Are you an ex Christian?

Gong right back to the OPs original question I was a committed Christian until some time in my 30s when suddenly and dramatically it just didn't make sense any more.
But please give me a biblical reference norose. I thought I was pretty well versed in the Scriptures but I can't locate that one.

I thought he sent his son to try to persuade people to change their ways, but it didn't work until he had died a martyr's death. That rejection and death was foretold in ancient prophesies, so it fulfilled the prediction that a Messiah would come to redeem Israel in her hour of need - which doesn't automatically mean that God meant it to happen that way, with a humiliating crucifixion like a common criminal. But that opens up a whole new discussion about whether God could/would predict/change things.

Impossible for a humanist to have the best bits of Christianity

I have always been a Christian , as were my parents, grandparents and g grandparents. They never concerned themselves with what people wear, my great grandfather was presented with a desk from the Western Mail for his work for the poor, even though he had a church to lead and a wife and five children he worked for some time in a coal pit to feed the poor , st his funeral the people of both parishes he ministered to lined the route from the chapel to the cemetery. His wife and daughters cooked for and delivered food daily to together widowed, disabled, unemployed. His daughters , one, my grandma continue this work until her death. I grew up in a home where the door was open 24 hours a day, 365 days a year for anyone in need, we were taught not to judge but to love.

In my home I grew up with a sampler stitched by my g grandma

Christ is the head of our home ,
The unseen guest at every meal,
The silent listener of every conversation.

I am fed up of the cry ' I am a better person than any Christian ' I as a Christian have never , ever thought of myself as a better person than an atheist. And I am fed up of this christians bashing which goes on and on .

Call yourselves what you choose, humanitarian or atheist, you are not better human beings than christians , in your own eyes you obviously think you are - you are so wrong and it seems your greatest sin is pride in self

Well it's obviously from the Old Testament , but which chapter I no longer know. Having had to do bible studies & sit exams, & having debates on a weekly bases , this is one of part of the scriptures which upset me the most. In the early chapters Old Testament , you will find many references of God telling one set of people to rise up & smoke the other & take their lands etc. Then near to the end of the Old Testament he allegedly saw the error of his ways with all the death & destruction & so decided to send us ' his only begotten Son , born of a Virgin & have him crucified in order to show us how he God, had seen the error of his ways so to prove that he had his own Son killed in the most barbaric way to shows how much he love us. Can't help thinking there might have been a better way !

Ohhps smote not smoke !!

norose, you need a wuote from the OT on these orders to kill and where in the OT is the birth of Christ mentioned? I don't mean the prophecies in the book of Isiah

Have to go out now , get back to you latter , it's all in there Annibach

It is a lot to sift through , hence the bible studies & the confusions & different interpretations by all & sundry !

I will wait for your quote narose

I have found an interesting article at A GOSPEL ACCOUNT OF OUR FATHERAND THE BLOOD ATONEMENT OF JESUS It is rather long and I have only skimmed through it to see whether I would post a link to it, but some of you may find it an enlightening read.

I have also found a list of 44 Messainic prophecies (I would bet there are even more to be found)

Many are from Isaiah and the psalms, but also a lot from other books.

Of course, hindsight is a wonderful magnifying glass, and I am sure that those preaching about Jesus after his death would have noticed the parallels (or coincidences) more than they would the things that were NOT parallels or co-incidences - (and perhaps knowing those parallels himself, that, for instance, he was descended from King David, may have influenced his own image of his purpose in life?)

The Jews do not accept Christ as the messiah , they are still waiting for the prophecies of Isiah and Co to come true

They see him as yet another prophet/preacher, so do Muslims - there have been a lot of prophets over the centuries, doing a lot of forecasting. A bit like the weather forecast, when it comes true they are acclaimed as true prophesies, when it doesn't, well, the time is not yet, and anyway you may have wrongly interpreted something rather vague.

So true Elegran

Back again ANNIBACH Genesis 15, Deuteronomy 20,Exodus43 Joshua etc

mmmmm, and Sarah had .Issac when she was ninety .

Sorry norose, I forgot to say thank you

?

I rarely go the church but I am definitely a Christian with a slight inclination towards Buddhism.

If anyone has died or I feel in need a bit of help I pop along to church and light a load of candles and say a few prayers.

NanKate, we are very fortunate here, we have a Buddhist retreat run by females for females . My elder granddaughter is very drawn to Buddhism .

There is a peace and healing sitting in an empty church isn't there ?

I would probably be called an ex Christian but I disagree - I do believe in Jesus. However when I was growing up I often thought that if I had been born in a country where the norm was to be Buddist, Hindu or Moslem etc then that's what I would have been, and I felt very uncomfortable when we sang in chuch about the 'heathen in other lands' - that might have been me! Also, from the age of about 13 I strongly believed that Christ would return in my lifetime - and I dreaded the thought of being judged and maybe going to hell!

However at a bad time in my life when I was seeking consolation from Church and not finding it as too many things didn't make sense, I came across a religion that taught that all the major 'Prophets' were valid, they were like a progression of teachers bringing a message that was suitable to the needs of the time and place when and where they appeared. Their Revelation was suited to our understanding as we evolved. But unfortunately, over time, or even from the moment they die, whatever they teach gets 'muddied' by the religious leaders, as they twist the teachings to suit themselves and gain power, and the purity is lost (just look at the lives of the Popes over the years although the present one is a Saint). That is why it is necessary for a 'return' to put things straight again, and to add a new chapter suited to changing needs as the world progresses from tribal life to one world co-operation and in future maybe even inter galactic! All the major religions teach that one day there will be one Religion and peace on earth - they all think it will be their own Faith. The religion I found follows the latest 'Manifestation of God' - a pure soul that gives us the latest teachings - the Word of God - for this age. He claimed to fulfill the prophecies of all the major religions and thus He does indeed unite them all together as one religion, with one God for all mankind. There are followers in every country (but sadly not many in the UK) who come from all religions, and true to form, the Faith is persecuted in the land if its birth - Iran. When His teachings are accepted and put into practice they will bring a spiritual transformation and bring peace and the golden age of mankind. Many of His teachings are being fulfilled because they are in accordance with (or we would say the guiding force behind) the 'spirit of the age', but to bring about the transformation of society in order to bring peace we need to recognize the Author of the plan, and make major changes in the way we live collectively - putting right injustices, getting rid of the extremes of poverty and wealth, providing education for all, preserving the earth's resources and a whole lot more.
As we have freewill and most people are non believers, and/or are caught up in the pressures of our modern society which is based almost entirely on materialistic pursuits and pleasures (without which our current economic system would fail completely) we will have to learn the hard way and go through a lot of suffering before being open to a more spiritual, equitable and sustainable path.
So I am still a Christian because I believe in the returned Christ, but my religion uses His new name - the Glory of God - Baha'u'llah, and as a follower, I call myself a Baha'i. It is the bi centenery of Baha'u'llah's birth this year. I wonder how much more suffering there will have to be before the world learns it's lesson - will it have to teeter on the edge of extinction?

Sorry for this long post but the question was asked!

.starbird, ny knowledge of your faith is almost nil so thank you for your post.

For me a Christian is a person who believes in Christ, who believes he died for me, who forgives me for my wrongs if I am Truly sorry , who loves me, who knows me, who listens to me and who I can listen to. My friend, my Lord my Saviour

Yes Anniebach that was His message - also to love your neighbour - the neighbour being anybody - as opposed to just your own religion/tribe (as in the parable of the Samaritan), and that if you believe in Him you will have eternal life.

Thank you for the passages norose I'll have a look at them later today.