Originally Posted By Autopia Deb Believing with your mouth is not the same in believing with your heart. I can tell you as someone who's spent a lot of time in different types of church pews, including Independent Baptist, this guy has not accepted Christ into his heart. The only god he worships is himself.
Originally Posted By gadzuux Phelps is just a more extreme version of what is seen all the time in christianity - people who create their beliefs out of whole cloth. Their faith is whatever they say it is. They even think they can pick and choose their own afterlife. And since no one actually knows, there's no disputing whatever they might say. In the view of many, admittance into heaven is a tricky business where "i's" must be dotted and "t's" must be crossed, or no soup for you. If you skipped the baptism ceremony, or you missed the last rites, if you ate meat on Friday or forgot your headscarf on sunday, it's all over - you don't have a prayer. God won't bless you if you cheated on your taxes, if you fibbed on your resume, or you ignored the bellringer outside walgreens. Sometimes I think it's easier to pass through the eye of a needle than to get by St. Peter and the pearly gates.
Originally Posted By barboy2 As to whether Fred really believes in Christ you two(mele + Autopia Deb) made good points. But I definitely leave room that he may very well fully believe that Christ is all powerful and his personal savior even though he acts like a complete asshole in public(probably in private too for all I know). I guess only Fred knows if he is a true believer.
Originally Posted By Labuda "If things work out the way that pretty much all Protestant groups believe, then Fred will be in heavean........ for belief in Christ alone, irrespective of earthly behaviors, is the ticket to get there." Wow... thanks for the quick lesson. Having been raised Catholic I never heard that before.
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Originally Posted By Autopia Deb Well as a Christian of a non-Catholic flavor, I've got my "ticket" to heaven (based on MY beliefs, others will of course differ with me) and I don't expect to be bumping into Phelps on those golden streets. The content of your heart is reflected in your actions and judging by his actions that heart is filled with nothing but hate, no room for Christ or love there. I get no pleasure or feeling of superiority by thinking Phelps is damned. I also differ in the opinion of many believers in that I don't believe every non Christian is bound for Hell for eternity, because I also believe in God's mercy.I just don't think Phelps will have the humility to accept that Grace and mercy, even in death. Then again I'm sure he thinks I'm not fit for heaven because of any number of sinfull actions, thoughts and opinions, like disagreeing with him. All of this is just my opinion, of course and I'm not trying to convince or convert here.
