Have you met many Christian Christians?

[Four Winds]

I have nothing against Christiananity but from my experience the vast majority of people that claim to be christian live and act other than what Jesus would have them do. I have met a few Christians that really impressed me because you could see them living the life they believe Christ preached. But this seems to be the exception rather than the rule in my experience.

Not to take my own thread to off topic but I have found that most people that claim to have eastern religous beliefs are actually walking more of a Christian path than most Christians. Now this is just my observation and I am not advocating one religion above another but I would like to hear what you think.

Your thoughts?

[Serpentine]

Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.

This is the first and great commandment.

And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.

The wisdom of this is more universal than Christianity.

Edited March 24, 2007 by Serpentine

[Four Winds]

Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.

This is the first and great commandment.

And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.

The wisdom of this is more universal than Christianity.

Thanks, care to elaborate?

[Lotus Flower]

I've known some Christians to go to Church regularly and also live as a Christian.

I've known some Christians to go to Church and then as soon as they leave the Church they run down the nearest homeless person (exaggeration, but you get my drift lol)

I've known some who do not claim to be a Christian but live their life as if they were a commited one.

I've known some who say they are not Christians and do not live their life as one either.

'Tis definitely a mixed bag lol - I have no problem with any of the above whatsoever - the ones I have a problem with are those that keep trying to convert me - how the hell would they know what I am - just because I don't go to church doesn't mean I am unworthy LOL

[Bee Eff]

I believe most "Christians" are too judgemental and unwilling to deal with their "beams" to be considered similar to Christ. I believe this is the question, "How many 'Christians' can be considered similar to Christ." Very few meet this assessment, I, myself, am often short of such a measure. In my first sentence, the key term is "unwilling".

Edited March 24, 2007 by Bee Eff

[The Skeptic Eric Raven]

It seems to me the people that exclaim there christianity to the world are usually the biggest hypocrits.

[IamsSon]

Actually taking responsibility for your actions and really loving others in the way Jesus did is not an easy walk, I would therefore expect that people who call themselves Christians and actually walk the spiritual walk are a minority of the people who call themselves Christians.

[Bee Eff]

I think working towards a Christ-like position can be considered Christian, believing one is already in such a position is the position furthest from such, at least imo.

[GoddessWhispers]

Actually taking responsibility for your actions and really loving others in the way Jesus did is not an easy walk, I would therefore expect that people who call themselves Christians and actually walk the spiritual walk are a minority of the people who call themselves Christians.

And which one would you be?

[LittlePinky82]

I have nothing against Christiananity but from my experience the vast majority of people that claim to be christian live and act other than what Jesus would have them do. I have met a few Christians that really impressed me because you could see them living the life they believe Christ preached. But this seems to be the exception rather than the rule in my experience.

Not to take my own thread to off topic but I have found that most people that claim to have eastern religous beliefs are actually walking more of a Christian path than most Christians. Now this is just my observation and I am not advocating one religion above another but I would like to hear what you think.

Your thoughts?

How do you know how someone lives? You don't. You just know what they want to show you. Unless you're always around them and live with them etc.

[shadow_flame]

since i live in mainly Christian country (there are some Jews and Muslims also) spirituality is one of traits that are considered welcome. so i could say that i know few people that fall in category of spiritual. there are many who try but fail in their quest for spirituality. and ofcourse there are bunch of people that only pretend that they are spiritual

[bumblesue]

I think working towards a Christ-like position can be considered Christian, believing one is already in such a position is the position furthest from such, at least imo.

you get A+A+A+A+ for that statment.

[bumblesue]

How do you know how someone lives? You don't. You just know what they want to show you. Unless you're always around them and live with them etc.

you are known by the fruit you bear.

[Serpentine]

Thanks, care to elaborate?

Not wishing to pass up the chance of paraphrasing the bible

He is saying that God, yourself and your neighbours are one and the same.

[Mr Walker]

Maybe its because i am Australian, and even now there are less hypocrites per head of poulation down under than most places, but the limited selection of people I know fall into one of the following categories.

Complete disinterest in religion ( A very Australian trait and the majority would fall into this category Unless of course you count football as a religion)

Traditional religious people. (Go to church. Try to live a good moral life, but generally acccording to the precepts of their denomination. Don't have a personal or intellectual curiousity or attachment to god.) A significant number of older people, but declining rapidly and being replaced with either disinterest or fundamentalism

Fundamentalist people (try to go back to a more personal and genuine form of christianity without so much church doctrine and with a personal relationship with god, Try to live their lives by gods/jesus precepts)

This seems to be a gentler form of fundamentalism than that found in America. Most of the people i know are good people, trying to do good. The danger, as always, is if they become powerful enough and also more aggressive about enforcing their idea of goo ness on us all. This has been a rapidly growing movement in Australia but seems to be stabilising and perhaps fracturing into different blocs recently. A lot of young people and families as well as older people fit into these churches.

Individuals.( People who cannot see themselves as part of an organised religion, yet have faith/belief/ or knowledge that god exists.) They try to develop a personal relationship based on their understanding of god and may spend considerable time looking at different religions trying to find one that "fits". Eventually they come back to a personal relationship with god as the basis of their existence. These are rare, but they stand out as individuals (along with some of the fundamentalists) because they live a christian life in an increasingly materialistic world. They have as many differences as similarities yet are clearly an identifiable group of people.

[IamsSon]

And which one would you be?

Although I am far from perfect and am the first to admit it, I think I'm one of the ones in the minority.

[Moondoggy]

One would have to define christianity in order to live it. So what is your definition of what being a christian is. The plethora of denominations alone share an abundance of confusion on the matter and they are supposed to know, so how many more opinions can be garnered from those who are not even of the the faith? The question seems moot.

[positron]

Actually taking responsibility for your actions and really loving others in the way Jesus did is not an easy walk, I would therefore expect that people who call themselves Christians and actually walk the spiritual walk are a minority of the people who call themselves Christians.

I can't believe that we have finally found something we agree on!!!!!I was raised a Catholic,but was ostracized by a priest because I was the only Public School student in a Catholic troop. Long storey,so I won't go there,but while in Church I noticed some of the rudest overbearing people in the church. Lost my interest. The Golden Rule has been my philosophy,or at least tried!

[dlv]

the ones I have a problem with are those that keep trying to convert me

Those who tried so hard to be annoying just to convert you totally missed the point. It is not a matter of converting, but a matter of spreading the good news that Jesus Christ has risen and to believe in him is to have eternal life. It is up to the unbeliever to decide... To go beyond this, start killing people, or be a pest is a social error. The worst part is that some who go door to door assume that the "other" Christian factions are not practicing the faith properly or misleading others... Just a thought.

Edited March 26, 2007 by dlv

[Jodie.Lynne]

Few, rare, and precious are the "true" christians, IMO. The majority are NOT following the example of their namesake from what I have seen.