and usually I act out, rather then let it go or pray about it. But after I make an ass of myself, I do turn it over to God and usually I am blessed in the end. The one who took advantage doesn't know that, but I do. God will deal with that person in His own way. On the divorce issue: Yes, actually I have been married and divorced 7 times, but to five different men. Two, I married twice. Had I turned to God while married to the first husband, we would be celebrating our 50th anniversary this year. Instead, he and his second wife will be celebrating there 45th. She was/is a good Christian woman and put up with his crap, where I couldn't see a reason to, nor did I feel strong enough to. I was in my mid 40's by the time God came into my life. I always believed in Him, but I wasn't living a christian life. The only marriage that God was a part of, was the last marriage, the second time. I didn't want to marry him, but God brought us back together, so I just did it. I didn't understand why at the time, but later I did and oh God, I am so thankful! Not because we lived happy after that, but because of our laws, his Social Security sustains me. By the way, Putting away, I think would mean the same as divorce, or it could mean that who God had brought together, yet not married and the man leaving her and marrying another. In the eyes of God, they were to be husband and wife. You said, Do those of you who are Christian's think there are tens of thousands of people calling themselves Christian but are actually not because they get divorced not for being adulters but rather because things just "didn't work out" or is that one of the teachings of Christ that is no longer applicable, that you can just ignore? I would like to think that in most cases, one or both parties didn't know God when they divorced. Again, had God brought them together, they probably wouldn't have divorced. Marriage and divorce is to easy and people do it for so many reasons other then the true feeling of being meant for each other, me included. Remember, it says " Who God joined together." Look at all those in the bible who divorced there pagan wives.

1 Corinthians 13:2

And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries, and all knowledge; and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, and have not charity, I am nothing.

Are you suggesting that passage means to you that you can have eternal salvation without belief in Christ?

Well, hmmm,

Christ gets you into the Kingdom.

Yes, I believe that a good person, who treats others the way he/she wants to be treated and lives by the laws of the commandment ( even though not in way of knowing it) will be on the good end of the stick.

Heaven, I don't know, recycled, yes, for a better life then the last. I've always thought that you might be a recycled improvement.

OK Bo, pick your self up off the floor.

I am just glad I still got a shot at heaven Actually, I am happy to hear that you, a very faithful Christian, can believe that. You validate my whole concept of "Christian Non-theism" -- that is, you don't have to accept the supernatural to be a good Christian. If you just don't believe, you don't believe. It doesn't mean you can't live by what some call "Christian values". This is sort of a "safety net" for Christians who don't really believe, but want to cover their butts in case they are wrong.

@ Bo, My brother in law, who owns the land where I live, swears that there is no God. He loves the land, his wife, his children and animals. He has the kindest heart of anyone I have ever met. He sees the beauty in everything around him. He hasn't a evil thought towards anyone. He is hard working and would give you the shirt off his back. Do I think he's going to hell, because he says there is no God. I think God would love him more, just because he is good naturally. Goes back to Jacob. Why did God love him so much, to call him his people? Jacob gave God honor after wrestling with an Angel all night, by placing a stone at the spot, but he went on to live his life and was a good man. Not because he had God in his heart or gave Him the praise, but because it was in him to be an honorable man. What about Nathanael? While Jesus saw him walking towards him, he knew him because he saw there was nothing bad in him. He called him an Israelite in whom is no guile! This was before he became a disciple. In Psalms 32: 11, it says, Be glad in the Lord, and rejoice, ye righteous: And shout for joy, all ye that are upright in heart. Wouldn't those who are upright in heart, be those who are good naturally. Haven't you been listening? All of us, who know God, lived in sin first! Jesus didn't come for the righteous, he came for the lost.

So Linda you accept that a good person goes to heaven regardless if they accept God, sweet jebus what an admission.

Wait a munite Berbs,

No, I didn't say heaven. But surly not going to hell!

I see Heaven and God's Kingdom as having to go through Christ.

The cover of the April 25 issue of Time Magazine is the headline, "What if there's no HELL?". Very interesting article. Apparently, a huge name pastor in the evangelical circles, Rob Bell, is using many of the same arguments that was made many times by me and others on this board for the absurdity of the idea of Hell. Because of his influence, evangelicals all over a lashing out at him. No Hell, no major motivation for Jesus. You can only get so far with the carrots!

I love this quote from him, "I have long wondered if there is a massive shift coming in what it means to be Christian. Something new is in the air." Amen to that brother Rob! Just drop the supernatural beliefs, and you can join my cult

Obviously there is no hell, we all know the romans wrote that into the new testiment to appeal to the pagans which believed in an underworld or world of the dead, just like there is also no heaven, it's the same damn place and it's called being dead, no one knows anything about what happens when you're dead. That's the greatest unknown, and it scares people senseless not knowing so they make up all kinds of stories about where you go, in the hopes that you do in fact "go" somewhere. There is no evidence for anything happening after you die besides you rotting or if you choose cremation becoming ash.

Rob Bell teaches in a very cool TV style with his Numa (I think it is) DVD's but as far as what he teach I tend to disregard A lot. Jesus taught of Heaven and Hell. Jesus died and was raised from the dead. I believe it. We will one day know what awaits for shore.

Are you sure Jesus taught of HELL? The Hell of the Catholic Church doctrine? I ask you to have a look at this site:

www.tentmaker.org/articles/jesusteachingonhell.html

You will see that it is very unclear what Jesus said about the afterlife.

BTW, this is Christian ministry site -- if that means anything.

@ Bo,

God, I hate all that reading.

OK, lets try looking at life after death. This is just my Si Fi at work here, but maybe can open a door to another dimension.

Your dead! Your flesh life is over. What ever you accomplished in your life, has been done. No chance to say Im sorry, forgive me or I change my mind.

But weight, You are still aware. You still feel. God is an emotion, made you in His image, so guess now you are spirit and feel emotion. That would include pain.

Ever hear about the kid who was born without nerve feelings? He could cut off an arm or be in the middle of a fire and not be aware of the pain that it should cause. But now you are without a body and are feeling the pain of the elements in your area of existence. Your physical brain is gone, but the information that it held is in tact.

How you lived your life while in the body will depend on how you will enjoy or suffer in your spiritual body. Had you been a righteous person on earth and enjoyed your wealth, you just get a bright star in the next. You already were blessed on earth.

If you were evil, what ever you did to others, you will feel, to the degree that you deserve.

And for those who put their faith in God, lived a suffering life, the image doesn't come to me. It is far more then my mind can comprehend.

So with that being said, I think I'll get another beer and get off here for a while. Love you all and talk to you tomorrow.