Another thing my athiest friend has said is that Christians are too exclusive. Hmmm. Is this true? Lets think about other religions.
Islam. Do Christians kill people who don't convert? When is the last time you read a news article about a Jahova's Witness kidnapping and beheading someone after knocking on their door?
Judaism. How often do Rabbi's let Christian pastors preach at sinagogue?
Bhuddists. I heard the other day that in India there are bhudist armies killing Christians. One could say that the crusades was something similar, but, in my oppinion, those who participated in the crusades and the inquisition were not Christians. (See note one below and I'll explain).
Anyway, you get the idea. Every religion is exclusive. Even the "non-exclusive" B'Hai's because they exclude the "exclusiveists".
Note 1:
Those who know me know I'm a nerd. So If I said I was a cowboy they wouldn't believe me. If I wore a cowboy had and cowboy boots and said I was a cowboy they still wouldn't believe me. If I learned to speak with a southern accent and learned to two-step, still they wouldn't believe me. Why? Because beyond the superficial I don't do the things cowboys do.
Alot of Christians are that way. They call themselves a Christian because they dress a certain way and listen to a certain type of musice and they go to church every week, but they haven't really given themselves over to Christ.
Those who participated in the crusades and the inquisition may have called themselves Christians, but they were doing the work of Satan not the work of Christ.
5 comments:
intersting metaphors but the thing to remember, one mans terrorist or mass murderer, is another mans Freedom fighter and/or hero
What you say is true, that is why knowlege of the Bible is important. And why application of scripture is more important. We call ourselves Christian because we follow the teaching of Jesus Christ. And nowhere does Jesus tell us to kill the infidel. This, instead, is what he teaches us.
Matthew 5: 43-48
43 "You have heard that it was said, Love your neighbor and hate your enemy. 44 But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, 45 so that you may be sons of your Father in heaven. For He causes His sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. 46 For if you love those who love you, what reward will you have? Don't even the tax collectors do the same? 47 And if you greet only your brothers, what are you doing out of the ordinary? Don't even the Gentiles do the same? 48 Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.
I wonder, does Christianity have any martyrs who recieved martyrdom by killing people? My first thought is no, but I'll have to look into that.
"does Christianity have any martyrs who recieved martyrdom by killing people".................................Joan of Arc....name says it all
other than Joan of Arc I cant think of many people, Muhammed mass murderd a entire city in the name of god and he is regarded as a saint to islamics but not sure if that really counts or not.
Well, Muhammad isn't a Christian martyr. And Joan of Arc is a Catholic martyr. I guess that sort of counts, but not really what I meant. I meant protestant martyrs, but I wasn't clear.
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