So few weeks ago on a Friday night me and a friend of mine were walking a boardwalk. And just like every other week around the same corner we saw a small group of "Jesus loving hippies." i guess i was staring because one of them(a skinny white guy that looked like he would be around 30-35) yelled, "Have you been saved, son?" I was bored and maybe looking for an argument so i came up to him and we started bullshiting. I don't remember what we started talking about first, but i do remember that we got on the topic of helping others. The man that clearly memorized the Bible front and back was telling me that the only way to go to haven was to have a relationship with Jesus. And helping others did nothing. Absolutely nothing (his exact words)

So that made me think, why would he be standing there and preaching if that did nothing.(to him or God)

He claims that he is not part of any organized religion; and in fact, organized religion is the wrong way.

That brings me to my point.
Maybe he is there not to save the souls of sinners but to draw those sinners away from the salvation(church)
He does not get paid to be there nor he will get anything if people do listen to him (remember helping others does nothing in God's eyes)
So the only logical explanation for him being there is to draw people away from churches. And i don't mean they do that by talking to people directly and telling them that Baptists or Catholics are wrong; But by being there and representing Christianity.(they are dirty, loud, uncivilized)

So what do you think, could this have some truth to it?

Pretty sure he wanted others to enjoy the sheer eutopia that is promised to you in the bible, not make sure heaven is a tad more empty for when he gets there lol my opinion

To be honest, I haven't had a chat to a Jesus loving knob since I have become Asatru. So that must be getting close to a year.

Pretty sure he wanted others to enjoy the sheer eutopia that is promised to you in the bible, not make sure heaven is a tad more empty for when he gets there lol my opinion

Why would they waist their time on helping others when it did nothing to them
I understand the satisfaction in helping others when it means thomething.
To them it means nothing.(nor to their God)

Maybe he was just fucking with you?

Or maybe he used jesus and heaven as metaphors, even if he didn't understand that he did?

Maybe he thinks helping isn't necessary, but he still does anyways?

So few weeks ago on a Friday night me and a friend of mine were walking a boardwalk. And just like every other week around the same corner we saw a small group of "Jesus loving hippies." i guess i was staring because one of them(a skinny white guy that looked like he would be around 30-35) yelled, "Have you been saved, son?" I was bored and maybe looking for an argument so i came up to him and we started bullshiting. I don't remember what we started talking about first, but i do remember that we got on the topic of helping others. The man that clearly memorized the Bible front and back was telling me that the only way to go to haven was to have a relationship with Jesus. And helping others did nothing. Absolutely nothing (his exact words)

So that made me think, why would he be standing there and preaching if that did nothing.(to him or God)

He claims that he is not part of any organized religion; and in fact, organized religion is the wrong way.

That brings me to my point.
Maybe he is there not to save the souls of sinners but to draw those sinners away from the salvation(church)
He does not get paid to be there nor he will get anything if people do listen to him (remember helping others does nothing in God's eyes)
So the only logical explanation for him being there is to draw people away from churches. And i don't mean they do that by talking to people directly and telling them that Baptists or Catholics are wrong; But by being there and representing Christianity.(they are dirty, loud, uncivilized)

So what do you think, could this have some truth to it?

Helping others does nothing in God's eyes in terms of salvation. Obviously you paid very little attention to a person whom you were entertaining. Very impolite of you....

Regardless, your conclusion is wrong. Organized religion is norwhere close to being equivalent to a church. Organized religion is akin to groups such as southern Baptist Union or the Catholic Church. In fact, the Bible doesnt say that such groups should exist. Formalism and lack of judgement is the cancer killing Christianity.

The church I attend holds to bare-bones Baptist beliefs, but belongs to no such group or union.

To say he is drawing others out of church is foolish, to say the least. I mean who is he preaching to but beach rats and angsty teenagers? If he is to be drawing people away from a church the beach isnt the place to do it.

To say he is drawing others out of church is foolish, to say the least. I mean who is he preaching to but beach rats and angsty teenagers? If he is to be drawing people away from a church the beach isnt the place to do it.

I agree, what about the preachers and all the people on the christain television channels. Who needs to go to church when you can be at church right there in your living room with a wealthy, well known owner of a 15,000 member church? That would seem to draw a lot more people away from the churches than some random "Jesus loving hippie."

there is no god

The idea of belief being the only necessary qualification for entering Heaven is a wholesomely modern Protestant ethic. Catholicism defined work in easily quantifiable manners - the tithe, the amount of Infidel heads you can bring back from a Crusade. The Protestant split occurred when people started realizing that this kind of reward system meant only one thing: Jesus's salvation was reserved exclusively for those who could afford his asking price. So, his ethic is wholesomely in accordance with the statutes of an organized religion at least 500 years old.

It sounds like he's trying to break from modern religion because of its myriad of perversions, but what he doesn't realize is that the mentality he's trying to preach - that a joyous afterlife is wholesomely effortless - is the most modern perversion of all.

The man that clearly memorized the Bible front and back was telling me that the only way to go to haven was to have a relationship with Jesus. And helping others did nothing. Absolutely nothing (his exact words)
Then he either didn't memorize the Bible front to back or he was lying:

Psalm 62:12
For you render to each one according to his works.

Proverbs 10:16
The labour of the righteous tendeth to life: the fruit of the wicked to sin.

Jeremiah 17:10
I the Lord ... give every man according to his ways, and according to the fruit of his doings.

Ezekiel 18:27
When the wicked man turneth away from his wickedness ... and doeth that which is lawful and right, he shall save his soul.

Matthew 5:20
Except your righteousness shall exceed the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, ye shall in no case enter into the kingdom of heaven.

Matthew 12:37
For by thy words thou shalt be justified, and by thy words thou shalt be condemned.

Matthew 16:27
For the Son of Man will come in the glory of His Father with His angels, and then He will reward each according to his works.

Matthew 19:17
If you want to enter into life, keep the commandments.

Matthew 25:41-46
Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels: For I was an hungred, and ye gave me no meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me no drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me not in: naked, and ye clothed me not: sick, and in prison, and ye visited me not. Then shall they also answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, or athirst, or a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and did not minister unto thee? Then shall he answer them, saying, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye did it not to one of the least of these, ye did it not to me. And these shall go away into everlasting punishment: but the righteous into life eternal.

Luke 10:26-28
He said unto him, What is written in the law? how readest thou? And he answering said, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy strength, and with all thy mind; and thy neighbour as thyself. And he said unto him, Thou hast answered right: this do, and thou shalt live.

John 5:29
And shall come forth; they that have done good, unto the resurrection of life; and they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of damnation.

Romans 2:6, 13
Who will render to each one according to his deeds. ... For not the hearers of the law are just in the sight of God, but the doers of the law will be justified.

2 Corinthians 5:10
For we must all appear before the jugment seat of Christ, that each one may receive the things done in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad.

2 Corinthians 11:15
Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also transform themselves into ministers of righteousness, whose end will be according to their works.

Philippians 2:12
"Work out your own salvation with fear and trembling."

James 2:14
What does it profit, my brethren, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can faith save him?

James 2:17
Thus also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead.

James 2:21-25
Was not Abraham our father justified by works? You see then that a man is justified by works, and not by faith only. Likewise, was not Rabab the harlot also justified by works? For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also.

1 Peter 1:17
The Father, who without partiality judges according to each one's work.

Revelation 2:23
I will give unto every one of you according to your works.

Revelation 20:12-13
And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works. And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works.

Revelation 22:14
Blessed are they that do his commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life.

The idea behind the mindset of the person you encountered actually dates back to Martin Luther, the "original" advocate for justification by faith alone. The logic is that no good work will bring you closer to God, so one must take a leap of faith. This devotion to the belief of Jesus Christ as savior is supposed to be sufficient to enter heaven.

As for why he would go out of his way to convert others, he could have many reasons. One could be the social acceptance of his Christian peers. Another could be him working for a better community on Earth. The most central reason for Protestant proselytizing, though, is a twist on the old logic. That is, good works are not necessary to be saved, but anybody that truely believes in the doctrines and divinity of Jesus Christ can not help but spread their goodness throughout the world. In response to this attitude, many supposed Christians will try to look better by preaching to others, while true Christians under this assumption would be doing the same.

Of course, this is all a load of crap.

Well I can see you are wondering what his motives might be...

Look up the people's temple.