do u think its okay i am offended by evangelicals?

Question

i was told by an evangelical yesterday i would burn in hell for worshipping idols. this guy doesnt even know me that well and dosnt know how much charity i do, and how i plan to live a life of service etc. i just want to know do christian thinks its even okay that i was offended?

im hindu, it is common misbelief that we believe idols are actually goods that eat food etc, we think of them as symbols to represent virtues or historical events, just like christians ahave symbols fish.cross

Answer 1

Yes, you should have been offended. But don't hate all Christians for the mistakes of a few.

Answer 2

Well, first of all, I am not going to pretend to support the "fire escape" evangelism you're describing. It has worked but I wouldn't say it's the ideal method or an accurate reflection of Christianity. Secondly, no. You are not wrong to be offended. Nobody wants to be told they're gong to hell by someone who has never carried a conversation with you much less even knows your name. Ideally, God's personality isn't a personality of judgement and condemnation. At His core, He is Holy surrounded by love. If God were truly judgemental, as he is so often portrayed, He would be completely unapproachable. And unfortunately, as your reaction to the evangelist proves, that is exactly what most people walk away with viewing Him as. Is God just? Yes. Is He loving? Absolutely. Does He thrive on making people feel bad about themselves? Double heck no.

I could go on and list scriptures and sources, commentaries and books but I won't. One of the most awesome things God ever gave to us was the fact that we can choose. I hope this helps and I hope that your view of the evangelist hasn't allowed you to view every Christian as having the same point-of-view.

Answer 3

What does the Bible say about Idols?
Leviticus 26:1
YOU SHALL make for yourselves no idols nor shall you erect a graven image, pillar, or obelisk, nor shall you place any figured stone in your land to which or on which to bow down; for I am the Lord your God.
Leviticus 26:1-3 (in Context) Leviticus 26 (Whole Chapter)

It doesn't matter what kind of charity work you have done. It only matters if you aren't worshiping false idols anymore, and have asked for forgiveness. If you plan to live a life of service then you will understand what you need to do differently right? We are to be Christ like right? Become more and more like Him? Well act like it then. Don't worship false Idols! You are offended b/c you know what you did was wrong and you are just trying to justify your actions by asking this question. Repent and never do it again.
Be Blessed and Rejoice in the Lord!

The Fish and the Cross are a remembrance that he died for our sins. We do not worship them, we worship God Almighty.

Answer 4

God does not care how much charity you do, or about how good you are or about any sunday church. All he cares aobut is that you know and do what He wants us to do.

I can tell you that it is not going to church on sunday or any religion or celebrating christmas, easter or any other tradition of man. If you do not no what God wants you to do, I strongly suggest you search the scriptures. In the new testament, Jesus, time and time again quotes scripture from the old testament.

If you do not find out what he wants you to do, more than likely that persons was right. Jesus was not an evangelical or catholic or baptist or muslim or whatever other religion it is that was out there/ The religious leaders actually was responsible for Jesus' death. Jesus was born an Israelite from the tribe of Judah, He never spoke of once about being of a certain relgion.

Answer 5

For it is by grace you are saved through faith, not of works lest any man should boast.

1 Corinthians chapter 1 verse 23 says:

So when we preach that Christ was crucified, the Jews are offended, and the Gentiles say it's all nonsense. But to those called by God to salvation, both Jews and Gentiles, Christ is the mighty power of God and the wonderful wisdom of God. This "foolish" plan of God is far wiser than the wisest of human plans, and God's weakness is far stronger than the greatest of human strength.

MYTH
Living a good life makes you a Christian

Then again, living a clean and moral life doesn't make a person a Christian. Many atheists live a decent, straight life. Anyway, how good is 'good'? That is the real issue. Most people have a warped idea of the true standard against which our goodness should be measured.

Compared to a mass murderer, you may feel that you're ready for sainthood. Even compared with your family and friends you may come out OK.

But God's standard of goodness is very different. He puts you up against His Son, Jesus Christ, who lived an absolutely perfect life here on earth. Compared with this level of perfection, our own goodness looks pretty shabby.

Remember, the world has plenty of good people in it. So if goodness were enough, God need not have sent Jesus. The fact that Jesus had to come to die on the cross to make our forgiveness posibble shows that goodness doesn't make someone a Christian.

The Bible says that a Christian is someone who walks in the way of life in contrast to the way of death. And that way, is Jesus Christ, the Son of God.

Jesus said, "I am the way, the truth, and the life, no one comes to the Father but through me." Johns Gospel chapter 14 verse 6.

A Christian is someone who is born into God's family and therefore has become one of God's children. According to the Bible, God is the Creator of all men but He is not the Father of all men. Many people don't even want Him to be their Father.

The Lord Jesus said that no-one can see the kingdom of God unless he is born again. John chapter 3 v 3. What does this mean?
We have no choice to be born physically did we? But to become a child of the heavenly Father, you must have a spiritual birth. This happens when we repent of our sins and put our faith and trust in Jesus Christ.

The Bible says, " to all who received Him, to those he gave the right to become children of God John 1 v 12.

Ask Jesus to forgive all your wrong doing, for we have all fallen short of God's standard. We are all guilty sinners in the sight of God.

If you confess your sin, He is faithful and just to forgive you your sin and cleanse you from ALL unrighteousness.

Receive Christ as your personal Saviour today.
Hope this has been of some help to you

if you would like to know more
go to http://groups.yahoo.com/group/seeking_reality

Answer 6

The real question is what does the bible say? It is clear that all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. (Rom 3:23) But God made a way to be saved from an eternity without him. The wages of sin is death but the gift of God is everlasting life through Jesus our Lord. You have a choice. Yes, sometimes people can offend by their behavior. We need to let Gods word do the offending not our insensitive actions towards others.

Answer 7

Just remember to remind them that God is your judge and not them. They will respect and understand that, you will be speaking their language. BTW, I am an Evangelical and condemning someone to hell is very out of character and not permitted by our faith. So I would take what that person said with a grain of salt.

Our faith states that "love" is our highest law. Christ gives an example of a non-believer being accepted while a believer was not. The non-believer followed Christ's law of love while the believer did not. Our faith isn’t about just head knowledge or doctrine, we actually have to love our neighbor or our faith is meaningless. Condemning you to hell is not consistent with this belief. I'm sorry that happened to you.

Peace, Mike

Answer 8

You should be offended. That person was an idiot. That you worship idols is just their opinion. In your eyes, they aren't idols, and that's all that matters. According to them, I am also going to hell, for NOT worshiping THEIR idol. The irony.

Answer 9

That's alot of the problem with fundamentalist anything, whether it be right wing christians or muslims or anything else, they act superior and arrogant as if they KNOW everything and they're the only ones who are going to heaven.

They forget about a little verse that says judge not lest ye be judged.

So no you feel just fine about yourself and your spiritual beliefs.

Answer 10

They tell people of other faiths that they're going to hell. They tell the pious, prayerful Buddhist that his religion is a cult and that God ignores his prayers. They tell the deeply religious Jew that God ignores his prayers and that he and his family are all going to hell just because they're Jewish. They even call people of other faiths atheists. These fundamentist, bible-literalists don't have the slightest clue just how offensive this is, to tell religious people of other faiths that they're atheists and that God ignores them. Then they wonder why so many people challenge them here.

Answer 11

Yes--its okay to be offended by the evangelicals.

Thhese people may "be Christians" in terms of their spiritual state--that's not for us to judge. But otherwise, they are NOT Christians except in name--because they neither speak nor act as christ taught.