I’m just sitting at my computer, shaking my head that someone can think this way.
And that comparison is terrible.
And “nicer” is a terrible way to try and describe the difference between a rapist/murder and someone who isn’t convinced that Jesus was resurrected and is the son of God.
And some people in this thread wonder why I think religion is a terrible, terrible thing.
It actually makes a tremendous deal of sense. Imagine a person born into terrible circumstances, abused, exposed to drugs, etc. All he knows is violence and he acts accordingly. One day, he truly repents, asks Jesus for forgiveness.
Yeah but there’s no difference between that guy and the guy who rapes and murders for fun despite having every possible socio-economic advantage, and then one day he truly repents and asks Jesus for forgiveness.
And under the Christian view, at least as I’m familiar with it, you are right. But not only is there no difference in sinfulness and potential for repentance between those two murderers, there is no difference between them and you. Again, in terms of sinfulness and repentance. That is different than the obviously worse harm they have done.
And that, they say, is what makes Christian salvation wonderful. No matter how truly awful a person has been, it is possible to be saved.