Posted on 11/16/2013 3:16:42 PM PST by freedom462
With all the in fighting between the Catholics, the Protestants, the Methodists and others, ad nauseum and all of them gang jumping on the Mormons, each claiming their religion is the true one, I'm of the mind that if all of them are wrong in the minds of the others, then they're all wrong and this so called "Christianity" thing is merely a cult of global opposing "christian" gangs..........
I'll remove the sarcasm tag now...../s...
But my sentiments remain the same, who's right? The Catholics, the Protestants, the Methodists, the Baptists, the Hindus, the Mormons, the Evangelicals, the..........etc, etc, etc.....?
And for as long as I've been a member here, I've encountered a hell of a lot of so called "christians" who have proven to be nothing but hypocrites based on their comments.........
Thank you Jesus! Bless each precious soul thatshared their story!
No, not just you Col.
We all know they’re watching.
and driftdiver: Not to quibble but everyone has to be born again regardless of their upbringing.
Christ's main message was that we love God with all our might, love Him as we love ourselves. Love is key. I take that to mean that we had better love ourselves, the same way He loved us. His other main message was to do unto others as you would have them do unto you.
If you were a slave, what would you have others do unto you? LET YOU GO. So in the Christian West, slavery is outlawed. In Islam, slavery is legal in a variety of venues, where nine-year-old girls are marriageable.
Since I'm a sensible person and know that every living creature has to pass judgment regularly in order to survive, I take it that when Jesus said judge not lest you be judged, he means that when you judge others, you had better be answerable to the same standards.
When government presumes to overthrow Christian values and insist on its own with regard to how we treat each other in a "free" society -- well, we're seeing the fruits. But the civilized West, the "First world," as opposed to third-world nations, got there by following the Christian ethic.
Did you ever have the fear of opening the Bible because if you read something you couldn’t follow, then you were damned? Sort of an “ignorance is bliss” type of life. I did. Before I understood the finished work of Christ. What freedom!
It is the primary problem when all you have is third-hand testimony or worse.
completely changed my life...but it took many years of wandering and non commitment first. the fhu.com and it’s Be Still and know helped tremendously.
Obviously Freepers are all fully capable of deciding if/what answers they want to provide.
Just to be clear to you, my response was to be wary of YOU, as a newbie, doing a survey.
Enough said on this topic from me, and I hope you are legit.
Actually no. The thought of reading the Bible never occurred to me before I got saved because I was taught that I would never be able to understand it. Only the priests and maybe nuns could do that so we had to let them do it and tell us what it said and meant.
Freedom is it all right.
Religion is man’s effort to reach God and none of them save.
Salvation is only through a person, that being Jesus Christ.
Since the wages of sin is death, once we commit one sin, we are condemned to death. The only way out is forgiveness. We must throw ourselves on the mercy of the court, so to speak, and ask God to forgive us and give us new life in Jesus.
And He will. He wants to.
No one church has a corner on the truth market as no one church, or no person or group of people, can every fully comprehend with their finite minds the infinite God. That’s where faith and trust come in.
“...then at 18 became a Christian at a non-denominational church where church services and church was a celebration of who God really is.”
I think THIS is the really interesting question to be had here.
MY onlyconnection to religion was a very-rarely seen interaction, thru grandparents, with the Catholic church. What it did was turn me off religion quite a bit
When I experienced my awakening though, I did so thru Calvary Chapel, hearing the direct Word straight from the Bible with short explanations inserted which were designed to allow everyone, no matter how uneducated or unconnected to understand. Quite often humor was even injected, making it all the more accessible to all. Each teaching was opened with modern CCM-style Worship, which allowed for completely accessible (and honestly, fun) participation for all no matter how new to the game, no matter your background. These teachings were also available at the beach, in youth orientated groups, just for guys, on any day really, etc.
It was all about Him, but in a way which didn’t try to exclude you
Now of course I realize there are tons of similar places to hear such teachings, but at the time I was straight shocked - had I ever known such places existed, I likely would have been more open to the Word earlier in life
So I wonder how many out there are like us, being delayed to our faith because of places of teaching which probably isolates much of the population around them then tries to embrace them
bfl
>> “ who’s right?” <<
.
Yeshua.
Read his words, and follow them, and don’t worry about any of the churches.
Be a giver, he loves those that love his sheep.
The change is implicit and occurs without your knowing. Then you look back and see how you get redesigned. For example, Eve was to bear children in pain because she redesignes herself in rebellion and for sex only, not for having children.
From a health strength and readiness, it can have profound issues, like the difference between being predisposed to eating healthy or being annorexic. Many people follow disciplines like going to the gym, but they are predisposed like a ticking bomb to ultimately destroy themselves. Devil commmunists cynically say that people of tradition do not know deep down they are communist. Evil wants us to be shaped for its pleasure, and my parents certainly were thus distorted to be slaves.
Once I underwent the witnessing and experiencing gross unjustice is when I bled with Christ. There is no question in my mind that if God came in the limitation of the flesh He would have acted like Christ and said what Xhrist said. And people not designing themselves for success would obviously destroy this success.
John Chapter 3, we must all become “born again”. Some of those “Christians” undoubtedly unfortunately are not..
I started to take my brothers and sister to Sunday school.
Since then, (out of my siblings) I'm the only that has attended with any type of regularity.
I started out as a Presbyterian and am now a Southern Baptist. It has been a learning/growing experience throughout.
I didn't really notice a one-day-to-the-next radical change.
What I can say is as a Presbyter, "it" was more of a regimented structure to the service - with prayer recitals etc. And, it wasn't a huge drive to evangelize (at least at the churches I attended).
The first time I ever really Witnessed, where I was able to share the Word in a meaningful way? There was a lull in an intense firefight and one of my pagan subordinates (literally Caribbean pagan) was having mental difficulty. I pulled him aside and I read Psalm 23 to him. At the time I considered myself fairly knowledgeable of Scripture, but that was the only one that came to me in a hurry.
Later in life after a service, I felt this overwhelming sense of fulfillment and to look for another church. I attended a Baptist Church in the Southern Baptist Convention. I was baptized again - as they didn't recognize the sprinkling on the head. Again, I didn't see an one-day-to-the-next change.
Now, all that said. I can look back at the entirety and see a MAJOR change and a huge spiritual development and growth in spiritual maturity - even from adulthood Presby days to now.
I have a more profound relationship with Jesus. I am exponentially more likely to Witness and share the Gospel. I am more concerned with loving others and empathy/sympathy. The Word has Power that I didn't recognize before.
And, I am less "ashamed" of the Word. I don't really care about offending someone for speaking my belief - I'm not going to antagonize or force feed or guilt you with the Word. But I will and do unabashedly say grace before I eat, describe how God has helped me personally, and do random acts of discreet (you will never know it was me) acts of kindness.
I guess you could say I've always been independent and self sufficient; however, I am more trusting in God. I have less doubt and fear. I also extend the invitation for others to join me at church - I try to make them comfortable and to feel accepted. I have the urge and the duty to pray for them. I seek out the counsel and guidance of the Pastor and deacons, particularly when I need prayer (I'll FReep mail you an example).
In all and to end a long winded post - It has been a long walk with Christ. Where, He helped me through and developed me as I was spiritually mature enough to handle it.
Amen. I was raised in a devout Irish Catholic family.
So what’s you Mo here? To see if folks who don’t grow up in devout Christian homes are somewhat more tolerant towards sinful living like homosexuality and gay “marriage?”
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