Religion

MineralMan

(151,504 posts)

6. As an atheist, it is not my job to distinguish between who is and is not a Christian.

Mon Apr 30, 2018, 03:49 PM

Apr 2018

I have no tools with which to do that. So, if someone tells me he or she is a Christian, I really have no choice but to accept that.

Once I do, I can observe that person's behavior. Then, as a human being, I can decide whether the person is a good or bad person, and decide whether or not to associate with him or her. What I have discovered, again and again, is that the self-label of "Christian" has little or nothing to do with how that person behaves.

From that I conclude that the label of "Christian" is a predictor of nothing at all. It is a meaningless word to me, as someone who doesn't believe any religious stuff.

It is not what one calls oneself that identifies one. It is behavior, pure and simple. I can determine how someone behaves, but not what is in that person's mind with regard to religion. The label is meaningless. If someone is a bigot, for example, their claim of being a Christian is irrelevant. That person is a bigot, and that's all I need to know.

So, your post really doesn't tell me anything. I can quote verses from the Bible, but there's no point to it. The Bible also doesn't tell me how someone will behave, even if that person claims to follow it.

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(Right Winger Evangelicals) brand of Christianity IS NOT the Truth of Christ [View all] Civic Justice Apr 2018 OP

Well... NeoGreen Apr 2018 #1

This response does nothing to refute any Holy Scripture in the original post. sprinkleeninow Apr 2018 #4

Well...duh... NeoGreen Apr 2018 #9

If you kill your kids for talking back are you a good Christian or bad Christian? Major Nikon Apr 2018 #42

Who you talkin' 'bout? God the Father? sprinkleeninow Apr 2018 #43

I thought there was only one choice Major Nikon Apr 2018 #47

Three in One. sprinkleeninow May 2018 #50

Which brings us back to the unanswered question Major Nikon May 2018 #51

Due to contradictions in The Bible, following it or not... Beartracks May 2018 #105

You might like this... NeoGreen May 2018 #109

Obviously the bible is up for interpretation. Those who claim to be Christian are Christians Major Nikon Apr 2018 #2

Look, hard to perceive in this discussion room of religiosity, sprinkleeninow Apr 2018 #5

Such is certainly a virtuous attitude Major Nikon Apr 2018 #7

I think the "double edged sword" analogy is more... NeoGreen Apr 2018 #10

That particular passage can be interpreted a number of different ways Major Nikon Apr 2018 #13

You make me smile... NeoGreen Apr 2018 #15

It's generally a term of respect for any teacher within the faith Major Nikon Apr 2018 #16

Y'all was doing pretty fair, then you make a remark about John the Baptizer and sprinkleeninow Apr 2018 #19

I choose not to view history through romanticized lenses Major Nikon Apr 2018 #22

See the Secret Gospel of Mark The Genealogist Apr 2018 #28

The secret is they are all forgeries Major Nikon Apr 2018 #31

Yes, I know The Genealogist Apr 2018 #32

I'm not sure how Major Nikon Apr 2018 #37

The Apocryphal Books are an interesting read. 👍 sprinkleeninow Apr 2018 #44

So...it's an apparent combination of... NeoGreen May 2018 #71

Not all that far from being historically accurate Major Nikon May 2018 #72

What I find interesting... NeoGreen May 2018 #74

What is ethically acceptable today may not be 50 years from now Major Nikon May 2018 #84

That's close enough. The last sentence however, dot dot dot 😕. sprinkleeninow Apr 2018 #18

Warrior-god Jesus has been a thing since 312 CE. Voltaire2 Apr 2018 #21

Would you please explain more specifically? Thanks. sprinkleeninow Apr 2018 #45

Starting with emperor Constantine at the battle Voltaire2 May 2018 #59

Not to mention it's easier to get someone to march to their death with the promise of reward Major Nikon May 2018 #69

Jesus, however, mostly taught his followers to turn the other cheek. Sophia4 May 2018 #76

Well yes sure, only for the last 1700 years. Voltaire2 May 2018 #78

But that is what he taught if what remains of the version of his teachings that we Sophia4 May 2018 #79

Constantine was a Roman. sprinkleeninow May 2018 #80

And yet 1700 years of history disagrees. Voltaire2 May 2018 #108

You'd think someone who is omnipotent would have seen that one coming Major Nikon May 2018 #112

So you're saying that the Christ is responsible for all warring, bloodshed, atrocities, etc. from sprinkleeninow May 2018 #117

If the claim is he's the god of gods... NeoGreen May 2018 #118

Let's just say He did create you yourself. no text sprinkleeninow May 2018 #122

Yeah? Well... NeoGreen May 2018 #125

I cannot go any further with this. Love you! eom sprinkleeninow May 2018 #124

Of course you can't. I understand. (nt) NeoGreen May 2018 #126

Um, no, I didn't say that. Voltaire2 May 2018 #127

Today's early Humpday already. I lost my way in this here thread. sprinkleeninow May 2018 #104

Agreed that organized 'religion' can do good and sadly also be used do harm. sprinkleeninow Apr 2018 #20

Nothing wrong with that Major Nikon Apr 2018 #23

Some but not all... actually hardly any ollie10 Apr 2018 #26

By what standard? Major Nikon Apr 2018 #40

"Not all people who live by christian values choose to claim the label as Christians." trotsky Apr 2018 #3

The first century Christians undoubtedly had a much different set of values Major Nikon Apr 2018 #11

As an atheist, it is not my job to distinguish between who is and is not a Christian. MineralMan Apr 2018 #6

Be honest. You like to judge ollie10 Apr 2018 #27

MineralMan doesn't judge the validity of people's claim to Christianity. Mariana Apr 2018 #34

You are making it far more complicated than it needs to be Major Nikon Apr 2018 #41

Funny, that happened to me the other day on the way to the forum. sprinkleeninow Apr 2018 #48

But they don't agree on which deeds are good and which are bad. Mariana Apr 2018 #49

We all should agree that killing your kids for talking back is wrong Major Nikon May 2018 #52

Anyone can claim MFM008 May 2018 #60

I don't agree. Mariana May 2018 #61

Have your children ever cursed you? Major Nikon May 2018 #70

I was talking about MFM008 May 2018 #75

See, you're being selective with the Bible. MineralMan May 2018 #77

So the rest of the book can be safely ignored? Major Nikon May 2018 #81

I judge only behaviors, not claimed adherence to some religion. MineralMan May 2018 #67

To me, some Christians behave better than others. Bretton Garcia Apr 2018 #8

Now I yam significantly deceived to a certain degree? Oy again. sprinkleeninow May 2018 #85

Christians have spent the better part of 2,000 years arguing marylandblue Apr 2018 #12

I feel that right-wing evangelicals are worse than liberal Christians Bretton Garcia Apr 2018 #14

But it's so much easier to just shrug and say, "They aren't Christians." nt. Mariana Apr 2018 #35

So as a liberal Christian, I am thankfully a notch above the despicable RW sprinkleeninow Apr 2018 #46

Who can judge? Major Nikon May 2018 #53

Personally, I'd rate you higher. Though all Christianity has problems. Bretton Garcia May 2018 #56

It's risque what's said. sprinkleeninow May 2018 #82

Yeah. Violence. ollie10 Apr 2018 #29

You say you were a history teacher marylandblue Apr 2018 #33

Maybe he was a teacher at a Christian school. Mariana May 2018 #55

Or now it's the 18th century, or maybe the 28th. Voltaire2 May 2018 #63

typo. 18th century. 1 didn't come out ollie10 May 2018 #58

George Bush declared his god told him to go to Voltaire2 May 2018 #62

He wasn't the only one who believed it. Mariana May 2018 #64

When one having civil powers chooses to a perpetrate an act of folly, sprinkleeninow May 2018 #99

The last two sentences, sum to what some of the commentators are saying. Civic Justice Apr 2018 #17

Nope. Act_of_Reparation Apr 2018 #24

Many believers here suggest it's inappropriate to interpret the bible literally Major Nikon Apr 2018 #25

Many of those selfsame champions of "nuance"... Act_of_Reparation May 2018 #66

Literalism seems to be the most honest approach to Christianity Major Nikon May 2018 #92

Yeah. I find hitler distasteful . ollie10 Apr 2018 #30

... Major Nikon Apr 2018 #38

Even that Golden Rule has problems. Bretton Garcia Apr 2018 #36

The most notable is it doesn't work on sociopaths Major Nikon Apr 2018 #39

The biblical Good Samaritan tale though is useful Bretton Garcia May 2018 #54

Most Christian denominations teach that the Good Samaritan Mariana May 2018 #73

Most again. 😉 sprinkleeninow May 2018 #86

I'm guessing you've never heard of sola fide Major Nikon May 2018 #91

Sprinkle is Eastern Orthodox, so as far as her tradition is concerned, it never came up marylandblue May 2018 #93

Religious exclusivism is common among Christians Major Nikon May 2018 #94

She doesn't strike me as an exclusivist marylandblue May 2018 #95

It seems that way Major Nikon May 2018 #96

I did not say 'those people' were not 'true christians', did I? sprinkleeninow May 2018 #101

Nor did I claim you did Major Nikon May 2018 #111

You makin' my fur stand on end. sprinkleeninow May 2018 #120

I didn't say that either Major Nikon May 2018 #133

Any of my words are wrong. sprinkleeninow May 2018 #136

Well, hello! sprinkleeninow May 2018 #106

Your Welcome marylandblue May 2018 #142

Incoming�� sprinkleeninow May 2018 #143

Sola Fide. Salvation by works alone. A more nouveau doctrine. sprinkleeninow May 2018 #103

Regardless other Christians don't subscribe to your doctrine Major Nikon May 2018 #110

There are unchurched, non-believers that adhere to sprinkleeninow May 2018 #119

I have no faith to defend so it's hard for me to take offense Major Nikon May 2018 #134

Received. And I am appreciative of our exchange. sprinkleeninow May 2018 #137

So you are a Catholic and disagree with most Protestants. Cool Cuthbert Allgood May 2018 #113

Not Roman Rite Catholic. sprinkleeninow May 2018 #121

So you know there is a whole world of Protestants (even liberal ones) Cuthbert Allgood May 2018 #123

I am exhorted to not JUDGE. I am exhorted to hold my 'neighbor' sprinkleeninow May 2018 #128

Where does it say that... NeoGreen May 2018 #129

You know the chapter and verse. sprinkleeninow May 2018 #130

So when the big guy is reported to exhort believers to... NeoGreen May 2018 #132

And in what context and during what time period was this written. sprinkleeninow May 2018 #135

I get it... NeoGreen May 2018 #138

Huh? sprinkleeninow May 2018 #139

It's ok... NeoGreen May 2018 #140

She is saying she follows an interpretative tradition rather than a single book marylandblue May 2018 #141

"Tradition", in this case is... NeoGreen May 2018 #144

'The *elect* will be judged more harshly.' It it written. eom sprinkleeninow May 2018 #83

No, the problem here is an over-simplified, naive view of the problem. trotsky May 2018 #65

A tradition in liberal Christianity sez no one can judge others Bretton Garcia May 2018 #68

Most of them are hypocritical, lying bigots anyway. Alice11111 May 2018 #57

One point is vivid, there's a voluminous number of Atheist among the patrons of these forums... Civic Justice May 2018 #87

Gosh imagine that... uriel1972 May 2018 #88

they can do what they want... its their life Civic Justice May 2018 #89

Don't count me as one Major Nikon May 2018 #90

They apparently are fond of roomy rooms that are billowy. 😊 sprinkleeninow May 2018 #100

Is that a good thing or a bad thing in your opinion. Cuthbert Allgood May 2018 #114

Those other rooms are mostly barren wastelands. My lips are pursed. 🙄 😄 sprinkleeninow May 2018 #131

Some Christians may be better than others Bretton Garcia May 2018 #97

Kudos! 👊 sprinkleeninow May 2018 #98

Thanks. This standard is implicitly in force at DU, Democratic Underground Bretton Garcia May 2018 #107

RW evangelicals are all about saving their own individual ass if democratisphere May 2018 #102

Seems like a good place for this South Park Movie snippet Cuthbert Allgood May 2018 #115

Whew...at least it wasn't the... NeoGreen May 2018 #116

Good discussion from everyone Bretton Garcia May 2018 #145

Choices Civic Justice May 2018 #146