Born Again Christians Thread-No Bashing please

[JennyMominRI]

that's the part i found offensive, though i certainly wasn't going to say anything about it on this thread.

and yes i agree with you that atheists face an awful lot of unneccesary hostility. i have never met an atheist that was trying to "convert" people. everyone i know tries to just keep their views on religion to themselves because of persecution that they might face otherwise. i work in a very liberal place, but i know from others discussing their religions that i am the only atheist among the circle of people i work with. i don't ever discuss my religious beliefs at work because i am afraid it might hurt my career.

My 2 closest friends are Athiest..One of them does cross that line..If ever one could *convert* people to Athiest,He sure tries,and he doesn't see the paralels to those that he complains try to convert people to CHristianity.
He's the only Athiest I know who Might fit that criteria...And I know a lot of Athiests

 

[LukenDC]

I am appaled that someone would actually hit you with a Bible, please don't let those experiences persuade you that we are all that way.

Through reading the DIS, I have greater awareness that Christians are not monolithic in their approach to proselytizing or in their interpretation of the Bible. As I posted last night, threads such as this one are helpful in shattering stereotypes and fostering mutual respect among people with theological differences.

 

[ead79]

I lean pre-trib myself. I think that the Left Behind series sheds a very interesting light on how people could come to Christ even after all believers had been raptured. There is also a verse in Revelation that can arguable refer to a pre-tribulation rapture. I will look it up when I get home, as I can’t remember the reference.

 

[Tasha+Scott]

I also lean pre-trib.

 

[Aidensmom]

that's the part i found offensive, though i certainly wasn't going to say anything about it on this thread.

and yes i agree with you that atheists face an awful lot of unneccesary hostility. i have never met an atheist that was trying to "convert" people. everyone i know tries to just keep their views on religion to themselves because of persecution that they might face otherwise. i work in a very liberal place, but i know from others discussing their religions that i am the only atheist among the circle of people i work with. i don't ever discuss my religious beliefs at work because i am afraid it might hurt my career.

We should trade places! I am the only BAC where I work. And some of the atheists here are actually quite verbal about how they feel about my beliefs. I find it to actually be those that go to a Christian denomination church, but are not BAC, to be the most skeptical of me. It's interesting the different experiences people have regarding what appears to be acceptable beliefs

 

[Albertan mom]

It really is a shame that people do horrible things, and call it in the name of religion, or Christianity. Hitting someone with a bible is horrid!
Waco is an example of one man who thought he was a prophet, or man of God, or even God himself, does terrible things and calls it religion.
Men that take 10 wives and say it is part of their religion.
People that abuse their children, and say God wants you to treat your children like that so they learn.
People who blow up abortion clinics to stop them from running and kill many people in the process.

It is really horrible. Christians are meant to love. Not to be radical and try to take things into their own hands, and hurt people in the process...
Please don't take the horrible things that some 'Christians' do as a trait of all BAChristians.

As for the athiests who feel they get shunned, I think all people feel that. If you are fat, skinny, blonde, redheads, white, black, american, foreign, Christian, Atheist, Jewish, Muslim, it goes on and on!

We welcome all of you onto this board!!

 

[live4christp1]

I lean towards the post-trib side myself, it just seems to me that there would have to be Christians here to witness to those left if any more were to be saved. Also, because the Bible says that no man will know the day or the hour of Christ's second coming, in my interpretation, I would think that if Christians were raptured that we would then know when Christ was coming. I really don't have my mind made up on the whole thing though. Just curious on what causes you, or anyone else to lean towards post-trib or pre-trib view? I think it is a very interesting topic.

There are a couple of scriptures that brought me to this conclusion.....though I am not claiming to be an authority or neither am I stating that I know for a fact that I am right about this.......end time prophecies are very hard to understand fully.

Pretrib rapture to me isn't when Jesus returns to earth but calls believers to meet Him in the clouds.

1 Thessalonians 4:13 - But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not,even as others which have no hope. v14 For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with Him. v15 For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and ramain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep. v16 For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: v17 The we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord. *The words caught up are the Greek "harpazo" which means snatch up suddenly without warning.
See also John 14:1-3 and 1 Corinthians 15:51-54.

Matthew 24 addresses the tribulation in verses 36-44

36 But of that day and hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels of heaven, but my Father only.
37 But as the days of Noe were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.
38 For as in the days that were before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noe entered into the ark,
39 And knew not until the flood came, and took them all away; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.
40 Then shall two be in the field; the one shall be taken, and the other left.
41 Two women shall be grinding at the mill; the one shall be taken, and the other left.
42 Watch therefore: for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come.
43 But know this, that if the goodman of the house had known in what watch the thief would come, he would have watched, and would not have suffered his house to be broken up.
44 Therefore be ye also ready: for in such an hour as ye think not the Son of man cometh.


One being taken in these verses is reference to the "snatching up" IMO.

Jesus second coming is described in Revelations 19 in great detail.

And the two seem completely different to me. Have not been able to reconcile in my heart that these are the same instances.

 

[LukenDC]

I also lean pre-trib.

What does "pre-trib" mean?

 

[WDWHound]

What does "pre-trib" mean?

It means you like all the Star Trek espisodes that came before "The Trouble with Tribbles" better than the ones that came after it.

(sorry guys, I couldn't resist. No desrespect intended to to the pre or post trib believers out there.)

 

[live4christp1]

What does "pre-trib" mean?

Pre trib is short for pre-tribulation. It is the belief that the body of Christ (The Church) will be raptured before the great tribulation as defined in the book of Revelations is poured out upon the earth.

This one can be a very sticky topic as even some Christian churches believe that the book of Revelations is just figuratively speaking and described the persecution of the early church.

I myself tend to take it at face value.

See my post above as to why I believe in the pre tribulation. ** Please note I am not claiming to be right, just what I have come to believe through my study of the scriptures **

 

[RickinNYC]

It really is a shame that people do horrible things, and call it in the name of religion, or Christianity. Hitting someone with a bible is horrid!
Waco is an example of one man who thought he was a prophet, or man of God, or even God himself, does terrible things and calls it religion.
Men that take 10 wives and say it is part of their religion.
People that abuse their children, and say God wants you to treat your children like that so they learn.
People who blow up abortion clinics to stop them from running and kill many people in the process.

It is really horrible. Christians are meant to love. Not to be radical and try to take things into their own hands, and hurt people in the process...
Please don't take the horrible things that some 'Christians' do as a trait of all BAChristians.

As for the athiests who feel they get shunned, I think all people feel that. If you are fat, skinny, blonde, redheads, white, black, american, foreign, Christian, Atheist, Jewish, Muslim, it goes on and on!

We welcome all of you onto this board!!

I've been lurking on this thread since the beginning because this is a topic I have always been fascinated with. All forms of religion are interesting to me, particularly of the Christian faith, most definitely the Born Again Christian ideologies. That said, I wish I could agree with you Albertamom but I don't. Although there are a number of Christian posters on this thread I do consider as DIS/'net friends, there are equally a number of others that have posted some incredibly shocking, hateful, downright offensive comments about homosexuality. They can't look beyone what they perceive as sin and not only hate the act, but the individual.

Of course I'm going to take those comments personally. I am gay, in a committed relationship with a man and I do not and will not apologize for it. I also happen to have a job in which I help fellow man every day. I try my best to live my life the best way I know how. In fact, the only real difference between me and some very devout people, is the one simple fact that I'm gay. And I've felt extremely unwelcome on threads like this.

I don't mean to start a debate on this thread at all. I'm just stating facts as I've seen them on the DIS. Some Christians, Born Again or not, are indeed welcoming and non-judgemental. Others, however, are the exact opposite.

 

[Tasha+Scott]

Pretrib rapture to me isn't when Jesus returns to earth but calls believers to meet Him in the clouds.

This is also what I mean when I say pre-trib, LukenDC.

 

[live4christp1]

It mean you like all the Star Trek espisodes that came before "The Trouble with Tribbles" better than the ones that came after it.

(sorry guys, I couldn't resist. No desrespect intended to to the pre or post trib believers out there.)

No offense taken

 

[Aidensmom]

And the two seem completely different to me. Have not been able to reconcile in my heart that these are the same instances.

They are different to me too, didn't mean to imply they were the same. What I meant was that if the tribulation is supposed to last for so long (7 years?), well then we would know that Jesus' second coming would be that far from when the rapture occurred.

 

[binny]

It mean you like all the Star Trek espisodes that came before "The Trouble with Tribbles" better than the ones that came after it.

(sorry guys, I couldn't resist. No desrespect intended to to the pre or post trib believers out there.)

I have a tribble tree! seriously, it looks just like a tribble!

 

[Miss Jasmine]

I've been lurking on this thread since the beginning because this is a topic I have always been fascinated with. All forms of religion are interesting to me, particularly of the Christian faith, most definitely the Born Again Christian ideologies. That said, I wish I could agree with you Albertamom but I don't. Although there are a number of Christian posters on this thread I do consider as DIS/'net friends, there are equally a number of others that have posted some incredibly shocking, hateful, downright offensive comments about homosexuality. They can't look beyone what they perceive as sin and not only hate the act, but the individual.

Of course I'm going to take those comments personally. I am gay, in a committed relationship with a man and I do not and will not apologize for it. I also happen to have a job in which I help fellow man every day. I try my best to live my life the best way I know how. In fact, the only real difference between me and some very devout people, is the one simple fact that I'm gay. And I've felt extremely unwelcome on threads like this.

I don't mean to start a debate on this thread at all. I'm just stating facts as I've seen them on the DIS. Some Christians, Born Again or not, are indeed welcoming and non-judgemental. Others, however, are the exact opposite.

Awhh Rick. You are SO WELCOMED here, at least by me. I am saddened when BAC's say things and they don't realize how it affects others. They stand behind, "well I am just saying the truth and I don't sugar coat it." But I don't believe that is a good example of God's love. We are ALL His children. You have helped me see things in other ways, and I THANK YOU for that. You are an incredible person.

 

[RickinNYC]

Awhh Rick. You are SO WELCOMED here, at least by me. I am saddened when BAC's say things and they don't realize how it affects others. They stand behind, "well I am just saying the truth and I don't sugar coat it." But I don't believe that is a good example of God's love. We are ALL His children.

Hey there Miss Jasmine. Of course, you are one of the DIS/'net friends of which I speak, you know that. I guess the reason why I posted what I did (again, not for the purpose of a debate) is because, ever since I "came out," my faith in God has never wavered. I absolutely believe in Him without question. In fact, my faith brings a lot of comfort during some pretty trying times. It has also brought a lot of heartache when someone else questions it, namely when a BAC or a Jehovah's Witness or anyone else for that matter, not just insinuates, but tells me that not only am I a sinner, or that I'm going to Hell, but that I couldn't possibly have God in my life if I'm gay.

Don't (some) of you realize how hurtful those sentiments are? I don't need strangers telling me what I question all the time. So no, not all Christians are as accepting.

 

[Tasha+Scott]

Rick, I personnally enjoy reading your posts so I hope you feel you can post on this thread despite a few less-tolerant Christians.

Aidensmom~ According to my mom, she believes the actual tribulation doesn't start as soon as we are raptured. She actually thinks it starts when the peace treaty with Israel is made. She says that could be a year or longer (or sooner) after we are raptured which is why we wouldn't know how long it will be. I have heard other preachers and evangelists say the same thing. And I may not be explaining it completely right so forgive me if I'm not. I wish I could remember the scripture that supports this theory offhand but I can't right now.

 

[ead79]

live4Christ, I think that most people feel the same way as you do. There is often confusion about which verses reference the rapture of believers and which reference Jesus’ second coming. I think the verses you posted may reference the second coming as opposed to the rapture, but I think that is a source of discussion among theologians these days.

 

[Miss Jasmine]

Don't (some) of you realize how hurtful those sentiments are? I don't need strangers telling me what I question all the time. So no, not all Christians are as accepting.

I know there are others who aren't as accepting.