Quote:
Originally Posted by Mystica
Chrisitianity is not necessarily based on fear of hellfire.
There are three types of Christians:
1. Those that have faith because of rational thought (reason).
2. Those that have faith because of threat of punishment (fear of God).
3. Those that have faith because of love for God. Jesus taught that the first two - although saved - will never see the face of God. The third is the only brand that will. This is why Jesus said that the most important commandment is to "love your God with all your heart, all your might and all your soul".
Jesus repeatedly told his followers to look within in order to find the Kingdom of God.
Because of this I find your hypothesis lacking. |
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My hypothesis doesn't exclude yours, however yours makes christianity redundant.
It is possible to follow that third principle without Jesus, to love our Creator without christianity, without the bible, etc.
All the bible story does is add those first two elements... the implied 'or else'.
I'm all for finding the truth within, as were the gnostics.
The original man behind the Jesus story, whatever his name/form/purpose really was, as revered by gnostics, has been hijacked by the man-wranglers into what we see today.
It's the version of Jesus pushed by the bible that has created an 'anti-christ'.