Which Christianity is the True Faith?

[boatsnguitars]

Seems after 2000 years, Christians can't decide - and God isn't talking.

So, which brave Christian wants to set it out clearly here: Who will speak for God?

Which Christianity is the true faith!?

(popping popcorn)

[boatsnguitars]

...Then what? Are you just ignoring the fights, bloodshed and death over the disputes or are you not aware of them?

The question is which is the true Christianity, not what all Christians have in common.

I think I answered to your question. Now, if someone claims to be a true Christian, you should check, is he remaining in word of Jesus, or is he following someone else's teachings that are in contradiction with the word of Jesus. I personally don't know people well enough to say who is truly a disciple of Jesus and actually I don't think I have to even tell that. For me it is enough if people know what it means and how to recognize one.

And who truly follows Jesus? Calvinists? Roman Catholics? Mormons? Do you recognize all of them as followers of Jesus?

I always find Christians responses to this interesting. There is either the extremist who declares their Church the only true one, or there are people like 1213 who seem to avoid the conflict altogether - yet, when I was a Christian, we had very robust discussions about it and there were strong opinions. I knew a lot of Wesleyans, btw.

It's almost like it's the "Alcoholic Parent Family Rule" - don't let people outside the family know.

[TRANSPONDER]

[Replying to boatsnguitars in post #11]

They know. Little things, the sweating, the glassy stare, the smell of peppermints. The flinching when you talk of the NIV, the fingernails digging into the back of the pew in front when one mentions the Pope, the bludgeoning of the Pastor with his own candlestick with frenzied cries of "Blasphemer!" One can always tell.

[Ross]

Seems after 2000 years, Christians can't decide - and God isn't talking.

So, which brave Christian wants to set it out clearly here: Who will speak for God?

Which Christianity is the true faith!?

(popping popcorn)

None of the present ones.
There doesn't exist such a thing.

Anyone considered the Bible's own answer?

The parable of the wheat and the weeds?

[TRANSPONDER]

Seems after 2000 years, Christians can't decide - and God isn't talking.

So, which brave Christian wants to set it out clearly here: Who will speak for God?

Which Christianity is the true faith!?

(popping popcorn)

None of the present ones.
There doesn't exist such a thing.

Anyone considered the Bible's own answer?

The parable of the wheat and the weeds?

I don't think that helps, too much. Point taken the Christians are taken cozy into barn and the non Christians (including not Real Christians)...burn em all! But which are the Real ones? And again, if all who do their best and have a religion according to their culture, isn't that what God wrote on their hearts? If that won't do, why wouldn't he write what would do? Thing is; wheat, barley, millet and rice are sown all the world over. Burn the Tares by all means, but why isn't Buddhist rice as worthy to be stored as Christian wheat?

[1213]

And who truly follows Jesus? Calvinists? Roman Catholics? Mormons? Do you recognize all of them as followers of Jesus?

Maybe no one is perfect in that. I believe in all of those groups there are two kinds of people, those who want to follow Jesus and those who want to rule others in the name of Jesus.

And as a person who likes to remain in the word of Jesus, I think everyone who identifies as a Christians, should know that the conflict is not a new one. In the very beginning of Christianity there were already sects. And probably the reason for that is, some people just want power and and want to rule others. And that is why I think it would be good, if people would know these:

And John answering said, `Master, we saw a certain one in thy name casting forth the demons, and we forbade him, because he doth not follow with us;' and Jesus said unto him, `Forbid not, for he who is not against us, is for us.'
Luke 9:49-50

saying, `On the seat of Moses sat down the scribes and the Pharisees; all, then, as much as they may say to you to observe, observe and do, but according to their works do not, for they say, and do not; for they bind together burdens heavy and grievous to be borne, and lay upon the shoulders of men, but with their finger they will not move them. `And all their works they do to be seen by men, and they make broad their phylacteries, and enlarge the fringes of their garments, they love also the chief couches in the supper, and the chief seats in the synagogues, and the salutations in the market-places, and to be called by men, Rabbi, Rabbi. `And ye--ye may not be called Rabbi, for one is your director--the Christ, and all ye are brethren; and ye may not call any your father on the earth, for one is your Father, who is in the heavens, nor may ye be called directors, for one is your director--the Christ. And the greater of you shall be your ministrant, and whoever shall exalt himself shall be humbled, and whoever shall humble himself shall be exalted. `Woe to you, Scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! because ye shut up the reign of the heavens before men, for ye do not go in, nor those going in do ye suffer to enter. `Woe to you, Scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! because ye eat up the houses of the widows, and for a pretence make long prayers, because of this ye shall receive more abundant judgment. `Woe to you, Scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! because ye go round the sea and the dry land to make one proselyte, and whenever it may happen--ye make him a son of gehenna twofold more than yourselves.
Matt. 23:2-15

All Christians, disciples of Jesus, should understand, if they are on the side of Jesus, they are on the same side. And for all of them, Jesus is the king and they don't have to follow anyone else to be a Christian.

[TRANSPONDER]

That is where the problems start. On my former board, I was pointing out that to atheists any Christian who claims to be a Christian is so far as we care, Christian. Even LDS. It is Christianity from the start that had to deal with Heresy and how to suppress it. Since the doctrines and arguments of the heretics were often as good as the Orthodoxy, the way to win was book - burning and elimination of Heretics, and what happened to them was kept under wraps tighter than Church financial records. The reason Christians can have their own views and be considered as Christian as the next and not pulled apart on the rack for the good of true Faith is because we have a secular society. Which would vanish if Christianity ever got the political power it craves.

That you pick on that point and leave the rest I may take that you accept that anyone who 'follows Jesus' is a valid Christian, whether Catholic, Protestant or Greek/Russian orthodox? In which case the rival churches and differring doctrines, heretic burning, Holy Wars and Inquisitions were all mistakes>

[1213]

...because we have a secular society. Which would vanish if Christianity ever got the political power it craves.

How do you think we got secular society?

[TRANSPONDER]

...because we have a secular society. Which would vanish if Christianity ever got the political power it craves.

How do you think we got secular society?

One factor is mundane social and ethical evolution, which various different religions all over the world claimed credit for. The other factor that occurs to me is increasing doubt and question that makes people draw back from religion or its' authority and control over daily activities, and laws in any case. It's usually bad news when that doesn't happen.

[JehovahsWitness]

And who truly follows Jesus? Calvinists? Roman Catholics? Mormons? Do you recognize all of them as followers of Jesus?

Jesus gave us neither the means nor the authority to judge individuals only that his disciples as a group (a religion) would be identifiable. The RELIGION is either true or false ; individuals within those religions will stand or fall before God.


JW

[TRANSPONDER]

Yeahhh...But the problem is - are there no teachers? I know ye are not to call each other Rabbi (thus cutting the floor from under Judaism) but the fact is that other churches exist, and if it doesn't matter that different dogmas (that need correcting by teachers) exists in religion, it sorta changes the worry churches have about declining numbers. If Catholicism won out it wouldn't matter since differences in Dogma doesn't matter.
But that raises two questions: do JWs think their teachings are different and right and that it matters? And, if it doesn't, does it matter which religion, so long as one believes in a god, or several?