Religion

We may be surprised if there is a God, because they may have a sense of humor. I've never been able to fit in with religious groups, and rightfully so, because I've always believed that religion was just primitive science. Our ancestors wondered about thunder and were scared into inventing a god for it. Our fifth day of the week commemorates Thor (Thors-day). The vast majority of people today still choose religion over science.

I'd like to begin this chapter with the idea I mentioned in the intro. People should understand that their opinions are not proven to be the right thing to do for all people.

I was in a Christian chat group, and when someone asked a new visitor if they were a Christian, he responded, "Yes, I'm Catholic." The monitor then pontificated that he did not ask what church the visitor belonged to. For those who need an explanation, yes, there are many fundamentalists out there who assume that if you are a catholic you cannot be a Christian.

Some Republicans wonder why I have some conservative views. (maybe there are some Moderates or hybrids out there?) And then there are the Religionists who wonder why I have some liberal views.

My father was a church hopper. When the Jehovah Witnesses knocked on our door he told them he didn't see the accident. A Mormon was telling him about their history and mentioned Joseph Smith. My dad asked, "Is that the guy who married Pocahontas?" When asked where he went to church, my dad often replied, "We go to the Round Church, where the Devil can't corner us." There is that one verse in the Bible that says we should not forsake the assembling of ourselves. I guess I didn't know that meant it had to be every Sunday at 1O:30 a.m. in the same building.

Pontifications and other things people have told me regarding the defining aspect of their Christianity:

The Pope (seems to have the authority to pontificate) has said that salvation can only come through the Catholic Church. Roman Catholics account for about half off all Christians in the world, a total of about 2 billion. That's 1 out of 3; about 85% of the population holds some kind of religious belief.
Therefore there are over 4 billion non-Christians in the world.
Baptists will generally not say that you have to be a Baptist to be saved, but they will tell you that a strict adherence to their doctrinal beliefs is the only way to get saved. There are about 30 million Baptists in the U.S. about half of which are in the Southern Baptist denom.
Some Romans Catholics believe that other catholics can be saved, such as Orthodox; Some Methodists call themselves English Catholics.
mainline Protestants don't seem to be "protesting" anything as much as they are simply claiming their right to be independent of Rome.
Some churches are officially named Christian such as the Disciples of Christ.
Then there are those who think that they are the one and only true faith such as Jehovah's Witnesses, Mormons, etc.
At some churches, you are allowed to profess almost anything such as mega-non-denoms.
When some people ask me what church I go to, there is an assumption that an approved answer involves a minimum weekly requirement (you're OK if you attend once a week, somewhere).
Some churches attempt to reenact the first part of the book of Acts.
Don's forget about the "church hoppers"
... or the holiday attendees
... pastors without a following
... unchurch christians
Jesus actually said that entrance into the Kingdom of Heaven required doing the will of God the Father.
...and that no one who practiced lawlessness would enter.
Those who base their beliefs on the Bible should be called Biblicists.
There are thousands of different interpretations among Biblicists. Most of these differences are a matter of different starting points. One of the most popular starting points in John 3:16.
The Apostle Paul stated that in addition to believing that Jesus is the Messiah, one has to also believe that He was resurrected.
Some base their Christianity on certain things they may have or have not done; for example they say that they have never committed a serious sin.
... that they were baptized, confirmed, and never committed a mortal sin
... received the baptism of the Holy Spirit
... spoke in tongues
... never blasphemed God
... never blasphemed the Holy Spirit
... living holy enough to have never lost salvation
... never recanted receiving the gift of eternal life
... prayed the sinner's prayer
... followed a multiple step plan to get saved such as the four spiritual laws
... professed a creed
... follows the teachings of Jesus Christ
... adherence to a doctrinal statement
... adherence to salvation doctrines such as once saved always saved
... lives as if Jesus is their Lord
There are many clichés that people use to define the focus of their Christianity such as "accepted Jesus Christ as my personal savior."
... accepted Jesus into my heart
... dedicated my life to Jesus
... repented of my sins and turned my life over to Jesus
... a (personal) relationship
... found by God as opposed to finding God
... heart circumcision
... lordship salvation
... considers what Jesus would do in their situation (WWJD)
... converted sinner
... forgiven sinner (pardoned sinner)
... contrite spirit (although this phrase is based on actual verses)
... narrow is the gate and few who find it
... suffering as Jesus did (taking up your cross)
... confess Jesus as Lord
Some believe that they are recipients of divine knowledge.
A matter of following a pastor/s or minister/s
... attitude
... list of dos and don'ts
... a teacher and a disciple
... two or more gathered together in the name of Jesus
... theology
For some Christianity is Hell insurance.
... for others it's a bet on gaining paradise.
... salvation to those under the age of accountability
... salvation to those under the age of accountability only among Christian families
Those very active in the ministry see Christianity as trying to save lost souls.
... planting and watering seeds of the word
... missionary outreaches
... domestic church planting
Those who are not much concerned with the supernatural simply see Christianity as another religion like other religions.
... following their family's religion
... good moral or ethical principles
... good outweighs the bad
... related to Christian ideas (the Christian thing to do)
... humility
... decorousness
... asceticism
... an experience
Dictionary: professing belief in the teachings of Jesus Christ
Quote by Sue: Whatever God's standard is, I fall short of it, and therefore I need a Savior. Christianity is the hope of the whole World.
Quote by Russ: saved BY grace, THROUGH faith, and FOR good works
Dispensationalism: Seven ages of history in which God had different standards for faith; the 7 periods are: Eden, Abel-Flood, Table of Nations, call of Abraham, Kingdom of Israel, Church, Millennium.
... deeper aspects of dispensationsism further divide these ages, such as a time in the Kingdom of Israel when they had temple worship; different aspects of the Millennium like the tribulation period, or a time of the church when God began dealing with Gentiles (also called hyperdispensationalism). The Bible says they were first called Christians in Antioch
... "Christian" was the hero in Bunyan's "Pilgrim's Progress"
For the skeptical Christianity is fractional truth
... or interpolated truth
... historical but not supernatural
... primitive science
... correct only if blended with Eastern concepts like reincarnation
... based in legend and mythology
Acts 26:28: Agrippa was an "almost Christian"
Some use Christianity only as an object to mock or criticize
... others, as a reaction to Satanic groups