By the way, if you go back to the music thread where I posted that song from my old band, that was written during my atheist days and was a direct reference to the "morons" who believed in higher powers. :)
Meh, it's not that hard. I left Christianity behind many years ago.
Awesome, bro!
People do convert from both to become Christians. In fact Jesus was a Jew as was the apostle Paul, the disciples and all the main players in the New Testament. I believe you asked your question with good intentions, but there isn't anyway any of us can answer it because that isn't our experience. Just as it would be impossible for a Muslim or Jew to answer. We all are going to answer yes because our faith is dear to us.
~Garrett chest bump~
Yeah, I feel sorry for all those butt fucking Greeks who worshiped Zeus.
Nice to know there's no difference between a child molester and a guy who lies to his kid telling him Santa is real. Sin is sin.
I understand that people convert to Christianity from other religions and to other religions from Christianity. It happens, but I think the vast majority of people stick with the predominant belief system of the culture in which they were raised (unless they abandon faith altogether).
Correct.
Maybe it's impossible to say for sure but look at it this way: are you going to convert to Islam anytime soon? No, you are not. Why? Because you were brought up in a country where Christianity is the predominant belief system. You were exposed to it. You believe it. You go to church. You study the Bible. Your friends, family, and most of your co-workers are Christian (or at least identify as Christian if even they aren't devout). You have had many experiences in your life that you can point to and say those things validated your belief. Now, switch all that up but put yourself in an Islamic culture, swap out Bible for Koran and Christian for Muslim. So maybe it's not possible to say for sure, but you can certainly imagine the likely outcome.
Fair enough, but realize that's the same thing a Muslim or Hindu or Jew would say to you. And you know that in their minds their experience/feelings/justification of faith are just as real as yours.
The Christain faith accepts this position as truth. Everyone is concieved and born in a sin state. No matter how good or bad they live, there is only one way to escape the punishment of being a sinner by birth and that is to have a rebirth through the salvation plan established through Jesus Christ. So you example of degrees of sinful acts are indeed irrelevant by this standard because by virtue of simply being born you (and I ) are hopelessly lost and seperated from God and there is only one plan acceptable to him that will reconcile you. This is the Christian faith to accept or reject.
OK, and I'm not trying to be accusatory. These are just questions that run through my own mind so I'm simply curious to see how people operating under a faith system like Christianity deal with it in their minds. You have your faith and you have to remain strong in it but there are things that have to challenge that faith and I'm interested in hearing how people deal with the conflict.
I have had doubts and my faith has been tested. When tested or doubtful I read the Bible, pray, talk to others in my church and find peace. I'm not sure how others deal with those thoughts but that's how I deal with it. I think with any belief structure even those without a religious faith they have doubts and are tested in their belief systems. It all comes down to the strength of your faith/belief and your support system. That is why I believe it is necessary for people of faith to surround themselves with others of the same faith. It doesn't necessarily need to be a church but even a small group of friends.
My Church recognizes the obvious degrees of sin and the mitigating circumstances surrounding them (addiction, actual malicious intent, etc.) but some of our fellow Christians think we aren't REAL Christians anyway, so, hey.
