Why are you a Christian (or Why not) ?

While I have a great deal of respect for some Christians I know personally, organized religion is not for me.

I was raised a christian, and I will try to act as a christian the rest of my life. But I have never read the book. And prolly never will!

BUT, what I was taught as a child is very easy to live by, but it doesn't mean that I have to live by the book of gosh. It's like a buddy of mine once said:- I believe in god, but I I don't believe in his staff.

I may be a heathen by cause, but I act as a christian as far as I know.... but don't ask me to implement all the stuff that the book says! You'll see me in church out of courtesy when you marry or when you're put 6 feet under.


I'm sorry, I forgot the question...

MsOlga pretty much sums it up for me. I don't think I need to follow a religion to be a good person and that's what I aspire to be.

Christianity was never really appealing to me. I found most of them rude and pushy. I have the same reasons for not choosing Christianity that I have for not choosing any other religion.

1. I can have my questions answered much more clearly through science and logic.

2. I already have a good moral compass and guideline

3. They are always fighting each other (even the same religion!)

4. I believe in the principles that anything that sounds too good to be true probably is, and people who promise it are selling somthing.

5. Most religions are archaic, and the ones that are new seem to have been born of insanity and corruption (early morminism, Church of England, scientology, Branch Dividians, Communist Atheism - so I don't know what would have been different about forming religions historically that isn't the same now.)

5.5 Religions of the somewhat distant past were born out of insanity and corruption - Rasputin's sect of the Russian orthodox church, pharos promising slaves they were backed by g-ds and that good slaves would go to "the happy field of food" when they died.

6. Religious fanatics are stupid and meddlesome. Why would I want to
devote my life to a book that it would be a mistake to take too seriously? There are so many other reliable sources of answers in life - ones that don't contradict themselves.

7. If you really want to find truth, I believe you can find it through good scientific methodology. This involves observation, conclusions based on observation.

You can't know through logic about g-d as a concept (which is why I'm agnostic), but you can draw logical conclusions about dieties said to impact the earth (Jesus, Vishnu, Allah, Zeus, Horus, Jehovah, etc...) and if the backing is not well supported - I don't believe in them. Other people may do as they wish and I say more power to them - I would defend their right to practice. But I think it rude and inappropriate when they are not polite enough to respect my sphere and beliefs. (Get that, Jehovas!? Rich Chick track publishers? )

Well, I read the bible and use it as a book of values to live by. Does that make me christian?

I also read the torah, and the koran, and some buddhist philosophy. Am I a pantheist?

What is a Christian?

Are we talking about a set of beliefs or a way of living?

That's what I'm asking.

Well, like all my ancestors, I was raised up in a christian church ... and stayed there.

I think, the idea behind a (christian) belief is okay, but I know as well, if I would have been born in another country, another time - it would be another religion (or none), I could belong to.

I'm not a christian because I believe that Christianity in general teaches intolerance and creates closed minded people. Any time Christians start a charity it's only to spread christianity. For example, the Christian Childrens Fund, though noble in it's cause is used as a tool to spread Christianity to third world countries.

Re: Why are you a Christian (or Why not) ?
I don't believe I made a decision not to believe. I think I even decided to once or twice as a kid... but never really could. I believe it is more like love; in that you don't choose to feel it, you just do. Or in my case don't. I've read KJ and the NE... And believe they represent the word of man.

There was a time when I hated Christians/Christianity. I think this was a normal by-product of leaving the faith.

I won't turn this into a christian bashing thread. Although I don't hate christians/christianity any more, I do still disagree with a large part of it.

One might say that I found a different path for me.

I'm not, because I grew out of fairytales years ago. As another member put it, "It's fairytales for adults, and it's about time we grew up"

If "Christian" means respecting many of the teachings of Jesus -- I guess I am a Christian.

If it means anything more than that -- I am not.

Most Catholics would agree with you. But the rest of the Christian sects would define Christianity as "Those who have accepted Jesus Christ as their personal Savior." So Catholics would not qualify by that definition.

Turner_727- I am confused about your remark about Catholicism. Don't they believe in Christ as their personal saviour? Would someone please clarify this point for me?

I think Turner is saying they're not baptised or born again. Lots of people think Catholics will burn in hell because they don't do that stuff.

And so it goes. I remember one of the nicest backhanded compliments I ever got was from a nice Baptist lady who said that I was a pretty good Christian for being just a Catholic boy.

Where does one get the notion that Catholics are not Baptized?

Oh, Catholics are baptized, all right. But since they're not 'born again' the other Christians don't think they'll make it to heaven.