Invitation to all Christians...

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Thoreau

Thoreau

Valued Senior Member
As some of you know, I do believe in a god, but not Jesus Christ or any other prophet. If I had to concider myself any one religion , it would be deist. If your not familiar with the term, please either google it or go to http://www.deism.com.

Recently I was approached by a few members of a local Baptist Church and was asked the question "Do you believe in God". Since I do, I responded "Yes". Then I was asked if I believe in Jesus. I responded "No". Then they asked me how that was possible since to them Jesus and God are the same thing. I then explained to them that I do not believe that God and a prophet are the same. I believe that prophets are merely men who try to teach good principals about life... much like the school teachers of today. Then I was told that I am Jewish. I corrected them and said that I am not. They expressed thier confusion by saying "Well, we just don't understand how you can think that way, it doesn't make any logical sense", handed me a brochure for thier church and thanked me for my time.

Well, this experience spawned some questions in my mind.

Why is it that many Christians I talk to cannot understand the concept of someone else not being Christian???

Also... heres the #1 slammer of a question... Why do YOU believe in Christianity? BUT please do not refer to or quote the Bible when answering.

This is not a debate so please refrain from trying to prove me or anyone else here wrong. This is only a couple questions in order to attempt to better understand Christian believers. If you feel so strongly that you must say something to someone else regarding what they've said in this thread, please do it privately. I would like to keep this from being locked.
 
MZ3Boy84 said:
Why is it that many Christians I talk to cannot understand the concept of someone else not being Christian???
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Well, it's easy. Just ask yourself where the term "Christian" came from. Then I'm sure you'll see the light.

Baron Max
 
Baron Max said:
Well, it's easy. Just ask yourself where the term "Christian" came from. Then I'm sure you'll see the light.

Baron Max
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The definition of who is a "Christian" varies among different Christian groups. Roman Catholics, Eastern Orthodox, and many Protestants define a Christian as anyone who has accepted the free gift who is Jesus through simple request to God or acceptance of baptism. One who enters through the sacrament of baptism. In these churches, infants who are baptized may be considered Christians. Some denominations teach that adult baptism is necessary for salvation — the transition from non-Christian to Christian (see Baptismal regeneration). They define a Christian as one who has been baptized as a repenting adult. Others, including many who use the term "born-again Christians" (John 3:3), believe that a Christian is one who believes and follows Jesus and repents of their sins, and understands that believers don't kill for any reason.

Within countries where Christianity is the historical majority religion, the term is also used by some in a casual generic sense to indicate that they are not members of nor affiliated with any other religion – therefore considering themselves Christians by default.
 
The first known usage of the term can be found in the New Testament of the Bible, in Acts 11:26: "the disciples were called Christians first in Antioch." The term was thus first used to denote those known or perceived to be disciples of Jesus. Similarly, in the two other New Testament uses of the word (Acts 26:28 and 1 Peter 4:16), it refers to the public identity of those who follow Jesus.

The earliest recorded use of the term outside the Bible was when Tacitus recorded that Nero blamed the "Christians" for the Great Fire of Rome in AD 64.

As a noun, Christian (Gr. Χριστιανός and variant Χρηστιανός, Strong's G5546) is an appellation deriving from the name "Christ" and is derived from the Greek noun Christos which means "anointed one," itself a translation of the Hebrew word Moshiach or "Messiah."

"Christian" also means an adherent to God through the son. One who has allowed god into his/her life as their personal savior. One who is of a church or other organized group within Christianity. As an adjective, the term may also describe anything associated with Christianity, or even remotely thought to be consistent with Christianity, as in "the Christian thing to do."
 
I am what i call ''a new age Christian.''

I believe in God. But not the Biblical God, because i don't believe we have the correct translations, and therego any assumption made on theology from the Bible could be potentially wrong, and this is like playing dice...

Since I am Gay, and i know it is not of choice, then i have been bound by spirit and flesh to be of who i am, and therefore God knew exactly what he was intending for me when he made me. In this case, God is NOT biast towards a particular sexuality if he loves us equally and unconditionally.

As for Jesus, he was not God at all: But, there are many convincing arguements he was, such as John 1:1 - in fact, the proof there is quite empiracle. However, we are all Gods of our worlds. Take ''Angel,'' which means ''Messenger.'' The Fallen messengers where called ''The Nephlim,'' or also known as the ''Sons of Anak,'' or the ''Giants'' spoke of in the Bible. They are also known as the Sons of God... just as Jesus was the first begotten. This doesn't mean he was an angel though. I can give several peices of evidence to show he was a man, and was a God of his own world, just like i am, and you are, but no man can be a God over the highest God. These are my thoughts anyway...
 
Why is it that many Christians I talk to cannot understand the concept of someone else not being Christian???
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Basically because they are ignorant of what religion is. They have most likely been brought up within an extremely closed society where everyone is just like them. They are Christian and believe in God so they think everyone who believes in God is Christian. They somehow have the ability to mentally disconnect to such an extent that they don't even realize the Hindus, Jews, Sikhs, Shintoists, Muslims, and all the other myriad of theisitic believers exist.


Also... heres the #1 slammer of a question... Why do YOU believe in Christianity? BUT please do not refer to or quote the Bible when answering
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Since Christianity is a Bible based religion you are moving the goalposts when you ask someone to say why they are a Christian without referencing The Bible. You have made an arbitrary rule that makes it impossible to answer your question.

It is sort of like asking someone why they think one and one is two while not allowing them to refer to number theory.
 
Till Eulenspiegel said:
Since Christianity is a Bible based religion you are moving the goalposts when you ask someone to say why they are a Christian without referencing The Bible. You have made an arbitrary rule that makes it impossible to answer your question.

It is sort of like asking someone why they think one and one is two while not allowing them to refer to number theory.
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I believe it is possible to answer if one thinks for ones self. For example, why do you like music? You don't have to refer to a specific band to answer the question.
 
Also for another example... why I believe in a Deist point of view. The answer to that is because after exploring all the world religions, I find myself most comfortable with Deism because it uses scientific logic. I was raised in a Christian home, but as I grew into adulthood I started studying Christianity more thoroughly, and I found that there were too many loopholes in the Bible and modern-day Christian beliefs that I did not feel comfortable following that specific religion. Instead I chose to find my own path.
 
MZ3Boy84 said:
I believe it is possible to answer if one thinks for ones self. For example, why do you like music? You don't have to refer to a specific band to answer the question.
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Music is not based on the songs or instrumentation of a specific band. Christianity is based on the words of one, specific book, ie, The Bible. A more accurate description of what you are describing would be trying to talk about Guns n Roses without mentioning Axl Rose.
 
MZ3Boy84,

Seems you couldn't discuss Christianity without mentioning The Bible. "I found that there were too many loopholes in the Bible". If you can't even discuss Christianity as a subset of all religions without mentioning The Bible how can you expect someone to discuss Christianity specifically without mentioning The Bible?
 
Till Eulenspiegel said:
MZ3Boy84,

Seems you couldn't discuss Christianity without mentioning The Bible. "I found that there were too many loopholes in the Bible". If you can't even discuss Christianity as a subset of all religions without mentioning The Bible how can you expect someone to discuss Christianity specifically without mentioning The Bible?
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When I meant reffering to the bible, I was reffering to quotes such as "It says in the Bible that if I don't believe in Jesus then Im going to hell"... stuff like that.
 
It still doesn't matter since Christianity is a Bible based religion belief in it depends on what is in The Bible. The words of The Bible are the central core of Christianity. Were it not for The Bible no one would know about Christianity

To discuss Christianity without reference to The Bible reduces Christianity to a mere social club. If you want to discuss it as a religion you have to reference the tenets of that religion and those are found in The Bible.
 
Look, I'm just trying to get people's personal opinions on why they believe what they believe... bottom line.
 
And is that not what most religions virtually are???
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No, it is not. If you wish to seriously discuss Christianity I am more than willing to do so but not with the artificial restrictions and barriers you have set up.

I am a Freemason. That is a social/service club. I am a Christian. That is a religion. The two are quite different and my reasons for membership in each are quite different.
 
There are lots of reasons I believe as I believe.

1. I was raised by two parents who went to church on Sunday and taught me to believe in God.

2. I studied religion as a formal course of study and reinforced my belief not only in God but in the Christian God.

3. When I was diagnosed with cancer twenty five years ago I found great solace in reading The Bible and in having a personal relationship with God the Father and God the Son. The third part of The Trinity has always been a bit more amorphous for me.

4. I continue to read The Bible as an exercise to strengthen my faith and belief in the Christian God.

5. I attend church on Sundays and listen to sermons that strengthen my belief in the Christian God.

6. I pray daily for a stronger and firmer faith in Christianity, in the Triune God.
 
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Till Eulenspiegel said:
There are lots of reasons I believe as I believe.

1. I was raised by two parents who went to church on Sunday and taught me to believe in God.

2. I studied religion as a formal course of study and reinforced my belief not only in God but in the Christian God.

3. When I was diagnosed with cancer twenty five years ago I found great solace in reading The Bible and in having a personal relationship with God the Father and God the Son. The third part of The Trinity has always been a bit more amorphous for me.

4. I continue to read The Bible as an exercise to strengthen my faith and belief in the Christian God.

5. I attend church on Sundays and listen to sermons that strengthen my belief in the Christian God.

6. I pray daily for a stronger and firmer faith in Christianity, in the Triune God.
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Ok. Good explanation. I have a question for you.

You refer to the "Christian God". In your personal belief, do you believe there is other God(s) in existance that are not Christian ie, Multiple Gods?

If not, do you believe that the "Christian God" is the same god as the Muslim God, and other personal perceptions of God IE, One God?
 
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