I think the thirst was more Spiritual. I had always gone to Catholic mass before...done the routine. I was indifferent towards religion. Didn't really care too much if there was a God or not. I was always told there was a God by teachers, priests, friends, parents, etc. But it just wasn't the...
It's extremely hard to explain. I had a Baptist friend talk to me about this strange 'born again' concept. I never really understood what in the name of the Lord she was talking about until I had experienced myself.
On paper, I had always been a Roman Catholic, but as a young lad of 14-15...
I'd have to disagree there. You'll find that many moderate religious adherents support homosexuals and do not discriminate based on their beliefs...me being one of them. Rather, it is the extreme religions (or more often people who take religion to the extreme) that cause the problems. People...
Personally, I'm Roman Catholic and in this respect, Roman Catholicism is the polar opposite of Islam. Roman Catholicism is all about images and symbols. Growing up in this faith, I can see where it's coming from - the reason behind all of it. However, I can also see the Muslim viewpoint.
I grew...
If she wanted me to pray for him to lead a better life, being more Christ-like (though not necessarily a Christian...non-Christians can be Christ-like, too) - I'd do it in a flash. But she told me to pray that he "finds Christianity". That, in my opinion, means praying for his conversion. I...
My apologies if this has already been posted, but in Leviticus 20:13 it says "If a man lies with a male as with a woman, both of them have committed an abomination; they shall surely be put to death; their blood is upon them." The Bible explicitly calls for the slaying of all...
My friend spoke to me just yesterday. She couldn't stop crying, so I asked her what was wrong. She said that her boyfriend doesn't know God. Apparently this fellow isn't a Christian and this is really upsetting her. She asked me to pray to God that he 'finds God and becomes a Christian'.
I...
A damn good point, I must say. Every side has committed atrocities. Yes, there are Islamic terrorists...but for the sake of a few, that is no reason to discontinue an entire religion. I mean the vast majority of Muslims are not terrorists. Nobody has a right to dictate what others believe in. No...
Wow, *Paul*...that is certainly one way of looking at it. I agree 100% with that (granted, I only had time to scan it it through, though). It's definitely a good interpretation.
I understand what Baptism does...but I just feel a child should be able to choose what church he/she is part of at the right moment in their life. I grew up and am always around hardcore Catholics who kind of, in a sense, forced Catholicism on me. When I was younger, I didn't particularly...
Well, you see...there is more to it than these 6 questions. These are just some of the main points. I have a couple questions about the solas...but I'll save those for another time.
:) You are clearing things up. So, we've established the Rosary, Mary, and saints are not essential to the Catholic faith, although they should certainly be respected. I anticipate a similar answer for the Holy Spirit Cushion question. But...God answers all prayers, regardless of whether we pray...
Thank you for your response, gmelrod :). It somewhat cleared up my thoughts on infallibility...but I'm still not convinced. If there are a few Bible passages that support this...I would be very grateful if someone pointed them out for me. Even if this authority was granted to Peter through...
I don't find Church-going an integral to your relationship with God. Being in a different building will not change anything. God is omnipresent, omniscient, omnipotent...however many omnis you want. Basically, my point is God is all around us. Being in a different building won't affect how God...
I quite these forums for a while. I needed to think about where I was on the religious scope of things. These forums were good at informing me, but equally effective in confusing me. I needed God to direct me, not the Internet. So, I quit these forums for two or three months. Before I left, I...
You know...I'm going to leave RF for awhile. I've been questioning my faith way too much and I need to build my relationship with God first before I question, so I will be working on that. I thank all of you. I have learned so much from here and I genuinely thank you all for your kindness and...
Paul, first I would like to thank you for making a thoughtout defence of this...taking the time to do so. It is a welcome change.
Alright...I have a couple questions:
1. The Bible was pieced together BY MAN at the councils of Nicaea, Hippo, and Carthage. Some were left out. Not only were...