Do you acknowledge God exists, yet don take the whole 'christianity thing' seriously?

[Peri]

Ok, i was thinking...

If someone asked me: "Do you believe in God" I would say, Yes.

However, i wouldn't really use the term believe, as it just doesn't seem right. I acknowledge he exists, but i never pray, never go to church, or nothing. I don't believe in Jesus, live my life by the bible (intentionally) or actively premote Christianity.

I didn't used to believe in God, but a certain event in my life changed it. However, i have not become some fanatical religious preaching christian.

I could sort of clarify myself further by saying that i acknowldge he exists, but it seems more at a personnal level, outside of religion.

Does anyone else feel this way?

I accept the existence of God. However I dont pray or do anything differently than I would If I didnt believe. Just because God exists it doesnt follow that I should worship him. I dont believe that worshiping God makes any difference.

 

[El_Machinae]

I know one person who believes in the Christian God, yet feels that he cannot maintain the Christian life sufficiently to actually make it to Heaven and so think he'll go to Hell. While he believes that God is forgiving and loving, he doesn't believe that he can be repentant and submissive in a sufficient fashion. Basically, he thinks he's going to Hell.

I found that to be strange; it's a rather defeated attitude.

 

[GenMarshall]

I know one person who believes in the Christian God, yet feels that he cannot maintain the Christian life sufficiently to actually make it to Heaven and so think he'll go to Hell. While he believes that God is forgiving and loving, he doesn't believe that he can be repentant and submissive in a sufficient fashion. Basically, he thinks he's going to Hell.

I found that to be strange; it's a rather defeated attitude.

If I may ask, What denomination of Christianity is this person from?

If he is a member of the Roman Catholic Church or the Eastern Orthodox Church, a confession to a priest who acts in persona Christi is sufficient.

If he is a member of Protestant Christianity, usualy a confession of sins to God directly is simple enough.

In a nut shell, there is no strict way on the sufficiant way to repent one's sin. Even as simple as saying "God, I am sorry for my sins" is good enough.

This person should not worry and think that he is going to Hell because no mortal man can judge the fate in which he or she is going.

If worse comes to worse, I recomend you telling this person you know to seek a Priest or a Minister (Depending if he is a Catholic (Priest), Orthodox (Priest), or Protestant (Minister (or Priest in the Anglican/Episcopal traditions))

 

[emzie]

Why do atheists feel the need to mock peoples faith?

I mean really.

I wasn't mocking anyone's faith. What I posted is true: I believe in the Human Spirit and I personify it by the struggle to reach the Moon.

Why do you feel the need to defend God at every turn? If what you believe is true, God needs no defense. Defend Him in your heart, not to me.

 

[s.c.dude]

Why do you feel the need to defend God at every turn?

because we are christianI

f what you believe is true, God needs no defense.

he doesn't however people's faith in god does

Defend Him in your heart, not to me.

at every step in life i do

 

[warpus]

As for the OP....if you really believe in God, dont you think it would be in your best interests to find out what God expects of you?

To me it seems extremely oxymoronic to 'believe' in God, and then completely do nothing about it.

To believe that God exists and to believe that he cares about you are two completely different and unrelated beliefs.

I believe that the PM of Canada exists - but I'm not going to do anything about it as he doesn't care about me, nor could I influence him to do anything about me if I tried.

 

[Desmond Hawkins]

Why do atheists feel the need to mock peoples faith?

I mean really.

Um, because it is quite hilarious for those looking in from the outside.

As for the OP, why Christianity in particular? Why not, major religions in general?

 

[puglover]

I believe in God according to the Bible. And I also practice organized religion because it is the easiest way to strengthen my faith. Church is one of the best ways to grow in knowledge of the Bible while enjoying fellowship with other believers. Christianity is a blessing, it is no burden.

 

[Bill3000]

Why do atheists feel the need to mock peoples faith?

I mean really.

Why do Christians feel the need to mock Neo-paganism, greek polytheism, etc? I mean really.

 

[Stylesjl]

Why do Christians feel the need to mock Neo-paganism, greek polytheism, etc? I mean really.

Or an unamed Christian who called Wiccan "Devil Worship"

I think it was orginally propaganda from the Catholic Church to help make forced conversion easier by dehumanising those who followed non-abrahamic religions

 

[GenMarshall]

Why do Christians feel the need to mock Neo-paganism, greek polytheism, etc? I mean really.

I would like to point out that I dont mock Neo-paganism, and other non-Christian religions. And I also bet that other more liberal and moderately inclined Christians would have a simmilar view.

 

[Bill3000]

Or an unamed Christian who called Wiccan "Devil Worship"

I think it was orginally propaganda from the Catholic Church to help make forced conversion easier by dehumanising those who followed non-abrahamic religions

Yes, I know that it was propoaganda and the like, but even so when you ignore the devil worshipping comment, polytheism seems to be considered inferior to monotheists as a whole and just mere false myth and superstition.

 

[MobBoss]

How do you know its not?

God told me.

Yes God does want us to be better, worshipping him all your life doesn't help that.

Actually, it does. Sin cannot exist in the presence of God....thus if you are filled with with the spirit of God via worship, you will be a better person.

You should just go and do what you want.

Sorry..but that is what Satan wants you to do....not God.

No one knows that God exists, whether or not he even is human, or whether he can speak.

I know he exists and I know he can speak.

 

[MobBoss]

I wasn't mocking anyone's faith. What I posted is true: I believe in the Human Spirit and I personify it by the struggle to reach the Moon.

Bullcrap. If it stinks like crap...looks like crap...guess what...its crap. Your attempt to justify it makes it even more pathetic.

Why do you feel the need to defend God at every turn? If what you believe is true, God needs no defense. Defend Him in your heart, not to me.

Because, your sarcasm blows thats why. It makes you a bigot against christians. I am not defending God here....but simply pointing out your bad behavior towards someones simple statement of faith.

Way to be tolerant.

Um, because it is quite hilarious for those looking in from the outside.

So that means its ok to be an intolerant butthole? Somehow I dont think so.

Why do Christians feel the need to mock Neo-paganism, greek polytheism, etc? I mean really.

Bill, out of the people posting here, I expected better of you. I dont see christians here in this forum doing this at all. At least I would say I havent mocked anyones faith here.

Why not just speak out against intolerance instead of trying to paint christians in a bad light?

 

[silver 2039]

I worship His Holiness the FSM.

And the Invisble Pink Unicorn

(Atheist)

 

[El_Machinae]

If I may ask, What denomination of Christianity is this person from?

If he is a member of Protestant Christianity, usualy a confession of sins to God directly is simple enough.

I'd say "protestant", but only in the sense that I know he's "not Catholic". He believes that a submission to and love of God is required to reach Heaven; while he has many sins that he's truely repentant of, there are others where he neither feels sorry for committing them nor does he feel inclined to not re-commit them (beyond the 'baseball bat threat of hell').

On the other hand, he doesn't seem to twist and distort the Bible to reinterpret his 'sins' as 'not sins', to reinterpret his unrighteousness as 'acceptable'. So, he's defeatedly resigned himself to hell. He's decidedly unique; most people change their viewpoints to see themselves as acceptable.

 

[Bill3000]

Bill, out of the people posting here, I expected better of you. I dont see christians here in this forum doing this at all. At least I would say I havent mocked anyones faith here.

Why not just speak out against intolerance instead of trying to paint christians in a bad light?

Actually, I meant this as an analogy for why many atheists are like this toward Christians, rather than meaning to paint Christians in a bad light. (Though when I look at my post, it's obvious that the intent seems to be different, so I apologize) What I meant was something like this:

I contend that we are both atheists. I just believe in one fewer god than you do. When you understand why you dismiss all the other possible gods, you will understand why I dismiss yours.

...while noting the various forms of paganism as an example. Not a matter of mocking, really, but a matter of feeling other religions as fiction. I know it was stupid for me to generalize like that in the first place, and I apologize. I'm not one to try to demonize a religion. I probably should have put a smiley there.

At the same time, well... There's also the matter of the fact that there are a huge number of people who believe in god, yet don't follow an organized religion, and there is no right or wrong with religious beliefs. The simple fact is that there are too many different interpretations to form a consensus as to what part of x scripture is the best reading, and even if there was such a thing, religious plurality dictates that someone taking a minority interpretation isn't worse than a majority interpretation. I just find it utterly pointless to argue about scripture, especially since no one here are theologians... (And one doesn't even need to be a theist to be a theologian, though I take it such a thing would be unlikely )

 

[Stapel]

I consider the possibility any gods exist at all as quite unlikely. But if it would become clear to me in anway that there actually is one, it would most certainly not be the Christian God.