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What does it mean to be a Christian?

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The teacher asked the class: "What does it mean to be a Christian?" The class, made up entirely of Christians, raised their hands. The first student answered: "To be nice." In addition, the other students added "help each other" and "love one another" to the answer, " to be nice." The teacher responded, "So, according to your definitions, a nice Muslim or a nice Hindu would be Christian?"

1. Are "nice Hindus" Christian?

2. What is missing from the students answers?

3. Why would a classroom of Christians focus on "nice?"

4. How important, in Christian theology, is treating one another?

5. How does "Free Will" impact Christian theology, especially in terms of the belief in an afterlife; where the good are rewarded and the evil punished?

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Solution Summary

There are many differences of opinion regarding the qualities that make someone a Christian or not. This solution examines the destinctives of Christianity. Over 700 words of original text.

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What does it mean to be a Christian?

The teacher asked the class: "What does it mean to be a Christian." The class, made up entirely of Christians, raised their hands. The first student answered: "To be nice." In addition, the other students added "help each other" and "love one another" to the answer, "nice." The teacher responded, "So, according to your definitions, a nice Muslim or a nice Hindu would be Christian?"

So much of these answers hinges on definitions for certain terms. So, while not being exclusive, I believe the following answers are Biblically accurate.

1. Are "nice Hindus" Christian?

If by the term Hindus we mean the religion as opposed to culture then no, Hindu's cannot be Christians. This even applies to nice Hindus.

2. What is missing from the students answers?

What's missing is any reference to Christ. The term Christian means "little Christ's" and was first used to describe followers of Jesus in Antioch. The apostle Paul described the key tenets of the true Christian faith in I Corinthians ...

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