Are you Christian?

Post Reply New Topic

I really don't consider myself Christian, but if I could choose between Satanism and Christianity, I would be Christian, the only Satatnic roducts I possess are black metal CD's nothing else, so I would have an easy time becoming a Christian.

What about you?

I used to be. It sucks.

I'm a Christian. Just one thing to say though, in making a decision like this, make sure you make an informed decision.

I was raised a Christian by my mom, though my dad wasn't until the last few months of his life. When I was 18-19 I was questioning my beliefs and researching them to see how likely they were to be true. It's one thing to make an arbitrary decision, like a judge randomly sentencing people. But it's another to research the facts and research the history. Compare sources. Consider how honest the sources are. Etc, before making a decision of this type.

^ this beggars the question; if you really made an informed decision why do you still believe in god?

You people sure have a way with words to always assert your presumptuous triumph.

well yes i do enjoy being somewhat abrasive, but seriously how can you post 'make an informed decision' whilst promoting the creationist garbage that you do.

As for the "creationist garbage", I find it to be rather consistent and coherent as well as the variety of its proponents I respect have integrity.

Would you prefer that instead of suggesting to make a decision of this magnitude after careful consideration, that rather I said some crap like "go my team" or whatnot to the effect of "forget thinking, just pick at random because it doesn't matter" ?

not meaning to be rude, but to laugh at someone's beliefs is execrable. any sincere belief should be respected for its sincerity, even if you have issues with its validity.

that said... now my turn. Don't forget that a satanist is just a pissed off christian. Satanists believe in god and jesus, but just don't like them. If you don't believe in them, then they're a null issue.

I think that creationism AND evolution are silly notions to believe in... because I think that 'believing' in things you have no proof for as true is idiotic. I say to my friends "How the hell can you 'believe' in something when you have no personal proof of it being right or wrong? It's just your opinion and desire." Just saying it to them, not to any of you, cause I don't want to appear pushy or threatening over the issue.

To believe in creationism or to believe in evolution is still both beliefs. You read a book. It sounds good. You get the sound track, and it grooves, so you believe. Now, Darwin did his homework, and so did the Pope.

I teach science education. I wrote a thesis on Christ's uncle. I don't believe in science and I don't believe in god. I don't think we can know the world or know the supernatural through our own senses because our senses are controlled by our culture and language, reason and rationality are just tricks and tools of our culture and language, so we can only know the stories we tell about ourselves, not anything beyond ourselves.

Confusing belief for truth, now that's a level of delusion that is remarkable and fun to watch. And believing something to be untrue is no less remarkable in its delusion than believing something to be true.

But honestly, I find that people who have sincere faith in anything to be remarkable people, and I enjoy being around them. People who just poke fun at faith tend to be trite, bitter and boring to themselves... but they too make good friends.

Let's get into the psychology of your response, Dent: Why do you feel the need to defend your beliefs unprovoked?

Now, as far as the original question goes, my answer to it may be a doozy:

I believe in many of the things that Jesus taught, and I believe he was a very wise man. But what else do I believe about Christianity? To be quite frank, many of what makes a person "Christian" today were decisions made by the Catholic Church in the past 2000 years, and most certainly not the word of Jesus, even going so far as to directly contradict the bible. Add in missing texts and the fact that all the gospels were written after the apostles were dead, and Christianity becomes very open to interpretation by an individual with the time to study all of its various reports.

I believe that Jesus existed, and I believe he was a very wise man. I believe he may even have spoke to his disciples about things that are within my beliefs (according to the Gospel of Judas, he did). I also believe that he copied his homework from Lao Tzu.

I am a Taoist, which means that I believe that Christianity and Taoism are one in the same, but Christianity may have gotten a bit derailed in the past 2000 years. It's a little more complicated than that, I guess, but the point is that Christianity is not entirely separate from Taoism, nor is Buddhism, Hinduism, or various other faiths. In fact, the idea that this religion must be the right religion is a wholly Western concept.

...Then again, I also believe that Christianity and Michigan and my laptop are one in the same.

I used to call myself a Christian, but that term no longer means what it first did and I no longer practice today's Christianity. Rather, I just do my best at what can actually be found in Scripture and I leave to others the matter of calling me what they will, if anything at all.

now there is a can of worms 'any sincere belief should be respected for its sincerity really!! ! When it comes to the 'sincere belief' that dinosaurs roamed the earth in co existence with humans, when good palaeontological science is badly misrepresented and these lies are then fed to kids, I have nothing but contempt for those that disseminate this nonsense.

I'm not exactly raised as a christian - Although my parents appear to be believers, it never really had any influence on me. Up to about the age of 14, I was rather.. Well, let's just say I said things which in catholicism probably would send me to hell. But then - I don't know. I started thinking about things (Well, other things than previously) and suddenly, it began making sense. Somehow.

So.. Yes, I do consider myself a christian. Although a rather secular one.

"do not judge Christianity by what you see in Christians"

You make some good points.
Haven't seen you here yet, Hi.


Understand that concept -some of what is taught is not what's really in there.


I'm not certain of that. The Epistles certainly were not written after they were dead; really hard to write letters to people when you're moldering in the grave.
Looking the references in the bible described below it has these to say:

There is some debate about precisely when and where each gospel was written and even a small degree of uncertainty about the exact author in some cases.

Apparently Luke was not one of the original apostles but wrote down the memories of Paul, who certainly was.
It appears to be generally accepted that John was written by that apostle as in that book he states that he claims to have been a disciple of Jesus and trustworthy witness of what is described in the book. Also appears to be generally accepted that this is the John referred to a "the disciple whom Jesus loved" and the author of this book himself claims to be at the end of the book.
Again, not easy to do that from the grave - it would give a whole new meaning to the term "ghost writer", though

Found a really cool Bible last month which has archeological, historical, and cultural notes spread through it.
Have a friend who I'm not entirely certain if he's Christian or not but who has done archeological historical and preservation work for the state and he found it really interesting.
I had the book two weeks before it dawned on me the thing has a CD/DVD inside the back cover - cool thing it is!

As for me, of course didn't start off a christian; became one; gave up on it for a time; then returned.
Obsession?
Delusion?
It is not to me, too many real conversations with God along the way.
Or at least someone who has a tendency to tell me truths about myself I'd rather be hidden. And that is certainly a reputation this being called God is known to have.
Also been too many unseen, but certainly sensed, forces which have restrained me from destroying myself.

Once knew a manager a place I worked who said "I know God wants me but I'm running away from him as fast as I can." I don't know, who would have that intense thing about someone who isn't there to run from?
Okay, yeah, the inverse corollary is who would have that intense of trust in someone who doesn't exist? Some do have that intense of trust.

I don't know how the universe got here, to a point I don't care.
Don't know if there's other life out in the universe - would be cool if there is.
None of that really matters in my personal relationship with Jesus and God.
What goes on directly between me and them is what determines my eternity.

A further set of comments if you will allow me to ramble a bit.
My parents are both the type A intellectual kind (I am decidedly Not) and when Dad retired from the Navy he used his education benefits to go to seminary and become a preacher. Poor health now prevents him from doing that.
His college degree is Political Science and his seminary degree Religious Education.

Anyway, both have for most of the time I lived at home studied and read a lot of things and resources. Eventually Dad got to where he could read Greek and a smattering of Hebrew so he could read copies of the original documents. As far as know he never did learn Aramaic.

I helped him study and write some papers - rather interesting.

Man, that's pushing 20 years ago now, where did the time go?

Where this is going is that these two people have done a lot of intellectual studies and have accepted the existence of Jesus, God, and the Holy Spirit.

There are people who 'believe' just because their parents or someone believes.
Not in my case.
And some people com to an 'intellectual' belief based on what they have learned.
Again, that is not my case.
I believe because I have found a very real presence at 'the other end of the line', so to speak.

Now, does being a Christian make me perfect? Hell no, wouldn't be in trouble with the law right now if I was.
Does God give me guidance on what is right and what is wrong and what is about to be a very bad choice on my part? Yes.
Do I accept that all of the time? Well, right now should be Exhibit A that I don't.
Does he get me out of the results of my bad choices? Nope - the universe, however it got here, is set up to operate on "cause and effect".
I did the cause and this is the effect.
Which is a point the Old Testament spends a lot of pages giving examples of.

David, Bathsheba, and their eventually rebellion leading son Absalom come to mind - consequences can be a real b***h.
(which implies nothing about Bathsheba - so don't connect those two words)

It is sometimes said in a derogatory sense that a person is using Christianity as a crutch, as kind of an insincere act. Indeed some use it that way.
To some of us is it is indeed functioning as would a crutch in real life - I am broken and dysfunctional and need help and healing of a kind which I cannot give from inside of myself.

From my experience, living a true life of faith is work.
And blankety-blank scary at times.
Sort of like during the Exodus when the Hebrews came up against the Red Sea -
"WTF????????? Uhh, God, just what exactly is going on here? 'Cause we sure ain't seeing how this is going to work!"

It's all about trust.

I'm on 100% disability for the cumulative effects of several physical and psychological problems. Could God heal me of one or more of those? Yes. Why hasn't that happened? Don't know. And really, the 'why' isn't my problem. How I deal with the troubles right now is. As far as healing, I believe in eternity with God and there everything wrong with my body and mind in this life will be fixed.
Compared to infinite eternity the time I've hurt and cried here will be nothing.
And I am in the middle of deep hurt and disappointment right now: some with situations; some with other people; some with myself.

I have no idea if mind, consciousness, soul, spirit, are solely the results of neurochemical activity or if they might exist somehow independent of body.
The only thing I know about them Is that I have them, however they came to be.
And that they make up whatever it is which makes this particular body "me".

Not sure what all this I've said is supposed to add up to. Was motivated to say it, and did. Somewhere, somehow, there must have been a reason for it.
Don't know and might never know what it was.

Okay, timer is going off and it's time to stuff my face with pizza.

later, and Merry Christmas or the other concurrent holidays you are marking and enjoying.

Stay safe in all the bad weather happening around this fragile little ball of rock and water.

absolutley not. the bible is full of too many contradictions, and lies for me to base my spiritual life on it. i am however a friend of jesus, i generally like the guy and his message but cant trust mere men writing books with my life thank you