Why are you a Christian? (paradise, belief, prayers, priest)

[Tricky D]

I believe in Jesus but have no faith in any organized church. I have faith in people, not organisations.
Personally I don't think that Jesus cares what I believe. He only cares what I have done. Like Jesus I believe that you are what you do not what you think. This is why the road to hell is paved with good intentions.
Anywayz, I don't see the road to heaven being paved with bad intentions.

"With or without religion, you would have good people doing good things and evil people doing evil things. But for good people to do evil things, that takes religion."
Steven Weinberg,
quoted in The New york Times, april 20, 1999
Us physicist (1933- )

"All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing."
Edmund Burke
Irish orator, philosopher & politician (1729 - 1797)

[sun queen]

"...WHAT ABOUT CHRISTIANITY MAKES YOU THINK IT IS THE TRUE FAITH, AS OPPOSED TO ANY OF THE OTHER RELIGIONS?"
First of all GOD, the CREATOR KING HIMSELF sanctions the belief in HIS SON JESUS the ANOINTED ONE aka JESUS CHRIST which is the unifing belief of Christians. Therefore, "Christianity" is not a religion, but it is the WAY -the only way to GOD, and the TRUTH -the only truth that leads to life eternal with nothing missing or broken and the LIGHT -the only light of hope for the redemption of humanity. No other faith except Christianity alone promotes this demonstration of GOD'S goodness, everlasting mercy and unconditional love. John 3:16 says "for GOD so LOVED the world that HE gave HIS only begotten SON...that "whosoever" believes in HIM should not perish, but have eternal life." No other faith or religion gives resulting peace from such a promise to a lost, dying and sinful world... Only Christianity fulfills the promise of man's redemption: the deliverance from every bondage of sin as well as complete absolution from the penalty of sin through the shed blood of Jesus. Without the shed blood of JESUS the Christ there can be no remission of sin. Thus, only the Christian faith has the certainity of restoring humanity to their rightful place of sonship, communion and right standing with GOD, the FATHER forever. "CHRISTIANITY" is not simply a religion. This one and only true belief and faith should never be lumped together with religion in general. Having a religious experience is not the same as having a life altering, forever changing experience with Jesus the Christ, the ONE AND ONLY SAVIOUR of the whole of GOD'S creation. I have a church background. My grandmother was a very strong woman of faith and I watched her live out her beliefs in Jesus Christ, but having an experience of external observation of JESUS simply was not enough to sustain my faith. Nor, was my religious connection to church. I was still empty inside. I knew something was missing from my life. I had heard about JESUS, but I didn't know him for myself. I had definitely sinned and fallen short...so short I did not think I could reach GOD, but HE reached me through HIS SON JESUS. My relationship with Jesus Christ is not based on worthiness or works. HE loves me and there is nothing I can do to merit HIS favor. I just receive it. I have peace with Jesus- a peace I could not find in any other faith or religions. I am a believer in CHRIST JESUS and my faith cannot be shaken. GOD has already been too good to me and shown HIMSELF strong in my life time and time again. The greatest gift GOD gave was HIS SON JESUS. No other religion or faith can top that. And this gift is available to anyone. All you have to do is receive HIM. This is why I am a Christian and I know the Christian faith is right...I am certain because GOD'S word says JESUS is the only WAY. I think Cuco should revisit the "Christian" faith and ask JESUS to be his or her personal SAVIOUR.

[yhwhshalomjr]

Originally Posted by Cuco

This question was what caused me to abandon Christianity, because the only answer I had was "because that's all I've been taught."

I'm interested to see what some of you people who truly believe have as an answer. I assume that at some point you asked yourself this, but I guess it's possible to be hardcore Christian your entire life without ever having a second-thought.

Anyway I just want to know if anybody has a logical explanation for why you are a Christian. Basically the question boils down to "What about Christianity makes you think it is the true faith, as opposed to any of the other religions?"

I believe this thread was on the Religion and Philosophy Forum, already

[yhwhshalomjr]

Originally Posted by lifesigns64

Why am I a Christian?

I didn't want to be one and purposely walked away from my Catholic upbrining.

The term's "born again", "saved" seemed so self-righteous to me when people used them. I despised hearing those words.
Of course, I never had a real interest in reading the bible, and had no idea that these were words used by God, but at the time I could have cared less.

I dabbled in many things and explored different religions, groups. I became interested in Scientology, then lost interest.

I began being interested in the occult, a new age metaphysical stuff, and began to realize I had a gift reading Tarot Cards, and had bega a very profitable business.


Long story short, through the years, a girl at a Mall came up to me out of nowhere while I was in the food court. She asked if she could sit down, it was crowded, and started to pray to bless her food . . . I said to myself "Oh brother, I hope she isn't a bible thumper who is going to try to talk to me about faith or Christianity".
Of course she did . . . but as she was talking, I didn't really hear what she was saying, but something was in her eyes, I was trying to figure it out, but it was a look, almost yearning, and a look of love and peace towards me, I excused myself, to strange.

I had an old car that didn't pick up many stations, and was stuck in traffic and I was listening to a woman talking about life issues, didn't realize I was on the Christian station, and she was addressing things that I could relate to . . . Joyce Meyers.

Occasionally I tuned in and heard more, and found myself looking forward to my drive and listening.

Pulled out a bible and just started to read it . . . and put it back. I was agnostic and married to agnostic quite happily.

Many more things started to happen, to many to name.

I was hospitalized and bored and started reading Revealations where it talks of card readers . . . witchraft, and I started to feel a little unnerved, although I tried to shrug it off, I couldn't.

I earned a very good living doing this, and I and people thought I had a "gift", and something happened that I can't speak of, and I burnt my cards, my clients addresses, and refused to make any more appointments.

I had one son and six miscarriages and many surgeries to help me with gynecological problems. I had been bleeding for over a year and finally succumbed to having a hysterectomy, giving up the hope and dream of giving my son a brother or a sister. I am adopted and have no siblings, and I had wanted this very much, and although I didn't know if there was a good or not, I was pissed at him anyway.
My surgery was scheduled, my bleeding continued, and I went to the hospital for pre-op, I had a large tumor and several small ones in my uterus and in the lining of my uterus causing me to bleed and I was becoming severely anemic.

I had blood workd done there and the doctor ordered another ultrasound. The technician said that she saw a sac in my uterus and a fetus. I started to laugh and to tell her she needed to go back and take a refresher course.

Long story short, I was pregnant and they wanted to perform the hysterectomy anyway, because the fetus would not be able to sustain itself, and it was discovered that I had an blood clotting disorder and many other problems. So, I was going ahead with the surgery, husband agreed, why suffer another miscarriage.

Leaving the pre-op, we started to drive and I was fine with everything, and I looked at the sky and saw a beautiful rainbow, it was the most breathtaking rainbow I ever saw.
Driving further, we past a home that had a big stork in front of it and it had "Congratulatons it's a girl", previously that day there was no sign up on the house.

We stopped at a light and the car in front of us had a bumper sticker that said, "Jesus Loves You" and I started to cry hysterically. I cancelled the surgery, my doctor didn't agree, my husband thought I WAS INSANE and pleaded for me because I was still bleeding to have this surgery, he was worried about my anemia.

I was never given pre-natal vitamins or the new mother package and on my insurance it stated I was being seen for a miscarriage/natural abortion.

7 months after that I delivered a "premature" healthy baby girl, who's weight amazed everyone . . . almost 7 lbs.

I had to have an emergency hysterectomy, as I bled through my pregnancy and my uterus was about to rupture as they delivered her, which was life threatening.

Was this enough to make me a Christian? No, it wasn't, but in my heart I felt like I was being called by someone or something that I couldn't understand, and not sure if I wanted to.

Shortly after, I started to get fevers, I had fevers and bone pain for 2 years and tons of different diagnoses . . .

Finally, I was referred to an Oncologist.

After bone marrow biopsies he discovered that I had a rare bone marrow disease, and the my bone marrow was 50% scarred. He explained that we need or bone marrow to make blood, and that the prognosis was 3 - 5 years at best.

I fell apart literally . . . I needed anxiety medication, and had close to a nervous breakdown finding this news to much to handle because I didn't want to leave me kids.

I was pissed off at God . . . what a big trick, letting me have another baby, to die??????

I went for a 2nd and 3rd opinion, the same, only their prognosis was under 3 years, and that I would soon be having blood transfusions and put on certain meds, and it was a bleak prognosis.

On a support group for this disease I saw a man post and he had a website, and I went to it.

He was an atheist who became a Christian, and had led a very unchristian life. We talked, he told me about Grace, answered my questions . . . and told us that sometimes God Disciplines those he loves . . . and that through the years he was trying to get my attention. This sounded crazy at first.
One day when I was too weak to get out of bed, I started to cry and talk to God, I screamed and cursed and went on and on about so many things, and when it was over, I felt, a calming/cleansing presence, and I got out of bed, kneeled down, and I knew in my heart, for reasons I can't really explain in words, that there was a God, and that he heard me, and that even though I was dying soon, I loved him, in a minute, I felt such love, I had faith, and it's sounds insane, but I asked Jesus to please come into my heart, and I asked forgiveness. I felt an embrace of sorts and my hair stood up on my arms, and I just knew, knew that He was with me.

As I sit here, this diagnosis was handed to me in 2004, I still have to go every 12 weeks to the Oncologist, but I have no more fever, not more hives all over my body, no more bone pain, and my last bone marrow biopsy showed the marrow still scarred 50%, but no more.

I don't have all the scientific answers to the Koalo questions, and everything posed.

I do understand atheists/agnostics and why they ask.

I don't understand what I felt in that bedroom that day while I was curising and screaming to a God I hated for doing this to me, but it was real, something supernatural was with me and embracing me, I felt it when my eyes were to swollen to even see a foot in front of me, and when I did, I had a sense of peace, even with this diagnosis, that no medicine, good news, or anything could give me . . . I know that it was the peace the comes from God and God only.

I am now "saved" and "born again" and a P.B.T . . . Proud Bible Thumper, and the best new is, my son has a desire to be a Pastor, and is a P.B.T. as well.

Sorry for the long post.

It was long, But you wasn't wrong!!!LOL
Thanks for sharing your testimony
God Bless You

[Oakback]

Originally Posted by Cuco

This question was what caused me to abandon Christianity, because the only answer I had was "because that's all I've been taught."

I'm interested to see what some of you people who truly believe have as an answer. I assume that at some point you asked yourself this, but I guess it's possible to be hardcore Christian your entire life without ever having a second-thought.

Anyway I just want to know if anybody has a logical explanation for why you are a Christian. Basically the question boils down to "What about Christianity makes you think it is the true faith, as opposed to any of the other religions?"

I experience JESUS exactly as I do any other real living person, except that I have never touched him.

What is a relationship? Does it require me to be able to touch the person or even to see the person?
For me, it requires an interaction between two ( or more )
An interaction of thought, love , joy, fear, anger ( yes I get angry at JESUS ) etc... and I have truely experienced all of these in my realtionship with JESUS. I have felt his presence as real as I would if someone was standing next to my, or holding me in their arms.
Believe me ( if you choose ), I'm not making this up. And my quess is there are alot of others on this forum who share in that realtionship, but may describe it differently, just as you and I might describe our relationship with a relative or friend that we deeply love, differently.

That relationship preceeded my knowledge of scripture or the "church" and that relationship is still primary in my life.

I hope this helped

[Follower]

Originally Posted by GenesisNemesis

That was emotional and all, but why does it inspire you to impose your beliefs on others by being a "Proud Bible Thumper"? Just because it may have worked for you (and I have no reason to believe your claims), that doesn't mean it will work for everyone. That's why there's different religions, and different opinions.

Just answer this if there was no God how do you explain procreation? How does the part of a man's body (sperm) never having seen the inside of a woman's body (egg), know exactly where to go. How does the sperm, designed with the armor needed to get through to the egg, and the tail to get it there know where to go? No one has given this sperm directions. The man's body and the woman's body are two seperate entities yet the reproductive system of the man already knows what is inside the woman and the woman's body knows how to accept the sperm and create a baby...How? It's not as if the sperm can go in, come back out, tell the other sperm what to wear and where to go and then go back in. NO! It doesn't happen that way! There is your proof of a miracle.

If I plopped you down in the middle of Kansas and you've never seen a map or knew which way north or south was. Also you would, without being told, have to go through poisonous gases, and wild animals with no protection, no way to know which foods were safe to eat, do you think you could make it to Florida on your own without any help? How would you even know where Florida was? You would be lost and die.
But the sperm knows.Doesn't it? Because God created the sperm and told it where to go in order to create another miracle. This is what the sperm has to do when it creates life. God designed the man and the woman with all the necessary parts for reproduction, each body never seeing the inside of the other. Explain this to me. There is no trial and error here. God made man, God made woman,. And God created us so that we can reproduce and worship him and thank him for the life he has given us. You sound to me like you doubt God.

GOD BLESS YOU LIFESIGN!

[stycotl]

Originally Posted by Bellinghamite

I can't help noticing that the basis of your belief is the same as the one that the Mormons have for their faith. Since all it consists of is a subjective feeling that a particular belief is the right one, it could form the basis of a faith in any religion.

play time!

ok, let's clear up the confusion before we allow the misinformation to run rampant.

i am a mormon. i know my doctrine perty-n'er well. one of the basic tenets of christianity is the concept of faith. i am not going to go into great detail, cuz we all know to some degree or another what that is. however, there is a lot that is taken for granted.

faith cannot be a purely emotional response. neither can it be a purely mental response. God set the system up so that you and i would have to think about it, to ponder our place in the world, and then to do some serious praying. i should already have a basic direction in my head and heart, cuz as i go through life, i form opinions based off of both logic and emotion. therefore, i will already be leaning one direction or another.

the next step is to take that decision to God in humble prayer. i cannot jist pray that God tell me the truth, but that He give me the strength to accept it even if it goes against my preconceived notions and sentiments (even if that means that buddhism, baptist-ism, seventh-day-adventsist-ism, zoroastrianism, or heaven forbid, even mormonism is God's true path).

God will answer me, both in my heart and in my head. at the same time as i feel, i will think. lightbulbs will go on in my head. it is different for everyone, surely. some are stronger with emotional intelligence than others, and will understand greater depths of the influence of the Spirit. many women in particular tend to have the emotional capability to feel this.

but it has to be a mix; it has to be balanced to the individual. somewhat parallel to einstein's belief, emotion without reason would be a sobbing, blind mess, and reason without emotion would be coldly impersonal and incapable of digesting the celestial truths which God has to share with the faithful.

part two coming up here soon...

aaron out.

EDIT: i suppose i lied. i am going into greater detail, just in the next posts. peace.

[Huckleberry3911948]

thanks i thought you would never ask
eye for an eye was not working well for me. christian forgiveness, prevented me doing something to put me in jail.
next step in the trip was a major healing thru prayer, if i had had any doubts that
ended them..

[stycotl]

i said earlier that faith consists of both logic and emotion. some might find that an unsteady ground to walk upon. that merely supports to me the idea of God setting it up so that we have to work by faith.

in all my time on this earth, as a question-asking, answer-seeking christian, i have never found one shred of evidence that can be 100%, undeniably proven to anyone else that God exists. neither can i find any that He does not exist.

now, *proven to anyone else* is the key part of the sentance. all of this evidence is internalized. there is no way that i can prove that i am happy, peaceful, content, etc. there is no way that i could of myself share that with someone else. there is no way to really document and categorize all of the blessings that have come to me in a way that would satisfy a court of law, or a panel of scientific experts. again though, at the same time, there is no way that anyone can disprove that i am happy, content, peaceful, having received God's blessings, either. God did not set it up to be done thusly.

faith comes into play here. *i know* i know for myself. i can prove it to myself. i can walk with the faith that i have, faith that is generated and stored in my intellect, and in my emotions. i am aware that this seems insufficient to many people.

God has prmised that as we obey the laws that Jesus set forth, we will come closer to Him, and thereby, more *like* Him. He has promised us inspiration and revelation as we walk in His path. what kind of inspiration?

well, emotional and mental inspiration for the most part. granted, some individuals receive glorious visits and angelic choruses. i've never gotten that. i've had close, things that defied my ideas of our physical laws, but nothing so blatantly supernatural (note that what we consider supernatural changes every time we have a breakthrough in scientific understanding). my inspiration comes in the form of trusting my instincts.

when i follow the basic guidelines which Christ set forth, i am blessed. God set the system up. i am merely playing by the rules. my faith (that seemingly shaky foundation) is rewarded when i follow Christ's word, and my faith is revealed to me to be a surer foundation than i expected. therefore, i gain confidence in my decisions, come closer to Christ through more inspired decisions, and continue in the cycle.

my faith becomes not merely a word, an ephemeral ideal, but a guiding principle in my actions, a way of life, a habit, a personality. it becomes who i am. this increase of faith is what allows me to truly come to understand, appreciate, and accept the Savior, and the need for His atonement.

wheels are turning. part three around the corner. aaron out.

[Michelle1210]

I'm in need of a savior for my heart is desperately wicked.

Jer 17:9 The heart [is] deceitful above all [things], and desperately wicked: who can know it?