This is in response to the Rev. Stephen Carnahan's letter, printed Nov. 3, "End discrimination."
It was so very well put. There is way too much hypocrisy in Christian homes and churches. I stopped attending church for that very reason.
I would not say that all Christians are hypocrites, but there are a few, anyway.
My best friend, of more than 25 years, is gay. He did not choose to be. Why would he? I've witnessed several Christian folk telling him to just change, that God will not accept him because he is gay.
What is that?
If God created all of us, then why did he make some people gay and others not?
I believe that if you live your life by the Golden Rule, you are in good shape with God. If all of humanity treated each other the way they wish to be treated, the world would truly be heaven. No wars. No hate.
Great, but that is not going to happen in my lifetime. Sad, but true.
Cheryl Harper, Sabattus
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So tell me this
Why does one have to go to church to be considered a good christian? Why can't someone have strong spiritual beliefs and try to live everyday to the best of his ability and believe in God, but not go to church? I, for one , have not been to church in years. I visited many religions before deciding that none of them fit my beliefs. Also, sitting in church and listening about those people who are sinners and going to hell was very disturbing. The God I believe in, forgives all, and one does not need to be a "christian" to be apart of his kingdom. Do people honestly think that to go to heaven you must be saved? I really don't want to be a part of that group. I prefer to stand on my own beliefs and not follow what others think I should follow.
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Would you like to respond? Login or create a new account. You'll need to verify your account before you can respond.Hello Jim
The questions you posed are really just basic Bible doctrine.
Hebrews 10:24-25 the Apostle Paul says:
24 And let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works:
25 Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching.
As you can see from the text, we are to assemble to together to encourage one another. Another reason is for accountability in that we are stronger together against temptation than we are apart. And another is ministry. An organized outreach teaching people about the Word of God can reach many more people than alto of singular efforts.
As far as listening to sermons about sinners going to hell, I am right there with you. I grew up in a Southern Baptist Church in Arkansas, and it was the same "Hell, Fire and Brimstone" sermon every service. Those sermons have a place at times, but people that are already Christians need to be taught how to grow also. My church here in town is one that teaches Christians how to live as a Christian most of the time, but our Pastor is fully prepared to deliver the message of the Gospel when it is needed.
Let me explain to you about forgiveness. It's not the individual everyday sins that we need to be forgiven for to get into heaven....it is the "nature of sin" that we were born with that sends us to hell if left unforgiven. So, to correct your statement "The God I believe in, forgives all, and one does not need to be a "christian" to be apart of his kingdom". God does not forgive all, He only forgives the ones that ask him to forgive them and then repent. "Repent" doesn't just mean "I'm sorry", it means a change in thinking that leads to a change in living. Putting your faith in Jesus and believing and repenting is how you become a Christian. "Putting your faith in Jesus" simply means that I have admitted that I am not worthy to enter into heaven, I recognize that Jesus substituted His life on the cross for my soul in Hell, and that I believe that the only way for me to get to heaven is to accept the gift of life His death gave me.
You wrote:"Do people honestly think that to go to heaven you must be saved?" Absolutely. Look, either the whole Bible is true or none of it is. You can't just pick out the parts you like and use them to create your own god. It doesn't work like that.
You can stand on your own beliefs but it won't get you to heaven. Just because you don't believe The Word of God doesn't make it true.
I'd like for you to visit my church. Let me know if you'd like to and I will get the service times to you, or even pick you up to take you.
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the sentence above that reads:
Just because you don't believe The Word of God doesn't make it true.
Should read:Just because you don't believe The Word of God doesn't make it true.
Just because you don't believe The Word of God doesn't make it A LIE.
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Would you like to respond? Login or create a new account. You'll need to verify your account before you can respond.as an orthodox christian, my
as an orthodox christian, my course of action is to attain a state of Theosis knowing that as a human I will fail due to the fallen nature of man. but does that mean I should just give up knowing I will fail? No, the struggle continues since man is imperfect and I will make plenty of mistakes along the way. For people to constantly deride the "hypocrisy" of christians shows a certain amount of ignorance about the state of man and certainly shows ignorance either willful or not about the Lord's teachings. We all are imperfect and to say you are better than others simply because you treat others nice and ridicule christians for their beliefs is naive and hypocritical. A church is a hospital for sinners and not a hotel for saints. Man cannot create a heaven on earth because God created it and He is perfect and man is not. See you in church, pew # 4.
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If I were perfect then I wouldn't need to to go to church. All of us fall short during the week, some of us have more problems than others.
I have said before that me being a Christian doesn't make me perfect. And that is why I go to church.....because I am not perfect, not because I am.
If you see somebody, even a Christian living a wild life Mon-Sat, then church is exactly where they need to be on Sunday.
And, those people that don't go to church because "the church is full of hypocrits" are hypocrits themselves. Because they are lying to themselves and to others and are just using what others do as an excuse to not go themselves.
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Would you like to respond? Login or create a new account. You'll need to verify your account before you can respond.Excellently stated, deimos
Excellently stated, deimos
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Would you like to respond? Login or create a new account. You'll need to verify your account before you can respond.Why is it only Christians who
Why is it only Christians who get accused of hypocrisy? You never hear about Jews, Muslims or Buddhists being referred to as hypocrites. It's always the Christians.
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Would you like to respond? Login or create a new account. You'll need to verify your account before you can respond.So did you hear the ones about the
Three Jews who.......?
Or the Buddhist and the......???
How about the two Muslims.......????
We could fill in the blanks but then Patti would have a Melt Down, along with real Christians..... ;)
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Would you like to respond? Login or create a new account. You'll need to verify your account before you can respond.Are they hypocrites? What is
Are they hypocrites?
What is a "real" Christian?
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Would you like to respond? Login or create a new account. You'll need to verify your account before you can respond.I am sorry to say Cheryl, but
I am sorry to say Cheryl, but your friend did choose to be gay. The born gay theory has been proven to be a fallacy long ago.
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With many years of personal experience in the field.
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Would you like to respond? Login or create a new account. You'll need to verify your account before you can respond.Really?
"The born gay theory has been proven to be a fallacy long ago." Really? When? By whom? How? State your proofs, please. (I'm willing to bet that someone out there will be able to post links to several studies that disprove your assertion, for each "proven to be a fallacy" that you post here.)
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Would you like to respond? Login or create a new account. You'll need to verify your account before you can respond.The Golden Rule
We are all God's children, and in God's eyes we all are equal.
By the Grace of our all Caring, Loving, and Merciful God, we have the will to be capable of
making our own choices while we live out our days here on earth.
Through strong prayer and asking for knowledge of the truth and wisdom through Jesus
Christ, we surely will make the right choices in due time.
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Cheryl, you are so right. My feeling is religion breeds hypocrisy. Why is it okay to act like a jerk all week and then go to Church on Sunday to be forgiven and then start all over again on Monday? A friend once told me that Church is like a hospital for the soul. Everyone is there for a different reason, because everyone has something to make better. It isn't a place to judge what your neighbor has wrong with them, or what you think to be wrong with them. It is a place to heal your soul, work on your own health, and be a better person. Religious groups constantly are trying to put their beliefs onto others. By just accepting each other for what they are will in turn make you a stronger group and society in the end. Unfortunately, I don't think most religions or people view it that way.
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Would you like to respond? Login or create a new account. You'll need to verify your account before you can respond.I agree with the spirit of
I agree with the spirit of your comment, MaineJim - but I'd like to point out (and note that I am not religious) that it isn't religion that "breeds hypocrisy." Nor is it the exclusive purview of religious groups to put their beliefs onto others. That is the condition of humanity.
You see people of "values" always trying to extend their values onto others. You see it in politics when Tea Party activists want to cut public funding for welfare programs or when ultra-liberals want everyone to cut back on personal consumption to "save the world." You see it in our schools - when we try to raise our kids to co-exist in a democratic society, by bringing them up in a dictatorial regime.
This non-believer doesn't blame religion for hypocrisy. It's something we're all guilty of.
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Would you like to respond? Login or create a new account. You'll need to verify your account before you can respond.Well Said
Very well said!
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