The Mudcat Café TM
Thread #100473   Message #2020604
Posted By: Nickhere
09-Apr-07 - 02:34 PM
Thread Name: BS: Have you changed your religious views?
Subject: RE: BS: Have you changed your religious views?
Mrzzy: "Good people will do good things. Bad people will do bad things"

Christians don't believe there are good or bad people. There are people who choose to do good things or bad things. Depending on whichever they do more of, and come to be associated with, tends to be how they are labelled by the world. But a 'bad' person can of course change and become a 'good' person (someone who tries to do, or does good things). Indeed most Christians I've ever met, myself included, were (and unfortunately sometimes still are) 'bad' people - people who've led less than ideal lives. Remember the thief on the cross? When Jesus was crucified, there were two thieves crucified at the same time, one on either side of Him. They had both led very bad lives indeed, for which they were now paying the penalty under Roman law. One thief cursed Jesus, taunting Him - "if you're God get us down from these crosses!" Of course if Jesus had done that (and gotten Himself down off the cross as well) there would have been no sacrifice for our sins and no salvation - another example of how God's plan doesn't always make sense to the casual observer. On the other hand the other thief said "have you no shame? We are being punished for what we've done - justly. This man (Jesus) has done nothing to deserve death" Then he turned to Jesus and said "remember me when you come into your kingdom" to which Christ answered "I tell you, today you'll be with me in paradise" (see eg. Luke 23: 39-43)
That choice is open to all of us - even right up to the moment of death.