anatomy of a lie

In the public arena they often call each other liars. One difference lies in those that believe everything that has happened is devoid of a future and those who project the future going forward. One view, often group oriented, see what is happening now.
         Other individuals, on their own initiative, see what is going to happen. However below is an incident that does not seem to fall into this outlook. So, on the other hand, in the incident described below we might have something completely different. What is the situation in this case? 
         
In John, I think chapter 7, Jesus told His disciples He was not going up to Jerusalem for the feast. But then He went in order to deceive the synagogue because they sought to kill Him. So apparently He did not trust the twelve. 
         This is the kind of thing those hostile to believers like to pounce on to hold Jesus up to ridicule. As to believers they usually ignore or deny the entire scenario ever happened like that, then they do not have to think about it. My point is churches send their Sunday Scholars to college ill equipped to explain technicalities or stand up for Jesus. Then they usually lose whatever meager belief they did have.  
         Church teaching often lacks zing, the attributes of life and action. It is obvious the conclusions one can draw from that.

pulpit talk

Most churches teach the easy Sunday School story stuff and are completely silent on the questions that might lead to controversy. In not dealing with the difficult questions they leave their young people unequipped to enter college where the prevailing belief is, if you are educated then you are an atheist. 

Young atheists are escaping churches around the age of fourteen in numbers that would surprise and embarrass us. Bald fact is the young people soon learn they are being told from the pulpit ideas that the adults only believe for the sake of the children.

Are Christians stupid?

Does anyone recall where in the gospels Jesus says that the children of light are not as smart as the children of the world? It is in the parable of the unjust steward. Seems like He is saying that church going Christians are stupid, or at least not as smart.

sons and daughters of God

What does Jesus mean when he speaks in John 10:34? Many churchmen of today as well as most of the Rabbi's of yesterday did not like Him saying He was the Son of God. They cannot even conceive of His meaning in speaking of the Spirit which is, being born again. We are all, He clearly seems to be speaking, brought into existence, born as children of the Holy Spirit, the Holy Spirit which is to say of existence. (I am that I am.) So then we are all, those who accept and believe, sons and daughters of God. Some speak of Jesus as our elder brother.

denying the power thereof

If the devil cannot move Christians to an unbelief in Jesus, he will then attack Jesus' power as no longer for today. Jesus says somewhere? your lips are close but your hearts are far from me? Meanwhile what about all those 'first shall be last' and 'last shall be first' references?

a sign of weakness

If one is insulted then that is ipso facto a sign of weakness which is also by itself evidence there is a control of your self-being out of your control and with someone or something outside yourself. This weakness often resides in the belief the group is the supreme standard over the individual. An singular individual by himself is not subject to peer pressure. A group duplicated individual however would be.

the Pope and pagan Christians

Recently the Pope referred to some people who call themselves Christians as really pagan Christians. Pagan as term is a rather older historical reference to non-Christians more closely associated with the Christian beginnings. Another present day definition might be more up to date, Christian atheists. Atheists or humanists are in the ascendency, dominating all religions in their cultural square among academic intellectuals. There were in fact more than ten years ago about half of seminary professors who were polled, openly admitting atheism which makes you wonder how many of the rest are closet atheists.
Present day there are many attending churches who do not believe in everything Christian. Their code phrase is no longer for today. This viewpoint is like the evolvers who want to change the Constitution. They in like kind also want to change the Bible to accommodate their non Christian views. Anyone talking about God who does not believe something long held about God is an atheist on that point. Still, they believe in Jesus as Christ, they just do not believe everything. They are with Christ on some points and with atheists on certain other points.
There are many Christians who just cannot believe everything about Christianity. They lack complete belief and that is atheist as well, albeit involuntary. One cannot believe by whim. Agreement is not belief, going along is not belief, it has to be deep within the spirit of a person by reflection without considerations. As Paul suggested, there are those who believe Jesus Christ but not the power thereof.