The righteous did what they did because they believed in a compassionate merciful forgiving God.
The righeous therefore preformed compassionate merciful and forgiving acts.
There were people who were alive before Jesus was born who believed that God was compassionate merciful and forgiving and they practiced these traits only knowing what God was like, without the example of Jesus. When knowing about Jesus’s character a person rejects this example as Gods character, it indicates that they choose not to accept a merciful forgiving God and prefer to hold to the belief that God has a somewhat different character. The deeds that the person then preforms are in keeping with their view of God. All people believe in God because all people believe there is a highest life form, even if they consider the highest life form to be themselves.

Duane

• You do not need God to be merciful - wandaqueen - February 19, 2005 - 03:54 UTC
• The righteous? - chiltepin - October 9, 2005 - 14:48 UTC