How many are Christian?

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Thank you, that is interesting. I knew that there were Anglicans/Episcopalians in Scotland as well as the established Presbyterians (also known as Church of Scotland) just as there is a Church of Ireland (Anglican) alongside the majority Roman Catholics there. I only recently found out that Episcopalian was used of Anglicans in Scotland as well as in the United States of America.

I have Scottish, English, German and some Huguenot (French Calvinist) ancestors. My parents were raised Presbyterian into which my mother was confirmed. Initially the local Anglican church was closest; I have grown up in and been confirmed into this church (though not bigotted against other denominations). I suspect I may have been baptised Presbyterian (unsure) and I think that there may be some Methodists in the family history as well.

I'm a Calvinist Christian, who sees the Church Age as being over and the Great Tribulation Period as being presently in progress.

Interesting. Have you read much of the book of Revelation? There is a thread on it somewhere in this forum, though you probably will not appreciate some of the comments. Your imput might be much appreciated; there are relatively few Christians discussing it there. Are you a premillennarian, postmillennarian, or what? (For some of the other users, these are terrms relating to different interpretations of the thousand year reign of Christ and contemporaneous imprisonment of Satan before being set loose for a time and the ultimate and eternal triumph of God in Christ). Please correct me if I got that wrong, faithfilly.

Both the Presbyterians and Huguenots were influenced by Calvin's ideas (as well as Dutch Calvinists). His achievements at Geneva were interesting. He was certainly less antiSemitic than Luther, though his role in the execution of Servetus (who admittedly had few defenders; most of Europe was convinced that he was a dangerous heretic - same sort of ecumenism that made Lutherans, Zwinglians, Calvinists and Roman Catholics unite in hating the Anabaptists, though not all of latter were violent or polygamous). Where do you stand on predestination - Arminian or Gomaran? Calvinist ideas and the ideas of Calvin are not synonymous here. St Paul's, Augustine's and Luther's ideas could be discussed here, along with Erasmus, Arminius and Wesley.

The West Coast is liberal, and much of the Midwest (especially Chicago and the Twin Cities) are liberal.

The most conservative states in the U.S. are Texas, Idaho, and Utah, last I checked.

Tim

Yeah, California is definitely pretty liberal. I'd add some of the deep south in that list on conservatives (Mississippi, Alabama).

woot!

Demographically, that's true about Utah. But there's more to that then meets the eye. The Mormons tend to be ultra-conservative. So It seems like everyone who is not Mormon (and this seems to be particularly true) goes out of their way to be ultra-liberal. That's how Rocky Anderson got elected mayor of Salt Lake. Salt Lake City, particularly the University crowd is extremely liberal.

I'm pretty liberal when it comes to social and political matters. I'm all for gay rights, gay adoptions, gay marriage, etc. The only place where i am not too liberal about the matter is Church. The commandments are what they are, so gays shouldn't expect the Church to accomodate them. That's my personal view on the matter.

Arkansas is one of the few liberal southern states (and not just because Bill Clinton is from there).

Tim

Raised Catholic, even went through Confirmation, mainly to make my parents happy. Now I consider myself to be Pantheistic, with Buddhist and Hindi influences. The more I learn the more i refine my personal beliefs.

I'm definitely a fruitful Christian. But when asked for my testimony, I sigh, because I've had a really checkered past. First I wasn't, then I was, then I wasn't, then I was, then I wasn't, then God said, "This is your final call: Go west, Be baptized and Start Following Me!" That word "final" was a little scary! That was 35 years ago and I'm still walking carefully with God.

In the intervening years, I was a church kid, an Occultist (now called New Age), an Agnostic, a Humanist and a Nihilist sot. Been there, done that, got the t-shirt, threw the t-shirt away, none of those work. Any questions?

I became a Christian working on a ship with no other Christians and no means of communication off the ship. I had gotten done reading "The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich" and I was looking for another thick book to read. When I was ashore I got curious about other versions of the Bible other than that old King James crap I couldn't read for long. I got a version that was more readable and started reading. Halfway through the Old Testament I decided to turn to the New Testament and see how it ended.

That dude Jesus was amazing. I thought about following some of his ideas. However, he made it plain he wanted everything or nothing -- no half measures accepted. After much trepidation, I raised my right hand and said, "I'll do it."

First thing I felt necessary was to throw my porno collection, my booze, my cigarettes and my gun over the side. I started claiming the promises in the bible -- and found they worked. This was neat! I asked for divine guidance and got it. That's when I got "The Call", which required quitting my job (basically my career) and heading west from Philadelphia, not knowing where I was going.

What many people don't know is that Texas was not Republican at all until 1978, when Bill Clements became governor.

Tim

i was baptized but i don't consider myself catholic.

i believe that life is what you make of it, not what a book tells me it is.

For any Christian who wants to cut themselves free from the influence of the occult, the New Age and demonic religions, see my website at: http://www.orderofsaintpatrick.org .

As of right now, I don't consider myself Christian anymore. I simply cannot be one. I have a high sex drive and I watch South Park--and according to the Bible, that is a one way ticket to hell.

Tim

Where's South Park mentioned in the Bible?

I consider myself Catholic, because I believe in religion, but I'm pretty close to an Atheist when it comes to the whole God thing. I just like the power of the mass.