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Denfield: although Jesus never said or even implied so, I can assure you that the born-again belief system is precisely as Harris claims: once you confess christ as your savior and are immersion baptized as an adult, you are SAVED. Forever. No matter what. Period.
It's kind of a delayed predestination. Once saved, no matter what horrific crimes you commit, you are going to heaven. Because you are saved. Because you believe christ is your savior, everything single terrible thing you do is automatically forgiven.
This is why people like Bush and DeLay sincerely believe that everything they do is perfectly fine with God. They have "accepted christ as my savior" and been immersed baptized and therefore are forgiven everything. It's an easy step from "always forgiven" to "always right," and one most born-agains can't resist.
Its most direct and damaging result is an utter dearth of personal responsibility and accountability. Everything - EVERYTHING - is "God told me to do it." That not only makes everything they do beyond criticism, but also never their fault.
It is utterly impossible to persuade these people that they can be wrong about anything, and absolutely disastrous to put them in charge of anything more important than watching grass grow.
I speak as a born-again Xian myownself. I only wish there were a way to reverse it.
