Aerin wrote:"Professing belief in Jesus as Christ or following the religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus,"
The Bible is the life and teachings of Jesus. The Book of Mormon is a bunch of other stuff tacked on.
"Jesus as Christ." The Christ is the way, the truth, and the light of Salvation mentioned in the Bible. The ONLY way, light and truth, for the record. Mormons believe there is other stuff required to get onto the way. Ergo, they do not believe in Jesus as Christ. So.
You can't go around building a better world for people. Only people can build a better world for people. Otherwise it's just a cage.
--Terry Pratchett
Does the dictionary say that? No. You're adding things on to make it fit your conceptions. You, Narbus, are not the arbiter of what it means to be a true Christian. You may have whatever opinions you want. But if you can't argue them objectively, then you don't have any room to stand on in a logical debate.
Since this is descending into a "yes it is, no it isn't" type of circular debate, I'm through. If you don't have anything new to bring to your argument, let's please not dwell on it any longer.
I'm just responding to what she says. She provided the definition I responded to. I don't know what else to do.
Although, I could point out that the Bible is the source of all teachings of Jesus, and therefore supercedes the dictionary's defintion. After all, if a science text written by a doctorate contained a different defintion of a technical term than the dictionary, which would be more trusted?
You can't go around building a better world for people. Only people can build a better world for people. Otherwise it's just a cage.
--Terry Pratchett
you can't have a logical debate about regligon. Religion is the only subject where "it's just what i believe" holds water. that's what faith is. highly illogical, highly irrational.
Narbus is right though. According to the bible, Mormons aren't christians. who cares what the dictionary says?
according to the bible, catholics aren't either. being christian really isn't as complicated as all those mofo's make it seem. you get Jesus, you pray to him, and that's it. all that other stuff is bullshit.
If you kill someone, you're a sinner, same as if you steal, lie, swear, or anything else. It's not the nature of the sin, it's the fact of it. Any sin, however minor, is a taint, and leaves us unworthy of God's presence. That's the whole point.
This is not really about the definition of Christianity anymore. I'm asking YOU Narbus, if you believe that if you kill someone, you are just as worthy to go to heaven as people who have only commited minor sins. Believe it or not, some sins ARE worse than others, like adultery and murder. If not, then what is the point of a judgement day? Mormons do not believe that anyone on this planet has EVER been perfect. They just believe that you actually have to TRY to get where you're going. I don't see God being a "being" that would say, "Oh, you killed someone, come on in. Susy just said fuck all her life...but I think we'll send her to hell." There has to be some basis, obviously based on works, for who gets into heaven and who doesn't. I'm not saying a killer cannot be forgiven, but just believing in Christ is not enough.
Romans 3:23 - For all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God.
Romans 6:23 - For the wages of sin is death . . .
So far as all this goes, I believe in what the Bible says. All of us, from Mother Theresa, to little Susie potty-mouth, to Ghandi, to Clyde the serial rapist have fallen short of God's glory. Every one of us has sinned, everyone of us has failed to measure up.
No one is worthy, at all, to be in Heaven, no matter how great and loving and peaceful a life they lead. Not one among us.
Ephesians 2
8 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:
9 Not of works, lest any man should boast.
It's Christ's compassion that allows us to Heaven, in spite of our frailities. You can't say that you're more deserving of Heaven than anyone else, because you lived a good life. You're still a weak, sinful, human just the same as everyone else. But through Christ, you're forgiven for that. That's what the Bible teaches.
That's why your works and your sins don't matter. That's why a murderer can be taken into heaven when a philanthropist is sent to hell. Because we are all low, we are all weak, and we are all unworthy. You are still a sinner. You have still fallen short of God's glory. We all have.
That's the whole point.
You can't go around building a better world for people. Only people can build a better world for people. Otherwise it's just a cage.
--Terry Pratchett
SpclAgntCass wrote:What do you think God judges you on then?
God has already judged you. You have been judged. In the box next to your name in God's Big File, there is a check mark by the word "Judged." Court dismissed.
You have been found wanting. You are not worthy of Heaven. Thus sayeth the Bible, and thus sayeth the Lord.
You can't go around building a better world for people. Only people can build a better world for people. Otherwise it's just a cage.
--Terry Pratchett
