eddieyourdj Wrote:1) I have never smoked or been drunk in my life.
5) I believe that most Christians give Christianity a bad name. I am strong in my faith in God, but think most people are turned off to Christianity, and rightfully so, and it's because of these hypocrites preaching one way & living another. I believe that I can be strong in my belief in God & not be a social outcast that points & screams at others. My faith is my personal belief in God and I am not ashamed of it, but don't beat you over the head with it. If you get to know me and can either respect or appreciate what I believe then I really feel that is why I am a Christian!!!
Never been drunk
hock: Wow.
I got turned off to going to church when i was about 18. I don't have a problem with religion, but i do have a problem with authority. I feel like, who is this guy (priest) to talk down to me and tell me i'm a bad person? He's a dude just like i'm a dude. Just because you chose that job don't make you better than anyone else.
Churches are always the nicest most expensive buildings in town. They're supposed to live verry modestly. They sent a donation booklet to our house where you rip out the recipt and send money every week. If you don't keep going and keep paying, they cop an attitude. A catholic newspaper they used to send to my grams house would put how much money the local churches were bringing in. The one in our town was bringing in about $14,500 a WEEK. Tax free.
That's not what it's supposed to be about. I'd like to hear back from you on that eddie
Thanks for the response Dave! It is really sad that alot people look at "religion" in such a negative way. All I can do is give my opinion on church, religion, & my faith so here goes:
1) Church to me has nothing at all to do with a structural building. When I have church, I meet with other christians that share a belief in God through worship. We can experience "church" in a church building, in a home, in a car, at dinner, etc.. I believe that where there are like-minded christians who are in the attitude of worship, you have church.
2) Religion to me is an organized body of believers. I truely believe that throughout the history of mankind, people have interpreted the Holy Bible in many different ways and formed numerous different types of religion. I have read the entire Bible and I can see how it can be hard to comprehend, understand, believe and even accept. The problem that I have with religion, as seen from a non-christian, is that there are so many different forms of it that many spend so much time fighting amongst themselves that they are blinded by what their religion should be about.
3) Faith to me is not church or religion at all. It is a personal relationship that I have with God through my belief in what I have read in the Bible and the way that I have interpreted it. I do use my church and my religion as a vehicle for my voice in relation to my faith.
I hope that I didn't go too deep or bore you with my lengthy response, but that was the brief, cliffnote version!!!
eddieyourdj Wrote:Thanks for the response Dave! It is really sad that alot people look at "religion" in such a negative way. All I can do is give my opinion on church, religion, & my faith so here goes:
1) Church to me has nothing at all to do with a structural building. When I have church, I meet with other christians that share a belief in God through worship. We can experience "church" in a church building, in a home, in a car, at dinner, etc.. I believe that where there are like-minded christians who are in the attitude of worship, you have church.
2) Religion to me is an organized body of believers. I truely believe that throughout the history of mankind, people have interpreted the Holy Bible in many different ways and formed numerous different types of religion. I have read the entire Bible and I can see how it can be hard to comprehend, understand, believe and even accept. The problem that I have with religion, as seen from a non-christian, is that there are so many different forms of it that many spend so much time fighting amongst themselves that they are blinded by what their religion should be about.
3) Faith to me is not church or religion at all. It is a personal relationship that I have with God through my belief in what I have read in the Bible and the way that I have interpreted it. I do use my church and my religion as a vehicle for my voice in relation to my faith.
I hope that I didn't go too deep or bore you with my lengthy response, but that was the brief, cliffnote version!!!
...and to touch on the money aspect of church, it all comes from the Bible where Jesus tells believers to bring one tenth of all that they earn to the church. It has been interpreted that you have been blessed with prosperity so God requires 10% to be used to further His ministry. The church doesn't require any money be given, but depends on the faithfulness of it's congregation to give!!!
If I gave 10% to a church, it would put me in a bind.
What's to stop me from starting my own church, and collecting money from my followers? This is what seems to happen. When I was a young boy, 25 years ago, there were 4 churches in my home town, (Christian, Catholic, Baptist, and Methodist). Now there are too many to count. These are the churches in a county, that is 575 square miles, and a population of less than 8,000.
Celebration Baptist Church
Church of Christ
Church of the Nazarene
College Street Baptist
Family Worship Center Int'l Church
First Assembly of God Church
First Baptist Church
First United Methodist Church
First Spanish Assembly of God
Freewill Baptist Church
Grace Baptist Church
Grace Lutheran Church
Grant Mennonite Church
Jehovah's Witnesses Kingdom Hall
Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints
Mary Queen of Peace Church
Mennonite Brethren Church
Patterson Avenue Church of God
Rose Lane Church of God
Shelton Memorial Christian Church
Spanish Baptist Mission
St. Johns Episcopal Church
Now tell me that Church, and religion are not based on a supply and demand type of deal. It's all business with the Church. One guy doesn't like these other guys, and they start their own church, right?
This is disgusting to me, and is the main reason I don't participate with organized religion, at all.
I still believe in Jesus, and all that, but the churches are making me doubt my faith. THE CHURCHES!!!!!
It's like a bunch of bowling leagues.
LeNeve's, super, awesome, baptismal, methodic, Church of Jesus, and the Lord:
I hold sevices on Thursday night at the bar, and we tell all the drunks how awesome it is to join our church. You can leave donations to my pay pal account, or give me cash. All cash is spent on snacks and beverages, and the rest goes towards a flat screen tv and HBO.
The church part of religion is ridiculous, and needs to be abolished. If you feel the need to share your faith with others, then find the "others", pick a house to go to, sing songs, enjoy the comraderie, and leave it at that.
Invite others if you want, but never ask for money, never ask for a commitment, and let the new people take it or leave it.
I'm 1 block east from a church, one block west from a church, one block south from a church, and one block north from a church.
You know how much I'm bothered by knocks on the door. It's like a bunch of sales men telling me why their Jesus is better than the other Jesus'.
I know they mean well, but in reality I will never go to a church that is pushing so hard for followers.
I am joining LeNeve's church.
DaveP Wrote:I am joining LeNeve's church.
and you butthead... never posted 5 things about you... Iva will be deeply saddened if you dont...
Nussie_T Wrote:DaveP Wrote:I am joining LeNeve's church.
and you butthead... never posted 5 things about you... Iva will be deeply saddened if you dont...
You're the butthead
lap:
I most certainly did!
Brampton Wrote:beckster Wrote:There is so much truth in that. It seems like the people who preach the loudest are the biggest hyocrites (in my experience). A woman from my church got the ultimate blessing. She couldn't conceive, so she and he husband adopted. The girl looked so much like them, that you wouldn't know she wasn't theirs. That followed by some miracle and they wound up having 4 more, naturally conceived children. Year down the road, that adopted girl got pregnant in her Junior year of high school.... Her mom completely flipped out and disowned her. Lil Miss Preaches-a-lot threw her daughter out of house and forbid any of her siblings from contacting her. To this day, she has not met her grandchild. She should be proud, that girl was taken in by the father-to-be's family and finished school, married him and is living a good life (outside of that fact that her family disowned her). People like that who are so religious and so blessed for it are soooo damn ignorant.
Sorry, but that has nothing to do with someones faith or religion. That just makes them a dick. I know plenty of people over the years who that has happened to, and whether I knew them from church or not, people tend to react the same way, no matter where they come from. The Christian way to go about that would have been acknowledging the mistake they made, trying to rectify the situation with their child, and attempting to get forgiveness from their child for their actions.
She's an extreme one, but if you met this woman, she would go on and on about church and religion and how devoted she is and so on... Thus, making her a hypocrite. Yes, she should forgive the her daughter, but she didn't there is a 12 lil boy whom she has never met as a result.
LeNeve, I see your points! I am more of an un-orthodox Christian. I don't yell my beliefs in other's faces and I don't agree with the giving of 10% of everything I have, but I believe that once someone gets to know me they see/respect my faith!!!
DaveP Wrote:Nussie_T Wrote:DaveP Wrote:I am joining LeNeve's church.
and you butthead... never posted 5 things about you... Iva will be deeply saddened if you dont...
You're the butthead lap:
I most certainly did!
You are correct. I must apologize! :boobs: Forgive me? :kissass:
Just thinking, 1 stupid talent I have is PhotoHunt. The game on those little touch screens at bars. I can get 500,000 no problem, I don't think I've seen another high score much over 300,000.
It's my luck I get a skill like that, that can't make me any money.
eddieyourdj Wrote:Thanks for the response Dave! It is really sad that alot people look at "religion" in such a negative way. All I can do is give my opinion on church, religion, & my faith so here goes:
1) Church to me has nothing at all to do with a structural building. When I have church, I meet with other christians that share a belief in God through worship. We can experience "church" in a church building, in a home, in a car, at dinner, etc.. I believe that where there are like-minded christians who are in the attitude of worship, you have church.
I hope that I didn't go too deep or bore you with my lengthy response, but that was the brief, cliffnote version!!!
Nah, you didn't bore me.
I agree with you 100% on that first point Eddie. I hope you didn't take my coment as an insult to you, it wasn't meant that way. I just wanted to hear your take on it.