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Replying to cms in post #43]
Perhaps we can deconstruct some of these pernicious views.
The idea of there being such a thing as "A true Christian" if we were to take off the costumes and masks [re pernicious] is pointless, as that ship has sailed... for Christianity itself is the vehicle which caused the notion of a true Christian, to be a confusing thing to the point that it is not possible to identify such a thing as being actually real.
I have noticed that those who are most interested, tend to think of themselves as "True Christians" and what they are attempting to do is to engage with others on the matter in order to point to themselves as evidence that such a thing actually exists.
Even taking Paul into consideration, I am more inclined to the idea that a True Human is more identifiable than a true Christian as "one who engages consistently in what I call "The Trinity of Love" - which is what biblical Jesus referred to in Matt.22:40
Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.
This is the first and great commandment.
And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.
On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.
Although on the surface, this appears to be focused upon two things - God and Nieghbour - the "your self", makes up the Trinity of Love.
It is a mystery which must be solved that the Human becomes true.
The thing being, is that there are folk of all types of position who do not identify as being "Christian/true Christian" who operate their lives on the understanding of the principle of the Trinity of Love.
Certainly, they are theists - but they are not going around identifying as "Christians".
The Nature of Reality
The Trinity of Love
Upon Further, Deeper Inspection
Absolutely Perfectly Beautiful.
A Matter of Knowing Where to Look
Matthew Twenty Two – Forty
Seeds are evidence that something large can derive from something tiny.
It is a mystery which must be solved that the Human becomes true.