What is a Christian?

[Sovereign]

Can't we just all get along?

Regardless of our faith/beliefs?

 

[Jaqen H'ghar]

Sheo, youre hypocracy astounds me at times.

I wasn't talking about you specifically it was a generalized you.

 

[Niner]

All I am doing is expressing my belief and then stating facts. Boli insulted Catholics then Sheo had hs rant.....

 

[Green Ranger]

Is there a credible source that other sects are more open to listening to Catholics? Or are you basing that notion off your own belief?

BTW though I was born Catholic, I do not practice. I am just curious is this is just a biased assumption or a proven fact.

Every Catholic i've ever met in real life or online is hard headed, stubborn and about as likely to listen to reason as Masq buying a Britney Spears album. It's impossible to argue reason with them, because they hide behind the Bible, being the 'Word of God' (which was funnily enough written by mortal man, who is prone to sin and above all else has a tendancy to set their own agendas whenever possible).

All I am doing is expressing my belief and then stating facts. Boli insulted Catholics then Sheo had hs rant.....

I stated my opinion on Catholics from life experience. Sorry if your religion doesn't give good first, second or third impressions.

 

[Random Hero]

Every Catholic i've ever met in real life or online is hard headed, stubborn and about as likely to listen to reason as Masq buying a Britney Spears album. It's impossible to argue reason with them, because they hide behind the Bible, being the 'Word of God' (which was funnily enough written by mortal man, who is prone to sin and above all else has a tendancy to set their own agendas whenever possible).

Alright, just remember there are a lot more Catholics out there then the ones you met. While I agree there is a good amount that fit this profile, not all of them do. Do not give assumption to the many if you have only heard the few.

EDIT:

Catholics stop their ears with corks or abuse you for having a modicum of common sense about you.

The reason for my original post was that this seemed to be saying all are this way. If you did not mean for it to come across that way then I apologize.

 

[Green Ranger]

Alright, just remember there are a lot more Catholics out there then the ones you met. While I agree there is a good amount that fit this profile, not all of them do. Do not give assumption to the many if you have only heard the few.

Fact of the matter is, while it'd be nice if people took the wider view and gave everyone the benefit of the doubt, we don't function that way. I'm sure they are some reasonable Catholics out there, but life experience tells me that they're a very small minority.

 

[Ser Yorick]

All I am doing is expressing my belief and then stating facts. Boli insulted Catholics then Sheo had hs rant.....

You have yet to state any facts, and when confronted you avoid proper discussion.

 

[Green Ranger]

You have yet to state any facts, and when confronted you avoid proper discussion.

Catholics stop their ears with corks or abuse you for having a modicum of common sense about you.

Was I right, or was I right? :CHappy:

 

[Ser Gregor]

And we all know the story of the corrupt earlier years of the Catholic Church...

And the middle years, and the later years.... and... forty years ago, and thirty, and twenty-four (not twenty-five), and fourteen, and eleventy-five....

Was I right, or was I right? :CHappy:

For the record I loled.

 

[Ser Yorick]

Was I right, or was I right? :CHappy:

The latter.

 

[Flame]

Can't we just all get along?

Regardless of our faith/beliefs?

^^ Definitely SIN, I agree with you 100%. I have an atheist friend who I really like to hang around. Nice guy, but we disagree on everything from politics to religion. That being said, I am a Christian and I am tolerant of other people's beliefs.

All too often imo Christians tend to play the "holier-than-thou" game and get on a high horse. I love my church, but I'm not going to go up to Niner and say "You're going to hell b/c you don't agree with my church!!! **Edit in evil laugh in background** bwawahahah!

Can some Catholics/Protestants have debates about religion and be civil? Definitely! I've watched it happen on Christian forum sites where everyone tries to be respectful to each other. ;) So yes, if we all calmed down a little maybe change would happen. I think that's the real way to win converts to your side, by calm, rational, persuasion.

 

[Green Ranger]

Can some Catholics/Protestants have debates about religion and be civil? Definitely! I've watched it happen on Christian forum sites where everyone tries to be respectful to each other.

Key word in bold. I'm sure they crucify each other when noone's looking.

 

[Random Hero]

I am going to express my belief about religion. I was born and raised a Catholic and until about thirteen I was very religious. I attended church every week and took part in Church programs, fundraisers, etc. When the molestation fiasco started was when I turned away from the church. My thought being that if these men were supposed to be spreading the word of God then why would they commit such reprehensible acts. I am still somewhat religious as I still pray when I believe it necessary (Someone is very sick or is going through hard times.) and though I no longer believe in the church as an organization I still believe in God.

EDIT: I use God as the word of a higher being watching over us. I do not use it in the sense of the Catholic/Christian God.

 

[Dan.]

Grim, the thing about the Bible is that it is divinely inspired...that is, every author has stated that God revealed it to them. All of the works mesh together, and you have to remember that, at the time, Christianity was illegal, punishable by death. These people were preaching illegally. If you are preaching a lie, and people were trying to kill you for it, would you stick with it just to 'forward your own agenda'? Also, all of the original manuscripts we have can be dated to within 30-40 years of Jesus' death, in the lifetime of the apostles. Those we have that aren't original are quoted in the letters of the early church fathers, and correspond almost completely to the Current NIV translations.

Also, Sheo, most sensible, modern Christians (my pastor, my parents, my youth group leaders, etc) ARE NOT intolerant of others. We don't say how wrong gays are, or how Muslims or Atheists are all going to hell, and we have a pretty good analogy to witnessing (converting as we call it)

If someone asks you for a drink of water, and the askee throws a pitcher at you, are you going to ask that poerson for a drink again? As you are all mature, intelligent human beings, I'm not going to bother explaining that out. All I'll say is, at my church we don't pull that stuff.

 

[Green Ranger]

Grim, the thing about the Bible is that it is divinely inspired...that is, every author has stated that God revealed it to them. All of the works mesh together, and you have to remember that, at the time, Christianity was illegal, punishable by death. These people were preaching illegally. If you are preaching a lie, and people were trying to kill you for it, would you stick with it just to 'forward your own agenda'?

Don't state the Bible being divinely inspired as if it's fact. I could go kill someone in the street tomorrow and say i was divinely inspired by God to do it, and it wouldn't make it acceptable.

And not primarily would i set my own agenda, but I would add in a thing or two on my personal beliefs.

Also, all of the original manuscripts we have can be dated to within 30-40 years of Jesus' death, in the lifetime of the apostles. Those we have that aren't original are quoted in the letters of the early church fathers, and correspond almost completely to the Current NIV translations.

Who says they were the originals, though? Forty years is essentially a lifetime back in those times, so couldn't it be possible what we call the originals now are in fact a second or third re-write? I'm honestly curious about this.

 

[Ser Yorick]

On a completely unrelated note, nice avatar, Boli.

 

[Dan.]

Don't state the Bible being divinely inspired as if it's fact. I could go kill someone in the street tomorrow and say i was divinely inspired by God to do it, and it wouldn't make it acceptable.

They all claim that they are, and many of the scientific communities requirements for determining a documents authenticity are fulfilled by the Bible. If the whole of the document is accurate, what's to say it's origins aren't?

And not primarily would i set my own agenda, but I would add in a thing or two on my personal beliefs.

It's possible, but many of the early church fathers quote the same passages the Apostles do, but earlier than the first manuscripts of the New Testaments.

Who says they were the originals, though? Forty years is essentially a lifetime back in those times, so couldn't it be possible what we call the originals now are in fact a second or third re-write? I'm honestly curious about this.

There aren't any others before it. The ones we have are dated within the lifetime of Jesus and his followers.

And yes, very nice Avi. Where do you guys find these things?

 

[Green Ranger]

They all claim that they are, and many of the scientific communities requirements for determining a documents authenticity are fulfilled by the Bible. If the whole of the document is accurate, what's to say it's origins aren't?

There aren't any others before it. The ones we have are dated within the lifetime of Jesus and his followers.

It may be accurately dated to that time, but that doesn't mean that these works were the first of their kind. What's not to say there were drafts pre-dating the documents we know of that were lost to time?

 

[Dan.]

It may be accurately dated to that time, but that doesn't mean that these works were the first of their kind. What's not to say there were drafts pre-dating the documents we know of that were lost to time?

Well, it depends. The Old Testament is...meh, I'm not sure, I haven't studied that. The New Testament is all about AD, and were all written in the years following 30 AD (the estimated time of Jesus' death). There's no record, anywhere, of biblical texts being lost, and none pre-date the manuscripts of the Apostles. Theoretically, it's possible, but not probable.

 

[Green Ranger]

Well, it depends. The Old Testament is...meh, I'm not sure, I haven't studied that. The New Testament is all about AD, and were all written in the years following 30 AD (the estimated time of Jesus' death). There's no record, anywhere, of biblical texts being lost, and none pre-date the manuscripts of the Apostles. Theoretically, it's possible, but not probable.

At the same time, i've never heard of any great text being written in one go.