A few questions for Christians

[PruePhillip]

Be careful. God is love, not a book.

If God is not a "book" then God can be anything you want him or her to be.
The book that we have, both Old and New Testaments, was given by people
over a 2,000 year period. In symbolic and literal language this book is focused
upon the Messiah. That it survives, and its symbolic representation of God's
people, the Jews, is simply amazing.

 

[Cooky]

If God is not a "book" then God can be anything you want him or her to be.
The book that we have, both Old and New Testaments, was given by people
over a 2,000 year period. In symbolic and literal language this book is focused
upon the Messiah. That it survives, and its symbolic representation of God's
people, the Jews, is simply amazing.

I don't want God to be anything or any way. He is what he is.

...But fundamentalism is a trap.

It helps to be open, because the bible does not hold the fullness of truth. It only has limited information, and when people stretch that information to make it all encompassing, rather than using their conscience, they loose sight of being open.

 

[Neutral Name]

Be careful. God is love, not a book.

Thank you. I see a lot of good in a lot of Catholics. You are a fine example of a good Christian.

 

[metis]

I gotta be very brief.

What caused you to become a Christian?

Jesus' most basic teachings on having love and compassion for all.

What does being a Christian mean to you?

To try and act the same way, and when we fail, pick ourselves up, and try and do better.

How do you think Jesus wants you to live?

With compassion and love for all people, but also our entire environment.

It's one very difficult challenge for me, but struggle with it I must because I truly feel it's simply the right thing to do-- thus no "reward" needed.

 

[Neutral Name]

If God is not a "book" then God can be anything you want him or her to be.
The book that we have, both Old and New Testaments, was given by people
over a 2,000 year period. In symbolic and literal language this book is focused
upon the Messiah. That it survives, and its symbolic representation of God's
people, the Jews, is simply amazing.

How can you be non-religious but tell a Catholic Christian about the Bible being the word?

 

[David1967]

What caused you to become a Christian?

No big conversion story. I was raised Christian.

What does being a Christian mean to you?

Trying to live my life as Jesus instructed. Showing compassion to others. Empathy. Slow to judgment.

How do you think Jesus wants you to live?

Same answer as my answer to question 2.

 

[Eddi]

I am trying to understand why people are Christians and what it means to them to be a Christian. So, I have three questions.

What caused you to become a Christian?

What does being a Christian mean to you?

How do you think Jesus wants you to live?

Here are my answers:

1) My belief in God lead me into becoming a Christian. One thing lead to another. Such is life...

2) It’s a certain way of life and a way of being a certain type of person (i.e. a Christian!) and is a lot to live up to!

3) By treating others ethically and with compassion and by helping make Earth a better place for everyone

 

[BilliardsBall]

I am trying to understand why people are Christians and what it means to them to be a Christian. So, I have three questions.

What caused you to become a Christian?

What does being a Christian mean to you?

How do you think Jesus wants you to live?

1) As an adult in college, I read the Bible and was astonished at the love and power in both testaments--I trusted Jesus for salvation after resisting this pull for quite some time

2) A Christian, to me, is someone who, after trusting Jesus for salvation, wears that label proudly and tries to do what Jesus asks

3) Like #2 above

 

[Vee]

I am trying to understand why people are Christians and what it means to them to be a Christian. So, I have three questions.

What caused you to become a Christian?

What does being a Christian mean to you?

How do you think Jesus wants you to live?

What caused you to become a Christian? I studied the Bible and found answers to the most important questions I had, such as what is the purpose of life and what we can hope for the future.

What does being a Christian mean to you? It's hard to be a Christian in the world today, but I find it very rewarding. For me it's seeing the proverbial light at the end of the tunnel.

How do you think Jesus wants you to live? According to the same values he thought and lived by.

 

[PruePhillip]

How can you be non-religious but tell a Catholic Christian about the Bible being the word?

Catholics have a difficult relationship with the bible, particularly the New Testament.

 

[whirlingmerc]

I am trying to understand why people are Christians and what it means to them to be a Christian. So, I have three questions.

What caused you to become a Christian?
I used to be agnostic but found there to be support for the Bible claims. I would not say that's the main reason I believe. The Bible says 'taste and see that the Lord is good" Experiencing that is part of the reason.

What does being a Christian mean to you?
Glorifying God by leaning on the work of Jesus on the cross, believing for eternal life.
The dospel is not the little thing that tips you into the kingdom and then you move on, it's the big thing you live all of life and go deeper nd deeper into it.

How do you think Jesus wants you to live?

In one sense desires are changed
In another sense you die to sin with the help of the Holy Spirit.

 

[metis]

Catholics have a difficult relationship with the bible, particularly the New Testament.

Not really, although we don't use the approach of the scriptures supposedly being inerrant.

 

[Sand Dancer]

I am trying to understand why people are Christians and what it means to them to be a Christian. So, I have three questions.

What caused you to become a Christian?

What does being a Christian mean to you?

How do you think Jesus wants you to live?

I am not now but I can answer from when I was.
1. After watching A Thief in the Night, I was afraid of being left behind.
2. When I was Christian, it was about worshiping Jesus. Now I think it was supposed to be about following his teachings.
3. When I was Christian, I thought it was about being "holy," but now I think it is putting others first and treating them the way we want to be treated.

 

[PruePhillip]

Not really, although we don't use the approach of the scriptures supposedly being inerrant.

Fundamentally, the practices of the Roman Catholic Church, by the Middle Ages, was
about as opposite to the practices of the Apostolic Church as you can get. The RCC
had seized the power, wealth and glory of Rome. It had largely reverted to the laws and
institutions of the Old Testament - the very things the Apostles rejected. The RCC had
holy days, alternative documents to the bible, alternate saints, alien philosophies, a
return to the physical sanctuary, enormous judicial power - even a 600 year reign of
terror against Jews and apostates where about one million people died. I don't see the
Gospel in any of this - even Mary queen of heaven is risible.

 

[metis]

Fundamentally, the practices of the Roman Catholic Church, by the Middle Ages, was
about as opposite to the practices of the Apostolic Church as you can get.

Not really, but I'll move on.

The RCC
had seized the power, wealth and glory of Rome.

Even though the emperor and the pope were quite separate people with different sovereign areas, sometimes the emperors "pulled rank" on a pope by forcing an appointment that the Vatican couldn't stop. IOW, it wasn't intended by the Church to be this way.

BTW, sometimes the same thing happened with Protestant countries as well, so why didn't you cite them on this as well?

It had largely reverted to the laws and
institutions of the Old Testament - the very things the Apostles rejected.

Not really as Jewish Law (halacha) was never imposed on the congregations, and Canon Law definitely is not halacha. All denominations and churches have laws/rules of one type or another, which is standard procedure for running any organization.

The RCC had
holy days,

As do all religions and all Christian denominations.

alternative documents to the bible,

None surpass the Bible, and the Apocrypha was considered by many feeling that it should be part of the canon, but because of disagreements that decision was tabled until centuries later.

alternate saints,

So?

We don't worship saints, btw.

even a 600 year reign of
terror against Jews and apostates where about one million people died.

Definitely a very sorry series of events, no doubt, but the Church never ordered nor wanted Jews, nor any other group for that matter, to be the victims of genocide. Many Catholics, including some bishops and two popes (one becoming pope later-- JPII), tried to hide and "baptize" Jews in order to save them.

I don't see the
Gospel in any of this - even Mary queen of heaven is risible.

I don't see any of the Gospel in your post-- only anti-Catholic bigotry.

BTW, Mary being the "Queen of Heaven" is not taken at the literal level within the Church as it's really more symbolic terminology because of her status being Jesus' mother. Basically, without Jesus she would be just another person.

Finally, it might be wise to look things up or even ask questions here instead of inventing or parroting falsehoods.

 

[robocop (actually)]

I am trying to understand why people are Christians and what it means to them to be a Christian. So, I have three questions.

What caused you to become a Christian?

What does being a Christian mean to you?

How do you think Jesus wants you to live?

I wanted to do what was right and then I believed it.
It means I can be a part-time missionary to prepare the Earth for the future.
Like He said in the New Testament and Book of Mormon.

 

[Sand Dancer]

If God is not a "book" then God can be anything you want him or her to be.
The book that we have, both Old and New Testaments, was given by people
over a 2,000 year period. In symbolic and literal language this book is focused
upon the Messiah. That it survives, and its symbolic representation of God's
people, the Jews, is simply amazing.

People sometimes worship a book as if it were a deity. Gods can be whatever we want them to be. They don't actually exist, but represent aspects of nature, etc.

 

[PruePhillip]

People sometimes worship a book as if it were a deity. Gods can be whatever we want them to be. They don't actually exist, but represent aspects of nature, etc.

Interesting. How do YOU explain the story of the Jews? They are given as a symbol of God's
people in the bible, and the Holy Land is a symbol of God's promise. The Jews were taken
out of captivity and given the "Promised Land." It was foretold they would reject their Messiah
to the Gentiles, and they would lose their land until the Gentiles time was finished. For 2,000
years the Jews remained a distinct but subjugated people. But in our time they have returned
to their Promised Land and resurrected their ancient language.
Kind of hard to make that up. Lots of Jews don't believe this stuff - but it happened.
God has a people of His own, and He has a Promise for those who love Him.

 

[Deeje]

What caused you to become a Christian?

I was raised by parents who were "Christian" but not "churchy".
God was real to me always and I loved the Bible even as a child. I never became attached to the church because I didn't ever feel that God was in a building. He was in people who did good things for others. I always wanted to get to know him better, but no one ever had the answers to my many questions.

What does being a Christian mean to you?

Being a Christian means living as Christ recommended and sharing what we have with others as the need arises. It's being kind and hospitable, rather than being "churchy" and only doing "charity" work. Helping fellow believers physically was important, but helping them to really know and love God as Jesus did, and having their questions answered never really materialized for me. I found that frustrating so I left the church believing that I was probably better off out of that environment, but I never left God. I never stopped wanting answers though. I knew there had to be answers......for a time I went searching but came up empty. Just when I had given up hope, one group of Christians provided the answers I had been searching for.....I didn't find them, they found me.....and the answers they provided all came from my own Bible. It's been a very rewarding journey.

How do you think Jesus wants you to live?

He tells us exactly how he wants us to live. To be spiritually well fed, to be morally clean and to spread the word about his kingdom as the only hope for mankind. In this world, that is getting harder......but with God's help, we can rise above the moral degradation and wickedness around us by not succumbing to its loose morals and it's racial and political hatreds.

Being part of a close and loving spiritual family is what Jesus taught.....one flock, under one Shepherd. That gives us spiritual security in a world where religious confusion is rife and more and more are opting for a secular life. For the spiritually minded, that just doesn't work. God cannot be put in a closet and visited once in a while when it's convenient. His laws must be observed without compromise or excuse. He must be the hub of a Christian's life, influencing every decision and action. You can tell the real Christians by how much they love God and each other, as well as how willingly they obey Christ's teachings....all of them, not just the convenient ones.

That is my experience.

 

[Sand Dancer]

Interesting. How do YOU explain the story of the Jews? They are given as a symbol of God's
people in the bible, and the Holy Land is a symbol of God's promise. The Jews were taken
out of captivity and given the "Promised Land." It was foretold they would reject their Messiah
to the Gentiles, and they would lose their land until the Gentiles time was finished. For 2,000
years the Jews remained a distinct but subjugated people. But in our time they have returned
to their Promised Land and resurrected their ancient language.
Kind of hard to make that up. Lots of Jews don't believe this stuff - but it happened.
God has a people of His own, and He has a Promise for those who love Him.

Much of the Bible was taken from previous religion. No evidence for the exodus. Their messiah was a human, not a god. Yes, they wanted to make sure Yahweh would bless them by staying separate. I don't think all of it is made up, but obviously deities are made up.