Are you religious yes? No?
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Shai Hulud
Purple Belt
I was raised in a loose Muslim family before moving overseas. I've since converted to Orthodox Christianity and am probably religious in the conventional sense of it, yes.
I don't know if I'll be returning home.
I don't know if I'll be returning home.
I am a Christian and according to what I've been taught, to be a Christian means that you realize you're a sinner and accept Jesus Christ as your savior. Some denominations teach different beliefs. The Catholics teach that you need to keep going to confession and that you have to do certain deeds, sacraments I believe they're called. The churches I've been to, however, don't teach that. They teach that you've got to realize you're a sinner and accept Jesus Christ as your savior and that's it, its a one time thing and its permanent. Salvation is a gift freely given and all you have to do is accept it. Its not something to be earned as some churches teach.
No. Not even close to the teachings of the Catholic Church. Though it's a bit off topic, I'm not willing to let it slide. Where to begin?
The Catholic Church teaches that we are saved through the intercession and perfect sacrifice of Jesus Christ. Neither faith nor deeds alone can gain us heaven -- and even both deeds and faith wouldn't be enough without Christ. The 7 Sacraments are outward signs of God's Grace, instituted by Christ. There are 3 Sacraments of Initiation: Baptism, which removes original sin and brings into a state where we can receive Grace; Confirmation, which seals and strengthens the grace of Baptism; and, Holy Eucharist (or Communion) where we come into full communion with Christ by receiving him Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity in the form of the sanctified and blessed bread and wine. There are 2 Sacraments of Healing: Penance or Reconciliation, where we confess our sins and Christ absolves us of them (more in a moment); and the Annointing of the Sick, where we seek God's blessing and aid in times of extreme illness and prepare for death. Finally, there are 2 vocational sacraments; Holy Orders and Matrimony. These mark a state of life -- either the religious life or married life.
As to Penance... We confess our sins to the priest as mediator and intercessor -- but the absolution is from Christ, not the priest. The priest may offer some guidance to help avoid the repetition of the same sins, and likely assigns a penance -- an act to help restore or make good the harm. Often, the penance is simply prayers -- but it may include a direct act to make whole the damage in some cases. For example, confessing to stealing may include making direct restitution to the victim. But the Sacrament of Penance requires more than simply showing up and going through the motions; the penitent must be truly repentant and sorry for the sins, and seek to avoid the sin in the future. The Church encourages the frequent reception of the Sacrament of Penance or Reconciliation because, in her wisdom, the Church and, even more so God, recognizes that we are fallen beings who fail and need to be given an avenue to heal our broken relationship with Our Father.
Only if atheism counts...
I was born and raised Baptist, but I would not consider myself religious, no. I've always hated the sin, but not the sinner. I don't judge, because thats not my privilege, its a higher powers. I never have and never will say there isn't a higher power. But I personally don't worry too much about an afterlife or religion. Partially because I have a dislike of congregations because of how I used to move around so much growing up I saw how much churches under the same faith can vary. I worry myself more with living as a good person, treating people with compassion and respect than a higher power or what happens to me when I die.
I've also been affected by other factors as well though. My fathers side of my family is very much athiest, while my mothers is the polar opposite. My great uncle on her side is very judgmental and very extremist. The last time I attended church with them he was condoning violence to homosexuals and drs. who took part in abortions. So right away I grew up in the middle of an extreme dichotomy. Eventually, I found a church that I was very happy to be apart of, that believed in and held many of the same opinions as I, and life happened I just never made the effort to get back. I'm very grateful for so many things I learned from either side of my family, but religion just isn't something that means a lot to me personally. I'm more concerned with what's happening now than whats happening next and never felt like I needed strength I couldn't get from family or loved ones.
I've also been affected by other factors as well though. My fathers side of my family is very much athiest, while my mothers is the polar opposite. My great uncle on her side is very judgmental and very extremist. The last time I attended church with them he was condoning violence to homosexuals and drs. who took part in abortions. So right away I grew up in the middle of an extreme dichotomy. Eventually, I found a church that I was very happy to be apart of, that believed in and held many of the same opinions as I, and life happened I just never made the effort to get back. I'm very grateful for so many things I learned from either side of my family, but religion just isn't something that means a lot to me personally. I'm more concerned with what's happening now than whats happening next and never felt like I needed strength I couldn't get from family or loved ones.
To quote the Very Wise George Carlin...
"I used to be Catholic, now I'm an American..."
"I used to be Catholic, now I'm an American..."
I see. Well I don't know much about Catholicism but I've got a question concerning it. I had a childhood friend who was Catholic and he talked about how, for a time in the early A.D.s that the Romans would stop and question you if you were a believer in Christ. They would have swords out and if you said yes they would cut your head off. Of course a person could deny that they believed in Christ and often people would do just that, even if they didn't really mean it, just to save their own skin. However, I've heard it being mentioned by some Catholics, if you did that you end up condemning yourself to hell. You might save your head from the Romans but you would end up going to hell for denying Christ. So, is that what the Catholics believe?
I used to be Catholic, now I'm an "atheist". I can't tell my wife, I still go to church with her on Christmas eve.
Cirdan
Senior Master
Well many in my family are pretty religious and I was taken to the temple of the dress wearing hippie and this desert religion at an early age for indoctrination. Didn`t rub off, my viking blood and every fiber of my being rebels at the idea of being a spiritual slave forever on my knees begging forgiveness for my very existence in this celestial dictatorship of the weak.
Odin now, he is a fellow you can relate to. "Let me feel Excitement and Poetry and Fury and Joy!"
Odin now, he is a fellow you can relate to. "Let me feel Excitement and Poetry and Fury and Joy!"
I am a Christian...
Xue Sheng
All weight is underside
You really need to look to at the "real" history of this. Not a whole lot of delineation between Catholic and Christian during the time of the Romans
I was raised a Protestant and in my youth stood at the pulpit, at one time or another, in most of the local churches to give youth sermons. I went to college and learned more about religion and the belies of others.
My militarily dog tags say Buddhist on them. I have deep personal thoughts on life, God, Spiritual Beings and still search my mind each day to find answers to many things.
Am I religious? I think one would say yes but then I rarely talk about such things openly and only with close friends if the topic comes up.
My militarily dog tags say Buddhist on them. I have deep personal thoughts on life, God, Spiritual Beings and still search my mind each day to find answers to many things.
Am I religious? I think one would say yes but then I rarely talk about such things openly and only with close friends if the topic comes up.
Whether you talk about it or not is largely irrelevant Sir. You're deep personal thoughts and belief is you're own, and no one else's IMHO.
I thought it is taught to evangelize your beliefs. Why is it personal?
Why would it not be. Are you a twin?
Secrets, they are just a fanciful ambition or just somewhere to retreat to. I am talking about the inner being. The foundation of the one.
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