What religion is everyone here?

[Keli]

Apostolic Pentecostal

 

[Pigeon]

ITA with jodifla. I'm a Christian, but almost hate to admit it. I'm of the very progressive variety, not the fundamentalist type.

 

[LindsayDunn228]

Southern Baptist since birth until about 3 years ago -

Presbyterian PCA now.

I could not drink the "purpose driven"TM seeker sensitive kool-aid being force- fed in most baptist churches now....worship became "a show", and the sermons became Dr Phil pep talks.

GRACE is amazing.

I understand what you mean, but not all Baptist churches have given in to this kind of style.

 

[hii'mtheSCAVENGER]

christain- describe me in one word and you get devoted.

 

[trene]

Apostolic Pentecostal

 

[Aidensmom]

Non-denominational Christian.

 

[Sparx]

Atheist

 

[LoveMyDVC2]

I'm Greek Orthodox. Sorta like being Catholic with a different Easter

I have read all the posts, and I am just wondering....

Am I the only Greek here???

 

[Planogirl]

Wow, lots of Christians here.

I don't really know what I am. I believe in God and Jesus to a degree but I don't care for organized Christianity, at least none that I've ever found. I also believe in many spiritual principles so I guess that I'm kind of on my own.

 

[becker1123]

Christian, specifically Lutheran. For those of you who don't want to be identified with Christians because of the right wingers or other zealots, don't drop out, stay with it and set a better example. Those of us, of any religion who don't agree with what's going on need to stand up and speak out. It's a cop out to criticize but not try to change things, I think. I don't mean this as a flame, but nothing is perfect, especially people or organized religion. We shouldn't let a few bad apples make us doubt our faith.

 

[BethR]

I'm Greek Orthodox. Sorta like being Catholic with a different Easter

....

Am I the only Greek here???

Not Greek Orthodox, but you do know that we Byzantine Catholics are "cousins" to you. We celebrate Easter at the same time as most other Christians - but HOW we celebrate it is almost exactly the way that you do! An early "Christ is Risen" to you!

 

[Mugg Mann]

Devout athiest checking in!

I find it very interesting that the anonymous poll results show a lot more athiests and agnostics so far than the conventional wisdom believes there to be.

I think there's a lot more of us out there than people think.

 

[JennyMominRI]

Devout athiest checking in!

I find it very interesting that the anonymous poll results show a lot more athiests and agnostics so far than the conventional wisdom believes there to be.

I think there's a lot more of us out there than people think.

I think it's pretty rotten that so many Athiests feel like they have to hide. I also think it's awful that a recent survey found that athiests are the least trusted minority in this country..Below Muslims, Jews,and all other minority groups

 

[princesslibby]

Episcopal

 

[joshsmom]

Practicing Roman Catholic here

 

[Krissalee]

I am an agnostic/ athiest. I am still exploring my beliefs.

Raised flexible Catholic - my mom wanted me and my sisters to have a religious background, and then decide what we wanted to be - what we really believed in. I received the Catholic sacraments, and then once we got confirmed in the Catholic Church, we were able to decide to do whatever we believed in. Even though my mom was raised Catholic, she wasn't religious, but to pacify the family she had us baptised, and then when on from there.

 

[candykisses]

Christian-Roman Catholic

 

[Aidensmom]

Christian, specifically Lutheran. For those of you who don't want to be identified with Christians because of the right wingers or other zealots, don't drop out, stay with it and set a better example. Those of us, of any religion who don't agree with what's going on need to stand up and speak out. It's a cop out to criticize but not try to change things, I think. I don't mean this as a flame, but nothing is perfect, especially people or organized religion. We shouldn't let a few bad apples make us doubt our faith.

Well said.

 

[JennyMominRI]

Shema Yisrael, Adonai alohenu, Adonai Echad

Judaism is my religion

 

[Planecrazy4dis]

I found the info below about Jehovah's Witnesses. I will still do some more reading, but it would seem like several sites I perused agreed that JWs believe Jesus was created, and not divine.

Zippa D Doodah-
Being one of Jehovah’s Witness, I can’t help but feel like I’m being involved in a witch hunt. My apologies, if that is not your intention. If your intentions are to find out why we believe the way we do, I will be more than happy to answer you questions.

Since you attached a link about cults, please allow me to address the subject.

Are Jehovah’s Witnesses a sect or a cult?
Some define sect to mean a group that has broken away from an established religion. Others apply the term to a group that follows a particular human leader or teacher. The term is usually used in a derogatory way. Jehovah’s Witnesses are not an offshoot of some church but include persons from all walks of life and from many religious backgrounds. We do not look to any human, but rather to Jesus Christ, as our leader.
A cult is a religion that is said to be unorthodox or that emphasizes devotion according to prescribed ritual. Many cults follow a living human leader, and often their adherents live in groups apart from the rest of society. The standard for what is orthodox, however, should be God’s Word, and Jehovah’s Witnesses strictly adhere to the Bible. Their worship is a way of life, not a ritual devotion. They neither follow a human nor isolate themselves from the rest of society. They live and work in the midst of other people. So Jehovah’s Witnesses are NOT a sect or a cult. For accurate information about Jehovah’s Witnesses please go to the OFFICIAL website:

www.watchtower.org/

Zippa D Doodah, some of the material you quoted is true. For example: we do not believe in the Trinity, and we do not believe that God and Jesus are the same person. That is correct. The other information about Jehovah’s Witnesses "adding words" that do not belong, is false. Notice these 3 points about Colossians 1:15, 16 you brought up.

Does the Bible teach that all who are said to be part of the Trinity are eternal, none having a beginning?

Col. 1:15, 16, RS: “He [Jesus Christ] is the image of the invisible God, the first-born of all creation; for in him all things were created, in heaven and on earth.” In what sense is Jesus Christ “the first-born of all creation”? (1) Some Trinitarians say that “first-born” here means prime, most excellent, most distinguished; thus Christ would be understood to be, not part of creation, but the most distinguished in relation to those who were created. If that is so, and if the Trinity doctrine is true, why are the Father and the holy spirit not also said to be the firstborn of all creation? But the Bible applies this expression only to the Son. According to the customary meaning of “firstborn,” it indicates that Jesus is the eldest in Jehovah’s family of sons. (2) Before Colossians 1:15, the expression “the firstborn of” occurs upwards of 30 times in the Bible, and in each instance that it is applied to living creatures the same meaning applies—the firstborn is part of the group. “The firstborn of Israel” is one of the sons of Israel; “the firstborn of Pharaoh” is one of Pharaoh’s family; “the firstborn of beast” are themselves animals. What, then, causes some to ascribe a different meaning to it at Colossians 1:15? Is it Bible usage or is it a belief to which they already hold and for which they seek proof? (3) Does Colossians 1:16, 17 (RS) exclude Jesus from having been created, when it says “in him all things were created . . . all things were created through him and for him”? The Greek word here rendered “all things” is pan´ta, an inflected form of pas. At Luke 13:2, RS renders this “all . . . other”; JB reads “any other”; NE says “anyone else.” (See also Luke 21:29 in NE and Philippians 2:21 in JB.) In harmony with everything else that the Bible says regarding the Son, NW assigns the same meaning to pan´ta at Colossians 1:16, 17 so that it reads, in part, “by means of him all other things were created . . . All other things have been created through him and for him.” Thus he is shown to be a created being, part of the creation produced by God.

Zippa D Doodah, you also referred to John 1:1, stating that “a” doesn’t belong. Please allow me to explain why we believe the way we do.

John 1:1, 2:
RS reads: “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God.” (KJ, Dy, JB, NAB use similar wording.) However, NW reads: “In the beginning the Word was, and the Word was with God, and the Word was a god. This one was in the beginning with God.”

Which translation of John 1:1, 2 agrees with the context?
John 1:18 says: “No one has ever seen God.” Verse 14 clearly says that “the Word became flesh and dwelt among us . . . we have beheld his glory.” Also, verses 1, 2 say that in the beginning he was “with God.” Can one be with someone and at the same time be that person? At John 17:3, Jesus addresses the Father as “the only true God”; so, Jesus as “a god” merely reflects his Father’s divine qualities.—Heb. 1:3.

Is the rendering “a god” consistent with the rules of Greek grammar?
Some reference books argue strongly that the Greek text must be translated, “The Word was God.” But not all agree. In his article “Qualitative Anarthrous Predicate Nouns: Mark 15:39 and John 1:1,” Philip B. Harner said that such clauses as the one in John 1:1, “with an anarthrous predicate preceding the verb, are primarily qualitative in meaning. They indicate that the logos has the nature of theos.” He suggests: “Perhaps the clause could be translated, ‘the Word had the same nature as God.’” (Journal of Biblical Literature, 1973, pp. 85, 87) Thus, in this text, the fact that the word the·os´ in its second occurrence is without the definite article (ho) and is placed before the verb in the sentence in Greek is significant. Interestingly, translators that insist on rendering John 1:1, “The Word was God,” do not hesitate to use the indefinite article (a, an) in their rendering of other passages where a singular anarthrous predicate noun occurs before the verb. Thus at John 6:70, JB and KJ both refer to Judas Iscariot as “a devil,” and at John 9:17 they describe Jesus as “a prophet.”

John J. McKenzie, S.J., in his Dictionary of the Bible, says: “Jn 1:1 should rigorously be translated ‘the word was with the God [= the Father], and the word was a divine being.’”—(Brackets are his. Published with nihil obstat and imprimatur.) (New York, 1965), p. 317.

In harmony with the above, AT reads: “the Word was divine”; Mo, “the Logos was divine”; NTIV, “the word was a god.” In his German translation Ludwig Thimme expresses it in this way: “God of a sort the Word was.” Referring to the Word (who became Jesus Christ) as “a god” is consistent with the use of that term in the rest of the Scriptures. For example, at Psalm 82:1-6 human judges in Israel were referred to as “gods” (Hebrew, ’elo·him´; Greek, the·oi´, at John 10:34) because they were representatives of Jehovah and were to speak his law.

If a passage can grammatically be translated in more than one way, what is the correct rendering? One that is in agreement with the rest of the Bible. If a person ignores other portions of the Bible and builds his belief around a favorite rendering of a particular verse, then what he believes really reflects, not the Word of God, but his own ideas and perhaps those of another imperfect human.

To all those who believe in the Trinity, I mean no disrespect. I do not wish to debate anyone’s religious beliefs. I personally felt the need to reply to what was asked about me and my faith and I also wanted to go along with SeaSpray who said: "Jehovah's Witness IS a Christian religion”.