Bare Knuckle Religious Discussion

6/25/08 | self

[svcw]

Just a thought.

It occurred to me that those on FR need a place to discuss religion, religious thought, denominal issues all things religious without worrying about hurt feelings or bruised egos.

This would be a bare knuckle discussion.

If you have thin skin or are easily offended it would be better not to participate.

[mkjessup]

Would Geraldine be there?

No doubt about it, Sister Geraldine be leadin' the choir!

On a serious note, I think anytime we discuss religion, we need to keep at least a subtle sense of humor about it.

The bottom line for religious discussions is that we ought to be able to agree that Jesus Christ IS the Son of God, there is Salvation in NO other Name but His, He IS Resurrected and alive forevermore, He and the Father are One (He said so!) and that He will return to this Earth just as He promised.

It is the Blood, the Blood, and nothing BUT the Blood of Jesus that Saves us and delivers us from damnation forever, into Eternal Life everlasting.

[ejonesie22]

When the LDS faithful decided to stick with educational discourse instead of sales tactics, victim-hood and finally insults, perhaps that can occur, for I am all for it, I have been studying up...

Unfortunately I hold out little hope, their training is pretty solid...

[svcw]

Tithing is a form of worship. So where I go there is a collection box in the front of the church so during singing people just bring it to the front.
Brought not collected.
Sometimes they drop it before or after the service.
Someone told me once that finances are talked more about in the New Testament than Salvation but I never counted up either one so cannot say for sure.

[jmc813]

I stand up when I sing, I lift my hands and sometime jump.

Please don't take this is a slam, but rather a genuine inquiry...What's with the hand-raising thing? There is a minority of people at my church (I'd say about 10-15%) who do this, seemingly arbitrarily to someone who doesn't know better. Are there specific lyrics/songs/etc. that you do this for? Thanks in advance, I've always felt too uncomfortable to ask the "hand-raisers" at church.

[jmc813]

I stand up when I sing, I lift my hands and sometime jump.

Please don't take this is a slam, but rather a genuine inquiry...What's with the hand-raising thing? There is a minority of people at my church (I'd say about 10-15%) who do this, seemingly arbitrarily to someone who doesn't know better. Are there specific lyrics/songs/etc. that you do this for? Thanks in advance, I've always felt too uncomfortable to ask the "hand-raisers" at church.

[jmc813]

Sorry for the double post. Is it me or does FR have computer AIDS today?

[svcw]

Amen

[ThomasThomas]

“I prefer cheese”

I remember singing that song when I was a kid.

Bringing in the Cheese
Bringing in the Cheese
We shall come rejoicing bringing in the cheese.

I wasn't sure what the church wanted whit all that cheese.

I have since learned of my error but that just makes the story boring.

[tacticalogic]

The bottom line for religious discussions is that we ought to be able to agree that Jesus Christ IS the Son of God, there is Salvation in NO other Name but His, He IS Resurrected and alive forevermore, He and the Father are One (He said so!) and that He will return to this Earth just as He promised.

It is the Blood, the Blood, and nothing BUT the Blood of Jesus that Saves us and delivers us from damnation forever, into Eternal Life everlasting.

I'm not up for telling the Jews they're all going to hell.

[WarToad]

I believe God is not nearly as judgemental as men are against other men. Not that we won’t be held accountable, I’m just saying we tend to love to critique, criticize, and judge each other based in our own interpretaions and opinions. We are human afterall.

*pulls on flame suit*

[svcw]

Well. I believe I am singing to the Lord not to those around me.
When I lift my hands, I guess it is just a sign of respect. A form of praying, I just sort of do it. There are no particular words or songs that inspire me.
I believe worship is a joyous celebration of my love of God.
It is more of: when you come home from work and your kids fling themselves in your arms welcoming you home as opposed to them looking up up and saying, hey.
I am welcoming the presence of God to this place.

[svcw]

If anyone is interested.

[jmc813]

I believe God is not nearly as judgemental as men are against other men. Not that we won’t be held accountable, I’m just saying we tend to love to critique, criticize, and judge each other based in our own interpretaions and opinions.

There are several "South Park" episodes that touch on this theme. Religion, and equally lack thereof, are two things that make a lot of people ridiculously irrational.

[jmc813]

Fair enough answer. That’s exactly what I suspected. Just wanted to make sure there wasn’t some “secret code” I was unaware of.

[mnehring]

We do it a little differently, we just have a box near the door. We don't have people bring it to the front. To us, it is a very private thing (kind of like a personal worship). I would love to look at the finance in the New Testament question as well. From just casual observation, I would not believe it unless they are really stretching some scripture to apply to finances.

I just have a major problem with churches who seem to be in the business of raising money. I've called it Churchanity for years. It is church for church sake versus for Christ's sake. I visited a church once that actually had a store and a coffee shop in the front. It was almost like a mall.

[ejonesie22]

It’s acting funky...

[svcw]

Oh. I would agree.
There are some who are so legalist that I believe they really cannot enjoy the love of Christ.

[1rudeboy]

(I'm Roman Catholic). I don't know about you, but hand-holding in church creeps me out. I go alone and sit where there's space. The last thing I want is some snot-nosed kid with the flu touching me.

And the holding hands/raising hands during the Lord's Prayer? What's up with that? I'm supposed to be praying, and I'm thinking to myself "these people look like they're praying for the Mothership to return."

[mkjessup]

I'm not up for telling the Jews they're all going to hell.

By Scriptural standards, if a person dies without Christ, they are lost forever (excluding children who have died before reaching whatever God determines to be their own age of accountability).

Jesus said 'I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life, NOone cometh unto the Father except by Me.'

It isn't just the Jews, it's anyone who rejects Christ thinking they'll "find another way" to reach the Kingdom of God. "Religion", is man trying and failing to reach God. Jesus Christ is God successfully reaching mankind.

That's the plain and simple Truth.

[mnehring]

I believe God is not nearly as judgemental as men are against other men.

Double and triple ditto that. Man judges actions he sees on the outside through his own glasses of experience. God, however, knows the heart intention of the person.