Ok that sounds good, and far more realistically
fair minded than what i hear from many christians
or, ftm, what the Bible itself says about how
rotten evil nasty and bad all atheists are.
I wonder what you mean by " question" though?
Does it mean that all things are properly open
to not just question but a change from belief to
disbelief?
Well, the way I read it; it isn’t so much ‘atheists’ whom the Bible is saying are the ‘evil’ and ‘nasty’ ones. A study of the NT will show that it was false believers; the hypocrite religionists whom Christ was most harsh with, whom He sternly rebuked. He referred to them as dogs, hypocrites, snakes, children of the devil, blind, and more. Read Matthew ch. 23..ain’t atheists He is talking about.
Same for Paul, Peter and John..they were warning the brethren of hypocrites, false teachers, and even instructed the brethren to throw them out of the church, have nothing to do with them.
My point was, there is a world of difference between a non-believer discussing their views which may cause a Christian to ponder, and someone who claims to be of God who is basically everything He hates. Not to say He hates them, but rather what they are..liars.
If someone wants to change from belief to disbelief, it isn’t my place to impose my ways on them. I believe people should be able to make their own choices, whether I may agree with them or not. Christ never imposed His will on anyone, He just said His piece and went about His business.
I think you have misunderstood
@GodBeMercifulToMeASinner's point. The wicked people did not question his faith. There behaviour made him question his own faith because he thought "These people behave in this improper way and yet profess the same believes I have. Could my beliefs be mistaken?"
@GodBeMercifulToMeASinner , do I have that right?
He is not objecting to the questioning of a persons faith, although here in this tiny portion of the world I understand it is against forum guidelines.
Edit: I have cross posted. I did not see the previous two posts.
Yeah that is it more or less..but to be more precise, what I found and still find particularly distasteful is the ‘Christians’ who always virtue signal on about ‘love’, ‘ grace’, ‘charity’, ‘peace’, and all that yet have none of such at all, quite the opposite. It’s like Ted Bundy or Jeffrey Dahmer trying to lecture someone on the value of human life LOL. And the reason they virtue signal on about those things while not practicing themselves, is an attempt to CONTROL their opposition. A power play, which I can see straight through.
Now here is the real kicker..the same professing Christians who love to virtue signal on love and grace and all that are the same ones who will take up for murderous tyrants like Martin Luther, or John Calvin, very unchristian ‘Christian’ leaders who had people put to death for disagreeing with their false doctrines. I can’t help but smile when someone tries to scold me about ‘love’ when they take up for murderers.
But wait, there’s even more! Yes! Believe it or not. Let’s say these same people were to pick up a newspaper and see that a random unknown everyday nobody religious person had dozens of people put to death for simply disagreeing with them. What are they likely to think? Cult leader, yes? I know that’s what I would think. Odds are that most professing Christians would too. But these professing Christians who take up for murderous ‘reformers’ seem to have glossed over this fun fact from their very own bible:
“But if ye have respect to persons, ye commit sin, and are convinced of the law as transgressors.”
—James 2:9
“But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, and easy to be intreated, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality, and without hypocrisy.”
—James 3:17
“Ye shall not respect persons in judgment; but ye shall hear the small as well as the great; ye shall not be afraid of the face of man; for the judgment is God's: and the cause that is too hard for you, bring it unto me, and I will hear it.”
—Deuteronomy 1:17
We all know that most professing Christians would not want to be associated with some random everyday nobody who had people put to death while professing to be a man of God..but they even name religious movements after famous historical figures who did just that! You can’t make this up!
So, yeah..I HATE manmade religion, and can’t blame anyone who questions the Christian Faith..there’s many frauds claiming it.