Christianity is very big on the doctrine of faith; of having faith in God, though you lack proof in His existance. They seem to think it is something to admire.

Thinking about this, it occured to me that really having faith in Christianity would mean a complete lack of tolerance. If you knew for sure that everyone who was not Christian would go to hell and be tormented forever, would you not wish to save everyone from that fate you could - even if it means sometimes harsh tactics? What's a little torture, or an execution, or repression compared to eternal bliss? If I truly, truly believed - with all my heart, with no doubt in my mind - that God was real and that atheists etc. would suffer endlessly, and I had the power to, I would attempt to convert everyone I could, by any means. To be a true Christian you cannot object to oppression in the name of God, for in the end you are actually doing everyone a FAVOR. The only reason to ever tolerate heresy if it you're not sure - and doubt has no place with Faith!

Edit: This quote by xtreem5150ahm helps to illustrate what I mean.

quote:How then, do you defend 'respect' of someones "belief in nothing" or "whatever", by not preaching the Law and the consequences of Sin?

Are we not supposed to "Love our neighbor as ourselves"?

Let me put this statement in another form:

Do you love yourself enough to not want to go to Hell?

If your answer to that is 'yes, i do not want to go to Hell', then would you be living up to the Commandment just pointed out, if you were complacent, and did not warn your neighbor of Hell??? .... by SIMPLY respecting their belief in nothing???



[This message has been edited by Twisted_Ferret (edited 09-21-2006).]

quote:Originally posted by Twisted_Ferret:

Christianity is very big on the doctrine of faith; of having faith in God, though you lack proof in His existance. They seem to think it is something to admire.

Thinking about this, it occured to me that really having faith in Christianity would mean a complete lack of tolerance. If you knew for sure that everyone who was not Christian would go to hell and be tormented forever, would you not wish to save everyone from that fate you could - even if it means sometimes harsh tactics? What's a little torture, or an execution, or repression compared to eternal bliss? If I truly, truly believed - with all my heart, with no doubt in my mind - that God was real and that atheists etc. would suffer endlessly, and I had the power to, I would attempt to convert everyone I could, by any means. To be a true Christian you cannot object to oppression in the name of God, for in the end you are actually doing everyone a FAVOR. The only reason to ever tolerate heresy if it you're not sure - and doubt has no place with Faith!

Edit: This quote by xtreem5150ahm helps to illustrate what I mean.







Talk to a Jahovah's Witness.

As far as I can tell, they are the only ones who are really truly Christians. They follow the rules and laws in the Bible as they apply to current day.

As the Bible makes only two mentions of hell, and it is argued that hell is merely a separation from God, then hell does not truly exist as a place but simply means oblivion.

Which means Buddhists are in luck.

Anyway. My best friend is a Jahovah's Witness and I'm a pagan, I know just how much she loves me and yet she's never ever tried to convert me.

Because she knows that people who don't believe as she believes won't go to hell, they'll simply cease to exist.

You must be talking about Catholics, fuck them they're based on oppressive Middle Ages doctrine.

QUOTE Originally posted by Twisted_Ferret:

Christianity is very big on the doctrine of faith; of having faith in God, though you lack proof in His existance. They seem to think it is something to admire.

Hi T_F,

Right now i'm not going to hit ya w/ a bunch of verses. If you would like me to back up w/ Scripture what i claim God's Word says, just ask.... i'm sure that you know i'm happy to do it (that is, if i see your request... if i dont respond, ask Digital Savior to send me an e-mail, i think she has my addy.. if not, sometimes i'm on AIM (not often though), and she might be able to catch me there).

As far as Faith goes, God's Word says that Faith is given by Him, in the measure that He chooses. Also, whoever is a good steward, gets a larger measure.

Although it is something that should be admired, it should not be something to boast about.

Dont get me wrong, there is a 'human responsibility' factor about faith.

Thinking about this, it occured to me that really having faith in Christianity would mean a complete lack of tolerance.

hmmm... maybe we should define the term.

if you used 'lack of tolerance' as meaning 'uncompromising in what God's Word says we should or should not do', then i THINK i would agree with you so far.

But, if you used it as a term of 'ONLY love and agree with those that strictly follow the same faith', i would have to disagree.

Let me use one of the Commandments to illustrate what i'm trying to say:

Thou shalt not kill.

In terms of tolerance, would it be wrong for (Christian)anti-abortionists to declare that it is absolutely wrong to kill an unborn baby?

Now consider that that same Christian has a daughter that gets an abortion.... should the person be so intolerant, as to stop loving the daughter?

(i know it happens. i'm just trying to explain the point... err, rather, help define the term}

If you knew for sure that everyone who was not Christian would go to hell and be tormented forever, would you not wish to save everyone from that fate you could -

Hold on for a second...

First, we humans have no ability to save or convert anyone (according to God's Word).

We are simply Commanded to spread the Word (and to pray).

Second, other than those points, i agree with you... we should do everything that we are allowed and Commanded to do and we should WANT to do it.

even if it means sometimes harsh tactics? What's a little torture, or an execution, or repression compared to eternal bliss? If I truly, truly believed - with all my heart, with no doubt in my mind - that God was real and that atheists etc. would suffer endlessly, and I had the power to, I would attempt to convert everyone I could, by any means. To be a true Christian you cannot object to oppression in the name of God,

You almost sound like you've been reading Paul's letters.. WTG!! Even if you havent, this is a pretty good summary of many of them.

for in the end you are actually doing everyone a FAVOR. The only reason to ever tolerate heresy if it you're not sure - and doubt has no place with Faith!

Ok, so i take back some of the "atta boy/girl"... sorry, not sure..

Here is the real life situation...

What you said is basically right...

this is what a Christian SHOULD do.

But as we all know, it is not what happens often enough (me included). Some of the reasons that it doesnt happen are:

fear - people dont want others to think them a freak.. Paul covers this too, BTW

ignorance - people just dont realize that they are included in the Great Commandment... "to go ye therefore, teaching..."

ignorance - people were taught (or, atleast, understood) that good works are the way (or that just going to church was enough)

intimidation - dont know enough about God's Word, that they feel inadaquate...

All of these are "faith issues", and most boil down to the "human responsibility" aspect.

Ok, getting very sleepy...

Good night and God Bless,

johnny

OH, one last thing... the whole armour of God... the Sword... big key in the "human responsibility" aspect of increasing Faith.

(since i assume that you are not Christian, then i'm sure that you take that as "further self-induced brain-washing", but the meaning that it really has, is, there are answers in the Word..

Case in point...

I think it was the first time i had seen the "Problem of Evil" as Rust has presented it,

IT SHOOK MY FAITH TO THE VERY CORE !!!

But, (long story short), since something else had happened in my life, God had prepared me to withstand the initial blast, long enough to say to myself, "If God is who His Word says He is, then there must be an answer or atleast some clues to understanding and defending this, in His Word".

Earthly speaking, the defense that i gave, came to me independant from others. However, since then i have come across others that have had basically similar answers.. two of which are Alvin Plantinga (i havent actually read Al's work, just have read about it.. his book, "Faith and Reason" is on my "to buy" list) and Ken Boa God, I dont understand (and they aint like me, "a dumb truck driver") (i'm not appealing to authority here, just giving you some names of authors incase you would like more info)

The Glory is, of course, the Lord's... not mine or Alvin's or Ken's, but the Lord's.

Night.