Which religions are represented here?

[God's garden]

Hey SC,
You stated that you know evolution is a fact.There is an interesting webpage
I have found that is written by a Christian that has a lot to say about it.
The thing is it dosen't dissagree,Feel eree to check it out at
www.geocities.com/vr_junkie/thebibleandscience.htm
Sorry I don't know how you guys post the link on here
Later

 

[shokuchuu]

Scot
That's basically how my parents are, though only my mother WAS a Christian.  My father, well, I can say that his opinion on religion is that it's many times a dangerous thing and can put stubborn believers in a twist (Holy Crusade, Taliban and Al'Qaida (d.a.m.n.e.d. be all of them)).  I'm a more or less spiritual person and can tolerate a religion as long as it's not preached to me by force or through TV (thus exaggerated to the point that I'm certain everyone is on PCP or something ).  
I really don't understand the supremacist groups a.k.a. Scum of the Earth (Fred Phelps, KKK, etc.) though....  I wish they'd just all disappear...

 

[Pyro]

Quote[/b] (PlantAKiss @ Mar. 02 2004,17:04)]Free spirit and thinker...not bound by any sectarian rule of thought.  Though some pagan and Buddhist thought applies.  I am not "religious" but consider myself a spiritual person.  I believe in peace, harmony, tolerance, love and Mother Earth.

I guess there isn't a slot for all that.  

Suzanne,

You would be a Neo-Patchworkist too as I define it (and since I made up the term I get to make up the definition too

)

 

[Travis]

So that is what Neo-Patchworkist means...I was trying to figure what lavenderdawn talking about in reference to my name.

Travis

 

[scottychaos]

]

Quote[/b] ]Hey SC,
You stated that you know evolution is a fact.There is an interesting webpage
I have found that is written by a Christian that has a lot to say about it.
The thing is it dosen't dissagree,Feel eree to check it out at
www.geocities.com/vr_junkie/thebibleandscience.htm
Sorry I don't know how you guys post the link on here
Later

thanks G.G,
that looks very interesting!
I printed it out..(60 pages!

)
I will read through it later!

here it is as a live link:
www.geocities.com/vr_junkie/thebibleandscience

 

[PlantAKiss]

lol Pyro...yeah, that would probably fit.  

  Or you could say I'm a pagabudda....or buddagan? hehe

I don't believe in "God" but don't consider myself an aetheist.  I don't personally care for organized religion as I've seen a lot of hypocrisy in religion and I've seen it cause a lot of harm to both groups and individuals.  But I FIRMLY believe in everyone's right to worship who and how they please, **AS LONG AS they don't hurt anybody**.  That's where I draw the line.  Religion shouldn't HARM.  (I remember with disgust the case of a 12 yr old boy who died a slow and agonizing death on a couch at home suffering from gangrene in an untreated broken leg...Christian Scientist parents.  

 )  I don't know how anyone could watch a child suffer like that and die and say "god" wanted it that way.  That's when religion is at its worst.

I prefer to tend my own path and not worry about someone not believing or thinking as I do.

Differences make the world a better place...and tolerance greases the wheel to make it all run smoothly.  

 

[death66]

I am 100% atheist!!!!  I cannot help but to look upon the crucifix and feel nothing.  I believe in science, mathematics, statistics, etc. all religions follow the same patterns to me.  More people have died in the name of religion than any other reason, and so I bid farewell to theology and worship my true savior, myself.

Odysseus--> when I was a child I used to attend an LDS church with my mother.  I have many memories of the missionaries that would come over and hang out/help out and get a good meal.  I met some excessively nice individual there.  I find it exceedingly commendable that the LDS faith put so much emphasis on the family and exists within a very guiltless state.  I have always detested the guilt that usually went along with Christianity.  My mother still attends that very church regularly.

 

[lavenderdawn]

"do what thou wilt but harm none"    --  sound familiar to anyone?
"do unto others as you would have them do unto you"  --  same thing?
There are many roads to the same mountaintop.
And there is also more than one Travis here, Travis.'  

I, too, would like to hear your answers to 'fatboy's' questions, Odysseus.
Also, while I revere Mother Earth, I don't think it could be said that I 'worship' it/her.  We sure had better take care of this planet since it's our sole life support.  That is part of my "mission" here.  I also donate my professional services frequently to those who would benefit but cannot afford them.  And I carry around a gentle joy for others I meet.  I value life - as I said before elsewhere, we're all in this together.  

 

[Odysseus]

This Message is a quote from FATBOY:

Interesting!
I have a couple of questions which are not meant to be at all derogatory.  

<span style='color:blue'>That is no problem at all!  I spent two years getting asked these questions.  

</span>  


Why does your religion include the people that you mention from Sth America?

<span style='color:blue'>Not only were their people on the earth at the time of Christ in Jerusalem but as we all know, there were many people on all continents living at the time.  The Incas, Mayans, Aztecs, and Native American Indians had ancestors.  These ancestors came to South America through movements from the east by boat.  The Book of Mormon contains a record of these Incan, Mayan etc. ancestors who at the time 600 B.C. through 400 A.D. also had prophets similar to the Old Testament Isaiah who prophesied of a Messiah.  They even knew his name would be Jesus.  They were taught that he would be born in the east in a city near Jerusalem to a mother named Mary!  These people even had the writings of Isaiah because a group of them stemmed from Jerusalem in 600 B.C. and that particular group
carried with them from Jerusalem some historical writings of their people which contained some works of Isaiah!  By boat this group and others made it to today's South America.  In the New Testament Christ says he has other sheep of His fold whom he has to visit also.  John 10: 14-16.  We know these people of South America to be one group of many, to whom Christ was referring to.  We unfortunately don't have record
of other groups of people from other parts of the world Christ may have visited, but we know through the records contained in the Book of Mormon that Christ after resurrection and his 40 days spent with the Apostles in Jerusalem visited the people of South America around 33 A.D. and taught them also and organized under them a Church and commanded some to
preach and baptize those willing.  This event is the single most IMPORTANT event in ALL the Book of Mormon.  This event is characterized today by South American Legend as
Quezalcoatl who is in fact Jesus Christ who visited the peoples of South America.  We love reading the Book of Mormon because we can know through this book that the Bible is True.  That Jesus Christ WAS resurrected and even visited a group of people all the way across the planet.  Before Christ left the Peoples of South America he said he had more "sheep of His fold" to visit.  However, we don't know who.  

</span>

What is the purpose of a mission exactly?

<span style='color:blue'>To go and serve the people of the world and spread the gospel of Jesus Christ.  As missionaries we are called Elders.  So, my nametag that you could see in the picture before said ELDER KING on it (King is my lastname).  As Elders we are ordained to teach the Gospel of Christ, Baptize and Confirm the Gift of the Holy Ghost on people, teach the Restoration of the Church of Jesus Christ, do service, and represent the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day saints answering any questions people might have.  Just like the questions you have.  

</span>  

Do you have any special skills that made you think you
were especially able to help the Dutch?  

<span style='color:blue'>First, you should know that I didn't PICK to go to the Dutch.  How it works.  Is that any young man between 19 yrs. old and 26 yrs. old can send in an "application" of sorts to the Prophet and President of our Church.  Right now it is Gordon B. Hinckley.  In our "applications" we declare whether we would be willing AND successful in learning another language and also answer questions about our health and life history.  Through review of our "applications" and personal prayer receiving inspiration we are called to serve in a certain area of the world.  My area was the Netherlands Brussels, Belgium Mission.  The Prophet receives direct revelation from Christ about where each of the 60,000+ missionaries need to serve.  I KNOW that I WAS SUPPOSED to serve in the Netherlands Mission.  I know it was the right place for me!  So, basically, a young man in the church like me just decides to spend two years of his life in service of God.  He doesn't even know WHERE!  Just that he knows he will be gone for two years.  Then after his application is reviewed he gets a letter in the mail informing him WHERE he will spend those two years!  We have the option, of course, as to whether we accept the call or not.  Some guys don't want to serve in Russia or Paraguay for example and don't accept the call.  I did accept my call and went obediently.  I am very glad I did.  So, Fatboy, my one and only necessary skill was WILLINGNESS TO SERVE.  

</span>      

What kind of help did the Dutch people you met need?

<span style='color:blue'>It differs.  There are 7,000 Dutch members of the Church there right now.  At one time there has been over 21,000 but almost all of those immigrated to the United States.  So, out in the Mission we help the Members and sustain their testimonies.  Also, we are called to Preach the Gospel.  Thus, people who are wanting to learn about the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints are taught by us.  Mostly they want to know why we believe in modern day Prophets and Apostles and what the "Restoration" was.  So, we teach them.  Such a case was a wonderful lady named Ella.  Who's boyfriend belonged to our church and was an American.  She heard alot about the church from him, but she wanted the chance to learn about it in HER OWN language.  So, we taught her in Dutch all that we could.  We ended up helping her understand her Boyfriend's testimoy so well that she joined the church, was baptized, and even has - a year and a half since her baptism - MARRIED her boyfriend in the Temple for time and eternity.  Teaching her was a very fun time for me on the mission!  One of the million reasons I was glad I went!  </span>


What do you do for a living now?  

<span style='color:blue'>Since I am only 22 yrs old now and had put off schooling until I was done with the mission at 21 yrs old.  I am only in my second semester at college.  I'm a 22 year old freshman.  I am working towards my Associates and Bachelors in Film and Multimedia.  Plus, getting my Bachelors in Ornamental Horticulture at another University through an Extension program.</span>


Can you recommend any good sites about your faith, I
know nothing about it and I find it fascinating to
read about different religions. I already found this
one Mormon Org, are
there any others?  

<span style='color:blue'>YES!  You are welcome to try out LDS.org.  That is the official site of the Church and there are MANY resources there.  It even has all the scriptures we use that you could browse if interested.  Plus, if you have any other questions I am glad to answer them.  Just PM me or do it through this thread.  I am very locquacious so I have no fear in talking!  Plus, answering these questions invigorate me!  I feel like I am out on the Mission again!  </span>

Take Care!

 

[buckeye]

Hello everyone.  As I stated earlier I am a Christian and I attend the Church of The Nazarene.  These are my basic beliefs:

I believe in one God, the only God, The God.  I know and believe that he created the heavens and the earth and everything in them.  He created one man and one women (not two men, not two women), Adam and Eve. Both were placed in the Garden of Eden. Eve was tempted to eat the fruit of the Tree of Knowledge by Satan who was disguised as a serpent.  She was tempted and did eat of it.  She also gave some to Adam to eat and he ate it.  This caused their eyes to be opened to the world and caused the fall of man which is the beginning of sin.  Some time after this God sent his son Jesus to be born of the virgin Mary.  She gave birth to him in the town of Bethlehem.  Later in Jesus' life he was falsely tried, convicted and crucified.  He died on the cross to save everyone from their sins.  He did not have to do it but he choose to do it.  Three days later he arose and returned to Heaven and is now with God.  At some unknown hour in the future Jesus will return once again and take with him all his followers & believers. The rest will be left on the earth to endure 7 years of trials and tribulation.  This period of time gives the people left behind one more chance to become believers. After these 7 years the new believers will be saved and the non-believers will be cast down into the fire.  Those who have died will be judged according to their beliefs and these non-believers will be cast down as well.

These are my beliefs. Please PM me if you have any questions.


     -buckeye

 

[jimscott]

Right on!

 

[fatboy]

Hi Odysseus

Thank you again for another interesting post, and for the link.
I'll have a look at it directly.
As is often the case your answers raise more questions so I'll PM you. Your replies are interesting but people may find all my questions boring.

Buckeye>> that is called dogma, it doesn't tell us anything about how you incorporate those things that you say you believe into your everyday life.
How do your beliefs affect the way you treat other people?
What difference does having those beliefs make to your life?

Cheers, Troy.

 

[lavenderdawn]

Exactly my point, too.  I would be interested in hearing what you are doing today -- & everyday?  

And, Odysseus, you say your mission is to spread the word ...
how does that help others, if that is your goal?  In a tangible way, do they become more productive, feel better about themselves?  I'm looking here for your view of what is valuable in our world.   And is this what your mission is to accomplish?  

 

[SnowyFalcon]

Though the questions are not directed at me, I would like to jump in here.  I believe man's main purpose in life is to glorify God. That was the reason man was created and the reason he exists.  We glorify God through our thoughts, actions, words and deeds.

How does this help others?  Let me give you a quote from the Bible.

Jesus said unto him, "Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.  This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself."

Basically, we are to love God first and other's second.  Loving ourselves is way on down the priority pole. Serving people in love is definitely "helping others".

What is valuable in our world?

A personal relationship with Christ.  There is nothing more precious to me than that.

SF

 

[buckeye]

I agree completely with SF. As Christians we are to put God first and everything else below him.  We are to have a personal relationship with Him and try to strengthen this relationship everyday.  My relationship with Christ has changed me for the better in every possible way, from the choices i make each day, to the people I choose to hang out with, to the things I choose to participate in and the things I don't.  It has given me hope during even the worst and most trying times in my life.  It has changed the way I treat other people by helping me to put them first and my self second.  After all, this is what Jesus did for each every one of us when he died on the cross.  My life has been changed completely.


   -buckeye

 

[Odysseus]

Quote[/b] (lavenderdawn @ Mar. 04 2004,03:05)]Exactly my point, too.  I would be interested in hearing what you are doing today -- & everyday?  

And, Odysseus, you say your mission is to spread the word ...
how does that help others, if that is your goal?  In a tangible way, do they become more productive, feel better about themselves?  I'm looking here for your view of what is valuable in our world.   And is this what your mission is to accomplish?  

LavendarDawn,

Throughout my post I tried not to call it MY mission. If I did I misrepresented it.

It wasn't my mission but it was God's mission. I was really called by a Prophet to go on this mission. The only step required by me was to show my willingness. Of course, God needs people to tell them about him. Otherwise we would never have works like the Bible.

The purpose of a Mission in spreading the word is the same Calling as those 12 Apostles whom Christ ordained Himself. No one can seek the Kingdom of God first unless they know about it, and WHY they should seek it. That's we did as Missionaries. Spread the word. Anyone here who has felt the joy of accepting Christ as a Savior and have found purpose in their life can vouch how spreading the word can help others.

For a tangible response I will use Irene Borislavskaya.

Irene was a wealthy Architect in Georgia several years back now. She had a high amount in her savings and was enjoying the beginning of her retirement. At that time a rebellion force fought back against the government and in the process stole from the wealthy and murdered their families. Irene lived in the Capital Tbilisi and her family was all killed by the rebellion. Her money was left behind by her when she fled for her life and eventually sought the support of the Belgium government hoping to live there as a permanent refugee. After a year or so of living there Irene found herself struggling in a lonely world that only spoke Flemish, French, German, and English fluently. No one spoke Georgian fluently. Barely even remotely. She did however make one friend with an Aremenian man who spoke an OK Russian as a second language. Russian was also Irene's second language due to the old USSR. So using second languages Irene and Jora, the Armenian friend, communicated and tried to make the best of their lonely lives as poor refugees in Vlaanderen Belgium.

She was so lonely and missed her family so strongly, she contemplated suicide to end her struggles along with the additional struggle of health. She felt she had no reason to live. Until the day a couple of weird young boys dressed up in ties and suits asked her if she wanted a Book of Mormon in Flemish. We found out her native tongue and couldn't get a Book of Mormon in Georgian but were able to get one in Russian. We also supplied her a Bible in Russian and with the help of translators and our ambition to learn Russian we spent the next five months teaching her the Gospel of Jesus Christ and she loved it and found meaning to her days. She looked VERY forward to our meetings and even went to the Church there where she was easily accepted by the Flemish members there and she felt she had more to live for. Friends, motivation to learn Flemish, and people who loved her.

Lavendar, I can promise you that when you are in the service of your fellow beings you are only in the service of God!

The more we served Irene and cared for her we fell more in love with her. She became a sweet grandma figure to us and we fought to keep her willing to live.

She made many friends in Belgium who still take care of her and look after her. Her success with the Flemish language is getting better everyday and even though her health is diminishing she walks to the bus station to attend Church when she can! This wonderful woman calls us her protectors because she knows what a mistake suicide would have been. She may day in only a few years without money, and no family of her own, but she will die knowing where her Family is and that she has the chance to be with them again. Had she made the choice of Suicide she would have died a sad, lonely woman. Instead, she will die in the care of a culture that never knew heres, but will certainly shed the loss of a friend with many tears. She has gained what's most important of all. Love of her neighbors and a love of God.

 

[noah]

Odysseus,

I'm curious... How exactly does Mormonism differ from main-stream Christianity?

Do you view the Bible (in it's original form) as wholly true? If not, why?

Also, a comment on what you said...

Quote[/b] ]Of course, God needs people to tell them about him. Otherwise we would never have works like the Bible.

God does not NEED people to tell others about him. He displays himself through His creation (see Ps. 19:1-3). He also uses people to lead other to himself. whether they will or not. However, He can and occasionally does change people's hearts without any human interaction. Why he chooses to use people I don't know, but it is a choice, not a need.

Secondly, the Bible is not purely a tool of evangelism but his word to us. God made the world in an organized fashion - every action has a reaction. Everything that was created was meant to work in a specific way. If the laws of the universe aren't followed, things go wrong. This goes for the physical world as well as the spiritual one. For example, if we decide to disregard the laws of gravity and walk off of a cliff, we WILL hurt ourselves. Similarly, if we lie or cheat on someone, the result WILL be emotional hurt, broken relationships, etc.

The Bible is merely a tool God gave us for us to see what the correct path is that will lead to our physical and spiritual "well-being". It outlines the fall of man, the need for redemption, the love and forgiveness of Christ, and similarly the love and forgiveness we are to show each other. If we follow the Bible, all will go well. In other words, the Bible is "Road Map to Reality." God made the world a certain way. Satan has blinded humans to the order of things in this universe so we consistenly mess things up. That's why this world is such a messed up place...

hope that makes sense.

 

[Dr_Carnivorous_Plant]

I am 100% Christian

 

[lavenderdawn]

First off, I don't get tired of your questions, fatboy, nor of anyone else's.  I find them stimulating.

Ok, witnessing, glorifying God, a personal relationship with Christ.  These things are all ok in my book as long as you don't get in my face with them.  And no one here is or I would no longer be posting here.  Whatever floats your boat.  Since I was a member of a christian church for a long time & no longer consider myself christian I am still looking for how anyone here is different from those sad people still going to that church I left & all the others like them.  Plantakiss mentioned tolerance.  Woefully lacking in our petty world!  I left that church because my behavior was not tolerated by them, even by those whom I thought were my friends.  I broke no laws.  I was not rude even. I will not go into detail just what the issue was for risk of that same judgement here because I have been around enough to know what human nature is.  Don't get me wrong, I love people, fascinating creatures we are.  (We need another creature emoticon!)  I call them sad because they were so shortsighted, IMO.  Stopped short because of someone else's differences.  I happen to love all our diversity.
I felt called to my profession just as if I imagine one would feel called to a ministry.  I serve people.  Do I serve God?  In your opinion, you may say yes.  I do it because I believe it is what I am 'supposed' to do.  I feel a very real joy when I am able to help someone.
So, all the philosophysing (I don't think that's a word) & verbal discourse is well enough.  Perhaps this is getting a bit away from the topic you started, Odysseus, though I get the impression you are not daunted in the least by this side track.
Another side track, I find it interesting that LDS believes so strongly in knowing one's heritage.  Isn't that what we're trying to preserve with our plants, as well?  Esp. now the sarracenia?  Hmm?

 I had always thought it was kind of elitist but now I wonder.  What do you say?

 

[Odysseus]

Quote[/b] (noah @ Mar. 04 2004,11:46)]Odysseus,

I'm curious... How exactly does Mormonism differ from main-stream Christianity?

Do you view the Bible (in it's original form) as wholly true? If not, why?

Quote[/b] ]Of course, God needs people to tell them about him.  Otherwise we would never have works like the Bible.

God does not NEED people to tell others about him. He displays himself through His creation (see Ps. 19:1-3). He also uses people to lead other to himself. whether they will or not. However, He can and occasionally does change people's hearts without any human interaction. Why he chooses to use people I don't know, but it is a choice, not a need.

To answer your questions.

First, I don't view Mormonism as any different than mainstream Christianity. I don't know why but there are groups of Churches in my home town that won't and never will accept us as fellow Christians. Why that is, I don't know. I think it may be what you said earlier. Satan will blind us. I believe in Jesus Christ as my Savior and fill 100% Christian in every way.

About my belief in the Bible. We use the King James Version of the Bible, and I know the Bible to be a True witness of Jesus Christ. You said earlier in parenthesis (in it's original form) so I can see you also agree with the Bible as I do as wholly true before all the years of translation. Through translation many things have been lost. But it still testifies that Jesus of Nazareth was really there, and was the Messiah. Thus I still read it.

Your second question about God needing us. You are absolutely right. I shouldn't have phrased it as a NEED. It certainly was HIS choice and it IS all HIS plan. I am sorry I worded it as a need. GOD is certainly not dependent on us!

Thanks for pointing that out to me. I was just saying that we all find out about Christ at one point of another. And since Christ isn't here on Earth right now, we find out about Him and God's plans through others. That is the purpose of the Bible is it not? A Testament of a Messiah in the Old Testament and record of creation and God's organization with Temples, Priesthood and Authority. And in the New Testament it testifies that Jesus Christ was the Messiah of the Old Testament. Thus, we all find out from someone else's testimony and through our own prayer and study we find out for ourselves.

On the mission I did just that, I told other people my testimony. On the street, at their homes, in busses, in trains and parks. Only I did it 24/7. Nowadays I am not doing it 24/7, but I do it as much as possible.

Thanks for your questions!