How do you feel about claiming a denomination or religion?

[chrisluvsmarkrad]

Did Jesus Christ claim a religion while he was here on earth? I.e., none may enter the kingdom of heaven unless they are baptist, protestant (hope I spelled that one right, no offense) etc? I have never read nor heard that He did. Does anyone but me think claiming a denomination or religion causes problems? I have experienced people arguing and acting like the church they attend is somehow superior to other churches and the way they worship is better than the ways of other "religions". Also, I heard about way back when the Christians and the Muslims went about their war (murder, etc.) No wonder the Muslims have a problem with Christians, they slaughtered each other! Anyway, my claim is "I love Christ, I know I have sinned, I want to be with Christ, Christ is THE way". Does anyone agree with this? I don't want to argue about religion so if anyone posts back please don't tell me how great a religion is 'cause that's NOT what this is about.
Anyway, be blessed and be encouraged in Christ.

[Jbuza]

I understand how you feel, and also resist labeling myself as baptist, methodist, etc.

I do however appreciate the fact that I can know something about a church, by their self proclaimed denomination. There are some churches that I would not regularly attend because of the denomination.

It is interesting because the Church that I attend wqas always non denominational we were simply a Bible Church, but we are now declaring ourselves Primitive Baptist. We did this because our new pastor is from Canada, and there was a problem with his Work Visa unless we belonged to an association.

Anyway that is my 2 cents



James 1:27 Pure and undefiled religion before God the Father is this: to care for orphans and widows in their misfortune and to keep oneself unstained by the world.

[chrisluvsmarkrad]

It's nice to know I am not the only one who feels this way. I actually have friends who get in to this like, self-righteous, anger mode when they defend their upbringing in a denominational church. I just tell them if they're going to be so defensive they should defend their faith in Christ not argue about what is the "best" religion. I just get despondent over these types of behaviourisms. It seems to me we could make life a lot simpler without all of the arguing and attempts at justification I am seeing presented to me. So many people I encounter want to like intimidate me into believing the way "I should" according to them. They must honestly believe they are teaching me the way of Christ. I wonder why they seek that wall of defense between themselves and someone who doesn't have a personal relationship with Christ. I have a personal relationship with Christ and have since I was like 5 or 6 years old. I sure wish the people that I have mentioned would just understand it's not about one religion being superior to another, nor about forcefulness. That's just not what I've learned in the bible and God's never forced a religion on me.
Anyway, sorry to go on and on like this. I appreciate your help with this.
Take care,
Christie

[Jac3510]

Eh, I'm OK with denominational titles. I'm a Southern Baptist, and I'm proud of it. Here's why: as I examine the claims of this particular denomination, I find that they are in line with what I believe to be true regarding Scripture. There are other groups that believe the same things I do, but no group holds all of them in the same place in the way SB's do.

Now, would I say that all Southern Baptists are going to heaven? Absolutely not. Would I say that non-Southern Baptists are going to hell? Of course not. So, if someone thinks that denominational affiliation is their ticket through the Pearly Gates, that are sadly mistaken. However, affiliation has a few very practical advantages, such as:

1) The ability to locate a church family quickly,
2) The ability to engage in local ministry more effectively,
3) The ability to channel resources more efficiently to achieve a common cause, etc.

Doctrinally, denominational affiliation helps you clarify what you believe and why. If you agree with a teaching, you have all the more reason to stay, and you know by extension those around you most likely hold to similar beliefs, too. If you disagree, then you, again, have an idea of what those around you believe, and it can help you evaluate your own system.

I don't think Jesus would condemn denominationalism at all. I just think He would, and does, condemn false doctrine. Totally different worlds there.

God bless

[chrisluvsmarkrad]

That's very nice. Thanks.

[chrisluvsmarkrad]

Hi again. I'd like to talk with you more about my original posted subject.
Hope you are having a nice day (or night).
Take care,
Christie

[Jbuza]

Hi again. I'd like to talk with you more about my original posted subject.
Hope you are having a nice day (or night).
Take care,
Christie

Hello Christie, things are well with me, and I hope everything is going well for you also.

I have always been kind of annoyed when I have attended a particular denomination a few times a year, to be with family. Well they during every service basically say they are the only real church, and treat you like an outsider. I guess for that clan membership in their church is more important than membership in the body of Christ.

I won't tell you the name of the denomination, but will say they have a new pope

[chrisluvsmarkrad]

May God bless you today and every day! It is really refreshing to find there are other's who concede with the observations I have. It's great chatting with you and please feel free to email me when you have time.
Take care!
Hope all who read these postings are blessed by the power of the Holy Spirit as He loves all of us soooo much!!

[B. W.]

May God bless you today and every day! It is really refreshing to find there are other's who concede with the observations I have. It's great chatting with you and please feel free to email me when you have time.
Take care!
Hope all who read these postings are blessed by the power of the Holy Spirit as He loves all of us soooo much!!

Amen and Ditto...

Let's not forget we are all part of the body of Christ together and his body has many limbs and parts. Some are of unmentionable parts of the rear anatomy, and I have met quite a few of them! Have not we all
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[bizzt]

May God bless you today and every day! It is really refreshing to find there are other's who concede with the observations I have. It's great chatting with you and please feel free to email me when you have time.
Take care!
Hope all who read these postings are blessed by the power of the Holy Spirit as He loves all of us soooo much!!

Amen and Ditto...

Let's not forget we are all part of the body of Christ together and his body has many limbs and parts. Some are of unmentionable parts of the rear anatomy, and I have met quite a few of them! Have not we all
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LOL!!!

[chrisluvsmarkrad]

The sense of humor God has given us! Have any of you encountered God's sense of humor? He really makes you smile and laugh!! Suggestion: pray for God to make you laugh.....and just watch what happens when you're having a bad day, or just not expecting it! He is wonderful in all ways! To all of God's children in the body of Christ: stay happy and blessed! LOL

[Judah]

Let's not forget we are all part of the body of Christ together and his body has many limbs and parts. Some are of unmentionable parts of the rear anatomy, and I have met quite a few of them! Have not we all
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B.W., very funny!

Hey, but just looky at this:

1 Corinthians 12:

12 The body is a unit, though it is made up of many parts; and though all its parts are many, they form one body. So it is with Christ. 13 For we were all baptized by one Spirit into one body—whether Jews or Greeks, slave or free—and we were all given the one Spirit to drink.

14 Now the body is not made up of one part but of many. 15 If the foot should say, "Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body," it would not for that reason cease to be part of the body. 16 And if the ear should say, "Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body," it would not for that reason cease to be part of the body. 17 If the whole body were an eye, where would the sense of hearing be? If the whole body were an ear, where would the sense of smell be? 18 But in fact God has arranged the parts in the body, every one of them, just as he wanted them to be. 19 If they were all one part, where would the body be? 20 As it is, there are many parts, but one body.

21 The eye cannot say to the hand, "I don't need you!" And the head cannot say to the feet, "I don't need you!" 22 On the contrary, those parts of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable, 23 and the parts that we think are less honorable we treat with special honor. And the parts that are unpresentable are treated with special modesty, 24 while our presentable parts need no special treatment. But God has combined the members of the body and has given greater honor to the parts that lacked it, 25 so that there should be no division in the body, but that its parts should have equal concern for each other. 26 If one part suffers, every part suffers with it; if one part is honored, every part rejoices with it.

So even those "unmentionable parts of the rear anatomy" are not only considered necessary, but they are given special treatment!

Now I guess I had better get my Anglican rear end outta here...

[chrisluvsmarkrad]

I hope you are all having a wonderful day today! It's really nice to read your posts! I love your insight! God bless you guys and be encouraged in our completely awesome God!!!

[Judah]

G'day Christie

What also may be apparent in the chunk of the Bible that I quoted above is that all these parts of the body have different names and they all look a little different from each other and do different things - but they are all still parts of the one body.

Now wouldn't it be rather confusing if every single part of one body was called a hand?
How many hands would my own body have? As many as there are parts of me! And how cumbersome it would be to distinguish between the "hand" that could see things, and the "hand" that ate things, and the "hand" that I sat down on?
Just as well each part is called by a different name.

So I personally am quite happy that the body of Christ is made up of Anglicans, Southern Baptists, Methodists, Presbyterians, Roman Catholics (yes, them too) and all of the rest that are all a bit different from each other and are called by different names.

So what was that you were saying about denominations.... ?

[Judah]

Also, I heard about way back when the Christians and the Muslims went about their war (murder, etc.) No wonder the Muslims have a problem with Christians, they slaughtered each other!

Now something else, just to put the record straight...

A little bit of history coming up.

Muhammad lived around the turn of the century 600 AD and is responsible for the birth of the religion we know as Islam. He and all his followers after him had a mission - to make all people everywhere submit to Allah, the Islamic God of the Qur'an. People were not allowed any choice in the matter. They were either forced to submit and worship Allah, or they were killed.

The Muslims, as they became called, began to move into Christians territories and the Holy Lands and claimed those lands for Islam, slaughtering all those who resisted. Thousands of Jews and Christians were murdered because they refused to worship Allah, and just because their presence in their own lands were objectionable to the Muslims.

Eventually the Christians in Europe responded to appeals by their beleagured Christians brothers (those who were left) to come and help fight Islam to move it back to the Arab lands where the invading Muslims had come from, and free the Holy Land from their dominance. These wars we know as the Crusades.

Now who started it all? I do not accept that it was the Christians who were preaching the Gospel of Christ, inviting people to repent, believe and to follow Jesus. Unlike Islam, Christianity is not forced on folk by pain of death. It was the Muslims who were the invaders and it was they who forced their religion upon everyone, or else slaughtered them.

Yes, the Muslims believe that the Christians and Jews are the ones at fault, and it has a lot to do with their intense hatred for "the People of the Book" (as they call us) and because they figure that once they have invaded somewhere and claimed it for Islam, then even when they are forced out, that land continues to belong to Islam and must be taken back.
Think about who were living there in the first place. It was not the Muslims.

Perhaps the Jews and the Christians had some cause to fight back the Muslims, such as a matter of self defence?
So why do you say "No wonder the Muslims have a problem with Christians" rather than "No wonder the Jews and Christians have a problem with the Muslims"?
This, by the way, is still the case - that we have problems with Islam - as nothing has changed and the agenda of Islam is still to achieve world-wide domination with submission of all people (including you, Christie) to Allah.
And Allah is most definitely not the same deity as our Creator Father God.