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How did you get saved?
When Christ ransomed me with His sacrifice. -
What denomination church do you attend?
Born into the Canadian reformed church(Calvinist), and re-educated by a no-name Baptist style international low profile denomination in my youth. Finally I came to understand God’s universal plan for salvation for all. There is no present denomination that is interested in having me or my views that I’m aware of. -
WHo are your favorite authors?
J. Preston Eby. -
Are you a Republican?
No, I’m Canadian. Although I can be quite opinionated on various issues, I don’t believe Christians are mandated to participate in the political process. -
Do you consdier other sects not-christian?
I really find the question irrelevant since God speaks to all of us in many different ways. I do believe that salvation is through the sacrifice of Jesus Christ and his teachings. I don’t know exactly what cults were involved in pre-Columbian America, but I know that God has not forsaken them.
[QUOTE]
*Originally posted by vanilla *
**
- How did you get saved?
My life had hit absolute rock bottom: I was in the process of losing my car, my jobs and my apartment, my family had disowned me, etc., when one evening a stranger knocked on the door to my apartment. No one I knew at the time knew where I lived, but for some reason I answered the door anyway. Nice guy, lost, looking for a bible study in my apartment complex. He invited me to the bible study: great bunch of guys who invited me to their church and explained to me what Christianity was all about. With a lot of help, I got my act somewhat together and went away to school in the fall where I joined a local church and accepted Christ as my savior, leader, coach and friend on Oct. 21, 1984. I also repented of my sins and was baptised that day.
- What denomination church do you attend?
We are a non-denominational, evangelical Christian church called The Willow Creek Community Church located in S Barrington, IL
- WHo are your favorite authors?
Bill Hybels, Lee Strobel, Gilbert Bilezekian, John Ortberg, CS Lewis
- Are you a Republican?
Not in the least.
- Do you consdier other sects not-christian?
This question is a minefield. I am emminently unqualified to say whether or not someone else is saved or a Christian. I do believe that Jesus is the way and the truth and the life. I do believe that Jesus lead a perfect life, was the son of God, performed miracles, died and rose from the dead and that no one prior or since has come even close. But I will not say that salvation will elude all Jews, Buddhists, Moslems, and those of other faiths.
Perhaps you are right (perhaps). They do have some beliefs I’ve heard about that I don’t agree with, though.
Well, now that it has opened up to non-fundamentalists…
[QUOTE]
*Originally posted by vanilla *
**Since there are almost 5 roughly fandies on board here, I’d thought I’d poll them (I’m one myself)
No idea. I was raised in the church and don’t remember a time where I did not believe (though I do remember times when I’ve questioned.) Over time, I’ve made decisions to stay committed, but I don’t have a specific day or instance (that I remember) when I first decided to follow Christ.
I grew up in the Evangelical Covenant church, I’m not attending a Presbyterian church.
Tolkien, Lewis, MacDonald, L’Engle, and during high school (and even occasionally now) I read a lot of Janette Oke.
No. We don’t register by parties in this state (yet), so I’m not a “Registered Democrat,” but if we did, I would be. I can’t reconcile the republican platform to my religious beliefs.
Yes, there are groups that consider themselves Christian that do not fit into my definition of Christian.
I also know that I fall outside of the boundaries for others who have even more narrow definitions than I do. Unlike some people above have stated, it has never bothered me when I’m told that someone doesn’t think I’m a Christian. Perhaps I’m weird that way.
Heard about? Heard about? Sheesh!
Do some research on your own and please, please, please, please, quit relying on the lies some bigot (Phelps, Chick, etc.) spouts.
DDG did an excellent job explaining it in Kindergarden detail (& I mean EXCELLENT job, DDG!). Sadly, it went over the head of someone. Also, simplifying something runs the risk of misexplaining it.
Also, your agreement or disagreement with a particular practice has no bearing on if someone’s a Christian or not. Hie ye to the New Testament and read a few of the Epistles of Paul. He certainly didn’t agree with a few practices he railed against. And, yet, he called the people engaged in those practices not only Christians but his brethren in Christ.
vanilla:
1. How did you get saved?
I listened to some very dedicated and kind people. I followed the instructions contained in Moroni 10:4, “And when ye shall receive these things, I would exhort you that ye would ask God, the Eternal Father, in the name of Christ, if these things are not true […].” The feeling that I got was that the teachings presented to me at that time are true. Consequently I converted. And we LDS do “one better” than saved–we’re (at least theoretically) on the path toward exaltation to obey the Lord’s command to be perfect.
2. What denomination church do you attend?
Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
3. WHo are your favorite authors?
Reverend Dr. Harper (he wrote Sunday) and that’s because he was the rector at Saint John’s Episcopal Church (“the church of the presidents”) when I was an acolyte there.
Dr. Isaac Asimov (I believe he earned a doctorate). Great stories, both his fiction and his science books.
Christopher Priest. Wrote The Inverted World.
Alexei Panshin. Wrote Rite of Passage.
4. Are you a Republican?
Pretty much. I really despise the way the Religious Right have hijacked the party and am considering “converting” to another party.
5. Do you consdier [sic] other sects not-christian?
I take people at their word until they prove they lie. If someone tells me they’re Christian, then I follow the command in the D&C to not try to read their heart (that’s up to God). Therefore a sect, any sect, that claims to be Christian is, by definition, Christian. Of course, there are sects of other faiths that make no claim at all on being Christian: Buddhist sects, Hindu sects, etc.
- How did you get saved?**
When I was born, I was dedicated in a Pentacostal church that my family has always gone to. Most of my life I went there on and off. Off, for no reason but laziness. One day when I was twelve, I went to a service with my cousins for the first time in years. That was the day I truly felt the presents of the Holy Spirit. I said the sinners prayer and I have been hanging out with God ever since. Mind you I had been wandering off from time to time, but God always seems to kick my butt back into shape. Keep in mind when I say wandering, I don’t mean that I stopped believing, but I started being a foolish teen. When I met my current boyfriend, he helped me learn so much more about the Bible. There were things that I didn’t understand that he helped me understand.
( no, I don’t understand everything for all the smart alecks out there)
2. What denomination church do you attend?
I now attend a Messianic Jewish Church: non-donominational, Bible teaching church. ‘Beth Israel’
3. WHo are your favorite authors?
Tim LaHaye, C.S. Lewis, and how can I forget: Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John
4. Are you a Republican?
Mostly Republican ideas
5. Do you consdier other sects not-christian?
Yes. There are a few so-called Christian sects that I do not consider Christian at all: JW’s, Mormons, UU, and some others that I can’t remember right now. I have a tough time with the Catholic church because they do not follow the Bible but they claim to. To me, the Catholic people are misled.
JD
Wow, so many fandies! It’s so nice that you’re all gathered here, in one convenient place.
:locks door:
We don’t claim to “follow the bible”. I’m not even sure what you mean by that.
StG
Catholics follow Jesus. The Catholic Church predates the organized New Testament by close to 360 years. No part of the Bible contradicts Catholic teaching, though Catholicism may be at odds with Protestant interpretations of the Bible, but why should the Church care about that?
The Church follows the revelation of God, which is in both Holy Scripture and Holy Tradition. But neither can stand without the other. Without Tradition as a lens, the Bible is a mess of contradictions and nonsense. Without the Bible as a base, Tradition has no roots.
Want to know what happens when you split Tradition and Scripture? You end up with the chaos of tens of thousands of bickering Protestant denominations, each claiming that “they know what the Bible means,” and few of them even remotely close to what the oldest Christians actually believed.
Augustine, Clement of Rome, Anathius, they wouldn’t recognize the “Christianity” of any fundamentalist ‘church,’ though they’d feel at home in a Catholic, Orthodox or (most likely) Episcopal or (some) Lutheran setting. Why? Because those churches have a distinct connection with the Christians of old, and most of the rest have thrown the faith out with the bathwater in deciding they knew better than all the great Saints and Doctors and Fathers of the Church.
Kirk
At least you’re honest.
If you don’t claim to follow the bible, though, how do you claim to be Christians?
Okay, but like Monty said, whether they have “extra” parts to their religion doesn’t have any bearing on whether they’re Christians or not. There are lots of other denominations that have beliefs that other denominations don’t agree with, but that doesn’t mean that the other denominations aren’t Christians.
Look at the differences between “sprinkled vs. dunked” baptism, or “infant baptism vs. believer’s baptism”. Or how about the issue of whether women can be ordained as ministers?
And that’s just within the Protestant church.
I believe the bible is only part of my faith in Christ. It is my faith in Christ that is important, not my faith in words written by humans. The bible isn’t a list of rules to be followed. It’s the written account of oral traditional teaching. I learn from the text, from the interpretation of that text by learned theologians, and from the daily teaching of my priest.
StG
I almost forgot - I also believe in the sacraments. Without a belief in the divinity of Christ, the sacraments, particularly the Eucharist, would be trivial to me. I believe that Christ is physically present in the Eucharist. it isn’t some symbol. If it were symbolic, what’s the point? I believe my faith is directly descended from the Apostle Peter. I believe Christ gave the sacraments to the Church. I’m not saying that the only path to heaven is through teh Catholic Church. I don’t even say that if you’re not Christian you can’t attain heaven. I know that for me, the Catholic Church is my home, spiritually.
StG
His4Ever-are you talking about sola scripture?
JerseyDiamond, You didn’t say in your post that you were Jewish so I’m just a little curious what lead you go to a Messianic Jewish Church?
Sadly, Jersey, the same cannot be said for you. The poster concerned said they didn’t claim to follow the scriptures. Apparently only you read that as “we don’t follow the scriptures and thus make no claim that we do.” The rest of the English-reading planet, apparently read it as “We don’t claim to follow the scriptures, we actually do.”
Can you point out where Unitarian-Universalists call themselves a Christian sect in current times? Certainly they used to be, but I don’t know anyone who would call them one anymore. They certainly will include and welcome Christians, but they hardly require or endorse Christianity or the Bible as the one true faith.
For more information, try here.
Jehovah’s Witnesses and Mormons, on the other hand, do call themselves Christian. I must think that you would be extremely insulted if other Christians denounced you and said that you weren’t a “real” Christian. Surely you can see why your statement is offensive, especially when you give no evidence (and, given your representation of UU, likely have none).
This board is dedicated to fighting ignorance. I’m afraid that we’re going to call you on it.
<raises an eyebrow, Spockishly>
So you’re using the word “cult” to mean, basically, any religion other than Christianity, then? You do realize (don’t you?) that such a use of “cult” is different from the dictionary definition of the word. Perhaps you should choose a different term.
I’m probably a bit to the liberal side of fundie, but here goes:
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The first time I came to be saved was when I was 8 years old, during a revival. However, my salvation is being perfected as I hope and pray that I may grow in Christian maturity.
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I attend a non-denominational low-key charismatic grace-filled church.
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In terms of religious authors, I like Ravi Zacharias, Leslie Weatherhead, George Barna, and more.
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No, I’m probably best classified, generally speaking, as a moderate with frequently leftist leanings.
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I’ll bow out and leave the whole who’s Christian/who’s not thing up to God to decide.
How Saved-
Raised in a nice Christian & Missionary Alliance church but got seriou about my C’tian faith at age 13 in 1975 after reading (yep) Hal Lindsey’s LATE GREAT PLANET EARTH (the End-Times positions of which I abandoned in the mid-80’s for Historic Premillism, tho I have an appreciation for Preterist Postmillism- but that’s another post if any are interested).
Church I attend-
member of local Assembly of God but not married to the denomination
Authors- C.S. Lewis, Gary North, David Chilton, James Jordan, Walker Percy, JRR Tolkien, Archbishop Fulton Sheen, Taylor Caldwell, Ayn Rand & Fr Andrew Greeley (honest!)
Politics- I prefer to call myself a Right-wing Pro-Life Libertarian but that usually translates into voting Republican.
Status of Sects- Any religious group that denies the Eternal Triune God, the Deity or Humanity of Jesus, & His Resurrection is out of sync with Biblical Christianity. However, God/Jesus’s Grace extends beyond doctrinal understanding & can also reach people outside of Christian faith. (For example, while I think the LDS doctrine of God as Exalted Man, the JW denial of the Trinity & Jesus’s Godhood, & the C’tian Science denial of matter are Biblically wrong, those groups may well have many adherents who are Christians to the best of their ability.)