'If I were not an atheist, I would believe in a God who would choose to save people on the basis of the totality of their lives and not the pattern of their words. I think he would prefer an honest and righteous atheist to a TV preacher whose every word is God, God, God, and whose every deed is foul, foul, foul.'
Isaac Asimov
Amen brother.
Originally posted by @ghost-of-a-dukeSo is there anyone who does not "deserve" to be saved?
'If I were not an atheist, I would believe in a God who would choose to save people on the basis of the totality of their lives and not the pattern of their words. I think he would prefer an honest and righteous atheist to a TV preacher whose every word is God, God, God, and whose every deed is foul, foul, foul.'
Isaac Asimov
Amen brother.
The TV preacher perhaps?
Originally posted by @ghost-of-a-dukeThere’s no such thing as an “honest and righteous atheist.” In fact, there’s no such thing as an honest and righteous human being, apart from Christ.
Does such a God not appeal to you, who 'prefers an honest and righteous atheist to a TV preacher whose every deed is foul, foul, foul?
Explain your thinking.
God’s standard is perfection, and we are all sinners. One who has lied a single time is not honest, one who has committed a single sin is under condemnation.
What makes one righteous (in right standing with God) is accepting and believing in Jesus Christ and His Resurrection. An atheist is naturally not righteous. A TV preacher who is “putting on a show” or “going through the motions” because he has not accepted Christ in his heart and does not believe in Him and His Resurrection in his heart is obviously not righteous either.
“For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.”
(2 Corinthians 5:21)
The Lord looks on the heart, and salvation and righteousness are determined by acceptance and belief in Christ and His Resurrection in one’s heart.
“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.
He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.”
(John 3:16-18)
“That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.
For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.
For the scripture saith, Whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed.”
(Romans 10:9-11)
If the TV preacher is behaving in a foul manner as your OP suggests, then he is not saved nor righteous (in right standing with God) because an aversion to sin and the performance of good works follow genuine acceptance and belief in Christ due to the indwelling of God’s Holy Spirit in a new believer.
“Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.”
(2 Corinthians 5:17)
Originally posted by @ghost-of-a-dukeI'm asking you what you think is "righteous"
Does such a God not appeal to you, who 'prefers an honest and righteous atheist to a TV preacher whose every deed is foul, foul, foul?
Explain your thinking.
Originally posted by @whodeyWell, if you want 'my' take on righteousness, first we need to strip away all the religious connotations of the word.
I'm asking you what you think is "righteous"
Exploring its synonyms will be helpful here to give us a 'non-religiously fuelled' definition of the concept of righteousness. So we have:
Clean
Good
Lily-white
Moral
Noble
Principled
Honourable
Law-abiding
Upright
Fair
Just
Praiseworthy
People who exhibit the above qualities would satisfy Isaac Asimov I believe when he said, "I think He (God) would prefer an honest and righteous atheist to a TV preacher whose every word is God, God, God, and whose every deed is foul, foul, foul.'
Originally posted by @ghost-of-a-dukeAnother false trope of the typical online atheist - that people only believe in God to explain the unexplainable.
“Whatever we cannot easily understand we call God; this saves much wear and tear on the brain tissues …. Belief in the supernatural reflects a failure of the imagination.”
Edward Abbey (American writer).
Yessiree, I woke up one morning and said, “How did the universe come to be? What’s the answer?! I can’t take not knowing anymore! I know. I’ll believe God exists. Phew! Now I can finally get a good night’s sleep!”
Atheists are rarely more wrong than when they describe believers. Why? Because atheists are trying carnally to understand something spiritual.
Originally posted by @ghost-of-a-dukeDo you know any atheists who exhibit all (or most) of those qualities? And I don’t mean atheists who say they do, but atheists who actually do in reality.
Well, if you want 'my' take on righteousness, first we need to strip away all the religious connotations of the word.
Exploring its synonyms will be helpful here to give us a 'non-religiously fuelled' definition of the concept of righteousness. So we have:
Clean
Good
Lily-white
Moral
Noble
Principled
Honourable
Law-abiding ...[text shortened]... t to a TV preacher whose every word is God, God, God, and whose every deed is foul, foul, foul.'
Originally posted by @ghost-of-a-dukeIt's a good thing that those are not the only choices God has to choose from.
'If I were not an atheist, I would believe in a God who would choose to save people on the basis of the totality of their lives and not the pattern of their words. I think he would prefer an honest and righteous atheist to a TV preacher whose every word is God, God, God, and whose every deed is foul, foul, foul.'
Isaac Asimov
Amen brother.
1 edit
Originally posted by @ghost-of-a-dukeVery typical of atheists. "God wouldn't be worthy unless He had the attributes that I desire."
'If I were not an atheist, I would believe in a God who would [fill in the blank]...
Originally posted by @tom-wolseyHis attributes are actually self-propagating, if we are to bestow upon Him omnipotence and omniscience.
Very typical of atheists. "God wouldn't be worthy unless He had the attributes that I desire."
That's the odd thing about the Christian God, a reportedly all-powerful, wise and perfectly loving deity who favors words and worship over basic goodness.
Originally posted by @ghost-of-a-dukeChrist's first and foremost commandment is to love God with all your strength, above all else. Take that however you want to. From my perspective, God is worthy.
His attributes are actually self-propagating, if we are to bestow upon Him omnipotence and omniscience.
That's the odd thing about the Christian God, a reportedly all-powerful, wise and perfectly loving deity who favors words and worship over basic goodness.
Originally posted by @tom-wolseyBy strength, do you mean 'actions?' (That we show love for God in the way we act and treat others? )
Christ's first and foremost commandment is to love God with all your strength, above all else. Take that however you want to. From my perspective, God is worthy.