Are you a Christian?

[CheekyMusician]

Quite a few religous ones here then.

 

As I said I am considering the Christian route but wonder if I am just trying to look for escape from being a failure in a material world.

 

I think if you travelled down the Christian route you'd never look back. Its a long, hard journey, but well worth the effort.

 

If you have any questions or just want a chat, feel free to PM me.

[Fenris-wolf]

Telsun, why are you considering Christianity? (I'm not trying to put him off, CheekyMusician, I'm just offering an alternative opinion) Do you find it touches something in you? As a semi-athiest (I say semi because being athiest actually means you believe in nothing, and that's not actually true of myself or many other athiests), or at least a non-religious person, I have explored various religions and I decided not to stay with it because it felt unnatural to me.

 

You say you're worried you're looking for escape; does Christianity feel "right"? Do you feel it fills a space that has always been there? Or are you trying to convince yourself to believe in something? You don't need religion to enjoy life, even if you feel you're a failure. Only you (IMO) can decide that you are great, do not let anyone else decide that for you. If you find religion, that is wonderful for you but do not convince yourself to believe out of a perceived need. That is dishonest to the yourself and your chosen faith.

 

Just my 20c, hope I don't offend anyone.

[battousai16]

well, as i understand it, aethiest dosen't mean there is nothing per say, it jsut means there's not a higher being. i could be wrong, but... yeah. just my .75 of a cent

[Warp Spider]

I believe atheism is the "I don't know how the universe works, and frankly, I don't give a crap." school of thought. That's how I'd define it at any rate. However, most "atheists" I've met actually believe in Oblivion as opposed to simply not caring.

[karate_woman]

I think there is some confusion here with respect to atheist vs agnostic. The definition I'm seeing tossed around of an atheist tends to fit the agnostic more.

 

Courtesty of the Merriam-Webster online dictionary, which can be found at:http://www.m-w.com/cgi-bin/dictionary :

 

athe·ist

 

Pronunciation: 'A-thE-ist

 

Function: noun

 

Date: 1571

 

: one who denies the existence of God

 

ag·nos·tic

 

Pronunciation: ag-'näs-tik, &g-

 

Function: noun

 

Etymology: Greek agnOstos unknown, unknowable, from a- + gnOstos known, from gignOskein to know -- more at KNOW

 

Date: 1869

 

: a person who holds the view that any ultimate reality (as God) is unknown and prob. unknowable; broadly : one who is not committed to believing in either the existence or the nonexistence of God or a god

[Tibby]

Karate-Women hit the nail in the head. agnostic don't know if there is a god, Athiest know there isn't a god.

[GrrrArg]

I believe in god (the christian one I suppose) but no im not christian, don't go to church or anything-although I would never criticise anyone who does-I personally believe in a god without a church.

 

There was a film that I saw that pretty much catagorised my particular beliefs-if anyone can remember the name please tell us (Al Pacino was in it I think).

[Valithor]

Hi all,

 

Yes I am a Christian. I have also studied theology at post-graduate level. Just to make a few comments:

 

* Martial arts are many in number and vast in variation. Some do not involve a spiritual side at all.. some do.. and some could be considered as highly religious.

 

* Variations in religious beliefs would easily outnumber the number of differences in martial arts.. and a lot of people take it very seriously.

 

* Around 1/2 of the world's Christians belong to the Roman Catholic Church. There are hundreds of other denominations.

 

* Whilst Karate-Woman's definition of atheist is correct, the word has become socially synonymous with a person who has NO religious beliefs or practices. Many religions do not believe in a "god".

 

Train hard and be true to yourself.

[telsun]

GrrrArg - yes that's kinda where I 'm at. I believe in god but do not go to church, I have also been christened when I was young.

 

Another question for you all. When can you call yourself a Christian? Do you have to take a vowl (spelling?) or something?

Telsun, why are you considering Christianity?

Well my life is.........challenging. People have it harder, much harder, I know but I have my own personal struggle. I have always believed there is a God but recently I have been finding myself thinking more about it.

 

My sensei is also a Christian and he obviously has an influence on me, although he does not preach religion, he does tell a good story He has gone through alot, more than the average man will in his lifetime. Any way sensei is a big strong guy but emotionally he struggled at his times of need. He found a great deal of strength in God.

 

The more I listened to him and read a couple of books that I had brought (not religous books I might add) the more I begun to wonder if there is something in this God thing.

 

I finally got to the point that I was convinced that God is there watching and listening, so I gave it a go.

 

All I'll say is that I received a sign. It could be easy to pass it off as a coincidence, but it was enough to convince me.

 

Since that time I myself have found great strength in the believe that I am not alone.

 

Like my sensei said to me once before:

 

"I believe in the way I am leading my life. If I am wrong and it turns out to be a load of garbage then it does not matter because I would have lived a good, fulfilling life."

 

I appreciate the diplomacy shown on this thread as I know that this can be a very passionate, sensitive subject. Thanks all and just to remind you of my question:

 

When can you call yourself a Christian?

[CheekyMusician]

GrrrArg - yes that's kinda where I 'm at. I believe in god but do not go to church, I have also been christened when I was young.

 

Another question for you all. When can you call yourself a Christian? Do you have to take a vowl (spelling?) or something?

 

Well as a Christian you have to believe in more than God. The cornerstone of Christianity is Jesus Christ, and to be a Christian you have to believe that Jesus is the son of God who came to earth to die for our sins. If you believe that, then technically you are a Christian.

 

It is generally accepted that Christians also ask Jesus Christ into their hearts and accept them as their Lord and Saviour. This can be done through private prayer, but at my church we can become "church members" by basically asking Christ into our hearts in front of the congregation. It isn't mandatory, and it doesn't make you a "proper" Christian, it basically is just a leap of faith type of thing. Basically saying that you're not afraid to let people know how you feel about God.

 

As for the church thing, I recommend finding a church. I, for one, certainly believe in a church without walls. I believe Christians should show their faith through their actions inside and outside of the church, but if you decide to be a Christian, you will go through times of doubt and uncertainty, and being surrounded by Christian friends helps you through these periods. A church is a good place to meet Christian friends and affirm your beliefs. Its kind of like trying to teach yourself a martial art on your own. You might be able to get the general idea of the art, and may be able to reach a certain level of proficiency, but there will come a time where you'll need to meet with other martial artists to progress and be guided. Faith is similar in many ways.