Source: (consider it)
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Thread: Purgatory: What Is A Christian?
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strathclydezero
# 180
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Posted
BigAL - sorry to say I'm with Freddy on that one.
-------------------- All religions will pass, but this will remain: simply sitting in a chair and looking in the distance. V V Rozanov
Posts: 3276 | From: The Near East | Registered: May 2001
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Freddy
Shipmate
# 365
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Posted
quote: Originally posted by BigAL: Only people who are saved are Christians....Why would people want to be Christians if they don't feel they want or need to be saved.
The point is that to be saved you need to love God and love your neighbor, as Jesus commanded. Many people do this without ever even having heard of Jesus. Still, doing as Jesus said is the only way to salvation. He is the way, the truth and the life. If you hear His sayings and do them you will be like a wise man. These sayings teach the way of salvation more clearly and truly than any other on earth. There is, in fact, only one way of salvation, which is the way that Jesus taught: love God and love your neighbor. This doesn't mean that non-Christians aren't saved. It means that those who fail to do as Jesus taught are not saved. Non-Christians who live as Jesus taught are in unity with true Christians, whether they have ever heard of Jesus or not. Everyone needs to be saved from the power of evil. Becoming a Christian is learning the right path, which Jesus taught, and following it. This is why we should become Christians.
-------------------- "Consequently nothing is of greater importance to a person than knowing what the truth is." Swedenborg
Posts: 12845 | From: Bryn Athyn | Registered: Jun 2001
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Russ
Old salt
# 120
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Posted
Attempting to address the original question:Seems to me that if a hypothetical non-believing Robinson Crusoe on a desert island were to find a Bible washed up on the beach one day, and reading it, decide that for the sake of being more like Jesus he would be more forgiving to Man Friday, then I'd be happy to include said Crusoe as a Christian - a follower of Christ. At least until the next book washed up on the shore... My previous doubt related to a different question, which might be phrased as "who should the worldwide community of Christians recognize as being Christian". In which case willingness to recognize other Christians as Christians might in principle be considered a requirement (if it could be implemented in a way that didn't result in circular reasoning). Abo - thanks for the reassurance. Carmel - sorry; I had no intention of trying to make you justify the Catholic position on anything and everything, still less of attacking your beliefs. I suppose I'm interested in the relationship between the beliefs of Catholics (what they think inside their own heads) and the official doctrine of the Catholic institution - the process of belief rather than the content. Peace be with you. Russ
-------------------- Wish everyone well; the enemy is not people, the enemy is wrong ideas
Posts: 3169 | From: rural Ireland | Registered: May 2001
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BigAL
Shipmate
# 750
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Posted
quote: Originally posted by Freddy: The point is that to be saved you need to love God and love your neighbor, as Jesus commanded.
yes...also Romans 10:9 ... John 3:16 .... has some bearing. quote:
This doesn't mean that non-Christians aren't saved. It means that those who fail to do as Jesus taught are not saved. Non-Christians who live as Jesus taught are in unity with true Christians, whether they have ever heard of Jesus or not.
There is a difference which must be addressed between being a christian and having a christian lifestyle. There is only one way to be saved and that is through Christ (John 14:6). Works by themselves are no good (paul.. somewhere).. We can walk the walk but unless we are saved there is no point it will not get us anywhere. So yes people can be nice people and do good things but it will not get you anywhere in the long run, praise from man in the short term but thats worth nothing once you are dead and it holds no favour with God. Anyone who is saved is also a Christian ... By saved I mean " will not face gods judgement at the great white throne and have their names written in the lambs book of life. They have done this by accepting Christ as Saviour(John 3:16)" Splitting being Saved and being a Christian is sheer madness. I can see no justification for doing so.
-------------------- The Bible contains the Answer of that I am certain
Posts: 507 | From: Newcastle, UK | Registered: Jul 2001
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Ariel
Shipmate
# 58
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Posted
Is it possible to believe in God and follow Christ's teaching, but not believe that Christ is the only way, and be a Christian?
Posts: 25445 | Registered: May 2001
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Freddy
Shipmate
# 365
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Posted
I think it depends on what you mean by "not believe that Christ is the only way."If it means that you believe that someone could live opposite to the way that Christ taught and still be saved, the answer is no. You can't be a Christian and think that way. But if it means that those are saved who live as Christ taught, whether they know about Christ or not, then the answer, in my book, is yes. So I disagree with BigAl when he says: There is a difference which must be addressed between being a christian and having a christian lifestyle. I think the two are one and the same in essence, assuming that by lifestyle you mean a genuine and sincere life from a true love and God and of the neighbor. The trick, however, which I think is at the root of the power of Christianity, is that you are handy-capped in acquiring this "lifestyle" unless you know God as He revealed Himself in Jesus Christ. Without knowing who God is, how can you know what true goodness is? Jesus is the way the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except by Him.
-------------------- "Consequently nothing is of greater importance to a person than knowing what the truth is." Swedenborg
Posts: 12845 | From: Bryn Athyn | Registered: Jun 2001
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