Quote Originally Posted by alanmolstad View Post
My point is that simply fails...

We can not define the term "Christian" by the manner we live like....
The only thing that we can use to define the term "Christian" is the faith of the person.
And of the things that a Christian has faith in, the most important (above all other things) is the resurrection of Jesus Christ.

There are millions if not Billions of people alive on the earth that are acting in a manner traditionally characterized as "Christian"....yet they are not Christian at all and could be of any faith or have no faith at all.

take a moment and listen to the ideas of a person who we honor by being on this forum http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AdmIQkX7_no
Alan, I want you to step back and try to step out of your paradigm just a little. Let's take one example of one thing--let's say honesty or dishonesty. Now, most religions of the world teach that it is important to be honest, right? I want you to think about it. Where did that truth come from? I say that it came from God and that there is no other source for goodness. So, let's say that a person grows up in some part of the world, in some place in the world, at some time of the world in which they never learned of the resurrection of Jesus Christ--but they did learn about honesty. Now, this person can either choose to be honest or they can choose to be dishonest. I say that if they choose honesty, they are showing faith in Jesus Christ even though they have never heard of His name. They are acting on something good. So, how do I view that Christ would view them? I believe He would view them as someone acting on faith in Him. Like the parable of the talents--God does not judge harshly the one who had only been given two talents but does well with it. The only person He judges harshly is the one who, when given a talent, did nothing with it.

Also, I have discussed the parable of the two Sons. This parable also teaches this principle. So, my point? To act like we can discern who is the "in" crowd with God and who is the "out" crowd with God is futile. Only He knows what "talents" He has given in the way of spiritual knowledge and gifts and only He can decide if the person has been a good steward with them or not. So, to me, this question is the same as "who is my neighbor?" It speaks to a false belief that we can determine who is "in" or "out" by what they state they believe. Rather, like the Good Samaritan, God judges based on knowledge given and what the receiver does with it. In other words, I can state I believe all I want in the resurrection of Christ, but if I (like the son who chose to do nothing) act without faith, as Christ says "even the harlots and the publicans will enter the kingdom of God" before me.

I agree that your definition is how the world defines Christianity--those who profess a belief in the living Christ. Yet, I believe that how we, as the world defines it, is not necessarily reality in theway God judges a "Christian."