What's so great about being a Christian?

[Tnmusicman]

The first three words of of the final paragraph in this guy's little piece you posted sums it up.

At that point, Dr. Phil would ask....... "And how's that worked out for you?"

LOL!! Yep,I have to wonder .....

 

[Tnmusicman]

From a Southern Baptist perspective, I thought you had to go to church to receive the word or message of God in order to find God in your heart and believe and come to Christian life of repentance and faith.

I was raised Southern Baptist. None of what you stated is necessary for repentance. Whether Baptist,Methodist,Presbyterian ect..... You can receive the Holy Spirit anywhere at any time.
Yes,it's good idea to go to a good strong church as you will receive strength for your faith and meet other believers that wish to encourage and uplift you but
....it's not necessary. The only necessity to come to a life of repentance and faith is believing in your heart that Christ died for you and rose again and you can choose to accept it or reject it. There is a lot of people that do as you mentioned and are no closer to God or receiving God than the man on the moon. The church you can walk in and out of. It is the heart that must change.

 

[Hestha]

I was raised Southern Baptist. None of what you stated is necessary for repentance. Whether Baptist,Methodist,Presbyterian ect..... You can receive the Holy Spirit anywhere at any time.
Yes,it's good idea to go to a good strong church as you will receive strength for your faith and meet other believers that wish to encourage and uplift you but
....it's not necessary. The only necessity to come to a life of repentance and faith is believing in your heart that Christ died for you and rose again and you can choose to accept it or reject it. There is a lot of people that do as you mentioned and are no closer to God or receiving God than the man on the moon. The church you can walk in and out of. It is the heart that must change.

Change into what? In what direction are you changing? Can you please specify? What if you think you have changed but somehow for some quirky reason nobody thinks that you are changed and you insist that you have changed?

 

[Tnmusicman]

Change into what? In what direction are you changing? Can you please specify? What if you think you have changed but somehow for some quirky reason nobody thinks that you are changed and you insist that you have changed?

Your heart must change because churches you can walk in and out of but if you have a change of heart it will be a lasting change. You can interpret change of heart as change your mind but on a deeper more permanent state.
When this happens you will change as a person from the inside out. Your values change and your outlook changes. Different things become important and previous important things become inconsequential.
I guess the best way to explain is when you fall in love you know it but can't explain it. That's kind of what I mean.
Btw, it doesn't matter if others believe you have changed--whether its for God or against God--if you've changed then you've changed. It doesn't really matter if someone believes it because they will know it by your actions.

 

[Hestha]

Your heart must change because churches you can walk in and out of but if you have a change of heart it will be a lasting change. You can interpret change of heart as change your mind but on a deeper more permanent state.
When this happens you will change as a person from the inside out. Your values change and your outlook changes. Different things become important and previous important things become inconsequential.
I guess the best way to explain is when you fall in love you know it but can't explain it. That's kind of what I mean.
Btw, it doesn't matter if others believe you have changed--whether its for God or against God--if you've changed then you've changed. It doesn't really matter if someone believes it because they will know it by your actions.

Can you give an example in your life?

 

[Ronald]

Christianity is a worldview that provides an explanation of the world and provides a moral philosophy (ethics) that helps the practitioner live with some sense of meaning/purpose/direction in life, implemented in the beliefs, traditions, and practices. So, what's so great about being a Christian?

It's not just a philosophy of how to live a moral life. The difference between Christianity and all other religions is in Jesus, a person, who is God and having a personal relationship with Him. You don't get that with any other religion. If it was just about how to live in this life through practicing a belief system, then pick whatever works for you. But Jesus promises ETERNAL LIFE AND THAT IS WHAT WE LOOK FORWARD TO AND WHAT NONE OF THE OTHERS CAN PROVIDE!

1. The theology is confusing

As a newborn baby looks at life, does he think, "boy this is all confusing"? Of course, but then as he grows and learns be begins to understand. The Bible is spiritually discerned; meaning, God must first give you spiritual vision! Right now, you are blind, so it is confusing.


2.

There are too many dogmas and doctrines to remember.

You can pursue studying many doctrines that take a lifetime if your heart leads you to. But you can come as a child, understanding that the basic purpose is about a loving relationship with God. Take baby steps forward and He will guide you. You can keep it simple: LOVE ONE ANOTHER and LOVE GOD.
3.

Like any other religion, there would be rituals.

There is a book called: "How to Be A Christian Without Being Religious". There are few rituals in our reality. The New Covenant is about Grace not the Mosaic Law (filled with laws and rituals). Christ fulfilled the requirements of the Law for us. Communion is for us to remember what he did. When we come together and eat, usually the bread and wine came last, but they typically gave thanks and remembered that he gave his body and blood sacrifice. So bread and wine are symbols. What's so difficult about thanking God with a few words and thoughts reflecting His act of Love. We get baptised, an outward sign and demonstration of an inner cleansing, once. Do you believe, OK tell everyone that you do and then demonstrate it -- what's the big deal about that. Put on your bathing suit and go under in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. And then there is going to church. Church is like school, we learn, we fellowship as well. When you become a Christian you'll want to go, it's not a drag, you grow to love it, it's like nourishing food for your soul.

4.

It is questionable whether or not morality really does come from God.

There are thousands of questions about life that I had, eventually Jesus answered most of them. Most of us start out having doubts and misconceptions -- they get cleared up.
When your conscience tells you to do something other than what you intend to do, there is a conflict within. We try to rationalize and give excuses to follow our inclination and not listen to our own conscience and find out later that we should have. What do you think that is, you arguing with yourself to go one way instead of the other? This is the moral code that God has designed us with. He has written His laws on our hearts. We can resist and reject that inner voice, but will end with less than optimal results.


5.

Reading the Bible is difficult, boring, completely irrelevant, and time-consuming.

Again, it is spiritually discerned. Enlightenment comes when you approach God in humility and ask simply: Can you help me understand this book? If you are really there, show me! That is a simple prayer.
The book of John is a good place to start, but sincerely pray that prayer first. If you have your door shut with a negative attitude, of course you will find it boring, time consuming and difficult. Is any loving relationship easy? Relationships take effort and willingness. God is willing ... are you?

 

[Hestha]

As a newborn baby looks at life, does he think, "boy this is all confusing"? Of course, but then as he grows and learns be begins to understand. The Bible is spiritually discerned; meaning, God must first give you spiritual vision! Right now, you are blind, so it is confusing.

A newborn does not know how to speak yet, let alone think in words.

LOVE ONE ANOTHER and LOVE GOD.

So, God is merely a metaphor for love? I have read somewhere on the Internet that "God is a word for human experience."

The book of John is a good place to start, but sincerely pray that prayer first. If you have your door shut with a negative attitude, of course you will find it boring, time consuming and difficult. Is any loving relationship easy? Relationships take effort and willingness. God is willing ... are you?

I read Book of John. Why do so many people suggest reading John? Out of all the books in the Bible, or just the New Testament, they usually say that John is either a good place to start OR praise John. Even when I was reading the Sparknotes guide on the New Testament, one random member commented a praise about John. What's up with John? Why is this so important? I thought it was Mark that should be taken as the priority for both Luke and Matthew, presumably because John was considered a secondhand source.

Are you serious that I have to pray before I read the Bible? What would count as "praying"? Clap your hands together, close your eyes, and say the Lord's prayer? Right...

I am going to read the annotations then.

 

[Tnmusicman]

Can you give an example in your life?

Sure. For many years I didnt want anything to do with God,but I wasent an atheist. I just didnt want God to interfear with my life. I was a very heavy drinker for about 6 years and had a lot of "warnings" to quit doing stupid things like drink and drive or drink so much I dont know the name of the lady Im taking to bed or drink so much I say anything to anybody with no regret. Long story short I had an incident happen that pretty much screamed "STOP DRINKING SO MUCH"!! It convinced me i needed to stop but I was already addicted at this point. I knew I couldnt afford rehab but back then rehab wasent the first step anyway. I was alone after this incident and I said (to myself) "God,if you are real take this desire to drink away from me".

I was coming home one night ( oh yeah,I was married at this time ) and stopped to get my six pack. My house was just around the corner so I opened a beer,took a drink and just about got sick. I thought it was just a bad bottle. Opened another--same thing. Didnt think about it much till the next night when I did the same thing and the same thing happened. I couldnt believe that God had heard my prayer. I threw out the beer,told my then wife about it and never had one issue with withdrawls or urges. I would try to drink a beer a few times after this happened to make sure it was genuine and I have the same result. I hate the taste of beer now !! I cant believe I spent so much money on the stuff !!

I also quit doing drugs ( also with no side effects ) and I dont care to return to that activity. I turned my life over to God a few years later (about 3 years after I quit drinking ) and He continued to work a change within me. I no longer cared about having sex with EVERY woman in Nashville and I stopped going to strip clubs as I didnt care to anymore. How could that happen when I was just so into it days before?!!? I wanted to learn about God and what,if any,plan He might have for my life. I didnt care about going to church at that time so i just read the Bible in various translations and some other books that I thought might help me understand the change going on inside of me.

This wasent a fluke. It has been a lasting change and Im desiring a deeper fellowship with God. One I had never desired before. My thoughts have changed as well as my language. I try not to ever swear but Im not always sucessfull,however I swear a LOT less than I once did. I rarely swear and that goes for inside as well (where nobody but God and I can hear ). Thats a big indicator that God is at work in me as I used to swear almost constantly (both outwardly and innwardly ).

Then there is the change in my attitude about church and preachers and so many other things but I think this is ample for now to answer your question. Thank you for inquiring.

 

[Forge3]

The great thing about being a Christian is Christ. I studied and practiced the world religions and was even a monk. Christ is the reason it is good to be a Christian. Study Him to know why.

 

[Willie T]

LOL!! Yep,I have to wonder .....

Thank you. I run into so few people here who have a truly functional sense of humor.

 

[Forge3]

Thank you. I run into so few people here who have a truly functional sense of humor.

My funny bone is so large that I was considered for membership with the X-Men

 

[Hestha]

The great thing about being a Christian is Christ. I studied and practiced the world religions and was even a monk. Christ is the reason it is good to be a Christian. Study Him to know why.

What do you mean by "study"?

 

[Forge3]

What do you mean by "study"?

There is intellectual study or applying the mind to scripture and theology. There is what has been termed self-study which includes meditation, reflection and prayer. Both of these are of utility.

 

[Hestha]

Sure. For many years I didnt want anything to do with God,but I wasent an atheist. I just didnt want God to interfear with my life. I was a very heavy drinker for about 6 years and had a lot of "warnings" to quit doing stupid things like drink and drive or drink so much I dont know the name of the lady Im taking to bed or drink so much I say anything to anybody with no regret. Long story short I had an incident happen that pretty much screamed "STOP DRINKING SO MUCH"!! It convinced me i needed to stop but I was already addicted at this point. I knew I couldnt afford rehab but back then rehab wasent the first step anyway. I was alone after this incident and I said (to myself) "God,if you are real take this desire to drink away from me".

I was coming home one night ( oh yeah,I was married at this time ) and stopped to get my six pack. My house was just around the corner so I opened a beer,took a drink and just about got sick. I thought it was just a bad bottle. Opened another--same thing. Didnt think about it much till the next night when I did the same thing and the same thing happened. I couldnt believe that God had heard my prayer. I threw out the beer,told my then wife about it and never had one issue with withdrawls or urges. I would try to drink a beer a few times after this happened to make sure it was genuine and I have the same result. I hate the taste of beer now !! I cant believe I spent so much money on the stuff !!

I also quit doing drugs ( also with no side effects ) and I dont care to return to that activity. I turned my life over to God a few years later (about 3 years after I quit drinking ) and He continued to work a change within me. I no longer cared about having sex with EVERY woman in Nashville and I stopped going to strip clubs as I didnt care to anymore. How could that happen when I was just so into it days before?!!? I wanted to learn about God and what,if any,plan He might have for my life. I didnt care about going to church at that time so i just read the Bible in various translations and some other books that I thought might help me understand the change going on inside of me.

This wasent a fluke. It has been a lasting change and Im desiring a deeper fellowship with God. One I had never desired before. My thoughts have changed as well as my language. I try not to ever swear but Im not always sucessfull,however I swear a LOT less than I once did. I rarely swear and that goes for inside as well (where nobody but God and I can hear ). Thats a big indicator that God is at work in me as I used to swear almost constantly (both outwardly and innwardly ).

Then there is the change in my attitude about church and preachers and so many other things but I think this is ample for now to answer your question. Thank you for inquiring.

Glad to hear that you got your life back together through Jesus Christ.

Are you sure you didn't get cirrhosis of the liver? :o

Wow. You must have gone through an adventure in your life... before finally becoming a Christian. Right.

What happens if you're a person who never really have gone through regrettable life events like the ones you describe? Would there by any purpose to a "change" in your life, if you are already successful and happy and have all the things you want?

 

[Ronald]

A newborn does not know how to speak yet, let alone think in words.

I'm trying to draw an analogy of a new born baby with a new born Christian -- things are new and not so clear and understandable at first.

So, God is merely a metaphor for love?

God is love.

I read Book of John. Why do so many people suggest reading John?

It presents Jesus deity more so than the other gospels. "I am the way, the truth and the life". "I am the bread of life". "I am the vine and you are the branches." "I am the resurrection and the life". " I am the doorway". "I am the good shepherd." "In the beginning was the WORD (Jesus) and the WORD was with God and the WORD was God." "The word became flesh and dwelt among us." "In Him is the light of men." "I and the Father are one". "Truly, truly, I say to you, he who hears My word, and believes Him who sent Me, has eternal life, and does not come into judgment, but has passed out of death into life."

Are you serious that I have to pray before I read the Bible?

Prayer is just simply talking to God. You might ask, "If you really exist, show me!" "Help me understand your word." You will be amazed that if you humble yourself, putting the doubts, misconceptions and attitudes aside, and come to Him like a child, knowing nothing and willing to learn, He will show you!

 

[bling]

In my opinion, I see no difference than being a Buddhist or a Hindu or a Taoist or a Muslim or a Jew or a Samaritan or a Zoroastrian or anyone of the other religions that people belong to. Like any other religion, Christianity is a worldview that provides an explanation of the world and provides a moral philosophy (ethics) that helps the practitioner live with some sense of meaning/purpose/direction in life, implemented in the beliefs, traditions, and practices. So, what's so great about being a Christian?

1. The theology is confusing, and there are many interpretations to the Bible. Because every Christian likes to think that he/she has the *best* interpretation, this can become quite problematic. I think this is one of the reasons why you are not supposed to cite the Bible in a semi-formal term paper in a college/university English course. No matter how tempting it is, the Bible can't be trusted enough to be used in a term paper, presumably because of the equivocal interpretations. (This has never really happened to me, but I know from a grading rubric that you can't cite the Bible . At the time, I knew very little about the Bible besides a few stories and quotes, so it didn't pertain to me whatsoever.)

2. There are too many dogmas and doctrines to remember. This goes along with the theology. As Francis Crick, co-discoverer of the double-helical model of DNA, thought that all religious beliefs (or dogmas) were without proper foundation, he coined the term "Central Dogma of Biology" based on this notion. If a clergyman were to inform a neophyte about one doctrine in his parish, then that clergyman would be indoctrinating that neophyte. In other words, the neophyte must accept the doctrines without question. That's the purpose of doctrines and indoctrination. You are not supposed to question the doctrines.

3. Like any other religion, there would be rituals. If a person wants to become a Christian, then he/she would wish to become baptized, join the Christian community, and participate in the Eucharist sacrament with other Christians at Holy Communion, and do this on each Sunday for as long as he remains a Christian (hopefully till the day he dies). As an irreligious person, you may forget about rituals altogether and consider doing more productive activities than going to church on Sunday (e.g. donating your money and time to charity or participating in community service or studying/doing your homework/working).

4. It is questionable whether or not morality really does come from God. What is good? What is altruism? Can a person really be altruistic? I don't know about you, but I take an evolutionary approach. Humans, like other animals, are evolved to be selfish. What may appear to be altruism in nature may really be a kind of kin selection, thereby narrowing the possibility of altruism to ever exist. That said, if altruism cannot exist the nature, then why do Christians treat altruism as if it's good and selfishness is bad? Selfishness can be good, if it's benefits the species! I am starting to believe that there is no god, and people aren't good. They are inherently selfish, and even though selfishness can manifest itself in negative ways, the only thing that humans can do is cooperate by loving, caring, and helping each other in order to benefit the species. Selfish as it may be, but at least it's better than self-destruction and a total wipe-out of the species.

5. Reading the Bible is difficult, boring, completely irrelevant, and time-consuming. It's difficult, because it's like reading what people from millenia ago, people with a different sort of mentality, thought about the world who wrote terse stories without any explanation for what they meant. Personally, I feel that reading the Bible is as difficult as reading poetry. Sure, there are laws in the Bible, but the laws are never really taken seriously anymore due to concerns about human rights. It's boring, because I usually have no idea what I have just read after reading it, and if I do have a hint of the interpretation, it is most likely going to be wrong or debatable. It's irrelevant, because I live in the modern age. The authors probably have no idea what it's like to live in the 21st century. The only thing that the Bible would be useful and valuable in is that it may be treated as a work of literature (not as a product of God), and as a work of literature, it records human experience and age-old wisdom, from a monotheistic perspective. The only problem is, human experience varies from individual to individual. If two persons are placed in the same situation, there is no doubt that they will interpret the same situation somewhat differently and subjectively. Reading the Bible is also time-consuming. If I have to spend hours and hours trying to understand a passage, then I am going to just quit and forget about reading it! Plus, the Christian Bible includes the Old Testament and the New Testament, so if you think the Hebrew Bible is long, then try reading the Christian Bible (with Apocrypha).

In the end, it seems to me that being a Christian is no better than being an atheist. A Christian would just believe that he/she is better off because he/she is going to justified to go to heaven, but in reality, an atheist who just reads a translation of the Bible out of pleasure and curiosity sounds like a better position to take than a Christian who slavishly reads the Bible out of devotion to God and understand God better and trying to apply an old book to one's life as if every single passage is supposed to be meaningful to the individual.

You are gifted with: Godly type Love, the indwelling Holy Spirit and someday heaven.

All you “have” to do is accept the gift as pure charity (since pure charity is what it is).

You can then take the little Love you have been given with the little faith you have and do wonderful things (actually your just allowing Christ through the Spirit to do wonderful things through you).

 

[bling]

What happens if you're a person who never really have gone through regrettable life events like the ones you describe? Would there by any purpose to a "change" in your life, if you are already successful and happy and have all the things you want?

Why do you not empathize with all those that are going through the same thing and want to help them?

You do not have to experience it directly, but the joy those in the gutter can have through Christ you can also share.

 

[Tnmusicman]

The great thing about being a Christian is Christ. I studied and practiced the world religions and was even a monk. Christ is the reason it is good to be a Christian. Study Him to know why.

Very true. I don't much care for the differences that seperate denominations--I'm more interested in what unifies us. So far,the only thing I've found is our opinion on Christ. That's the one that matters.

 

[Forge3]

Very true. I don't much care for the differences that seperate denominations--I'm more interested in what unifies us. So far,the only thing I've found is our opinion on Christ. That's the one that matters.

When things get messy and coimplicated I think it is time to return to the spirit and simplicity of the early Church. Just imagine if there were no huge amount of denominations only one Church called The Followers of Christ Church with a mission statement of the great commandments. It used all of its resources to help the poor and accrued only enough money for food and shelter for its priests and a place of worship. It lived on trust and hope from day to day. Maybe even the priests had to live with the flock and not have their own private residence.

Than the world view of Christianity might change.

 

[Tnmusicman]

Glad to hear that you got your life back together through Jesus Christ.

Are you sure you didn't get cirrhosis of the liver? :o

Wow. You must have gone through an adventure in your life... before finally becoming a Christian. Right.

What happens if you're a person who never really have gone through regrettable life events like the ones you describe? Would there by any purpose to a "change" in your life, if you are already successful and happy and have all the things you want?

No, my liver is okay, surprisingly enough.

Actually, I accepted Christ when I was younger but when you are young the understanding of what Christianity entails is very different so even though I had said the sinners prayer for many many years I lived my life as if I were ignorent of that proclamation of faith. Like you are saying, I was doing just fine without God but eventually the convictions within me caused me to examine my life. Oddly, one thing I always use to wonder was "why am I still being blessed"?
God allowed me to live quite nice even though He was not in my life. I don't have a good answer as to why that happened. However, I don't think I would have ever come back to Christ if I had not made my original proclamation of faith. I re-affirmed that proclamation of faith a few years ago

My dad sang backup for Elvis Presley for 3 years. He said in Elvis he saw a man who had everything but was not genuinely happy. Was it a spiritual absence? Who knows? We'll never know if Elvis became a Christian but one thing is for sure-- he loved gospel music! This is why his backup groups were gospel singers. Elvis did have a desire to learn about God. So, to answer your question I think someone who is living life to the fullest and is doing it without God may never realize the need for God but when things aren't so great or a tragic event happens a lot of people tend to turn their eyes northward. You can't convince a man who isn't sick that he needs a doctar. Unfortunatly,Elvis might have been in that situation. I don't think he would have loved gospel so much if he hadent,at some point, felt a need for God in his life.

If you are doing fine without God then so be it but please remember that God isn't just a band aid for our lives when things go wrong, rather He is The Lord our God that loves you and wants to be part of your life.He wants a relationship with you. It's not about worshipping Him so much as its about a friendship with Him. He wants to walk beside you .The worshipping will follow but just having a friendship with Him is so fulfilling.

As I've said before you can't convince someone into a state if repentance. If you are happy in your life without God then no amount of talking will do any good. My only prayer is that you continue to have a wonderful life and I hope that you can come to a place where you can share that happiness with God and allow Him to bestow more blessings on your life.

If you ever want to pm me feel free.
Chris