Specific Christian Church or Christian in General?

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   schoolgirlforrealposted 13 years ago

   Many different churches in the christianity category:
   
   catholic
   evangelical
   babtist
   lutheran?
   
   just a few I know and heard of.
   
   My observation is that none is the right one. Just a personal relationship with Christ is the most important. No church is perfect, all have flaws but a good relationship , and prayer life, that makes you happy and helps you feel fulfilled, and helps motivate you to do good, well then,
   
   no church specifically i say.

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      caroldenisgreenposted 13 years agoin reply to this

      That's true in your understanding.  There is no perfect religion and denomination, but there is a perfect church, and that church is God.

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         caroldenisgreenposted 13 years agoin reply to this

         In that church there are persons beyond ourselves.  They are God the Father, God the Son, Christ, and God the Holy Spirit, the Holy Ghost.

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            mischeviousmeposted 13 years agoin reply to this

            But then again, if a person were to come about now and claim to be the child of God, he/she would be persecuted. The church has monopolized the title of perfect, so none other can be of God, but those that accept the church's version. Kinda selfish, if you ask me.

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               caroldenisgreenposted 13 years agoin reply to this

               Then why would you say one thing and do another?  What would you call it?

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                  mischeviousmeposted 13 years agoin reply to this

                  Being an individual. I cannot be pulled off of my path, whether I follow a teaching or not. These are my feet and they walk the path of my choosing, only to end at a conclusion meant for me alone.

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                  caroldenisgreenposted 13 years agoin reply to this

                  If He says you can only be in my club this way, and reap the benefits, to keep you safe from hurt harm and danger, and then give you the option and time to be you, what more do you want?  It is His Church.

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                     mischeviousmeposted 13 years agoin reply to this

                     Though my temple is mine, none can enter but me.

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               caroldenisgreenposted 13 years agoin reply to this

               We were all told it would not be easy, it was written 
               We were told that there IS only one perfect church. It was written.
               We were told there is a Shall, Shalt, Should.  It was carefully written.

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                  mischeviousmeposted 13 years agoin reply to this

                  The perfect church is you, your body. You were told it was imperfect and you believed. I think it's perfect to be alive, though the world is painful.

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                     caroldenisgreenposted 13 years agoin reply to this

                     We are as filthy rags according.  Humble yourself...

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      Disturbiaposted 13 years agoin reply to this

      Religions all have flaws because they were all created by people with their own adgenda who created rules and rituals to follow for their own purposes and to control others.  Religion exists for only one reason, so the few can control the many.
      
      If one truly believes in a "Supreme Being" whoever that being might be, I see no reason why one needs to follow a church or an organization. In my opinion one's relationship with their God should be personal.  And if one doesn't believe in a "Supreme Being" well that's OK too.

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         caroldenisgreenposted 13 years agoin reply to this

         Why are you here?  There is a reason.  Your whole being is here for a reason.  You are not just some created fleshly science being.  It took much to create you.

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            caroldenisgreenposted 13 years agoin reply to this

            To take that what is given to you away from you is not the plan of God.   Your contribution to the creation of God is unique and special.

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            A Troubled Manposted 13 years agoin reply to this

            Yes, millions of years of evolution. We are in awe of such length of time and our physical laws.

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      lizzieBooposted 13 years agoin reply to this

      Well, I would agree on the one hand that "no specific church" would seem like a much happier ideal than what we have. The idea that every church would be simply Christian and without any sub-heading denoting "orthodox", "methodist", "united reformed", "presbitarian" is an ideal that every Christian wishes were true.
      Unfortunately, even since the time of Christ there have been disagreements about what his message really was. This is why a New Testament was put together. Within decades of Christ leaving the world, gospels were being written by numerous sources. Some matching perfectly with one another, some going off on a tangent not relating to what we think of as Christianity at all. We call them gnosticisms. The four gospels that were chosen were done so on the basis that they were the truth.
      Based on the texts that were selected, a single church was established. A church that continued as a single Church for some 1600 years, until a minority of people decided to create a different kind of Christian church.
      That new church very quickly split into several different churches, which  in time divided to become numerous other Christian sects. Each new Christian movement had the view that 'this' was the true Christianity, and all others were false and hoped to draw everyone else to their cause. They continue to 'reform' and regroup to this day to the detriment, I would say, of Christianity as a whole.
      Your idea of "no church specifically" has been done with United Reformed and Free Church, among many others. Your idea of a relationship with Christ being paramount is true and well meant, but what version of Christ are you subscribing to? You may think that the Bible is a neutral text because some many have claimed it for their own, but it was carefully complied and protected for centuries by the original Church and is ultimately an interpretation of Christ by those members of that original church.

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         caroldenisgreenposted 13 years agoin reply to this

         We all believe that Jesus Christ died, so that we do not have to spiritually fall...  He come on his own, free willed from whence he dwelled, to do the such sacrifice.   His job and sacrifice was completed....  There was/is a story to tell...  All because there was/is a love to save us from damnation, which we, ourselves absolutely can't do ourselves; to save our souls...   We can obviously see ourselves fallen on the wayside, daily...  God's way was/is a way we definitely can't do ourselves ...  It's like falling behind on your bills and cannot keep up.   Our sin account is that expensive...  That was/is the purpose of Christ.  We are not perfect...  We all understand that too... 
         
         Different Denominations are like Parables of Jesus Christ.  You interpret for understanding differently, but the same belief...

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            lizzieBooposted 13 years agoin reply to this

            Not all the gospels did believe Jesus died. One or two wrote that Jesus got married and went to live in Egypt. Others wrote that Jesus was an angel. Others, that there were two gods: one bad and one good.

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               caroldenisgreenposted 13 years agoin reply to this

               What matters to you is what you believe...

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               caroldenisgreenposted 13 years agoin reply to this

               What matters to you is what you believe...

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                  lizzieBooposted 13 years agoin reply to this

                  What matters is what is true.

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                     A Troubled Manposted 13 years agoin reply to this

                     Good one!

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      Dave Mathewsposted 13 years agoin reply to this

      Christianity is not a religious following attached to any denomination, ie catholic,baptist, etc.
      
      Christianity and being a Christian means that one is willing through faith to believe and accept all of the teachings taught by Jesus Christ, thus accepting that through His crucifixion and resurrection you are delivered from your sins and at death your spirit will return to God sin free.

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         mischeviousmeposted 13 years agoin reply to this

         Finding happiness through the hate of men and the attrocities of the past. Sounds almost like you kill christ everyday... Let him be dead, follow the teaching... It's not the man, it's the meaning of the message.

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         lizzieBooposted 13 years agoin reply to this

         You're missing the point a little. The Bible, as most of us know it, was put together by people who had specific intentions, namely, that there would be ONE Church and that the job of that church was to protect the truth.
         If everyone takes that same text and ignores its original purpose, then we are left with division after division. God did not plant the book randomly, in the hope that people would simply read it and know how to live. The Book is a relatively small part of a bigger picture which asks requirements of society, not just the individual.
         Even more to the point, not everyone has your particular version of the Bible, or your perspective of what is required of Christians. Indeed, some Christians use the Old Testament to explain the New Testament instead of vice-versa.
         Unless everyone is reading off the same hymn sheet, so to speak, there will never be unity among Christians. The Book is not something which can exist on its own.

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   TheMagicianposted 13 years ago

   I agree on not having a specific denomination within the Christian faith. Simply having a relationship with Christ is all that matters, so I believe anyway
   Then again, I'm a Christian Agnostic (and practicing Buddhist), which doesn't fly well with most believers (and non believers), so most of the time I'm in my own boat

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      caroldenisgreenposted 13 years agoin reply to this

      Ecc. 12:
      
      12 And further, by these, my son, be admonished: of making many books [there is] no end; and much study [is] a weariness of the flesh.
      
      13 Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this [is] the whole [duty] of man.
      
      14 For God shall bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing, whether [it be] good, or whether [it be] evil.

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   Perspycaciousposted 13 years ago

   If you have people, or even groups, to forgive, forgive them.  If you need to repent then practice full repentance.  Exaltation is not just saying that you believe that Christ taught eternal truths.  Or even that you believe he is the Son of God.  Christianity is behaving as Christ wants you to behave and fashioning a life that can be pleasing to him and to our Heavenly Father.  It takes submission of your life to His will and making it count when choices and actions are made and taken appropriately.  The best part?  It is not impossible.  Anyone can live that kind of a life.

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      caroldenisgreenposted 13 years agoin reply to this

      Love...

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