CMV: You are not a Christian.

I'm not here to debate whether or not you believe in God or Jesus Christ. What I am going to try to do, is show you that despite your insistence that you are a Christian, you are not. <br><br>The Bible clearly outlines how a Christian should behave. When Jesus was asked about the law, his answer was simple;<br><br>"You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment. And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. On these two commandments depend all the Law and the Prophets." (Matthew 22:37-40)<br><br>He believed that all of the laws of the Bible could be summed up into two laws: Love God and Love your neighbor. Jesus believed that everyone was his neighbor. In the parable of the Good Samaritan, when a man asked Jesus "who is my neighbor" he answered by saying that everyone is your neighbor. In a few different places, Jesus insists that we must love our enemies and those who hate us.<br><br>"You have heard that it said, 'Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.' But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be children of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous." (Matthew 5:43-48)<br><br>"If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? Even sinners love those who love them." (Luke 6:32)<br><br>Christians should seek to follow the teachings of Jesus Christ. Christians should also seek to emulate Christ. How does Jesus react when he comes across "sinners?" When he is met with prostitutes and tax collectors (who were notorious sinners), he eats with them. When he is met with the woman at the well, he sits and talks with her. When he comes across people who are "full of demons" he heals them. In every single instance, without fail, he treats people with love and respect.<br><br>I'm not saying that every person who claims to be a Christian is not a Christian. I'm saying that with the vast majority of those who claim to be Christians in America today, you are not a Christian. I've seen people claim to be Christians while at the same time being horribly rude and hateful. I've seen people claim to be Christians and then go on to talk about how much they hate people from other religions/countries/races. I've seen people claim to be Christians while also claiming that we should completely abandon the homeless and allow them to rot and die. I've seen people claim to be Christians while also claiming that we should completely abandon the orphaned and widowed. I've seen people claim to be Christians and then go on to talk about how much they love being selfish and only care about themselves.<br><br>So, I want to ask you simple questions. <br><br>1. Do you give 10% or more of your income to the less fortunate?<br><br>2. When you are at work and someone is sad, depressed, or upset, do you go to them? Do you ask them if they need anything? Do you try to help them?<br><br>3. When you see someone who is "homeless" on the street, do you stop and talk with them? Or do you avoid them at all costs? Do you make the assumption that they are homeless because they are lazy, or do you realize that there are many reasons someone might be in that predicament?<br><br>4. Do you truly believe that the President, Congress, or your local government actually cares about serving you? Or do you believe that they only care about themselves?<br><br>5. Do you believe that this life is the only life we will ever live? Or do you believe in an afterlife?<br><br>6. If you believe in an afterlife, do you believe that there are certain actions we can take in this life to ensure our entrance into Heaven?<br><br>7. What do you believe are the most important traits in a person? Is it the accumulation of wealth? Is it the power and control that comes with a high ranking position? Do you believe that it is the things we say? Do you believe that it is the things that we do? Do you believe that it is something else entirely?<br><br>8. Do you truly believe that Jesus Christ was who he claimed to be? If so, do you believe that we should seek to emulate Christ in our behaviors? He was well known for healing, helping and giving to those in need. Do you do the same?<br><br>9. Do you truly believe that every person should have access to food and clean water? Do you believe that every person should have access to healthcare and medical treatment? How do you justify your answers?<br><br>10. Do you tell others about God? Do you spread the good news of the Gospel? Do you seek to convert others to your religion?<br><br>If you answered "no" to any of those questions, or if you felt the need to justify your "no" answers (excluding questions 5 and 7), you are not a Christian. <br><br>If you've made it this far down, thank you. Please realize that this is not aimed at specific individuals or people. This is aimed at a large majority of Americans who claim to be Christians. Please don't take this as an attack. This is just an observation. I'm not here to say that your lack of Christianity makes you a bad person. I'm not here to try to make you feel bad. I'm not here to try to win an argument. I'm just here to induce a little bit of self-reflection. <br><br>I would love to hear your thoughts and opinions. This is a discussion, not an argument. <br><br>If you feel that I have misunderstood a certain issue, please let me know! I'm more than happy to listen and learn!<br><br>If you would like to debate this issue, please let me know! I'm more than happy to exchange points of view!<br><br>EDIT: I want to quickly say thank you to those who have bravely shared their thoughts and opinions so far. I know it's not always easy to post on the internet, especially on a topic like this. Thank you all for being respectful and polite as well. <br><br>I will always try to love and respect everyone I meet. I seek to treat everyone with kindness and compassion. I believe that even if we don't agree on everything, we can all have a respectful conversation. <br><br>A few people have asked why I, as an atheist, care so much about religion. The answer is simple: religion affects everyone. Even if you don't believe in any sort of deity, religion plays a huge role in our society. Politics, education, laws, people's behaviors. All of these things are influenced by religion. I always try to have an open and honest dialogue about the things that matter. <br><br>Thank you all for engaging. Please feel free to keep commenting and sharing. <br><br>EDIT 2: I feel the need to clarify something. I NEVER said that all Christians act in the ways that I have described above. I NEVER said that ALL Christians are horrible people. I NEVER said that it is impossible to be a "good Christian." What I DID say, is that there are a LOT of people claiming to be Christians that do not act in ways that Christ taught. <br><br>I've had several people message me and say things like, "I'm a Christian and I don't act like that!" "I'm a Christian and I do all these good things." "I'm a Christian and I don't believe what you have said!" I'm not talking about you. I am talking about a larger group of people who claim to be Christians, but do not act like Christians should. <br><br>I also want to say that I have no problem with someone claiming to be a Christian. I believe that Christianity can be a beautiful and powerful agent for good. When Christians act like Christ, the whole world is a better place. I believe that Christianity can be a great source of hope and comfort for people. I'm not trying to launch some sort of attack on Christians. I'm just trying to show you that many people who claim to be Christians do not actually act like Christians. <br><br>Thank you all for your comments. Please keep sharing.