UnChristian Christians

UnChristian Christians

Spirituality

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Cape Town

Joined
14 Apr 05
Moves
52945
21 Nov 08

In another thread Zahlanzi said this:
it can be argued that those are not christians. it isn't sufficient to say "i believe in Christ" to be a christian. one has to act like it as well.
and it got me thinking:
1. Are all Christians perfect in their behavior? Or can it be argued that there is nobody who fully 'acts like a Christian'?
2. What amount of unChristian behavior is required before the label "Christian" can no-longer be applied to someone?
3. If you know someone who consistently behaves in an unChristian manner can you safely declare him a non-Christian?
4. If someone believes in God, and Christ and believes that he is behaving in a Christian manner but is not doing so due to some miss-understanding, is he not a Christian?

Black Beastie

Scheveningen

Joined
12 Jun 08
Moves
14606
21 Nov 08

Originally posted by twhitehead
In another thread Zahlanzi said this:
[b]it can be argued that those are not christians. it isn't sufficient to say "i believe in Christ" to be a christian. one has to act like it as well.

and it got me thinking:
1. Are all Christians perfect in their behavior? Or can it be argued that there is nobody who fully 'acts like a Christian'?
2. What amo ...[text shortened]... ristian manner but is not doing so due to some miss-understanding, is he not a Christian?[/b]
Rational questions regarding a non-rational issue, all of them four doomed to be frightfully mangled by "truly born by God" interpretators
😵

F

Joined
11 Nov 05
Moves
43938
21 Nov 08
1 edit

Originally posted by twhitehead
In another thread Zahlanzi said this:
[b]it can be argued that those are not christians. it isn't sufficient to say "i believe in Christ" to be a christian. one has to act like it as well.

and it got me thinking:
1. Are all Christians perfect in their behavior? Or can it be argued that there is nobody who fully 'acts like a Christian'?
2. What amo ristian manner but is not doing so due to some miss-understanding, is he not a Christian?[/b]
I asked the question "What is the least common denominator for all Christians?" once, I thought before that it was an impossible qeustion. I wanted to say that there are Christians of all kinds, that there wasn't a single thing that all Christian could agree upon.

I was wrong. The answer was simply "He who accepts John 3:14 as the truth." I couldn't argue against that.

In the light of that the above then I'd answer:
(1) No.
(2) Nothing. Believeing in John 3:14 is enough.
(3) The only way to not being a Christian is to deny John 3:14.
(4) Does he believe in John 3:14? Then he is a Christian, no matter what.

Joined
02 Feb 06
Moves
123634
21 Nov 08

Originally posted by twhitehead
In another thread Zahlanzi said this:
[b]it can be argued that those are not christians. it isn't sufficient to say "i believe in Christ" to be a christian. one has to act like it as well.

and it got me thinking:
1. Are all Christians perfect in their behavior? Or can it be argued that there is nobody who fully 'acts like a Christian'?
2. What amo ...[text shortened]... ristian manner but is not doing so due to some miss-understanding, is he not a Christian?[/b]
The fundamental problem with anyone saying that "in order to be Christian you have to follow the teachings of Christ" is that the teachings of Christ are open to interpretation.

The reality is that Christianity always has and always will continue to evolve, branch off into sects, etc., etc. and it is impossible to nail it down to one definition.

As a non-Christian looking at it from the outside, as far as I'm concerned, anyone that truly believes Christ is the son of god and accepts him as their saviour is some form of a Christian.

s

England

Joined
15 Nov 03
Moves
33497
21 Nov 08

.[/b]
1. Are all Christians perfect in their behavior? Or can it be argued that there is nobody who fully 'acts like a Christian'?
2. What amount of unChristian behavior is required before the label "Christian" can no-longer be applied to someone?
3. If you know someone who consistently behaves in an unChristian manner can you safely declare him a non-Christian?
4. If someone believes in God, ...[text shortened]... Christian manner but is not doing so due to some miss-understanding, is he not a Christian?[/b]
1 no only one was
2 all are open to this from the time it started, but genraly break the commandments.
3 tell them if they persist then leave it for god.
4 if they declare to be christian its for them and there soul to be given back to god when you find out.

P
Upward Spiral

Halfway

Joined
02 Aug 04
Moves
8702
21 Nov 08

Originally posted by twhitehead
In another thread Zahlanzi said this:
[b]it can be argued that those are not christians. it isn't sufficient to say "i believe in Christ" to be a christian. one has to act like it as well.

and it got me thinking:
1. Are all Christians perfect in their behavior? Or can it be argued that there is nobody who fully 'acts like a Christian'?
2. What amo ...[text shortened]... ristian manner but is not doing so due to some miss-understanding, is he not a Christian?[/b]
1. Obviously not. Even the Pope doesn't presume to be impeccable!

2. The way I see it is by thinking of a sort of two one-tailed tests. You construct your test statistic using several behavioural variables and then conduct the test. For some you'd be able to say (with some degree of certainty) that they are very probably Christian, for some you can say they are very probably not and for the remaining the test is inconclusive.

3. How safely you can declare him depends on the significance level you choose (so you can't exclude the possibility of Type I and Type II errors)

4. Tough one. I think this depends on your view of what a Christian is and how you weigh the variables in your test statistic. I think both belief and actions contribute, but how you weigh them can be key here (I expect the former to weigh heavily).

Walk your Faith

USA

Joined
24 May 04
Moves
158017
21 Nov 08
1 edit

Originally posted by twhitehead
In another thread Zahlanzi said this:
[b]it can be argued that those are not christians. it isn't sufficient to say "i believe in Christ" to be a christian. one has to act like it as well.

and it got me thinking:
1. Are all Christians perfect in their behavior? Or can it be argued that there is nobody who fully 'acts like a Christian'?
2. What amo ristian manner but is not doing so due to some miss-understanding, is he not a Christian?[/b]
How do you define what a Christian is, is it just someone who says they
are?
Kelly

Outkast

With White Women

Joined
31 Jul 01
Moves
91452
21 Nov 08

Originally posted by twhitehead
In another thread Zahlanzi said this:
[b]it can be argued that those are not christians. it isn't sufficient to say "i believe in Christ" to be a christian. one has to act like it as well.

and it got me thinking:
1. Are all Christians perfect in their behavior? Or can it be argued that there is nobody who fully 'acts like a Christian'?
2. What amo ...[text shortened]... ristian manner but is not doing so due to some miss-understanding, is he not a Christian?[/b]
Go and sell all that you have and give it to the poor.

P
Upward Spiral

Halfway

Joined
02 Aug 04
Moves
8702
21 Nov 08

Originally posted by kirksey957
Go and sell all that you have and give it to the poor.
Sounds like a pyramid scheme.

k
knightmeister

Uk

Joined
21 Jan 06
Moves
443
21 Nov 08

Originally posted by black beetle
Rational questions regarding a non-rational issue, all of them four doomed to be frightfully mangled by "truly born by God" interpretators
😵
Rational questions regarding a non-rational issue, all of them four doomed to be frightfully mangled by "truly born by God" interpretators ---------beetle---------------

Which loosely translates as --- "reasonable but complex questions to which there are no easy answers which some christians here will attempt to answer in good faith but will be preyed upon by narrow minded atheists with a pre-concieved position ready with a huge axe to grind" - in short a set up.

k
knightmeister

Uk

Joined
21 Jan 06
Moves
443
21 Nov 08
3 edits

Originally posted by twhitehead
In another thread Zahlanzi said this:
[b]it can be argued that those are not christians. it isn't sufficient to say "i believe in Christ" to be a christian. one has to act like it as well.

and it got me thinking:
1. Are all Christians perfect in their behavior? Or can it be argued that there is nobody who fully 'acts like a Christian'?
2. What amo ristian manner but is not doing so due to some miss-understanding, is he not a Christian?[/b]
Just wondering......

1. Are all Humanists perfect in their behavior? Or can it be argued that there is nobody who fully 'acts like an 'Humanist'?

2. What amount of inhumane behavior is required before the label "Humanist" can no-longer be applied to someone?

3. If you know someone who consistently behaves in an inhumane manner can you safely declare him a humanist?

4. If someone does not believe in God, and Christ and believes that he is behaving in a humane manner but is not doing so due to some miss-understanding, is he not a humanist ?

Black Beastie

Scheveningen

Joined
12 Jun 08
Moves
14606
21 Nov 08

Originally posted by knightmeister
Rational questions regarding a non-rational issue, all of them four doomed to be frightfully mangled by "truly born by God" interpretators ---------beetle---------------

Which loosely translates as --- "reasonable but complex questions to which there are no easy answers which some christians here will attempt to answer in good faith but will be pre ...[text shortened]... atheists with a pre-concieved position ready with a huge axe to grind" - in short a set up.
Is that so, KM!?
So, you in person and the Christians of your denomination are "truly born by God" Christians and therefore "righteous", whilst everybody else, which is not "truly born by God" Christian, is not righteous! Righteousness has nothing to do with one's "religion". It has to do with one's actions -the rest is pure dead delusion.

I would love to see you enjoying a decent conversation regarding this matter with our friend ahosyney though, or with a Hinduist or an atheist or with a Christian of another denomination
😵

Joined
07 Jan 08
Moves
34575
21 Nov 08

Originally posted by twhitehead
In another thread Zahlanzi said this:
[b]it can be argued that those are not christians. it isn't sufficient to say "i believe in Christ" to be a christian. one has to act like it as well.

and it got me thinking:
1. Are all Christians perfect in their behavior? Or can it be argued that there is nobody who fully 'acts like a Christian'?
2. What amo ...[text shortened]... ristian manner but is not doing so due to some miss-understanding, is he not a Christian?[/b]
Christians have been arguing about who is one and who isn't, what they believe, how they believe, what writings to believe, and who runs the place, since Jesus died. There is no new pattern here.

rc

Joined
26 Aug 07
Moves
38239
21 Nov 08

Originally posted by twhitehead
In another thread Zahlanzi said this:
[b]it can be argued that those are not christians. it isn't sufficient to say "i believe in Christ" to be a christian. one has to act like it as well.

and it got me thinking:
1. Are all Christians perfect in their behavior? Or can it be argued that there is nobody who fully 'acts like a Christian'?
2. What amo ...[text shortened]... ristian manner but is not doing so due to some miss-understanding, is he not a Christian?[/b]
you 'wee sleekit cowerin timorous beastie !!!, i demand a public apology from you for the slanderous, unsubstantiated and unmitigated false claims that i knowingly engaged in dishonest and unchristian conduct by asserting certain criteria knowing that such were false in an attempt to mislead the forum, on the contrary, each and every claim has been substantiated with reference in an objective manner, so please an apology if you may, and i may overlook this misdemeanor as is befitting a Christan and a gentleman!

Walk your Faith

USA

Joined
24 May 04
Moves
158017
21 Nov 08

Originally posted by Badwater
Christians have been arguing about who is one and who isn't, what they believe, how they believe, what writings to believe, and who runs the place, since Jesus died. There is no new pattern here.
Can you tell everyone how you know, who is and is not a Christian?
Is it everyone who says they are, are Christians and that is that?
Kelly