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(Stolyarov wrote) Yet this is not what most other people - including some Christians - consider to be morality. For them and for me, morality is entirely a function of a person's *behavior*, and as such has nothing at all to do with the adjectives a person attaches to himself (Christian, atheist, conservative, socialist, etc.)

This is exactly the issue though. I would say that a Biblical definition of a 'Christian' would be one who follows Christ and accepts him as Lord and Saviour. To do so involves a change of behaviour... and a radical change at that.

This is expressed continually in the New Testament. Faith without action is dead. Teach them to obey all that I have commanded you. Do not conform any longer to the pattern of the world. Love your enemies. Pray for those that persecute you. Build each other up.

Each is action.

Thus for a Christian, the separation of 'Behavior' from 'Adjective' (Christian) should not exist.

Let me be clear however that this does not mean that all Christians ARE moral (in a Christian definition, meaning conforming to God's will), but it should be entirely true that all who are Christian are seeking to become more 'moral' and 'holy'. As you mentioned in your original posting, one of the claims of Christians is that their lives have changed. This is part of the evidence that they are who they claim to be... followers of Jesus Christ.

By 'Christian' in this context, I mean a Christian by a Scriptural definition such as the one above. I do not mean possessing a membership card, bumper sticker, embossed golf trophy, or even merely church attendance. Part of the confusion today stems from the fact that many people are not clear on what they are professing when they say 'I am a Christian'.

On a final note, I should mention that the "Actions" do not make you acceptable to God. From a Christian viewpoint, that can only be done through acceptance of Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior. The actions though, are an outward expression of an inner change. I change my actions to conform to my Father's will, because I now recognize Him as right. I seek to do His will because I love Him, and want to glorify Him.

Thank you for your clarification regarding Christian views regarding actions and how they serve as an expression of one’s beliefs.

I have a question for you that has always puzzled me, and I wonder if you could shed some light on it.

There are two people:

Person A calls himself a Christian and proudly displays his Christianity before the world. However, he does not wholeheartedly follow through on the actions that would display a consistently Christian belief. Instead, he merely talks about Christianity and goes through the socially acceptable religious rites. He commits what Christians would call sins on occasion and always repents in words, though his chances of committing further sins are not diminished by this.

Person B is an atheist but one with a firm moral code which coincides with Christian morality on most issues. Indeed, in his outward behaviors, he is virtually indistinguishable from a good Christian. The sins he commits are few, rare, minor, and sincerely regretted so as to reduce their likelihood in the future. He never talks about his ideas on morality with anybody but merely attempts to act according to his best moral judgment. But he does not believe in any God and considers Jesus to have simply been an influential human being with many good things to say.

Where actions are concerned, Person B is thus in far greater accord with Christian values than Person A.

But, from your best judgment as a Christian (if your beliefs can possibly allow to make a prediction on this matter), which of these two people would achieve greater favor in the eyes of God?