Goodness, teachings, faith, the Bible and everyone’s ideals

THE question of what is a Christian has been raised recently. Mike Perry (Yorkshire Post, February 18) considers that it’s simply a “good person”, whether or not they believe in the Bible.

Tim Jones (Yorkshire Post, February 21) says much the same thing, although he acknowledges that it’s important to follow some of Jesus teachings.

However, there are difficulties in making goodness or doing good synonymous with being a Christian while ignoring or being selective with the Bible. It makes the definition of good, and therefore what a Christian is, relative.

Everyone can choose his or her own different standards. Further, some who might be defined as “good” would not wish to be called Christian.

The only definition that most Christians, and all traditions, recognise is someone who believes in and follows Jesus. This means accepting all his teaching, including that about his divinity and his promise of being able to bring us close to God.

Indeed, it’s this relationship with God’s spirit that empowers Christians to be better than we would be without it.

Whether this enables us to reach someone’s arbitrary standard of “a good person” is irrelevant and so avoids people being judgmental.

In any case, no one is good by God’s criteria. That’s why Jesus died on the cross. It’s his sacrifice that makes anyone willing to embrace it acceptable in God’s eyes however good or bad earthly judgments may make them.

From: Brian Sheridan, Redmires Road, Sheffield.

EVERY so often I find a newspaper article so special that I cut it out and keep it. Such was Father Tim Jones’ piece about faith and judgment (Yorkshire Post, February 21).

He soon engages us with a nice bit of Yorkshire humour: we Yorkshire folk are “already a couple of notches closer to heaven than the rest of the world”. The rest is characterised by humility, healthy uncertainty, compassion and balance: he gently scolds both the sanctimonious William Wilberforce and the arrogant Richard Dawkins.

The criteria for entry to the kingdom of heaven have long exercised the minds of believers and doubting Thomases alike. To “have cared for those in need, for the despised, the abandoned” would appear to be a worthy CV for anyone interviewed by St Peter.

However, and here’s the rub, since God knows us better than we know ourselves, he will know that some of us will be motivated by “amour propre” (self-love) to which La Rochfoucauld ascribed all human behaviour: in the final reckoning we are all looking after number one. And what about the altruistic atheist who according to some scriptures would, by definition, not make the short list. This is not meant to be flippant in any way. How refreshing that Father Tim struggles to grasp fully the Christian doctrine that Jesus put himself between us and a judgmental God to save us from damnation. He hopes that Richard Dawkins won’t be his judge... I don’t think he need worry: Father Tim sounds like the sort of bloke not even the recalcitrant professor could fall out with.

From: Mrs Mary Hellawell, Scarborough.

WHEN will this country wake up to the pernicious undermining of our Christian ideals – inherited from our forefathers?

When will our law makers and judges recognise what a mess the equality and rights laws from the EU have actually made?

Everything for the rights of the vociferous minority of secularists, no rights for Christian beliefs and practice. It’s time people began to seriously question what exactly is their role in life, as still a large number profess to be Christians. If, so then start showing that you believe in God, and the way of life he gave through the Ten Commandments.