Are you - or are you NOT - a Christian?

Oh father high in heaven - smile down upon your son
whose busy with his money games - his women and his gun.
Oh Jesus save me!
And the unsung Western hero killed an Indian or three
and made his name in Hollywood
to set the white man free.
Oh Jesus save me!
If Jesus saves - well, He'd better save Himself
from the gory glory seekers who use His name in death.
Oh Jesus save me!
I saw him in the city and on the mountains of the moon
His cross was rather bloody
He could hardly roll His stone.
Oh Jesus save me!

" If current trends continue, Christianity will become a minority religion in the U.S. about the year 2042, and in Canada about 2023."

True Scotsman Fallacy:
http://www.infidels.org/news/atheism/logic.html#scots

Used by Atheists to point out problems with religions

Yep, but he's insanely overrated. His miracles are hype, his philosophy sucks. He had some good PR people and spin doctors, that's all

i think everyone can agree that the ten commandments are pretty basic rules to live by

keep your hands off my wife and quit coveting my escalade and i wont kill you or steal

fair

is that due to the immigration polices? or Jimmy Swaggart?

"Religion ist das Opium des Volkes."

I've always wondered how things like religions get started.

One theory of mine: 2,000 years ago, paranoid schizophrenics were not diagnosed, drugged, or put in hospitals. They just wondered the earth telling everyone about the wonderful voices and visions they had...

Not all schizophrenics are violent and without the knowledge of it being a sickness, they could easily believe their visions as truths -- and determine that a "higher power" was talking to them.

Coveting thy neighbor's goods. As George Carlin says... That is just plain fucking stupid. Coveting keeps the economy in line. Your neighbor gets a turbo-charged vibrator ejaculating dildo... you wanna go get one too. Coveting is good, leave it alone.

i am not christian, nor was i raised to be so. i do believe in a higher power, and i don't believe that a higher power would have a gender - why would it have, when gender is about reproduction?

i am constantly amazed at the number of people who say they are christians when they do not follow the word of christ - which is fully available to all in the bible.

i have only known a few people who consider themselves christian who i also consider christian. or that's the way i'm reading it, and i have read the bible. people who do not judge, do not live for money or power (whether over their own children or over a larger group) and who love unconditionally - as jesus says to in the bible. if you're willing to kill for ANY reason, you are going against the commandments - and this ain't court. your ultimate intentions count, not just having an excuse.

george carlin narrowed it way down and he is correct for our current societal state

the simple fact of the matter is, in a perfect, ideally utopian (albeit communist) society, people would be content with what they have and live to serve others. i wouldn't mind being a doctor working for free helping to stitch a farmer up because that farmer picks food so i don't have to.

etc etc etc jesus saves

Islam is on the rise. Probably from 12clicks recruiting practices.

Wrong

I am.

Son of god start that shit, and he ask his sons to be our kings and lead us like sheeps

Don't they usually ask if you are Prostestant, Catholic, Jewish, or other?

You ask 50 people "what is a Christian" and you will get 50 different answers....

And of course, I don't worship George Carlin. The Coveting line was written before assembly lines. So coveting a neighbor's goods meant that you were coveting one paticular thing on the earth that could not be duplicated -- so the only way to possess that good was to steal it.

Nice society, yep a little too communist and ultimately flawed.

Religion at its basic root is Paganism. It all can be lumped into one heading which would be Pagen. To say you are Pagen as to say you are set apart from "traditional" religous practices is nieve. This is not ment as an insult at all.. I hope you understand that. Every form of religion is based on a pagenistic belief system.

i'm not religious, too cynical to take a 'leap of faith'..

would be nice to believe i'm sure, but I can't do it.

which reminds me of this quote from Bush Sr.

Nah, you just call yourself one ;)

"Peganism" is often referred to by Pegans as "the old religion", or "the ancient religion". Its no secret that most religious practices stem from Pegans (i.e.- the YULE log, Xmas trees). Its the other beliefs that are uninformed...Pegans are usually equiped with this info while studying.

That's neopaganism. There's a slight difference. A Wiccan is not the same as a Druid, or an Asatru'er or a Kemetic, etc. There isn't one old religion there are many.

Eclectic Dianic Wiccan, with some Discordian thrown in there to spice things up. Hail Eris!

satan rulz

I am an Assembly of God Pastor's son. I've been raised in BS all my life.

Christian Literally means (according to the Bible) "Christ Like". Therefore, there are VERY FEW Christians.

And there are NO Christians in this business, no matter what one wishes to believe. Christ would not be involved in this business. He may hang out and be non-judgemental of people in the business, but he wouldn't be involved in it.

Religion is just a psychological way for people to deal with certain issues. Take death for example: if your 3 year old was just killed by a random drive by, you WANT to believe you'll see him again. The reality of the senseless loss would screw up too many people's heads. Religion allows people to cope with day to day realities without going crazy.

The reality of life is that there may or may not be a higher power (I believe there is) but even if there IS a higher power, it doesn't give a shit about us and there will NOT be an afterlife.

Karma

technology is god

Actually I know exactly what you mean.. in fact a lot of major "religious" holidays have their basic roots in paganism. However the belief systems are much different, as are the beliefs about the "afterlife" and the "godhead" itself.

They integrated paganism into "organized" religion to make it more appealing to the masses who were already entrenched in paganism and had been for centuries. Myself, however, and many like me DO have different belief systems. I simply choose to categorize it as "pagan" as oppossed to any specific camp of wicca or earth religions, because everyone has their own way of communing with the powers that be, and I prefer not to have any restrictions put on my beliefs by stereotypes. What I believe and how I practice is between myself and mother earth.

Very true, however their basic belief systems are pretty much the same, and most of them acknowledge that fact too. When I say Pagan, I don't mean any one specific religion.. a lot of pagans have various mixes of old earth religions that they believe in/practice. That's the beauty of it though..There IS no one right way. You follow your heart and whatever your heart says, as long as it doesn't hurt anyone else, is the right way for you.

Merry meet and hail sister. Goddesses blessings upon you and yours

Exactly! Very well said Donovan... I only copied this part of your post, but evey part of it was right on the mark... in my belief system anyways (as warped as that may be these days)

Thanks

I am athiest.

I'm a recovering catholic

Jesus Is Just Alright Lyrics
The Doobie Brothers

Doo doo doo doo doo doo doo doo
Doo doo doo doo doo doo doo doo
Doo doo doo doo doo doo doo doo
Doo doo doo doo doo doo

Jesus is just alright with me
Jesus is just alright, oh yeah
Jesus is just alright with me
Jesus is just alright

I don't care what they may say
I don't care what they may do
I don't care what they may say
Jesus is just alright, oh yeah
Jesus is just alright

Doo doo doo doo doo doo doo doo
Doo doo doo doo doo doo doo doo
Doo doo doo doo doo doo doo doo
Doo doo doo doo doo doo

Jesus is just alright with me
Jesus is just alright, oh yeah
Jesus is just alright with me
Jesus is just alright

I don't care what they may know
I don't care where they may go
I don't care where they may go
Jesus is just alright, oh yeah !



Jesus, he's my friend
I said Jesus, he's my friend
He took me by the hand
He let me far from this land
Jesus, he's my friend !



Jesus is just alright with me
Jesus is just alright, oh yeah
Jesus is just alright with me
Jesus is just alright

I don't care what they may say
I don't care what they may do
I don't care what they may say
Jesus is just alright, oh yeah

The difference between a cult and a religion is a hundred years. Look at the Mormons. Not to long ago they were considered a cult. Now days they are more of considered a religion.

The new testament was written 300 years after jesus was supposed of lived. What is written in the new testament was not written by people that followed jesus around, but some people that where hired by the church 300 years later to make new books for the bible. The church at that time chose which books would and would not be added to make up the new testament. Alot of what was written 300 years later is alot of hype to get new members to the church and very inacurate from the facts of what probably really did happen (if it did happen at all).

I'd also have to agree completely with what donovan says.

CULT - you are not allowed to leave
RELIGION - you are allowed to leave
also religion accepts all you go with the following, you will never see a mentally challenged person in a cult

Many in the religious world today believe and teach the doctrine that we are saved by faith only. They teach that all one has to do is pray a "sinners prayer" and God will forgive their sins and at that point, they will be saved.
I believe with all my heart that man is saved by faith in the Lord. And that men will be saved eternally by faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. I have always believed that without faith it is impossible to please God, I believe this because the Bible teaches this. I do not believe in the doctrine of " salvation by faith only" because it is false, not taught in the Bible. There is a great difference between the two.
The doctrine of faith only was made popular by Martin Luther. His break from the Roman Catholic Church resulted in the first protestant denomination. Martin Luther's protest to the false doctrine of salvation by the works of the Catholic Church was the cause of his contending for salvation by faith only. In other words, as a protest against one false doctrine he fathered another. In his swing away from the accepted idea of saved by Catholic works doctrine, he did
not stop with the Bible truth of salvation by faith, but ended up teaching the doctrine of faith alone.
His trouble and the trouble with most people that believe this false doctrine was and is a misunderstanding of what the Bible means by the term "works." In other words, a misunderstanding of the Bible word, "works," was really the cause of Luther's preaching the doctrine of salvation by faith alone. here is what I mean. Luther saw Paul teaching in Eph. 2:8-9 salvation is not by works and then read James 2:24 were James says we are not justified by faith only but by works. He could not correlate the two. His decision was to reject the inspired writings of James. The trouble was not with James and the trouble was not with Paul; the trouble was with Luther's misunderstanding of the term "works" and how it is often used in the New Testament.
The word works is used in at least three ways in the New Testament.

1. Sometimes the word refers to the works of the Old Testament or the works of the law of Moses.

2. Sometimes the word is used to refer to our own personal plans, mans ideas, or traditions devised by men. Of course we don't believe that these works will lead us to God or save us from sin. We could call these our own works or works of men, or works of men's righteousness.

3. And there is the kind the Bible calls the "works of God." If we do not under stand the clear difference between these terms as used in the Bible then we will always have a difficulty understanding Gods plan of salvation By faith in Christ.

* The works of God

In John 6:28 people came and asked Jesus " What shall we do that we may work the works of God?" Jesus answers in verse 29 "this is the work of God that you believe on him whom He hath sent." Yes Jesus said that to believe on Christ is to do the works of God. Yes,faith in the Lord is a work of God. FAITH IS A WORK. It is not the kind of works that Paul is speaking of in Eph. 2:8-9. Jesus said it was the work of God. When God gives a command, and man obeys, man is working the works of God. The act of obedience to Gods command is not the work of man. It is the work of God. Personal obedience to the will of the Lord is the Work of God. Faith is a work. Jesus said so. If you
are saved by faith, you are saved by works. You cannot believe insalvation by faith and disbelieve in salvation by the works of God.
You can believe in salvation by faith and reject the doctrine of salvation by the works of men. You can Believe in salvation by faith in the Lord and disbelieve the proposition of salvation by the works of the law of Moses. Neither salvation by the works of man nor by the works of the law of Moses is true. But, salvation by faith in Christ and salvation by the works of God-they are both true.They are both taught in the New Testament.

*THE WORKS OF MEN

Eph. 2:8-9 "By grace are ye saved through faith: and that not of yourselves. It is the gift of God: not of works, lest any man should boast." Study the context you will see that Paul does not have in mind the same kind of works that James is referring to in James 2:24 where James says we are justified by works.In Eph. 2: Paul is speaking of our own personal goodness. He means our own deeds that we devised ourselves. to paraphrase, you can't do it yourself; you can not devise yourself schemes or plans or traditions or righteous ceremonies that will save you. You can not do enough of your own invention to save yourself or make yourself worthy of salvation.

* THE WORKS OF THE LAW

Paul in Romans chapter four discusses Abraham and the justification of this patriarch of God ages before the law of the Jews was given to them at Mt. Sinai. He is proving that Abraham was not justified by works but rather by faith in God. Careful reading shows that Paul has in mind the Works of the law of Moses-the deeds of the law of the Jewish nation.. Rom. 3:20 says, "for by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight." Paul speaks here of the law of Moses, "by the deeds of that law"-by the obedience of that law
you cannot be redeemed or saved in Gods sight. Paul says that Abraham was not saved by that old law. He is arguing with those Jews in Rome who were still holding to the idea that the rites and ceremonies and traditions handed down to them by their fathers and received from Moses would save them. The works of the O. T. law will not save us.

* "SAVING FAITH" IS "OBEDIENT FAITH"

Often times in the New Testament the word faith is used as"saving faith" and often the term believer means a " saved believer." Whenever you find that faith saves, or the expression saving faith, it always means obedient faith. Saving faith is obedient faith.
Whenever you find a believer that is saved you always find an obedient believer. His obedience is always included in the expression or idea of faith. If the believer is saved then that believer has obeyed. Saving faith always includes obedience. Rom.13:11 talks of those that believed, these were obedient believers as we see when we go back and see them in Rom. 6:3-4.. Paul tells us when and how they believed in chapter 6 he tells us very plainly that these same
persons had been baptized by a burial and that is when their newness of life began. Rom. 13 talks about "obedient faith" Rom. 6 explains that "obedient faith", Look at Rom. 6:17 "But God be thanked, that ye were the servants of sin, but ye have obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine which was delivered you."

* EPHESIAN'S FAITH INCLUDES OBEDIENCE

Check out Acts 19, Paul goes to Ephesus and there finds 12 disciples who knew only the baptism of John and Paul said "Have ye received the Holy Spirit SINCE YE BELIEVED?" Look at what they said; "We have not so much as heard that there be any Holy Spirit." Paul said unto them, " Unto what then were ye baptized?" They said "Unto Johns baptism."
Reading this passage carefully you can see that their baptism was included in the term "believed." Baptism is a command of God.Repentance is a command of God and these are included in the idea of Bible faith or saving faith because saving faith is obeying faith.

* CRISPUS SAVED BY OBEDIENT FAITH

Read Acts 18 for this example.

* JAILER'S BELIEVING INCLUDES OBEYING

Read Acts 16 for this example.

* THE KIND OF FAITH THAT WILL NOT SAVE

John 12:42-43 is an example of the kind of faith that will not save. "Nevertheless among the chief rulers also many BELIEVED on Him but because of the pharisees they did not confess him lest they should be put out of the synagogue, for they loved the praise of men more than the praise of God." Saving faith is faith that obeys.
Is there any one that cannot quote Jno. 3:16? I do not think so. Lets look at verse 36 of this same chapter. " He that believeth on the son hath everlasting life, but he that obeyeth not the Son shall not see life, for the wrath of God abideth on him.(R.S.V.) Look at it carefully, what's the negative of he that believeth. He that obeyeth not. Why should this be worded like this? He that believeth on the son means the obedient believer. That is why he then could logically say in the next part,"he that obeyeth not" or " he that believeth
not." Hebrews 5:9 And being made perfect he became the author of eternal
salvation unto all who obey him; Author of eternal salvation to who? Believers that obey him. Gal.3:26" For ye are all children of God by faith in the Lord Jesus." Faith made them God's children, the question is if faith made them God's children then how did faith do it? God answers this in the very next verse. Verse 27 " for as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ." That is the inspired writers explanation of how faith makes us God's children. Obedience is again included in saving faith.

* HOW TO LET YOUR FAITH SAVE YOU

Mankind has devised so many different plans of salvation it seems difficult to know who to listen to. Man is not the author of salvation, Jesus Christ is. Lets hear Him; Christ said, "Believe on me." Then he tells me to repent of my sins, and then he commands me to be baptized for the forgiveness of my sins ( Acts 2:38 ). He promises to save the baptized believer Mark 16:16. That is Gods plan
of redemption for mankind revealed to us in his Holy Word.

Immagration would be my guess but I have no stats... Brujah?


For the record Yes I am

She is a krewl bitch with one hell of a sence fo humor

So, wanna dance around the maypole and run naked under the full moon?

Wanna be an alter? I'll desecrate you, but you gotta let me take pictures.

as i said on my last census form, i am a jedi knight.


'may the force be with you.'

You need to look up the definition of cult in the dictionary or something.
http://www.spiritwatch.org/cultdef.htm
http://creativeideas.org.uk/cult_definition.htm
http://dictionary.reference.com/search?q=cult

A cult has nothing to do with not being allowed to leave.