Religon/Christinanity

I think my mother's responsible for my lack of faith in christianity. Each sunday, we would go to church and listen to all that boring stuff. (In fact, in years, I developped nice tricks not to go to church, like faking to sleep untill 11h15, distracting the parents by preparing a big healthy and long-to-eat breakfast...) These years made me realise that Catholic Chruch is old and outdated. I repeat myself: I don't think I need anybody between me and God.

Anduin, my parents are both strong Christians. However, it wasn't they who made me accept the truths of Christianity. I could have easily walked away from the faith. They didn't force me to attend church or pray, it was a decision I made myself. I'm sure that decision was hinged upon my own parents faith (and even my brother's faith), but the real decision was completely my own.

Actually, I do differ on some issues from my parents, but not in the way you would think. To tell the truth, I'm actually more conservative than they on some issues.

David

In an attempt to post on subject and keep out of the language war here u go anduin

Though my parents led me in my youth as a chirstian when I was old enough to even scratch the surface of such a decision they encouraged me to explore it myself and find out if it was what i wanted to be. Sort of reminds me of the Anabaptist ideals, I think as a youth the parents should guide you but when it comes time for you to choose support you whatever road you take.

What if you parents didn't guide you? What if your parents were the type that didn't go to church and weren't religious to any certain degree? Do you think that you would still have found faith?

BTW, by asking my previous question, I wasn't alluding that anyone of you were forced into your religion. I was just curious to see where your faith came from. Just wanted to make that clear.

Like most of us, I grew up in a family that attended Church. Being a child, however, religion didn't mean anything to me at the time. My parents never forced me into anything, as I said before. I would not have found the faith I have but for public figures (one of which was J.R.R. Tolkien himself) I hold in high regard. Seeing how their faith in Jesus Christ shaped them into wonderful contributors to the world, I decided to walk the path. That's a decision I will never regret.

David

Though parents are a convenient "first brick" to help build one's faith, the building really starts when God touches you in his own way. Through miracle or just being inspired by another person, which is a miracle in its own way, He will find a way to bring you closer to him parents help you make the right decisions when you are too young, but in some cases a good friend can help you in quite the same way. In any case if they do help you with your relationship with God (relegion is another matter) then it was God who was inspiring them. Of course the parents is nice bridge to God so though not essential it helps a lot. So to sum up my rather confusing post, faith is gained by urself only parents can help u see the way but you have to walk it.

... Sometimes I feels so empty. Seems faith has forgotten me when she walked by.

I'm sorry you haven't found your faith yet, Shanamir Duntak . I'll keep you in my prayers.

David

I do not speak French. I wish I did, for then I would be able to read my favorite book, Les Miserables, in its original words. I may learn it in the future. I certainly will at least learn how to pronounce it, for then I will at least be able to read my favorite book out loud in English to my kids and pronounce the names properly (some day when I have some kids).

I have been LDS (Latter-day Saint) all of my life. I love it. I have never considered being anything else. My parents have been amazing examples for me; my mom is one of the most unselfish people I've ever known. They love and trust me so much that I would never want to break that trust. I have never wanted to "experiment" with sin, or rebel against the commandments of the church (there are a lot!). Some people tell me that this is stupid, that I am just following what my parents believe and I don't know any better. This is not true. I have studied many other religions and have considered scientific discoveries. I keep up with current events as much as I feel necessary. I have had difficult experiences and losses in my life, and have had my faith tried. I don't live a perfect life, but I believe that if I do the best I can, repent for my mistakes, and endure to the end, I can become perfect. I have felt so much peace and happiness because of my religion.

So anduin, I definitely "inherited" it from my parents (They were sealed in the temple so I was born in the covenant, as we say), but I have also discovered it on my own.

As the other's said, Faith in God, is a gift. "Ask and ye shall receive..."

Perhaps I am a little ignorant, but this is the claim that makes Christianity stand out, because it is verifiable.

Wow! O.K. this is hard for me, because my English is not so good, so I might sound simple...

I think you can't deny the fact that The Holy Bible, together with the Koran and other ancient writings (like those of the chinese etc), are the oldest books we have. Being that, these represent a link to the past. People may have exagerated(?) a little bit, but I think it's somewhat simple to deny the important message which speak's out of all those books...We did NOT evolve from monkey's, we were created. Now, take the fact that (some) entity took pleasure in creating his own galaxy, with a small planet Earth with his "children". Please consider the word "children", rather than slaves or priests. He wants to take care of us (in every religion in another form, like in the Koran you must achieve salvation for the most part on yourself). I personnaly believe that the whole evangelion is clearly inspired by the Holy Spirit (part of the entity).

Remember that we ARE his children...who wouldn't want to save his children? One might argue that God could have created a world where everybody was obidient(?), thus creating slaves/robots. No, He wanted mankind to have the decision between right and wrong (freedom to choose). Because he is much happier with beings that consciously choose for Him. As you can clearly see in a world where anything goes, there is also great pain and suffering, so you might consider the "rules" He has given us to be good.
Of course there are always people who don't want to hear about the rules, and they serve God in their own way...But like soccer, you can't go and make the rules up as you go, it would result in chaos. The only thing God asks from us is that we accept Him as our Lord. And I, 22 years old, in the middle of life, parties, beer and roleplaying have chosen for him purely because I accept the fact that I don't know everything, certainly not the way the world works. Just look around you! Could all this beauty evolve from nothing?....don't think so

The only thing I cannot place is Satan...If everything comes from God, where did Satan come from? Is it something like Ying-Yang? Every positive side has to have a negative side? That would suggest that there is a higher order of things...perhaps it's that higher order we call "Father".
I'm just brain-pickiing here, sorry...

Later,

Wow! Very nicely said! (Your English is excellent! I don't think I could do any better, and I'm supposed to be good at writing in English!)

I would take the argument a bit farther in points (for example, I would point out that the Bible is much more reliable than any of the other religious texts you mentioned), but basically I agree with you.

An amazingly large percentage of physicists (loosely defined, people who study how the universe works) believe in God because the universe is too incredibly complicated (and yet at the same time incredibly simple) to be entirely a product of chance. (I don't remember the percentage or the source of this data, unfortunately, so of course you can feel free to dismiss this conclusion.) I once heard that there are approximately 12 or so fundamental constants, and that if even one of them were changed by a tiny amount, everything would fall about! And people actually expect us to believe that this happened by pure chance?!?

(Note: I have not actually gotten through all 100+ posts in this forum, due to time constraints only since the ones I did read were very interesting. So I apologize if I am repeating something that has already been said. Gee, aren't I so good at working my way into new message board communitites? That's two major rules broken in one post. (1-Read everything before posting, 2-Don't talk about religion) You'd almost think I hadn't been doing this kind of thing for years. )

Eloquent, even.

I actually enjoyed reading it.

... Well, I don't care for this rule... I just wanted to add something. A statistic I heard somewhen back in school. You could mix(?) 54 cards for about 65 billions years ( one second= one mix) before even getting back the original setting of cards. the universe has been for about 15 billion years now. Makes you wonder.... Could everything have evolved the way it is without divine power... doubtly.

I'm reposting this from the Durin's Day thread in the HOBBIT forum.

Tolkien makes a point about the vessels of the Sun and the Moon and of their deliberate origin. All of the legends and mythologies of Creation, make a point of this.

I think it is beyond coincidence that we stand on the surface of the Earth, gazing at the New Moon, a quarter of a million miles away, as it perfectly eclipses the Sun, ninety-three million miles away. Two celestial objects of such immensely different size and distance, and yet they look the same size from here...

How fantastic!

I don't think that things like this are coincidental. Take the 12 constants mentioned before, and all of the other unique circumstances that comprise our universe, and the odds are literally astronomical against it all "just happening."

Multiply the fact that intelligent life exists here despite the odds, by the odds against looking up from HERE to see that light by Day and by Night so alike in size from our unique perspective.

"The heavens declare the glory of God!"

Hrmm, fifteen billion years mentioned in a thread about religion

You guys are great! I agree completely. And besides everything working so well, it's so beautiful! I mean, look at a leaf sometime. Or a flower. Or the human brain--we've been working to make some pretty impressive computers, but they never come close to our own brains in complexity and power. God must be some amazing scientist, huh?