Christians Hate The Truth

[Martin W.]

I was literally harrassed and bullied by a guy my senior year. Simply because I believed in Jesus. He would send me IMs, harrassing me and calling me names. He would not quit. He would TRY to get friends to turn their backs on me, but thankfully, none of my friends liked this guy anyways. He was just mean to me.

You make a good point Katie. I have been around a long time and I have noticed that decent , quiet , Christians can sometimes stir up action without actually doing anything.

It is like they have this invisible Holy Spirit around them that tends to stir up all the other spirits (in people) around them. Hope that makes sense.

I was like that too. (The bad guy ) I grew up in a small country school (I had no religion in my life) and I got along very well with everybody. It was my nature to want to be well liked by everybody. I had no harmful bones in my body. But one day I got up in class and walked over to a guy named Hendrik and gave him a bloody nose.

My teacher , my parents , and mostly myself were all puzzled by my actions. I had no explanation for my actions. He had done nothing to me. He was a christian (meant nothing to me at the time) . It was like the evil in me hated the good in him and and a couple of nice country boys had a fight ( because of me)

His mom (a christian) resolved the whole situation (parent teacher meeting) by saying she would take care of the whole thing. Her name was Janny Dethmers and she brought me to her home for one of the greatest meals I ever had. I also recalled she made mention about something called forgiveness. I did not understand it completely , but I grasped her good heart and good cooking. Mostly I grasped that she had let me off the hook for my bad boy ways.

It took me 26 years until I became a Christian , and finally understood what it was all about. I have been a Christian for 24 years now and it has been like payback time for me sometimes. I can walk into a workplace , or a gathering of friends , and it is like I fire up all the non-Christians around me , even though I did or said nothing religious at all. It is like the (unsaved) spirit in them hates the (Holy) Spirit in me. Remember , I am not religious in my speech , nor my exterior. It is an "invisible" thing that seems to be triggered.

For someone with a good mind and deep thinking it would be an interesting line of research.

Sorry for the long post.
Best wishes in your studies Katie.
Arnie Woodside
Some day I should look up Hendrik and tell him the good influence he had on me.
And thank him.

 

[Gerlinde]

All Christians think and do not act identically, and this is a good thing too. Also all Germans or Americans think and do not act identically. Every person has a different opinion on a subject. I, e.g., am lesbian, but I don't realizes it, nevertheless, because of that what stands in the Bible. Some say that the Bible did allowed the homosexuality of homosexual people Others say, the Bible doesn't it, nevertheless? Who is right? This can find out everybody only for himself!

 

[WhiteKnuckle]

I understand what you're saying. However you shouldn't make broad generalized blanket statements.

Dealing with the internet specifically,, many people put on a persona that's not anywhere near their real life. You have to look at peoples minds to understand what happens when people get on a computer and start typing.

Many people are office people as a profession. They deal all day with E-mails and company presentations, sales, promotion, etc, etc,, The desire to be professional drives many people to the point of basically writing a complete thesis for every idea they have online.

Other people view the internet as a way they can say anything they want. Having the anonymity gives them a feeling of power to say and "do" things that they would never have the guts to do in the real world.

Then there's people who try to behave online just as they do off line. They don't say anything or type anything that normally wouldn't come out of their mouth in the real world.

Then, you also have the blogger types. These fit largely into the office people types, and the real life people, however, most of the posts are directly introspective and they can pay attention to the thoughts and feelings another is trying to express online.

It's hard to tell the difference between these types of people. But, if you've spent the collective amount of time you say you have online, I suppose you'd be able to tell these types of people and how to relate to them and not take everything so extremely personal. Seems to me you would've found a better approach than making a broad blanket attack on a single specific group of people.

I've known some on this forum to be very confrontational, and I've known some to be genuinely caring and loving. However, the ones who are confrontational I also belive them to be caring and loving, as I honestly believe their actions and their words are meant out of genuine concern for the person they seem to be attacking.

But, while we're on the subject of attacking,,,,, Man conversations lead to an attack. Many people feel these conversations or questions as attacks and take them very personal. As each one of us tries to understand sarcasm or jokes in a 2 deminsional field such as amature writing.
There's only 2 respnses from people when they feel attacked,,, Fight or Flight. Online most choose fight. While discussing something that originally started out as genuine concern, anothers faith is challenged, another rises to the challenge and it becomes a fight. A person who decides to fight becomes rude and angry and less thoughtfull. Once attacked, the next best thing is rejection and insults. After all, if you're losing an argument, the best defense is to call them stooooopid! :lol:

Very few people online or in real life have figured out a way to difuse an escalating even with well thought out words.

Oftent times our best efforts at educating or leading someone become a debate, and a desire to win becomes not a desire for winning someone over for God, but just winning or outsmarting our percieved opponent. This then becomes a personal victory and God is actually left out of the entire equasion.

Atheists, Theists, Diests, and all others are the same way. We are all just people, individuals, with emotions, and cognitive reasoning. Everyone is just varying degrees of the other.

I've been attacked by both atheists and believers all over the net. However, each one has ended well in one way or another, or has been avoided altogether. People are people. Period.

 

[Gerlinde]

Also I was attacked by believers and homosexuals. The Christians meant, I could not be homosexual and Christian. And the homosexual said, from their position, the same. Besides, BOTH understand do not trench the Christian message. They do not understand the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Love God and your neighbor, and don't judge one another.

 

[Nomad]

Also I was attacked by believers and homosexuals. The Christians meant, I could not be homosexual and Christian. And the homosexual said, from their position, the same. Besides, BOTH understand do not trench the Christian message. They do not understand the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Love God and your neighbor, and don't judge one another.

Loving God and neighbor is not the Gospel. It is the summation of the moral Law. The Gospel is that Christ died to save sinners and that salvation is embraced by faith alone which results in repentance, obedience and good works.

Jesus never said not to judge. See my blog post - My link

Homosexuality is unequivocally condemned as sin in the Old and the New Testament. It's not o.k. to be an unrepentant homosexual and claim to be a Christian.

This is not an attack. It's the truth, and the most loving thing I can do for you.

 

[aspen]

Loving God and neighbor is not the Gospel. It is the summation of the moral Law. The Gospel is that Christ died to save sinners and that salvation is embraced by faith alone which results in repentance, obedience and good works.

Jesus never said not to judge. See my blog post - My link

Homosexuality is unequivocally condemned as sin in the Old and the New Testament. It's not o.k. to be an unrepentant homosexual and claim to be a Christian.

This is not an attack. It's the truth, and the most loving thing I can do for you.

Unbelievable......you didn't even understand the post before you decided to slip in your moral lesson. The post said that she was attacked by Christians because she is a homosexual and she was attacked by homosexuals because she has decided not to live as a practicing homosexual....

 

[Nomad]

Unbelievable......you didn't even understand the post before you decided to slip in your moral lesson. The post said that she was attacked by Christians because she is a homosexual and she was attacked by homosexuals because she has decided not to live as a practicing homosexual....

No, that is not what she said. You're the one who fails to comprehend what was written. Frau said absolutely nothing about not living as a practicing homosexual. Allow me to refresh your memory.

"Also I was attacked by believers and homosexuals. The Christians meant, I could not be homosexual and Christian. And the homosexual said, from their position, the same. Besides, BOTH understand do not trench the Christian message. They do not understand the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Love God and your neighbor, and don't judge one another."

I'd say that the homosexual is right on target.

Also, I didn't give a 'moral lesson.' I gave Biblical truth. Oh, that's right. It's only Biblical truth if you agree with it. I forgot. Silly me.

 

[Gerlinde]

Nomad, You wrote:

Loving God and neighbor is not the Gospel. It is the summation of the moral Law. The Gospel is that Christ died to save sinners and that salvation is embraced by faith alone which results in repentance, obedience and good works.

And why does Jesus say then that of it the law and dire prophets depend? And why says Paul in Romans 2:1 that we should not judge each other? I find strange how some Christians lay out the Bible. The book that for us all our guideline should be.

Jesus never said not to judge. See my blog post - My link

Whom had Jesus judged then at his lifetime? Nobody. Indeed, he had said very clearly his mind to what he held of some people. To the people who had made a buissiness(TELEVANGELISTS), with the faith, or which were bigot and hypocrite. From other required something what they themselves not ready were to be given (Ted Haggard, for example).
Jesus himself had never said something about the homosexuality. Neither he was for it nor against it. In contrast to Paul. A question came just to my mind: "What would be if Jesus himself had been homosexual, how do some Bible scientists believe?" Would we have then still this discussion?

Homosexuality is unequivocally condemned as sin in the Old and the New Testament. It's not o.k. to be an unrepentant homosexual and claim to be a Christian.
This is not an attack. It's the truth, and the most loving thing I can do for you.

This is exactly the verbal attack which I meant. I have given the trouble to myself, and have had a look at these scriptures in the OT and NT. However, I have differently looked than most Christians. I have read the context, has troubled me to find out something about the original words; and I have also dealt with the historical circumstances. Besides, I came to a result, me relieved from feelings of guilt. For example if we have a look at Leviticus chapter 18 or / and 20. There it is about the fact that Jews a certain morality code should keep. No wear mixed fabrics no Tatoo allow to make, no children sacrifice to foreign gods to name a few. And also, not to pagan gods in her temples by sexuality / homosexuality (so-called "shrine prostitution") to serve to keep itself pure as people.
This law was valid only for Jew, not for Christians, because how Paul wrote (I believe, it was with Galatians somewhere), was not worth the Jewish law any more for Christian. Was fulfilled by sacrefice of Jesus Christ.
Luther translated the word "toebah" with "Greuel" (in English "abomination"). Another tip to the fact that it concerns here not a sin, but around a "moral impurity" which did not allow to enter the temple. A pregnant woman was in God's eyes also an abomination, unless, she took a ritual bath, before she entered the temple. For further information read up please HERE. Unfortunately it is in German, but maybe you can translate it HERE.



Aspen:

Unbelievable......you didn't even understand the post before you decided to slip in your moral lesson. The post said that she was attacked by Christians because she is a homosexual and she was attacked by homosexuals because she has decided not to live as a practicing homosexual....

I was attacked by Christians, because they believe that I can't be a homosexual and a Christian at the same time. And I was attacked by Homosexuals, because i was a Christian. To them the churches are their worst enemies, because the churches denied them their civil rights. More than one time they told me that i shall leave my church because they would condemned me as a homosexual.

 

[aspen]

Aspen:




I was attacked by Christians, because they believe that I can't be a homosexual and a Christian at the same time. And I was attacked by Homosexuals, because i was a Christian. To them the churches are their worst enemies, because the churches denied them their civil rights. More than one time they told me that i shall leave my church because they would condemned me as a homosexual.

Ah, I see....

Sorry, I was mistaken.

 

[Nomad]

And why does Jesus say then that of it the law and dire prophets depend?

Because to love God and neighbor comprehends or fulfills the substance of what Moses in the Law and the prophets have spoken. Again, this is not the Gospel/good news. Our imperfect love for God and neighbor along with the Law and the prophets stand to condemn us as sinners who deserve damnation. The Gospel/good news is the proclamation that there is salvation in Christ for all who believe. The following two passages are representative of the Gospel/good news.

1Co 15:1 Now I would remind you, brothers, of the gospel I preached to you, which you received, in which you stand,
1Co 15:2 and by which you are being saved, if you hold fast to the word I preached to you--unless you believed in vain.
1Co 15:3 For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures,
1Co 15:4 that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures,

Joh 3:14 And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up,
Joh 3:15 that whoever believes in him may have eternal life.
Joh 3:16 "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.
Joh 3:17 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him.
Joh 3:18 Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God.

And why says Paul in Romans 2:1 that we should not judge each other?

You obviously didn't bother to look at the blog post to which I linked. Also, you need to read your proof-texts more carefully in context to make sure you understand what the writer is actually saying. Let's look at your proof-text.

Rom 2:1 Therefore you have no excuse, O man, every one of you who judges. For in passing judgment on another you condemn yourself, because you, the judge, practice the very same things.

This verse does not forbid judging. As a matter of fact, no verse in the Bible forbids judging. Paul says very clearly in your proof-text that those who judge hypocritically are also judging themselves which leaves them without excuse. Paul is basically reiterating what Jesus says in Matthew 7:1. If you are going to judge, make sure you are not guilty of the same things.

Whom had Jesus judged then at his lifetime? Nobody.

Nobody? Allow me to give you just one of many examples of Jesus 'judging' others.

Mat 23:23 "Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you tithe mint and dill and cumin, and have neglected the weightier matters of the law: justice and mercy and faithfulness. These you ought to have done, without neglecting the others.
Mat 23:24 You blind guides, straining out a gnat and swallowing a camel!
Mat 23:25 "Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you clean the outside of the cup and the plate, but inside they are full of greed and self-indulgence.
Mat 23:26 You blind Pharisee! First clean the inside of the cup and the plate, that the outside also may be clean.
Mat 23:27 "Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs, which outwardly appear beautiful, but within are full of dead people's bones and all uncleanness.
Mat 23:28 So you also outwardly appear righteous to others, but within you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness.
Mat 23:29 "Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you build the tombs of the prophets and decorate the monuments of the righteous,
Mat 23:30 saying, 'If we had lived in the days of our fathers, we would not have taken part with them in shedding the blood of the prophets.'
Mat 23:31 Thus you witness against yourselves that you are sons of those who murdered the prophets.
Mat 23:32 Fill up, then, the measure of your fathers.
Mat 23:33 You serpents, you brood of vipers, how are you to escape being sentenced to hell?

Jesus himself had never said something about the homosexuality. Neither he was for it nor against it.

Jesus never addressed child molestation either so I guess he was neither for it nor against it.

Jesus didn't come to outline and condemn every sin that one could possibly commit. That simply wasn't his purpose. He came to give his life to save sinners. Just because Jesus didn't directly address certain sins doesn't mean that they are not addressed elsewhere in Scripture. Paul unequivocally condemns homosexuality many times under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. What Paul says under inspiration has just as much weight as if those words were spoken by Jesus himself. To deny this is to deny inspiration.

This is exactly the verbal attack which I meant. I have given the trouble to myself, and have had a look at these scriptures in the OT and NT. However, I have differently looked than most Christians.

I have inflicted no verbal attack on you. I have told you the truth. I bear no ill will toward you. You say you believe that Jesus died for your sins? That's wonderful. I hope you continue to believe. But I won't tell you that your unrepentant attitude toward homosexuality is in harmony with the clear teaching of the Scriptures. I make no judgment with regard to your eternal destiny, but I will judge your willingness to explain away all Scripture that stands against you. Let's look at just one of those Scriptures.

Rom 1:26 For this reason God gave them up to dishonorable passions. For their women exchanged natural relations for those that are contrary to nature;
Rom 1:27 and the men likewise gave up natural relations with women and were consumed with passion for one another, men committing shameless acts with men and receiving in themselves the due penalty for their error.

Notice how Paul describes homosexuality. He calls it dishonorable passions, contrary to nature and error for which they received due penalty.

There is more from the New Testament, but if you are inclined to twist Romans 1:26-27 into a pretzel then there is no sense in showing you anything else.

 

[mikefaulkner]

As a born again Christian I can say I honestly understand the concepts that skyangel brings about. There are many Christians out there that preach one thing and then turn around and do another and that hurts the image of the people of Christ. As Christians we also have moments we are extremely narrow minded and have the inability to accept change. But the world is ever changing and that is Gods will, we are being taught to adapt and press on with life in a way that honors the message of God and honors us as the children of God. We have the ability to use the bible as a moral code only when it suits us and many will not agree to that but I have seen it.

The only way as a Christian we are able to reach non Christians is to show them the power of God through the Love he shows us. We are suppose to show that they as people are to be loved even though we may not love the choices they have made. If a man loves another man we are not to judge him for that is not the right of a Christian that is the right of God. Instead of judging them we are to love them and explain to them "though I do not agree with your choice, I agree you are a brother to me through God and I will love you so." only once we are able to prove that we are upholding the word of God through our actions can we expect to have Non-Christians see us as something other then evil tyrants that are hypocrites.

Just IMO

 

[Ingbert]

Christian seem to have a bad attitude toward nonchristians and anyone of another belief who does not agree with them.
In my experience I have found nothing but rejection from Christians and it disgusts me thoroughly.


They seem to think they are so much better than anyone else and have a "holier than thou" attitude a lot like the Pharisees of Jesus days.
If Jesus came to any of their churches or internet forums today and told them all what a bunch of hypocrites they are, He would be thrown on the scrap heap and rejected and despised in exactly the same way He was in the bible stories by the hypocrites who hated the Truth about themselves.
Christians love their false doctrines and religious fairy tales far more than the Truth.
Jesus is the Truth they hate, reject and ban from their forums. They rather not hear anything that offends their delicate sensitive carnal nature.

Christians make me very angry and they make God very angry too.

Any of you Christians who read this. I suggest you go to Matthew 23 and read it and apply it to yourselves instead of to the Pharisees and then do some serious repenting before you end up one of the people Jesus talks about in Matthew 7: 21-23.

That's been my experience, too.... as a Christian.

Some Christians can get pretty fierce when they perceive anybody as disagreeing with them. I've even gotten in arguments when I was trying to agree with them, just because I didn't say it in the way they were taught it. All that tells me, is they haven't considered their own beliefs enough to recognize them when worded differently.

There are all kinds of Christians, at all stages of spiritual growth, no matter how long they've been a Christian. Some pastors are no wiser than brand new Christians and many atheists know their Bibles better than some lifelong Christians.

I'd say just ignore the ones that only want to argue. You're not likely to learn much from them, and they refuse to learn anything from you.

A lot of general acusations but nothing specific. So nothing constructive hear yet.

Maybe if you have the love of Jesus rather than the "anger" you have expressed here you might be able to be a blessing to others.


All Praise The Ancient Of Days

Good example of what the OP was trying to say.

 

[Faithful]

Skyangel,

How do you know these things?

Christian seem to have a bad attitude toward nonchristians and anyone of another belief who does not agree with them.

Where have you found this here?

In my experience I have found nothing but rejection from Christians and it disgusts me thoroughly.

What type of rejection and why ?

They seem to think they are so much better than anyone else and have a "holier than thou" attitude a lot like the Pharisees of Jesus days.

Not sure what you are trying to say here. The pharisees in Christs time lived the law to the letter. What Christ pointed out was they loved the attention it brought to them. So instead of living it for the praise of God they did it for the praise of men.

If Jesus came to any of their churches or internet forums today and told them all what a bunch of hypocrites they are, He would be thrown on the scrap heap and rejected and despised in exactly the same way He was in the bible stories by the hypocrites who hated the Truth about themselves.

Surely if Christ returned today then every knee would bow and those others would grit their teeth in despair.
Christ loved man he died for him. Why would anyone waiting for him be a hypocrit?

Christians love their false doctrines and religious fairy tales far more than the Truth.

To be a Christian you must love God with all your heart and love your neighbour as yourself. So this way you love Christ and he reveals himself to you. The Holy Spirit comes upon those whom Christ and the Father know.
You cannot be a Christian without these things.

Jesus is the Truth they hate, reject and ban from their forums. They rather not hear anything that offends their delicate sensitive carnal nature.

People in the Spirit have put to death their carnal nature!!!

Christians make me very angry and they make God very angry too.

Who told you this?

Any of you Christians who read this. I suggest you go to Matthew 23 and read it and apply it to yourselves instead of to the Pharisees and then do some serious repenting before you end up one of the people Jesus talks about in Matthew 7: 21-23.

For if the son sets you free then you are really free. There is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.

I do hope whatever is troubling you subsides soon.

Faithful

 

[Disciple]

If any man has hate for another in him, the Spirit of God is not in him and he knows not the Father or Son. No man that has the Spirit of God (The Spirit of power, love, & a sound mind) can hate one of his brothers, for God is love and so is his Spirit. Therefore whatever 'christian' your talking about is actually not a christian, not yet at least.

 

[Selene]

The two statements do not conflict at all. The difference is the attitude and motivation in them. Look at the example of Jesus and the Pharisees. Jesus perceived them as being of the devil and they saw Him in the same way. It was like seeing a mirror image of oneself in the other.

The two statements DO conflict with each other. Jesus never said He was better than anyone. He always humbled Himself. He knew He was better than everyone, but He never said it. The fact that He never said it shows His humility. If you truely are better than the Christians, it starts by humbling yourself.

 

[IanLC]

First the statements made by the author of this forum is too general. I feel that you are not speaking out of the love of Jesus Christ but out of your own anger towards certain "christians" you have experienced in your life. Yes many times people who call themselves Christians and even some true Christians do things that do not glorify the Father of Lights! But I do not say that God hates them because you stand in judgement for judging them. Love should be the motivation of all of our actions in Christ. I feel that all of us have things in us that God dislikes and we all need to fix them soon. Christ is coming back for his Holy church! We need to be ready!

God bless and Shalom!

 

[martinlawrencescott]

What we say and do will prove or disprove what we believe. If I say "I love my neighbor", and then verbally tear him apart limb from limb, I have proven I do not really love my neighbor.

"If you look for an end, you will find one, but if you look for the way, there is no end to find."

If our end is debate or winning an argument, it will result in part, but if our way is love, it will continue and its work is eternal.

Our love for one another can be our greatest witness. As far my observation goes, and as a simple application, this method of debate doesn't seem very loving:


--(exaggeration)
"What we say and do will prove or disprove what we believe"

-----martinlawrencescott, why do you continue to give claims like these without scriptural evidence to support it?

"If I say "I love my neighbor" and then tear him apart limb from limb, I have proven I do not really love my neighbor"

-----Again, you show no Biblical proof about what you are saying. Isn't it the loving thing to do to show scripture to support what you have to say? Sounds pretty hypocritical to me.

"If you look far an end, you will find one, but if you look for the way, there is no end to find."

-----Is this a quote from someone else? What does this have to do with your original argument. In Chapter () verse () it says. This completely goes against everything you said. I didn't say it. Scripture says it.
--


[sup]1 John 3:14[/sup] If we love our Christian brothers and sisters,[sup][d][/sup] it proves that we have passed from death to life. But a person who has no love is still dead. [sup]15[/sup] Anyone who hates another brother or sister[sup][e][/sup] is really a murderer at heart. And you know that murderers don’t have eternal life within them.

--(exaggeration)
-----martinlawrencescott, you take this scripture completely out of context. Your lack of ability to put scripture in context amazes me. What the context of what was written here means...
--

Even if my criticism of myself is true, it does nothing to build myself up. Christ is the one who gives us the ability to tell truth and build one another up. The enemy tells us how to be double minded and with our "truth", tear one another down. If I tear someone else down, they have no argument, right? But truth is truth and God is truth, and truth will stand against falsehood. All we need to do is lovingly and simply present truth to the best of our understanding, rather than systematically dismantle all other arguments, which does little to prove our point any truer than it already is.

 

[Comm.Arnold]

You start a thread called Christians hate the truth and you come in here judging. Your a joke man what actually happened did some wise chrisitan man show you up in a debate or was it an athletic competition ?

 

[aspen]

First the statements made by the author of this forum is too general. I feel that you are not speaking out of the love of Jesus Christ but out of your own anger towards certain "christians" you have experienced in your life. Yes many times people who call themselves Christians and even some true Christians do things that do not glorify the Father of Lights! But I do not say that God hates them because you stand in judgement for judging them. Love should be the motivation of all of our actions in Christ. I feel that all of us have things in us that God dislikes and we all need to fix them soon. Christ is coming back for his Holy church! We need to be ready!

God bless and Shalom!

But if we expect that people will be won into the Kingdom because they see Christ witnessed through Christians; shouldn't we expect that Christians with a bad witness will repel people, as well? And please do not say that real Christians do not have a bad witness!! First - they sometimes do. Second - why do we expect nonbelievers to be sophisticated enough to tell a real Christian from a fake?

So why is it then that we are surprised and insulted when we run into people who make attributions about God or Christians based on their experience with Christians?

 

[Faithful]

Christ says the mouth speaks that which the heart is full of.
When people tar all people by the example of one human then something is definitely not right.

But if we expect that people will be won into the Kingdom because they see Christ witnessed through Christians; shouldn't we expect that Christians with a bad witness will repel people, as well? And please do not say that real Christians do not have a bad witness!! First - they sometimes do. Second - why do we expect nonbelievers to be sophisticated enough to tell a real Christian from a fake?

So why is it then that we are surprised and insulted when we run into people who make attributions about God or Christians based on their experience with Christians?

'WE' is something we need to be careful about using. For those of us who are born of Spirit and Truth you must remember light and darkness cannot dwell in the same place. Those in Spirit and Truth cannot be responsible for those not in Spirit and Truth. The same as their actions cannot be said to come from the light.

Christ says, If you love me you will keep my commandments.

1 st Commandment is to love God more than anyone including Christ. (that latter part is the part people ignore)
Your love for God must be greater than your love for Christ. Because Christ commands you must love only God with all your heart.

2nd. Love your neighbor as you love yourself.

SkyAngel fails on both counts... She does not love God. She does not love her neighbour. Would she expect it to be any different for anyone else?

Christians don't love truth they amplify, embrace and welcome it as the only way to God. They are the people whose acts are love. They are the truth and in Christ are Love.

A person whose heart is bitter will produce bitter things against God and against man. But we can all see the truth that Christ saw.
That some will enter in by other gates but the Shepherd knows his sheep and they know his voice.

We really should pray for this person.

Faithful