Are you a Christian?

Hi people. i just read an article about christians being in the internet. yes, cyberspace is the easiest and an AMAZING way to reach out to other people without the need of travel :) anyway, i just want to know what you peoples believe in and put your faith upon. share your faith! (i dont understand, but i feel obliged to do this. *smiles.)

Hi! I am a Christian (Catholic) and a pro-lifer.

I really don't know what I am. I was raised till age 9 in a Nazarene church pastored by my grandpa and father...I eventually stopped going to church around age 12 after my parents divorce three years earlier..It's just that some of the things preached to me were hard for me to understand or believe. I still believe there's something higher, and I still have some faith..I just don't know what Id label myself as.

I can say that I am pro-life though. My view on that is strong.

I was raised as a Buddhist and do believe in their teachings. I do call myself a buddhist but I think I have a wide range of beliefs that don't really fit into one religion. I do believe in reincarnation and that there is a higher being. I am strongly pro- choice.

I am a christian with some VERY differnt veiws on the bible, so I guess I would be my type of Christian, I call myself a Student of Christ.
Exodus 22:18 has the NIV or the Catholic bible would state,
Thou Shalt Not Suffer A Witch to Live,
Exodus 22:18 the way the First Consoul Under Constantine has it,
Do Not Suffer the Company of a Poisioner.

Honestly people, the only time magic is mentioned in the first version of the bible is in the story of Moses, the two sorcerrers that advised the pharoh, and it says nothing about magic being a crime.

I'm a guy named Kevin.

I believe alot of things, certainly one belief system isn't enough to satisfy the questions and realities I see around me.

I used to be Roman catholic, but then I actually did some proper reading about faith and belief, took a brave hard look at my religion and dropped it.

If it serves you and everyone around you, have at it. For me, there are far more benificial ways of thinking than christian ones.

No I'm not christian...I'm a muslim, by the way you started this you seem to think that christianity is against technology or something, not to be rude or anything but all religions have their strict and free groups, just like you'd notice in christianity, so it isn't really a strange thing to see a christian on the net.

I was raised a Christian, but my beliefs differ greatly from what I was raised to believe. I think that the best way to describe my religion is "Eclectic Pagan"

I'm probablly going to get a lot of negative feedback on this but I am Atheist

Well you'll only get positive from me...and i'm pro-choice

^^ i respect your faith. My Father was also a Muslim but before he died, he became a christian. or at least that's what's i implied when he told me to pray to Christ when I got sick.

DARK SECRETS:

No. Im not saying Christianity's against technology, etc Im actually PRO for it. Since through technology, you can easily reach out for those people who you think you can help.

and one more thing, i dont consider christianity as a religion since religion wont save you (if you believe in eternity and all that). Christianity is more of living your life the way "Christ" did or at least try to.

AMANDA:

yES. that's why we have free will. God has given us that. (that's what we believe)

i admit, its been really hard to believe in something when the world accepts all kinds of beliefs.

TragicRomancE:

ive met a lot of atheists online. and im very curious. i dont understand wether they're running away from God or simply dont believe on His existence.

Mind to share yourself? :)

I don't care what people believe in either but I do care when people "push" people to believe in a certain religion.

There are Christians that just walk around the Mall of America and randomly stop people and talk about Christ. No offense to Christians but I really don't favor this kind of behavior. I've been stopped maybe twice and they really take you off guard. This one time, some guy just asked me what time it is then all of a sudden talked about Christ. I was taken aback.

My brother and his friend was even stopped a few times and one time, the man asked them to repeat this prayer that he was saying. And of course, my brother didn't want to do it but the man said, just do it this one time, and my bro kinda just walked away.

It seems only Christians do this and I just don't like it. I feel like they only stop me because I'm Asian so they assume I'm not Christian, which I'm not but it's like, the mall isn't the place to preach. Hopefully, I didn't offend anyone but I really don't like it.

Sluvious:

hope i dont sound mean but i say that's a shallow perspective. (pesonal opinion.)
say you're sure you wont go to heaven. So you believe in heaven!
i feel sad as i read this 'cause i feel like you're looking at life in a so-worldly view. temporary view.you believe in heaven and you're saying you'd simply stand at its gates and see how id got in when you still have the time to make yourself welcome.

LlCHAOTICll

that had happened to me several times before. and hey sister, i also walked away! i felt the same way that they forcing me to convert my religion. i also hate being stopped. and i dont do that. :)

Spc Ernst:

this was supposed to be a personal message. :) anyway,

(Honestly people, the only time magic is mentioned in the first version of the bible is in the story of Moses, the two sorcerrers that advised the pharoh, and it says nothing about magic being a crime.)

you posted this on one discussion that i posted. sorry i wasnt able to reply. but anyway, you used the wrong word. testament not version. so this is from the 2nd testament:

Revelation 21:8
But the cowardly, the unbelieving, the vile, the murderers, the sexually immoral, those who PRACTICE MAGIC ARTS, the idolaters and all liars--their place will be in the fiery lake of burning sulfur. This is the second death."

so you see the bible says magic arts is wrong.

>.< No, I am not a Christian. I was raised Christian, and still am being raised as such, but I don't really agree with the religion. Many will probably comment on this as being a Cult, but it isn't, I'm being converted (slowly, for my parents are against it) to the Church of Latter Day Saints of Jesus Christ. (The nickname for it is Morman, in reference to the "morman bible")
(:

I am certainly not a Christian, but I do believe anything is possible. I consider a "personal" God unlikely but can understand it more when I think about this: What if we somehow survived for millions of years? Imagine the technology. Entire universes might be able to be simulated. Heaven might be on some external hard drive somewhere. If I had to I'd go with Einstein's ideas behind God: "I'm not an atheist. The problem involved is too vast for our limited minds. We are in the position of a little child entering a huge library filled with books in many languages. The child knows someone must have written those books. It does not know how. It does not understand the languages in which they are written. The child dimly suspects a mysterious order in the arrangement of the books but doesn't know what that is. That, it seems to me, is the attitude of the most intelligent human toward God."-Albert Einstein. I am happy to say that I am no longer an Atheist though I sometimes return to those feelings. It's just that so much has happened in mine and others' lives that are just SO improbable. This reminds me of another Einstein quote: "Coincidence is God's way of remaining anonymous"

This being said, I believe all religions are inherently good. It's when the words of religous texts are twisted to justify murder, genocide, and terrorist acts...ect-that it becomes a problem.

If there's one thing that could make the world better, it is compassion towards all living things.

Even Angels Cry, the LDS church is Christian also, so to say you don't quite believe in the Christian religion and then say you're being converted is a bit of a contradiction.

I don't have faith.

I do like some of the Buddhist teachings though. Being a Buddhist in the 19th century would have been a great experience.

Hey Jane,

do you know why that quote was included in the bible? It's a well known fact that most practicing Witches/wizards and anyone who believed in personal magik tended to be very strong characters who thought independantly and were usually far more educated than most common people.

Exactly the kind of people who'd be a threat to the authority of the Christian faith and it's leaders. Hence that anti magic passage that is often quoted.

I'll be damned if Jesus wasn't a total magician, he certainly was paranormal and if the stories are to be believed, was capable of such feats as would be described as being magical.

Find me a quote where Jesus says magic is wrong.

Forevertobeat, actually no, the parts of the Christian religion that I don't agree with are the aspects that link to the "christian" church alone. Not catholicism, or any other branch of Christianity (including the LDS Church)

^ I guess I don't see Christian as a church by itself. Because to me, a Christian is anyone who believes in and follows Christ. So you have Christians, but they're broken up into Baptists, Catholics, Latter-day Saints, etc. Plus, if you look closely, there are only minor differences in each religion. Much is the same.

Amanda:
that's one thing that's hard in being a Christian 'cause the world is looking at you. christians still sin, ofcourse. they werent made perfect when they received Christ. to be honest, i find it hard to hard to explain myself, there's so much i want to tell you but i dont know how to put them in words.but anyway. You said, "To me Christians and anyone of any other religion is speaking to a brick wall if they think they can convert me". I understand most people think that once a christian come up to you, he's tryin to convert you. and that's one silly prejudice since its not your religion that will tell if you're saved. its not religion christians are sharing. its the eternal life after this earthly life that, i know, you dont believe in.

(and also, i want to make it clear that i did this forum only because i was curious of other beliefs other than the christian beliefs. but since i have the chance, and we all have the chance, let's tell others what we have to tell.)

:) thanks, Amanda.

Yes, because Jesus is God, he's paranormal.
well i cant honestly find you a verse where jesus directly said magic is wrong cause if He said it when he was still here on earth, then i think it would be hypocritical. the thing is i dont think what jesus did then werent magic rather miracles. well, i find it hard to tell the difference. i dont of course fully understand the Bible itself since God's mind isnt my mind.

anyway, you say magicians are kind of poeple who are threat to the Christian faith? i dont understand how that applies. I believe in magic. i just dont do it.

I was born into a christian household. sang in a catholic choir. but i was agnostic. now i've finally found my own way as a buddhist. i don't believe in "god".

pro choice. pro love. i support everything churches fight against and i'm damn proud.

" I guess I don't see Christian as a church by itself. Because to me, a Christian is anyone who believes in and follows Christ. So you have Christians, but they're broken up into Baptists, Catholics, Latter-day Saints, etc. Plus, if you look closely, there are only minor differences in each religion. Much is the same."

It's true, a lot of it is the same. A 'christian' is someone who believes and follows christ. I suppose I am one then, I was thinking the question was more based on the Christian church itself, (it is a church itself, though there are different branches to it) THe christian church itself tends to be very ..hesitent, on what it considers a Christian. "Christians" (Well, at least all those I've talked to, including my bible teacher at school) say that a catholic, LDS, and others are not 'saved'. I don't agree with that viewpoint at all, that's why I don't consider myself part of the Christian Church, but if simply believing in Christ, and believe he is our savior is what is being discussed here, then i suppose I am a Christian.
(:

"...tended to be very strong characters who thought independantly and were usually far more educated than most common people."

^ ...Back in that day and age, my guess would be that I'd be burned at the stake, stoned or something alone those lines then. *giggles* :P (Ignore me, I couldn't pass it up. It's something I always tease myself about.)

Even Angels Cry:

Ah, okay I understand what you mean now. :) I only commented because I am LDS as well.

Rikki: Okay, honestly, that was just rude are really unnecessary. It's short for Latter Day Saint. She's commenting about her, and my, religion, the church is called The Latter Day Saints of Jesus Christ. I don't appeciate you making fun of anyone's belief, let alone my own.

Forevertobeat: Yeah, Sorry if I confused you, I just guess I didn't quite understand the question(:

^It's all good, she wasn't making fun. She just likes to get playful. ;) No worries.

Hmm, she might want to make that a tad more clear in the future, I'd have to say I was a bit offended. But, then again, I could be overreacting(:

Hmm, she might want to make that a tad more clear in the future, I'd have to say I was a bit offended. But, then again, I could be overreacting(:

Rikki

Re your short analogy of the three beliefs you think we must have to be considered a balanced person (which is akin to as asking somebody whats their definition of insane) taking into consideration as stated by you that you are not a religious person yet state you must have spiritual faith as one of the three beliefs.....I ask this.....which I've asked on this site before.

Do you consider atheism..... a religion or having spiritual faith? And as an extension, one of the three beliefs that you consider make us balanced?

^ Yes but is Atheism.......a religion or having spiritual faith

^Depends what you consider religion does one believe faithfully that there is no God, then it's a religion

....you have it in one...and i practice it in a very christian way

LoL, check this out.

It's a stand up comic making more sense than 90% of people who try to justify believe in Christianity.

Little bit of swearing, nothing too serious, but fair warning.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uS5DaTIF1a0

I'm atheist, and I'm pro-choice.

Jane: How can you run away from something you don't believe in? I'm not trying to be rude with this question. I'm just being honest. I was raised Christian, and I wasn't happy. The idea of "god" wasn't enough for me, furthermore, it's just not for me. I think it's great if you're happy in your religion. =]