Lets respectfully discuss your faith, no condemning!

[Tigger&Belle]

I was raised by a mother who said she was Baptist and sent us to Sunday School/church, but who didn't go because my dad didn't go. He was agnostic/atheist (didn't really talk about it) because he was forced to go as a child and didn't see a value or reason for going. I think that a lot of crap went on when he was a child--and it showed in my dad's feelings about religion. But this is speculation since it really wasn't talked about.

I went to Sunday School at the Baptist Church until I was old enough to declare that I didn't want to go and since my mom didn't go there wasn't much she could do about it. I enjoyed visiting various churches growing up.

I got engaged to a Jewish guy and decided that it was important that my children be raised in a religion, something that I missed growing up. I converted before I was married and agreed to raise my children as Jews.

That alone wasn't hard, but giving up the cultural parts of my upbringing proved very difficult and made Decembers very difficult. We eventually reached a compromise and decided that we could embrace Judaism religiously without ignoring everything that I grew up with. So, we sometimes have a Christmas tree, always have stockings, and recognize Christmas in a cultural sense, but our kids got to Hebrew and religious school and have Bar/Bat Mitzvahs. They consider themselves Jewish. It's never good enough for my MIL (that's a whole other thread), but she's learned to keep quiet and to not visit in December.

 

[luvmydogs]

This includes penguins, I assume?

Gay, straight, black white--I love 'em all! Hey, I'm a vegetarian--I wouldn't even eat them!

 

[Tigger&Belle]

This includes penguins, I assume?

 

[luvmydogs]

Hey! You think I didn't see your little laughing man? Well........

..."I saw it."

 

[Tigger&Belle]

Hey! You think I didn't see your little laughing man? Well........

..."I saw it."

UNCLE!!!

 

[MouseWorshipin]

Hey! You think I didn't see your little laughing man? Well........

..."I saw it."

She has eyes in the back of her head, you know.

 

[Robindianne]

Luvmydogs, what is theist evolution?

I totally agree with not testing, etc. If God is God and not human, why would he behave like a human and "test" us or "punish" us?

This is an excellent thread. Very thought provoking.

I believe in Theist Evolution.

I don't believe the Power that we call "Our Father" tests us or sends us the good or the bad in our lives. I believe He is there as our spiritual rock--giving comfort in whatever circumstances we may face.

I do believe that every human being, regardless of race, color, creed and sexual orientation is my brother and sister, as we are all children of God.

Above all, I believe in love and infinite kindness as it extends to all of God's creatures.

 

[jimmiej]

I'm a born-again Christian of the Southern Baptist variety. I accepted Christ in January of 1970 at the age of nine. Here's what I believe.

I believe the Holy Bible is the Word of God.
Psalm 119:89 • II Timothy 3:15-17 • I Thess. 2:13

I believe in the Trinity.
John 3:16 • Colossians 2:9 • Matthew 28:19 • Matthew 3:14-17

I believe that Jesus Christ is God's Only Begotten Son... that He preexisted with God the Father before His birth in Bethlehem... that He was supernaturally conceived by the Holy Spirit in the body of the Virgin Mary... that He lived a totally sinless and perfect life ... that He died on the cross for the sins of the whole world ... that He was buried and supernaturally raised out of the grave and declared the victorious Son of God over sin, death, and hell ... that He is presently seated at the right hand of God in the place of authority in heaven ... that He is coming back to the earth soon to bodily resurrect the dead in Christ and to rapture every living believer to be carried to heaven with Him.
Colossians 1:17 • Isaiah 7:14 • Luke 2:26-38 • I Peter 2:22,24 • Romans 1:1-4 Hebrews 7:25 • I Thess. 4:13-18

I believe in the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit was sent to comfort and convict until Christ's return.
John 14:16,26 • John 15:26-27 • John 16:7-11 • Romans 8:1-14 • I Cor. 12:13 Ephesians 5:18

I believe that Man is a Sinner, by nature and by choice.
Psalm 51:5 • Isaiah 53:6 • Romans 3:23 • Ephesians 2:1-3
Ibelieve in Salvation through Jesus Christ alone.
Ephesians 2:8-9 • Romans 10:9, 10,13 • Hebrews 9:22 • Matthew 16:26

I believe in Heaven.
John 14:1-6 • Hebrews 12:22-24 • Revelation 21:10 - 22:5

I believe there is a literal Hell.
Luke 16:19-31 • Revelation 20:11-15 • Matthew 13:42 • Matthew 25:41 • Mark 9:43-46

I believe there is a devil, called Satan.
14:12-17 • Ezekiel 28:11-19 • Ephesians 6:12 • Genesis 3:11 • Cor. 11:14 Revelation 12:11

I believe the greatest privilege of the Christian is to live for Jesus in this present age. I believe the Christian life is a supernatural life. It is Christ living His life in us and through us. I believe it is a spiritual life.
Galatians 2:20, 3:11, 5:16-17, 22-23 • Romans 8:11 • Ephesians 5:18 • Acts 1:8 Titus 2:11-13

I believe that every Christian should give at least ten percent (tithe) of his income to the Lord through the local church.
Leviticus 27:30 • Malachi 3:8-12 • Matthew 6:19-21; Matthew 23:23 • Luke 6:38

I believe in Baptism and the Lord's Supper as Church Ordinances. Baptism is a "picture" of what has already happened in a person's life through salvation. The Lord's Supper is a remembrance of Christ's sacrifice until He returns.
Romans 6:1-5 • Matthew 28:19-20 I Corinthians 11:23-30

I believe in World Evangelism in order to fulfill the Great Commission.
Matthew 28:18-20 • Mark 16:15-16 • Luke 24:44-49 • John 20:21-23 • Acts 1:8.

I believe in the Priesthood of the Believer.
I believe that every child of God is a priest before God and always has access to the Father without going through some intermediary. A Christian is free to pray and interpret God's Word as he is led of God's Spirit.
Exodus 19:6 • I Peter 2:5

I believe that the local church is God's instrument in this present age and that all Christians should both belong to and be an active part of a local New Testament church. I believe the church is a God-governed body with the pastor serving as the spiritual leader of the body. Matthew 16:18 • Ephesians 3:21 • Acts 2:41-47 • Ephesians 1:7,14

 

[sara74]

Here is a site:

http://www.beliefnet.org/

that asks you questions about what you believe, and then it matches you to a religion closest to those beliefs. It's interesting.

Very cool quiz! I matched most closely to Quakers, which is funny since I grew up on Quaker Street and my grandparents and father were laid to rest in a Quaker cemetary there even though we are not members of the faith. I was raised with no religion but do believe in God, an Afterlife and am trying to teach my children to do right because it is the right thing to do, not out of a threat of hell or promise of heaven. I didn't have such a focus on heaven as I do since I lost my dad suddenly and way too early a year and a half ago. Wanting my kids to continue to feel connected to him we talk to him in heaven and send him kisses. Two years ago I'm not sure I would have felt the same way, I didn't really believe in heaven, but my heart is sure that my father's spirit was too strong to simply vanish. My faith is evolving and having kids is really changing things for me. Having to explain things to my kids is a great way of making me think about what I believe.

 

[goofygirl]

I worship Mickey and make pilgrimages to WDW, lol.


All kidding aside, I took the Belief quiz on Beliefnet and it says I should be a U.U. Coming in close was Buddhist, Quaker, and liberal Protestant. Judiasm was somewhere in the middle, and Roman Catholic was dead last!

I like the idea of U.U. but unfortunately U.U. churches are few and far between where I live. I have expressed interest in the Episcopal church lately because I like that it attracts people from all across the board: gay, straight, liberal, pro-choice, childfree by choice, etc. I like that priests can marry, and that women can be priests and bishops. I also like the way they conduct mass. And Episcopal churches are aplenty where I live.

 

[beckmrk04]

Very cool quiz! I matched most closely to Quakers,

I did too! I have been visiting that sight for some time now, and that's how I first learned about UU- which was my 2nd closest.

 

[Robindianne]

I did the quiz just now and UU hit 100%. I was born, baptized, and raised united methodist. Hmmm. Liberal Quaker is next at 89. I might just have to look at what those religions are about. So interesting.

 

[jennyf917]

I grew up Lutheran (ELCA), and I'm guessing that I went to one of the more liberal churches because we had a female (divorced and remarried) pastor. My beliefs are quite similar to what luvmydogs stated hers to be. I believe in a kind and loving God, I believe that the best way for me to spread His love is by showing kindness to other people. My mama taught me the Golden Rule at a young age. I do not currently go to a church, I went "church shopping" about a year and a half ago and didn't find anything that fit my needs. I like the traditional worship style that I grew up with, but the closest Lutheran church was disappointing to me.

I believe in theistic evolution as well. I believe that hell is not a literal place, but a state of being without God's love. I believe that the Bible has been edited a whole lot to suit political purposes, and it makes me sad. I believe in the Holy Trinity (Father, Son, and Holy ghost are one). I believe that during Communion the bread and the wine are Jesus's body and blood. I also believe that gay people are born gay and that God doesn't hate them for it. I believe in equal rights for women, in all matters. I believe that husbands and wives should submit to each other equally. I like to call that compromise. I believe that God calls us to take care of the needy in our society. I am a firm believer in judge not lest ye be judged, not just because it's a sin, but because it sucks to be on the judged end of the spectrum. I also work with a TON of undergrad students to the Southern Baptist seminary and quite a few SB seminary students, so I have talked and debated all of the above-mentioned positions to death.

ETA: Although I don't currently go to church, I still consider myself very spiritual and connected to God. I pray often and talk to Him when I need to. My mom takes my son to her church with her. I'm glad because although I don't like the particular church (lots of cliques), I do like that my son is learning about Jesus and all of those wonderful songs that I've forgotten.

 

[tw1nsmom]

I worship Mickey and make pilgrimages to WDW, lol.


All kidding aside, I took the Belief quiz on Beliefnet and it says I should be a U.U. Coming in close was Buddhist, Quaker, and liberal Protestant. Judiasm was somewhere in the middle, and Roman Catholic was dead last!

I like the idea of U.U. but unfortunately U.U. churches are few and far between where I live. I have expressed interest in the Episcopal church lately because I like that it attracts people from all across the board: gay, straight, liberal, pro-choice, childfree by choice, etc. I like that priests can marry, and that women can be priests and bishops. I also like the way they conduct mass. And Episcopal churches are aplenty where I live.

I was interested in the Episcopal church too. If you are interested in finding Unitarian Universalist Congregations, you can look at this list.UU Church's in Pennsylvania They have a search engine that lists all UU churches in the country. There is also a seperate UU Christian Church. I don't know too much about it, and it's a very small movement. It's more traditional UU in that it maintains Jesus as it's focus. FWI...the UU church was once two seperate Protestant denominations.