Question for Christians

[The Grand Nudger]

Meh, I don't think that peer pressure or social stigma would have compelled me to believe (because there was plenty of both where I was raised). Maybe laws would be the tipping point, but again laws don't really seem to be capable of forcing my comformity either. Dear old mom and dad indoctrinating me...yeah, that would probably work, at least for a time. If the religious status of my parents and surroundings were the only variable then it would be safe to assume that I would "fall away from the faith" fantastically at some point. If we're assuming that a huge range of what makes me "me" was different...then we've ceased wondering about what I would do (or believe, or what have you), instead deferring to what some other motherfucker who resembled me might do..in which case, it's the big "no clue mate, you'd have to ask him".

[Drich]

we adopt a faith because it suits our needs.

Are you saying that your own faith is a product of needing that which Christianity can offer, and that it is not a product of any sort of underlying truth?

beggs the question, for christianity was not apart of my statement. I said we adopt the faith that suits our needs.(not all faiths are Christian) If we need truth we adopt Christianity. If we seek freedom from God the we put our faith in the hope God is dead or never was. If we need to follow tradition we follow the faiths of our fathers.

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My mother is korean and was a buddhist. My Father was a 'spiritual' hippy. I have exceed my parents religious influences in my life. Why should being born a muslim be any different?

Because Islam matches Christianity carrot for carrot and stick for stick, and targets the deficiencies of feeble minded self-important morons like you just as accurately and effectively as christianity, and much more than most forms of buddhism.

It is only by chance of your birth and your parent's itinary that your utterly and pethetically defenceless "mind" is infected first and more aggressively by the christian bacillus rather than the Islam virus. It is by your narcissistic temperment that you would inevitable imagine what made that precise thing to which you exhibited such pitiful vulnerability must also be something that makes you better than those with real brains and resistence to pitiful exploitative superstitions. You are as pitiful as those effete narcissists of last century who thinks their vulnerability to tuberculoisis is a mark of their literary genius.

All of those fancy words, and yet the bulk of the content amounts to little more than a common man's insult. No substance, no real depth, nothing to address. Just empty self serving flare and a desire to put someone down. What a douche bag thing to do chuck.

[Polaris]

No. I don't follow the beliefs of my parents.

[Drich]

My mother is korean and was a buddhist. My Father was a 'spiritual' hippy. I have exceed my parents religious influences in my life. Why should being born a muslim be any different?

For that matter most atheist are born into religion and still seek a life without God. They too go beyond their up bringing. This would lead a logical man to conclude that we are not born to any specific type of faith. we adopt a faith because it suits our needs.

Ummmm......except that what you say is not true.

In the United States anyway, only 16% of people switch religion from that of their parents. The vast majority of those Christians who changed their category to No Religion. The rest primarily being Christians who changed branches of Christianity (not really a switch, if you ask me.) That means 84% retain the religion they were born into, an overwhelming majority. So basically your premise is based on an incorrect assumption, partly on your own situation, which is abnormal.

Source: http://answers.google.com/answers/thread...01009.html

If you single source your whole arguement you are dooming yourself to fail.

http://www.christiancollegeguide.net/art...heir-Faith
http://www.intothyword.org/articles_view...leid=36557
http://endoftheamericandream.com/archive...his-nation
http://freethoughtblogs.com/dispatches/2...istianity/
http://www.alternet.org/story/152558/5_s...m_religion

We lose about 1500 churches a year. These articals point to 50% of our kids going away to school move away from God. The only fiction here is the idea that we are born into a faith. That one can be born a christian. You are confusing Judaisim with Christianity.

[Darkstar]

We lose about 1500 churches a year. These articals point to 50% of our kids going away to school move away from God. The only fiction here is the idea that we are born into a faith. That one can be born a christian. You are confusing Judaisim with Christianity.

You can be 'born' anything. It is when you are indoctrinated at a very young age that you appear to be born as something, when it would be more accurate to say born into.

[Ryantology]

If that's the important part of the question - punishments for apostasy - why ask it specifically of Christians? It's equally applicable to atheists. I have to imagine that there are a statistically insignificant number of Muslims in these countries who are so drawn to atheism that they risk so much.

Why would we need to ask ourselves? Atheism is not a 'calling' the way Christianity is, and no honest atheist would ever claim that culture is not a hugely important factor. Most of us would readily admit that, if we had been born in Pakistan or Iran, the majority of us would be Muslim, because there is far less leeway for any alternative in those places.

[Godscreated]

My mother is korean and was a buddhist. My Father was a 'spiritual' hippy. I have exceed my parents religious influences in my life. Why should being born a muslim be any different?

For that matter most atheist are born into religion and still seek a life without God. They too go beyond their up bringing. This would lead a logical man to conclude that we are not born to any specific type of faith. we adopt a faith because it suits our needs.

Ummmm......except that what you say is not true.

In the United States anyway, only 16% of people switch religion from that of their parents. The vast majority of those Christians who changed their category to No Religion. The rest primarily being Christians who changed branches of Christianity (not really a switch, if you ask me.) That means 84% retain the religion they were born into, an overwhelming majority. So basically your premise is based on an incorrect assumption, partly on your own situation, which is abnormal.

Source: http://answers.google.com/answers/thread...01009.html

That's because they have found the truth and recognize they have and do not need to change, simple really.

[Godscreated]

You asked the question, would I, I understand that as meaning I would still be me, born of the same parents and with the same heritages from all my family. So no, I would not be a muslim, I still would be a Child of GOD. If I were to be born of different parents then I would not be me, isn't that correct.

[John V]

Why would we need to ask ourselves?

You don't. You don't need to ask it of anyone, as you already know the answer. The fact that the question is asked of Christians specifically therefore implies that the author sees incompatibility between demographics and the Bible/Christianity. If so, then someone should just plainly state the case.

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Hello guys,

My being a Christian now is 100% dependent upon God's grace.

Ephesians 1:3-6
English Standard Version (ESV)

3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places, 4 even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him. In love 5 he predestined us for adoption as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will, 6 to the praise of his glorious grace, with which he has blessed us in the Beloved.


If I was predestined to believe in Christ Jesus as Savior, then I believe that I would come to the same convictions now even given different circumstances because God would draw me to Himself.

Alternatively you can argue that, as you were predestined to believe, God put you in circumstances in which you would believe. Same result but defuses some arguments.

[Drich]

We lose about 1500 churches a year. These articals point to 50% of our kids going away to school move away from God. The only fiction here is the idea that we are born into a faith. That one can be born a christian. You are confusing Judaisim with Christianity.

You can be 'born' anything. It is when you are indoctrinated at a very young age that you appear to be born as something, when it would be more accurate to say born into.

Actually no. Christ tells us that simply going through the motions of faith in Him is not enough. We must give ourselves over to Him completely. otherwise our lives our deeds, will have been wasted.