Another Christian checking in. I haven’t belonged to a church since I was a teenager, and haven’t been to a service other than for weddings and funerals since I started college. And I don’t know of a denomination that encompasses what I believe, so I haven’t been compelled to find a church. I’m “Christian” in the sense that I believe in God and in Christ’s teachings as I understand them, and try to live my life according to that the best I can.
I can, however, talk about blessings, because I’ve got tons. Stable job, safety, overall happiness and a better understanding of how I fit into the world, and most important of all: a loving and supporting family and plenty of incredibly supporting friends. I just saw the movie Wings of Desire again recently, and couldn’t help but draw a connection between the scenes of angels giving silent support to people in need throughout the city of Berlin – it seems that every time in recent memory I’ve hit a low point or hated myself or just didn’t know where to turn, someone came in and lifted me out of that, sometimes without even being aware that that was what they were doing. I see that as God’s work, angels or no.
And just a note: as you’ve seen, any mention of your Christianity is going to be seen on these boards as “witnessing,” any proclamation of faith is going to be dismissed as “ignorance,” and any statement like the one I’m making now is going to be interpreted as “martyring yourself.” Just something to be aware of and to be ready for.
While your beliefs are nice, its not exactly real is it? An entire religion built on something someone made up 2000 years and change ago doesn’t really hold true these days. SCIENCE.
But everyones entitled to their own thinking
I’m a hard core Episcopalian Christian who’s close friends with a Wiccan. To me, my life is my ministry, not just where I go on Sunday. At my church, I’m more involved with the choir than anything else. In real life, I do what I can. The thing is, if I brag about what I do, or even tell you about it, it feels like I’m drawing attention to myself rather than simply doing what God commands me to do. Some of that involves getting into religious discussions here, just like my brother in spirit, Polycarp, and trying to convince people that being a Christian does not automatically mean one is a Fundamentalist or incapable of rational thought. Some of that involves hanging out with non-Christians and letting them find out that this crazy, fun-loving, wierd person is a devout Christian who isn’t going to call them evil because they wear a pentacle or got fed up with what they saw as Christian hypocrisy. I’ve done the latter a time or two myself.
I am probably more open about my faith here than anywhere else. Like a lot of folks around here, I’m not big on proselytizing, and I’ve often said, “If I have to tell you I’m a Christian, I’m doing a lousy job of it!” The way it worked out was I couldn’t resist getting into some good rousing religious debates.
As to how the Lord has blessed me, the ways are too numerous to count, but they include the friendship of that Wiccan I’ve mentioned who’s strengthened my faith and probably even saved my life a time or two. They also include the friendships I’ve formed on this message board, including Polycarp,Steve Wright, and Iampunha.
There was a good book I read long ago called How to Live Like a Kings Kid by a Harold Hill.
In it, he tells his friend how to.
He has the friend imagine a friend calling in late in a winter night saying his car had broken down.
He goes and tries to help his friend.
No extra tire, so he has to walk blocks to buy the guy one.
Replaces it, finally drives home,to have his wife there saying “Where have you been?”
He is about to tell her what good he has done, but he is told,no;you’d get applause that way.
Don’t tell her. God will know.
I would like to say that it is people like Polycarp and vanilla that ** give hope to this lapsed heathen. every time I hear what “Christians” are up to around the globe, I just have to pop in here and search out a Polycarp** answer and I relax. No, not all Christians are crazy. Not all of them want my head on a stake. In fact, vanilla and Poly are pretty nice people. Gives me the strength to carry on sometimes.
I do not hold anything against any person’s personal beliefs, but I am constantly appalled by those Dopers who come into threads about religion simply to denounce any and all religious thought as stupid.
I am a Christian. I also hold much trust in science. These two beliefs are not at odds with each other. Science can explain the the What, Where, How, and When. Religion supplies for many thinking people the Why.
Do believers hold some sort of moral or intellectual advantage over an atheist? Of course not! Guess what? The same holds true for those who choose not to believe in any sort of Godship.
There are some things that can not be proven here on a message board. Nor maybe even in real life. The existance or non existance of God is one of those things.
While I am proud to stand up and go on record as a thinking, reasoning individual who chooses to believe in a higher power, I would also like to see the meaningless arguments about it all simply cease.
Another Roman Catholic here (we count, I hope?) My best friends are a Unitarian and a sort of blended Protestant (Liberal Boston Baptist church but she’s sort of Presbyterian and Methodist too). I went to the Bronx HS of Science and have no trouble with evolution, etc. Also no trouble with athiests, etc. unless they’re smug about it.
I don’t do missionary work except to live my life as a person who practices what she preaches and tries to quietly set a good example. I don’t bring it up unless someone else does but in discussions I try to politely but firmly explain the viewpoint of the Church as I understand it.
I am a Christian. My membership is with the Episcopal Church, but it’s been a long time since I’ve attended or taken Communion.
I’ve seen no contradictions yet between my beliefs and science. To the contrary, the more I learn from science, the more spiritual I become.
I believe there are many paths to God, that I am on the path which is right for me, and that I must not judge the paths that others follow. I believe that I can learn from the teachings of many. I believe in the essential oneness of everything and a recognition of that unity beyond this life.
I believe Jesus when he said, “Blessed are the peacemakers.” And I believe in a merciful, forgiving and loving God.
I have people who love me, people to love, pretty places to spend my time and small ways of being of some good to others. My life has become more peaceful within the last few years. I have the gift of time.
I can see how this post could be hijacked, but my specific intent was not a debate as to whether Jesus existed or if he was the Son of God or whether the Bible is real. There are lots of threads breeding in GD about that.
This was simply intended as a small place for those Dopers who DO believe that Jesus existed and that the Bible was true and who go to church to share with each other.
Me-I’m starting at a new church this week. Our old Baptist one was nice-we had nearly 1,000 there-we’re having to knock down buildings for more space and it’s sometimes standing/sitting in rows/dangling over the balcony room only. The problem was that there are TOO many people. Half of the people there I wouldn’t recognize in the street and getting to know folks is much more difficult than in a smaller village church that I’m used to. So I’m downsizing.
I’m also looking to go to Malta in January/February to do some missionary work. Should be interesting. I’ve been a part of several mission teams especially in my teens-usually a week with a load of other Christian teens camped down in a church and creating wild mayhem everywhere, but also witnessing amazing scenes as people came to Christ
The flavor of Christianity espoused and practiced by Polycarp and others here on the board is certainly not in evidence in the area where I reside. In my locality the practice is to visibly witness all over the place, citing bible verses to all and sundry. Also to vigorously denounce not only non-christians, but those people who claim to be christian (catholics, LDS, and any denomination which does not endorse biblical literality) but to them are not. Also to loudly point out their co-religionists who do not seem to be living up to community standards.
To make acquaintance with most of my neighbors (which include my relatives) only to have them discover you are either “unchurched” or a member of the incorrect church (Unitarian in my case) will result either in an effort to “save” you, or an end to any meaningful casual relationship.
I am pleased that there are other styles of Christianity out there, that do not seem to function along these lines. I am even willing to believe that most of the self-identified “Christians” in this country do not fit into the same category as those around me. And I am not here to try to hijack this thread or deprecate anyone’s beliefs.
But I do hope that you understand why I and others like me tend to have a knee-jerk reaction when someone posts here to celebrate their Christian faith. In my case, my reaction is generally one of avoidance. For me it tends to work better to protect my own dignity, and keeps me out of arguments that don’t help anyone and that I can’t win. Sadly, some others see it as a call to defend themselves, which too often results in an attack.
So having said that, I wish you Christian dopers well. And I hope other dopers will be able to restrain their impulses to criticize. But this being the SDMB, you know there won’t be 100% success in that area!
i was raised in the church of rome. a few years ago, during a discussion of current events the pastor of the roman catholic church suggested that “maybe it would be better for you to worship elsewhere.”
while that is not exactly excommunication, i can surely tell when i am not welcome. i spent some of that time evaluating my faith and beleifs, and largely due to discussions with my brother polycarp and sister seige i have joined the episcopal church.
as a rather new member, i spend more time learning rather than in ministry. i do write a column in our monthly newsletter where i interview new parishioners, and find a small way to help in what ever project the church has going.
again, let me publicly thank polycarp & siege for their council and advice,
No intent to disrupt this from what Iceland Blue wanted it to be into a theological debate.
But I think it might be worth sharing a couple of short passages from the Episcopal Church catechism, to clarify where some of us are coming from:
For most of us, there’s a point in how we’re supposed to behave toward others that is “Not just a good idea; it’s the Law” (;)). For me, that it corresponds with how I would prefer to behave is simply gravy.
Gee, there are a lot more Catholics than I thought there were here.
Right now my husband and I are looking nervously for a church. The nearest R. C. one isn’t very inspiring, although I guess that’s all right as long as the Sacrament is there. We still need to do the RCIA classes and first confession and the Eucharist.
Mostly my ministry right now is prayer. Heavens, that sounds sanctimonious. I don’t actively go round exhorting people. Lots of people want prayer. I can pray for them.
I see no conflict between science and religion. Science doesn’t, as someone mentioned, tell us why anything is as it is, just how. For a very silly analogy, science can tell you why the specific ingredients in a sponge cake are necessary, but it can’t tell you that you ought to bake one for you sister because she likes cake. All oughts are moral judgements. I said it was a silly analogy, okay?
I am a Christian. Grew up in an independent fundamental baptist church.
Now-a-days, I border on heretic.
In the meantime, I lead a homegroup. We’ve a picnic today. We’re tentatively planning a camping trip in the spring.
So we got studying together, praying together, and playing together down. The next thing to add is working together. (We tried once so far but the local Habitat for Humanity is undergoing a re-org, and so won’t be organizing new volunteer stuff for a while.)
If I may, I’m going to crash this party (just like a Godless Heathen, eh? ) and wish you all well.
PS: I am no longer Christian, but I was for my first few years on the boards here. I do sometimes miss occasional Christian camaraderie around here though!
