Serious question

[malaise]

This discussion thread was locked as off-topic by DonViejo (a host of the General Discussion forum).

Are Evangelicals Christians?

[WhiskeyGrinder]

1. They think so.

[malaise]

5. What they think doesn't matter

What are the essential characteristics/features of Christianity and do they believe/practice them?
They don't get to cherry pick them.

[WhiskeyGrinder]

7. "Christianity" is believing that Jesus is the son of God and the messiah. That's it.

If they believe that, they're Christians.

[malaise]

8. So you don't have to satisfy any criteria re what they claim to teach and practice

How convenient. No wonder I'm an atheist.

[WhiskeyGrinder]

10. Exactly. You can't ever judge because "we don't know what's in their heart..."

[malaise]

12. ROFL

What a mess.

[unblock]

16. all the christians i've ever asked this of say that *if* you truly accept jesus into your heart,

then it would be impossible for you to really live a truly evil life (allowing for the occasional failings of mortal beings).

for them, it doesn't compute to say someone can honestly believe jesus is the son of god, eternal flames await those who sin, and then put that aside and commit all kinds of crimes. if you really believed all that you would earnestly try to live a moral life. you may not always succeed, but you will try.

if someone sins without showing proper remorse, they would take that as evidence that that person doesn't truly believe in jesus, even if they claim to.


conversely, some christians believe wealth and success are signs of living a proper life in god's eye. they feel no need to look into the ethics of how that wealth was acquired....


personally, i tend to look at someone's ethical behavior to decide if they're ethical or not.
silly me....

[malaise]

17. This is all mind blowing to me

But I've been away from this BS for so long that the notion of a prosperity gospel is too much for me.

[k8conant]

2. They claim to be.

[TEB]

3. Maybe a trump cult

[democratisphere]

4. Fraudulent so-called christians.

They pass on the "Thou shalt not" stuff, along with many other traditional Christian beliefs and practices.

[bluestarone]

6. NOT in my eyes

They are LOST SHEEP following the WOLF!!!!!!!!!!

[SHRED]

9. Jesus wouldn't think so

[ConnorMarc]

13. Basically.

[malaise]

18. Sure looks that way

[bigtree]

11. many versions of Christianity

...for instance, the split between those who believe God is divine and not of the earth, and those who believe God is within each of us.

Those two factions have been slaughtering each other in different parts of the world for centuries over that one distinction. So many other interpretations... it's a wonder anyone lets 'evangelicals' claim to be the ultimate word on Christianity go unchallenged.

[rurallib]

14. IMHO they are not only not religious

they are generally people with low morality bent on justifying their immorality

[ananda]

15. No

..

[DonViejo]

19. Locking...

Please post your OP in the Religion Group, not the General Discussions Forum. Thanks