What is a "lukewarm Christian"?

What Revelation chapter 3, verses 15-16 mean when read carefully, taking into account the context. Rather different from a popular and extremely unhelpful interpretation!

Music: "I dunno" by grapes
http://ccmixter.org/files/grapes/16626
is licensed under a Creative Commons license:
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

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[The1066Al]

@ElProximo Thanks for your comment. I made the video, because I am concerned about legalism in the Church. I used to be in a fellowship where we were made to feel that we were never "wholehearted" for the Lord. The "lukewarm ... vomit" passage from Revelation was once used to frighten us into submission, even though we were very active Christians anyway. I hope this video will help to undermine this abuse of the Bible and bring people into a confidence in God's grace. Every blessing to you.

[The1066Al]

@PluralOfEverything Certainly many atheists I have encountered seem to be hostile to what they think is the Christian God. (I wasn't suggesting that hell was for atheists necessarily; I was just making a general point.) You say that many Christians can't imagine anyone not believing. I have been told that Christians are really atheists "in denial", so the game of imagining other people's thoughts can work both ways. I think it's better to take what people say about themselves at face value.

[PluralOfEverything]

@The1066Al Atheists can't possibly hate any god. Many christians convince themselves that we do so they can pretend that we believe in the god they believe in. They can't imagine not believing. There was a time when I couldn't either, but it came quite naturally when I really started to think about it. Your idea of hell is incompatible with atheism.

[The1066Al]

@PluralOfEverything The atheists I have debated with certainly seem to have a vision for the world, and strong views about what the real problem is. As for hell: yes, I guess 'most Christians' would say that. Salvation as 'fire insurance' (Pascal's Wager) is a pretty feeble idea. I don't see hell as separation from God, but the very opposite. The God of love is 'hell' to those who hate him - nothing to do with God wanting to torture people, but some people wanting to torture themselves.

[PluralOfEverything]

@The1066Al Atheism has nothing to do with the world's problems. It's only the absence of a belief in any gods. You probably know the answer I was expecting, which is the answer that most christians would give: salvation from an eternity of fiery torment or separation from Yahweh. I don't think anybody is really looking for a solution to the world's problems, just their own. We all just want a way that we can be happy.

[The1066Al]

@PluralOfEverything It seems to me that every worldview, atheism included, proposes some concept of 'salvation', i.e. some solution to the world's problems. No one can deny that evil exists, however we define it. 'Salvation' is seen as the solution, although not everyone will use that word. Different worldviews have different ideas about the cause of the problem, and therefore the nature of the solution. For Christianity the problem is deeply personal, and so is the solution.

[PluralOfEverything]

@The1066Al Salvation from what?

[The1066Al]

@PluralOfEverything The same role that the "good Samaritan" played in the life of the beaten up person he helped. I'm sure you know the parable. Consciously acknowledging the identity of the Samaritan was not a condition for being helped (in fact, the victim may have even been unconscious). Of course, if people have the opportunity to consciously believe in Jesus, then I think they should, but that is between them and God. Salvation is about reality, not about passing a theology test.

[PluralOfEverything]

@The1066Al So what role does Jesus play in your philosophy?