+30 out of 100 ratings Thats what I assumed, but I wasnt sure because I hadnt done any study on the subject before I made my assumption. According to Acts 11:26, the word Christian was first used in this context to refer to individuals who followed Jesus as followers. +30 out of 100 ratings However, there are no Unitarian Universalist churches in the vicinity of where I reside. These religions were polytheistic and one may treat them as religions without gods because the pagan gods were anything but gods. Accepting the facts about Jesus, on the other hand, is not the same as believing in him. When weve discussed their skepticism against organized religion, theyve frequently expressed views along the lines of: Religion just seems like a bunch of rules; Religion just seems like a bunch of rules; and Religion just seems like a bunch of rules; The folks are self-righteous and hypocritical, says the author. When someone makes a sacrifice to God or a spirit, he or she is hoping to establish or repair a relationship with the creator of the universe. To an extent, I agree it is our job to show His love. Dont let Maize intimidate you into joining the UU; I believe she is compensated for recruiting new members. And while I typed, I began to understand that I no longer considered myself to be a Christian in any sense. The late William H. (Bill) H. Religion and science are, in fact, diametrically opposed. I don't believe in his resurrection and I don't believe he'll be returning. I believein Jesus Christ, His only Son Our Lord, Who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried. I believe what I want to believe for the reasons that I want to believe it, and that is my business and my business alone. If I were you, Id do some research about Islam. This is the meaning of Christs resurrection: When Christ was martyred, the Reality of Christ, which represents His teachings, His blessings, His perfections, as well as His spiritual force, was hidden and concealed for two or three days following His death.He was not resplendent and evident at this time.Because the believers were few in number and distressed and angry, the mission was ultimately unsuccessful.When the disciples became assured and firm in their commitment to the Cause of Christ, and resolved to spread the divine teachings, putting His counsels into practice, and rising to serve Him, the Reality of Christ shone forth and His bounty appeared; His religion came to life; His teachings and admonitions became evident and visible; and when the disciples became assured and steadfast in their commitment to the Cause of Christ, and resolved to spread the divine teachings, putting His counsels into practice, and arising to serve Him Or, to put it another way, the Cause of Christ was like a dead corpse until the vitality and abundance of the Holy Spirit surrounding it.Such is the significance of Christs resurrection, and this was a genuine resurrection. That's not saving faith, even though it involves a measure of belief. Most Christians have heard of Hanukkah, as it often overlaps our own Christmas season. Science is based on actual facts and observation that can be tested. The end result of man made religions is that the souls of men who want to enter into the family of God cannot because Christ is not preached and him crucified in their midst and they cannot respond in faith to come to a place of repentance therefore they remain without God..(John 10:1-11; 1 Corinthians 1:20, 8:6). In Philippians 2:5-6, he writes that Jesus was God. Sheila has a passion for Gods Word and shares what God is teaching her on her blog,The Way of The Word. . Despite our belief in a God who watches over us and protects us from difficulty, and who occasionally answers our prayers if weve done enough good things to win His favor, we dont want to believe in a Savior who demands that we repent of our sins and accept His forgiveness. God talk is an incredibly delusional activity. Some do, while others do not. Religion becomes what Jesus referred to as whitewashed tombs pretty on the outside but a rotting corpse on the inside. At this point Adam had fellowship with God. So that everyone will honor the Son in the same way that they honor the Father. John 5:23 So that everyone will honor the Son in the same way that they honor the Father. He who does not honor the Son does not honor the Father who sent Him, says the apostle Paul. People of different religions, lifestyles, sexual orientations, and religious views, among other things, should be included. A Christian is described as someone who has undergone Christian baptism or who believes in the deity of Jesus Christ and the teachings of his apostles. God cursed Adam for eatimg from the forbidden tree and he cursed the ground. The two most widely practiced such religions are Mormonism and Jehovahs Witnesses, both of which were founded in the 19th century in the United States. A number of devotionals, including Just Pray: God Isnt Done With You Yet, Grace & Glory: 50 Days in the Purpose & Plan of God, and her most recent release, Open The Gift, have been written by her.She has also written Going Around the Corner, a Bible study for small groups who want to reach their communities for Christ.In conjunction with Multiplication Ministries, their ministry also provides disciple-making materials like as One-To-One Disciple-Making and other resources. Unbeknownst to him, an agnostic theist believes in the existence of a God or Gods, but he believes that the basis of this belief is unknown or unknowable by nature. So, there is nothing in the definition of God that commits a Christian to the belief that God created the world. Why would you want to follow a kosher diet? gives you opportunities to step into leadership roles; the list could go on. What did the Pharisees and Sadducees do with these witnesses? Can you separate God from Jesus? Ive met many people who claim to be Christians, but who do not adhere to the teachings of Jesus. If you really want to understand God and how His plan for salvation for everyone was to send His Son to represent Him to the world and to live a perfect life and be killed as a sacrifice for our sin so we could live, you should really get yourself a Bible and read it. The very word Christian means little Christ or Christ-like. Can a person call themselves a Christian, when, by definition, they are not a follower, nor a student, of Christ? Witness #1 was John the Baptist, whom they had accepted as a true prophet (Matthew 14:5, 21:26; Mark 11:32; Luke 20:6). Being a Jew isnt something you fall back on. Is it possible to be both a scientist and a believer in God at the same time? Christians are hypocrites. Buddhism is neither agnostic or deist - as they are a "non theistic" philosophy. More recently, the Baptist Faith and Message put it this way: "There is no salvation without personal faith in Jesus Christ as Lord." The Bible is as clear as the confessions. Consequently, according to biblical teachings, a Christian is first and foremost a disciple, someone who follows and learns from Jesus, as well as someone who believes in and follows Him. Posted by . As the church proclaimed Jesus as the promised Messiah, the Jews who did not follow Jesus continued to practice their religion according to their existing traditions. My inability to attend any Christian church is due to the fact that Christianity is founded on the teachings of Jesus, and they believe that Jesus was resurrected. It was the blood shed on the cross that covered and took the things that was between man's fellowship with God out of the way being our sins and tresspasses against him. He opened blind eyes (John 9:6-7), healed the sick (John 5:7-9), fed thousands with a few fish (John 6:11-14), cleansed lepers (Luke 17:11-14), turned water to wine (John 2:6-9), walked on water (John 6:19), cast out demons (Matthew 12:22; Luke 8:26-33) and even raised the dead (John 11:38-44). Now, Im a fan of Judaism as a religion, and Im sure youd find people willing to talk to you about it if you went to a local synagogue to learn more about it. Christianity teaches that our good works are useless as far as eternal life is concerned. Yes, it is correct. I think that there was a guy named Jesus who was a wonderful leader and teacher of peace and God, and that he was genuinely crucified as a result of his actions. Although Jesus appears to refer to himself as God in the Bible at times, Unitarians believe that this is based on a misunderstanding of the text and the society of Jesus day. Crystals and Christianity may not be best friends now nor ever, but working with healing crystals when you're a Christian isn't a Fastpass to hell. Instead of believing the undeniable testimonies, they sought reasons to dismiss them. Mankind was cut off from having fellowship with God because of sin and man from that point needed a mediater to go between him and man. But the truth is, Christians are not only followers of God, but believers in the Bible. If we say or mean one must believe to get saved, that makes it a condition one must meet before God saves them. When it comes to those who identify as Christians, I have witnessed more hate, judgment, and prejudice than when it comes to members of other religions, or even those who do not identify as religious. Many believe it is a sin to be gay, or transgender. A number of Jesus teachings, in particular, are admired and followed by some, while others do not claim membership in any one spiritual organization or tradition. Jesus said that all who fail to honor the Son consequently fail to honor the Father (John 5:22-23). 2 Corinthians 4:6 For God who said, Light shall shine out of darkness, is the One who has shone in our hearts to give the Light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ.. So how can he explain his claim that he came down from heaven? The following is also found in John 3, verse 13: And no man hath climbed up to heaven, but He that came down from heaven, even the Son of man which is in heaven. (King James Version) Take note of the fact that it says, The Son of Man is in heaven, even though Christ was still on the earth at the time. When it comes to spirituality, it becomes about me molding God into my image rather than the other way around. After all Jesus said, " If you love Me, keep My commandments " ( John 14:15 ). Let me start by making my premise clear: Believing in God doesn't mean I believe in religion, and believing in Jesus doesn't mean I believe in the religion of Christianity. I submit that it is impossible, if one is serving the God of the Bible. Personally, I do not see how I can possibly do the topic justice, entire books are devoted to that topic. [1] [2] [3] Another definition provided is the view that "human reason is incapable of providing sufficient rational grounds to justify either the belief that God exists or the belief that God does not exist." [2] And, despite the fact that community might be frustrating, it can also be a wonderful support system.A strong community: prays for and with you; celebrates spiritual milestones with you; guides your conscience on important personal and social issues; accompanies you on your journey; benefits from your gifts and contributions; provides opportunities for you to step into leadership roles; teaches you; picks you up when you fall down; corrects you when you go astray;a strong community. If you want answers, you must seek them out. Perhaps it is the bible that commits them to it. Start in the Gospel of John and discover Jesus! It is impossible to remove the Christ and still have the Christian. Because agnosticism is a perspective on knowledge in the philosophical rather than religious sense, and because it does not preclude believing in a deity, it is consistent with the majority of theistic viewpoints. Jesus Christ! There are countless examples of famous scientists, both in the past and today, who have professed their faith in God. Unitarian Universalist, perhaps? What has made Christianity unique throughout history is Jesus himself. Romans 14:12 "So then each one us shall give an account of himself to God.". [2] Verse Concepts. Date of joining: August 30, 2005 Number of messages: 19,892 Number of ratings: +3,252 You may just use worry beads as prayer beads, or you can create a chaplet of your own design and link it together. Paramedic (medicine); theology (B. Th.= was a pastor; now studying about Openness of God and Moral Government Theology ); chess; reading; football; tennis; iMac computers; married with twin boys and a girl (teens); wife has MS (pray). Ratings: +228 Cfer, +228 Cfer Why not visit and take their test to find out which group you are most compatible with? Thats the one Im talking about. 'I Believe in God, But Not Religion' Keep the Faith, Belief By Mike Tenney According to the most recent surveys of religion in America, somewhere between a fourth and a third of Americans describe themselves as "spiritual but not religious." Many of my friends identify this way. Oneness Pentecostals deny the theology of the Trinity, believing it to be pagan and unscriptural, and they adhere to the JesusName teaching in regard to baptisms, which they consider to be unscriptural. 23. Concepts of the Holy Spirit, on the other hand, may be more compatible with certain peoples conceptions of the divine. Regarding my religious ideas and where I stand on them, Im still finding out what to call myself and how I want to be perceived. They believe that Jesus is the only name given to mankind by which we must be addressed, and that this is the only name by which we must be addressed is Jesus Christ. The religiously unaffiliated currently account for little more than one-quarter of the population of the United States. Please give me reasons of why Jesus is real and why I should I believe in Him. Method 1 Having Faith 1 Separate physical measurements from believing. Without Christ Jesus man cannot enter into the (family of God). Gods blessings on you, no matter where you are in your spiritual path.I want to support you and pray for you as you continue your search.Heres an old prayer from St. Date of joining: September 26, 2005 1,199 messages have been sent. The atheists have me beat when it comes to having faith. I changed your group to seeker. While the Nones include agnostics and atheists, the majority of those who fall under this category still believe in God or a higher force of some sort. Through him all things were made. You can touch the trees, hear the dogs barking, people talking, birds singing. You should look for what makes you feel the most comfortable. Im going to look into UU a little bit more. Continue on your path and do what makes you feel most comfortable. On the other hand, it is my understanding that the Jewish God is the one who appears in the Old Testament, who is vindictive, wrathful, and jealous. In American religion, one of the most significant storylines has been the growth of the Nones, a word that refers to people who do not identify with a specific faith and who have been around for more than a decade. Make an appointment to visit a synagogue, a mosque, a Hindu temple, a Buddhist center, or whatever religious tradition is accessible in your community. Wicca allows for the belief in a supreme being (or beings), or an impersonal force. Her discovery of remnants of the crucifixion on which Jesus had been crucified is said to have occurred centuries ago. Always been a Christian. This brings me back to my original question. How we answer this question will determine how the Bible should be. The majority of religious traditions teach that God is boundless, enigmatic, and unfathomable yet that humans may nonetheless learn and understand a great deal about him.Despite the fact that mathematics and numbers are endless and we will never be able to know everything there is to know about them, we can still master algebra and calculus.The same is true of God: we can grow to know him even if He remains a mystery to us at first. As the Good Book says, Seek and ye shall find, therefore go forth and seek. Believing in God while rejecting a belief in the divinity, sacrifice, and/or resurrection of Jesus is a belief in something other than Christianity. This doctrine is most clearly presented in Johns gospel but is found throughout the New Testament. As now he would have to work the land for his food amidst thorns and thistles by the sweat of his brow. While it may sound tolerant and loving to believe in the god of your choosing, in the end it will lead to destruction and an eternity separated from the Most High God who created you to worship Him, and sent His Son to tell you how. Assumptions. The ancient witness of the church affirms the Biblical testimony of Jesus historical, bodily existence as well as his divinity. Believing it does not mean that you sense it is like that or that you understand it to be like that. 2. Romans 10:9 says it most clearly: "If you declare with your mouth, 'Jesus is Lord,' and believe in your heart that God raised him . Many Unitarians, on the other hand, continue to believe in God in the traditional sense or use the term in a more restricted sense. Instead, they pick and choose which aspects of the Christian life they believe are beneficial to themselves and society, while rejecting the rest of what the Bible, and Jesus in particular, has to say about the subject. Copyright 1999-2022 Worthy Christian Forums - A division of Worthy Ministries. Unitarians believe that mainstream ( Nicene) Christianity does not adhere to strict monotheism, but by contrast, Unitarians do, by maintaining that Jesus was a great man and a prophet of God, perhaps even a supernatural being, but not God himself. I believe in the existence of God with all of my heart. God further told Adam if he ever did eat trom that one forbidden tree then he would surely die( Genesis 2:17). A: Yes, perhaps some people are more inclined to be doubters. Is it necessary for someone to recognize Jesus as the Son of God and to follow His teachings in order to be considered a Christian? Is it possible to believe in God while not believing in Jesus? What is the significance of Christs resurrection three days after his death?- The answer is The resurrections of the Divine Manifestations do not include the resurrection of the body itself.All of Their situations, conditions, and actions, as well as the things They have established, as well as their teachings, expressions, parables, and directions, have a spiritual and divine significance and have no link with material things. But do we know what this holiday is about? It was from there that God. (Genesis 3:14-20 ) cursed the serpent for what he did above all the cattle and beast of the field that he would have to crawl on his belly in the dust of the ground. In fact, I would further submit that when a person professes a belief in God apart from Jesus, they are not serving God at all, but only an imitation, an idol, which they have created of their own will and desire. At the age of 19, Im still working out my spiritual connection with God. The second term is Christian, which comes from the Greek word Christianos (which means Christianos). Beliefs can be collated into a "belief system"-an intellectual construction of what sorts of things are right to think and not think about God. Best way to go about this? Read it for yourself and then ask the Holy Spirit to impress upon you whether it's true or. Because the tomb was close by, according to John, there is where Jesus body was laid to rest. Neither form denies that God is a singular entity or a singular person, nor that Jesus is the (or a) Son of God, but neither form denies that Jesus is God himself. 34For he whom God hath sent speaketh the words of God: for God giveth not the Spirit by measure unto him. "When You Believe in God, but Don't Think He's Fair 6.) When Mormons are witnessing they give people the Book of Mormon and say, "Don't take our word for it. They believed in soul worship, totem worship, or nature worship and were religions without gods. However, because the clergy have not grasped the meaning of the Gospels or comprehended105the symbols, it has been asserted that religion is in conflict with science and science is in conflict with religion, as, for example, the subject of Christs ascension with an elemental body to the visible heaven is in conflict with the science of mathematics.However, this is not the case.However, once the reality of this issue is revealed, and the symbol is explained, science does not in any way dispute it; on the contrary, science and intelligence affirm it, as does the intelligence. Some Answered Questions (Abdul-Baha, Some Answered Questions, p. I am a big lover of ceremony and feel that a persons religion should have some element of it.However, everything Ive learnt thus far has been based on Christian (particularly Lutheran) tradition.Argh. Founded By: Frank Ewart, 1913. Believing in God, but not exactly Christian. You do not need to make an image of Him because once you believe in Jesus the Son and accept him as your Saviour, He lives in your heart forever. I pray God's blessing upon you as you persue knowing Him more. Date of joining: November 16, 2005 There have been 16,110 messages and 1,261 ratings. Would you consider that to be Jewish in nature? He proved this by rising from the dead, unlike any other world religion. The original use of the word Christian to describe those who were disciples of Jesus is found in Acts 11:26. So keep your distance from it. As a theology and religious studies teacher in a high school, Ive had the privilege of walking with numerous teenagers and young adults as they sought to reconcile their longing for God with the inadequacies of religion and the individuals that make up their communities. "The bottom line for me is this. Does Having Faith Mean We Have to Turn Off Our Brains? There is so much to learn and so much to share. Jesus Himself faced a people reluctant to believe in Him, yet who were outwardly and vocally committed to serving God. What would you think about experimenting with alternative rituals? All religions all around the world that doesn't teach Jesus Christ and him crucified are considered by God a theif and a robber. Likex 1. In my heart, I know that Jesus would want everyone to feel loved and welcomed by His disciples, and I believe this to be true. Being omniscient does not essentially involve creating anything either. Or would doing so conflict with our own Christmas celebration? Someone who does not practice Christianity, Islam, or Bahai might be a member of nearly any other religion. God commanded Adam and told him that all of the trees in the garden were good for food and he could eat of them freely (Genesis 2:16). God knows the day you would eat of it then that's when your eyes will be opened and both you and Adam shall be as (g)ods, having the hidden knowledge of good and evil just like God is all knowing..(Genesis 3:4-5). Jesus Himself had to deal with a group of individuals who were hesitant to believe in Him, but who were outwardly and publicly dedicated to fulfilling the will of God. Many of my students who are SBNRs come to me as a professor of theology at a Unitarian Universalist and multi-religious seminary where I teach. In philosophy, agnostic theism, also known as agnostotheism or agnostitheism, is a philosophical position that embraces both theism and agnosticism. But, why Christianity or Jesus? In theological terminology, pantheism refers to a form of religious belief rather than a specific religion, and it is comparable to concepts such as monotheism (belief in a single God) and polytheism (belief in several gods) (belief in multiple gods). It is not my intention to convert anyone to Christianity, nor do I feel it is my responsibility.I do not feel it is my responsibility to convert someone away from their present religious beliefs.I feel that as long as someone is content with their lives, it is not my responsibility to tell them whether they are living the right or wrong manner.I feel that organized religion has an excessive amount of power over a large number of individuals. Pantheism is defined as the belief that God and the cosmos are one and the same entity. Having said that, you may find it more satisfying to locate and join the Unitarian Universalists. Not one single prayer was ever answered. A human. But there is no separating Christianity from Jesus himself. Sri Lanka is indeed a beautiful place. To the Wiccan, Jesus is a teacher and exemplar of love and compassion. In fact, many people identify as spiritual but not religious, or SBNR, as academics have labeled this group. John 5:38. So He sent His perfect Son to pay that price for sin, which is death of the perfect sacrifice - the death of His Son, Jesus. In My Fathers house are many dwelling places; if it were not so, I would have told you; for I go to prepare a place for you. Without the blood there can be no remission of sins (Hebrews 9:22). It takes accepting, believing and calling on Christ Jesus the Saviour of the world by confession of your mouth and believing in your heart that he died and rose again from the dead(Romans 10:9-10). Unitarians believe in the moral authority of Jesus, but do not necessarily think that he is divine. Through faith in the shed blood of Christ we now have access (Romans 5:2; Ephesians 2:18) once again with the God the Father as our relationship is restored to whosoever will believe and call on his name. Sorry for being long but you asked much in so little. But what does this word actually mean? In 2015, Pew discovered that 59% of self-identified Evangelicals believed that the Bible is the "literally true" Word of God, "word for word." Less than 30 percent (29%) say they believe the Bible is the Word of God, "but not literally true word of God." The latest findings show how Americans' views of the Bible drastically changed over the years. Verse Concepts. Their own laws required that a matter was to be confirmed on the evidence of two or three witnesses (Deuteronomy 19:15), so Jesus gave them three. of As a religion, Buddhism has a history that dates back to what is now Bodh Gaya, India, about six centuries before Christian times, making it one of the worlds oldest religions currently in existence. At least the way these words are used today. John baptized Jesus in a public place, and at that event, God confirmed verbally that Jesus was His Son. 1999 - 2022 Worthy Christian Forums - A Division of Worthy Ministries. Please help. Salem Media Group. If you had known Me, you would have known My Father also; from now on you know Him, and have seen Him.. The cross confronts our sin, and we dont like to admit that we are sinners, separated from God and in need of salvation. The Christian god God/Jehovah, is so obviously Yahweh, invented by the Hebrews, a mythical and extremely nasty deity. You can call yourself a "deist" - "believer in a God" Agnostic "A believer in that there is a god, but not any god that's connected to a religion." "When You Believe in God, but Won't Forgive 7.) They are not interested in hearing that God loves them and will send them to hell if they do not embrace Jesus as their Savior. The Pharisees tried to discredit Jesus by accusing Him of performing miracles by the power of demons (Matthew 12:22-24), and repeatedly attempted to seize Him to stop His teaching, afraid of losing their position and power (John 11:48). Jesus was only a human being, not the incarnation of the divine. The closest equivalent of The Golden Rule in Islam comes from a saying of Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, "Love for your brother what you love for yourself". Close. But until we voluntarily believe, by faith, that He died for our individual sins, His death accomplishes nothing for us. Jesus said that He is the way, the truth, and the Life. 14:6; Acts 4:12 Jesus is the only way, truth, life because He is God-Man, risen from the dead. The death and resurrection of Jesus provide the most compelling evidence that He is indeed God, and that He deserves to be acknowledged and honored by those who believe in God. About Bruce Gerencser Bruce Gerencser, 62, lives in rural Northwest Ohio with his wife of 41 years. I would like to invite you however, to come on in the the chatroom, where we can probably give you some answers in real time, and respond to other specific questions that will come up, as you explore the topic. Date of joining: September 27, 2004 28,667 messages have been sent. If these historical things are not true, then Christianity is a false religion. We understand family to be a group that is mutually dependent on each other. Jehovahs Witnesses further reject the historicity of the core event of Christianity, Jesus bodily resurrection, teaching instead that the resurrection was a strictly spiritual event.
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