Could it be considered a religious cop-out to claim that anyone who leaves Christianity behind was never a real Christian to begin with? Why/why not?
Are there any arguments to support the ex-Christians were never truly Christians claim other than the argument that an ex-Christian could only turn his/her back on God because he/she was never filled with the Holy Spirit?
How do Christians know they are truly filled with Holy Spirit, other than by not leaving Christianity behind?
If the idea that ex-Christians were never truly Christian is true, why did the Holy Spirit choose to make these people false Christians?
If the ex-Christians were never truly Christian premise is true, how can one tell the difference between a true Christian and a false Christian before the false Christian leaves Christianity?
Thank you in advance for your consideration.
2007-12-10 12:58:19 · 19 answers · asked by Muffie 5 in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
I was a christian when I was 8. I also believed in Santa. So what's the answer there?
2007-12-10 13:01:21 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
I get that all the time too, the whole "Well you never were truly Christian then!" argument when people find out I left Christianity at age 17. Nevermind the fact that I was a very devout Christian who even thought about becoming a nun for a little bit. I think it's a combination of self-righteousness and a cop-out so they don't have to admit to being jealous. They just can't accept the fact that someone who leaves Christianity can be happy (which I am, btw, much happier now than I was as a Christian).
2007-12-10 13:06:59 · answer #2 · answered by Abriel 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Well, the Bible says.." they went out from us, because they were never part of us". ...speaking of a group that broke off early in church history. If one is a born again Christian-they will never leave God. They may change from one church to another for many reasons.
How can you then tel the difference??? It can be hard. It can be done though. The more mature one becomes in their Christian walk with the Lord the easier this becomes. It is almost impossible for a non-Christian to tell the difference with someone who is attempting to deceive others on their Christianity.
Remember the parable of the wheat and tares? That scripture speaks directly to this question. Go back and read it. God will have no trouble telling the difference-don't worry about that.
2007-12-10 13:07:22 · answer #3 · answered by Poor Richard 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I am an ex-Christian and I have had this line used on me. I was not that good of a Christian, but I truly believed in the doctrine. I believed how I lived my life was wrong and not very Christian like but I still believed in Christianity.
Just because I converted to Islam does not mean I was not a true Christian. Just means I found another path that I felt was the correct path.
2007-12-10 13:06:43 · answer #4 · answered by Umm Ali 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
A true Christian knows that if they leave Christianity, they are breaking a relationship with a real person, God. Since God is now my Lord, my Savior, my Father, and my friend, how can I ever deny him.
A true Christian knows that to leave Christ, is to no longer have any hope. I could leave Christ, but I still would not go around saying that God doesn't exist. The mess up would be on me, - my fault, my bad!
2007-12-10 13:04:28 · answer #5 · answered by ignoramus_the_great 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Several of the most hardcore atheists I've ever met used to be Christians, including some former ministers. These people were strong believers, and spent decades working for their churches. For varying reasons, they left Christianity. Were they actually professing Christians? Yes. Are they really atheists now? Yes. I've heard the same argument used against atheists who become religious ("Oh, they were never really atheists to begin with.") I don't believe the argument either way. People can change their minds, and in fact, it happens all the time.
2007-12-10 13:07:39 · answer #6 · answered by solarius 7 · 2⤊ 0⤋
John 3:15 states that whoever believes in Jesus Christ will "have eternal life." If you believe in Christ today and have eternal life, but lose it tomorrow, then it was never "eternal" at all. Hence if you lose your salvation, the promises of eternal life in the Bible would be in error. For the most conclusive argument, I think Scripture says it best itself, "For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord" (Romans 8:38-39). Remember the same God who saved you is the same God who will keep you. Once we are saved we are always saved. Our salvation is most definitely eternally secure!
There are many "Christians" that were never truly Christians. They never truly accepted Christ as their savior.
2007-12-10 13:12:47 · answer #7 · answered by Kricket T 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Atheists tend to have been very strong Christians, believing everything, trying to reconcile it, and from reading the bible, it became impossible to overlook all the contradictions.
The ones who aren't strong Christians probably don't read the bible. They keep putting it off, and pretend they have read it. So they never see firsthand all the difficulties in the bible. They just pay lip service and say they believe the word of God, even though they haven't taken the time to really see what is in it.
2007-12-10 13:02:42 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 0⤋
In the end it all comes down to even if you were a real christian, you aren't one now. So all that other stuff is irrelevant. Reminds me of me. Used to be a christian, now me = athiest.
2007-12-10 13:01:30 · answer #9 · answered by Blobofgoo 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
As a human, It is hard to accept that you are alone. There is no God. If there was, Why would this 'Great and Merciful' being create so much sorrow, all of these horrible things? why would he make flawed beings? that would make him flawed. QED.
Also, why would he make evil? wouldn't that make him evil in his own right?
2007-12-10 13:03:26 · answer #10 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋