Featured How to make Christianity relevant today?

[Scooter]

During my quest for religious material to enlighten my tutelage I began browsing the Pastor's library where I, to my dismay, discovered that very little agreement in Scripture could be found.

I’m sorry you were mislead. The best religious material is the Bible, itself. The Bible is its own best commentary because it is a harmonious writing from beginning to end.

 

[Scooter]

On a personal note, I was raised in a Roman Catholic and Southern Baptist atmosphere while attending Presbyterian wordship services of which I never have completely understood.
As a young adult Lutheranism became my choice and of which I became Baptized as well as my children. My activity increased in St Mark's church including a Choir Soprano and teaching a young adult Bible class.

Please do not take this the wrong way. I do not mean to be offensive at all, but in reading your story, I see a glaring omission. You relate having involvement in four different denominations, being baptized, singing in the choir and even teaching a Bible class. What I don’t see is a testimony of being saved. Nothing about being born again or anything about having a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. Going to church, being baptized and doing good works are great, but they are no substitute for being born again. Just an observation from my own experience.

 

[Pancho144]

On a personal note, I was raised in a Roman Catholic and Southern Baptist atmosphere while attending Presbyterian wordship services of which I never have completely understood.
As a young adult Lutheranism became my choice and of which I became Baptized as well as my children. My activity increased in St Mark's church including a Choir Soprano and teaching a young adult Bible class.

Please do not take this the wrong way. I do not mean to be offensive at all, but in reading your story, I see a glaring omission. You relate having involvement in four different denominations, being baptized, singing in the choir and even teaching a Bible class. What I don’t see is a testimony of being saved. Nothing about being born again or anything about having a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. Going to church, being baptized and doing good works are great, but they are no substitute for being born again. Just an observation from my own experience.

No offence Sir. The mere act of baptism in some branches of Christianity like Lutheran covers that. Your past sins and past Personna are washed away, you are new as a born child as well as forgiven.
Some folks I know who are Souther Baptist use the terms "saved" and "Personal relation ship" with Christ but not the St Marks Lutheran's.

 

[Scooter]

No offence Sir. The mere act of baptism in some branches of Christianity like Lutheran covers that. Your past sins and past Personna are washed away, you are new as a born child as well as forgiven.
Some folks I know who are Souther Baptist use the terms "saved" and "Personal relation ship" with Christ but not the St Marks Lutheran's.

Thank you for your response. No where in scripture does baptism save anyone. Baptism always follows salvation. Even the baptisms of John Baptist did not save anyone. John pointed out Jesus as the Lamb of God who takes away sin of the world. Sin is washed away by the blood of Jesus and nothing else.

Jesus told Nicodemus “You must be born again.” He said it is imperative to be born again. Jesus never taught we are to be baptized for salvation. Baptism is a public testimony that a believer has identified with the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Those who teach salvation through baptism are teaching a false doctrine.

 

[Pancho144]

No offence Sir. The mere act of baptism in some branches of Christianity like Lutheran covers that. Your past sins and past Personna are washed away, you are new as a born child as well as forgiven.
Some folks I know who are Souther Baptist use the terms "saved" and "Personal relation ship" with Christ but not the St Marks Lutheran's.

Thank you for your response. No where in scripture does baptism save anyone. Baptism always follows salvation. Even the baptisms of John Baptist did not save anyone. John pointed out Jesus as the Lamb of God who takes away sin of the world. Sin is washed away by the blood of Jesus and nothing else.

Jesus told Nicodemus “You must be born again.” He said it is imperative to be born again. Jesus never taught we are to be baptized for salvation. Baptism is a public testimony that a believer has identified with the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Those who teach salvation through baptism are teaching a false doctrine.

Thanks for your view. As for me, it does not really matter because I do not believe that bull hockey....

 

[Pancho144]

The observable Universe we are familiar with is estimated to be is almost 14 billion years old.

So where did the universe come from 14 billion years ago? What started the formation of the galaxies? What started the planets spinning? If your answer is the Big Bang, I have to ask, what caused the Big Bang? Every effect has a cause, so what caused the universe as we know it?

All the Universe's have always been here, layers and layers of them just part of an unbelievable phenomena that we just are incapable of understanding. Cause and effect are only applicable in this part of the Universes, just a drop in the bucket.

 

[Scooter]

All the Universe's have always been here, layers and layers of them just part of an unbelievable phenomena that we just are incapable of understanding.

I’m not familiar with your position of layers and layers of universes. Could you provide some more information? I’m only familiar with the universe I live in.

 

[Scooter]

Thanks for your view. As for me, it does not really matter because I do not believe that bull hockey....

You are free to believe or disbelieve anything you wish. But as for me and my house we will serve the Lord.

 

[AgnosticBoy]

While there is ample evidence for Biblical authority, Christianity is faith based and not evidence based. Believers walk by faith and not by sight. No where are believers instructed to prove Christianity through evidence. We are simply to present the gospel and let people decide for themselves. If they demand specific evidence to satisfy their curiosity they will never believe. However once a person does believe they will see all the evidence as plain as day.

[emphasis added]

The part I emphasized is a big part of our difference in views. The way I view it is that getting into the evidence can serve as a stepping stone for non-believers to eventually come to accept God's existence or at least see some part of the Bible as valid. Personally, that is why I never looked at religion as being completely useless or wrong even when I left Christianity. I always maintained that there are some good and useful aspects of religion that non-religious systems appear not to be able to satisfy. One system helps to keep things in check while the other helps to keep things from becoming unreasonable restrictive.

 

[Scooter]

God is not a genie in a bottle who will pop out to grant wishes to offer evidence of His existence. God has already provided plenty of evidence. If people refuse to accept the clear evidence God has provided, why would they ask for more? Jesus called Lazarus from the dead after being buried four days. Numerous people saw Him do that, but not all of them believed He was the Christ. Many left to tell the religious leaders what Jesus had done. The truth is, the religious leaders plotted to kill Lazarus to silence him. So again, people who do not want to believe, never will regardless of the evidence presented.