How do you differ to your parents in regard to Christianity?

[yeshuaslavejeff]

I agree with you there. I'd just like to know if we are going to meet in Heaven. That's assuming I get there as well.

Jesus said, as He addressed the people:
The Kingdom of Heaven IS AT HAND, turn to YHWH; seek His Kingdom TODAY (not tomorrow), and keep seeking His Kingdom (everyday; never stop).

Later, He told His disciples, (living on earth), the ones who remained with Him, "You are already in the Kingdom, now start acting like it (living like it)." It is not, it was not, something far in the future to wait for.

 

[Godlovesmetwo]

Jesus said, as He addressed the people:
The Kingdom of Heaven IS AT HAND, turn to YHWH; seek His Kingdom TODAY (not tomorrow), and keep seeking His Kingdom (everyday; never stop).

Later, He told His disciples, (living on earth), the ones who remained with Him, "You are already in the Kingdom, now start acting like it (living like it)." It is not, it was not, something far in the future to wait for.

It doesn't feel like Heaven here sometimes.

 

[yeshuaslavejeff]

It doesn't feel like Heaven here sometimes.

No doubt. All according to YHWH'S Plan.
Keep seeking , never give up, and perhaps soon you will find those who are living, today, on earth, in His Kingdom now, the way Jesus told His disciples in the first century. (it never changed since then - it is the same as Jesus says in Scripture)

 

[Godlovesmetwo]

No doubt. All according to YHWH'S Plan.
Keep seeking , never give up, and perhaps soon you will find those who are living, today, on earth, in His Kingdom now, the way Jesus told His disciples in the first century. (it never changed since then - it is the same as Jesus says in Scripture)

Jeff
I want to know more about Jeff, who Jeff is. I don't want to read lots of Bible quotes. I have my Bible for that.
I for one am interested in Jeff the person, jeff the human being. otherwise I fear you come across as a Bible-quoting robot. Forgive me for being so direct. I just think we both need to be frank here.

 

[NothingIsImpossible]

The only real difference between my parents and me when it comes to being a christian is they believe in OSAS where as I do not. Now as for how we all live out our christian lives.... my dad and I are MUCH more alike, where as my mom is not like me or my dad. Shes more talk and less walk (not that myself or my dad are perfect of course).

 

[friend of]

My parents were Christian in name and generational inheritance alone.

 

[makeajoyfulnoise100]

My mom was pagan until she was in her 20s then has been Southern Baptist and of a more reformed Christian since then. My dad was raised reformed Christian. It's hard to say which is the "better" Christian because both of my parent's sin nature is different. For me though, I found peace in saying that I'm Protestant Christian with an immense appreciation for Judaism which is a bit different because I like knowing the Hebrew for the Old Testament and am more concerned with translations than anything else whereas they don't seem that interested in translations.

 

[Open Heart]

In most ways I'm actually very much like my parents. I am a baptized believer in Christ. I obey the laws of the Torah. And I'm very big on helping the poor and oppressed. BUT there was one thing my parents lacked: they had no sense of the sacred. Everything was ordinary to them. No matter have beautiful something was, no matter how poetic, or rich, or meaningful, it gave them no sense of transcendence. I'm definitely wired differently.

I keep Shabbat in ways my parents didn't, lighting Shabbat candles, having a special Shabbat meal with a white tablecloth on the table with my best kosher dishes, etc.

I enjoy liturgy. To my father it was empty ritual. To me it is anything BUT empty. It is rich and full of the holy spirit. It is poetry in motion. A beautiful church gives me a sense of the transcendence. Music can make or break the sense of worship for me.

I believe in the Sacred, the Holy. Holy means people, places, things, and times that are set apart for God's purposes. God works through ordinary people and ordinary objects to accomplish his purposes. We see this in things like baptism and communion. We see this in how he set Israel aside as his covenant people. We see this in how he set aside the 7th day and blessed it.

I believe in the holy sacraments -- outer actions through which God works to bestow grace. It may look like I'm doing something when I receive communion, but it's really God who is doing something for me.

I believe in sacramentals -- sacred objects that remind us in one way or another about God. Holy water (the waters of baptism), prayer cards, a mezuzah, tallitot, a crucifix, etc.

I believe in a Sacramental Universe. Choose your metaphor: "God is reflected in his creation," "God's fingerprint is on all he created," "There is a little bit of God in each and everything he created." Because of this, all of creation, even in its fallen state, yearns for union with God, praises him, worships him. The rocks and trees and rivers really do sing to him, clap their hands, etc., just in their own way. A rock may not have the kind of consciousness that compares to our own, but this is not to say that a rock has nothing.

I view my parent's Christianity as colorless, toneless, without beauty. Mine? Well, it "paints with all the colors of the wind."

 

[lesliedellow]

My parents weren't religious, so, whichever version of Christianity I have, it is different to theirs.

 

[makeajoyfulnoise100]

In most ways I'm actually very much like my parents. I am a baptized believer in Christ. I obey the laws of the Torah. And I'm very big on helping the poor and oppressed. BUT there was one thing my parents lacked: they had no sense of the sacred. Everything was ordinary to them. No matter have beautiful something was, no matter how poetic, or rich, or meaningful, it gave them no sense of transcendence. I'm definitely wired differently.

I keep Shabbat in ways my parents didn't, lighting Shabbat candles, having a special Shabbat meal with a white tablecloth on the table with my best kosher dishes, etc.

I enjoy liturgy. To my father it was empty ritual. To me it is anything BUT empty. It is rich and full of the holy spirit. It is poetry in motion. A beautiful church gives me a sense of the transcendence. Music can make or break the sense of worship for me.

I believe in the Sacred, the Holy. Holy means people, places, things, and times that are set apart for God's purposes. God works through ordinary people and ordinary objects to accomplish his purposes. We see this in things like baptism and communion. We see this in how he set Israel aside as his covenant people. We see this in how he set aside the 7th day and blessed it.

I believe in the holy sacraments -- outer actions through which God works to bestow grace. It may look like I'm doing something when I receive communion, but it's really God who is doing something for me.

I believe in sacramentals -- sacred objects that remind us in one way or another about God. Holy water (the waters of baptism), prayer cards, a mezuzah, tallitot, a crucifix, etc.

I believe in a Sacramental Universe. Choose your metaphor: "God is reflected in his creation," "God's fingerprint is on all he created," "There is a little bit of God in each and everything he created." Because of this, all of creation, even in its fallen state, yearns for union with God, praises him, worships him. The rocks and trees and rivers really do sing to him, clap their hands, etc., just in their own way. A rock may not have the kind of consciousness that compares to our own, but this is not to say that a rock has nothing.

I view my parent's Christianity as colorless, toneless, without beauty. Mine? Well, it "paints with all the colors of the wind."

I get that! Like even though sin has corrupted everything there is still God's creation and God's art if you will and appreciating that is beautiful.

 

[FireDragon76]

My parents are lapsed Methodists, my dad actually came from a non-religious home. In Oklahoma, of all places (the "bible belt" for those of you not familiar with US geography). My grandmas on both sides were German Brethren, which later was absorbed into Methodism. I'm mostly British ancestry but those folks tended to not be religious.

 

[Paidiske]

My parents are lapsed Catholics (lapsed before I was born). My mother has a lively sort of faith, I think; she taught me to read and believe the Bible, and she taught me to pray. I've never been very clear what dad believes, but he has a very lively mind and he likes to think about and discuss religious ideas. But we didn't do church and I think both my parents view institutional religion with a great deal of skepticism/cynicism, coloured by negative experiences when they were younger. This makes having a daughter in ministry an interesting thing for them!

I think I see the value in community and communal religion that perhaps they didn't get to experience. I think church can be more than the sum of all the people in it. I think that's worth being part of and investing in.

 

[FireDragon76]

That if we mentioned God, we were either mentally ill or it affected our real walk with God. That the minute we suggested Jesus may be the way the truth and the life, for example we made ourselves a target of Phariseeism.

My upbringing was sort-of like that. In fact many people in the US have that sort of upbringing; religion is considered a very private matter in some parts of our culture.

 

[seeking.IAM]

My dad was a Wesleyan pastor turned UMC pastor. My parents were very conservative Christians, more so than one might assume for the UMC in general. My upbringing was fairly strict with a lot of "thou shalt nots." For example, we were prohibited from card playing, dancing, eating in restaurants or otherwise spending money on Sunday, and cursing or its substitutes (e.g. "gosh darn"). Daily Bible reading was expected and sometimes they held daily family devotions. If you go one generation beyond that, my grandparents were end-times obsessed, repent-Jesus-is-coming-tomorrow kind of Christians. Radio preachers playing constantly. No TV allowed on Sundays. If a sunny Sunday preceded two weeks of planned rain at harvest time, the crops could spoil in the field because grandpa wasn't working on a Sunday. At grandma's house you could make candy on Sunday because that was play, but not a pie because that was work.

How am I different? Probably in three simple ways.

1. Practice: My worship practice is more liturgical, formal, and sacramental.
2. Emphasis: While I try not to ignore the "thou shalt nots," I am much more interested in following Christ's "thou shalts."
3. Focus: I'm less end-times/salvation focused. I am content to be the best Christian I can be in this life and trust (hope?) if I do, it will all work out okay in the end. But, in the meantime, I am paying attention to today, not focusing on what happens after I leave this world.

 

[FenderTL5]

How does your parents version of Christianity differ to yours?
It would be easier to count similarities.

 

[dqhall]

My parents came from the Anglo-Irish Catholic tradition of "don't blow your own trumpet. Just do it."
Particularly my father. He was a gentle kind soul who never took himself seriously. He was incredibly hospitable to strangers as was my mother. They welcomed any of our friends into the home. Sometimes we had up to 20 people there at a time. In a small country town, it became like a hub of human fellowship, not strictly in the name of God but indirectly, as I see it now.
My father was president of a charity group called the St. Vincent se Paul for 20 years. He visited the sick and aged in hospital after Church on Sundays.
But he never once mentioned the Bible. Or did he try to evangelise to us kids. I am curious now what went on in his head. I don't think he actually prayed much. But his life was a prayer. He never held grudges, he extended his love beyond his own family. He was truly humble and deservedly popular. Some of my family made fun of his unworldliness and lack of manly leadership skills and his tendency to procrastinate on tough decisions. But these criticisms seem petty now. I believe Christ uses such humble people to spread His kingdom.
But I think my approach will be different. I see value in reading the Bible. I see talking about God and Jesus Christ as a positive. My parents may think this to be unnecessary or Pharisee like. I think its time to break that chain of thinking. I feel like I have been a slave to this "don't talk, just do" culture for too long. Nothing wrong with talking about God and the Bible. As long as you follow it up in action. As long as you don't become a hypocrite. As long as your relationship with God remains the most important thing in your life.

If ever there was a Bible verse asking people to be diligent and not idle, perhaps somehow my dad got the message. He was often the last one to leave his office. He sometimes went to work on the weekends or was reading with an open briefcase beside him while we watched TV in the family room. He did not have as much time to spend with his children as he was working at his office or out of town on business. By the time he retired at 70 due to poor health, he had been promoted to be senior vice president of a company. Dad was Protestant/secular. Later in life mom returned to church attendance. She wanted to attend Mass. Mom did meals on wheels, was a reporter for a small town newspaper and took communion to local Catholic prisoners. I asked her if she was able to preach to them. She did not respond. She used to support Mother Theresa's charity. I read that Mother Theresa was not allowed to preach to people in India, only to give alms. Mom used to meet for breakfast with Catholic ladies her age. She was greeted around town. I was inspired by my parents to keep trying. I did not convert to Catholicism nor was I put in charge of a thousand workers like my dad was. My dad was invited to numerous weddings, funerals etc. He is taking care of mom who is ill with advanced stage dementia.

I can remember my dad was demoralized by his role in the war in Vietnam. He went through periods of rage, but made efforts to repent and became gentler. He helped his children as best he could. I had to try to repent myself for Christianity is about changing for the better.

How can one person's Christianity be different from another person's Christianity? There is one Christ.

 

[JESUS=G.O.A.T]

My parents came from the Anglo-Irish Catholic tradition of "don't blow your own trumpet. Just do it."
Particularly my father. He was a gentle kind soul who never took himself seriously. He was incredibly hospitable to strangers as was my mother. They welcomed any of our friends into the home. Sometimes we had up to 20 people there at a time. In a small country town, it became like a hub of human fellowship, not strictly in the name of God but indirectly, as I see it now.
My father was president of a charity group called the St. Vincent se Paul for 20 years. He visited the sick and aged in hospital after Church on Sundays.
But he never once mentioned the Bible. Or did he try to evangelise to us kids. I am curious now what went on in his head. I don't think he actually prayed much. But his life was a prayer. He never held grudges, he extended his love beyond his own family. He was truly humble and deservedly popular. Some of my family made fun of his unworldliness and lack of manly leadership skills and his tendency to procrastinate on tough decisions. But these criticisms seem petty now. I believe Christ uses such humble people to spread His kingdom.
But I think my approach will be different. I see value in reading the Bible. I see talking about God and Jesus Christ as a positive. My parents may think this to be unnecessary or Pharisee like. I think its time to break that chain of thinking. I feel like I have been a slave to this "don't talk, just do" culture for too long. Nothing wrong with talking about God and the Bible. As long as you follow it up in action. As long as you don't become a hypocrite. As long as your relationship with God remains the most important thing in your life.

IF the question is referring to how does your christianity is different from your parents today then my answer would be there isn't a difference. My mom grew up presbyterian though and my dad grew up pentecostal but with different traditional values but again that was when they were growing up. Right now I would say our christianity as a family is the same besides my brother he has his own thing going on hasn't returned to God yet and my sister is 5 so yeah.

 

[nonaeroterraqueous]

My mother was the daughter of a Foursquare minister, and her doctrine reflected that. My father could best be described as Christian, as I don't think he had any of the particulars worked out, nor did he ever care to debate or discuss the finer points of Christian theology. I was raised in an Assemblies of God church, with all of the Pentecostalism that it entails.

My parents were always the gregarious sort; they like to be around a lot of people, and they especially like working with children. The marriage was syrupy affectionate, punctuated with yelling and throwing things. I'm the exact opposite. I dislike being around a lot of people, and my wife and I both hate working with kids. Our marriage has always been gentle, totally devoid of the excitement that comes with screaming and throwing things.

On the theological side of things, I've pretty much shunned all of the aspects of AG doctrine that makes it peculiar to other denominations, the most peculiar of which is the belief that speaking in tongues is the initial evidence of the baptism of the Holy Spirit. I don't believe that the Holy Spirit waits until some later date after conversion to come into a person's life, but I believe that the Holy Spirit acts upon a person prior to conversion to even make that possible. If you accept Christ, then you have the Holy Spirit. I don't accept most cases of speaking in tongues, and I especially reject the Foursquare notion that speaking in tongues is something that a person can turn on and off at will by babbling incoherently and expecting God to take control of it. I find that most prophecies are too vague, or they're just paraphrases of scripture, or they don't make any solid predictions about the future, and that they, therefore, cannot be tested for veracity. So, I tend to be skeptical about special revelation. My mother is the sort of person that could see a miracle in anything, but I prefer to reserve such claims for things that are genuinely miraculous.

As a teenager, I read the Bible cover to cover, and that's when I adopted the principles of Calvinism, without ever having heard of Calvinism, and without realizing that it went completely against my church's doctrine. I still hold to that belief in predestination, because it's Biblical, and because I'm not particularly concerned with what my family thinks of me. When I was a child, I was perpetually living the nightmare of fear over my own free will. I didn't trust myself to always hold to the faith. I had that sick mentality of wanting to die young so that I could secure my eternity before anything happened to change that. Yet, with eternity in view, no rational person could expect to escape falling like Satan's angels eventually. Free will meant damnation, ultimately. It was belief in predestination that finally gave me peace. I feel that I can trust God with all outcomes, and not just the unimportant ones that have nothing to do with salvation.

Now, I attend a Baptist church. Their ways are strictly cessationist, and it strikes me with a mild sadness. It seems that there are two ways to disbelieve in the gifts of the Spirit: either by rejecting them outright, or by covering the disbelief with make-belief, trying to make things happen by one's own effort.

 

[Winken]

My dad was a Wesleyan pastor turned UMC pastor. My parents were very conservative Christians, more so than one might assume for the UMC in general. My upbringing was fairly strict with a lot of "thou shalt nots." For example, we were prohibited from card playing, dancing, eating in restaurants or otherwise spending money on Sunday, and cursing or its substitutes (e.g. "gosh darn"). Daily Bible reading was expected and sometimes they held daily family devotions. If you go one generation beyond that, my grandparents were end-times obsessed, repent-Jesus-is-coming-tomorrow kind of Christians. Radio preachers playing constantly. No TV allowed on Sundays. If a sunny Sunday preceded two weeks of planned rain at harvest time, the crops could spoil in the field because grandpa wasn't working on a Sunday. At grandma's house you could make candy on Sunday because that was play, but not a pie because that was work.

How am I different? Probably in three simple ways.

1. Practice: My worship practice is more liturgical, formal, and sacramental.
2. Emphasis: While I try not to ignore the "thou shalt nots," I am much more interested in following Christ's "thou shalts."
3. Focus: I'm less end-times/salvation focused. I am content to be the best Christian I can be in this life and trust (hope?) if I do, it will all work out okay in the end. But, in the meantime, I am paying attention to today, not focusing on what happens after I leave this world.

Sounds much like my Southern Baptist grandmother on my Father's side, especially card playing, cursing, leaving the house on Sunday, dancing.......

 

[Godlovesmetwo]

For example, we were prohibited from card playing, dancing, eating in restaurants or otherwise spending money on Sunday, and cursing or its substitutes (e.g. "gosh darn").

That's a tough childhood in my book. Hats off to you, for surviving.