Why are Christians forced to think that unsaved people must have sinful hearts?

Question

I know my own heart and it is good. I am a good person - I am more thoughtful and compassionate than I ever was when I was a Christian who claimed to love Jesus and be filled with the holy Spirit.

In fact, I love people more, now that I am an atheist than I ever could as a mere Christian. With Christianity, you cannot love without a third party (Jesus) With Atheism, when you love, it comes from the atheist's heart alone, with no filtering or outsourcing..

The reason I rejected Christianity was because I discovered (in my PhD program at Duke University that Jesus did not exist as a historical figure and that the manuscript tradition for the bible was completely corrupt and political.

I have objectively studied both sides of the debates and there can be no doubt, Christianity is NOT the truth, and was made up over a lengthy period.

You too, can learn to live honestly. Dare to question.

Morgaine,

I have studied the original MS from Tacitus, Josephus, et al.

Most of your extrabiblical sources are either forgeries or contextually unreliable.

You obviously got them from a Christian source. They are famous for only giving partial information or misunderstood info.

I wish more Christians would research for themselves - that's how I escaped the clutches of Christian Apologetics.

Answer 1

We live in a fallen world.

Everyone is a sinner... Christians included. Pope included for that matter.

Some people are under the mistaken impression that they are "good" because they happen to be a better person than "so and so".

Its so very subjective... but there is a way to make it objective.

God is perfect. Therefore He makes the perfect yardstick to measure sin against.

To be held to the standard of God.. we all fail miserably.

And hopefully now you are just a little closer to understanding why mankind so sorely needed a Savior.

God Bless You.

Answer 2

First you are not an atheist. There is no such thing. You need to relabel yourself. You chose to be an atheist. what you really mean, "You are agnostic." Most people are agnostic, but tend to mislabel themselves. I'm agnostic, but not stupid. To say; "there is no God" is a foolish thing to think. You don't know if there is or is not. That is being agnostic, not knowing what is out there and never knowing. There are so many things in life that has no answer, the existence of a God is the biggest. There are things in life that make you scratch your head and wonder aloud if that was some divine intervention. I believe that this is what people are referring to as God, that feeling. The bible is full of stories to help you see the light, by doing this they made a lot of mistakes. For example: The sun and moon was created after he separated night and day Adam walk the earth before Eve (Females were the first humans) Cain left Eden and went east and married a women. The list goes on. The bible does attempt to make you better, but goes about wrong with a bunch of made up stories. You need to relabel yourself and start by calling yourself Agnostic. You can't believe their is a 100% chance of no God? Even if it's less than 1% of a chance; then you are Agnostic.

Answer 3

I was not forced to believe I chose to believe. The Bible said that all are sinners. Just living a good life will not get you into heaven. If Jesus wasn't real why are so many people trying to stop Him being presented all through the ages. Jesus is the true Messiah. The fool has said in his heart there is no God. Jesus is the Son of God. There are people who claim to be Christians, and do not live that way. But our eyes are to be on Jesus not man. Man will lead you astray, but Jesus will never let you go. Too many people focus on the wrong things. The only way to heaven is to have a personnel relationship with Jesus Christ. There is no other way.

Answer 4

I read a science book, listen to music, and look at the stars at night. How can there not be a God? The system is perfect. Not our system, but nature's system. Physics, Biology, Chemistry. They all work in perfect harmony. Such perfection confirms my belief in God.

Those who follow the Christian faith (Catholic, Protestant, Mormons, Leprechauns, etc.) are not BAD people. Some are just slightly narrow minded. However, as long as they don't start beating down on my beliefs and/or interfering with my life, I am OK with it.

Jesus was born in March not December, Christmas is actually a pagan holiday, Bible was written 200 years after Jesus died, etc. I don't know if any of this is true or not. All I know is that the essence of Christianity is fairly good. 10 commandments aren't really a bad thing. O.K, so maybe the waiter doesn't serve me as well as others because she is Christian and I am not. But if being Christian keeps her from killing me, stealing my stuff, or any of that, then SO BE IT.

LIVE AND LET LIVE. I feel that there is a God/Gods/Superior Being. I also feel that NONE of us can truly claim to know what He/She/It really wants. I will do what feels right to me, what I know is in the best interest of humanity. I don't know any Christian's, Jew's, Muslim's, Buddhist's, Hindu's, Nymph's, Satanist's, etc. All I know are human beings who believe in what they want to believe.

Answer 5

Umm.. Issue 1: You're a good person. Really? Have you ever lied to anyone, about anything? Have you ever stolen anything - no matter what the value? Be honest now. Have you ever hated anyone - even for a fraction of a moment? The Bible says that's committing murder in your heart. Have you ever looked at someone of the opposite sex, who you're not married to, lustfully? The Bible says that's adultry. C'mon - be honest. Like me, you're a lying, thieving, murdering, adulterer. Deny and I'll say you're lying again.

What standard are you using to define "good"? God only has one standard, and (sorry to say), neither one of us meets that criteria.

Issue 2 - Your claim to be a PhD doesn't impress me. What's your proof that Jesus did not exist as a historical figure? There's plenty of proof he did. You're certainly not claiming that the early church made all this up - claiming to have first-hand knowledge of the events - just so they could be persecuted, do you? They got nothing for this other than being fed to lions, stoned, beheaded, etc. C'mon - how dumb do you think we are?

Answer 6

We all have sinful hearts even if were Christian.

You know it would be nice to know the truth too, I am Catholic.

So why not share how Christianity was "invented".

No offence but it is a bit arrogant to assume that you are more enlightened about the origins of Christianity than all the Catholics and Saints and Theologians who have lived over the past 2000 years.

Answer 7

"Why are Christians forced to think that unsaved people must have sinful hearts?"

Nobody forces them. They believe it because they're told.

"With Atheism, when you love, it comes from the atheist's heart alone, with no filtering or outsourcing.."

No, atheist love is filtered through Satan.

Really, I don't think this "third party" argument will work. It's like saying sex is much better when you give over to hedonism. Christians are going to think you're the Devil.

Answer 8

I'm not forced to think that, and I don't think that at all. I'm sure you're a very nice person and would make a terrific neighbor. But, I'm not "forced" to think anything at all. I'm not a good person because I'm forced to be, I'm a good person because I choose to be. I choose to be thoughtful and compassionate to all. I choose to love others. I choose to be honest and helpful. I choose all those things because it makes me feel good. It makes me happy. And I choose Christianity because out of all of the possibilities I have, it just makes the most sense to me.

And, yes, I "dare" question. Even Mother Teresa questioned her faith! God gave us science, and He gave us brains, and He expects us to use them both. But the more I study and the more I learn, the more I keep coming back to the same thing, my head agrees with my heart. God DOES exist.

Answer 9

Your reasons for your dogmatic assertions sound like the conclusions of Da vinci code* "scholarship" and are similarly "proven."

As for love and goodness, you have no objective, transcendent authority for such. Recently, atheists in the UK circulated a petition to outlaw the teaching of religion to children, which Dawkins initially signed. I am sure this qualifies as love, and a "reasonable" thing to do.

And while an atheists can be moral, as the essence of God's laws in given innately as the Bible shows (Rm. 2), you can just as easily justify doing whatever seems reasonable in your sight to achieve atheistic ends. Just as fellow atheists Stalin, Mao, Pol Pot, did in slaying and oppressing their millions, as such was pragmatically reasonable to them, as they acted out of the objectively baseless "morality" atheism allows. And as man is religious by nature, atheism fosters political religion and it's worship of leaders to help achieve it's ends.

Such "love," like that of the unChristian Catholic inquisitions, which persecuted the same kind of Christians atheism seeks to rid the world of, we do not need.

In contrast, despite the attempt by militant atheists to paint evangelicals as imminent bombers, true Christians (not most RC's, etc., much less Hitler) never shed blood in seeking to defend or expand their faith, if acting consistent with the New Testament**. Those are the facts.

I did not believe you were ever born again and enjoyed a relationship with Christ. But i thank God He drew me and came into my life, and after 30 years of knowing and realizing His working as He promised when trusted and obeyed, in ways that defy naturalistic causes, i cannot objectively deny Him.

For you, here are some examples which empirically evidence of Christ being cause behind the effects. May you know Him.

http://www.cbn.com/700club/features/amazing/
http://www.truthsaves.org/testimony/
http://www.christian-faith.com/truestories.html
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=4136610474021109864
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=3682855866783766146
http://www.shelovesgod.com/library/testimonies.cfm
http://breadsite.org/topics.htm

(Acts 17:27) "That they should seek the Lord, if haply they might feel after him, and find him, though he be not far from every one of us:"

Answer 10

Mr Galt...I would venture to guess that your 'thoughtfulness and compassion' has a limit and (sacrificial) forgiveness is 'missing' from the atheist's makeup beyond that which is beneficial for them to forgive.

When you have a true love for God in you as a true Christian should, there is no expiration on Mercy, forgiveness and love.

God is real. If you experience Him for yourself, (ie. know and not 'claim') no book can convince you He does not exist.