Question just for Christians?

Question

I'm a teenager. I've been raised as an atheist (and my parents are both really opposed to me joining any religion, but they basically have said they don't care anymore and that I can do what I want). I'm interested in Christianity because I like the ideas behind it, but I don't know a whole lot about it yet. I have a couple of questions.
1) I'm a little confused by how many differents kinds of Christianity there are. There are Lutherans, Presbyterians, Catholics, Baptists, Methodists, Mormons, all kinds. But they're all supposed to come from the same source (Bible, Jesus) so how are there so many differences? Is it just interpretation or what?
2) If I did decide to become a Christian, what do I do? Do I have to take classes before I get baptized or anything? Am I allowed to sit in on services or something before I make a decision, or do you have to be baptized to go to services?
3) Obviously this is based on your opinion, but what would be a good type to look at? Obviously I would have to research it more but like I said I don't know hardly anything about the different kinds, and this would be a good place to start. Details about what they believe would be nice.

Thanks

Answer 1

1) Do your research on these denominations later. Each of the ones you listed I have things I agree and disagree with. The different beliefs are troublesome so if you're interested in Christianity go to an average Christian church that isn't titled Catholic or Mormon.



2) I'm pretty sure that it's only Catholics that believe you must be baptized to earn Salvation, and they also require you to take classes. All that you need to do for now is do what I mentioned in 1 and consider getting a student bible. If you have a Christian friend who can take you to their church then by all means, GO. You do not have to do anything to go to a service but wear the proper clothes :).



3) I myself am not any of the denominations that you mentioned. I go to a casual church that allows everyone to attend in everyday clothes and specifies in teaching people who are new. I myself believe in Jesus Christ and follow the Ten Commandments and avoid the seven deadly sins. I believe in praying to the saints and Mary, which many of my peers highly disagree with, but hey, it's what I believe.



I really hope this helps you on your own path. Being a Christian is filled with great light and joy that you simply cannot have being an Atheist, and even if you decide that this is not right for you I hope that you'll see the world better.

Answer 2

The different denominations exist as a result of disagreements in the interpretation of the faith, nothing more. For example, the Catholic Church has a very visual tradition and therefore has images of Jesus, statues of Jesus, Mary, etc. and they see no problem with this (I, too, see no problem with this). There are certain fundamentalist Protestant denominations that see this as flying in the face of "not making any graven images." Catholics and Episcopalians are not worshiping the images, they are simply acknowledgment of our corporeal existence and the need to see the person to whom we are speaking. When I was younger, I went to a Jewish temple with my neighbor on Fridays, to a Catholic church with my best friend on Sundays, and eventually became an Episcopalian (it's the Church of England - also called the Anglican church). Experience them all, read the Bible cover to cover, study the tenets and practices of each. Some will be more tolerant to individual interpretation than others. You'll have to decide if that is something you need. Personally, I could never belong to a church that was repressive or intolerant of individual interpretation. You seem like the type who will find the same eventually.



It's not about what club you join. The more you keep your relationship with God between you and God, the better off you'll be. That's just my opinion, of course, but I do have some scriptural precedent for it (Matthew 6:1).

Answer 3

Hi, kudos to you for wanting to learn more about being a Christian :)



1) There are so many Christian religions. They all believe in the same God, but in my opinion, I have always classified Christian religions as "Catholic" and "Non-Catholic." Catholicism, while still a Christian religion, is quite different from other Christian religions; they are rather quite strict in their beliefs. Perhaps the following website can help?



http://churchrelevance.com/qa-list-of-all-christian-denominations-and-their-beliefs/



2) To become a Christian and to join a church, you have to be baptized. I'm not sure if every church requires this, but when I got baptized in my church, I had to take a class. The class was brief, occurred during the Sunday School time and just basically had me think about what it means to be a Christian, what being baptized means, etc. It depends on the religion you choose, but some religions require baptism only by immersion (meaning you're dipped backwards into the water and every part of you - head included - gets under water for a second), while some religions just do the sign of the cross on your forehead or some other form of water on your body. Baptism by immersion was based in Jesus' time when John the Baptist was baptizing people and then baptized Jesus. It is believed that before you are dipped under the water, you are sinful, and then when you arose from above the water, your sins have been cleansed away.



3) It is entirely your decision. My dad is Roman Catholic, my mom is Presbyterian and I grew up in a Baptist church.....go figure! I have gone to Presbyterian services while visiting my grandparents, but I've only really known Baptist. Baptists, like all other Christian religions, believe that Jesus is th Son of God who died on the cross for our sins. We also believe there's the trinity: the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. But it's whatever you're comfortable with.



Good luck! :)

Answer 4

It is fantastic that you are awakening to a spiritual life. I understand your sense of wonder and longing to be part of the One. Please explore.

You do not need to take a class or anything. Go to your local library and take out a book if you want to know a little about Christianity. Surf some websites. You need only go to the closest church and hang out on a Sunday. You do not need to sign up or call first. Every church I have ever been to is very welcoming to newcomers. Many have youth programs for teens. I suggest you try several different churches. I would avoid Jehovah witnesses, Scientologists and Mormons. They are not bad people, they just practice cultish behaviour that will stunt your spiritual growth.

Good luck. I am not a Christian. There are aspects I do not agree with but if that is the path you wish to pursue I wish you well in it. Keep an open heart.

Answer 5

That's wonderful you want to be saved. There is a heaven and a hell.



Okay, what is good is to read the Bible and start with John. I don't know what you might have read so far, but this is a good place to start. In case you don't have a Bible, I'll send you a link for two chapters and you can change it to read more. There are 21 chapters in the book of John so you can read the whole thing on the Internet.



http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=John%201-3&version=GW



It's very helpful if you would find a church that is Full Gospel. The so-called main-line churches (protestant but not Pentecostal) don't believe in the whole Gospel as the spirit-filled churches do. The bigger churches also may have more to offer as far as small groups of interest, youth group Bible study and whatever you need.



If I were you I would take the time to check out the churches right away. You can look in the yellow pages of the phone directory if you don't know of any good ones near you. Check out Pentecostal or Assembly of God. Don't go for the Oneness types because they have some things mixed up. You can email me any time.

God bless you.

Answer 6

1. Yes, it's all interpretation. Scriptures can be interpreted in too many ways, and as we disagree, we have different doctrines and faiths.



2. It would depend on which one you choose. Most Christian faiths will let you attend services even if you haven't been baptized, so take some time and attend many different faiths. Learn the doctrines and consider whether or not you can agree with them.



3. We'd all obviously pick our own faiths. If you want to look into individual faiths and then question us, that would be a better idea. You have to choose for yourself, though.

Answer 7

Well Jem, nice to meet you and great questions. Be prepared to get quite a few off the wall answers to this. But I do want to share this with you and maybe you may understand just a little. I'm a born again Christian. I received Christ as my Lord and Saviour at a very young age, but I fell away into doing what pleases me/flesh and instead of living a life as a Christian. But I've rededicated my life back unto the Father in 2002 completely and fully. Now what I would like to get across to you is that I do not do RELIGION...I have a RELATIONSHIP with the Lord. Theres a big difference. Religion is tradition and a personal relationship is just what it is. I work at it by spending time daily with the Lord by getting to know HIM and how to be a true doer of the word. Ok, there are different sectors, different denominations. When you get all the info and read over it very carefully your will heart will tell you which one is right for you. I do not push my relationship with the Lord on anyone. For my Lord says in His word, "they will know them by their fruit". So I live a life to glorify Him and in doing so those around me can see the difference. I pray that this small tidbit help some!!

Answer 8

Good question!



What all (or at least most) Christians agree on is this:



Everyone was created for a relationship with God.

Sin caused this relationship to become broken.

God loved us unconditionally, so he became one of us (in the form of Jesus) and died, and was resurrected, in order to restore that relationship.

God respects us unconditionally, so we are free to reject that relationship if we choose to.



Beyond that, there are a lot of interpretations and such. I think that most Christians will agree that if you subscribe to those four tenets I've listed above, you're a Christian.



Some groups of Christians, like the Lutherans (of which I am one) lay out their beliefs and theologies in much more detail than others. You'll have to find out which "tribe" of Christians is best suited for you. Ultimately, I believe that God is most concerned with your heart, not what rules you follow or what kind of Christian you decide to become. God wants to have the relationship with you that you were created for. Everything else is details.



Good luck with your search.

Answer 9

Raised as an atheist but interested in Christianity...now you have to think, is this you, or is God who is drawing you? If it's the latter, then there's love involved.



1) Yes, lots of different kinds of Christianity. Yes, it's a matter of interpretation. There are differences because of underlying philosophies as to who we are and who God is (see below).



2) Do you have to take classes before baptism...depends on the faith group. Jehovah's Witnesses will have you studying and studying, Reformed will baptize upon assumption of faithfulness which extends all the way to the babies. I can't think of a Christian group that would not let you sit in on their services and require baptism first.



3) I haven't found a faith group yet that is exactly matched to what I believe, but I can go with close enough. A good type to look at? Sure, I'll get you started. Presbyterian, although I grit my teeth when they act like God is a commodity they have to sell.



General division of Christian faith groups:

- Pelagian = You choose, God backs off completely. (Yay, Man)

- Semi-Pelagian = You and God work together toward your salvation. (Yay, God, Yay, Man)

- Arminian = Mostly God, you make the final decision. (Yay, God, Yay Man a little bit)

- Calvinist = All God, you just respond with your new heart. (Yay God).

Answer 10

That there would be a great number of sects - denominations in our time, fulfills prophecy, actually several. It may be unfortunate, but it is needed.



There is no church that teaches what the Bible does. Each is founded in its own history and error.



Some teach erroneously that hell fire exists for the wicked, that all go to heaven, that God has three heads, etc.



Some teach that Jesus Christ is akin to a telephone wire more or less in purpose as to how to approach God, and these also in a sad way reject Jesus' ransom. They teach as many other churches that men must be obeyed as God.



This is a teaching that several churches have - that we shall obey the 'leader' whatever that churches leader(s) is called.

^^



If you want to approach God and become a disciple of Christ - you should read your Bible, get to know its truths. Talk to various people about the points you cannot understand yourself, the truth will then become obvious if that is really what you are looking for.



One of the more important teachings is that a Christian must become holy cleansed from a life in sin.

Answer 11

A messianic Jew is a Jew that believes that Jesus is the Messiah. Christians and Messianic Jews believe that Jesus is the Messiah. They are Jews. The point of view of the anti Messianice Jews is best summed up by Mark JPAS when he said "it is acceptable to blend some degree of foreign spiritual elements with Judaism. The one exception is Christianity, which is perceived to be incompatible with any form of Jewishness. This is the double standard that is applied to Christianity even though Jesus is considered the Jewish Messiah in Christianity. Messianic Jews are looked at with even greater disdain. Why? its a cover for there own deviations from Judaism. Some Jews need to maintain a connection to Jewish family because they have deviated so much from traditional Judaism that many Orthodox question their Jewishness. They need find some way to distract attention because of there deviation from the Torah. This is done by pointing their finger at others to direct attention away from their own actions. You can't give yourself a title and expect that it makes you something. This is the argument that has been used against Jews that decide that Jesus is the Messiah. We are told that the mere belief of a different nature of God immediately invalidated a Jews Jewishness. At the same time Jews that become atheists, pantheists or stop practicing any element of their religion we are told are still Jews. They say that you can believe in anything but Jesus. Jews call conversion "joining the tribe". Things that would never fly in Orthodox or for that matter Messianic Judaism can be found in the Reform and Reconstructionist movements. A good example of this is a previous question asked here. The person asking worshiped the God Ferris but did not believe in him or the Jewish God. The focus of the question was" ...would you PERSONALLY feel comfortable welcoming me not just as a fellow congregant at your Synagogue, but as a member of the Tribe?" (so he was clearly asking about converting to Judaism). The response was "Reform Judaism covers a wide swath of beliefs and practices and I am sure you will be wholly accepted. ... I personally would accept you whole heartily as a fellow Jew." So some Jews will accept all kinds of deviations from the Torah but not belief in "Jesus". Let's not forget the Reform movement wanted to change the sabbath to Sunday to be more like Christianity. Most Messianic Jews are Torah observant yet you can become an atheist, stop practicing their faith, become a Buddhist, join a Unitarian Church and still be a Jew in the eyes of Reform/Reconstructionist Jews. Most Orthodox when asked about other Jews will say they don't know what non Orthodox Jews are. The same applies to the other sects. Speaking of sects Jews will tell you there are no sects but its not true. Rabbinical Jews follow an understanding of their faith that was established 1,900 years ago. They have their own canon of Scripture. There are also non Rabbinical Jews such as the Ethiopian Jews that follows the pattern of the Christian Old Testament and they have many additional books that they consider to be scripture. A group called the Karaites is the opposite of the Ethiopian and only believe in the 5 Books of Moses. Rabbinical Jews call Karaites "a sect of Judaism". You can goggle it and see for yourself. Don't let anyone tell you that there are no sects in Judaism. They say the the teachings of Jesus are very different from Judaism. They also claim that Jesus taught nothing new from the rabbis before him. Then they we tell you that there were no rabbis until a hundred years after the time of Jesus. Its all about winning the argument to them not about what's true. The problem is not differences but similarities. You should know ALL the writers of the Christian Bible were Jews but one. Much of our Scriptures are shared. The vast majority of early believers in Jesus were Jews. So when you hear the exact opposite you need to keep that in mind. A Jew can believe in Jesus and still be a Jew. Edit: those that make personal accusations should include links or shut up.

Answer 12

You know, the journey of faith starts with observation. We see the world and we see people and wonder why things are the way they are. Then we start to makes guesses, assumptions. When these work, when they help us anticipate and deal with problems in life, we get attached to our assumptions and believe them to be true. If lots of people believe the same things we will want to get together and dramatize our belief. Funeral services are an obvious example of needing to get together and showing comfort. So you see how we go from observation to church services, that part is all good.

Once you have a building, you have officers in charge and committees, it all gets political. Then people start arguing, based on their assumptions, which they now hold as truths for everyone.

Science is good because tests the assumptions but then it is limited to the physical and people want to know why as well as how the world works. We do see a pattern in the universe but why its there and what it means to us is harder to say.

Now you are asking which Christian church should I join and how to do it. Go along and observe. Hill song is growing very quickly, they have lots of songs and emotion. That might be fun. I prefer, what I have grown up with. Its not perfect but I feel at home, I feel connected.

Churches are open places so you can just go along. Sit observe, see if what they are doing and saying sits with you. Remember you have your own faith, your own assumptions about how life works, they have been built up over a life of observation. The church is there to help you express your faith and connect with others. See what happens.

Good luck, good question.

Answer 13

Hi There!



You tell me you are a teenager and society in general thinks teenagers to not be up to speed on a lot of things, however, you have shown a lot of wisdom in your few words.



I am a Christian. It took me almost one year of study when I was 19 to come to a real understanding. People were first called Christians at Antioch, which is a City.



You are correct, there are many groups out there today who claim to be Bible Based, yet conflict with each other.



Of course, there is so much I want to share with you today, however, in it's simplest form, if you decide you want to serve GOD on HIS terms, then you just need to read your Bible and follow HIS instructions.



The Old Testament was an agreement between GOD and HIS people at that time, the Israelite Nation. The New Testament, which is what we today follow, is an agreement between GOD and his people today, the Christian.



When I studied the New Testament, I learned that there are specific things we are to do in formal worship services. As I visited many different congregations of many different faiths, as they added to or took away from the example provided in the New Testament, I crossed that faith off my list.



Finally, I did find a congregation that closely resembled what the Church looked like in the New Testament. The Church Of Christ, Not Mormon. Two more things: 1.) You need to come into contact with the blood of JESUS CHRIST, (I capitalize out of respect for GOD,) to be called a child of GOD. In the Bible we learn by direct commandment as well as example. In the New Testament, we read that on 8 different occasions, 8 different people came and asked, "What must I do to be saved?" The answer is always the same. Acts 2:38 reads, "Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost." So, once you hear GOD'S Word and believe it, you repent of your sins. Once you repent, (feel sorry for the sins) you are baptized, (completely immersed in water) which represents the birth, death and resurrection of JESUS CHRIST. Then you do your best to follow GOD'S Word after that as you develop a relationship with HIM.



2.) My name is Ruth and I am always available to just talk about GOD. Ray is my husband and our telephone company only assigns one name to each account, which is the head of the house. Thus, his name appears. Anyway, you have had a very unique experience as a youth and I do not doubt interesting. It is a privilege to share my knowledge with you. I hope we can talk again, I can be reached at [e-mail]



All My Best, Ruth

Answer 14

1.Any Bible-Believing Christian church of any kind should be more then open for you to just come in the door for a church service.. Basically most of them are different personal interpretations of the Bible. Jews, Mormons, and Catholics are a bit more towards their own system of the beliefs.

2.All I recommend is to have an open mind to what God has in store for you, and to pray (preferably in the most quiet area you can get) and admit to God that you are sinner, sorry for your sins, and that you accept the saving blood of Jesus Christ as payment for sin and you accept God as your Father, and Jesus as your Savior.

3. Myself I'm a Methodist. One of their slogans is 'Open hearts, open minds, open doors'. Methodist churches try to do alot to help our community and often places across the world. I recommend however that you try a few Christian churches before you find your 'church home'. I've been to several in my lifetime such as Baptist, Methodist, Pentecostal, Assembly of God, and Presbyterian.



God's Blessings :D

Answer 15

Jesus is the foundation of our faith when we come to him by faith in his completed work at the cross, where he died to take away the sins of the whole world never to see them again. Jesus raises us to life with him, it's like we were a worm but now you are a butter fly you can fly, you can now understand what the bible is saying becaues you have been born again of the spirit, this is what salvation is all about new birth God spirit bears witness to our human spirit that we belong to him and you will never be a worm again we live in the newness of life holy and blamles in God sight, because we stand in Jesus rightiousness.

Answer 16

I am going to provide a few logical reasons why I personally accept the bible is the word of God.



I can understand why many people claim the Bible isn't the actual word of God because it was written by mankind. For example if someone questioned me personally who authored the Book of Acts? I'd declare Luke wrote the Book of Acts. So how can I name a man as the author and after that turn around and say that it is the word of God? In theological circles they call that verbal plenary inspiration. In plain English all that means is that God used individuals to be able to express precisely what he wanted to say while still including some of the personality as well as feelings of the writer to come through.



That really is quite a claim and it is reasonable to question whether that is true or not.



It is the qualities about the bible that are over and above mankind's abilities that make it convincing. For starters the bible isn't just one book. The Bible actually contains 66 books.

There are no less than forty distinct writers. It includes a period of time period involving around 1500 years. It was written upon 3 different continents, Africa, Asia and Europe. The authors of the books came from various backgrounds or lifestyles. As an example we've got a doctor, kings, fisherman an ex-Pharisee and so on as writers. You'd expect these people coming from different backgrounds covering a 1500 year time frame span would certainly have different world views. Theoretically it ought to be hopeless to get all of them to agree about controversial topics like God, sin, salvation and so forth. Yet they do agree on these controversial topics so much so that all 66 books from the various authors are cross referenced.



Just try to go out on the street and find 40 different individuals with different backgrounds that all live in the same time period and get them to write their opinions on these types of controversial topics and find out if they all agree. Although you may pick out the 40 different people from the same church denomination you would have some discrepancies. Now if they all worked as a group you might be able to obtain some clarity. However the actual writers from the Bible could not get together as a group. The writing contains a 1500 year time span on three different continents. Now I personally find that thought provoking!



Most people deny the bible because it records things about God, judgment and miracles. The thing of it is that these types of things happen to be woven all throughout actual bible history. The biblical history has been confirmed repeatedly even in the areas which skeptics stated the Bible was wrong. I will give you one example. There are those that did not believe Sodom and Gomorrah existed due to the fact nobody had found the actual ruins of those cities. Well that might be simply because God destroyed them! Well anyhow there is an archeological discovery where they unearthed the city of Ebla. Now Ebla is not mentioned inside the Bible. What's significant about it is they found a lot of clay tablets. In these tablets they discovered that Ebla had actually traded with Sodom and Gomorrah. This demonstrates they did in fact exist and it is a good example of the Bible being historically correct clear back to the book of Genesis. You can read about this in DR. Clifford Wilson's book called the Ebla Tablets.



Since what we can confirm is indeed verified for what reason would we reject it? Are we to reject it simply because it records miracles as well? Who's to say that miracles don't happen?



There are more things in the bible that are beyond mankind's capacities. I know that the Bible is not a textbook on science however there are things in the bible which declare scientific details in which no one in that period of time knew. One example is Job lived a couple of thousand years before Jesus was born. Job said in chapter 26 that God hangs the earth on nothing!



This concept that the planet was suspended upon absolutely nothing wasn't even thought of by scientist for thousands of years after Job. Currently with our satellites as well as trips into space we realize this to be true. But that was not known in Job's day. How did he realize that? There are lots of other examples that are similar in which the Bible declares things well before mankind actually discovered they were true.



Another area that is more than mankind's creating abilities is prophecy. There are hundreds of prophecies in the bible. Many of these prophecies have already been fulfilled. So you can just examine what the Bible said would happen and then check if that is in fact what did take place. For example in the Bible Daniel foretold a few hundred years of major world history before it even happened. Daniel told that Babylon would be conquered by the Medes and the Persians and they would in turn end up being conquered by the Greeks. Then Daniel informs us of a divided empire which would replace the Greek empi

Answer 17

Find a Christian youth group or something like that at your school and talk to them or through a church and just join in. 99% of Christians believe the same stuff. Many of the disagreements are over minor points.



Remember God loves you and He sent Jesus to die for you and to give you a hope and a future.



Anyone is free to go to church or youth group. You don't have to believe before you belong.



Remember that God loves you. If you ask Him into your life and you will never be the same again. I hope that the words of this story and song encourage you:



One night I had a dream.

I dreamed I was walking along the beach with the Lord. Across the sky flashed scenes from my life. For each scene I noticed two sets of footprints in the sand; one belonged to me, and the other to the Lord.



When the last scene of my life flashed before me, I looked back at the footprints in the sand. And noticed that many times along the path of my life there was only one set of footprints. I also noticed that it happened at the very lowest and saddest times in my life.



This really bothered me and I questioned the Lord about it. "Lord, you said that once I decided to follow you, you'd walk with me all the way. But I have noticed that at the worst times in my life, there is only one set of footprints. How could you leave me when I needed you the most?"



The Lord replied " My precious, precious child, I love you and would never leave you. During your times of suffering and when you see only one set of footprints, it was then that I carried you."



© Mary Stevenson

http://www.promiseofgod.com/footprints/





SONG



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8welVgKX8Qo

Answer 18

Study the book of Acts, and notice in particular chapters 2, 8, 10, and 11. Many "denominations" say what you read there was just for the apostles, but that's wrong. Cornelius was not an apostle.

Answer 19

Really, really want to ask what sort of a christian you should be on an OPEN forum, deary, deary me, you deserve all you are going to get.



Oh, and "Additional Details"

By the way, for the slow learners here "just for Christians" means "just for Christians". If you answer anyway and tell me "christians suck" or something I'm just going to assume you're too stupid to read, and why would I follow a stupid person's advice?

You have your choices that you are allowed to make. I have mine. Deal with it."



Whoops, you just broke your terms and conditions. Ask a question here and ANYONE who has a membership is allowed to answer it. You don't get to choose. Deal with it.

Answer 20

First, you can be sure that God loves you unconditionally and desires to have a personal relationship with you.



“For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.”(John 3:16).



Second, you need to admit your sinful nature to God, because this is what separates all of us from Him.



“For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” (Romans 3:23).



Third, you should stop trying to please God through your own efforts, and realize that salvation through the blood of Jesus Christ is a gift that none of us deserves.



“But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” (Romans 5:8).



Finally, you just need to step in and truly accept God’s gift -- His Son, Jesus Christ.



“But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name” (John 1:12).



So, now you know the basic steps to become a Christian. As a result, if you desire God’s gift of eternal life and fellowship with Him, you are as close as a sincere act of faith.



Jesus says,



“I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.” (John 14:6).



Jesus also says,



“Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and dine with him, and he with Me.” (Revelation 3:20).



Receiving Jesus is a matter of truly asking Him to come into your life, to forgive your sins, and to become your Lord and Savior. It’s not merely an intellectual undertaking, but rather, an act of sincere faith and heart-felt will.



If you want to receive Jesus now, and accept His gift of salvation, it's a matter of believing in Jesus Christ, repenting of your sins, and turning the rest of your life over to Him. This is not a ritual based on specific words, but rather, a prayerful guideline for your sincere step of faith.

Answer 21

I was raised in a denominational church. At 24 I was reborn in the spirit. I became a Christian. I had accepted the bible as God's word to me. I let it teach me and direct me in where I was to go. It never led me to any denomination. My advice to you is the same. get into God's word, and let it direct your path. get intimate with its teachings in your heart. You will not go wrong.Because when we stand before God, he will not ask us what church we belong to. He will ask us what did you do with my covenants and promises I gave you.

Answer 22

Energy converts into Matter, and Matter converts into Energy, the process is always happening, there is no stopping it and Christians know what happens to you after you have died, even though none of them has returned to tell about it.



As Buddhists...

We don’t believe in a god because we believe in man. We believe that each human being is precious and important, that all have the potential to develop into a Buddha – a perfected human being. We believe that human beings can outgrow ignorance and irrationality and see things as they really are. We believe that hatred, anger, spite and jealousy can be replaced by love, patience, generosity and kindness. We believe that all this is within the grasp of each person if they make the effort, guided and supported by fellow Buddhists and inspired by the example of the Buddha. As the Buddha says:



"No one saves us but ourselves,

No one can and no one may.

We ourselves must walk the path,

But Buddhas clearly show the way".



In the Kalama Sutra, Buddha says.

Do not believe in anything simply because you have heard it..

Do not believe in anything simply because it is spoken and rumored by many.

Do not believe in anything simply because it is found written in your religious books.

Do not believe in anything merely on the authority of your teachers and elders.

Do not believe in traditions because they have been handed down for many generations.



But after observation and analysis, when you find that anything agrees with reason and is conducive to the good and benefit of one and all, then accept it and live up to it.

Answer 23

The first step to become a Christian is to understand what the term “Christian” means. The origin of the term “Christian” was in the city of Antioch in the first century A.D. (see Acts 11:26). It is possible that, at first, the term “Christian” was intended to be an insult. The word essentially means “little Christ.” However, over the centuries, believers in Christ have adopted the term “Christian” and use it to identify themselves as followers of Jesus Christ. A simple definition of a Christian is a person who follows Jesus Christ.



Why should I become a Christian?



Jesus Christ declared that He “did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life as a ransom for many” (Mark 10:45). The question then arises – why did we need to be ransomed? The idea of a ransom is a payment that must be made in exchange for the release of a person. The idea of a ransom is most frequently used in instances of kidnapping, when someone is kidnapped and held prisoner until a ransom is paid for the person’s release.



Jesus paid our ransom to free us from bondage! Bondage from what? Bondage to sin and its consequences, physical death followed by eternal separation from God. Why did Jesus need to pay this ransom? Because we are all infected with sin (Romans 3:23), and are therefore worthy of judgment from God (Romans 6:23). How did Jesus pay our ransom? By dying on the cross to pay the penalty for our sins (1 Corinthians 15:3; 2 Corinthians 5:21). How could Jesus’ death sufficiently pay for all of our sins? Jesus was God in human form, God come to earth to become one of us so He could identify with us and die for our sins (John 1:1,14). As God, Jesus’ death was infinite in value, sufficient to pay for the sins of the entire world (1 John 2:2). Jesus’ resurrection after His death demonstrated that His death was the sufficient sacrifice, that He had truly conquered sin and death.



How can I become a Christian?



This is the best part. Because of His love for us, God has made it exceedingly simple to become a Christian. All you have to do is receive Jesus as your Savior, fully accepting His death as the sufficient sacrifice for your sins (John 3:16), fully trusting Him alone as your Savior (John 14:6; Acts 4:12). Becoming a Christian is not all about rituals, going to church, or doing certain things while refraining from other things. Becoming a Christian is all about having a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. A personal relationship with Jesus Christ, through faith, is what makes a person a Christian.



Are you ready to become a Christian?



If you are ready to become a Christian by receiving Jesus Christ as your Savior, all you have to do is believe. Do you understand and believe that you have sinned and are worthy of judgment from God? Do you understand and believe that Jesus took your punishment upon Himself, dying in your place? Do you understand and believe that His death was the sufficient sacrifice to pay for your sins? If your answers to these three questions are yes, then simply place your trust in Jesus as your Savior. Receive Him, by faith, fully trusting in Him alone. That is all it takes to become a Christian!

Answer 24

Do not become a Christian. You will regret it for the rest of your life

Answer 25

just listen to your parents and stick to atheism



Don't believe in a jewish man getting crusified because he thinks he's the son of a virgin mother and an invinsible flying madman.



But it's your choice to make so whatever be stupid for your life

Answer 26

ppl have different ways of worshiping but all TRinity churches are good choices...you would start attending....yes in methodism you can join us anytime...I was baptized at 22...and saved..also check out Lutheran...we all believe in TRinity, repenting, baptism etc...try reading the new testament...we will pray for you...this is good for you to try...OOO

Answer 27

1) they're all about how different people have interpreted what's read, and how they run their services

2) you apparently just accept that jesus died for you and try to convert like mad

3) none of them are a good type to look at, they're all flawed equally.

Answer 28

Of course, it's your call friend. But, I'll admit nearly choking when I read you "like the ideas behind (Christianity)". Wow. Ideas like stoning children to death, and killing girls who get raped? Before you commit to anything take a quick look at this, the "Cruelty and Violence" section of SAB



http://skepticsannotatedbible.com/cruelty/long.html

Answer 29

check out: notreligion.com (Also ignore all the atheist nonsense on here!) Former Agnostic. ;)

Answer 30

Do not become a Christian. You will regret it for the rest of your life.

Answer 31

Read the great buttons post.

Answer 32

Bom eu sou um cristão tbm chamado de Evangelico e crente tanto faz



compre uma biblia e leia ela vc vai saber do deus poderoso que te aguarda



para ser um evangelico deve ter amor por deus e perdão seus pais podem ser ateus n tem problema amando a deus e obdecendo os 10 mandamentos de deus se n sabe os mandamentos eu te falo la em baixo procure por pregações videos vc vai saber sobre os evangelicos

deus falara contigo e teus pais vão se converter a deus deus vai fazer maravilhas na sua vida se vc se converter n queira ser catolico pois e uma religião proxima dos evangelicos mas n e certa pois eles batizam as crianças n e certo pq a criança n sabe oq e pecado ser batizado e dar sua vida de espirito e alma devoção a deus en peca lavamdo seus pecados no batizado n queira ser batizado de primeira pois os batizados que pecarem tem poucas chances pois eles são os mais observados de deus mas tbm os mais abençoados de deus



procure uma igreja evangelica e frequente quando vc quiser se converter pessa a o pastor ele vai te converter fassa orações pois deus vai ouvilas e realizaras os dez mandamentos de deus a baixo



A lei de Deus contém dez mandamentos. A Bíblia diz em Êxodo 20:1-1



“Então falou Deus todas estas palavras, dizendo: Eu sou o Senhor teu Deus, que te tirei da terra do Egito, da casa da servidão.



Não terás outros deuses diante de mim.



[2]Não farás para ti imagem esculpida, nem figura alguma do que há em cima no céu, nem em baixo na terra, nem nas águas debaixo da terra. Não te encurvarás diante delas, nem as servirás; porque eu, o Senhor teu Deus, sou Deus zeloso, que visito a iniqüidade dos pais nos filhos até a terceira e quarta geração daqueles que me odeiam, e uso de misericórdia com milhares dos que me amam e guardam os meus mandamentos.



[3]Não tomarás o nome do Senhor teu Deus em vão; porque o Senhor não terá por inocente aquele que tomar o seu nome em vão.



[4]Lembra-te do dia do sábado, para o santificar. Seis dias trabalharás, e farás todo o teu trabalho; mas o sétimo dia é o sábado do Senhor teu Deus. Nesse dia não farás trabalho algum, nem tu, nem teu filho, nem tua filha, nem o teu servo, nem a tua serva, nem o teu animal, nem o estrangeiro que está dentro das tuas portas. Porque em seis dias fez o Senhor o céu e a terra, o mar e tudo o que neles há, e ao sétimo dia descansou; por isso o Senhor abençoou o dia do sábado, e o santificou.



[5]Honra a teu pai e a tua mãe, para que se prolonguem os teus dias na terra que o Senhor teu Deus te dá.



[6]Não matarás.



[7]Não adulterarás.



[8]Não furtarás.



[9]Não dirás falso testemunho contra o teu proximo.



[10]Não cobiçarás a casa do teu próximo, não cobiçarás a mulher do teu próximo, nem o seu servo, nem a sua serva, nem o seu boi, nem o seu jumento, nem coisa alguma do teu próximo.

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