Uh, through the grace of God, even a non-believer could be saved. Further, the rapist/murder may have repented, but that doesn't mean salvation either automatically just because you have a come to Jesus moment.
And he doesn't seem to understand the point of replacing actual sacrifice with a proxy.
I never really thought about it till now, but perhaps these people really did commit sacrifice so often that having ANY ritual would suffice...not even due to the makeup of the ritual itselt, but just because people become so inured to repetition that they cannot live without it. Just continuing with their life structure, but without the bloodshed part. Give them a physical act of any sort...they are the sort of people more grounded in the physical plane anyhow.
Also, look at the name of his story, "The Love of Christ", and then how he goes on to describe a rather gross scenario which is entirely unnecessary to the point he is trying to make.
That is a disturbed mind to me, and not one that should be trusted.
Under some variations of some denominations, once you accept Christ, you're automatically saved. This is not the case across the board. Some say that you have to have faith AND good works, or it's all a show.
Likewise, some denominations say non-christians are damned, but other ones say that if they have not actively rejected Christ and have lived a good life through the "natural law" then through the grace of God they are saved.
I am no theologian, but you're painting with a very, very broad brush. This leads directly to your bad syllogisms.
[Eze 18:21-25 ESV] 21 But if a wicked person turns away from all his sins that he has committed and keeps all my statutes and does what is just and right, he shall surely live; he shall not die. 22 None of the transgressions that he has committed shall be remembered against him; for the righteousness that he has done he shall live. 23 Have I any pleasure in the death of the wicked, declares the Lord GOD, and not rather that he should turn from his way and live? 24 But when a righteous person turns away from his righteousness and does injustice and does the same abominations that the wicked person does, shall he live? None of the righteous deeds that he has done shall be remembered; for the treachery of which he is guilty and the sin he has committed, for them he shall die. 25 Yet you say, 'The way of the Lord is not just.' Hear now, O house of Israel: Is my way not just? Is it not your ways that are not just?
[Gen 6:1-8 ESV] 1 When man began to multiply on the face of the land and daughters were born to them, 2 the sons of God saw that the daughters of man were attractive. And they took as their wives any they chose. 3 Then the LORD said, "My Spirit shall not abide in man forever, for he is flesh: his days shall be 120 years." 4 The Nephilim were on the earth in those days, and also afterward, when the sons of God came in to the daughters of man and they bore children to them. These were the mighty men who were of old, the men of renown. 5 The LORD saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every intention of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. 6 And the LORD regretted that he had made man on the earth, and it grieved him to his heart. 7 So the LORD said, "I will blot out man whom I have created from the face of the land, man and animals and creeping things and birds of the heavens, for I am sorry that I have made them." 8 But Noah found favor in the eyes of the LORD.
Uh, through the grace of God, even a non-believer could be saved. Further, the rapist/murder may have repented, but that doesn't mean salvation either automatically just because you have a come to Jesus moment.
And he doesn't seem to understand the point of replacing actual sacrifice with a proxy.
I never really thought about it till now, but perhaps these people really did commit sacrifice so often that having ANY ritual would suffice...not even due to the makeup of the ritual itselt, but just because people become so inured to repetition that they cannot live without it. Just continuing with their life structure, but without the bloodshed part. Give them a physical act of any sort...they are the sort of people more grounded in the physical plane anyhow.
Also, look at the name of his story, "The Love of Christ", and then how he goes on to describe a rather gross scenario which is entirely unnecessary to the point he is trying to make.
That is a disturbed mind to me, and not one that should be trusted.
Under some variations of some denominations, once you accept Christ, you're automatically saved. This is not the case across the board. Some say that you have to have faith AND good works, or it's all a show.
Likewise, some denominations say non-christians are damned, but other ones say that if they have not actively rejected Christ and have lived a good life through the "natural law" then through the grace of God they are saved.
I am no theologian, but you're painting with a very, very broad brush. This leads directly to your bad syllogisms.
[Eze 18:21-25 ESV] 21 But if a wicked person turns away from all his sins that he has committed and keeps all my statutes and does what is just and right, he shall surely live; he shall not die. 22 None of the transgressions that he has committed shall be remembered against him; for the righteousness that he has done he shall live. 23 Have I any pleasure in the death of the wicked, declares the Lord GOD, and not rather that he should turn from his way and live? 24 But when a righteous person turns away from his righteousness and does injustice and does the same abominations that the wicked person does, shall he live? None of the righteous deeds that he has done shall be remembered; for the treachery of which he is guilty and the sin he has committed, for them he shall die. 25 Yet you say, 'The way of the Lord is not just.' Hear now, O house of Israel: Is my way not just? Is it not your ways that are not just?
[Gen 6:1-8 ESV] 1 When man began to multiply on the face of the land and daughters were born to them, 2 the sons of God saw that the daughters of man were attractive. And they took as their wives any they chose. 3 Then the LORD said, "My Spirit shall not abide in man forever, for he is flesh: his days shall be 120 years." 4 The Nephilim were on the earth in those days, and also afterward, when the sons of God came in to the daughters of man and they bore children to them. These were the mighty men who were of old, the men of renown. 5 The LORD saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every intention of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. 6 And the LORD regretted that he had made man on the earth, and it grieved him to his heart. 7 So the LORD said, "I will blot out man whom I have created from the face of the land, man and animals and creeping things and birds of the heavens, for I am sorry that I have made them." 8 But Noah found favor in the eyes of the LORD.
To whom is your allegiance?