Religion - (Christianity) Please Help...!

Thank you for that.

Okay. 1st I want to thank all of you who actually gave me advice & two.. I'm not going to say I don't care about the other discussions, because they were helpful too, but the arguing back & forth about one anothers ignorance or anything off topic is not needed. I'm not trying to be mean but I have questions that I really need answers to. So anything that's not advice or answers, I really could care less about. Again, forgive me if I'm being mean, but please respect me. Thank you !

I respect you, BrianaMonique, and I respect your right to practice whatever religion you choose. I'm pretty sure you're not involved in any sort of aggressive or violent promotion or defense of your faith.

I say this as someone who studied the Bible in depth at university before dropping Christianity as a result of what those studies revealed to me. And as an atheist who agrees in principle with what Krumple says, though I would probably differ in approach, unless someone aggressively tried to convert me.

Sorry I don't have any advice for you, but I wanted to just show you some support and respect.

Thank you so much, I appreciate your respect. I hope you have a wonderful life

And the same to you! ^^

Mark 1:15
and saying, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.”

Jesus NEVER required speaking in tongues for salvation. To be saved you must repent of your own sins and believe that God will change you from the inside out when you ask for forgiveness. Dont allow people to juddy the waters with the whole idea of speaking tongues, because thats not biblical. Speaking in tongues used to be the apostles and other christians speakng n languages they never understood so the gospel could be spread to all nations. What speaking in tongues has become today is totally false

What about snake handling . . . got the lowdown skinny on that, god boy?

Whatever you do, don't get rich or you'll have to get a camel through the eye of a needle. Not a pretty sight.

There are so many things wrong with that statement it's not funny. If you were trying to be funny then...oh.

Well, if you have to ask, then I guess it wasn't funny.

Hi Briana,

I know it can be most confusing. The best approach to take is to let the Bible be your clear and decisive guide. For example, in the book of Acts, chapter 2 verses 1 - 13, a clear explanation of what the tongues were that the apostles spoke in when they received the holy ghost. Notice that in verses 5 - 11 many in the audience were able to understand what was being said. Yes, the tongues they were speaking in were the actual languages of those present that day. And because there were many there who spoke those languages there was no need for anyone to interpret what was said. But later, as the Christian congregation grew and spread into other areas the number of languages spoken in a congregation became fewer. Thus if a person who had the ability to speak in a tongue, say for example the language of Lib′y·a, and there was no one in the congregation who spoke that language, an interpreter would be needed. Otherwise he would need to speak in the language used in that congregation. The apostle Paul exaplains this at 1 Corinthians chapter 14 verses 7 - 12.

Read over this carefully and this should help to give you a better understanding of what the Bible defines as speaking in tongues.

Sorry but I disagree. You should use your brain as your clear and decisive guide. The Bible can't be a clear and decisive guide.

There are 41,000 different denominations of Christians claiming to follow the Bible. They are as different as can be. Some churches accept same sex marriages. Some churches won't allow interracial marriage. Some churches let women be preachers. Other churches won't let women speak in church. Some churches say parents shouldn't hit their children. Other churches say parents must hit their children to save them. All of these positions can be supported by the Bible.

Sorry, but the Bible isn't clear or decisive. Each church picks out its own Bible passages and interprets them according to their own beliefs. Each church claims to be following the Bible with wildly different, often contradictory, results.

This is particularly ironic since in the Bible it says Jesus is the head of one church for which He prayed for unity. But it clearly hasn't happened that way.

Whatever you do, use your mind. Choose a church that is right for you and that makes sense to you.

Turning off your brain is what gets you hurt.

I understand where you coming from. And I agree. There is a great deal of confusion when it comes to the many and varied teachings of the thousands of sects claming to be Christian. But this is not because of what the Bible teaches. Rather, what we are seeing among the many churchs is a rejecting of what the Bible really teaches in favor of traditions and human preference. And although many try to pick out various scriptures to support their view, when a serious examination is done it's revealed that it in fact the Bible does not support their view. Take for example a teaching that has been in existence for many years but has not support in the Bible, forbidding priests to marry because this could somehow interfere with their relationship with God. Because of this teaching there have been all kinds of problems that have resulted. When examined in the light of the Bible however, this teaching actually goes against what is taught in the Bible. Note this point found in the book of 1st Timothy chapter 4 verses 1 - 3 the Bible's view of forbidding persons to marry.

(1 Timothy 4): However, the inspired utterance says definitely that in later periods of time some will fall away from the faith, paying attention to misleading inspired utterances and teachings of demons, 2 by the hypocrisy of men who speak lies, marked in their conscience as with a branding iron; 3 forbidding to marry, commanding to abstain from foods which God created to be partaken of with thanksgiving by those who have faith and accurately know the truth.

If you note the apostle starts out by saying that some would "fall away from the faith". As a result there would be hypocrisy and false teachings promoted. One of which was the forbidding to marry along with telling persons that they couldn't eat certain foods. Really, in the light of what the Bible teaches, any church that chooses to promote this is in reality going against what the Bible really teaches in favor of a false doctrine. Or as it is referred to in verse 1 "misleading inspired utterances and teachings of demons."

To your point that one must use their brain or mind, the Bible agrees completely with you. Note how the apostle Paul made this clear in the book of Romans chapter 12 verses 1 and 2.

(Romans 12) Consequently I entreat YOU by the compassions of God, brothers, to present YOUR bodies a sacrifice living, holy, acceptable to God, a sacred service with YOUR power of reason. 2 And quit being fashioned after this system of things, but be transformed by making YOUR mind over, that YOU may prove to yourselves the good and acceptable and perfect will of God.

So really, the problem isn't with the Bible, but is has to do with people not wanting to use their power of reason when it comes to various teaches. And in other cases, many are just not willing to accept what it teaches and so they create their own.

What makes you think your interpretation of the bible is any better than anyone else's?

Anthony,

Let me go through my list of clear teachings of the Bible that Christians don't follow. There are churches that follow each one of these teachings, but very view that teach most and no on that follows all of them.

So how many of these do you follow...

1. As in all the congregations of the saints, women should remain silent in the churches. They are not allowed to speak, but must be in submission, as the Law says. If they want to inquire about something, they should ask their own husbands at home; for it is disgraceful for a woman to speak in the church.

[Very few churches follow this one these days]

2. Again, you have heard that it was said to the people long ago, ‘Do not break your oath, but fulfill to the Lord the vows you have made.’ But I tell you, do not swear an oath at all: either by heaven, for it is God’s throne; or by the earth, for it is his footstool; or by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the Great King. And do not swear by your head, for you cannot make even one hair white or black. All you need to say is simply ‘Yes’ or ‘No’; anything beyond this comes from the evil one.

[Quakers and Menonites follow this by refusing to take an oath in court and by refusing to say the "Pledge of Alliegence"]

3. You have heard that it was said, ‘Eye for eye, and tooth for tooth.’ But I tell you, do not resist an evil person. If anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to them the other cheek also. And if anyone wants to sue you and take your shirt, hand over your coat as well. If anyone forces you to go one mile, go with them two miles. Give to the one who asks you, and do not turn away from the one who wants to borrow from you.

[This certainly means no Christian needs a handgun for self-defense.]


Let's start there. These are all clear teachings that are completely "interpreted" away by most almost all modern Christian churches.

It is interesting.

There is a clear pattern to your argument. You quote the scripture. Then you wrote a paragraph explaining what it means. You repeat this pattern twice.

The paragraph in which you explain the scripture is longer than the scripture you are explaining.

If the Bible was as clear and decisive as you claim it is, then it would stand on its own. You wouldn't need to explain it at all.

Sorry, that's a problem I've been working on now for some time. I tend to be a bit wordy. It can somtimes come across as offensive. Sorry if I did that.

I'm glad you asked that. Really, I don't interpret the Bible but let it interpret itself. This is the view that Joseph had when he was a slave in Egypt. He made this statement to Pharoah when he was asked to give the meaning of a divinely inspired dream at Genesis 40:8

(Genesis 40:8) . . .” 8 At this they said to him: “We have dreamed a dream, and there is no interpreter with us.” So Joseph said to them: “Do not interpretations belong to God? Relate it to me, please.”

Joseph made it clear that he would not be the source of the interpretation of the dream, but that God would be.

Unlike Joseph, we today we have the Word of God in it's entirety. Thus we should allow the Scriptures to explain themselves.

Another thought to consider. Yes, the Bible is made to be understood. But like anything, it takes work and a willingness to learn something new. Sometimes people fall into a trap of following men because they don't want to put the work into knowing what the Bible teaches for themselves.

You misunderstand Anthony. I wasn't at all offended that you are interpreting the Bible. I am claiming that following the Bible without interpretation is impossible and you are an example of this. You are interpreting the Bible in a way that isn't at all obvious to people who aren't in your particular denomination.

... but before I go further, I would like an answer to this question. Do you believe women should be allowed to speak in Church?