Originally posted by Rajk999
This is the kind of reasoning that causes the public to dislike Christians, RBHill.
After reading this post, I gotta disagree.
You profess to be a Christian and a promoter/preacher of Christianity. You should pattern your life around the life of Christ. He associated with the bums and low-lifes and the prostitutes and the alcoholics of his time. He did not insult, belittle or condemn anyone except the leaders of the churches of Israel who he referred to as hypocrites.
The Lord didn't have to deal with anyone like modern day skeptics. I assure you if he had, they would have received the lashing they justly deserved. By the way, what "bums, low-lifes and alcoholics" did He associate with?
Remember there was a time when Christ's disciples said there are others casting out devils and preaching but they were NOT WITH CHRIST. The disciples wanted CHrist to stop them. Christ responded with ... "He who is not against me is for me" In other words leave them alone.
Which of course doesn't mean "don't share the Gospel with them". It means that whatever their motivation, the end result is good, so let them be, kind of like what Paul later echoed about "missionaries" who only preached Christ for glory.
Remember the 'Good Samaritan' .. do you think that Christ will agree with your statement .."I don't think your Volunteer work is good. Without a relationship with God it is pointless" ? Samaritans at that time had no relationship with God but yet it is entirely possible that Christ will overlook that in the day of judgement and grant him eternal life on the basis of his works.
In an atheistic worldview, why is the volunteer NOT pointless? It may not be in their subjective opinion, but in RB's it is, so why isn't it? Sucks to be a skeptic. You have to assume the theistic worldview in everyday life, but pretend you don't in debate.
By the way, it's not AT ALL possible that Christ will "overlook" that the Samaritan or anyone didn't have or desire a relationship with Him and grant him eternal life "on the basis of his works". Aside from directly contradicting Paul "for it is by grace that you are saved, not of works, so that no man may boast", you're making heaven out to be an amusement park rather than the fellowship with God it is. Will an atheist who did a few volunteer hours suddenly desire a relationship with God after death? Don't hold your breath.
I grew up among Hindus, Muslims and Christians. Christians enjoy condemning everyone else and saying that they have no hope. But, Hindus and Muslims have nothing but respect for Christ and treat him as a prophet and a man of God, hence they do not condemn. Hindus in particular habitually do the good works as listed by Christ in Matt 25 .. feed the poor, visit the sick and fatherless and widowed. DO you really think Christ wants a hypocritical, two-faced, selfish Christian in his kingdom ?
Excuse me as I first note the irony of you essentially saying "You monster, quit CONDEMNING people" as you condemn RBHill. Next, I would ask how RB is hypocritical? Is he not practicing what he is preaching? How exactly is he selfish, also? Does he derive some sort of gain from being insulted and ridiculed on a daily basis here? Please, o pious one, shed some light for me.
Christians like yourself will be in for a shock on judgement day. Brace yourself.
Right back at ya. That is, if you "profess" to be a Christian. I'm sure you don't, as that would be unbearably offensive to non-Christians, and heaven forbid you offend anyone...