Common myth of Christianity??

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Why does it seem like there is this myth of Christianity that people seem to believe. I have seen it in internet posts. Its one thing not to believe in a certain faith, but why do people try to twist what it teaches?

Here is the myth:

Atheists do good out of a good conscience while Christians do good because of God who threatens to damn them to eternity in Hell if they do not do good things.

Ok. This is WAAAAAY off!! The Bible teaches that to get to Heaven, you believe that Jesus has paid the penalty for your sins and trust in that alone to get to Heaven. The good works are the work of the Holy Spirit and is evidence that you have received salvation. Good works don't get you to Heaven. In a sense, Christians should do good works out of a good conscience. The Holy Spirit gives you a conscience that will align you closer to what God expects.

I guess part of it is the fact that many self professing Christians actually believe that they need to work their way to Heaven. Dare I say that those are the false teachers.

Now, obviously, you may not agree with what the Bible teaches, but please, don't start saying false things about a certain faith.

There are more interpretations in religion then there are stars in the sky. Some are closer to the truth than others, wherever the truth may lie in this subject. Personally I think that's a very narrow view; the myth you cited.

Aligning your thoughts and actions to positive outcomes does bring prosperity, but we're all human though and it's all to easy to fall from grace. I'm there maybe 10 minutes out of every day followed by just trying to survive the rest. I'd make a lousy Buddhist monk; that is if I were Buddhist.

I'm not so sure your representation of faith is any more nuanced or correct than the one you cite. I am sure (having been raised Catholic) that there are a good many Christians who would say that you have that all wrong (like some Protestants, virtually all Catholics, and most Eastern Orthodox Christians). So, if a lot of people think you're wrong and a lot of people think the people you quoted are wrong, but none of them have evidence beyond one book whose words they all interpret differently because it contradicts itself, what does that really say?

To be fair, Christians don't always present their own side in a manner that avoids that kind of conclusion. For instance, it isn't unusual to see a Christian argue that fear of hell is a force that keeps people moral. This promotes the understanding you condemn, as the non-Christian sees "fear of hell" as a moralizing force under Christianity.

Well, I guess the problem stems from whether you believe that the Bible is the sole authority or if the Church (such as the Vatican) also has authority to say what the doctrines are. In terms of the Bible, if you ever read the New Testaments, it is really clear time and time again that good works do not earn salvation or favour with God. It is clear that faith is what gets you right with God. There are some versus which seem to suggest a work-based salvation, but under the assumption that the Bible does not contradict itself, those verses are suggesting that TRUE FAITH will result in works.

Of course, you then have self-professing Protestants who say they are saved "because they said the sinner's prayer at one time in their life" but shows no good works or no changed life. I'm not the judge but I would say that it would be an indication that they do not have true faith and instead they relied their salvation on a ritual they did (the ritual being the "sinner's prayer") and thus they never actually put their faith in Jesus.

That is Paulist crap doodle. Faith without works is dead. That is what James told Paul. At least James did not hate himself for being Jewish.

ruveyn

Ah yes! I knew someone was gonna say that. I have already explained in my previous quote that it is saying that if you don't have works, then you didn't have true faith to start with.

There's a reason Christians often refer to themselves as God-fearing...

Tell that to the Fundies who lay on snakes.

ruveyn

James was the Brother of Jesus so a True Blue Jew.
If Xtianity preaches against being a good person, against doing good
then Xtianity is worse than a religion of greedy do-gooders
it is the religion of folks that preach against righteousness that hate the righteous.
I say do good and be faithful a God that despises that is not worth being "saved" by.

Why do "folk Christians" reject Paulist/Calvinistic "do a spell and get saved" theology?
Because they know in their hearts it saves the Bad and damns the Good man to hell.
and they do not feel a good God would do that.

The product of religion should be better people and a survey of those with
"a close personal relationship with Jesus" is that they are more bigoted benighted and pro war
than those without one. If heaven is filled with those people mark me down for Hell.
(At least I would have a chance to spend eternity in the company of Good people).

Out of all 12 disciples of jesus my favorite was always Paul though I am not Jewish I still belive that faith with out works is dead I for one try to live my life not just by the ten commandments but the 613 laws of moses an I do good works by helping my fellow man

Not all christians are pro war the only reason I support the war is because we where attacked we would not be in one if we where not attack on september 11th in the first place

Your buddy Paul preached that salvation is through faith, not works. He also believed that the Law (Torah) is what condemns men.

ruveyn

Those are not false when few christian denominations actually believe that, you just don't agree with them, but said belief exists within Christianity, therefore you can't dismiss the criticism as plain false or myths. And well, you have to have a motivator for people to keep the law, and the idea of fear of punishment makes sense.

Last edited by blunnet on 20 Sep 2011, 5:53 pm, edited 1 time in total.

* Paul was not one of the 12 apostles (great bar room bet for anyone who want so make a quick $20)
The people that did 9-11 are not the people we are at war with.

Fear of punishment is not biblical. You keep the law because you love God (and it is part of your moral values). As for what professing Christians believe, I'm not sure if many actually believe in doing good out of fear of Hell. It could be that those are the ones who are more vocal, telling people that they will go to Hell. Also, not all pastors who warn people about Hell, believes in this "fear theology". Some warn people against rejecting Jesus. Others, like Paul Washer, point out that many professing Christians are not living a lifestyle that is in obedience to God and warn that this is a sign that they have not receive salvation in the first place.

Also, you see that on university and college campuses Christian fellowships (Catholics usually have ones with the name "Catholic") also hold on to this doctrine of a faith-based salvation. I can't assure you that all Christian fellowships teach that, maybe some have been taken over by false teachers.

As you can see, while people have corrupted the teachings of the Bible, there are still quite many people who actually reads the Bible and see for themselves what it teaches.

Jesus sought those who recognized something was missing in their lives and tried to teach them about what that something was. In short, I think it was a form of Judaism that way missed the point of the correct relationship between mankind and God.

The point of Christianity is starting with a need for salvation and ending with the means of accepting God's grace and forgiveness.

Are there obviously professing Christians with malevolent intentions still in need of salvation just as much as the sinners they condemn? Sure. But the truth of Christ's teachings and the purpose of His atonement was not exclusively intended for the intellectual elite. Christianity is attractive to "regular people" and the marginalized because of that kind of simplicity.

What happens is you have a lot of people who are uneducated or undereducated, are worldly inexperienced, or for whatever reason have not taken the time to study the Bible or read later Christian writers. I'm not trying to excuse the bad behavior of some Christians. But I think a lot of what you see is due to the inexperience of new converts to the faith as well as those who have been in the faith for a long time but never reached any level of maturity. Some of them have forgotten that they were at one time in need of salvation. It seems that this is what Christianity is more often known for rather than the good that many other Christians do. Despite the problems one might find with a lack of spiritual maturity, some Christians (myself included) ought to be seen as works in progress. If someone is offended that some immature Christians are quick to judge, then the same person ought to also exercise the same patience and understanding that he expects from others, especially Christians who claim Christ who taught patience, understanding, and even forgiveness.