The Lost Children of Christianity

[kentuck]

The Bible warns of false prophets. It teaches that by your works you shall be known. Also, it teaches that a bad tree cannot bring forth good fruit.

Whether a Christian or not, we should look at matters in a rational and factual way. Some may argue that religion is not rational or factual but that cannot excuse believers in not following the teaching of their religion.

There are those that follow Mr Trump because he promises them action on political issues they deeply care about, such as abortion and church vs state issues. Because of their intense political viewpoints, they are willing to overlook the most egregious of trespasses, including the "seven deadly sins". They have shown themselves to be willing to tolerate the most evil and hurtful behaviors as a political trade-off.

They may call themselves Christians, but their words and deeds do not reflect the teachings of their Bible. It is not enough to say that we are all sinners and then turn our eyes the other way.

One good deed does not balance out an evil deed. Christians should strive to be perfect all the time. It is not enough to be good half the time and to tolerate evil the rest of the time.

These so-called Christians are lost children. They have chosen to follow evil people that deceive them away from the teachings of Christ.

Just my opinion.

[safeinOhio]

1. I like Red Letter Christians.

Your Red Letter Bible will have all the words of Jesus in red letters. Pretty interesting to just read those words. Nothing about gay marriage or abortion. A lot about divorce, forgiveness and prayer in public.

[Mariana]

2. If they aren't Christians, what are they, exactly?

Are they atheists? Are they secretly followers of some other religion? What are they?

[kentuck]

3. They are followers of a false prophet

In other words, they are a cult.

[Mariana]

4. So, they believe they are Christians, but they're wrong.

Do I understand you correctly? Their faith is genuine, but they've been misled?

[kentuck]

6. Their actions belie their words.

We all have free will. They have chosen to be misled. Primarily, it is because of their intense political beliefs.

[Mariana]

8. Secretly followers of another religion, then.

If they've chosen to be misled, then it follows that they are aware that they are non-Christians, and that they're only pretending to be Christian.

[kentuck]

9. Most religions have a Golden Rule.

They have no religion.

That is why they are lost.

[Mariana]

10. Are they atheists? nt.

[kentuck]

11. No, I do not believe they are atheists.

They are what once was called "backsliders". They don't practice what they believe.

[Hekate]

5. They follow a heresy

[roamer65]

7. I hope President Macron is who I think he is.

I will follow if he is. I like his style.

[StarryNite]

12. Christian Definition

Definition of Christian (Entry 1 of 2)
1a: one who professes belief in the teachings of Jesus Christ
b(1): DISCIPLE sense 2
(2): a member of one of the Churches of Christ separating from the Disciples of Christ in 1906
(3): a member of the Christian denomination having part in the union of the United Church of Christ concluded in 1961

Profess | Definition of Profess by Merriam-Webster
https://www.merriam-webster.com › dictionary › profess
1 : to receive formally into a religious community following a novitiate by acceptance of the required vows.
2a : to declare or admit openly or freely : affirm.
b : to declare in words or appearances only : pretend, claim.
3 : to confess one's faith in or allegiance to.

[Iggo]

13. And so I call them.

[alwaysinasnit]

14. Yup, I can visualise tRump as the Golden Calf.

[muriel_volestrangler]

15. Religion has, for 5,000 years, been used to bind a state together

and people brought up in a state's majority religion should be primarily seen as being expected to support the status quo of that state. It's possible that they may also think about the message in that religion too carefully, and they might then find it doesn't, after all, match the reality of the state. But in practice, they were part of the religion, before they'd studied it - and an awful lot of people never do.

So those American evangelical Christians who support Trump (about 80% of them) are still Christians; but they are supporting one of the established forms of nationalism first, the way that majority religions around the world can end up nationalist. And that means they're enthusiastic bigots. And still Christians. Many other American Christians also support the non-bigoted, but still patriotic version of the status quo. And they vote Democratic, reliably.