“Christian” Ideas that Aren’t (9)
1. “I’m more of a New Testament Christian.” 2. “The Old Testament is legalistic and about law; the New Testament is about love and grace. 3. “God helps those who help themselves.” 4. “Those who do not work should not eat.” 5. “Minds are like umbrellas. They work best when open.” 6. “My faith is private/personal and nobody else’s business.” 7. “We need to be more spiritual.” 8. “I was saved when I first believed in Jesus.” 9. “In the end, it doesn’t really matter what you believe. It only matters that you are sincere.” Well, there’s an easy answer to rebut this unfortunately widespread sentiment: Adolf Hitler. He sincerely believed what he believed. And he acted on it! That’s what makes this statement so dangerous. Those who sincerely believe in something, act on it. It can’t remain merely an intellectual belief. Sincerity at least means that we do what we sincerely believe. This statement seems to trade on some such view of sincerity as a kind of mental or emotional...