If you are going to claim to be a Christian, then
you should follow the words and deeds Jesus. You should follow them in context and in their entirety. What you two are doing is living the way you want to live, and then
you are picking and choosing passages out of context to make Jesus conform to your ideas.
The modern American version of Christianity is backward. Instead of letting Jesus change your life and living according to your words, you are starting with a made up ideology and then picking and choosing passages.
You are making Jesus conform to your ideas rather than the other way around.
I have read the Bible. I may have studied the Bible more than anyone else here (I was studying to be in the evangelical Christian ministry many years ago). If you honestly read the bible you will find....
1. Jesus favored the poor over the rich in story after story. Jesus himself was born into a Roman territory in a community that had no rights. Jesus was not a Roman citizen and cared little about Roman concerns.
2. Fake Christians favor citizens over non-citizens. They favor the rich over the poor. They are worried about Rome (or America) rather than worried about the people.
3. Jesus was constantly criticized because he cared about people over the law. He spoke about having "mercy over sacrifice". He told stories about compassion and commanded forgiveness. He said that Christians are to be judged for the the way they treat refugees and poor people and people in prison.
4. Fake Christians care about politics over people and law over compassion. They make excuses about why they can't help people in need, or listen to the problems of poor and minority communities. They put laws over the call for compassion or mercy.
5. Jesus was most critical of religious people. There are entire passages where he calls religious hypocrites as "brood of vipers" and says outright they will burn in hell. Jesus' anger was not toward sinners or lawbreakers. These were the people that Jesus hung out with. Jesus hated religious hypocrites
6. Fake Christians are the religious hypocrites. This thread has pages and pages of empty religious blather. Oh great! you are saved, they are not. It is all so great that you are so surrendered to Jesus. This is just bullshit.
Where is the love? Where is the compassion? Where is any evidence that Jesus has changed your heart to the rest of God's children without judging them? All I see from the people who claim to be Christians on this thread is empty religion, judgement and hatred.
Jesus wrote:“Watch out for false prophets. They come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves. By their fruit you will recognize them. Do people pick grapes from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? Likewise, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, and a bad tree cannot bear good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. Thus, by their fruit you will recognize them.
“Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name and in your name drive out demons and in your name perform many miracles?’ Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!’