From: "Bowgy"
Subject: about your article on testing christians

If you are truly interested in the truth, as you appear to be by searching for textual references in the bible to support your claims, then you should also present the following passage in your article to explain why most who "claim" (as you put it) to be christians won't humor you by performing your tests. Deutoronmy 6:16 "Do not test the Lord you God." You are really proposing that atheists perform a task no different than the temptation of Jesus by the devil in the wilderness.

A number of Christians have written to complain about my article on Testing Christians, and what Bowgy writes is substantively the same as what others write: it is not valid for Christians to perform any of the "tests" because the Bible specifically condemns "testing" God. In theory, this is a fair objection.

But only in theory. What the critics miss is that I am not simply making up random tests for them to perform. If I suggested that they jump off a building or something similar to test the power of their god, then they would be right to object. I am, instead, recommending "tests" that Jesus is very specifically quoted as saying that Christians could do in his name. Unambiguously, Jesus states that certain signs will accompany those who believe: they shall cast out demons, they shall speak with new tongues, they shall take up serpents and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall in no wise hurt them, and they shall lay their hands on the sick, and they shall recover.

There is really no getting around this, if someone takes the Bible as literal and inerrant. If those are the signs that are to accompany true Christians, then it is legitimate for non-Christians to look for those signs before taking the chance of listening to what an alleged Christian has to say. If the signs aren't seen, then the Bible indicates that this alleged Christian should be turned away. This is not a "test" for God, it is a test for Christians. Christians aren't being asked to "test" their god, they are being expected to show the signs that they themselves should believe that will accompany true believers.

Here the devil said in Matthew 4:5 "Then the devil took him to the holy city and had him stand on the highest point of the temple. 'If you are the Son of God,' he said, 'throw yourself down for it is written: " 'He will command his angels concerning you, and they will lift you up in their hands, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.' " Jesus answered him, 'It is also written: "Do not put the Lord your God to the test."' Even the devil then moved on to try something else because he knew that it was true that Jesus, the Son of God, would uphold the true beliefs of the Lord our God under all circumstances. He committed no sins, therefore no Christian should be expected to take part in your tests and then be judged by you whether or not he is a "True Christian" or not. I would love to see that passage added to your site so that you are not misinforming the public.

Actually, Christians should be tested before anyone listens to them. Jesus is quoted as warning people about false prophets. In 1 John 4:1 we read: "Beloved, believe not every spirit, but prove the spirits, whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world." The word "prove" here means test - we should test those who come to us in order to differentiate between true and false believers. Why? Because the false believers will lead us astray and cause us to believe falsely - something that is a one-way ticket to Hell!

It seems to me that only false believers and false prophets would object to someone trying to figure out if they meet the standards described in the New Testament. A true believer would manifest the appropriate signs and engage in the appropriate behavior - such a person shouldn't be bothered at showing such things to us so that we will believe them and listen to their advice.

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