I should say, my personal choice, since I'm not talking about the concept of Free Will here.

I was raised in a Christian environment. Went to Sunday School, the whole nine yards. My parents weren't shove it in everyone's face believers. For which I'm eternally grateful.

I spend a lot of time at the library and developed an interest leaning about what all sorts of people believed.

The long and short of it is that I've come to the conclusion that all religion is trying to express common, universal spiritual truths and that the particulars, the shape of the religion, the rituals, the ideas of personal interactions, are all a result of the environment, geography, and culture of the area in which each religion has developed.

For the longest time I considered myself a Christian with influences from other beliefs. Keep the things that make sense and discard the stupidity and nonsense.

I finally had to leave any label of being a Christian behind me. I got fed up with the "we are right, everyone else is wrong" mentality I was surrounded by. With a strong interest in history, anthropology, and sociology, I was sick and tired of the way most of the Christian's I knew would deliberately put blinders on.

There would be non-biblical historical texts indication things contrary to the bible. But the Christians I knew would ignore anything not of the bible, a text created and compiled by man, and only accept any extra-biblical source if it had been vetted and approved of.

This was the case for biblical scholars as well. We only agree with these biblical scholars or historians or archaeologist. So don't read the others...

At the same time, we were always being told to go ahead and question the bible, test it, but that we would always come back to it as being right, but since we were told only to test it against the research and writings of people that agreed 100 percent, of course that would be the result.

That is when I finally left and finally dropped the word 'christian' from my identity and went over to describing myself as a pagan.

Now people with say, but not all Christians are like that! This is very true. But I'm not talking about one select group from one select place. This is from my experience over all. In different places I've lived, in different parts of the country, in Methodist, Baptist, Fundamentalist, and Mennonite (the modern group) churches.

And I agree, more people on this site will probably be the exception, rather than the rule. Because most the majority of the Christians in all the groups I've ever been around and involved in would also be extremely disapproving of Christains on an online dating site.

Anyway, it was something that's been bothering me a lot these past few days. After someone said that the first marriage was in a church, so all marriages should follow that one. It really got to me the way some people deliberately ignore an history out side of their own and treat it as if it does not exist.

So I had to say this and get it off my chest.

God is real, and I believe Jesus is the son of God. There is a lot of perversion in the world, but if a person's heart is truly set on God they come to know the truth. I hope my heart is never moved from God.

IMO...Personally, over the last few years in meeting a lot of new people...Religion has gotten to be a joke

Just like anything else, it has turned in to an Enterprise and a way to get money..

I beleive in God and Jesus Christ, I just worship in my own way and would never push religion on anyone

i've never been to church and the one time i did go i caused a fire

I appreciate the read! So true for many people!

then you get some christian saying,,,,, don't worry honey jesus still loves you!! WTF

I feel the same way Derek.....

My heart is truly set on God....i have a personal relationship with Him almost daily....and never once in all my conversations did God tell me Jesus was His son....

And I've asked Him on many occasions if it was true....

He actually talks to you?

Just like the Christians....Only He doesn't tell me to believe in things that are simply not true
(Yes, He talks to me....Christians call it Prayer)
But you are entitled to believe what you like & for that i would not put you down....I just know from my own personal experiences....And i've been to Christian churches....most of the people in their are very loving people....so no qualms with Christians, just when they try to tell me their Jesus is the only way to God.....that is divisive & therein lies our divergence

I apologise before I even say this, but its the way I feel. Whenever I hear a "Christian" speak about the bible it just all sounds very delusional to me. I fully support everyone believing in their own way, however that may be. Its just not the religion that makes any sense to me what so ever.

I'm sorry about that



The first marriage was officiated by the Almighty God, believe it or not and since we do recognize the Church as the place of worship to God, it is just right to hold wedding ceremonies in the said place, or officiated by a Minister of God, BUT it was never stated in the Scriptures that everyone should marry in the Church, but what we are urged to do is to marry first so to solemnize the union, in a church or in a civil way, before living in together.

Just my 2 cents

Why are you sorry that she's Pagan? I am as well Its actually a very pure religion, and most who are Pagan/Wiccan are very non judgmental about other religions. I try to not judge, sadly every "Christian" who discovers my religion of choice literally threatens to 'drag' me to church and voices their disdain for the pentacles I wear around my neck.

Where was the 1st church of Adam and eve? As for the context of your writing, we're all hypocrites, of varying degrees. If all one had to do was "accept jesus" to be considered saved, why is that book so large anyway? Wouldn't the bible be a small pamphlet? As for the big 3 topics. Religion and politics pretty much are dangerous to discuss, but we can mostly agree that sex is a good thing.

You were supposed to light the candles, not anything that looked flamable!

I'm curious as to what religion you are, because I've been to lots of different churches and none of them have ever said that Jesus was not God's son.

I was sorry she got confused poor thing

I think at some point in our lives everyone is confused about religion. Its part of self discovery, we all figure out what we believe sooner or later.

I was never confused with my beliefs and I will die in good faith attached to it.

That's all. Peace out!

feels like i wrote that..
Agreed

The same result if you ask Him if He loves you - i'm guessing.