A question for Christians?

Question

Who here ACTUALLY lives by the word of God?
What i mean is.....the Bible tells you that you should love your neighbour....ie love everyone no matter who they are.
So if this is how a TRUE Christian is ment to be then WHY do some Christians hate those that are differnet to them, for example, gays, other religions etc.
Why does hurtful and nasty words come from their mouths at us, condemming us to Hell and all that.

Is there really such thing these days as a TRUE Christain?

Answer 1

I would like to tell something to one of the answers. gay people are perfect too. straight beautifull people are not perfect and to that weird person who tried to tell that homosexuals and that kind of people are bad then you know what die in a hole. anyways for the person who is asking the question. I dont knwo why some people are like that. it really depresses me. I am a christian too and I respect all kinds of people. Its not their fault that they are born in a different way.

Answer 2

Are you qualified to make such a broad statement? Can you really lump all Christians into the category of the ones that post here? Have you loved your neighbor like you love yourself? You only have a false image of what a true Christian is. You simply don't know. You're guessing. If you don't read the part of the Bible that you don't like, then you only have part of the picture. Simply put, love does not mean accepting everything that someone does. That is what people who wnat to do anything they desire are trying to make it. When my children do something wrong, I don't stop loving them, but I will darn sure let them know that I won't stand for that type of behavior. It's as simple as that. Love doesn't let you think everything you do is okay. Especially if it's going to harm you. If you deal drugs, or commit violent crimes, your life expectancy will be short, unless you decide to do something different. If you are my friend, I will point this out. If I couldn't care less about your welfare, I wouldn't say anything. People who neither understand love nor know how to show it, don't understand this.

Answer 3

There are no true Christians by your standards, because by the
'Live by the Bible absolutely' standards it would require the perfect person.

Even Jesus wasn't a true Christian by those standards
(He was perfect but Christian means follower of Christ and He would have looked like one of those wierd dogs in the park if He had followed Himself)

It all really goes by how you define the true Christian. If it is 'Be perfect or else' then no one is, was, or ever will be.

But if it is God's standards (and they are the only ones that matter)
It is 'Jesus saved you, repent, and if you really mean it you will be saved'

And God's standards are all that matter. People standards are generally loosly based on weak morals passed down from a history of muder and massicre.

So basiclly people standards are pointless. Although they do help some people the bar is almost always set too high or too low

Answer 4

Hi Sarah. Good question. You are right, the Bible does say to love your neighbour. So a TRUE christian would do that..you are right again. Some christians do unchristian things though. In other words, lots of people SAY they are christians, but their actions and words show they are NOT TRUE CHRISTIANS. Jesus said this would be so. In the Bible in the book of Matthew, chapter 7. It is worth reading the whole chapter, but here are one or two points from it. "Be on the watch for FALSE prophets that come to you in sheep's clothing, but INSIDE they are ravening wolves." I think this describes people who say they are christians but act like wolves, the want to hurt others with their cruel words and actions. Also Jesus said "Not everyone saying to me "Lord Lord" will enter the kingdom of the heavens, but the one DOING the will of my father who is in the heavens will."
These are just samples of what Jesus said. On another point you made..this Hell some "christians" teach about is NOT a Bible teaching. Hell is a bad translation of original words meaning "grave". The Bible says Jesus went to "Hell"..he was in the grave not fiery torment. Others in the Bible WANTED to go to "Hell"....the grave, for example Job, Jacob and others.
It might be worth your while having a home bible study some time, and you will see that there are real christians..few and far between, but they are there. Jesus said "by their fruits you will know them." Think of anyone you know who is a "christian", but is honest, kind, loving, helpful..someonewho would not go to war and kill others whether same or different race or religion. I don't know many religions that do not fight in wars. If you meet a "christian", ask if members of their religion go to war. Best wishes for the future. I hope you find real christians soon. One more thing, Sarah which works for thousands of people.. pray to god..tell him your worries and needs, and ask him to send someone to you to help you find the truth.....He might do that within an hour or two or a week ortwo. Try it.

Answer 5

Yes. We are called Jehovah's Witnesses.

We have love among ourselves. We don't participate in wars due in part, to that. Observe meetings at our Kingdom Halls or especially this summer at our assemblies. There will be all sorts of people, with no need for police. No crime or fear. People in agreement to learn more of the Bible's meaning in our lives. No matter where we go in the world any congregation we go to teaches the same thing. We have harmony not divisions.

Our beliefs are all based on the Bible. We reject any belief of non-biblical origin. Many beliefs of Christendom are openly admited to be of pagan origin. Others are hiddenly pagan. The Bible shows absolutely no case of God's faithfull people having anything to do with pagan things, nor should we.

Jesus said his people would be hated due to following him closely. By standing up for true worship, it causes at times physical pain for some when we expose false worship for what it is. We do not believe in the trinity. The Bible clearly says Jehovah, which is God's personal name, is seperate and more powerful individual than Jesus, his son. The holy spirit is God's power--not a live creature at all.

Many of the holidays we do not celebrate for the same reason. Most of the things involved in such celebrations originate from places true Christians are told to have nothing to do with.

When we don't do these things, those that do feel like they had hot coals dropped on them as Romans 12: 20 says.

We are a happy people. We enjoy life both now and to come. The Bible guides us to a good family life. Things it warns us against prevent many of the troubles people have today especially regarding deseases, political strife, drugs and tobacco. By actually following Bible council, we avoid these things.

Death of loved ones is hard for everyone no matter the religion. It is a bit easier because the Bible teaches us the condition of the dead. They are not suffering in some torture or middle ground. Eccles. 9: 5-6 shows the dead are conscious of nothing and they have no thoughts. This is completely different from what you have heard all your life as Christian teaching. It is the truth of the Bible.

Exposing such things make people so mad they make up things about us. I wonder sometimes how they make up things so crazy. One answer on Yahoo said JWs did not believe in Jesus. Why would we be following Jesus if we did not believe in him? Stupid is an appropriate word.

Answer 6

Those who hate gays and those of other religions are not "Christians." Like you say, they do not follow Christ. Because of their sensationalism, they're the ones that pop out to us (through the media and otherwise). But they are not representative of Jesus or of Christians who follow Him.

When it comes to hell...its not a nice thing to condemn someone as going there. But here's the deal - we believe that those who do not follow Christ as going to spend eternity apart from God in hell. A true follower loves everyone (as you say) and thus would never want someone to end up like that. So we tell people. Many don't use appropriate methods, spewing out hateful words, unfortunately.

As for a perfect Christian, no such thing exists. Paul, who was as saintly as one could be, said that he wasn't perfection. But he also said that he strives for perfection all the time, and that's what a true follower will do.

Thanks for the question. God bless!

Answer 7

TRUE Christians are supposed to love everyone as themselves - even love greater than themselves. TRUE Christians still have the ability to make CHOICES like evryone else. One of the prerequisites for becoming a TRUE Christian is admitting that you are a sinner in need of God's grace because you do not have everything together. God saved me, not the other way around. After becoming a TRUE believer, you begin a process of becoming more Christ-like. This is a gradual proccess. As a TRUE believer, I still have the ability to resist this change and to committ sins. I am a sinner saved by grace alone. My natural tendency is to sin because I am a sinner, so I have to resist making the wrong choices (minute by minute). Someone that hasn't been born-again doesn't know how fierce this struggle is. TRUE Christians are to swim against the so called accepted systems of this world, which put oursleves as the center of the universe. We are commanded to take up our crosses daily - to die to our selfish wants. Some Christians are very immature or ignorant, and they forget that they are people with struggles as well. Sometimes they can be confused. As a TRUE Christian, I do not condone the homosexual lifestyle because it is a sin. You do not have to accept someones behavior, but you can still love them as people. As a TRUE believer, I do not accept other religions as the way to God, but I do not reject them as people. There are a million reasons why I chose to be a Christian. I know it is TRUE. I reckognize my need for a Savior. I hope and pray that you will meet some TRUE Christians that will show you what God's love is.

"For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. John 3:16

Answer 8

TRUE Christian?
Sure.
PERFECT?
No.
Christians are just forgiven sinners.
For example:
Romans 3:10
as it is written,
"There is none righteous, not even one;

And then it gets worse:
Romans 3:11-18
11 THERE IS NONE WHO UNDERSTANDS, THERE IS NONE WHO SEEKS FOR GOD;
12 ALL HAVE TURNED ASIDE, TOGETHER THEY HAVE BECOME USELESS; THERE IS NONE WHO DOES GOOD, THERE IS NOT EVEN ONE."
13 "THEIR THROAT IS AN OPEN GRAVE, WITH THEIR TONGUES THEY KEEP DECEIVING," "THE POISON OF ASPS IS UNDER THEIR LIPS";
14 "WHOSE MOUTH IS FULL OF CURSING AND BITTERNESS";
15 "THEIR FEET ARE SWIFT TO SHED BLOOD,
16 DESTRUCTION AND MISERY ARE IN THEIR PATHS,
17 AND THE PATH OF PEACE THEY HAVE NOT KNOWN."
18 "THERE IS NO FEAR OF GOD BEFORE THEIR EYES."
(Sorry about the all caps, they are there because it's a quote from the Old Testament.)

Am I not a Christian because I point out the errors or others (not that I am error free)?
If I see my neighbors doing something that i know to be self destructive and wrong, do I not have the obligation to correct them? If I say nothing, am I not a party to the wrong? Would I be a loving neighbor if I did not tell my neighbor that his house was on fire, when it was, in fact, on fire?

Matthew 7:1 says:
"Do not judge so that you will not be judged."
And people really like that, because they think it gets them off the hook as far as being told they are sinners; but look down the chapter a little bit farther.

Matthew 7:16
"You will know them by their fruits. Grapes are not gathered from thorn bushes nor figs from thistles, are they?"
Matthew 7:20
"So then, you will know them by their fruits."

No, we are not given a license to hate people. But these actions are loving, concerned ones, not hate filled ones.

Then there is the fact that your actions' (assuming from your comment that you are gay) results do not stop with yourself. Your sin (for that is what it is) impacts others, and even society at large. When gays contract STD's as a result of their actions, my health insurance goes up. When gays insist on being "married" against 5,000 years of social convention, the definition of what marriage is is changed and I AM impacted; and so is my family, and my church, and my community.

Hate you? No!
Disagree? Yes!
Pray for you? Absolutely.

Answer 9

I'm not perfect only forgiven. I do my best to be respectful and kind to all people. But I fall down like everyone. I do always find it interesting how I read a lot on here about Christians condeming people to hell. You do know that no one has that power but God and He gives everyone a choice. I understand that some find that fact offensive but it doesn't change the truth.

Answer 10

Yes. They are called Moslems.

If you take the time to study the Qu'ran, or even browse one of those Islam for Dummies books at the very least, you'd soon discover that Moslems are ultra-orthodox Christians. They basically follow the very same strict laws and teachings that are covered in the Old Testament and the teachings of Jesus, only further strengthened and supported without contradiction by the teachings of Mohammed.

But there are several translations and mistranslations of the Qu'ran, one of the worst of which goes completely against the fundamentals of Islam and is used as a reference by terror extremists, who constantly violate the laws of Islam and whose actions betray their diametric opposition to the faith.

I certainly couldn't live up to the standards of Islam, and Christianity today has become Christianity "Lite" (which you perceived correctly).

That's why I'm an agnostic.

Science is ultimately at the root of everything. But until we fully understand the science, I have absolutely no problem with anyone using religion to try and make the mystery understandable. I respect others faiths and beliefs, and only ask that they afford the same to me.

I have no problem with public displays of religious faith, even on government property (such as money).

Answer 11

" True " Christians live by the Word of God.

But he answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.

You say this is how a true Christian is meant to be but then go on to criticise some Christians for living according to that and then misrepresent them for hating and for condemning to Hell and "all that".

You are very confused and clearly misunderstand.

I really do wish that people were not so judgemental especially when they do not understand or are in ignorance.