What's your Religion?

Once years ago a group of female Jehovah's Witnesses came to our back door. I had just left for work, and hubby thought that it was me coming back to get something but had forgotten my key, so he rolled out of bed and flung the back door wide open absolutely starkers....not to mention with morning wood. We never had JW's come to that house again.

In general, I usually have no problem with any religion as long as no one tries to force their opinions on me--but that one is still priceless.

 

A lot of people, Mormons in particular, would insist that they are "Christians", just as Jehovah's Witnesses and other groups also insist they are.

So the question has to be, what exactly is a "Christian"? And the answer comes down to how the word is defined. Do we stick with what the Bible says, or do we add stuff the world (including the so called "religious world") wants us to include in defining the word "Christian"?

Personally I'll go with what the plain text of the Bible reveals to define what it means to be a Christian. At the same time I'm not going to throw stones at those who want to add to that definition extra-Biblical thoughts and ideas, because once stones start to fly any opportunity for truly constructive dialog is lost.

 

Extremely well put!


I've always understood Christian to cover all those religions that choose Christ as their savior, so I guess that would be the broadest definition?

 

Charli-that story about your husband is priceless!

 

Absolutely!....

 

It depends entirely on how terms are defined. If a loose definition of the word "Christian" (a word originally used as a derisive term by enemies of Christ to label the much hated "Christ ones", or early followers of Jesus Christ in the city of Antioch) is applied, giving it meaning beyond what the Bible sets forward, then such a definition can apply to just about any person or religious group that wants to be seen under the broad umbrella of what the world thinks of as "Christianity".

On the other hand, if "Christian" is defined solely according to what the Bible tells us, then much if not most of what the world sees as religious "Christianity" will prove false.

Again, each of us must determine on our own whether to believe and trust the God of the Bible, or to believe and trust the world around us. Most have made that choice in one form or another, and it's clear that for many their choice is a mixed bag of eclectic ideas and soft ideals that they hope will somehow provide what they feel they need out of life.

 

Someone must be JEWISH here?

 

i was touched by his noodly appendage...

 

Thank you RioNovo, for your elaboration.

 

I took no offense. I'm sorry if my comment came off too brusque. Initially I just intended to relate to your situation. I thought the joke was clever and used it myself, then I ended up regretting it. That was the initial point. It was only on second thought that I brought my daughter into the conversation.

As I said, I've been learning much more about dyslexia since her diagnosis. The superficial understanding most of us have (as I did until last month) was it was just some sort of letter/word reversal. At that level the joke is clever, but there's more to the condition. Now, however, I understand that it's a deeper issue of wiring in the brain. It's not "wrong". It's different, and has its benefits. Essentially when a dyslexic sees something they don't understand, their brain starts looking at it from many different directions in a very visually real sense to them. It gives them great problem solving skills and as a matter of fact they are statistically of higher IQ than the non-dyslexic population. We're starting my daughter in a special class this fall that teaches reading-specific skills to compensate.

But we're way off the religion topic now...

 

"noodly" was not how Charli described her husband. Aren't you paying attention?

Charli, I hope your hubby doesn't log on here

 

He doesn't, but I tell him about anything pertaining to him--he especially liked nd's comment about his photo posted in the "What does everybody look like?" thread.

Just to keep this on topic-ish--Hubby is a lazy Catholic.

 

Since when are Catholics not Christians???