Religious Knowledge Thread

[Gwaimir Windgem]

It is impossible to be Catholic and be an atheist. Catholics believe in God.

[Insidious Rex]

Originally posted by Gwaimir Windgem
It is impossible to be Catholic and be an atheist. Catholics believe in God.

*laugh* that just strikes me as amusing for some reason. *laugh*

Anyway he was probably trying to say that he was raised in a catholic family but he doesnt really buy into it all. Lot of young catholics have that same experience I have noticed.

[Gwaimir Windgem]

Actually, I don't think so. I've heard lots of people (including on the 'Moot) say, "Well, my parents are <religion/denomination>, so I guess I am to." Sometimes, people seem to think that is a matter of family.

[Insidious Rex]

Originally posted by Gwaimir Windgem
Actually, I don't think so. I've heard lots of people (including on the 'Moot) say, "Well, my parents are <religion/denomination>, so I guess I am to." Sometimes, people seem to think that is a matter of family.

well i usually say i was raised a presbyterian but i never really bought into it and now i consider myself agnostic. so i guess you could say im born again agnostic. i still go to church with my mom once in a while though. and with the girlfriends catholic parents on easter and such. i couldnt imagine going every week though. good lord.

[Gwaimir Windgem]

Aha! I see you have attained the rank of Elf Lord! Custom Title time!

Ok, now imagine going every week. Now, imagine you can't understand a word being said. Welcome to my church life on the field!

[Insidious Rex]

Originally posted by Gwaimir Windgem
Aha! I see you have attained the rank of Elf Lord! Custom Title time!

*looks over* ah so I have. being stuck at home all day yesterday really helped. but hey nothing fell from the sky when i hit 500. what button do i push?

Ok, now imagine going every week. Now, imagine you can't understand a word being said. Welcome to my church life on the field!

what do you mean exactly?

[Gwaimir Windgem]

I mean imagine going to church every week, and having it in Portuguese or Russian.

[Gwaimir Windgem]

Send a PM to an admin, telling what custom title you want.

[GrayMouser]

Which Protestant denominations partake in Holy Communion?

[Andúril]

GrayMouser:
Which Protestant denominations partake in Holy Communion?

Well, since I sometimes go to church, I would know that Methodists do.

[Coney]

Originally posted by Andúril
Well, since I sometimes go to church, I would know that Methodists do.

They do? Geez I was christened a Methodist (not very devout as you can see)..

In a distant church somewhere there is a couple of gallons of communion wine with my name on it!

*off in search of divine inspiration*

[gimli7410]

Originally posted by Gwaimir Windgem
It is impossible to be Catholic and be an atheist. Catholics believe in God.

what i meant was just becaused i was baptized doesnt mean i belive in all this stuff nor do i belive in buddha or anything like that

[TinuvielChild]

What exactly goes on at a Catholic Mass? I'm Protestant by birth, but I'm trying to figure out exactly what I believe.

[jerseydevil]

Originally posted by TinuvielChild
What exactly goes on at a Catholic Mass? I'm Protestant by birth, but I'm trying to figure out exactly what I believe.

The Catholic Mass is very solemn. Here is a good explanation of the Catholic Mass... A Walk Through the Mass: A Step-by-Step Explanation , although it is simplified.

[gimli7410]

i just came from churchand i fell asleep but it boring as hell

[frodosgirlfriend]

I want to know
why people get saved?
What is getting saved?
how is it done?

And why is it that every time i go to a church where they have a band and very very very very VERY christen, why do they always say "there is somebody that has not excepted Christ", they don't actually know right?

[TinuvielChild]

Why is it that all the Protestant churches in my area are becoming so über-liberal that they're not paying any attention to what the Bible says anymore, and moving towards worshipping the minister instead of God?

[Elvellyn]

Originally posted by GrayMouser
Which Protestant denominations partake in Holy Communion?

As far as I know, most of them do, they just don't take it to the same extremes as Catholics.

[Gwaimir Windgem]

Originally posted by frodosgirlfriend
I want to know
why people get saved?
What is getting saved?
how is it done?

And why is it that every time i go to a church where they have a band and very very very very VERY christen, why do they always say "there is somebody that has not excepted Christ", they don't actually know right?

Ok, this is a very big issue, which I will attempt to address, though no doubt my explanation will be less than top-notch. Prepare for a long post!

According to Christianity, all of mankind is descended from two people, Adam and Eve. They were created by God, and placed in the paradisical Garden of Eden, in a perfect world. However, the anointed cherub, Lucifer, one of the greatest of the angels, conspired against God, planning to rise above him, and basically overthrow him. As a result, there was a great battle in the heavens, and a third of the angels followed Lucifer (who has been called Satan by Christians most of the time, after his fall), and fought against the hosts of heaven. But the devil was cast out of heaven, and, seeing Man, the beloved creation of God, he chose to attempt to harm Man, and cause him to rebel against God, so as to indirectly wound God himself. He tempted Adam and Eve, and they fell from grace by rebelling against God's commandment not to eat of the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil. And when they rebelled against God, they did in fact become aware of Good and Evil, though they did not, as Satan promised them, become gods. And so, the world became a fallen and imperfect place. Sin was born into every child of man. And thus, mankind is imperfect. As God is wholly perfect in every way, the imperfect humans cannot be with him; their sin is like a locked door between them and God, preventing them from being with Him in His abode heaven. Man and God could not truly commune, because of the vast differences between humanity's best and God's utter and pure perfection. And here allow me to quote the famed Bible verse, John 3:16 :

For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth on him shall not perish, but have everlasting life.

And the very important following verse, which is often overlooked:

For God sent not His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.

These two verses are probably the best description of the whole subject. But of course, by 'believeth on him', the verse does not mean just believing that Jesus existed. One must believe that he was the 'only begotten Son of God'; and not just this, for as another verse (don't remember the reference says, (and I'm paraphrasing here), "So you believe in the Son of God. Very good. The demons also believe, and tremble." (The demons are the angels which fell with Lucifer). One must truly believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God, who died a terrible death on the cross and spent three days and three nights in the 'belly of the earth', and accept him as Saviour. His blood, or 'The Blood of the Lamb', the blood of God himself, is the only thing that can truly wash sin away.

Anyway, to recap:
1) People get saved to bridge the gap between them and the Almighty.
2) Getting saved is (not necessarily, I think, but most commonly) praying with utter sincerity and asking Jesus to cleanse you of sin. Not that Christians are without sin, by any means. But the consequences of sin, i.e. the separation from God, no longer affect us. While it is certainly still wrong for us to sin, we need only sincerely repent and ask forgiveness, and Christ will forgive us anew. To quote another verse regarding salvation, (again paraphrased), "If you believe with your heart and confess with your mouth that Christ is Lord, you shall be saved."
3) Hmm...I think I covered this in 2.

Christians believe that those who are, in a way, well-tuned to the will and person of God, often hear His voice. I believe that this is sometimes what happens; that God speaks to the heart of the pastor, and tells him that there are unsaved in the congregation, but certainly not all of the time. Many who claim to be Christians are certainly not, and some may be Christians, but not in tune with the will of God, and might just be saying that on the assumption that there are.

[Gwaimir Windgem]

Originally posted by TinuvielChild
Why is it that all the Protestant churches in my area are becoming so über-liberal that they're not paying any attention to what the Bible says anymore, and moving towards worshipping the minister instead of God?

Yes, I know; many churches are becoming very, very liberal in recent days. Though from my experience, it's been more a move towards 'New Age' than towards worshipping the minister. And on the other hand, many churches are very strict and legalistic. Which reminds me of a joke:

There was a very legalistic church once upon a time. As they had recently lost their pastor, they were in search of another. They found a good pastor, and asked him to lead their church. He told them that he would pray on the matter, and get back to them. The next time they saw him, they asked whether or not he would become the minister. He told them that he had prayed to God asking whether or not he should become the pastor, and God had expressed skepticism on his getting into the church, because 'I've been trying to get in there for 10 years, and they haven't let me in.'