Which religion do you follow? Why did you pick that one?

[zaangalewa]

Buddhism. Because I am a Buddhist.

And you?

Catholic, because I'm a Catholic.

 

[zaangalewa]

None.

Started as a Christian, then later became Buddhist.

I found Buddhism even stupider than Christianity and became Agnostic.

Why is it more intelligent to believe not in god (or spirituality) and not not in god (or spirituality)?

 

[Book of Jeremiah]

Just out of curiosity.

I follow no religion. I am a follower of Jesus Christ. The One True God.

In other words you are non denominational Christian. Not sure why it's tough to say

I'm a follower of Christ. Not non denominational religion or non denominational Christians - many of them - are going off the rails today following the interfaithism movement. (which is apostasy - part of the great falling away)

I am not a part of that and therein the distinction that I am a folllower of Jesus Christ. Not a religion. Not any man. I follow Jesus Christ.

I confess that Jesus Christ is God. Which is something I have yet to see you do, Avatar. You cling to Mormonism and Brigham Young as if they were your salvation but the Bible does not teach any such salvation and the Bible is very clear that Jesus Christ is God. In fact, the Mormon teachings are full of error and false teaching and if one is to be saved they must depart from false teachers and repent. I do not see that you have done that but I pray that in the future you will be willing to.

I have thought about why you could have read the Scriptures and not received the truth. (yet) I believe the answer is found in Hebrews 4:1,2.

It is written:

Let us therefore fear, lest, a promise being left us of entering into his rest, any of you should seem to come short of it.
For unto us was the gospel preached, as well as unto them: but the word preached did not profit them, not being mixed with faith in them that heard it. Hebrews 4:1,2

If you do not mix faith with the Written Word of God (the Only Written Word of God) with what you hear it will not profit you. That is where the problem is.

 

[Book of Jeremiah]

Just out of curiosity.

I belong to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. I joined the Church in 1979 after many visits by Missionaries and my own prayers. I still believe the Church is true but I don't attend services. I don't do well in groups or crowds.

Sarge, you are most precious to me. I would like to ask you a question. When you have time - could you please take a look at this story - beginning on post # 934 and tell me if the missionaries (Mormons) that visited you gave you any of this information that you'll find here?

Jack Chick Tracts - Read here Page 32 US Message Board - Political Discussion Forum

 

[Avatar4321]

In other words you are a Christian who doesn't belong to a specific denomination.

 

[Book of Jeremiah]

None.

Started as a Christian, then later became Buddhist.

I found Buddhism even stupider than Christianity and became Agnostic.

What did you believe as a Christian, Uncensored? What were your beliefs at that time?

 

[Coloradomtnman]

Still waiting for you to share what you know about the Southern Baptist religion that makes you reference it so sneeringly, and talk about foolish practices and whatnot.

Which practices are particular to Southern Baptists that you find *foolish*?

• Equality - In a resolution released in 1998, Southern Baptists view all people as equal in God's eyes, but believe the husband or man has authority in the household and responsibility to protect his family. The wife or woman ought to respect and love her husband and submit graciously to his demands.

• Heaven and Hell - Southern Baptists believe in a heaven and hell. People who fail to recognize God as the one and only are sentenced to eternity in hell.

• Ordination of Women - Baptists believe Scripture teaches that men and women are equal in value, but have different roles in the family and in the church. Pastoral leadership positions are reserved for men.

Some churches of the SBC won't allow divorcees to become pastors. Some don't allow musical instruments in church, or dancing at all. They are all against same-sex marriage.

Your views fit with the structure of beliefs of the SBC.

And while the SBC is more conservative than some groups, you have some pretty bizarre and erroneous assumptions about who and what they are. (And I am not and have never been Southern Baptist)

These are taken directly from the SBC. They are neither assumptions nor erroneous.

All of those beliefs are scripturally sound, and are why the SBC is so successful. Yes, we believe different people have different roles.

Yes, I don't dispute the more conservative interpretation of scripture. But no musical instruments in some of the churches? That sure wouldn't be true of any Southern Baptists I've ever known, including the one I married, and I know a LOT of Southern Baptists. And they all line dance, square dance I'm pretty sure the SBC has not given an official position on dancing and leaves that up to the local congregations to decide. And while the SBC has taken the position that ordained positions in the church is restricted to men, it does not mandate that as a requirement for local congregations who also decide that issue for their own people. Our last real estate agent, a very lovely lady, was an ordained Deacon in her Southern Baptist congregation in Virginia.

I know a Southern Baptist whose church felt that it wasn't inappropriate to have musical instruments in church, at least not during services, and it is one of those areas that the SBC leaves up to individual congregations which is why I designated that statement with the word "some". Same with dancing.

I took the SBC's statement about only men being ordained as pastors for all their churches at their word. If your husband's church doesn't follow that practice then I was misinformed by the SBC or your husband's church doesn't follow the SBC's guidelines strictly.

 

[Book of Jeremiah]

In other words you are a Christian who doesn't belong to a specific denomination.

You are speaking of religion. I am speaking of a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. Jesus never taught anything about separating His followers into different groups / denominations, Avatar. The body of Christ is one body. Not many.

 

[Avatar4321]

In other words you are a Christian who doesn't belong to a specific denomination.

You are speaking of religion. I am speaking of a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. Jesus never taught anything about separating His followers into different groups / denominations, Avatar. The body of Christ is one body. Not many.

and yet he called apostles, seventies, and other officers of His Church to organize and teach the people. He created one body. He didn't leave people alone doing their own thing.

 

[Foxfyre]

• Equality - In a resolution released in 1998, Southern Baptists view all people as equal in God's eyes, but believe the husband or man has authority in the household and responsibility to protect his family. The wife or woman ought to respect and love her husband and submit graciously to his demands.

• Heaven and Hell - Southern Baptists believe in a heaven and hell. People who fail to recognize God as the one and only are sentenced to eternity in hell.

• Ordination of Women - Baptists believe Scripture teaches that men and women are equal in value, but have different roles in the family and in the church. Pastoral leadership positions are reserved for men.

Some churches of the SBC won't allow divorcees to become pastors. Some don't allow musical instruments in church, or dancing at all. They are all against same-sex marriage.

Your views fit with the structure of beliefs of the SBC.

And while the SBC is more conservative than some groups, you have some pretty bizarre and erroneous assumptions about who and what they are. (And I am not and have never been Southern Baptist)

These are taken directly from the SBC. They are neither assumptions nor erroneous.

All of those beliefs are scripturally sound, and are why the SBC is so successful. Yes, we believe different people have different roles.

Yes, I don't dispute the more conservative interpretation of scripture. But no musical instruments in some of the churches? That sure wouldn't be true of any Southern Baptists I've ever known, including the one I married, and I know a LOT of Southern Baptists. And they all line dance, square dance I'm pretty sure the SBC has not given an official position on dancing and leaves that up to the local congregations to decide. And while the SBC has taken the position that ordained positions in the church is restricted to men, it does not mandate that as a requirement for local congregations who also decide that issue for their own people. Our last real estate agent, a very lovely lady, was an ordained Deacon in her Southern Baptist congregation in Virginia.

I know a Southern Baptist whose church felt that it wasn't inappropriate to have musical instruments in church, at least not during services, and it is one of those areas that the SBC leaves up to individual congregations which is why I designated that statement with the word "some". Same with dancing.

I took the SBC's statement about only men being ordained as pastors for all their churches at their word. If your husband's church doesn't follow that practice then I was misinformed by the SBC or your husband's church doesn't follow the SBC's guidelines strictly.

I didn't say anything about my husband's church.

And none of the southern Baptist churches I know about think it is inappropriate to have instrumental music in the church so the Southern Baptist you're describing is very typical about that.

The old fashioned Church of Christ--not the UCC--and the Quakers, Amish, and Mennonites most usually don't have instrumental music in their churches. But the SBC takes no position on that in any way. I'm pretty sure you'll find a piano and/or organ in the auditorium of any Southern Baptist Church you visit and a number of Southern Baptist congregations, if not most, now have full fledged praise bands with guitars, drums, and other instruments. There isn't much better church music anywhere than that put out by the Southern Baptists.

One thing to know about the Southern Baptist Convention is that they do not dictate what the local congregations do in any way. They provide clear guidelines for what a Southern Baptist believes in matters of faith, but the local congregation is completely autonomous to set its own rules and practices.

 

[Pedro de San Patricio]

Hey cool! Chick Tracts! I used to read those all the time back in the day. At first I thought they were preachy and kinda dumb, but then I realized the problem wasn't them but how I was reading them. Once I started reading them as dark fantasy comics set in a parallel universe where the Catholic Church is run by the Illuminati and demons really can be summoned by casting spells in Dungeons & Dragons and dropped the suspension of disbelief I was hooked.

 

[Coloradomtnman]

And while the SBC is more conservative than some groups, you have some pretty bizarre and erroneous assumptions about who and what they are. (And I am not and have never been Southern Baptist)

These are taken directly from the SBC. They are neither assumptions nor erroneous.

All of those beliefs are scripturally sound, and are why the SBC is so successful. Yes, we believe different people have different roles.

Yes, I don't dispute the more conservative interpretation of scripture. But no musical instruments in some of the churches? That sure wouldn't be true of any Southern Baptists I've ever known, including the one I married, and I know a LOT of Southern Baptists. And they all line dance, square dance I'm pretty sure the SBC has not given an official position on dancing and leaves that up to the local congregations to decide. And while the SBC has taken the position that ordained positions in the church is restricted to men, it does not mandate that as a requirement for local congregations who also decide that issue for their own people. Our last real estate agent, a very lovely lady, was an ordained Deacon in her Southern Baptist congregation in Virginia.

I know a Southern Baptist whose church felt that it wasn't inappropriate to have musical instruments in church, at least not during services, and it is one of those areas that the SBC leaves up to individual congregations which is why I designated that statement with the word "some". Same with dancing.

I took the SBC's statement about only men being ordained as pastors for all their churches at their word. If your husband's church doesn't follow that practice then I was misinformed by the SBC or your husband's church doesn't follow the SBC's guidelines strictly.

I didn't say anything about my husband's church.

And none of the southern Baptist churches I know about think it is inappropriate to have instrumental music in the church so the Southern Baptist you're describing is very typical about that.

The old fashioned Church of Christ--not the UCC--and the Quakers, Amish, and Mennonites most usually don't have instrumental music in their churches. But the SBC takes no position on that in any way. I'm pretty sure you'll find a piano and/or organ in the auditorium of any Southern Baptist Church you visit and a number of Southern Baptist congregations, if not most, now have full fledged praise bands with guitars, drums, and other instruments. There isn't much better church music anywhere than that put out by the Southern Baptists.

One thing to know about the Southern Baptist Convention is that they do not dictate what the local congregations do in any way. They provide clear guidelines for what a Southern Baptist believes in matters of faith, but the local congregation is completely autonomous to set its own rules and practices.

I thought you were a woman, Foxfyre , or are you currently married to someone else?

That there is some autonomy among the many congregations of the SBC was my understanding. Perhaps my friend's church is atypical (though they do sing, she reports), my point stands nonetheless. As a musician, it would be difficult for me to imagine worshipping without music and there seems to be something off-key about songs without instruments. As an atheist, worshipping is difficult for me to imagine doing at all. It's a part of faith that I do not understand and view with suspicion. Some forms of worship seem more like brainwashing or regular inoculations against doubt or disbelief.

 

[MaryL]

Phishing. I will be blunt. islam (lowercase is intentional) sucks, we would be better off without it. It is based on a lie, myth or fantasy. Fuck islam.

 

[percysunshine]

.

What? No Athiests?

Atheism is a religion. I was sure we had one or two of them. Maybe I was mistaken.

 

[Foxfyre]

These are taken directly from the SBC. They are neither assumptions nor erroneous.

All of those beliefs are scripturally sound, and are why the SBC is so successful. Yes, we believe different people have different roles.

Yes, I don't dispute the more conservative interpretation of scripture. But no musical instruments in some of the churches? That sure wouldn't be true of any Southern Baptists I've ever known, including the one I married, and I know a LOT of Southern Baptists. And they all line dance, square dance I'm pretty sure the SBC has not given an official position on dancing and leaves that up to the local congregations to decide. And while the SBC has taken the position that ordained positions in the church is restricted to men, it does not mandate that as a requirement for local congregations who also decide that issue for their own people. Our last real estate agent, a very lovely lady, was an ordained Deacon in her Southern Baptist congregation in Virginia.

I know a Southern Baptist whose church felt that it wasn't inappropriate to have musical instruments in church, at least not during services, and it is one of those areas that the SBC leaves up to individual congregations which is why I designated that statement with the word "some". Same with dancing.

I took the SBC's statement about only men being ordained as pastors for all their churches at their word. If your husband's church doesn't follow that practice then I was misinformed by the SBC or your husband's church doesn't follow the SBC's guidelines strictly.

I didn't say anything about my husband's church.

And none of the southern Baptist churches I know about think it is inappropriate to have instrumental music in the church so the Southern Baptist you're describing is very typical about that.

The old fashioned Church of Christ--not the UCC--and the Quakers, Amish, and Mennonites most usually don't have instrumental music in their churches. But the SBC takes no position on that in any way. I'm pretty sure you'll find a piano and/or organ in the auditorium of any Southern Baptist Church you visit and a number of Southern Baptist congregations, if not most, now have full fledged praise bands with guitars, drums, and other instruments. There isn't much better church music anywhere than that put out by the Southern Baptists.

One thing to know about the Southern Baptist Convention is that they do not dictate what the local congregations do in any way. They provide clear guidelines for what a Southern Baptist believes in matters of faith, but the local congregation is completely autonomous to set its own rules and practices.

I thought you were a woman, Foxfyre , or are you currently married to someone else?

That there is some autonomy among the many congregations of the SBC was my understanding. Perhaps my friend's church is atypical (though they do sing, she reports), my point stands nonetheless. As a musician, it would be difficult for me to imagine worshipping without music and there seems to be something off-key about songs without instruments. As an atheist, worshipping is difficult for me to imagine doing at all. It's a part of faith that I do not understand and view with suspicion. Some forms of worship seem more like brainwashing or regular inoculations against doubt or disbelief.

I am a woman and I have been married to my husband for a very long time now. But I did not mention his church. I only said that he was Southern Baptist. (He hasn't been Southern Baptist since two weeks before our wedding.)

And I don't know that it is impossible that there is a Southern Baptist congregation somewhere that doesn't have instrumental music in worship, but that would be so atypical and out of character for Southern Baptist congregations that I think it likely that you misunderstood your friend's religious affiliation. I think it more likely that she belongs to a small fundamentalist Baptist group that has no affiliation with the Southern Baptist Convention if she is indeed Baptist at all.. There are dozens of Baptist denominations in the USA and hundreds around the world that have no affiliation with the SBC.

As for worshipping without instruments, that is not my preference either--I am also a musician. But I will have to say after attending church with old fashioned Church of Christ and Mennonites, they do sing magnificently with no instrumental backup of any kind. You don't really miss the instruments. And as a former choir director, the few of those folks I was lucky enough to proselyte into my choir really strengthened the harmony sections. Just think of the popularity of a cappella groups like the Pentatonix et al. You forget they have no instrumental support at all.

 

[Foxfyre]

However, dragging the thread back on topic, I am not myself a member of the more authoritarian churches because I just am not fond of a lot of rules and dictates decided by people. I don't disagree with many of the tenets various churches adopt as their doctrine of belief and, while I don't think it necessary for salvation or my spiritual well being, I have to say I really feel like I've been to church in the more ritualistic church like the Roman Catholics, Episcopalians, et al.

But my personal faith pretty much hangs on Jesus's admonition to love the Lord with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: Love your neighbor as yourself. All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.

So I chose a congregation that gives me full rein to obey those two commandments and doesn't dictate a lot of rules and doctrine that I have to believe in a certain way in order to be in good standing. Does that mean I don't find much of the Bible instructive in what is good and true and edifying? Of course not. But I prefer a God down expression of my faith and I belong to a congregation that encourages that.

But I hasten to add that I do not try to discourage my brothers and sister in Christ or others who find great comfort and value in their different church traditions and I have great respect for those traditions. I do believe I have no clue of how or in how many different ways God will chose to work in the church and in the world.

 

[Coloradomtnman]

Phishing. I will be blunt. islam (lowercase is intentional) sucks, we would be better off without it. It is based on a lie, myth or fantasy. Fuck islam.

That's how many atheists feel about most religions.

 

[Coloradomtnman]

.

What? No Athiests?

Atheism is a religion. I was sure we had one or two of them. Maybe I was mistaken.

You are mistaken. Atheism is to religion what sobriety is to being drunk. It's just going without.

 

[Avatar4321]

Phishing. I will be blunt. islam (lowercase is intentional) sucks, we would be better off without it. It is based on a lie, myth or fantasy. Fuck islam.

That's how many atheists feel about most religions.

then the problem is too much feeling and not enough thinking

 

[Avatar4321]

.

What? No Athiests?

Atheism is a religion. I was sure we had one or two of them. Maybe I was mistaken.

You are mistaken. Atheism is to religion what sobriety is to being drunk. It's just going without.

atheism is another irrational philosophy of mam