Ask a Christian

why do christian charities refuse to help homosexuals? (or so ive heard...)

I've never heard about that. Many Christian charities overseas help the poor of many faiths and backgrounds every day, numbering in the hundreds of thousands.

Why do you ask Atheists why they don't believe in God?

I like listening to atheists. Sometimes they put my views in perspective. Naturally, I'll also share what I've found to be true. When something as powerful as a person's eternal well-being is at stake, I'll certainly hope to share my viewpoint if I think I can help.

I'd say alot of people are poor Christians, it's not an easy religion to follow, it still makes you a Christian, but somewhat more in name only.

Saying that your a Christian because you go to church is no more correct than saying your an automobile because you go to a garage.

I forget who said that.

Well said. Being a Christian is most certainly not easy. There are many obstacles and worldly desires that drive prospective Christians farther from God.

Question for protestants, from a catholic. Do you really dress up for mass? I dont think ive ever seen anyone wear their 'sunday best' to mass, even a holiday.

We don't even have mass. As for dressing up, this varies widely from one Protestant congregation to another. Some are very formal, while others will let you come in church in your PJs.
 
I have a general question in regards to prayers.

Does God care if I pray in what language I want?
 
CivGeneral said:
I have a general question in regards to prayers.

Does God care if I pray in what language I want?

I'm as far from christian as you can get but that question is rather obvious I'm sure Curt would be able to answer it on behalf of christians everywhere: why the heck would God care?? Are you saying chinese christians prayers mean less than english ones? Or is god pissed that you're praying in english and not armaic or greek or hebrew or whatever languages the origianlly christians spoke with?? :crazyeye:

Do you mean to imply that some certain language is better in gods eye than others? As a christian, do you think language came from god or man made it up? or gods language is english or armaic or hebrew whatever and the others are bad? ??

Just wondering where and how the question arose...
 
I'm as far from christian as you can get but that question is rather obvious I'm sure Curt would be able to answer it on behalf of christians everywhere: why the heck would God care?? Are you saying chinese christians prayers mean less than english ones? Or is god pissed that you're praying in english and not armaic or greek or hebrew or whatever languages the origianlly christians spoke with?? :crazyeye:
I am refering if God would care if someone prayed a prayer in a Second language (Especialy with what happened with the Tower of Babylon).
 
why would he care if a Japanese christian decided to pray in his learnt language of, German!! Just because its not the language he learnt at birth, why would gos think its wrong to expand your linguistic horizons and embrace other aspects of humanity that the world has to other, such as the language that your fellow human a continents away speaks??
would god look down upon humans learning more about eachother and not being isolationist look-down on other cultures high-and-mighty my way is the right way type people?

And for that matter, how would any christian really know what 'god' wants anyway?

But, as its up for interpretation, I think it'd be silly to think your God would frown upon such a thing...
 
Katheryn: I didn't need your additional proofs, though thanks. I needed you to answer the question "Would you say that a major portion of your certainty in this is due to an "answer" to your intercessions for him?"

You think he might not be a Christian due to his actions; are you certain because of your prayers?


I didn't mean to give you "proofs" but was trying to show you how we evaluate a leader. The method isn't prayer, but assessing his 'fruit' or his deeds, the consequences of his actions, his priorities, his accomplishments, goals. What are they? How do these relate to the indicators we are given in scriptures, are they ones we associate with a 'false prophet' or a true Christian leader?
 
I have a general question in regards to prayers.

Does God care if I pray in what language I want?


Of course not. He is just very happy to hear from you.

"He has shown thee, O Man,
what is good and what the Lord requires of thee.

To do justly, and love mercy,
and walk humbly with thy God"


"Walking" is like this:

Psalm 23:

The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want.

He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters.

He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake.

Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.

Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over.

Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the LORD for ever.


You are worrying again. Don't worry! Does this sound like someone who needs to worry about pleasing God? No. Don'y you worry either.

We don't really know what happened at the Tower of Babel. The version of what happened is so abbreviated, it really doesn't give us any idea of what happened. The peoples of the earth scattered, we know that, but the short one or two paragraphs in Genesis is not by any means anything you can get a handle on. Someday, I'm sure we will find out, but certainly not with the small info in Genesis.
 
No, its just that our faith in Christ is stronger than our faith in being able to walk on water.

It's the same faith, no? The same faith is required to request that a paralysed person walk as is required to get to Heaven. In both instances, you're having faith that Christ is working through your faith. In both cases, you're having the same faith (and type of faith) - faith in Christ.

I mean, really, if you don't have faith enough that Christ can heal through you on Earth; how can you possibly have faith enough that you'll go to Heaven (which is a faith concept itself)?
 
It's the same faith, no? The same faith is required to request that a paralysed person walk as is required to get to Heaven. In both instances, you're having faith that Christ is working through your faith. In both cases, you're having the same faith (and type of faith) - faith in Christ.

I mean, really, if you don't have faith enough that Christ can heal through you on Earth; how can you possibly have faith enough that you'll go to Heaven (which is a faith concept itself)?

Well, I have my doubts that I'll go to heaven. But putting those personal issues aside, I think people have faith that their belief in Christ will save them from eternal damnation. I also think people have faith that God could heal anyone He wanted, but we lack faith that a certain person will be healed when we pray for them, simply because we don't understand why some are healed and others aren't. So we're afraid that the person will not be healed, sometimes we have little faith that a person will be healed because we have not seen it many times and some people have never seen it.

Faith in Christ = great
Faith that Christ will save us = great
Faith that Christ will heal our dying cousin = poor
 
Okay (and thanks for answering), why is your faith in Christ's Grace 'great' if your faith in His desire to heal your cousin is 'poor'?

I think that this is just a social convention; we are all 'used' to Christ not helping people miraculously but we've been told that Salvation is 'easy' (look at Katheryn's response to Civ General above).

I don't think there's Scriptural support to assume this. In fact, I think it goes the other way around.
 
I think that this is just a social convention; we are all 'used' to Christ not helping people miraculously but we've been told that Salvation is 'easy' (look at Katheryn's response to Civ General above).

I don't think there's Scriptural support to assume this. In fact, I think it goes the other way around.

In the new testament you see many instances of people believing and being added to the church, sometimes in great numbers. but only once in a while do you see someone performing a great miracle. so why wouldn't we conclude that the amount of faith required to be saved is a bit smaller than that necessary to perform great miraculous signs?
 
In the new testament you see many instances of people believing and being added to the church, sometimes in great numbers. but only once in a while do you see someone performing a great miracle. so why wouldn't we conclude that the amount of faith required to be saved is a bit smaller than that necessary to perform great miraculous signs?

I can understand how that may be true, but I don't understand why it's true.

Why would god in some instances grant people their wishes and let them heal others through their faith? Why not simply heal people without waiting for someone to let them be healed through others?

In other words, if god thinks that some people should be healed, what is he waiting for? If he doesn't think they should be healed, fair enough. But having intermediaries who heal other people through their faith in god seems illogical to me.
 
In the new testament you see many instances of people believing and being added to the church, sometimes in great numbers.

We have no idea if these people made it to Heaven; it doesn't take much faith to be part of a church, nearly none at all. Like I pointed out earlier, casting out demons, etc. is 'low grade' faith stuff.

Anyone have any input on the 'God works in mysterious ways'? It certainly seems to be a powerful meme. So much so that I thought it had a biblical origin.

If it's not biblical, then it's extra-scriptural and thus could be seen as a non-scriptural concept.
 
I mean, really, if you don't have faith enough that Christ can heal through you on Earth; how can you possibly have faith enough that you'll go to Heaven (which is a faith concept itself)?

Entry to Heaven isn't judged by how much faith you have. All one has to do to become a son of God is appeal to his sacrifice on the cross to wash away sin. Dependence on God's mercy is the key.
 
Entry to Heaven isn't judged by how much faith you have. All one has to do to become a son of God is appeal to his sacrifice on the cross to wash away sin. Dependence on God's mercy is the key.

Christ says you have to believe in Him; it's even the same word for the level of belief needed to work other miracles.
 
why do christian charities refuse to help homosexuals? (or so ive heard...)

They do not.

I'm just curious, how does a charity know that someone is gay? Do they ask them if they are gay? When they go through a line for free food or clothing or housing, do you think they are asked? Before Franklin Graham's people had out a Christmas present, do they say, "Are you SURE you aren't a homosexual???" I mean, really! These are just everyday people.

Or do you think those in line say, "Hey, I'm gay! Or you going to give it to me or not?"

Or perhaps you think they want to copulate right there on the table?

I'm sorry, I just had to ask!:lol: What do you think goes on in these places?
 
Christ says you have to believe in Him; it's even the same word for the level of belief needed to work other miracles.

There is no such thing as "level of belief".

Why are you so hung up on this 'level of belief' idea? I don't get it.

Even the belief someone has is a gift of God. So, there is really no merit in the "level" of faith.


4But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, 5made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved.

6And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, 7in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace, expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus.

8For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— 9not by works, so that no one can boast.

10For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.

It is all about grace, grace, grace. Not having a grand level of "faith" that merits attention.
 
The thing that always baffles me most in Christianity (or at least some branches of it) is the concept of confession. Is there any limits to what can be forgiven (Imagine religious serial-killers who regularly confess) ? How can mere mortal priests judge and forgive in God's place ?
 
The thing that always baffles me most in Christianity (or at least some branches of it) is the concept of confession. Is there any limits to what can be forgiven (Imagine religious serial-killers who regularly confess) ? How can mere mortal priests judge and forgive in God's place ?
This here is a Catholic and Eastern Orthodox practice. Protestants dont have nor believe in the Sacrament of Reconciliation (Or commonly known as Confession).

Catholics believe that no priest as an individual human man has the power ti forgive sins. This power belongs to God alone. However, God can and does excercise this through the Roman Catholic priesthood. Catholics believe that God excercizes the power of forgiveness by this sacrement which is administrated validly by a validly ordaned priest or bishop. In the Confession, the priest acts "in persona Christi" (lit. In the person of Christ).

In order for the Sacrament of Reconcilliation to be valid, the penitent must do more than simply confess his or her known mortal sins to a priest. He or she must be:

  1. Be truly sorry for each of the mortal sins they commited
  2. have a firm intention to never to commit the sin again
  3. Perform the penance given to them by the priest

In addition, the penitent mus also disclose how many times each sin was committed to the best of their ability.
 
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