Why not? I'm sure there's more than 5 of us here.

So... we can debate things and stuff; at least I'd assume that's what this is for.

I'm baptist, myself. Though not the fire and brimstone kind, or the WBC kind. I'm the "God is Love" flavor.

~♥LOVE&PEACE♥~

^_^

edited 5th Feb '11 6:10:52 PM by TheMightyAnonym

I'm a former Christian who bears relatively little ill will towards my former denomination.

Do I count?

I'm a present Christian. Have been forever.

Non-denominational here. ^_^

And odd fact, my father's a preacher.

edited 5th Feb '11 7:28:39 PM by Kuiper

I'M BUDDHIST BUT USED TO PRETEND TO BE CHRISTIAN. DO I COUNT.

There aren't many Buddhists here to my knowledge. Hmm.

@Spain & Aon:I guess you can be Christian and not mean it. All it takes is the title. I could call myself "president", and I would be "president", at least by my own terms. Am I really a president? No, not really; but I bare the title, so that is what I am.

So sure, why not. One doesn't follow the meaning though, so you gain nothing from it. "I'm 'the president', and by 'the president' I mean, 'I'm not the president'". Like that.

But In reality, no, you don't count.

You can stick around though, I don't think anyone minds.

-shakes hand-

@Everyone else: ~high fives~

~High Fives back~

I'm agnostic *stands on fence*

YOU JUST HATE BUDDHISTNESS YOU RACIST

I mean...ok. Hang out. Sure.

Does someone who doesn't really believe in Christianity but follows all the rules anyway for fear of eternal damnation count?

-hangs out with Aon-

I dunno.

...wait a second... "racist?"

edited 5th Feb '11 9:59:27 PM by TheMightyAnonym

A lot of help that was! So you're saying you can be a Christian if all you have is the title, but if you actually do what you're Chritians are meant to do but don't feel comfotable indentifying as one, you're not one?

I suppose you are then, though you specified "doesn't believe in". If you just follow rules then... you are kinda missing the whole Jesus thing.

After all, you have to genuinely believe that Jesus is the son of God, and died and rose again.

If you do believe, but don't identify, then you are Christian but have some kinks to work out.

edited 5th Feb '11 10:12:10 PM by TheMightyAnonym

Ah, I see. So if I still pray to Jesus and stuff, I'm still a Christian even though I don't say I am?

Well, "Christian" means "Christ one". So if you are "Of Christ", then you are a "Christ one", and thus, a "Christian".

It's still important to profess you beliefs though, but you won't be kept out of heaven for failing to do so. Jesus is all about forgiveness, so yeah.

YOU HATE ME BECAUSE I'M BLACK AND BUDDHIST

@Anonym: Oh, okay then. I kind of thought that if I resolved that I was going to hell anyway, it would help me become a better follower because then I'd only be doing good for the sake of it (and to please God and such). It didn't work. So you say I need to profess my beliefs? You mean like go around saying "I'm not sure if I believe in this religion, but you should consider following it anyway!"

@Aon: THAT'S NOT- oh, wait...

Well, if you follow its rules just to stay out of hell, then professing and believing  ^(!)

^{this is the part that gets you into heaven!}

are inherently necessary, so... yeah.

edited 5th Feb '11 10:35:03 PM by TheMightyAnonym

I see. So giving up on going to Heaven in favor of living a virtuous life is bad? Also, wait a second, doesn't The Bible have a passage on how even the devil believes in God? And what about that one where Jesus sorts his believers into sheep and goats?

I never quite liked denominations that placed more emphasis on faith than on action. I really like the idea of noble pagans who get in because they are awesome sauce. Like in The Chronicles of Narnia. Some Tashbani got in and some Narnians were turned away for being fuckfaces.

@Random: Belief in God isn't what one must believe in. What one must believe in is Christ's sacrifice on the cross and his resurrection, such that anyone who believes him will be spared.

Lot's of people believe in God, but not so many will accept the sacrifice of Jesus Christ.

That's a little lopsided. Living a virtuous life is always a good thing, but giving up on heaven is terribly unwise.

@Aon: Faith & action are important. What is faith? Faith is saying I will sit in this chair that I think is there.

Actions are how you demonstrate faith. Without action, faith is disembodied, and has no life; hence "faith without works is dead". If you really believe that Christ is the one true way, then why the heck would you sit around and do nothing, while you could be saving people?

Faith and action are inseparably bound.

edited 5th Feb '11 10:50:10 PM by TheMightyAnonym

@Anonym: Got it. That's kind of what I've been taught my whole life, though along the way I got really obsessed with always doing what was right to avoid God's punishment, which is what eventually led to me leaving the religion. There was a point when I wouldn't even use this website because I thought it would be a sin to visit a site with tropes like God is evil.

>almost a page in

>no Combining Mecha jokes

youhavefailedme.jpg

I can deal with faith and action being both important, but greater or sole emphasis on faith seems pointless to me. I have no interest in bowing to something that cares more about whether or not I believe in him than in what I actually do. Actions. Actions are more important. They make the man. Then again I am Buddhist and really dislike Pure Land.

@Random: Tis a shame.

The law is simply "love", after all. Christ fulfills the law, and in that fulfillment we are truly free to love.

I've said it before, and I'll say it again:

~LOVE&PEACE!!!~

My pastor puts a lot of emphasis on the combining of faith and actions; you should have no problem there, at least. I dunno what's going on with the churches that tout faith, but say doin' nuthin' is well and fine. Although, I doubt many would actually do nothing. For some, works flow out of faith. Though, that is pretty much the same as where I angle from. Perhaps meeting the middle would be more accurate? Best not to get legalistic.

edited 5th Feb '11 11:07:07 PM by TheMightyAnonym