Contra Green

December 2615

Since the great war of 2539-2545, a spirit of reconciliation descended upon the Charolites. In place of the persecution of Christians, Charolites are rediscovering the Christian roots of their own faith. In the same Charolite countries where for centuries Christians were denied citizenship, today Christians are even permitted to disseminate counter-Charolite literature. While there are still pockets of Anti-Christian sentiment in the Charolite world, but the region of China, Mongolia, Japan, and the Koreas, where the Fundamentalist Charolites hold sway, the mood is decidedly pro-Christian.

In an extreme show of the spirit of reconciliation, the prominent Mongolian newspaper, the Mongolian Tribune, presented their readership with an interview with a counter-Charolite activist; Jesse C Belmonte. The interview was conducted by the well known Mongolian Tribune reporter; Genghis X Kahn.

Genghis: “Could you please give us a synopsis of the basic philosophy of the Christian opposition to the Charolite faith?”

Jesse: “With pleasure. I understand that your readership expects me to go through the various Scriptural proofs for the Messiah-ship of Charlie and present the Christian refutations for these proofs. If that is what your readership is expecting, I will disappoint them. I prefer to focus on the larger picture, rather than quibble over translations and interpretations.”

Genghis: “I understand that there is an advantage in stepping back and seeing the big picture as opposed to getting bogged down in details. but is there perhaps other reason behind your decision to avoid the Scriptural proof-texts? Are you perhaps not confident with your refutations to the Charolite arguments?”

Jesse: “It is not an issue of confidence. Many Christian writers have already refuted the Charolite proof-texts, and I believe that a study of the texts in context will reveal the emptiness of the Charolite claims. I think there is a deeper issue here. If I debate a Charolite about a given Scriptural text, I have already given the Charolite faith more credit then it deserves. The Charolite has no business holding a Christian Bible in his or her hand.”

Genghis: “Why would you say that? The Charolites cherish the Christian Bible and believe that by reading the Christian Bible one will come to faith in Charlie.”

Jesse: “The very pillars upon which the Christian Scriptures stand preclude faith in Charlie. We must ask ourselves: how did we come into possession of the Christian Bible? What method did we follow to determine that the Christian Bible is true? If we ask these questions, the Charolite faith would not get off the ground, the debate would never begin.”

Genghis: “Could you please explain these statements?”

Jesse: “Genghis, you tell me. How do you know that the Christian Bible is truly the inspired word? How do you know that the books of Matthew, John, Peter and James belong in the Biblical canon, while other books do not?”

Genghis: “I don’t profess to be a theologian, but I do remember from my days in Monday school that Norman Geisler wrote something on this subject.”

Jesse: “I must say that I am impressed by the range of your knowledge. Most Charolite’s are not even aware that Dr. Geisler existed.

In any case, I will remind you of Geisler’s teaching on the subject, and I quote: “For whatever subsequent debate there may have been about a book’s place in the canon, the people in the best position to know its prophetic credentials are those who knew the prophet who wrote it. Hence, despite all later debates about the canonicity of some books, the DEFINITIVE EVIDENCE is that which attests to its original acceptance by the contemporary believers (Quoted by Josh McDowell in the “New Evidence that Demands a Verdict” page 22).” In other words, the only way we can know that the Christian Scriptures are truly inspired is if we first accept that the Christian community had the ability to discern and separate between truth and falsehood. But the basic premise of the Charolite faith is that this very community of believers in Jesus did not possess the ability to determine who is a true prophet and who is a fraud. According to the Charolites, the Christians are incapable of identifying their own Messiah. It is well-known that the Christian community, as a community, rejected Charlie’s claims. If it is as the Charolites argue, that the Christian community is not capable of sensing between the true prophet and the fraud, the canon of the Christian Bible ought to be discarded.”

Genghis: “But the Charolites argue that the early Christians were OK, they were Godly and spiritual people. It was only the later Christians that lost the ability to discern between the true prophets and the frauds.”

Jesse: “That is a very convenient theory, and is totally arbitrary. Either you accept that the Christian community was appointed by Jesus to serve as his witnesses for posterity, or you reject that belief. You can’t have it both ways.”

Genghis: “But the first followers of Charlie were Christians. Perhaps they represent the true following of Jesus?”

Jesse: “Those Christians who followed Charlie soon lost all the covenantal signs of Christianity. They were utterly lost from the Christian community. There is no way that the Charolites can be considered the true Christians.”

Genghis: “Are there any other arguments such as the one you just presented that focus on the larger picture as opposed to the debates over Scriptural grammar?”

Jesse: “There are many arguments that refute the Charolite faith before we get involved in technical debates over Scripture. For example: According to the Charolite faith, Jesus returned in order to test his followers, to see if they truly love him. But when Jesus speaks of his return in the New Testament, we get a totally different picture. In the Christian Bible we read how Jesus’ return would be rewarding to his followers and bring down punishment on the enemies of his followers. When Charlie came along, the followers of Jesus were cursed, because they could not accept Charlie, while their persecutors were blessed with faith in Charlie. Charlie’s mission according to the Newer Testament, and Jesus’ mission according to the New Testament are not only incompatible, they are polar opposites.

This is actually true on another level as well. The central character of the New testament is Jesus. Everything in the New Testament points to Jesus. True faith according to the New Testament is a total and unshakeable faith in Jesus. The return of Jesus is supposed to vindicate this faith. Charlie points people to faith in himself. The central figure of the Newer Testament is Charlie and not Jesus. The fact that Charlie claimed to be “one and the same” with Jesus does not change the facts on the ground. The fact remains that it is Charlie who lives in the heart of the Charolites and not Jesus.”

Genghis: “I noticed the sarcasm in your voice when you spoke of the “blessing” that Charlie brought to the persecutors of the Christians. Wouldn’t you agree that the Chinese, who used to be atheists before the advent of Charlie, were blessed through Charlie with a faith that is closer to the truth?”

Jesse: “Perhaps that is true, but the blessing is certainly a mixed blessing. Before the advent of Charlie, the Chinese were not consumed with a deep hatred for Christians. Their conversion to the Charolite faith induced them to murder millions of Christians over the centuries. Now I do recognize that the Fundamentalist Charolite Church has rejected this violent interpretation of Charlie’s teachings, and they are to be commended for that. But stepping back and looking at it from a historical perspective over the centuries, many Chinese people were spiritually poisoned with a hatred for Christians – something that would not have occurred without the advent of Charlie.”

Genghis: “How do you respond to the claim of some Charolite theologians that it was the sin of rejecting Charlie that brought divine retribution upon the Christians? According to these theologians, the Christians were massacred in the millions because they did not accept their own Messiah.”

Jesse: “If the sin of rejecting Charlie brought these massacres upon us, we are thankful that this same sin effectively prevented us from being the perpetrators of these atrocities.”

Genghis: “How do you respond to the miracles preformed in Charlie’s name? People are healed, the blind receive sight, amazing things happen. These miracles do not just occur on a material level. On a spiritual level we see that people’s lives are radically changed through faith in Charlie. How do you explain these phenomena?”

Jesse: “I could tell you that many religions share similar claims, including Christianity, Mormonism and Doormanism. Instead, I will point you to some Scripture. In the Old Testament we read that false prophets are also empowered to perform miracles (Deuteronomy 13:2). Even the New Testament echoes to this concept (Matthew 7:22). We must put aside the miracles and the transformed lives, and focus on the logical arguments. God allows false belief systems to produce miracles and transformed lives. He does not, however, allow them to share the still small voice of truth that appeals to the sensitivity to truth that God breathed into our nostrils.”

Genghis: “One last question if I may. Why do you refuse to debate Dr. Green?”

Jesse: “I don’t see any point in debating face to face. The issue is not between the two of us as performers. The question is: who has the truth? I laid out my arguments in writing, and I continue to do so, while it is Dr. Green that is failing to respond. My article “Contra-Green” was published some time ago, and as of yet there has been no response. I have since published other articles explaining my position without receiving any response from Dr. Green. I await his rebuttals to my argument and I aim to take the arguments from there.”

Genghis: “Thank you for joining us today.”

Jesse: “You are welcome.”

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