If you do not practice a religion , you are in name only .
When you really believe in something you will practice it .
Homosexuality is a huge burden according to the bible : so how can you be a religious when you are screwing up the commands of your so called wholly book ?. Your reasoning is screwed up beyond recognition .

with this I'm done with you because it seems your mind is not open.
the fact that a person sins does not implies that this person stop being a christian.
as long as person recognizes that Christ is his/her Lord and Savior this person is still a christian.
Sin per se is part of human nature, so it will be committed whether u r a christian or not.

Have a good evening, Sir.

I appreciate your enthusiasm :) But as for me personally, I don't have a specific religion I follow. I stick more to a personal "moral compass" and it's done wonders for me. :) I don't believe that I have to be a member of a specific religious organization to be a good person or live life to the fullest. And I'm happy that way :) I know you're probably shaking your head at me in pity/sadness, and that's ok :) Truely, I'm happy as I am. But I'm glad that you found your place and that you're as in tune and faithful to it as you are...that's great and kudos to you! Would that others who truely are lost and searching can find what you've found. :)

I think what he's trying to say, is that (with some forms of Christianity) when you sin, you go through a repentance process and then are supposed to try not to commit the same sin again. So, for those who practice a personal lifestyle that is in direct violate of the very words they hold sacred without repentance or true regret of the sin can not truely be devote to their religion. As they say that they follow the words and laws of their god...but they don't "practice what they preach" so to speak. Does that make sense? Yes, we are all human and we all make mistakes...but it's only truely a mistake if you are genuinely sorry and want to try your hardest not to repeat the mistake again.

a person can be an abstinent homosexual, but still a homosexual because of his sexual attraction for the same sex.
but if this person practices abstinence he/she is the most brave from all the christians.
because this person is denying his/her tendency.

I don't see how an abstinent homosexual makes them any more brave than anyone else who choses to be abstinent..? As, technically, those people are denying their tendencies as well. But I think what sam was trying to say is that homosexuality goes against the bible...so how can someone say they are christian but not live a christian life? I.E. live every day of their life in contradiction of the very commandments they sware to follow? It would be like a serial killer trying to say they were Buddist. It goes against everything the religion believes. :)

How about this? We live in the good old USA where it's "do your own thing." However, if push came to shove I still want "In God We trust" on our money & the 10 C's on the walls of our towns & cities & govt., & the nativities on our town hall lawns.

I could care less about devil worshippers. Society has to have some standards. Evil is evil. Let's call those practices what they are....EVIL!

Christianity is declining because the terrorists don't believe in FREEDOM of Religion! DUH! Neither does the chinese govt. for that matter...and many other countries who BTW, oppress their people. Christians are being persecuted by their own govts. for believing in Christ.

Surely that nothing to gloat over. Hard up for converts? More like people are hard up for the Living God. That's what happens when their religious freedom is suppressed.

wow...certainly hadn't meant to anger or upset you...was more just a curiosity of mine than anything else. I'm sorry if my post offended you, that was certainly not my intention.

I would have to agree with you there Scinn...i love to here and learn all religion..i am very spiritual...i believe in a god..i call him "my god"...the one i believe in in my heart and my mind....and he may not be like the one someone else believes in...but that is what is so facinating...

More and more I meet people who call themselves Christian but they do not go to a specific church, and some don't go to church at all, and they are not members of any particular denomination.

I think that they find it easier to call themselves Christians because being Christian is still the most accepted religious affiliation. Anyone running for a public office will call them self Christian because they won't have a chance if they are pagan or Muslim or Wiccan or atheist. They just won't.

Whether they are really Christian or not, they will say they are.

So officially, it may look like the churches and Christianity is not declining, and maybe even growing in some places, but it really isn't.

Designer Christians are all over the place. They just don't have the courage to walk away from the club. They don't have the courage to declare that they don't believe. They just play along. They don't really believe or they just really don't know what they believe and so they remain with the flock because that is where they are accepted and that is where their friends are.

Spirituality is growing however. People are awakening to their own spiritual nature and to their own inner connection to source. They are discouraged in this pursuit and they are told that they should never think of themselves as god in the pantheist sense. They are reminded of the myth about Lucifer who wanted to be god and got kicked out of heaven. This is actually and implied vealed threat that if they profess to be "gods" or part of god with god like powers, that they will be kicked out of the club Christianity just as Lucifer was kicked out of heaven.

You will be told this: "To think that you are god is blasphemy. Don't dare even think that." You are not allowed to assert or have your own authority for any reason. You are to only obey your master. You are a slave. To disobey means the death penalty. It is a sin to disobey.

JB

Exactly! It's our differences and view points that make us interesting, and certainly nothing wrong with looking at something from a different angle. It doesn't mean you have to believe what they do...but it also doesn't mean you can't at least listen and appreciate where they're coming from. :)

I'd have to fully agree with you here, based upon my own experiences and what I've personally seen

Judgement and proclaimation about who can or can not be loved by Christ is anti christian per what I was taught. This doesn't mean anyone has ever stopped or been considered against god or Christ by a church...food for thought...

Sin is sin...labeling groups is specifically against the teachings Christians profess to follow.

Christian by default because they aren't brave enough to be honest about what they really are or really think and face the discrimination from hateful anti Christ chrsitians like we do?

Well although I take issue with the lack of fortitude in this act I will say that this forum throughout the subject lines has definately made a case for these pretenders.

Actually, if Christianity is on a decline (which I am not convinced of) it speaks to reality. The reason is simple. The laws state that we have religious freedom. So when people with good hearts see Christians attacking non christians or discriminating against them based on belief in spite of this going against the teachings of Christ I think people consider it to be a soiling of the church so to speak. Perhaps an indication that the church or congregation is NOT christian so even if they follow Christ they are more likely to walk away from the Church just as Christ taught them to....

This is only my thought and opinion...

Scinn, if you study you will see that the first dentury church developed it's follower's by doing no more than living the life they were supposed to live. Jesus was aupposed to be the one thruogh the believer's life styles and daily action's and gladness that was to attract other;s by or out of curiosity of why- in that time these christians seemed so happy and content. From there it went down hill until contantine made it thr religion of rome and from that it has become what it is today. there was no one outside the apostles that were given the command to go forth and tell other's of jesus - that was added after paul decided to beginthat from his command from jesus and he did it wrongly in my opinion.

You can't offend me...I'm only the messenger...with a bite.

You are just so full of yourself aren't you? LOL

Your rants about Christians & Christianity shows you know nothing about them or the people. It's really sad that you allowed one person to turn you away from the one true Living God.

There isn't anything I can do for you there. You have to take that up with God. Tho I think you just want your man made feel goodisms to not be challenged.

Actually most of what I have discussed here is based on biblical teachings in an effort to make it easier for Christians to understand what I am saying. Considering that I am a non-Christian I think I have been doing my best to share ideas in a way that can be easily understood from a Christian perspective.

I have repeatedly made statements affirming that I respect the Christian right to follow Christianity while pointing out that certain behavior sets adopted by certain groups or sects within the overall Christian congregation are dirrectly opposing the teachings of Christ per my understanding of them.

I have personally both as a Chriistian and a non Christian spent many hours, days, and weeks at a time delving into the bible, it's verses in multiple versions of the bible, and additional texts both from modern and ancient people concerning the bible, it's contents, Jesus, "God" the times of the bible and whatever else I could find that is related in my own search to understand them from a Christian and Non-Christian perspective. To me truth is more important than the ownership or origin of fact.

So far as my statements to Christians or my urges for them to re-consider their point of view please note that I have encouraged you and others to follow Christ as you claim to. This has been my only request. You are welcome to embrace or reject Christianity but if you wish to claim to follow Christ I think it is more prudent to demonstrate the following of his teachings than the following of church or the claims of man.