h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

I don't like to sound dogmatic, or Justin-y, which is why I said IMHO, but I should not have been so wimpy. It's not just a matter of opinion at all. I am definitely *not* just nominal. I don't have the right to judge whether anyone else here is a Christian or not - and there are many more here than just Justin, Jane and me. (Pikin 42, Mystrunner and Peregrin are some).
There are certain basics that Christians must believe if they are to be called Christians at all. That's not mean, prejudiced, nasty, exclsuive or arrogant, it's just the way it is. Chess clubs can be just as exclusive in their requirements, which are of course, very different. A belief in God is central, and Jesus as humanity's message from God, that Jesus died, and rose from the dead, that he died to save humanity (however you understand the nature of that death and salvation) those are the absolute basics.
People take it from there.
Yes, I do believe that my views on what Jim called when he was little, the 'Helly Dimensions' are correct. Not opinion at all. It's time I stopped being a wimp, and stopped being afraid of gettimg a bollocking from the likes of Member...

Au contraire, the added "IMO" is a vital reminder to us all, er, IMO! It reminds us that our opinions are just that, and not facts.



That makes sense to me.



No, stick with wimpdom! Your views *are* opinion. They *could be* 'correct', but you have no way of knowing.

Pattern-chaser

"Who cares, wins"

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I think I have heard you question the validity of Justin's and GWB's claims to being Christian. Meanwhile, it appears you think you have the right to judge someone's lifestyle choices or life choices, based on your Christian beliefs.

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Della, it is perfectly possible to be open-minded and tolerant without being a 'wimp'. Simply being dogmatic and stating that your opinions and views are 'correct' are not examples of being strong, just stubborn.


az

Sorry I was sleeping , we have very little time , so we should join the thread and start as soon as possible to save this Planet Earth.

Sorry I was sleeping , we have very little time , so we should join the thread and start as soon as possible to save this Planet Earth.

Okay...

I was going to say something, but it's gone and slipped my mind because I got distracted by the sweet sounds of Kate Rusby pouring out of six speakers and a subwoofer, and by the story I'm actually managing to write (after six months of writer's block, so it's very distracting indeed). I'll come back if I remember what my point was.

>"There are certain basics that Christians must believe if they are to be called Christians at all... [snip]... A belief in God is central, and Jesus as humanity's message from God, that Jesus died, and rose from the dead, that he died to save humanity (however you understand the nature of that death and salvation) those are the absolute basics."



Hmm. Wouldn't a person who set out to emulate the life and values of Christ, as described in the Gospels, be accurately described as a Christian? I mean, regardless of whether or not that person actually believed that Jesus died, rose from the dead, etc... Just someone who felt that Christ was a good role model, a guy who tried to do things in the right way.

I'm not saying I feel that way about Christ myself, by the way. Just curious.


Lear


Lear

Good logic but please remember the holy spirit also.

Take ur own time and use ur wisdom.The Almighty will help u if u have a clean heart.

Religon is a very personal thing to a lot of people. Nearly all christan groups (apart from the Church of England) seem to think that they are the only one true Christans.

Why not let people choose the phrase that better describes their relgious beliefs?

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I don't know Justin as well as most of you do, but it seems to me that he fits Della's definition. He seems to be a Christian, though perhaps a delusional one with some psychiatric problems.

(A note to the moderators before you remove this posting--I was only acknoledging a common point of view about Justin, not declaring agreement with it. I don't know if that makes a difference.)

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Because they'd much rather just take a widely respected/understood term and kick everyone else. It makes them sound more official.

Lear, that's a good question! That person, who might well be acting in a Christian way, might define themselves as a Buddhist (sp?), pagan, or non-aligned, as I have met people who define themselves those ways, and yet say that they wish to act as Christ did. So, to a large extent, it's up to the person to say if they are a Christian. It's just that someone asked what I consider the basics to be...

From what I have seen of Justin, he is not delusional or psychotic, he's just Presbyterian! No, I mean, he seems to be in a Reformed type Lutheran or Calvinist group, a very harsh, and I think, untenable viewpoint... he may well 'mellow', and move on to another church. As I understand what I have seen of him (I avoid his threads, and it puzzles me that many avowed atheists like to seek him out, and bait him - if they loathe him so much, why not leave him alone?) As I said, from what I have seen, he believes in the very strong predestinationist view, which I think is incorrect Scripturally.

I suppose it's like vegatarism actually. Some people think that they can eat chicken and still be vegetarian, whilst others will avoid all slaughterhouse by products, only eat free range eggs, not wear leather shoes and not use products tested on animals.

They all firmly belive that they are the proper vegatarians, and that the others are either

a) cheating

or

b) being excessive in avoiding things.

Yes, z, that's a good example! Actually, that brings mne to Moby - he is a Vegan, and claims both Christianity and Buddhism in the booklet in the CD "Play".

"it puzzles me that many avowed atheists like to seek him out, and bait him - if they loathe him so much"

Della, as a one time debater of Justin, I can honestly say that I didn't and still don't "loathe" him. Nor, I think, do most of the others who ever tried to engage with him.

I wonder if someone who acts in the way Christ did is necessarily a christian? It seems to me that all the major religions would encourage their followers to act as Christ did. The desired standard of behaviour is more or less universal, I think, it's meeting and keeping to that standard which is the difficult bit.



I would go along with that.

Pattern-chaser

"Who cares, wins"

I would have thought that being a Christian would require a belief in God, and also a belief that Christ was the son of God, who came to Earth in human form, and who's death absolved man of his sin. Or something like that.

All religion are good.It is made according to ones taste or karma.It depends on the preacher.