To ask if you are not a Christian, what non Christian values you live by?

[BlossomBlanket]

Just that really!

Easy - I’m a decent human being and don’t need a rule book to tell me how to behave.

I will pay you the compliment of answering your question seriously @BlossomBlanket (although I think you're a Wind Up Merchant).

Hypocrisy breaks the ethic of treating others with frankness and integrity. It's dishonest.

I try to commit the seven deadly sins weekly. Must try harder to covet my neighbours ox though, been slack with that.

Why do you think I'm not serious?

I'm not sure how hypocrisy is dishonest. We all hold standards higher than we are always able to live up to. We are all hypocrites. The difference is between those who accept falling short and striving to do better and those who continue to try and justify their poor conduct.

Hypocrisy involves imposing a set of rules on others, but failing to live by those rules. No one is suggesting they are perfect and I don’t really buy the whole ‘we are all accidentally guilty’ argument to say we are all hypocrites. Making a mistake doesn’t go to the heart of what hypocrisy is about. I view hypocrisy as an unacceptable abuse of power, something done knowingly by one group to the exclusion of others.

A good example of hypocrisy is the use of private jets by those attending a conference to discuss climate change. A particular elite group is exercising its power to set rules that will not apply to them.

Accepting and admitting that you have fallen short of the standards you aspire to is not hypocrisy.

Hypocrisy is saying 'do as I say, not as I do' and living your whole life like that.

That has nothing to do with following a religion. There are good Christians and bad atheists and visa versa. Being a Christian doesn’t make you a better person.

@Relaxaholic the 'we are all hypocrites' argument is typical of a certain brand of Christianity which likes to focus on how bad and awful we humans all are because Eve ate that apple. It's utter bullshit. One of the reasons why I'm an atheist is that I believe in the inherent goodness of the majority of humanity.

It's the same as the concept of sin - accept you are a sinner, repent on your deathbed, get into Heaven. Nice and simple. Whereas striving in life every single day to do the best you can and make amends when you fail, knowing that you have only one shot at this in your one life, and then still staying positive - that's hard.

Lastly, sin is a nonsense concept anyway. I refuse to pay any mind to a deity who tells me that two loving human beings who are fully consenting and free to do so, i.e. not in a relationship with anyone else, can't have sex because they aren't married, or are the same sex - I want no part of such an entity because that is not love.

I don't believe in any God , it's all ideology to me.I don't need to know how I got here, the meaning of life, or what happens after I die. I just try and live a peaceful life every day, do as you would be done by sort of style.
If I can help people in my life I will, but I won't stand for being taken advantage of. I like straight talk and enjoy a bit of fun banter, but I don't set out to hurt anyone.

I don't feel the need to consider whether my values align with Christian or indeed any other religious values. So I don't live by 'non Christian' anything. My moral code involves not causing avoidable harm first and foremost, and respect for other lives.

Do as you would be done by.

I don’t agree with that. At all.

You keep asking questions but make no attempt to answer any.

Why don’t you have an internal moral compass? Why do you need religion?

Trying to achieve standards but failing isn't hypocrisy. Preaching about poverty while taking millions in donations for yourself is. Preaching that sex is sinful while covering up child abuse is hypocrisy. And saying that God loves everyone, but a majority of people are going to burn for eternity is also hypocritical.

I'm a Christian. I don't think our values are any different to those of any other religion. Take care of the vulnerable, be honest, don't be violent.

Different faiths have different rules and guidelines about how to practice those values and nearly all of them (including the church I belong to) have some pretty arcane traditions but the values are pretty universal.

Do you extend this to people who have no religion at all?

The first one is literally from the Bible😂

No-one gets "sent to Hell" for not believing in God - where did you get that nonsense from?

By the society you're in. What does it need to keep functioning?

You're asking a lot of questions and yet refusing to answer any. Why?

Except many religious people believe that non-believers and the unbaptised/unchristened will indeed go to Hell.

@esthersouwester many Christians believe non-believers go to hell. I get this from my own Christian upbringing where this was taught in church, at home and as part of my Christian education.

It’s a major area where my values are different- I believe sending people to hell is bad. Some Christians (depending on the type) will struggle with this because ultimately they are taught that it is generally fair that Christians go to heaven but non-Christians don’t, all as part of God’s plan.

@esthersouwester there are Christian posters on this very thread who genuinely believe that those who do not repent and submit to Jesus will indeed go to Hell. Just read back through the thread. And it'll be their fault because they've 'turned away' from salvation - they don't actually need to have done anything much at all.

You do know it exists before/ after and in multiple religious and non-religious texts other than the bible too?

I'm not responsible for what others believe and I don't pass judgement
on others' thought processes.

As you don't believe in Hell existing why are you concerned ?

... Do you attend church or chapel often? Have you read the bible, attended Bible study? It is one of the core tenants of Christianity. To get to Heaven, and not be condemned to Hell you have to repent your sins and believe (genuinely believ, not just say it) that you believe Jesus is the Messiah and son of god. It's spelt out in John 3:16.

Christianity teaches that salvation is only possible by being a true believer. It is not about being a good person otherwise. Then, depending on your denomination of Christianity it becomes a bit more grey area as to whether you must be baptised to go to heaven.

There is so much bad theology here I don't know where to start. so I won't bother.🙄