Obama's verbal slip fuels his critics. ("My Muslim Faith")

[Desertdog]

Or does that only count for Republicans?

You know it only applys to Republicans.  Maybe Sarah Palin will change those ideas. 

[Werewolf]

And there are "denominations" that embrace the leader nailing every 12 y/o girl in the congregation. Just cause someone claims to be "Christian" don't mean they bear even a passing resemblane to the actual faith.......

I heard a very interesting sermon once.  The preacher was meantioning how when someone does something evil, others say he/she isn't a true Christian.  He pointed out that salvation is through belief and faith, not through action.  So, simply believing/worshipping/venerating Jesus is enough to qualify as a Christian.   One who does evil deeds while worshipping Jesus is merely being a bad or lapsed Christian for not following the ten rules.   But, as always, faith trumpts action. 

I thought it was an interesting perspective.  From a reading of the Bible, it seems to be a correct. 

That's pretty much the way I was taught it as a child. Never seemed right to me which is why when I turned 13 and my father gave me the choice to continue going to church, and join it or not I chose not. That was a sore point between us until the day he died. I don't regret the decision.

[Perd Hapley]

And there are "denominations" that embrace the leader nailing every 12 y/o girl in the congregation. Just cause someone claims to be "Christian" don't mean they bear even a passing resemblane to the actual faith.......

I heard a very interesting sermon once.  The preacher was meantioning how when someone does something evil, others say he/she isn't a true Christian.  He pointed out that salvation is through belief and faith, not through action.  So, simply believing/worshipping/venerating Jesus is enough to qualify as a Christian.   One who does evil deeds while worshipping Jesus is merely being a bad or lapsed Christian for not following the ten rules.   But, as always, faith trumpts action. 

I thought it was an interesting perspective.  From a reading of the Bible, it seems to be a correct. 

But that's not the issue Balog was addressing. 

One issue is how much sin a person who espouses orthodox Christianity can commit and still remain a Christian. 

The other issue, which I believe Balog was talking about, was that some people hold a view of Christianity that is so far off the mark, it ceases to be Christianity at all.  Or, maybe they focus on non-Biblical teachings to the point that actual Christianity is forgotten, in favor of "liberation" or some-such.  So new "Christian" believers in such a church would come to faith in those teachings, rather than in actual Christian faith.  That's a matter of belief, not just action. 

[Stand_watie]

And there are "denominations" that embrace the leader nailing every 12 y/o girl in the congregation. Just cause someone claims to be "Christian" don't mean they bear even a passing resemblane to the actual faith.......

I heard a very interesting sermon once.  The preacher was meantioning how when someone does something evil, others say he/she isn't a true Christian.  He pointed out that salvation is through belief and faith, not through action.  So, simply believing/worshipping/venerating Jesus is enough to qualify as a Christian.   One who does evil deeds while worshipping Jesus is merely being a bad or lapsed Christian for not following the ten rules.   But, as always, faith trumpts action. 

I thought it was an interesting perspective.  From a reading of the Bible, it seems to be a correct. 

Hmm, the interaction of "faith, not works, " and "once saved, always saved."

There is much more to those two subjects than that preacher explained and there are also great debates on the validity of each.

So, be careful applying that "knowledge" about Christianity, as probably a majority of Christians are in denominations that take issue with one or both of those propositions.

     The book of James is an important moderator of the "faith not works" theology. It doesn't contradict it, but rather enhances it.

James 2:14-22

"What good is it, my brothers, if a man claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save him? Suppose a brother or sister is without clothes and daily food. If one of you says to him, "Go, I wish you well; keep warm and well fed," but does nothing about his physical needs, what good is it? In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead.
But someone will say, "You have faith; I have deeds."  Show me your faith without deeds, and I will show you my faith by what I do. You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe thatand shudder. You foolish man, do you want evidence that faith without deeds is useless?  Was not our ancestor Abraham considered righteous for what he did when he offered his son Isaac on the altar? You see that his faith and his actions were working together, and his faith was made complete by what he did.

      Is faith alone enough to save a man? Look at the thief on the cross next to Christ. Yes it is. But works follow faith, when possible...

Luke 23 One of the criminals who hung there hurled insults at him: "Aren't you the Christ? Save yourself and us!" But the other criminal rebuked him. "Don't you fear God," he said, "since you are under the same sentence? We are punished justly, for we are getting what our deeds deserve. But this man has done nothing wrong." Then he said, "Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom." Jesus answered him, "I tell you the truth, today you will be with me in paradise."

[MicroBalrog]

And there are "denominations" that embrace the leader nailing every 12 y/o girl in the congregation. Just cause someone claims to be "Christian" don't mean they bear even a passing resemblane to the actual faith....

I have no disrespect for you and your faith.

As a matter of fact, I believe that Christianity was instrumental for creating the Western institutions we enjoy today.

But it is also true that there exist thousands of sects of Christianity that choose to emphasize, stress, or ignore a variety of parts from the Scripture, and reach radically different conclusions.

Since I am not myself a Christian (and do not hold the belief the Gospels hold the actual words of Jesus, or are divinely inspired outside the extent any book may be divinely inspired), I cannot speak as to 'which' group is more true to the actual intent of Jesus. However from the point of view of the history of Christianity as a non-religious discipline, all of those groups should be defined as 'Christian' if only due to their tentative inspiration by the 'gospel'.