christians should.....

[mikempb 0]

Please note, I am not writing this post to debate if god exists its a never ending battle as I read in the thread "do you believe in god".
This is to ask people of faith as myself a quest. and that is:
Do you think all christians should collectively agree to join together?
I call myself a christian, by title Im a catholic and I dont understand all the diff bet. the christian religion. Obviously a lot has to do with the pope, I have some issues my self, I think if JC wore rags he should too. Anyway, the fact that catholics pray to saints ( again I dont, I pray directly to god) but if they all would come together , the protestants,baptists, catholics,etc.etc.. wouldnt we have better comunication with each other and not feel divided?

Well I dont have a lot of people I really talk to about this stuff so I thought I'd bring it up here

[rwieder 0]

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Well I dont have a lot of people I really talk to about this stuff so I thought I'd bring it up here

Bad place to start a religeous debate, let alone incite a riot. FYI: I believe in God, but i'm no Saint.

-Richard-
"You're Holding The Rope And I'm Taking The Fall"

[mikempb 0]

You didnt pay attention, I dont want a Debate just a conversation among other believers

[billvon 3,116]

>Do you think all christians should collectively agree to join together?

And do what? Try to live up to Christ's example? Definitely. Form a coalition for purposes of voting/education/doctrinal stability? Nope. Let people decide those things on their own. Religion gets mixed up in enough stuff already.

[yjumpinoz 0]

Did you just admit Christ existed?

[mikempb 0]

But how do they decide on their own? can you tell people to decide how to plan a retirement or invest without speaking with someone who knows? You need places to get together and share ideas or beliefs no?

[IanHarrop 42]

Do you really mean all Christians or just the kind of Christians that is acceptable to Republicans.

"We use that word—Christian—to refer to people who are evangelical Christians," Schneeberger added.

Does joining together include Catholics, or Jews for Jesus? How about Jehovah's Witnesses?

I don't think Christians, as a group, are quite tolerant enough to "join together".

I mean it might look good on paper but it hasn't got a hope in hell in practise.

"Where troubles melt like lemon drops, away above the chimney tops, that's where you'll find me" Dorothy

[mikempb 0]

Its funny you mention jews for Jesus, because that all I thought a christian was right? So I guess It would be to include everyone who believes in JC and the new Test. But your prob right I dont think everyone could get over small insignificant differences for the greater good.

[rwieder 0]

What did i tell you? You must be kinfolk to the "Doubting Thomas"

-Richard-
"You're Holding The Rope And I'm Taking The Fall"

[rehmwa 2]

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>Form a coalition for purposes of voting/education/doctrinal stability? Nope. Let people decide those things on their own.

I agree, ban all political parties too while we are at it

and unions

and the USPA

and the NAACP

and greenpeace

and SPCA

any charities

large family reunions should be restricted in size

and any gathering of people over 3 should be monitored and broken up

etc

why should like minded people join together in common cause? that's just silly

...
Driving is a one dimensional activity - a monkey can do it - being proud of your driving abilities is like being proud of being able to put on pants

[SpeedRacer 1]

Just incidentally: Catholics do not pray to or worship saints. They might pray for the intercession of a saint or Mary, but they don't actually pray to them the way they pray to God.

Speed Racer
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[mikempb 0]

Touché

[rwieder 0]

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They might pray for the intercession of a saint or Mary, but they don't actually pray to them the way they pray to God.

That's an interesting statement. Then why do Catholics say "Hail Mary's" for the forgiveness of sins? Why confess their sins to a mortal? Why all of the statues of Saint Mary in everybodies yards? Is this not idolotry? <===== Question Format*

Commandment # 1:

1) "Thou shalt have no other God's before me"
Exodus: 34:14 (God speaking to Moses, on Mount Sanai) "For you shall worship no other God:except for the lord. Whose name is jealous, is a jealous (impassioned) God." Interpreted by the 1958 version of the Amplified Bible. (I also keep a King James Version and cross ref everything.)

That's crystal clear to me, and i don't even have an excellent command of the english language just yet! J/K

I'm of the Luthern Faith, which is nothing more than a "Spin Off" of the Catholic faith. Seems a monk, Mr. Martin Luther couldn't stand the teachings of the Catholic Church, and couldn't stand the "Back Sliding" of the Pope. So he wrote up 95 points of his dissagreements, and posted his manifesto on the front door to the Roman Catholic Church. The pope was really upset about this and had Mr. Luther run out of town and put a price on his head. Martin Luther must have done something right, he was never killed and died of natural causes and founded the Lutheran Faith. A lot of people don't know what faith is, it's really kind of simple and can be applied to our everyday lives, even the sides of our lives which are not religously applicable: Faith: "Faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen." Hebrews: 1 1:1 Faith is not a bad thing! And it is not entirely a religeous thing as it applies to our everyday lives, in our work, our play, even our sky diving. I have faith in my rigger, if i didn't, i don't think i'd leap out of aircraft!!

-Richard-
"You're Holding The Rope And I'm Taking The Fall"

[billvon 3,116]

> Did you just admit Christ existed?

Not much doubt about that!

[Nightingale 0]

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Quote

They might pray for the intercession of a saint or Mary, but they don't actually pray to them the way they pray to God.

That's an interesting statement. Then why do Catholics say "Hail Mary's" for the forgiveness of sins? Why confess their sins to a mortal? Why all of the statues of Saint Mary in everybodies yards? Is this not idolotry?....

The end of the Hail Mary asks "Pray for us sinners..." The Hail Mary isn't a prayer to Mary as some kind of goddess, it's a request to Mary to pray for the person saying the prayer.

[Channman 2]

> "We use that word—Christian—to refer to people who are evangelical Christians,"

Christian is a term used for individuals that are Christ Followers, few of which intertain themselves at DZ.com or in the sport of skydiving.

Christians as a whole are quite tolerant unlike many atheist. Far more money is given for the common good than atheist as a whole. (Through that in there just to get this thead going)

[mikempb 0]

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Quote

They might pray for the intercession of a saint or Mary, but they don't actually pray to them the way they pray to God.

Quote

That's an interesting statement. Then why do Catholics say "Hail Mary's" for the forgiveness of sins? Why confess their sins to a mortal? Why all of the statues of Saint Mary in everybodies yards? Is this not idolotry? <=====

Question Forma


Thats exactly why I only pray to god, I dont think the catholics that pray to saints are doing it in a way to upset god. I think it takes time to develop the real relationship you want with him just like any relationship.

• Quote

[rwieder 0]

Everyone has a right to believe what they wish, no matter what. I'm not pushing what i choose to believe on anyone, because that would be an exercise in futility. I was sharing a thought and some of what i personally live by, well i try to. I fall short every day. Please accept the contents of my words in the spirit in which it was intended.

Have a great day!

-Richard-
"You're Holding The Rope And I'm Taking The Fall"

[IanHarrop 42]

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> "We use that word—Christian—to refer to people who are evangelical Christians,"

Christian is a term used for individuals that are Christ Followers, few of which intertain themselves at DZ.com or in the sport of skydiving.

Christians as a whole are quite tolerant unlike many atheist. Far more money is given for the common good than atheist as a whole. (Through that in there just to get this thead going)

1) I was just quote a self professed Christian.

2) There are countless examples of good Christians giving money and professed Christians making sure it doesn't get to where its supposed to go.

"Where troubles melt like lemon drops, away above the chimney tops, that's where you'll find me" Dorothy

[Nightingale 0]

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Do you think all christians should collectively agree to join together?

Trying to do this would be a disaster, mainly because too many people say that the other people aren't "real christians" whatever the heck that means.

I've heard
"Mormons aren't christians...they have another book!"
"Catholics can't be christians...they pray to saints instead of god!"
"People who were sprinkled with water at baptism aren't christians... you have to be completely submerged to be baptised!"
"Jehovah's Witnesses arent' christians... they don't believe in the trinity!"
"Nobody but Catholics are really christian, because the other religions don't believe in eucharistic transmutation!"

Honestly, I don't think anybody will be able to agree on anything enough to actually be able to unify christianity.

[Nightingale 0]

I was raised Catholic, so I was just trying to answer your questions about Mary and her place in the church.

[mikempb 0]

"Trying to do this would be a disaster, mainly because too many people say that the other people aren't "real christians" whatever the heck that means"

I agree it prob. would be a disaster, but it seems ironic the tension that would insue trying to bring people together that believe we are all united by the same faith

[Channman 2]

You just had to throw #2 in there, truth is painful enough without having put in your face. Professed Christians have done their share of screwing people over.

Perhaps I should'nt us the word screwing, but it flowed right off my fingers.

[rwieder 0]

Ian:

That made me laugh! We were taught the word "Christian" means "Christ Like" meaning we should set a standard to live by as we were taught to live by the "son of man's" life on earth, AKA: Jesus Christ. Do we always do it? Well, of course not. Can we give it our best shot with God's help? Sure we can. But we will inevitably fail, time after time. So we must continue trying as best we can, that's all we can do as mere mortals.

Again, everyone is entitled to live as they wish. I am by no means trying to persuade anyone to believe what i do. As i said earlier, trying to convince someone of something they choose not to believe is an exercise in futility, and it always will be. The mind has to be receptive of things not seen. One thing i know for sure from my own personal experiences, people can, and do change.

-Richard-
"You're Holding The Rope And I'm Taking The Fall"

[billvon 3,116]

Speaking of christians, kudos to this guy for coming to his senses:

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How could preachers preach such vehement messages towards gays when it was clear that the Bible was unclear at best, and silent at worse, on the issue? Why recklessly condemn a group of individuals? Why fixate on them when your congregation is knee deep in divorce (Jesus had some pretty clear words on that issue)? . . .

It was this hypocrisy that caused me to open my eyes. Those on the Christian right, for whatever reasons, have become fixated on homosexuality. They are obsessed by it and perverse form of vengeance appears to be fueling their inquisition. I may be wrong, but I think actions are speaking much louder than words here.

The whole gay issue is no longer about the quest for the Truth; it is about fear and loathing. It is about shame and sorrow. It is anything but Christian.
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The author is Joe Murray, former staff attorney and writer for the rabidly homophobic American Family Association.