Christian usage of words

When Jewish people or Muslim convert to their religion they say I converted.

Christians go through alter call rituals to accept Jesus as personal Lord and savior of their heart.Sometimes they say they Jesus Christ into their heart.

It's off to me. I went crazy in my early 20s verbally saying the sinners prayer I accept Jesus into my life then when nothing happened so wondered why.

So I think for me it was a magical incantation or chant that was suppose to instantly change my life and it didn't work.

My grandmother told me that when her old Baptist church had people answer the alter call;it was to convert to Christianity. The whole sinners prayer deal didn't come along till later.

My issue with it is it doesn't make sense that you would invite a man God into your heart. I don't believe in Jesus but if I did why ask him into my heart it's not in the bible.

It says if you confess with your mouth believe he is Lord but belief is not the same this verbal ritual of accepting Jesus.

My guy friend John said who has aspergers says this. Christians who try to get him to accept Jesus have a science fiction feel of their religion and I agree.

He said he thinks they're telling him to ask Jesus in because Jesus is an alien trying to posses his body and take over planet earth for an alien planet.

I actually think that's a great description of it The sinners prayer and alter call ritual doesn't make any sense to me.

Riders said:

He said he thinks they're telling to him to ask Jesus in because Jesus is an alien trying to posses his body and take over planet earth for an alien planet.

Click to expand...

This is the best thing I've read in a long while.

Some religious idea bubbles up from the nether reaches of a person's subconscious and since they're not consciously aware of where it come from they assume it was place there by God.

Riders said:

When Jewish people or Muslim convert to their religion they say I converted.

Christians go through alter call rituals to accept Jesus as personal Lord and savior of their heart.Sometimes they say they Jesus Christ into their heart.

It's off to me. I went crazy in my early 20s verbally saying the sinners prayer I accept Jesus into my life then when nothing happened so wondered why.

So I think for me it was a magical incantation or chant that was suppose to instantly change my life and it didn't work.

My grandmother told me that when her old Baptist church had people answer the alter call;it was to convert to Christianity. The whole sinners prayer deal didn't come along till later.

My issue with it is it doesn't make sense that you would invite a man God into your heart. I don't believe in Jesus but if I did why ask him into my heart it's not in the bible.

It says if you confess with your mouth believe he is Lord but belief is not the same this verbal ritual of accepting Jesus.

My guy friend John said who has aspergers says this. Christians who try to get him to accept Jesus have a science fiction feel of their religion and I agree.

He said he thinks they're telling him to ask Jesus in because Jesus is an alien trying to posses his body and take over planet earth for an alien planet.

I actually think that's a great description of it The sinners prayer and alter call ritual doesn't make any sense to me.

Click to expand...

I've said the sinner's prayer about 16ish by my choice at home(1st), gone through the altar call both anointed and with the cross one time at one church (2nd). I changed churches and went to the altar without anointment but a sign in another (3rd). A pentecostal church "saved" me into their membership by water baptism in the name of jesus (4th). I didn't "feel" christian until I took the sacraments of christ in the Roman Catholic Church. Where you are called to the altar, anointed, forgiven baptized, and given communion all at once. It's a communal salvation which has always been in scripture, a group salvation not an individual one. Abraham's people. Moses's people. The Isrealites. The Apostles. The body of Christ.

Anointing with oil (altar call sometimes if one can't go to the altar, they just anoint your head and sign the cross) It's done for the sick. So, I'd assume since we are "sick with sin" the anointment is used for sinners as well as the sick.


Altar calls Are not specifically in scripture. It's a public confession that one gives their life to christ. The act of communion is an "altar call". You're communing or joining with the body of christ by your confession to be a part of this body rather than isolated from it as a "believer" only.

Full initiation: Catholicism (Roman and Orthodox) has the full initiation into the body of christ/community of believers. It's not just say it with your mouth or baptized in water. It's a full initiation to where one is part of the body through one's heart, action, and voice.

Baptism: Mathew 29:19

Confirmation: Romans 10:9

Confession: Acts 3:19

Communion: 1 Corinthians 12

Too many to count, really.

Maybe you didn't get it in your heart because it was only a verbal conviction and you need something to do that will bring you into salvation. Rituals or acts such as jesus washing people's feets and other things are actions. Rituals are highly belittled but if you actually believe in the words and scriptures that back them, just as I believe that when I paint or draw, my product would be a work of art, that can't happen until I do it. Saying "I can paint a house" over and over doesn't work. I have to actually use my brush and paint and do the work.

That is what protestants are missing. Non liturgical protestants still have some parts of rituals from Catholicism, though they don't want to admit it. Most churches even JW have rituals in general. It's just acting in your salvation. When you do charity and give to the poor, you don't think "oh, I should just say 'I will give to them' instead because the ritual/act of actually doing so is wrong." No. If you really believe in scripture, you live it. It doesn't start after you saved.

It is salvation itself.

That is why altar calls and other rituals are done. Just people have different views on why they do things.

Riders said:

When Jewish people or Muslim convert to their religion they say I converted.

Christians go through alter call rituals to accept Jesus as personal Lord and savior of their heart.Sometimes they say they Jesus Christ into their heart.

It's off to me. I went crazy in my early 20s verbally saying the sinners prayer I accept Jesus into my life then when nothing happened so wondered why.

So I think for me it was a magical incantation or chant that was suppose to instantly change my life and it didn't work.

My grandmother told me that when her old Baptist church had people answer the alter call;it was to convert to Christianity. The whole sinners prayer deal didn't come along till later.

My issue with it is it doesn't make sense that you would invite a man God into your heart. I don't believe in Jesus but if I did why ask him into my heart it's not in the bible.

It says if you confess with your mouth believe he is Lord but belief is not the same this verbal ritual of accepting Jesus.

My guy friend John said who has aspergers says this. Christians who try to get him to accept Jesus have a science fiction feel of their religion and I agree.

He said he thinks they're telling him to ask Jesus in because Jesus is an alien trying to posses his body and take over planet earth for an alien planet.

I actually think that's a great description of it The sinners prayer and alter call ritual doesn't make any sense to me.

Click to expand...

Hey, been there, done that. Ditto though, it didn't stick. Jesus as an alien? There's life Riders, but not as we know it!

Riders said:

When Jewish people or Muslim convert to their religion they say I converted.
Christians go through alter call rituals to accept Jesus as personal Lord and savior of their heart.Sometimes they say they Jesus Christ into their heart.
It's off to me. I went crazy in my early 20s verbally saying the sinners prayer I accept Jesus into my life then when nothing happened so wondered why.
So I think for me it was a magical incantation or chant that was suppose to instantly change my life and it didn't work.
My grandmother told me that when her old Baptist church had people answer the alter call;it was to convert to Christianity. The whole sinners prayer deal didn't come along till later.
My issue with it is it doesn't make sense that you would invite a man God into your heart. I don't believe in Jesus but if I did why ask him into my heart it's not in the bible.
It says if you confess with your mouth believe he is Lord but belief is not the same this verbal ritual of accepting Jesus.
My guy friend John said who has aspergers says this. Christians who try to get him to accept Jesus have a science fiction feel of their religion and I agree.
He said he thinks they're telling him to ask Jesus in because Jesus is an alien trying to posses his body and take over planet earth for an alien planet.
I actually think that's a great description of it The sinners prayer and alter call ritual doesn't make any sense to me.

Click to expand...

Of course the sinner's prayer and altar call ritual doesn't make sense to you because that is Not what Jesus taught.
Any thoughts about Matthew 15:19; Mark 7:24 because doesn't that show Jesus is Not in the heart.
After all, Jeremiah 17:9 tells us the heart is treacherous in that the imperfect heart is like a traitor inside of us.
First, the heart prompts us to do something, then after we do something the heart gives us all the reasons why we should Not have done what we did in the first place!

P.S. tell John he makes a lot of sense ( about so-called Christians - Matthew 7:21-23)