In response to:
Doug, your second problem is the reasoning. Christians believe they can sin all they want. Those sins are forgiven without them doing a thing to earn that forgiveness. Your reasoning fails at the most basic level. Christians can behave as badly as they want, and they're still forgiven. If atheists were wanting to excuse sin, they'd become Christians.
Why do some atheists embarrass themselves year after year trying to eradicate Christmas from American culture? Why do they make themselves societal hemorrhoids during this hallowed season? Is it because they are crusaders for equality, secularism’s saviors and humanism’s heroes? I’m sure that’s what they tell themselves when they’re pouting on their couches all alone on Christmas Eve after every single one of their friends has dumped them for being a rabid jackass.
I believe, however—and I could be wrong—that the reason some rage against the machine is that they hate God and love their sin, and bringing up Jesus in...
Come now, Donny.
Nobody ever earns forgiveness. That's a false premise.
But we CAN be forgiven if God knows we've repented. He forgives me for the sake of Jesus the Lamb who died in order that sinners should find mercy in Him. That's a premise you can believe in.
Nobody can forgive except the offended party. I grant the offended party (and only that party) the right to say whether the offender earned forgiveness or not.
WRONG. Who taught you that nonsense? Simply "accept" is a teaching of non-catholics who dreamed up a gospel opposite of Christ's. No sinner is forgiven in any circumstance who doesn't STOP the sin, repents and does penance! He must utterly reject sin and all evil, THEN receive God's mercy. MERCY, not "accepting Jesus."
Jesus said, "Not all who say to me, "Lord, Lord," will enter the kingdom of heaven, but they who do the Will of my Father."