open, courteous and cordial

[Friend of God]

No Name the Walrus

I'm certainly open-minded about religion, and I consider myself Wiccan, though I haven't been studying very long and am not part of a traditional coven. I have friends who are all different religions, so I don't look down on any one religion, or any one person for his or her religion. The one thing I can't stand is people trying to "save" me because I don't believe I need to be saved.

One question for everyone: How did you come to know the religion you are in is the one for you?

i was born into a christian family and thus grew up on the christian beliefs. once i reached high school, i took a course on world religions to investigate other people's beliefs, but still the ones that i grew up on made the most sense to me and thus i embraced it as my own...but that doesnt mean i havent hit rocky bumps along the way.  

[Friend of God]

chessiejo

some people believe that all they have to do is go to church or profess a creed with their words and they will be fine.

but i go by what Jesus said, which was that NOT reverybody who called him "Lord, Lord" would get a rewrd!

he said that the ones he favored were those who visited prisoners and sick people, fed the naked and clothed the hungry.

uh, u do realize that it is by salvation and not by works that we are saved right? i think that is the most common mistake christians of today are making...just wanted to clarify that.  

[Friend of God]

Iron_Felix

My cousin has been studying world religions. He told me, that through all his research, he has descovered an overlaying religion. He explained it all to me once, but I has half blasted at the time, and dont remember much. But what he said made sense. Im Catholic myself, born and raised, but I dont agree with everything the church says. Hell, I dont agree with 90% of it. And all those rules.... I think that as long as you accept Jesus into your heart, and follow his ways (being peace and all that jazz) you get to heaven. But I know my soul's going to hell. So it doesnt really apply to me...

as long as u have accepted that Jesus Christ is lord of ur life, i dont believe u will go to hell...u appear to have salvation, and that is the key into heaven.  

[Iron_Felix]

I had accepted him into ym heart, then some bad s**t started happening to me. I tried to follow, but it just wouldnt work. My situation wouldnt allow me to keep my faith. And now I know alot more than I would have if I had kept it. I had opened my eyes to other possibilities, and my eyes really did open to the truth.  

[Efstathios]

Iron_Felix

I had accepted him into ym heart, then some bad s**t started happening to me. I tried to follow, but it just wouldnt work. My situation wouldnt allow me to keep my faith. And now I know alot more than I would have if I had kept it. I had opened my eyes to other possibilities, and my eyes really did open to the truth.

You sound like you've had a lot of interesting and not-entirely-pleasent experiences. Actually, the way you've described it sounds a little like an initiation. I'm using the term here to mean a huge event that causes someone to reevaluate their perception of reality to accept new possibilities they would have previously thought impossible.

I know a couple people this has happened to. Some strange things have happened to me as well. Mainly as a result of my own curiousity, I guess. I have come to many interesting conclusions. I would certainly look forward to further discourse with you, people who have non-mainstream beliefs/idea/knowledge intrigue me.

And to the girl earlier who said she saw God in science...That's wonderful, in my opinion. The beauty and complexity of nature are awe-inspiring, and if you see God there, I commend you for seeing it, many christians disdain science. It makes me happy to see one that does not.  

[Iron_Felix]

It seems you understand me. Finally, someone who has had or knows someone who has had or been in the same situation as myself. I would love to talk about this subject with you in more detail.  

[Efstathios]

Iron_Felix

It seems you understand me. Finally, someone who has had or knows someone who has had or been in the same situation as myself. I would love to talk about this subject with you in more detail.

Well, I've already been exposed to someone who I thought for quite a while was either joking, lying, or insane. Then the inexplicable occurences started mounting up to the point that they could not be ignored.
I know, and have always known, that there's stuff out there that defies what is known as rational explanations. One must always look first for any indication a person is lying. You, however, have been very consistent and shown intimate knowledge of things most people don't even believe exist.
Thus I think you are telling the truth, and I would also love to discuss this more in-depth.  

[Iron_Felix]

How shall we discuss it? Through PM, or should I create another thread for it?  

[Efstathios]

Iron_Felix

How shall we discuss it? Through PM, or should I create another thread for it?

Either way, I guess PM if you'd rather it remain private. Another thread if you're ok with intrusions.  

[Iron_Felix]

Id rather Pm. Things I talk about are highly personal. I have barely touched the tip of the iceberg on my stories.  

[Xaerne Veirylle]

Well, I'm a cradle Catholic. For those of you who don't know what that is it simply means Catholic from birth or Catholic from the "cradle". I've never been religious, actually, until I left the Philippines. I practically though that Catholicism was the only religion despite of one of my classmates being Iglesia ni Cristo (a Christian denomination in the Philippines. It means Church of Christ). Well...I got a shock when I came to the US. I got some more shocks and emotions when I figured some people's opinions in Catholicism, especially when some were just misunderstandings. Only then did I appreciate being Catholic and got more into it and started looking through theology. I now just feed of books and writings and speeches about God. It's what inspires me. You try to know more about your friends to please them right? And God is certainly our friend, and even more.  

[Iron_Felix]

Interesting. That would be quite a shock.  

[Efstathios]

Wow, that would be a culture shock.

Christianity/Catholocism can be pretty interesting to study. If you have a weak stomach though, you might avoid descriptions of the crucifixion.
Have you read Lee Strobel's Case For Christ?

I haven't done any fact-checking for it yet, but it's a fair though not bulletproof arguement.  

[Iron_Felix]

I'll have to read it.  

[Xaerne Veirylle]

Hmm, no I haven't read it, but since you mentioned it, I'll see if it's in the library since that's probably the only way I could get hold of a copy.