Say Hi, Gracie (Newbies say hello thread)

[Red Fox]

Hello Hetta!

 

[Red Fox]

Hello again everyone.

 

[Bethany35]

am pretty sure with my church group I belong here, I attend a United Reformed church. we are trinitarian and very liberal, anyway hi.

 

[hedrick]

Hi. Welcome.

 

[Bethany35]

hi, am hoping the Westboro Baptists went the other way

 

[Haasrecht]

Hello, everyone. New member of the forums and this corner looks interesting.

 

[Abdulmasih]

Hullo! I'm one of those awkward folks who don't necessarily fit completely into a box (progressive vs moderate vs conservative), but I would say that I share most in common with progressive/"liberal" Christians (I don't personally like to use the term "liberal", because here in Europe it has economic connotations).

As an example of what I mean, I don't consider homosexuality or homosexual relationships sinful and I don't believe Holy Matrimony as a sacrament is/should be exclusively for heterosexual couples (which puts me in the progressive box), but at the same time I do consider fornication (non-marital sex) a sin, which most "proper" progressive Christians (in my experience) would disagree with.

However, this isn't quite as clear-cut as it seems because I also hold a somewhat rare doctrine known as sacramental prevenience, so in my view, if you have sex with someone you go on to marry, you haven't sinned. Which might put me more in the "moderate" box, perhaps.

You see why this is complicated

 

[LloydK]

Hello. Is this a meaningless formality or are we supposed to tell you about ourselves? I think the only requirement for being a Christian is to follow Jesus' example of trying to love everyone. I don't think it's even necessary to believe in Jesus or God. We're not supposed to lie, so those who don't know or don't believe should not have to pretend they do know or do believe, just to have group acceptance.

 

[hedrick]

It's up to you. Some people wanted an informal place to chat. I'm not a chatter, but I'm happy to welcome you.

 

[Julie.S]

Hello I'm new here to this thread mostly and this part of the forum *check map to see where I am* Yep I'm where I feel at home now I think.

I'm a young woman who lives in Pennsylvania. I'm open to new things and I love to meet new people. I'm as friendly as I can be and generally very happy and easy going.

 

[CaDan]

This thread is pushing nine years old. Wow!

*checking in*

/runs

 

[MelodyJane]

Hello! I'm Melody and I'm still learning my way around these parts. Hope everyone's having a great day!

 

[hedrick]

Welcome Melody.

 

[ReadingForOrders]

I don't think I've ever actually said hello here. I've been away from CF for quite a while, well on and off anyway. My understanding of God as grown some and my calling has taken me some places that I'd never expected.

 

[Rinari]

Oh my goodness. So I think I introduced myself in the wrong thread. Hopefully I'm in the right place now!

Hi, I'm Rinari!

I'm here to discuss my fairly liberal Christian faith with like-minded people. I believe in total freedom in Christ and that each person has to be accountable for their own spiritual growth. I used to be a very staunch Pentecostal Christian and a bit of a fundamentalist. About eight years ago, I began to really explore God for myself outside the setting of a Christian church service. What I found was that the God that was revealing Himself to me wasn't quite matching up with how He was presented in church. I prayed, 'God show me as you really are' and that has lead me to make friends with people of all kinds of faiths and broadened my perspective on how God can be experienced and manifested in our world. I still go to church and enjoy fellowship with other Christians and living out my values alongside them.

I would describe myself as a Panentheistic progressive/eclectic Christian. I know I'm absolutely called and claimed by Christ. the Christian God is the only God I worship, though I respect that others may have very valid spiritual experiences by worshipping other gods. I believe that in the end, all seekers find God. From my pagan friends, I have learned to appreciate God revealed in creation and that there is much to be learned about God through nature. I love getting out in the garden and going for nature walks. I would like to create my own Wheel of the Year that could sync with the Jewish feasts. The Sikh value that a spiritual life can be cultivated and maintained by taking pleasure in ordinary tasks has helped me to adjust to motherhood and come to terms with what can be achieved in a day. It has helped me to identify where I'm making a difference in my every day life. I am a big believer in the divine essence of the breath. I remember once being so sick, but knew that if I just kept breathing, I'd be okay. Since then, I have paid attention to my breath and use my breath in prayer. I also occasionally practise Yoga.

I hope to engage in some discussion here about what it means to be a Christian in this day and age and how we can make a difference in the world together as God's conduits and ambassadors.

 

[hedrick]

Yes. You're welcome here. Introduce Yourself is normally appropriate, too. I apologize for your bad experience there. Some of it is because many people seem to think panentheism is a typo for pantheism.

 

[Godlovesmetwo]

I'm a cradle catholic with doubts about certain stances of the catholic church such as only male priests and denial of communion to divorcees. Trouble is I feel too weird in the Protestant paradigm. It is like I'm denying my heritage. Yet , rationally speaking, I have to admire such things as having female clergy.

 

[skalle]

Was I supposed to post in this thread to formally be considered a "member" of this subforum? If so, here I am!

 

[Airus10111]

Hi,

I'm new to CF as of today. After taking a spin around the forum and posting in a few threads, I think this is the place for me. I have a hard time classifying myself denominationally, but Christ found me 14 years ago, and through thick and thin, He's always been there for me . I've attended many churches over the years from Anabaptist to southern baptist to charismatic, but I've never really found my place in any of them. I think me joining CF is a way to keep the fire alive. I hope to positively contribute to both this thread and CF.

If a Christian apologist is someone who practices the defense of the faith, then I think as a whole we need, not Christian critics, but Christians who are really good at listening. It kills me that for as beautiful as the bible is, the book and our faith is so discredited in so many avenues (science, GLBTQ rights, etc.), and it's not hard to imagine why. I have faith in Christ, but I also support SSM, although I am a heterosexual male. One of my favorite political commentators is Noam Chomsky. I just finished reading Carl Sagan's Pale Blue Dot. Needless to say, I have a hard time fitting in at most contemporary church services, and I'm guessing you all do too.

By way of an introduction, I hope this doesn't sound too negative. I'm really forward to connecting with all of you, listening to your stories and faith struggles, and for you all to get to know me.

Peace,
-A

 

[SHETALKSTOANGELS]