<p>um... did AOM just acknowledge the invaluablity of free time????</p>
<p>nah.</p>
<p>I want to see you're lovely face radio!! </p>
<p>Whats you're facebook?</p>
<p>Did you guys join the combine our potential group?</p>
<p>I haven't had the time (nor the willpower) to check it out yet.</p>
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I hate feeling inferior toward other people... Leave bro. Utilize your invaluable time toward other things.
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<p>You obviously don't know the value of a social life. I'd rather hang out with my youth group than feel superior to all the dumbasses at school.</p>
<p>I am a satanist. I worship my master lucifer and believe God is the true evil.</p>
<p>^ Theistic Satanists scare me, but I respect them more than the pussy LaVeyan Satanists.</p>
<p>That's not how Satanism works...</p>
<p>It's called theistic Satanism, where you believe in God and literally worship Satan.</p>
<p>I've been raised a Conservative Jew but I'd say I'm more of a Reform Jew. I had my Bat Mitzvah but since then I only go back to Temple on the most important Holy Days (Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kippur, Passover). I don't keep Kosher nor do I pray on a regular basis. I'm also pretty sure my family's never had a Shabbat dinner on Friday night.</p>
<p>I'm Jewish, although I was raised in a household where God was never mentioned. Three years in a Jewish high school did teach me some things, but nowhere near enough for me to switch my lifestyle. Although I do know most of the Jewish customs and beliefs, I only keep a few such as fasting on Yom Kippur and not eating bread during Passover.</p>
<p>I also think I'm somewhat of a Deist, in that I don't believe in the God that religions portray, but more of a "force" that's responsible, to an extent, for the Universe and the way things are.</p>
<p>I'm so confused, someone convert me.</p>
<p>I get so frustrated when I hear or read how people wrongly believe that Christians believe only Christians will go to heaven and specifically when Catholics believe only Catholics will go to heaven...(im Catholic) but what people don't know from lack of religious education is that Catholics belive you have to be baptized to get into heaven. Baptism is not just seen as the sacrament with water but also other ways:
Baptism by blood (dying for Christ/faith/aborted babies...)
Baptism by intention (planning to but couldnt/died before able to also if a person was a hindu and never learned about christianity from christians/may have had different beliefs if brought up differently, also if a person lives a "Christian" lifestyle with basic good morals...etc, etc, etc</p>
<p>There are so many misconceptions about religions, especially Catholicism, that I feel more people would be religious and not think it was stupid/illogical if they were educated by GOOD educators on not only what the religion believes but WHY they believe it/why they choose the books of the Bible that they did, etc. I have been blessed with teachers at a Catholic school who challenge me to learn about numerous different religions and beliefs, examine the beliefs and reasonings for them, and decide what to believe myself. I feel sorry for those who take what they are told as Gospel truth (pun intended) without questioning anything and never truly getting why they believe what they believe.</p>
<p>Another example is that the Church does not believe in Creationism or take that story literally(actually the Church only takes about 7 things in the Bible literally for various reasons)...the church believes that the theory of evolution is quite possible and probable...the Church and science go together on so many issues, and tis hard to see people claim they are atheists b/c they are more science-y and assume the two dont go together---just ask my bio teacher and he'll prove you wrong...</p>
<p>Another example is the Catholic Church and gay marraige. The church is not against homosexuality...She believes a person does not choose to be gay and all people should have their dignity respected. The Church does believe that homosexual sexual acts are wrong b/c it cannot fulfill the conjugal act of what sex is meant for: a loving act only between a married man and woman in order to 1) bring the two closer together in God and 2) be open to potential life (why the Church does not condone birth control). Homosexual sex is for pleasure only...it abuses sex as so many others do in the eyes of the Church. I myself wonder about the above mentioned post about homosexual sex being listed as wrong in the bible beside other things which are not considered sins nowadays...does anyone know why eating sea food, shaving a man's beard, etc. are not considered sins now by the Church? I have never learned that and don't feel comfortable just asking a priest that or anything randomly...</p>
<p>Anyways, back to the OP's q. Religion is very important to me. I am not some over-the-top stereotypical Christians who carries a Bible around at all times, condemns people who dont share my beliefs, sings along to Christian worship music with my eyes closed and hands raised...or anything from the movie Saved! I'm a normal girl, very accepting of others, but have my own morals (abstinence until marraige, don't drink underage, lie, etc, etc, etc. I am the type to always question my faith and try to find answers. I do pray before dinner w/ the fam, sometimes before bed, or other random times. I actually worry that in college it will be hard for me b/c of my values...b/c so many of the Catholic schools are big party schools and the students dont act very Catholic/Christian on the weekends at parties and such...</p>
<p>I know this was long winded...hehe...I could talk for hours about religion though b/c different beliefs and such fascinate me. :)</p>
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I get so frustrated when I hear or read how people wrongly believe that Christians believe only Christians
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<p>It says in the Bible that only those who accept Christ will be admitted into Heaven. </p>
<p>(John 14:6) Jesus answered, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me."</p>
<p>Please let's not turn this thread into some kind of evangelical debate about religion (more like Christianity vs science) and eventually to the derailing to creationism vs evolution. ;)</p>
<p>I love your pessimism, it's quite amusing.</p>
<p>Well Mr.Stalin, it's incredibly nice to hear your unbiased opinions regarding religion, after all, aren't you second-in-hand to Mother Teresa?</p>
<p>"It says in the Bible that only those who accept Christ will be admitted into Heaven. </p>
<p>(John 14:6) Jesus answered, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.""</p>
<p>I know this...but "through me" does not have to exclusively mean being a practicing Christian...such as my examples before about types of baptism...Catholicism and other Christian religions agree that there are numerous ways to get into heaven through Christ...even sinners/atheists/murderers can get into heaven if they repent for their sins, even at the end of their life...why do you think there are prison missionaries?!</p>
<p>Just saying, there are closeminded Christians who don't agree, but just b/c a person is not a Christian does not meant they cannot get into heaven. Mainstream Christian religions also recognize that there can be nonChristians who live a more Christian/moral lifestyle through their morals, charity, etc than some baptized "Christians". A person can follow Jesus and his way of life without actually believing in him for whatever reasons they have...that is between God and them. Only God knows their inner feelings and thoughts..He will judge who can enter Heaven, including people of other religions, atheists, agnostics, etc.</p>
<p>going back to the question,</p>
<p>im christian and my parents make me go to church. i really dont believe in it though...but i find that when i really need something i start praying for it!?!? i know its really bad but i cant help it sometimes :(</p>
<p>I'm a Christian yet I am very liberal with it. </p>
<p>I preach radical grace. Basically I'd rather you have sex before marriage and be a believer then not simply because you are deterred by these rules. </p>
<p>I do believe these laws are for our own good so I try to abide to them (I always sin though of course) but I'd rather tell friends the laws aren't essential to Christianity. </p>
<p>I too am in your position totally coffee (I love it too!) but I disagree with just one thing about your stance on atheists etc. I think just because you're doctrined to be a Christian does in NO SUCH WAY warrant you heaven. Look at the Pharisees. These people were the most perfect and 'holy' people when Jesus came yet he considered them the worst. Thought is as bad as action. Thus the Pharisees who were perfect on paper were equally great sinners. Thought is as bad as action I reiterate. And God and heaven is so pure that even if you have one blemish you cannot go to Heaven. </p>
<p>So even if a atheist lives a perfect life on paper, if he sins in thought he'll go to hell. That means Christians also will go to hell, right? </p>
<p>But wait, there is salvation!!! If we accept Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior then he takes our sins meaning we can go to heaven because of his illogical gift we don't deserve. So I think that unless we accept Jesus we can never attain the level of purity required to enter Heaven. </p>
<p>People will only be judged without the Bible in consideration, if they have never seen the Bible. So if we had never heard of Jesus and the Bible then we won't be judged with Jesus in mind and then it will come down to your heart and character. But if we knowingly reject Jesus, then we're worse then the former murderer who has now put his life in God's hand...</p>
<p>I'll stop now before I go off but if anyone is unsure of Christianity or wants to talk about it in more depth or understand/question it please PM me. I'd love to talk and even hear more clinical arguments against Christianity.</p>
<p>I'm not too liberal with my Christian faith, but I am disgusted by fundamentalism. I am tired of those legalistic Baptists who think that Jesus turned water into grape juice, that we shouldn't drink, that anything other than King James or Latin is not godly, and hate Christian rock music.</p>
<p>Apparently I'm playing the "devil's music" when I play for my church band.</p>