If you consider yourself a Christian ,tick all the virtues you adhere to

• Be joyful in hope.
• Be faithful in prayer.
• Practice hospitality.
• Rejoice with those who rejoice.
• Live in harmony with one another.
• Be willing to associate with the lowly.
• Do not repay anyone evil for evil.
• Live at peace with everyone.
• Be patient in affliction.
• Share with God's people who are in need.
• Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse.
• Mourn with those who mourn.
• Do not be proud.
• Do not be conceited.
• Be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everybody.
• Do not take revenge.

Paul

kinda short of the mark I think .

Wouldnt ticking any of these be immodest and exalting ourselves? Doesnt Christ preach and act humility all the way through the bible?

I think your right .I am reminded of the saying "If we could only see ourselves as others see us" it might be embarrassing to find that we view ourselves .quite differently from what others view us

fullywired

I don't know if people would actually behave like think that it would lead to a peaceful world. One part bothers me, though,
"Share with God's people who are in need." Why not share with all who are in need. Why just God's people? How about us people of the Earth?

Maybe because with "god's people" all peoples are meant.

don't remove the splinter from your brother until you take the beam out of your eye.

everybody on the planet is Gods children.


The isrealites where the chosen people to bring God's blessings to the whole world.

Say those who believe in the Christian God that's a loaded statement considering not everyone believes in him.

It may be a loaded statement but if you read genesis that is what you will read.

Loaded does not make it true

Just because you don't believe doesn't make it untrue.

For you perhaps.

Many didn't believe the world was round how did that work out.

Hi FW - just for curiosity, but what is the purpose of this thread? You've given us a task but not given us a reason or point of discussion. Further clarification would be appreciated, thanks

That said, I would say I try to tick all those boxes, but I know deep down that I have often failed at all of them. For me, they are characteristics to aspire to, things to reach for and hope to maintain at all times. But I also know I'm not perfect and cannot do all these things all the time. But that is what I aspire towards. hope that helps in your answer. All the best,

The purpose of the thread ,was to ask Christians to examine their consciences and then can they honestly put their hands up and say yes I follow the admonitions of Paul and incidently I can say I follow a few of them if not all.

I see a lot of people on here who claim to be Christian ,yet don't seem to demonstrate any of the virtues

fullywired

Those are all the values we strive to uphold, and if we were perfect we would be able to uphold them all the time, perfectly, but then we would have no need of a savior, since we would be perfect.

The fact that there is no Cristian who can honestly claim to do all those things at all times is a clear indication only of the fact that we are no more perfect than you or anyone else, and that striving to hold those values makes us hypocrites on top of everything else... all great reasons to accept God's gift of eternal life through grace and to continue to seek to uphold those values.

How does striving to hold those values make you an hypocrite


fullywired

Not the "striving" itself, but the fact that you will fail to uphold them at least as often as not, because people can't "read" your intentions, they can only see your actions, and if your actions do not reflect--or worse reflect the opposite--of the list, then you are seen as a hypocrite.

I don't know of a single xian who even follows more than one or two of these. Ther are, however, millions of Jews, Hindus and Buddhists who follow each and every one. Deal with it.

All the time? Perfectly?

1.Mother Teresa. (okay, she's a Christian, but still)
2.Ghandi.

Those two I can think of off the top of my head. Heck, I fit the criteria for most of that list.

I am surpised one w would wnat to follow these no questions asked... let alone call them values for today's times.........

what about rejoicing with all people all paths why just those that rejoice i find this is a value of exclusion....


why can you only be joyful in hope?? life is full of joy....
this limits the ways at which one can be joyful and perhaps it explains why so many are depressed...IMO....

why woukld only gods children be worthy of help why not all of humanity..gos the amount of peoel who have been harmed with this one.....

who is lowly?? we are all equal...again this infers superiority. and again has been so harmful....

being right in other eyes is the fast track to resentment needing outside approval limits self esteem and confidence and self awareness.........being status quo limits critical analysis and growth and change.. ...

*shrugs*

practicing hospitality is moot by default how does one do this in a construct that says all other paths are wrong,,.. this wasnt well thought out IMO

I can guarantee you neither of them lived up to that list perfectly every second of every day with every thought and every tiny action.

I've known Christian's who have abused their own children. Being Christian does not make you any 'better' having a name branded to you does not make you more or less. It's who you are that shows what type of morals you have, sure religion can guide you, but it doesn't make you the good or bad person.

I didn't claim that.

You keep talking about how peaceful ghandi was but when he was president of india. India had an army. They started their on going war with pakistan.

Ah, but you inferred that. That you for clarifying your post and supporting my point.

I think you're thinking of a different gandhi, like indira gandhi. Mohatma gandhi was a strict pacifist.

Looks like Paul was a tough act to follow