In article <1r1ma9INNno7@owl.csrv.uidaho.edu>, lanph872@crow.csrv.uidaho.edu (Rob Lanphier) writes: |> Malcolm Lee (mlee@post.RoyalRoads.ca) wrote: |>  |> : Do you consider Neo-Nazis and white supremists to be Christian?  I'd hardly |> : classify them as Christian.  Do they follow the teachings of Christ?  Love |> : one another.  Love your neighbour as yourself.  Love your enemies.  Is Jesus |> : Christ their Lord and Saviour?  By the persecution of Jews, they are violating |> : all the precepts of what Christ died for.  They are in direct violation of |> : the teachings of Christ.  Even Jesus who was crucified by the Jewish leaders |> : of that time, loved His enemies by asking the Father for forgiveness of their |> : sins.  I am a Christian and I bear no animosity towards Jews or any one else. |> : The enemy is Satan, not our fellow man. |>  |> In Mark 16:16, Jesus is quoted as saying "Whoever believes and is baptized |> will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned."  I |> consider most Neo-Nazis and White Supremisists to be Christians because: |> a)  They say they are |> b)  They feel it necessary to justify their actions with the Bible |>   Where does it say in the bible that Christians are supposed to persecute Jews?  Isn't it love your enemies instead?  They may say they are "Christian" but do their actions speak differently?  Do you believe what everyone tells you?  I don't.  I came to believe in God by my own investigation and conclusions. And ultimately by my own choice.  Salvation, however, was granted only through the grace of God.  |> The Bible provides us with no clear definition of what a Christian is.  It |> tells us what a Christian *should* do, but then it goes on to say that as |> long as you believe, your sins will be forgiven.    To be a Christian is to model oneself after Jesus Christ as implied by the very name Christian.  If you say you believe in your head but do not feel in your heart, what does that say of your belief?  |> White Supremisists and |> Neo-Nazis may not be your brand of Christian, but by believing in Christ, |> they are Christian. |>  White supremists and Neo-Nazis are NOT any brand of Christian.  "If you hate your whom you can see then how can you love God whom you cannot  see?"  What does this belief entail?  Believing in Christ and having your sins forgiven in His name does NOT give a Christian a free licence to sin.  To repent of a sin is to ask forgiveness of that sin and TRY NOT to do it again.  I am a Christian, but if you lump me in with racists and accuse me of being such, then are you not pre-judging me?  BTW, I am of Chinese racial background and I know what it is to be part of a visible minority in this country.  I don't think that I would be favourably looked upon by these White supremist "Christians" as you call them.  Anyone can say what they believe, but if they don't practice what they preach, then their belief is false.  Do you concur?   |> Now, for your original statement: |> : |> : What bothers me most is why people who have no religious affiliation  |> : |> : continue to persecute Jews?  Why this hatred of Jews?  The majority of |> : |> : people who persecute Jews are NOT Christians (I can't speak for all  |> : |> : Christians and there are bound to be a few who are on the anti-Semitism |> : |> : bandwagon.) |>  |> You imply here that it is predominately atheists and agnostics who |> persecute Jews.  I am hard pressed to think of even an example of Jewish |> persecution in the hands of atheists/agnostics.  Nazis and racists in general are the ones that come to my immediate attention. What I believe is that such people may be using the bible to mask their racial intolerance and bigotry.  They can do as they do and hide behind Christianity but I tell you that Jesus would have nothing to do with them.  |> About the only one that |> comes to mind would be in the former Soviet Union, where many religious |> people suffered some sort of persecution (not to mention many |> atheist/agnostics who suffered persecution for believing the government |> sucked). |>   No arguement there.  |> |> Rob Lanphier |> lanph872@uidaho.edu |>   The only point I'm trying to make is that those who call themselves Christian may not be Christian.  I ask that you draw your own conclusions by what they do and what they say.  If they are not modelled after the example of Jesus Christ then they are NOT Christian.  If they have not repented of their sins and accepted Jesus Christ as their personal Lord and Saviour then they are  NOT Christian.  These are the only criteria to being a Christian.  May God be with you,