The Christians Thread

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UnseenWombat

UnseenWombat

[14] Master
Hello all, this thread is for the Christians on 8WR to get together and chat. I don't know if this thread will have a lot of responses or none at all, but hey, here it is.

Up for discussion is, anything you want. How about, what denomination are you/what church do you go to, and why do you love it? I'm American Baptist myself. I went to a Greek Orthodox christening a few months ago and it was really different. But I guess such a traditional service makes you feel more in touch with the Church's long long history, which is cool.

Anyone who'd like to talk about Christianity in general, including non-Christians, are welcome here. I'm not the greatest at apologetics but I can answer basic questions if you like. (I'll just get this one out of the way right off the bat since it always comes up.)
Can God create a rock so heavy he can't lift it?

"His Omnipotence means power to do all that is intrinsically possible, not to do the intrinsically impossible. You may attribute miracles to him, but not nonsense. This is no limit to his power. If you choose to say 'God can give a creature free will and at the same time withhold free will from it,' you have not succeeded in saying anything about God: meaningless combinations of words do not suddenly acquire meaning simply because we prefix to them the two other words 'God can.'... It is no more possible for God than for the weakest of his creatures to carry out both of two mutually exclusive alternatives; not because his power meets an obstacle, but because nonsense remains nonsense even when we talk it about God."
;)

Finally, I know starting a thread with a religious theme and asking people to not turn it into a flamewar is like throwing out birdseed and asking the birds to not eat it, but I'd like to make an appeal to everyone to refrain from trolling and/or fighting, as that's completely contrary to the spirit of this thread.
 
I don't know how long this will last, but I hope it does. I'm an ex-agnostic turned Christian after a long period, I think it's a good thing.
 
I was brought up morman (dont laugh). Had a falling out when I was like 12 and hadnt gone to church since. Up till a couple months ago. Im still trying to wrap my head around this whole thing. Cause Im at a point in my life where I could really use some guidance of some kind.

I dunno tho. Morman-ism (if thats a real word) just seems odd to me still. People look at you differently there it seems. Like if youre poor, your nothing but a hinderence to them. But if you got lots of money....ooohhhh its totally different.

Ive been thinking about going to some other church. But is the grass really greener?

Thoughts?

to avoid flaming. Should we put it in the "members only" forum?
 
I am an atheist. I don't believe God exists, but a lot of atheists stop right there. I refuse to acknowledge another being in terms of a "higher power."

Anyway, I'm not here to preach atheism or to critique your holy scriptures or anything like that, but that is who I am and where I come from ideologically. I have a few questions I want to ask. I don't expect to come to an understanding after having them answered, but I'm just trying to open up a discussion and move on from there.


- Why reach out to other Christians?
- What do you think of atheists?
- Do you make ethical decisions with the guidance of your religion or your own personal beliefs of right and wrong or is there even a distinction between the two?
- What do you think about death?
- What do you think about free will?
 
This sounds pretty cool. ^^ Sure I'll share a bit of my faith. I'm a born again Christian from a non denomination church. God has introduced me to a life of adventures. And it has never been a dull moment. As a huge fan of Soul Calibur, I have written a fanfic, of my OC implimenting my faith and some personal experience here and there, to exploit and share the struggles of good and evil through the soul swords. I plan to post my fanfic sometime in the near future.

For now I did post a fanfic film. It's a prequel adaptation to the fanfic literature. I hope to do a sequel to the first film. It's already posted here. It's called "Interactive Warrior."

I have been writing a novel based on my life experience and have hoped to publish it. With so much going on in my life, my ordeals may help and even inspire others who may have gone through a similar experience.

My relationship with Jesus have been the best thing that has ever happened for me. Maybe I'll share a bit of my testimony here one day. ^^
 
HRD said:
I was brought up morman (dont laugh). Had a falling out when I was like 12 and hadnt gone to church since. Up till a couple months ago. Im still trying to wrap my head around this whole thing. Cause Im at a point in my life where I could really use some guidance of some kind.

I dunno tho. Morman-ism (if thats a real word) just seems odd to me still. People look at you differently there it seems. Like if youre poor, your nothing but a hinderence to them. But if you got lots of money....ooohhhh its totally different.

Ive been thinking about going to some other church. But is the grass really greener?

Thoughts?

to avoid flaming. Should we put it in the "members only" forum?
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Hi. ^^ Well no matter what church you go to. You want to be in one where you feel the most welcomed, and quite at home. The spirit of God, will lead you. There is no such thing as a perfect church. The church is made up of a body of like minded believers. Your relationship with God is very important. The more you get to know him personally, the more you become familiar with his ways, and his words will confirm it to you. I gotta go for now. But I hope this helps. God bless you. ^^
 
Tenchi8 said:
Hi. ^^ Well no matter what church you go to. You want to be in one where you feel the most welcomed, and quite at home. The spirit of God, will lead you. There is no such thing as a perfect church. The church is made up of a body of like minded believers. Your relationship with God is very important. The more you get to know him personally, the more you become familiar with his ways, and his words will confirm it to you. I gotta go for now. But I hope this helps. God bless you. ^^
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That actually does help. I appreciate that very much actually. I know your right. But its just tough seeing this really nice fancy church down the street (its a christian church) and want to go check that one out. then I see another one, then gotta check that one out. Its really hard finding a church that I can feel that "comfort" with. Being since I was 12 I lead a life of pure debotchery, and not living up to Gods words at all.

Now Im older and wiser (at least I like to think so) and have done away with all that. I just dont like being told how to think and what to think. I like to explore things for myself and find my own place in my religious world. rather that be with a yamacha (the jewish hat) or a cross on my chest or whatever.

I guess Im kinda like a free agent so to speak. In that I was born and somewhat raised mormon but now I have the chance to look at this from my own eyes. Just hard I guess.
 
Wow, nice replies! And one attempt at trolling! I'd say that's a pretty good ratio.

HRD, the good thing about Christianity is you know you can always go back. Having kids has helped me understand this. In the Bible, God is always calling us his "children," so just try and imagine what you would do if your kid went out and did some stuff that you told him not to, but then came back and said he was sorry, I know I would forgive him/her, so imagine what a perfect father would do.
 
Yeah you got a point there.

But how do you decifer the bullshit religions from the legit ones? I have a feeling the answer is something to effect of "its just something you feel in your heart." So far I dunno if Ive gotten that feeling. Heck I even checked my buddy Budda. That guy always seems to be smiling everytime I see him (at least the fat one is).

Oh well. I dont want to give up. I need some spirtual structure for once in my life. And I need to learn how to deal with the stress and tough decisions that life brings us. And I hope to figure it out one day.

But how did you guys come up with the notion that "christianity is the right religion, as to where catholics are wrong." Well maybe not in those words but you know what I mean.
 
HRD said:
That actually does help. I appreciate that very much actually. I know your right. But its just tough seeing this really nice fancy church down the street (its a christian church) and want to go check that one out. then I see another one, then gotta check that one out. Its really hard finding a church that I can feel that "comfort" with. Being since I was 12 I lead a life of pure debotchery, and not living up to Gods words at all.

Now Im older and wiser (at least I like to think so) and have done away with all that. I just dont like being told how to think and what to think. I like to explore things for myself and find my own place in my religious world. rather that be with a yamacha (the jewish hat) or a cross on my chest or whatever.

I guess Im kinda like a free agent so to speak. In that I was born and somewhat raised mormon but now I have the chance to look at this from my own eyes. Just hard I guess.
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Having a free will is such a wonderful gift. God wants us to freely love him. What ever you decide, God will guide you, and only lead you if you want him to, but you decide what you really want. It takes time and prayer. be confident that you will figure it out. One thing is for certain, you are not alone. God is just a prayer away from being contacted. ^^
 
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UnseenWombat said:
In the Bible, God is always calling us his "children," so just try and imagine what you would do if your kid went out and did some stuff that you told him not to, but then came back and said he was sorry, I know I would forgive him/her, so imagine what a perfect father would do.
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From the outside looking in I have always believed that a forgiving God is the more comforting idea of God, but I have problems with this idea. How can something truely be impermissible if God will forgive you? If God forgives you for doing wrong, what real incentive do you have against doing wrong?
 
Here's one I've never heard a straight answer to. Maybe it's who I've asked or my interpretation of what they've said, but how does one reach a sound interpretation of the lessons of the bible? The commandmants are rather clear cut and simple, but the rest seems rather hazy in terms of which lessons are really of importance. Are some books more important than others in this way? How do you even come to these conclusions?


I'm going to assume at this point that this is the Official 8WR Christianity Q&A thread. Well, it sounds better that way to me.
 
Lasercakes said:
I am an atheist. I don't believe God exists, but a lot of atheists stop right there. I refuse to acknowledge another being in terms of a "higher power."

Anyway, I'm not here to preach atheism or to critique your holy scriptures or anything like that, but that is who I am and where I come from ideologically. I have a few questions I want to ask. I don't expect to come to an understanding after having them answered, but I'm just trying to open up a discussion and move on from there.


- Why reach out to other Christians?
- What do you think of atheists?
- Do you make ethical decisions with the guidance of your religion or your own personal beliefs of right and wrong or is there even a distinction between the two?
- What do you think about death?
- What do you think about free will?
Click to expand...

just saying i skimmed through your post and i am half asleep

1. eh, im not sure what you mean. aetheists reaching out to christians or christians reachng out to other christians????

2. well, being the fact that all people are god's children i respect aetheists and their own views. Me and my friends who are aetheists always have one on one conversations regarding our own individual views. It is kinda fun because you learn why they have that reason of being aetheist and you actually learn a lot about christianity and what their thoughts are. I wouldnt force someone to convert to another religion or change their views.....it is tyrannical and kind of selfish. (trust me my grandfather was in charge of a church in Iraq....he killed people. That is not right)

3. it depends on tradition. An example would be my father being force to go to church because it was his "religion." This caused him to be distant in his faith and he began to question if god was really even in existence. Meaning he didnt even associate his religious views with his choices. However, i chose to go to church.....i always make decisions carefully....if they are right and wrong in accordance to my "religion."

The thing is though i dont really acknowledge christianity as a religion (something that you HAVE to follow)....i acknowledge it as a choice.....which is why i acknowledge life as a test.

4. to me death is death....as long as it isnt long and painful but just quick. I guess what most people would think is that christians would want to die because we go to heaven.....at least that is what people always question me on. It isnt like that though......it is not that we have to follow the bible...we just have to have morality and understanding. I personally fear death because of my loved ones.

4. hmmm, this is a tricky one. obviously we follow rules in every religion, culture, and society...... but these rules can be overexaggerated .....saying that "god told me to do this (action)" is a disgusting thing to say.

We have freedom....we choose. That is why life is acknowledged as a "test" imo.


I hope i answered something......sorry if i was confusing.
 
Wandrian said:
Here's one I've never heard a straight answer to. Maybe it's who I've asked or my interpretation of what they've said, but how does one reach a sound interpretation of the lessons of the bible? The commandmants are rather clear cut and simple, but the rest seems rather hazy in terms of which lessons are really of importance. Are some books more important than others in this way? How do you even come to these conclusions?


I'm going to assume at this point that this is the Official 8WR Christianity Q&A thread. Well, it sounds better that way to me.
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I remember when me and a friend were discussing something like this. He was like a religion freak...he studied a whole bunch of different religions.

Basically, we agreed that the bible shouldnt be interpreted as it is word for word, but should be taken in on as a lesson as life with a spiritual meaning (like old school fortune cookies :D). This lesson shouldn't be a common one...it should be determined by your ethics and your the obstacles you go through.

it is kind of like when you read a book....there are tons of themes the reader can come up with based on their own interpretations and understanding of the book.

All books have a certain area. Too make it simple:

Genesis: birth and new life
Revelations: End times, death

some books have the theme of choice, law, marriage, love, but it really just depends how you absorb it. I treat them equally :D. i come to these conclusions because it is my choice to. :D
 
While I do believe in most of the moral teachings of the Bible and the Quran, I don't believe in the institutions that lead their believers; All they've done is kill and impose themselves over millions of people that already had religions (to keep it short and civil). I also find the idea of a God silly. That's why I no longer consider myself a Catholic, or Christian, or anything of the sort. I don't think it's right to label anyone because of their beliefs, because that's all they're supposed to be: beliefs, not a nationality or a culture, as most politicians and religious leaders want us to think.

But enough about me. What do you guys think about those "researchers" that claim Jesus Christ was an alien born from a virgin through artificial insemination? They claim he's from somewhere up in the sky, literally. I find it funny, but it kinda does make sense if you read the Bible from that angle. That's what I've been doing since a few days, and it's hilarious, it's like reading an early script of that crappy Cowboys vs Aliens movie.

WARUI_NE said:
Wars keep americas economy afloat and by proxy the worlds.

America would of gone under if not for the arms trade
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Wanna improve the economy? Invert on fucking education. I'm sick of that stupid "war is good for money" thinking. I mean, it obviously is, but it's retarded, lazy and heartless.
 
Fair point. Organized religion seems to be a bad thing for humanity as a whole. Faith in absolutes bring a certain peace of mind, but faith in humanity as an absolute is more a problem, I think. What man has the right to say he speaks on the behalf of a being that transcends all human comprehension of everything? It's not the religions themselves that cause the problem, it's how people exploit them. If people could just be trusted not to exploit religion and not to become crazy zealots...well, that'll never happen :/
 
Norik said:
While I do believe in most of the moral teachings of the Bible and the Quran, I don't believe in the institutions that lead their believers; All they've done is kill and impose themselves over millions of people that already had religions (to keep it short and civil). I also find the idea of a God silly. That's why I no longer consider myself a Catholic, or Christian, or anything of the sort. I don't think it's right to label anyone because of their beliefs, because that's all they're supposed to be: beliefs, not a nationality or a culture, as most politicians and religious leaders want us to think.

But enough about me. What do you guys think about those "researchers" that claim Jesus Christ was an alien born from a virgin through artificial insemination? They claim he's from somewhere up in the sky, literally. I find it funny, but it kinda does make sense if you read the Bible from that angle. That's what I've been doing since a few days, and it's hilarious, it's like reading an early script of that crappy Cowboys vs Aliens movie.
Click to expand...

idk about the killing regarding the bible but the killings regarding the quaran.....


my cousin was in the military in middle east. I guess that the radicalists would twist some things in the Quran and teach the hatred and violence of their faith to the 14 year old and other boys that joined the millitary.

idk if that is true though. :D


i think they think jesus is an alien because of this:

:D

 
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