Jeez, guys... I like a good crazy Christian smack down once in awhile, but?

Question

Today seems quite out of hand. I mean, I don't believe the same thing, but I think we're all letting the crazy whack-job minority stir up so much ire that we're bashing the whole populace, most of whom are actually quite sane and pleasant and intelligent. My parents are Christians and they volunteer at a soup kitchen, donate to charities, don't condemn non-Christians to hell, respect people's rights to live secularly, and accept evolution. I think they represent far more Christians than lunatics like Ted Haggard, Fred Phelps and Jerry Falwell.

Answer 1

Hi, I'm a Christian, but non-denominational.
You sound like you probably realize how frustrating it is when you hear some of the
crazy people saying crazy things, like:

That group called "creationists" who say the Bible states the earth is 6000 years old.
I am a student of the manuscripts, and the Bible says no such thing. In fact, it does say that this earth is countless billions, eons and eons in age, and that there was an entire earth age before this one we live in now. So naturally, I get clumped up with those nuts who say that fossils are strewn about by Satan to throw people off. Unbelievable.
Don't even get me started on the Churches and lunatics like Ted Haggard and those others you mentioned. Jerry Falwell sent me a letter asking me to enroll in his college to be a Pastor. I told him to send me complete documentation on what is taught at his "college". When I received the information, I wasn't sure whether to laugh or cry, to be honest with you. It was so
Biblically inaccurate that even my SEVEN YEAR OLD SAID "WHAT???". My first grader has more Bible knowledge than Jerry Falwell, thats right. I am a disiplined student (35+years) in the original manuscripts; I am literate in all three Bible languages, and my specialty study is Prophecy. If Jerry Falwell was one of my students, I would fail him. And just think:
he is graduating people who will call themselves "Pastors" and "Preachers". These people will get jobs at Churches -
thats about as scary as anything I can think of. He is turning out Biblically illiterate numb-skulls that can't understand the Bible in plain English, let alone handling the manuscripts in Hebrew, Greek and Chaldee.

I am a Christian. That means I believe and follow the teachings of Jesus Christ, and that I am a member of the Church of Christ, which has no building - it is made up of the many-membered body of Christ, thats the true Church.
But to be fair, people need to realize that no matter what religion or group you are looking at, you will find those grounded, intelligent individuals, and also some nut cases. Thats true of Athiesm, Buddhism,
Christianity, or a knitting group. Its just the nature of things. Religion has been used over the years to kill, to control, and also to help and to heal. Religion is like a hammer:
You can take that hammer and build the most beautiful House of God, or you can take that same hammer and hit someone over the head and kill them with it.
It just depends on who is holding the hammer, thats all.
Whenever some tv preacher is found out to be stealing money, fingers get pointed at every Christian and you hear: "ah ha!".
When the fact is that if people would check out these preachers against Gods Word, they would find them out long before the police ever did: for example, a true Church of God WILL NOT BEG FOR MONEY.
Christ does not send out beggars. If a church is truly of God, and doing the business of God, then God will see to that church's survival, period. This separates those true believers from those who are just "playing church" for whatever motive they might have.
It is the fault of the individual if they don't check out in Gods Word what a pastor or preacher says; Satan knows scripture better than most Christians, and he will give a line a scripture and then twist it just at the very end, to make it a lie. But it "sounds right", and it "sounds so holy"; but a lie is still a lie no matter how "holy" or how "right" it may sound.
A person wouldn't leave their children with someone they don't know without checking them out first, but yet Christians go and listen to these preachers and never check out whether what they are saying is Biblical or not. Just as long as it "sounds right", that seems to be good enough for them.
Well its not good enough. Its a real bad idea.
Sorry I am rambling - my point is that its frustrating when you sit day after day and have to shake your head in disgust because someone does something terrible and they carry the same title as you do: "Christian".
I feel like changing my title to "actual Christian" or "manuscript christian" or how about "educated Christian" - but I would probably be labeled "church hater" or something. I don't hate the Churches, I am just terribly disappointed in them. So is Christ. Revelation 1 - John is given a message to each of 7 churches. Only 2 of the 7 are approved of by Christ, and they both teach the same thing. Yet in over 35 years, I have found only ONE church that teaches what they teach, and what those churches teach is probably the most important information in all of the Bible.
Nobody cares. Just salvation-baptism-love your neighbor. Beautiful things, all of them, but at some point you would think the churches would teach more of the meat of Gods Word, instead of bottle-feeding baby Christians who never seem to get pass those things, even after fifty years sitting in a pew week after week. Its a shame.

Answer 2

The problem is that folks like your parents and my parents, true Christians known by their deeds and not their words, tend to be modest and quiet.

Those who do not live their beliefs make up for it be being loud and annoying. They are afraid that people will recognize them for the frauds they are and think they can scare other people into overlooking their faults.

There is a special place in hell for the Ted Haggards, Jerry Falwells, Jim Bakkers and Oral Roberts of the world.

And there is a special place in heaven for people like Billy Graham.

Answer 3

You can always find "lunatics" in any group. (Like at some of the atheist who post on here). But you are right. The majority of Christians are good, decent people, who live out there faith a simple, loving, caring way.

Of course that doesn't make for good arguments. So that have to find the "loonies" and then argue that they are all like that.

(And too often us Christians have done the same thing to the other sides of the arguments.)

Good posting.

Answer 4

Speaking from a woman's point of view, I wasn't impressed with it. With the exception of Michelle McCool's slam at the end, I would have rather it been a true wrestling match. It's one of the reasons why most people prefer the TNA knockouts over the WWE divas. I say stop with the stupid girly gimmicks and let the girls fight.

Answer 5

AMEN. Like I said in another post. I think you would actually like to spend time with most of us. we are not all wacko zealots who shove scripture down throats. So, give US a break. Bible says, "They will know we are Christians by our love". That means acceptance, respect, intellegent conversation w/o bashing & slamming.Etc. and loving all people unconditionally. We don't have to agree on your spiritual condition but just be a good example and walk our talk.

Answer 6

I agree. But I'm a fundamentalist conservative Christian. And although your parents may not "condemn non-Christians to hell", if they are true Christians, they are probably grieving over your disbelief of perfect truth, and know that if you don't know Christ before you die, that you will burn in Hell for eternity. That's what our Book says. But, chances are they're religionists at best and think that donating to charities and volunteering at soup kitchens is a way to attain favor with God. In that case, I'd say they're damned. Damned. (Sorry, had to capitalize the D in Damned) That's what the Bible says. I believe it.

Answer 7

Maybe its the fact that this is via a computer type blog deal, but I find that people tend to go completely insane when it comes to answering questions about religion/politics. Here's the real question, do you think these people are this psychotic in person? I hope I don't ever have to meet them. Yesh!

Answer 8

We don't condemn non-Christians to hell, God does. As for evolution it's contradictory to what the Bible teaches. I don't feel the need to be loved by everyone. Jesus said that we would be hated by everyone, why would I try to make everyone happy? I will never compromise the Bible for political correctness.

Answer 9

Thank you.
Oh and fyi Christians can't condemn people to hell, God, being perfect and just, is the only one who can judge.

Answer 10

I think you are right.
I am more like your parents than the extremists that many people picture all Christians to be.