If christian believer, do you truly follow Jesus?

[shadow1]

Originally Posted by AbirWard

You do not have to be a Christian to do all these... not
even a believer in religions or even God!!!

You can be agnostic or an atheist and still do all the above...

Fragrance

What you said is true. Human conscience can take care of these issues. However you get no credit in your heavenly account if you are atheist.
From memory Agnostics get about 20 cents on the dollar.

Generally it's the afterlife that is mostly on people's minds when they choose this religion or that. If such thing doesnt exist we are all stuffed. Believing in religions that promise eternal life is a good insurance policy. Just in case.

The teachings of Christ do present a challenge to our frail natures. In The Koran it says Li'anna Rabbakoum youridou bikoum yousran wa laysa 3ousran. In Christianity Jesus want us to carry our cross if we want a shot at being allowed into the kingdom of God. That is tough indeed.

So dont worry much dearest Abir, you be a good girl and I'll put in a good word for you on the day of judgement. I shall be a court clerk then and your application will be processed quickly. I am interested more in the Likes of Elizabeth Taylor not in the tame life of some country girl who kisses children.

[taifoon]

Originally Posted by Lebanese_Nationalist

It's hard for Muslims to properly follow their religion properly in places such as Australia since hangings, torture, and killing "infidels" are against the law. I guess you'll have to do the best you can.

In which country now do muslims practice such activities against 'infidels' according to the law?

[Felix]

Originally Posted by taifoon

In heart? Through conduct, actions and behaviors?
Do you turn your right cheek to your offender when slapped on the left?
Do you forgive your enemies and wrongdoers?
Do you stop your car to help a stranger in need?
Do you try to ease the pain on someone you never met or know?.

I personally find it quite exhausting if not unbearable and unlikely to an average christian to be able to truely conform to and live a daily christian life strictly abiding by the codes of Jesus the Christ. In particular in Lebanon. And i'm not talking here about being one of those who can't resist a general urge to steal, torture or kill, but the average man or woman..

Interesting post....
My experience as a christian is a matter of growth...i do my best to follow the teachings of christ, some times are easier than others, but overall- christianity is a constant challenge-and thats the point of it... to change and grow.
No one is perfect, and so God is always challenging different areas of ones life, when u walk...he challenges you to run...it is always progressive.
it is exhausting....but would you have it any other way??
I mean, who wants a half-baked, micky mouse faith, when u can have so much more.
A great, key principle of Jesus is grace....it is by grace that u know him in tha first place, and its grace that allows mistakes and imperfections... if we didn't need grace...and we could be 'perfect' Christians with out Jesus' teachings... and the challenges that go along with it, there would not have been the need for His death.
Besides, everyone is at different levels of faith in their walk with God, its the personal discipleship and teaching that God provides, and what the individual does with it, which is important.

Originally Posted by taifoon

Is it Okey to still call oneself a religious beleiver in and follower of something or someone when maybe not even half of ones conducts and practical daily life actions are in harmony with the rules and teachings of that faith or beleif?
Or is it plane hypocricy?
Or is it simply a matter of adapting the written, translated and sunday preached old words of an old faith to the existing social codes of ones modern world and cold reality?

Hypocrisy is something the Spirit of God convicts, dont u think??....whether individually or corporately, after being convicted one either changes or ignores it.
And personally, i think Jesus' teachings are just as relative today as they were when he was cruising around healing pple.
I mean scripture says he is the same then as he is now..the same yesterday, today and forever, so in what ways are or could his teachings be out of context today.

Originally Posted by taifoon

Or is it only about a heritage of prayers, repeating mantras and visiting churches on occasions and holidays? A nice needed kind of social and communitarian theatric experience to enjoy, together with others within one and same friendly mass?

As i said b4....why choose superficial faith...when there is so much more to have? Like, part of Jesus' teachings is that believers become heirs of God....His kids, and are positioned for inheritance....its a pretty full on teaching.
Church for me is 24/7....not just sundays....

[coralie]

Originally Posted by taifoon

In heart? Through conduct, actions and behaviors?
Do you turn your right cheek to your offender when slapped on the left?
Do you forgive your enemies and wrongdoers?
Do you stop your car to help a stranger in need?
Do you try to ease the pain on someone you never met or know?


I personally find it quite exhausting if not unbearable and unlikely to an average christian to be able to truely conform to and live a daily christian life strictly abiding by the codes of Jesus the Christ. In particular in Lebanon. And i'm not talking here about being one of those who can't resist a general urge to steal, torture or kill, but the average man or woman..

Is it Okey to still call oneself a religious beleiver in and follower of something or someone when maybe not even half of ones conducts and practical daily life actions are in harmony with the rules and teachings of that faith or beleif?
Or is it plane hypocricy?

Or is it simply a matter of adapting the written, translated and sunday preached old words of an old faith to the existing social codes of ones modern world and cold reality?

Or is it only about a heritage of prayers, repeating mantras and visiting churches on occasions and holidays? A nice needed kind of social and communitarian theatric experience to enjoy, together with others within one and same friendly mass?

Do you turn your right cheek to your offender when slapped on the left?
i did many times , was uncapable many other times ....

Do you forgive your enemies and wrongdoers?
yes i do , but most of the times some ppl take this as a sign of weakness and hurt you more and more so with some ppl i stoped forgiving ...

Do you stop your car to help a stranger in need?
yes ...
Do you try to ease the pain on someone you never met or know
yes when i can i do it . i dont try , i do my best !

i am trying my best i did nt reach the level of "sanctified" perfection yet, i dont think i will one day . but i am trying as i can to be able to reach my inner peace .


one thing is for sure i dont do my prayers as a "repeating mantras" when i pray i feel and live every word i dont repeat words but i hear , feel , and live the meaning . like when i say le Notre Pere and say "pardonne nous nos offenses comme nous pardonons a ceux qui nous ont offenser " i realy always stop and think hardly if i want to be forgiven i should be able to forgive ... and i know how much it is difficult sometimes !
when i pray i talk to God my heavenly Father as my friend , i talk to him i fight with him i argue with him ...and sometimes words are not realy nessessary my tears are the words of my hurting soul , sometimes a thank you Father is a prayer . and sometimes silence is in it self a prayer !
i dont follow a certain theatrical priest act , when i am in prayer i am alone with God i enter his world and i feel him inside me i am totaly out of this terrestrial world . i try my best to be what his teaching want me to be ... it is not so easy i am not perfect and maybe will never be but i never stop trying .
i dont need to wear a masbaha on my neck to prove that i am a believer / a christian, while in my daily acts i am hurting others and using tones of bad dirty words when i am adressing them if chrristianity is wearing a masbaha on my neck no need for any other prayer then ... i dont need to brag about me going to church or joining a circle of prayers here and there when in real life i am not doing any of the things i am tought in those circles of prayers or those churches ...
my relation with the divine is private between Him and me and i try to be as good as He want me to be and influence others with my goodness .
the best prayer is our acts, how we do things and how we treat others .... it does nt reside in us going every sunday to church wearing our nice cloths or fasting while we keep doing bad things in our daily life and spiting all sort of insults all the time ...

[Kakou]

Originally Posted by taifoon

In heart? Through conduct, actions and behaviors?
Do you turn your right cheek to your offender when slapped on the left?
Do you forgive your enemies and wrongdoers?
Do you stop your car to help a stranger in need?
Do you try to ease the pain on someone you never met or know?

That's what I'm trying to do everytime, every second!! It's sometimes too hard, but my faith gives me POWER and STRENGHT!

When I do ONE, just ONE of these things, I feel SOOOOOOOOOOO Happy and satisfied, so how if I can REACH all of them!! It would be quite PERFECT!

In fact, let me add that I experimented too much wonderful things in my life because of Jesus and Christianism, and I think that every favor I ask for and he realizes it for me, it's a proof that I'm doing well in these matters (the ones which you've mentioned)!

Trying to react that way, I see myself surrounded by critics and sarcasm (you are stupid, you are hablé, majdoubé, bla bla bla! My one and only answer: My honor is with Jesus and I'm proud to be as he asked us to be! I don't care about what people say about me, I just care about one thing: I will forever try to be what he wanted me to be!! An endless LOVER!!

[Mey]

Originally Posted by shadow1

What you said is true. Human conscience can take care of these issues. However you get no credit in your heavenly account if you are atheist.
From memory Agnostics get about 20 cents on the dollar.

Generally it's the afterlife that is mostly on people's minds when they choose this religion or that. If such thing doesnt exist we are all stuffed. Believing in religions that promise eternal life is a good insurance policy. Just in case.

But the way I see it, if you follow the teachings just because of the after life, then true it is a great bargain and lucky you, but in my book, you would not be a very pure person as religions would like to show it.

Religions are a way of trade in my opinon. You be good now and I will pay you in the end the lord says. Because in my opinion, those who made religions knew that if you do not give an incentive, those masses won't even bother.

I think when you look at it this way, you realize that an atheist or an agnostic who does good is much more pure than a religious person who does good because it is the attitude and the return you are seeking which plays the balance here.

[Bodhisattva]

Originally Posted by Mahyar

I think when you look at it this way, you realize that an atheist or an agnostic who does good is much more pure than a religious person who does good because it is the attitude and the return you are seeking which plays the balance here.

can you develop that further?

and why would an atheist or agnostic do good? what's the incentive?

[shadow1]

Originally Posted by Mahyar

I think when you look at it this way, you realize that an atheist or an agnostic who does good is much more pure than a religious person who does good because it is the attitude and the return you are seeking which plays the balance here.

Any type of investment requires the kind of return that justifies it.

Agnostics or atheists are not necessarily purer than believers but they simply have a shorter span for their investments. Believers are greedier they want an eternal life in heaven in spite of the attractions of Hell's sins.

Religious people have this fascination of attributing their good natures to some divine intervention. Atheists on the other hand think of themselve as tree leaves. They hang on to a life branch until autum or early winter. Then, finito. So they invented all sorts of hedoism to enjoy the delights of heaven on this earth. In that sense they are not purer at all.

Originally Posted by Bodhisattva

and why would an atheist or agnostic do good? what's the incentive?

He/she would if they have a good nature but what can you attribute a good nature to? The incentive is always self-satisfaction.

[Stella]

Theres an old beggar lady every day in the underground, I prepare money for her every morning, hoping she will be there, if I dont find her there I feel truly sad.
The fact that I give beggars now and then will make me a good christian? And the fact that I loath attending masses with the crowd will make me go to hell?

The church can spare me their labels.

I dont follow Jesus, as this was not his intention, but I keep his message in my heart.

[shadow1]

Originally Posted by Stella

I dont follow Jesus, as this was not his intention, but I keep his message in my heart.

Just in case. As an insurance policy. It's always the wisest thing to do.