Why are you still a Christian?

At least explain, if you can, WHY you think it is simple. (In the simplest terms possible, please.)

echi,

Okay. I can surely do that.

In the simplest of terms, Jesus is all that is good and Satan is all that is evil. We make a choice, good or evil. I choose good.

In choosing that good, it makes me want to be a better person and live my life accordingly.

And even the choice Momma makes.....goes to God's glory.

Amen to that Bartikus! Amen!

Momma--

That is a very simple statement. But it does not explain anything except that you prefer good to evil. I do, too, so I'm with you there, at least.



This part I don't necessarily disagree with, but I fail to see how it could be considered "simple". On the contrary, it seems rather complicated. You state it as if it were a truism, I guess. But it clearly is not, as it obviously requires at least some explanation. Someone who has never heard of Jesus would not understand.

Jesus loved momma.....first!

echi,

Well, I would explain to someone that never heard of Jesus just as I have explained to you. I would tell them the story of His life, death, burial and resurrection and what it was all for.

echi, exactly what part do you feel needs explanation?

I have to go to bed now, echi. Post what you want me to explain and I will do it in the morning.

Good night all and God Bless.

Maybe it is so simple....you see it as being complicated?

Maybe this will help. Stop trying to wrap your head around it and wrap your heart around it instead.

Jesus loves you echi.....more than your mind can imagine.

Everything we claim to know is by way of reason. If we cannot make sense of it, even in some very basic way, then we cannot claim to know it.
There are some things about Christianity that I do consider to be simple. These are the things that almost everyone gets, Christian or not. It is obviously wrong to kill (or murder, if you like), it is obviously good to treat others well, to respect your parents, to be honest, and so on...

Some things, however, are pretty darn complicated and not at all simple to understand or explain. What other reason can you think of for the many different forms of Christianity?

Bartikus--

If I can't wrap my head around it, then how do I know it is right?
It is a Christian belief that there are false teachings and false prophets. If I only followed my heart, leaving my common sense behind, I would be in a world of trouble. Jesus said to seek and ye shall find. He didn't say to follow your heart.

echi,

The reasons for the different forms of Christianity has to do with man wanting to do what man wants to do. If man wants to do something that is wrong according to Christianity they make a new form of it. Doesn't change what Christianity really is though. Just lets some think it's ok to do what they want to do.

And it suggests that it's not so easy to understand.

Are you afraid of God?

echi,

Let's take one particular form of Christianity ok? One I know some about. Not alot but enough for the sake of this discussion.

I have a friend who strongly believes, as does everyone in her church, that we have the right to cast out demons in others and rebuke them and call an evil spirit an evil spirit. What I believe is, Jesus did those things in the Bible, but Jesus knew the hearts of those people. He knew who the evil spirits were and weren't. We can't know this so I don't think it's right for us to tell someone they are a devil or filled with an evil spirit because they disagree with me.

That is just a small thing that caused a different form of Christianity. There are churches formed based on the belief we are to take up serpents. I don't believe that one either. There are churches that say homosexuality is not a sin. That's another church. These different churches rise out of man doing what man wants to do and using the Bible to justify it.

Am I afraid of God? No way! He loves me. I love Him. He wants only good for me. I have the utmost respect for Him.

Then there are other Churches that split because of different interpretations of Scripture...the Trinity, the nature of Jesus, the Resurrection...
These things are difficult to understand. Don't you agree? Can you at least agree that these things require some kind of explanation?

echi,

Difficult to understand? Well, the Trinity is probably the hardest thing about Christianity to understand in my opinion. I have to give you that one.

But, as to the nature of Jesus and the Resurrection, I don't see what the difficulty is. The Bible spells that out pretty clearly.

Yes, some explanation, but when provided with a simple answer to a simple question, that should be enough. I can't make Christianity more complicated. It is what it is. The complications don't come from God, they come from men.

The only way that Christianity can be considered "simple" is if you accept it without reason.

I don't know why any believer would think that such acceptance would be pleasing to God.

The foundation is simple.

Do you believe that all men fall short of God's glory? That all men are less than God?

The children of God operate by faith echi not by sight! We can't see what God sees!....God has you in the palm of his hand. Complete surrender to God gives God glory. The fact that you ask these questions says to me....that you truly want to walk with him.

God knows this and wants nothing more than to walk with you. You can because of Jesus Christ!

check this link and watch.

http://www.joelosteen.com/site/PageServer?pagename=OnlineStreaming

Such a shame you don't go outside your physical limitations and reach higher.

I'm the other one,

Have to agree with you there. If I believed that man (as in mankind) was the highest form of intelligence, I don't think there would be much hope.

I think man, left to man's devices, would destroy everything.