Hmmm…what a sad state of affairs. Since when did one’s faith become a window sticker? I’ve always disliked that sort of thing. And the WWJD (what would Jesus do) things a few years back were just as bad. Don’t get me wrong, I’m very much Christian (especially as my dad is qualified as a preacher in the Lutheran church), but there is a fine line between things. There are those people who try to go out an evangelise the whole world…but things don’t work that way. Sometimes it is thought that to be Christian you have to go around and convert people, but that’s not what it means to be Christian. There are those who preach, true, but one is no less a Christian if they only do what has been given them to do, and do it faithfully, whatever that might be. After all, the line “go and make disciples of all nations…” was adressed only to a select few; nowadays it seems, however, that many Christians think it applies to everone. It leads to those who are Christian to be sometimes overly evangelical. It is more through example that things are accomplished, not through running about actively trying to convert people. And in reply to the WWJD of a few years back…wouldn’t He go to the pub to talk and have a beer or something like that? After all, He always ate with tax collectors and such.
Now through this all keep in mind that I am ardently traditional in all of my beliefs. Or, rather, confessional, though that is a rather difficult thing to explain rightly. I believe most strongly in the things taught by the Christian church. Every single person in this world is a damnable sinner (mark the word damnable as opposed to damned, ie. not damned yet). You see, there is an odd trend in this world today towards tolerance and pluralism, and both words I abhor. The first because it implies a facade, that we should only tolerate other people and not be truly brothers and sisters to them, as it should be (ideally, though it is likely an impossiblity in this world). The second word is the god of modern culture, and is preached through all the media and in every school, so much so that I daresay even I speaking against it now will be met with harsh reproach. It is interesting, because it is a relatively new thing, but has become engrained in the realm of culture so that it is a near religion. Pardon me here, I am harly politically correct, I know. But do not take me for saying that I dislike the idea of cooperation between all people; I most certainly do. But pluralism as such is a somewhat different thing. It says that no one religion is right, and that whatever you believe is right for you. But how? How can one truly be religious if they do not believe their faith with fervent devotion, to the exclusion of all others? To say: whatever you believe is fine, means that you don’t really believe your own faith, doesn’t it? The thing is, in religious matters, I take myself to be correct; there is no room for saying that others might be. How can there be? However, I will not condemn those of other faiths for two reasons. Firstly, it is not my place to condemn (and I must remember that according to my beliefs were it not for Jesus I would be condemned to hell for eternity). Secondly, because I respect their beliefs, and know that I could never change someone’s faith forcibly (and even if that would be possible, it wouldn’t be a lasting thing). You see, that is a very fine line; I hold other religions to be wrong, but respect their devotion. So much so that I would expect nothing less than to have them tell me that I am wrong; that would in no way offend me, either. But you see, the greatest fear I have with pluralism is the idea that “whatever you think is right”, ie. that there is no higher or ultimate authority that one is subject to. Everyone does what is right in their own eyes…that is an old idea, from the Bible, and even the people 3000 years ago when it was written knew the dangers of such anarchy. So basically what I mean to say with this (lengthy) comment is that, tying it together with the first paragraph, while it is often that Christians falter away from how they should act (they are still human, after all; nowhere does it say that to be Christian puts you into some realm where you are immune from sin and evil), there is also a counterbalance to this, and that is that you cannot have religion without being ardently true to it, and while society today preaches pluralism and tolerance (with, I might mention, the exclusion of Christians; that is the one thing that often cannot be tolerated, it seems.), it should rather be faith and respect.
Finally, in reply to post #13, Herr Rommel, I believe, I would say this: you are right that Jesus loves everyone, even those who do not believe in him. However, they will still be damned if they don’t believe in him. If somone you liked but vehemently disliked you was put on trial for some crime, and you stood up and said you would speak on their behalf to free them, and even then they cursed you, what would you do? Would you really help them, and stand before the judge as a mediator? Or worse, would you willfully bear their punishment so they don’t have to? Hardly, I think. Especially if the penalty was death…
I apologize if I have not made myself fully clear in this. I have a tendancy to ramble and go off on immense tangents. Moreover, it is a variously branching subject, and there is so much I could say on it I found it difficult to put it into one coherent argument. If I had the time and such I could write a more proper essay on the matter, I think, outlining various theological points, but as it stands this is only a forum post, after all. Also I apologized if it sounded all too harsh. It was not intended so, but I am only in an ever growing fear of the direction of modern society. I felt compelled after my seeming critisism of Christians in my first paragraph to subsequently defend my own beliefs. Just please remember this: this should not offend you in any way. Some may agree with me, but those that do not should just shrug it off. After all, in your eyes I’m wrong, so why should it bother you? I’ll be the one facing judgment for it. And I will respect them fully anyone that. I just won’t agree with them.
As a final parthian shot I must say that it is a decidedly odd idea that Christianity is all about tolerance; I have no clue where that came from. True, there is “love your neighbor as yourself”, but Jesus himself says he did not come to bring peace but devision, and that his message would turn even families against each other. How much more so will other people then be in conflict over this.
(Only do not see this as some religious fanatasism on my part here. I am fervent in my faith, but I am the last person you would see trying to convert anyone. You must understand this as a perhaps a theological counterpoint. My father is a professor of Theology, you see.)
Okay, that was worth at least a grin. 
As a heavily non-religious person who’s trying to go out with someone who is, I must abstain from any further comments for my own good.