How many fake Christians are there?

Question

I just did a little search on Yahoo!Answers on the key words "not a true christian". I only searched in "best answers". It gave me over 4,000 hits.

I read that a lot on this website: "yeah, but that's not a TRUE Christian".

I'm an atheist. To me, everybody that calls himself an atheist, is an atheist. There are plenty of atheists that offend me, there are some atheists that give me and other atheists a bad name, but they are still atheists.

Why doesn't this work for Christians? Does a TRUE Christian decide who is and who is not a TRUE Christian? Or who makes those rules? And what are those rules?

And more importantly: if a TRUE Christian calls another Christian a fake Christian, isn't that judging? Wouldn't that by definition make the so called TRUE Christian a not so very true Christian?

Answer 1

what troubles me is :
how many TRUE christians are there ?


coz the philosophy of JC was not really too bad ; love, peace, tolerance, hand healing, wine, the outdoors, hakunamatata* .....

but, no christian seems to follow JC's doctrine.
so, i do believe there's no such a thing as a true christian.






*...it's a problem free....philosophy............!

Answer 2

You make a good point something that runs through my head a lot and has become a reason why I don't like to call myself a Christian even though I believe in God and Jesus.

With Christianity there are so many rules that some people argue if you can't follow them perfectly then you aren't a TRUE Christian. However, obviously no one can follow the path perfectly because no one is perfect and I do mean no one. Everyone has flaws and every person's belief will vary in accordance with that. But no matter how another Christian happens to judge one of their fellows as long as the person they are judging believes in God and that Jesus is their savior then they are by right a Christian even if foreign practices have wandered into their worship. God is understanding and wants everyone to interpret in their own way. However, people now have too straightforward of a definition given by years of MEN writing what God said. Basically it's because they can't be openminded enough to see other sides of the cube that they're staring at.

Answer 3

Its the old he said she said....there are so many questions about God, Faith, the bible, evolution and so many other aspects that it is impossible to say, who is who and what is what. Every person has an opinion and so I will share mine (as I'm sure you are delighted to read). Some feel the inner need to defend what they believe in, or of course in your case, don't believe in. When this happens, things like "Oh well that's not a true christian" pops out, yes seeming some what hypocritical, but what they are desperately trying to explain is that, don't place all religions into one category of judging self centered believers of something that doesn't exist. Why is everyone putting down the Christians??? There are points and flaws to everything, and I do mean everything...You stated in your question, and I quote "To me, everybody that calls himself an atheist, is an atheist." I have met in the past an "Atheist" and they spoke bad of God and then spoke highly of the devil....opps....thats not an Atheist is it, I thought that would be perhaps a Satanist? Correct me if I'm wrong here....but it does seem that even your little non believing group has its flaws...lets just try not to continuously point everyone's out okie dokie? In the spirit of the Holiday Season, as Tiny Tim once said "God Bless us, everyone." :)

Answer 4

"And more importantly: if a TRUE Christian calls another Christian a fake Christian, isn't that judging? Wouldn't that by definition make the so called TRUE Christian a not so very true Christian?"

Interesting point. In the bible, don't recall passage: "Judgment is mine sayeth the Lord."

So you are correct. Any Christian denying the validity of another Christian's belief, isn't practicing Christianity in an honest manner.

-dh

Answer 5

Possibly Billions. True Christians don't judge, but they do inform the false Christians of their vain worship because they are not following God's word, so it's God's word that is doing the judging not the true Christians. This is done so as to turn them back to God, an act of love which true Christians display.

Answer 6

A "true Christian" is one who not only talks the talk, but who walks the walk.

Jesus himself said that we will know them by their fruits. Words are a dime a dozen.

I'm not judging people, I'm fruit inspecting.

Beside, the word "judge" is an english word, the greek word was closer to "condemn". As if I were the judge and was passing sentence on someone like the Pope pretends to do.

Answer 7

I agree completely, and it bothers me as well. They define them by their actions, I guess. Like if someone says they're Christian but murders people, other people can point and go "Fake Christian." But, I think it's a belief thing. If you believe all the Bible stuff and consider yourself a Christian, then you are one. And nobody can label your religion for you.
Someone actually told me one time that I'm not a "real Atheist" because I knew some Biblical story better than they did. People just like to judge.

Answer 8

Holy moly! You have it pal! That's it. That's it in a nut shell. Maybe we all need to take a step back and re examine ourselves and our belifes. What do we truly belive? Does anyone know any more, or do we get brought up beliving something, and that's it. The end. No looking past what we've been taught our whole lives? I think that religion is very one dimensional and if that really is it; what ever it is that any religion can put on paper and call "The way" or what ever then all we have to look forward to and has been proven, is the fact that we're born, we live and we slowly die. Now THAT is it. Think about it.

Answer 9

how many?

i dont know, but unlike atheists who only need to believe that there is no God...Christians should (among others) actually believe in God, believe in Jesus Christ, & believe (& follow) the Word... (some people would even say that they should believe & be filled by the Holy Spirit)

the bible does mention that Christ Himself said, there would be people who would say Lord, Lord, but God will tell them-- away from me I do not know you... & Paul who was the apostle to the Gentiles said that when he goes-- there will be people who will come inside the church & corrupt it & teach false doctrine.... so from there you can say that there will be true Churches (& true followers) & corrupted churches (with untrue followers)...

who decides who's who? God, the Word, the Holy Spirit... (although mere men can "assume" by looking at the "fruit" of the tree so to speak... for an apple tree cannot bear a cherry)

Answer 10

Well as a minister of a Christian congregation I live by the phrase, "I just feed the fish, I don't clean them." I leave the cleaning to the Lord.
But it is also my job to encourage my people to follow the ways of Jesus and help them stay on the path with Him.
Luke 6. 44 says " Each tree is known by its own fruit. People don't gather figs from thornbushes, and they don't get grapes from bushes. "
If a person calls themselves a Christian them we should see the "fruit" growing in their lives. We call it the fruit of the Spirit.
When we ask Jesus Christ to come into our lives, the Holy Spirit comes and resides in our hearts. If Jesus is then truly in our hearts and the Holy Spirit is here to remind of the things he said and taught then we should see the "fruit" growing in our lives. The things that are true of the nature of God.
The Apostle Paul refers to these things in Galatians Chap 5.22,23
"The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, faithfulness, gentleness, generosity, self-control."
These things were in Jesus Christ and they should be in our hearts if we call ourselves Christians.

If you call yourself an atheist then i'm sure in your mind that there is a code of conduct you live by, i.e. not believing in any god or anything. Kind of hard to be an atheist if you then believe in something.

The whole "judging" part comes in when you know in your heart that you are commiting a sin, for example, adultery and you then walk out to some else and condemn them for their sin.

The Apostle Paul tells us in Galatians Chap 6 that if we see another caught in sin that we should "restore them in a spirit of gentleness". I'm sure you have seen many who don't have a clue what that means and would rather stand there ranting and raving about what they feel you are doing wrong rather than taking the time to befriend you and showing love in Jesus Christ. Been there myself.

I hope you understand things a little clearer now and I hope you will understand the love of Jesus in your heart.