The New Colossus

@fmf said
Can you remember the Bibles verses Eladar used to make his similar-to-Ken-Cuccinelli case?

No, I don't believe there are any.

If he used scripture to justify his anti-Christian position, it was certainly twisted out of context.

@thinkofone said
In your eyes, what are the requirements for being a true Christian?

Jesus said there are two commandments we must follow.

"Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second [is] like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets." - Matthew 22:37-40 KJV

@divegeester said
The only “requirement” is that Christ died and rose again. In the former we have atonement and in the latter we have life. Everything else is superfluous.

By that standard, wouldn't that make everyone a Christian?

@thinkofone said
By that standard, wouldn't that make everyone a Christian?

Yes, unless you bring in the "belief" requirement as stated in John 3:16.

It seems belief, whatever that means, is necessary.

@divegeester said
The only “requirement” is that Christ died and rose again. In the former we have atonement and in the latter we have life. Everything else is superfluous.

By that definition many Christians will be cast out.

@suzianne said
Jesus said there are two commandments we must follow.

"Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second [is] like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets." - Matthew 22:37-40 KJV

That certainly leaves Trump's U.S.A. out. They love themselves as they love themselves and love money as they love themselves.

However that does leave some interesting questions:

At what point do Christians (by your definition) have their sins atoned for?
At what point do Christians receive the Holy Spirit?
At what point do Christians receive eternal life?

@chaney3 said
Yes, unless you bring in the "belief" requirement as stated in John 3:16.

It seems belief, whatever that means, is necessary.

Yes, unless you bring in the "belief" requirement as stated in John 3:16.
DG didn't. He said that "everything else is superfluous".

It seems belief, whatever that means, is necessary.

Since it's ambiguous, when it comes to that, people seem to make up whatever suits themselves.

If John 3:16 were spoken by Jesus, then it would mean belief in the words spoken by Jesus while He walked the Earth.

In John’s Gospel, Jesus uses the Greek verb pempein to refer to “the Father who sent me” no fewer than 24 times.

Many I believe while He walked the Earth.

@ghost-of-a-duke said
In John’s Gospel, Jesus uses the Greek verb pempein to refer to “the Father who sent me” no fewer than 24 times.

Many I believe while He walked the Earth.

This is exactly why the Trinity and/or Godhead scenarios are suspect.

Jesus and "the Father" seem to clearly be entirely separate entities.

@chaney3 said
This is exactly why the Trinity and/or Godhead scenarios are suspect.

Jesus and "the Father" seem to clearly be entirely separate entities.

Jesus said:

“I and the father are one”

“When you have seen me you have seen the father”

@divegeester said
Jesus said:

“I and the father are one”

“When you have seen me you have seen the father”

I think there is wriggle room for a different reading of those passages.

Mr X, for example, might say that he and Mr Y 'are one' in the sense that they are of a shared belief. (United/inseparable). Such an expression does not have to be taken literally. I think the same can also be said of “When you have seen me you have seen the father” (a figurative rather than a literal meaning).

@divegeester said
Jesus said:

“I and the father are one”

“When you have seen me you have seen the father”

Jesus and the disciples were also one. Big deal
One means 'oneness' or one purpose or of one mind.

Jesus said His Father is greater. Clearly two separate and distinct beings.