by Tristan Taylor

Created on: October 31, 2009   Last Updated: November 10, 2009

The debate over whether it is better to be a person who simply follows Christian values with no belief in the divinity of Christ or if it is better to be a Christian who focuses more on the doctrines that guide his faith than he does on Christian ministries of mercy is a difficult one. The obvious assumption here is that Christian values can be defined by someone behaving in a manner befitting Jesus himself. Such a person would be full of love and mercy with plenty of impatience for the self-righteous. Christian doctrine, on the other hand, is seen by many outside (and some inside) the Christian church as was being the major problem with Christianity, that it is when Christians would rather fight about varying scriptural interpretations instead of showing true love for their fellow man. However, this debate is not as simple as it may seem as it may be difficult to live without a healthy amount of both.

What is the end result of those who pursue Christian values but have no belief that Jesus was divine? The major problem with this mindset is that someone who doesn't believe in the divinity of Christ has no reason to stay fixed on solely Christian values for any length of time, only as long as it seems to "suit them". Many people will dedicate their time to helping people who are less fortunate by focusing on doing good deeds for the poor. However, this is often ends up in discouragement as many of those in constant need of help make very little progress when good deed doers give to them day after day. These struggling souls quickly become users who show up everywhere there is a handout, making absolutely no personal progress away from kicking bad habits or towards self-sufficiency. Worse still is when they are asked by these merciful souls to justify their needs they begin to fabricate a number of half-truths and other outright lies to get what they want. What good has been accomplished when someone has been gas money to "make it to their uncle's funeral" only to find out that they used the money to get drunk and high at a rock concert in a nearby town?

In other words, good deed doing as an end in itself can be an exercise in futility since people need a sincere change of heart to stop their old, destructive habits and to start actually living with a real sense of purpose and direction. What often brings this change of heart is an abandonment of self-centeredness that comes from choosing to live a life modeled after someone who gave his life for others. What

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