(April 25, 2009 at 11:01 am)chatpilot Wrote: Have you ever asked youself why there are so many christian sects?The simple reason is that none of them can come to agreement upon the teachings of the bible.They are all reading the same book and getting very different views and interpretations from it.When reading the scriptures from an objective point of view it is impossible not to see that not only are those stories not god given or inspired but that the imprint of man is everywhere present in them.
All Christian Churches agree upon the Nicene Creed. The Catholic church too. They all agree on the bible. Christians interpret the Bible differently, and this is only right and proper. None interpret so widely as to stray too far from what is accepted by the wider church. The imprint of man must be inseparable given that man made it.
To me the flood story is a myth. You may find merit in scrutinising it for factual evidence. I consider that folly. You'd need to find a literalist to debate it.
(April 25, 2009 at 11:01 am)chatpilot Wrote: When it comes to defining christianity I would define a christian to be a follower of Christ,how he chooses to follow Christ is irrelevant and just clouds the issue and makes classification difficult.As long as his guide is the bible particularly the New Testament he is a christian in my view.
That definition would include as Christians more than the wider Christian church would, so it isn't accurate enough.
(April 25, 2009 at 11:01 am)chatpilot Wrote: Finally to answer your question Frodo I must honestly say that when I was a christian I did not dare even question the scriptures on any matters.I was a hard core fundamental evangelist and I believed wholeheartedly every single word that was found in the scriptures.But when the scriptures on some occassions did not match certain circumstances I had experienced I began to ask question with genuine fear and trembling in my heart.It took me years to completely wean myself from my chritian beliefs and the fear that came with apostasy.
That sounds very wrong, and I'd say your opinion was in error. It is core to belief that you question and are more than free to question. If this is your experience then it sounds like you were being abused or oppressed. That certainly isn't Christianity. Is that what you think Christ was about?
(April 25, 2009 at 11:15 am)Kyuuketsuki Wrote:(April 24, 2009 at 1:05 pm)fr0d0 Wrote: Sorry Kyu; Chatty, along with thoughtful I'd accept would have been actual Christians at some point, whereas you haven't offered any evidence of the same. You seem to think only Catholics are 'real Christians' but you demonstrate a lack of understanding of what that might involve. This is my current opinion given the information I've seen. It could be wrong.
You are ... at no point at all in this forum have I said that.
You called other Christian churches (ie non Catholic Churches) cults I believe.
So are you saying that you were fully a Christian in a way that would be acceptable to the wider Christian church then? Even though you equate as Christian some anti Christ and anti Christian acts. I'd find that very hard to believe given your opinions on the subject.
If you understood Christianity like say thoughtful does, than I could believe it. You display the incredulity of someone who has never considered the subject from the other side. No problem with that per se. Only if you profess knowledge you don't actually have.
Not that I don't believe you were exposed strongly to the Catholic faith, and to a lesser extent Church of England teachings. Of course you lived that. What I'm talking about is real Christianity as experienced by people primarily professing a belief in Christ and not professing membership of a church like that matters diddly squat to anyone's belief.
Neither am I criticising those you knew and their beliefs or moral fibre.
