Of course not. Works, by definition, require work. They don’t just happen magically. You have to get off your ass and do them. And if you’re not doing them, see the previous instructions involving getting off your ass.
Nonsense. Nobody said to ignore grace. But what are you supposed to do about grace? You ask for it. Great. That took 10 seconds. Now go and do some good work.
Now to the one who works, the pay is not credited as a gift, but as what is due. - Romans 4:4 TLV
What does that have to do with anything?
Romans 4:4
Now to the one who works, his wages are not counted as a gift but as his due. When people work, their wages are not a gift, but something they have earned. If you’re a hard worker and do a good job, you deserve your pay; we don’t call your wages a gift.
What is your works?
Do good. Give to charity. Help people.
Some woman in a wheelchair needed help making it up a small hill so I pushed her.
Some kids who took an electronics course couldn’t afford radios so I bought them some.
A blind guy down the street can’t get to our weekly breakfasts so I drive him.
Open the door for women and don’t just hand it off, let them walk through ahead of you.
When you see a beggar who isn’t a drug addict, give him/her $50.
That kind of stuff. I don’t do any more of it than anyone else, but it’s important that we all do it.
I disagree. It makes neither sense to me nor is it fair, to set up laws to protect groups from discrimination but excempt religious organizations.
I think religions have more negative than positive effects on society and the Individuum. They don‘t overcome differences but build them up. Some more than others. The state should offer an alternative organization, open for everyone and actively fish for the weak and lost out there, just like the religious zealots do. But in a better way. Where all are welcomed, as long as they succumb to the most important values like equality of all people, regardless which gender, sexual orientation etc.
Results are everything.
My atheist, God-hating friends have nothing going for them. Pot smokers, drunks, just sitting around complaining about everything. They’ve done everything they’re going to do in life. They’re not poor. They travel and enjoy life, but they do nothing for the world. I doubt any of them will do anything worth a damn between now and their death. Mostly they just type their newest complaints about the world in our Telegram group and post photos of themselves getting drunk on vacation.
My friends from the Catholic Church are full of energy, full of life, and do their best to help others every single day. They get off their asses and feed the poor. Often with their own money and always with their own labour. They volunteer. They do shifts at animal shelters. Many of them don’t have enough money to travel much, but they get a joy from giving of themselves that is far better than anything you might get from eating an expensive meal on an exotic beach.
I think the Mormon religion is silly. I went to a Mormon Church last year. It was filled with the most beautiful, wonderful, welcoming people I have ever met. They make beautiful things. Beautiful buildings and beautiful music and beautiful children. A week doesn’t go by where they don’t help the poor and needy with some new initiative. I don’t care if their beliefs are silly to me. Their lives are not silly. Their decency and kindness brings an intrinsic worth to everything they touch.
I may not believe in God, but I see with my own eyes how much better the lives are of those who have some belief system to live within. I envy them, and I try to live as well as they do. I volunteer. I give of myself these days. I never did in the past, but I do now. It is simply better, and it brings me a joy that my secular friends will never know.
Results are everything.
lol what blind egotistical nonsense thinking that your friends are a good example of the world; all people no matter what religion or not can be lazy, uncaring and volunteering and helping others or whatever
most importantly: people are the world! even your lazy/content pot smoking friends are enjoying their life and dont seem to hurt anyone else and therefore they also made this world a better place!
i think the ambition that you see which your religious friends have is an illusion, its basically the same what every junky has… its an addiction, a sickness and i dont think its healthy at all
having meth or a god determine how you live your life instead of living it yourself is indeed a result… an awful result!
lol. I appear to have struck a nerve. Don’t worry, Nico, I’m not trying to sell you any religion.
I agree, but I note you focused only on the positive effects for some. Also, albeit it‘s maybe because most Christians of European denominations don‘t interprete the Bible as literal and fanatical like many abroad do, but my experience is, that there isn‘t a difference regarding „results“.
lol no chance of selling me that nonsense, just giving my opinion 
of course, besides that the nice religious people give some of their money to the poor they usually give most their money to the church (even those that dont take the bible as literal), which allows for more golden items and sculptures of jesus and more churches where priests can “educate” children
I would add one thing: what I’ve written applies to Christian-based religions. Islam creates ugly, disgusting societies. Hinduism, Judaism and Buddhism are less ugly than Islam but none of them have ever created a society I’d want to live in. Only Christianity has created societies that I find beautiful and positive.
lol islam is christian (and judaism) based…
True, but they are not the same, and neither are their results.
are they not? it all depends on what you focus on and how you perceive things;
i can picture both living in a nice peaceful family friendly environment, no matter if its in a huge luxury city or a poor small village…
i can also imagine them both having to live in an abusive situation where they are indoctrinated and humiliated or even beaten if they have thoughts about other religions or homosexual fantasies
i can also see the end result that they all die and end up being eaten by worms or fish…
Also true, both you and Reggie have right, it always depends. But in general, judging the current time, Islam is the most dangerous religion of the world. After that, the US based evangelical Christians.
I sincerely wish, we would use schools as a mean not just to teach knowledge, but also social and health skills. Show children positive experiences and ideas how to help fellow humans, animals and the environment. Strenghten their empathy skills. Only then they might not give in to just be a consumer and chasing money.
Religious groups do this to a certain extent as well, but it also always is served with a price. Planting hate against people who don‘t belong to their group. Women. Minorities like homosexuals.
This bedtime story read by Tom Ellis fits so well. We need more like this. On neutral grounds, which is inclusive and not discriminating.
Hm…maybe this is the right moment to throw in again the organization I am a member of: https://strassenhunde-rumaenien-in-not.de/ 
Our membership costs only 50 € a year. That’s really not much. But it would help to plan with a more secure annual budget. We really work from month to month in the hope being able to pay all the bills for our own animal shelter called „Arche Faget“ (Faget is the name of the village) in Romania. And thinki, you seem to have quite a lot of free time. We could need any practical help down there. So if you want to fly down and spend a week or two in our shelter - that would be awesome.