Which denomination do you belong to?

[Neferet -House of Night-]

SloanSage

Dark Angel Rai

SloanSage

Dark Angel Rai

SloanSage

Dark Angel Rai

A lot of my pagan friends refer to ourselves as heathens because that's what most Christians regard us as. ^.^ But I am a noobie pagan since I'm new to the whole pagan thing.

In the Oxford English Dictionary, pagan and heathen mean the same thing. so either one works.

I know. But most people call Atheists heathens instead of pagans because pagans believe in many Gods and Goddesses whereas Atheists do not. Heathen has sort of a null/void definition and can be applied to anyone where as pagan is referred to those that specifically follow the Polytheistic religions.

quite true, but the definition is "one who does not believe in the mainstream religions"... that's it, but I prefer the term "non-believer" because heathens and pagans were killed during major points in Europe's dark history. So, I would rather keep that in the past. This is probably the only issue I will go PC on.

Though Paganism has become more mainstream within the past few years...well Wicca has at least.

Paganism is still quite taboo. Mainly those dealing with witchcraft-type stereotypes. (And I know Wiccans, they are cool cats.) so really, it is more a a hidden mainstream religion. Most people do not wish to acknowledge it too much. I know it is out there, so I acknowledge it to an extent. I am in no way saying it is right, but I acknowledge that it is there.

So, even if this offends you, I am praying for you to find what I believe is the Truth. (after all, if we do not offend every once in a while and only play down and raise our hands in surrender, we will get no where when it comes to evangelizing.)


heart

I used to be Christian..well Catholic anyways it just wasn't for me. I always felt that you had to do something in order for people to actually care about you and I didn't like all the fighting in Christianity so I went Deist then became a pagan mainly cause one of my friends even though he's Agnostic, he still practices some version of paganism, is a very interesting fellow and he's been making the push towards it even going as far as wanting to teach me a few things. Which I do need a teacher of sorts, sometimes research doesn't cut it for me and I need to experience it for myself.  

[SloanSage]

That explains a lot then.  

[Mountain Rose]

Anywhoot ... I'm a nondenominational, "organic" Christian.  

[brad175]

I'm a Christian!
........................Christian
........................./....../
Which means Christ-like.
And I'd rather be identified that way than of any old denomination.  

[Ricette]

brad175

I'm a Christian!
........................Christian
........................./....../
Which means Christ-like.
And I'd rather be identified that way than of any old denomination.

So you are kind to even the worst of sinners, you are forgiving, and loving, you know not to cast the first stone, to not hate on thy neighbor and ot live and let love?

Honestly?

I doubt you are. No Christian I know is really Christian or "Christ-like"  

[Fallpray]

Ricette

brad175

I'm a Christian!
........................Christian
........................./....../
Which means Christ-like.
And I'd rather be identified that way than of any old denomination.

So you are kind to even the worst of sinners, you are forgiving, and loving, you know not to cast the first stone, to not hate on thy neighbor and ot live and let love?

Honestly?

I doubt you are. No Christian I know is really Christian or "Christ-like"

Simple. Just forgive people in your heart and pray for them.

Most of the fervent Christians I have seen are those who are serving actively in the ministry.  

[divineseraph]

Genesis of Faith

Ricette

brad175

I'm a Christian!
........................Christian
........................./....../
Which means Christ-like.
And I'd rather be identified that way than of any old denomination.

So you are kind to even the worst of sinners, you are forgiving, and loving, you know not to cast the first stone, to not hate on thy neighbor and ot live and let love?

Honestly?

I doubt you are. No Christian I know is really Christian or "Christ-like"

Simple. Just forgive people in your heart and pray for them.

Most of the fervent Christians I have seen are those who are serving actively in the ministry.

That wasn't enough for Christ. He went from town to town and debated with the local religious institutions, and he talked to the people. He told them of the true nature of God.

Of course, within five hundred years or so, they'd glossed over, forgotten or conveniently ignored just about everything He'd said.  

[Neferet -House of Night-]

divineseraph

Genesis of Faith

Ricette

brad175

I'm a Christian!
........................Christian
........................./....../
Which means Christ-like.
And I'd rather be identified that way than of any old denomination.

So you are kind to even the worst of sinners, you are forgiving, and loving, you know not to cast the first stone, to not hate on thy neighbor and ot live and let love?

Honestly?

I doubt you are. No Christian I know is really Christian or "Christ-like"

Simple. Just forgive people in your heart and pray for them.

Most of the fervent Christians I have seen are those who are serving actively in the ministry.

That wasn't enough for Christ. He went from town to town and debated with the local religious institutions, and he talked to the people. He told them of the true nature of God.

Of course, within five hundred years or so, they'd glossed over, forgotten or conveniently ignored just about everything He'd said.

And replaced whatever he said with evil, hateful and violent speech and sent people to kill others in order to convert the masses. biggrin  

[divineseraph]

That was the next step, yes.

Basically, it went something like this-

Jesus- "Don't kill people, and forget about worldly possessions."
Crusaders- "What was that? Kill people for worldly possessions?"

But the same thing happened, quite epically, in the old testament. I kid you not, crack this book open, look at the 10 commandments. "Though shalt not kill" is a notable one. On the next page, a list of people to kill. They got one page before a simple message like "Don't kill people" got completely ********. I figure us with Jesus trying to preach about dropping worldly needs in favor of the divine excellence of the cosmos, we didn't really have a chance.  

[OneWithDunamis]

Well no one has a chance of doing well enough to be saved by our actions anyway.  

[Fallpray]

divineseraph

That was the next step, yes.

Basically, it went something like this-

Jesus- "Don't kill people, and forget about worldly possessions."
Crusaders- "What was that? Kill people for worldly possessions?"

But the same thing happened, quite epically, in the old testament. I kid you not, crack this book open, look at the 10 commandments. "Though shalt not kill" is a notable one. On the next page, a list of people to kill. They got one page before a simple message like "Don't kill people" got completely ********. I figure us with Jesus trying to preach about dropping worldly needs in favor of the divine excellence of the cosmos, we didn't really have a chance.

The actual word used in the Hebrew is actually 'murder'. As far as the OT is concerned it is okay to kill for God. It's only when Jesus started to preach that we should love our enemies and pray for them, things started to get a bit confusing. Christians don't have to follow quite a number of traditions in the OT. I suppose we should stick to the NT teachings if there was any contradiction between OT and NT teachings.  

[lord-kensington]

I'm Methodist, basically more hardline protestant than Church of England (who are all 'cake or death').  

[No place like 127 0 0 1]

Ricette

brad175

I'm a Christian!
........................Christian
........................./....../
Which means Christ-like.
And I'd rather be identified that way than of any old denomination.

So you are kind to even the worst of sinners, you are forgiving, and loving, you know not to cast the first stone, to not hate on thy neighbor and ot live and let love?

Honestly?

I doubt you are. No Christian I know is really Christian or "Christ-like"

unless he is a saint or an angel :3  

[Neferet -House of Night-]

Genesis of Faith

divineseraph

That was the next step, yes.

Basically, it went something like this-

Jesus- "Don't kill people, and forget about worldly possessions."
Crusaders- "What was that? Kill people for worldly possessions?"

But the same thing happened, quite epically, in the old testament. I kid you not, crack this book open, look at the 10 commandments. "Though shalt not kill" is a notable one. On the next page, a list of people to kill. They got one page before a simple message like "Don't kill people" got completely ********. I figure us with Jesus trying to preach about dropping worldly needs in favor of the divine excellence of the cosmos, we didn't really have a chance.

The actual word used in the Hebrew is actually 'murder'. As far as the OT is concerned it is okay to kill for God. It's only when Jesus started to preach that we should love our enemies and pray for them, things started to get a bit confusing. Christians don't have to follow quite a number of traditions in the OT. I suppose we should stick to the NT teachings if there was any contradiction between OT and NT teachings.

Murder is the act of unlawful KILLING. Homicide is a fancier way of saying both. If you don't know what the word means look it up in the dictionary. Don't assume the meaning. The point is, what the Crusaders did was wrong. They slaughtered millions of innocent people. Is that something Jesus would've want? Or God for that matter?  

[Three Mile Sprint]

lord-kensington

I'm Methodist, basically more hardline protestant than Church of England (who are all 'cake or death').

Hail Brother!!!