Why are you a Christian (or Why not) ?

Oops Frank. I guess I got it from never having been interested in Catholicism.

So now even the "cousins" are being slammed by "one-upsmanship"!

If followers of Christology would spend less time parsing the regulations of their faith and judging who is a Christian they might have more time to practice being Christian.

I am reminded of this: Absolute faith corrupts as absolutely as absolute power. -Eric Hoffer, philosopher and author (1902-1983)

I am one of those who could never believe, despite trying to. I believe, as did Phil Wylie, that the churches take our best myths and legends unto themselves, then try to barter them back to us. As a result, I can believe in much that is attributed to Jesus, to the Buddha, and a number of other religious figures, but I'll remain a rock hard atheist always.

Some 'strange' thoughts, some have here about Catholics ... and Lutherans, Protestants, Reformists, Anglicans, Orthodox Christs etc.

All those are baptised, believe that Christ is their saviour etc.

I was having, I guess you could call it a discussion, with a man and his wife at business luncheon. After introductions and a brief review of the products we each represented it went something like this:

Man: So we're Christians, do have a church?
Me: I go to St. Mary's.
Man: Oh, you're a Catholic.
Woman: I hate the Catholic Church because they keep the original bible locked up in the Vatican.
Me: Wha?
Man: You know, the original writings of the apostles. They keep them all locked up in the basement with all the jewels.
Me: with all the Jews??
Woman: Not the Jews, the jew-els, but don't get me started on the Jews.
Me: (trying to make a joke) We think it's the Jews that have the real Bible locked up somewhere.
Man: You could be right about that, that's why we hate them too.
Me: Lotta hate going on here. Didn't you say you were Christians?
Woman: We sure are. You ought to come to our church this Wednesday. We'd get you straight with God.
Me: Yeah. Um. First, I'm going to wash my hands. I'll be right back.

(I did not return.)

Joe

Oops! 'Scuse me, wrong thread!

(backing quietly out the door....)

[/b]

What's the evidence that anyone "makes" it to Heaven?

Along the same lines of this topic: You were once a Christian

I'm a Christian because I choose to believe in what the Bible says. That doesn't have anything to do with what anyone else believes...If someone asks me about it, I usually try to explain about what I believe - but If I'm being asked by someone who is largely professed to be against anything dealing in "faith" and "belief" then my explanations make no sense because they're not science based.

I choose to believe that the higher power in charge of things, and that it's the one discussed w/i in the pages of the bible.

I think it's that believe that makes me a Christian, beginning w/ the belief that my soul is saved by the grace of God. Why do I choose to belive this way? Because, generally, when I pray - things work out and because I don't believe in coincidences, I believe in God (or is that I believe in God so there are no coincidences? *smile*) & I don't think all things good are the product of positive thought processes.

I am a Christian, partly because to not believe seems too depressing to me. My faith gives me a defined purpose in life, that purpose being to learn to know God and to demonstrate His love to other people. If God does not exist and this life is all there is, then what purpose is there to life?
As far as other religions go: to my knowledge, in all other theistic faiths man must somehow earn his way to God/utopia/etc. Christianity is unique in that it is based on God doing all the work of bringing mankind to Himself--all we have to do is accept His sacrifice. Knowing my own imperfections, I know there is no hope of me personally ever earning my way to heaven. So, while the other faiths may give the sense of purpose I seek, I could never feel secure in having fulfilled the requirements of those faiths. Thus, call it a cop-out, but I have claimed Jesus' promise of salvation.

I am not a Christian because I believe it to be a lie.

Oftentimes, when somthing is internally weak, it will attempt to expand (have an external cause) to prevent focusing on internal flaws.

ex: the soviet union - the totallitarian system justified by communism didn't work, the quality of life wasn't improving, but as long as they kept up a war with somebody it would keep the attention of the public on those who were not communist - instead of flaws within their own system.

I feel the same way with vigorous converters. They feel internally that there is somthing wrong (lab rat's example) but that makes them feel guilty. To take attention off of their internal problem, they focus on others - making -them- christian in an attempt to solidify their own personal faith.

Drug users also do this - they feel bad about what they are doing, so they try to get their freinds to do it too - so they feel more justified in their addiction.

I am not a Christian mainly because I dont believe that Jesus is God. The Bible proves it so anyway.

The bible, like the koran, is a book written by human beings. None of them prove anything.

I became an atheist through prayer.

Labrat asked:


The purpose, my friend, is to be here now in the best way possible. To love, to bring love, to be loved. To bring peace, if not to the world, then to the ones who love you and whom you love, if not for every day, for today. Stand up for truth. Stand up for Justice. Work hard to change the world to the limits of your powers. Be present in the lives of those around you, love them all deeply, be full of wonder, curiosity and joy and when you are gone there will be a memory of you imprinted forever on every human you have touched.

Joe

Ahhh...I was gonna deal with that, Joe, but I've dealt with it so many times in the past, I get tired of it.

Truly, I do not understand why people feel that unless you "believe" in a god -- there is no purpose to life.

Fact is, if you have to explain that -- probably it cannot be understood.

But you did a excellent job of it.

(edit: changed the word "good" to "excellent" in my last sentence.)

This seems to be a very common thought among Christians. In many cases, an absolute barrier to giving any consideration to the alternatives, which are, apparently, too horrible to contemplate.

My thoughts on God are as followed:

As to the knowledge of God, there are 2 courses that must be followed:

1.)Claim to know God by the sole light of reason
2.)Or admit that one cannot know him by reason, but that men need instructors.


Now he who rejects the first statement may not reject another man's reason without admitting thereby the necessity of guidance.