Which Christ is the real Christ?

One of the latest attacks I have experienced from people who want me damned for my beliefs as a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is the claim I follow a false Jesus. As a logical debate, there are numerous fallacies with anyone making such an accusation, but religion is not often required to fit the requirements of logic.

I believe that faith is first and foremost, and that some things must be believed that don't appear to fit logic, but I also have found that those things cannot be discounted only on the basis of a logical argument. Most of what I believe is also entirely logical as well as meeting the requirements of faith. Maybe the only belief I have that cannot be supported logically, is the simple belief in God. I know God lives, but I can't prove it to anyone. That requires faith entirely.

Beyond logic and faith, there remains only scriptural verification. For the sake of those who do not accept all the scriptures I recognize as divine canon, I will amend that as Biblical verification. Not all things can be verified by the Bible, of course, no matter what version of Judeo-Christian theology one espouses. The only recourse then, is to use the process of elimination. If something is clearly and unequivocally eliminated by the Bible, it must be rejected.

The Bible is an exceptionally ambiguous document at times, and so that standard can rarely be met. In the abscence of certainty, logic and faith should be relied on as well, with faith being the last word.

It is not my intent to apply that rigor to the question of: whose Christ is the right Christ (or for that matter, whose Messiah?)? I both question anyone's ability to prove that their version is true to the exclusion of all others, and that the details are even that critical. As far as I have been able to discern, no one challenges these type of beliefs to facilitate the salvation of anyone else, but only does so in an attempt to condemn them. I am not interested in condemning anyone.

I am just as capable of throwing doubt on someone else's version as they are mine. I may even choose to look at some comparisons in a future post. At this time, I am only trying to establish that no person on this earth, unless they claim to be a prophet, has the right, the authority, or the justification to dictate to all others the definative description, origin or mission of Jesus Christ, much less the nature and purpose of God, in general.

I have seen numerous scriptural passages that supposedly prove one point or another, or that claim to disprove my beliefs, but none of them really establish either of those premises. I don't propose to produce a list of my own verses to try and prove or disprove anything. I believe the scriptures contain the information we need to understand God's plan for us, but to try and discern or dispense truth without the guidance of the Spirit is hopeless and foolish.

The real Christ knows who He is and He knows who His sheep are. I have beliefs about the answers to those questions, and I am satisfied with those answers. I follow those beliefs and allow all others to worship as they see fit. I feel the evangelical spirit to share my beliefs, but I am not about to try and dictate where anyone is going after this life based on any set of rules. That is not for me or any living human to decide.