that is a short reasoning.
I masturbate. Masturbation is against christianity, yey I'm still a christian.
So your point is moot from the very premise with which it starts.

If you do not practice a religion , you are in name only .
When you really believe in something you will practice it .
Homosexuality is a huge burden according to the bible : so how can you be a religious when you are screwing up the commands of your so called wholly book ?. Your reasoning is screwed up beyond recognition .

My local billboard, in Austin Indiana (the southern part of Indiana, just off I-65) states "Abortion is Murder." Quite interesting, eh?

One of the reasons Christians tend to put up billboards is the great commission. Jesus told us to go out and make disciples of all men. It's said that the average person needs to hear the Gospel 7.6 times before they're ready to make a serious commitment.

I'm glad y'all are reading those billboards out there and are concerned about God. I'm glad the messages are reaching you. Ever think that God is trying to talk to you through those billboards, trying to reach you through all the chatter and distractions out there?

Why not turn to the Lord today. The billboards'll have new meanings to you and you might put up one yourself. Turn to the Lord, find a church, fellowship with his people and spread his word. Billboards are nice, but they're only part of the picture.

with this I'm done with you because it seems your mind is not open.
the fact that a person sins does not implies that this person stop being a christian.
as long as person recognizes that Christ is his/her Lord and Savior this person is still a christian.
Sin per se is part of human nature, so it will be committed whether u r a christian or not.

Have a good evening, Sir.

I think what he's trying to say, is that (with some forms of Christianity) when you sin, you go through a repentance process and then are supposed to try not to commit the same sin again. So, for those who practice a personal lifestyle that is in direct violate of the very words they hold sacred without repentance or true regret of the sin can not truely be devote to their religion. As they say that they follow the words and laws of their god...but they don't "practice what they preach" so to speak. Does that make sense? Yes, we are all human and we all make mistakes...but it's only truely a mistake if you are genuinely sorry and want to try your hardest not to repeat the mistake again.

a person can be an abstinent homosexual, but still a homosexual because of his sexual attraction for the same sex.
but if this person practices abstinence he/she is the most brave from all the christians.
because this person is denying his/her tendency.

So...I have a question. No hidden meaning, no offence intended, just a general question of curiosity. In my city, you can't drive down the road 10 feet without seeing a billboard or other advertisement stating something like, "Got God?" or "Jesus is King!" or "What have you done for God today?" etc etc, you get the point lol The t.v. is flooded with advertisements for Life Time Christian music CDs and church advertisements, pastors preaching and daily morning programming with Pastor Nancy (I believe her name is). So my question is, how offended would you be if you were driving down the road and saw a huge billboard with a saying like, "Got Satan?" or "What have you done for Allah today?" or "Have you chosen the Buddist path?" In the land of America, let freedom ring, why is it that some things are acceptable and some things are not? Shouldn't it be equal and fair to advertise your religious beliefs in any way you see fit and that if one group of practicers can do it through billboards and tv commercial advertisements, why can't another for fear of persecution?

Where do you get your information abra??

Christianity 1.9 billion
Islam 1.1 billion
Hinduism 781 million
Buddhism 324 million
Sikhism 19 million
Judaism 14 million
Baha'ism 6.1 million
Confucianism 5.3 million
Jainism 4.9 million
Shintoism 2.8 million

Islam is the only one that is growing!
http://www.religioustolerance.org/worldrel.htm

How about this? We live in the good old USA where it's "do your own thing." However, if push came to shove I still want "In God We trust" on our money & the 10 C's on the walls of our towns & cities & govt., & the nativities on our town hall lawns.

I could care less about devil worshippers. Society has to have some standards. Evil is evil. Let's call those practices what they are....EVIL!

I believe in "to each their own", unless what they're doing directly affects me or my children in a negative way, who am I to judge? lol And that's awsome about the Coven(s) in your area! I would have loved to have seen the booth they created. I just find all religions facinating and love learning about their beliefs and ways of life...it's truely eye opening. :) The differences, and the similarities.

I would have to agree with you there Scinn...i love to here and learn all religion..i am very spiritual...i believe in a god..i call him "my god"...the one i believe in in my heart and my mind....and he may not be like the one someone else believes in...but that is what is so facinating...

More and more I meet people who call themselves Christian but they do not go to a specific church, and some don't go to church at all, and they are not members of any particular denomination.

I think that they find it easier to call themselves Christians because being Christian is still the most accepted religious affiliation. Anyone running for a public office will call them self Christian because they won't have a chance if they are pagan or Muslim or Wiccan or atheist. They just won't.

Whether they are really Christian or not, they will say they are.

So officially, it may look like the churches and Christianity is not declining, and maybe even growing in some places, but it really isn't.

Designer Christians are all over the place. They just don't have the courage to walk away from the club. They don't have the courage to declare that they don't believe. They just play along. They don't really believe or they just really don't know what they believe and so they remain with the flock because that is where they are accepted and that is where their friends are.

Spirituality is growing however. People are awakening to their own spiritual nature and to their own inner connection to source. They are discouraged in this pursuit and they are told that they should never think of themselves as god in the pantheist sense. They are reminded of the myth about Lucifer who wanted to be god and got kicked out of heaven. This is actually and implied vealed threat that if they profess to be "gods" or part of god with god like powers, that they will be kicked out of the club Christianity just as Lucifer was kicked out of heaven.

You will be told this: "To think that you are god is blasphemy. Don't dare even think that." You are not allowed to assert or have your own authority for any reason. You are to only obey your master. You are a slave. To disobey means the death penalty. It is a sin to disobey.

JB

In name only . Those who really believe are small numbers here and there . Homosexuality is against Christianity but homosexuals still see themselves as Christians ....etc .
So get the ugly picture of statistics ....!.

More and more I meet people who call themselves Christian but they do not go to a specific church, and some don't go to church at all, and they are not members of any particular denomination.

I think that they find it easier to call themselves Christians because being Christian is still the most accepted religious affiliation. Anyone running for a public office will call them self Christian because they won't have a chance if they are pagan or Muslim or Wiccan or atheist. They just won't.

Whether they are really Christian or not, they will say they are.

So officially, it may look like the churches and Christianity is not declining, and maybe even growing in some places, but it really isn't.

Designer Christians are all over the place. They just don't have the courage to walk away from the club. They don't have the courage to declare that they don't believe. They just play along. They don't really believe or they just really don't know what they believe and so they remain with the flock because that is where they are accepted and that is where their friends are.

Spirituality is growing however. People are awakening to their own spiritual nature and to their own inner connection to source. They are discouraged in this pursuit and they are told that they should never think of themselves as god in the pantheist sense. They are reminded of the myth about Lucifer who wanted to be god and got kicked out of heaven. This is actually and implied vealed threat that if they profess to be "gods" or part of god with god like powers, that they will be kicked out of the club Christianity just as Lucifer was kicked out of heaven.

You will be told this: "To think that you are god is blasphemy. Don't dare even think that." You are not allowed to assert or have your own authority for any reason. You are to only obey your master. You are a slave. To disobey means the death penalty. It is a sin to disobey.

JB

Christianity is declining because the terrorists don't believe in FREEDOM of Religion! DUH! Neither does the chinese govt. for that matter...and many other countries who BTW, oppress their people. Christians are being persecuted by their own govts. for believing in Christ.

Surely that nothing to gloat over. Hard up for converts? More like people are hard up for the Living God. That's what happens when their religious freedom is suppressed.

True...my question to them has always been, "Why are you so concerned about saving my soul when you have your own, your children's, your spouse's, your mother/father/brother/sister's souls to worry about? That seems like a lot already without taking on the rest of the world as well." I just never understood why they couldn't say "Ok...I understand you're not interested but thanks for listening! If you ever just want to chit chat, though, let me know...we could have a great discussion!" I personally don't really have a religious path I follow, I stick to a moral compass and it's gotten me through life great so far :D If it's not broken...why fix it?

wow...certainly hadn't meant to anger or upset you...was more just a curiosity of mine than anything else. I'm sorry if my post offended you, that was certainly not my intention.

Actually, if Christianity is on a decline (which I am not convinced of) it speaks to reality. The reason is simple. The laws state that we have religious freedom. So when people with good hearts see Christians attacking non christians or discriminating against them based on belief in spite of this going against the teachings of Christ I think people consider it to be a soiling of the church so to speak. Perhaps an indication that the church or congregation is NOT christian so even if they follow Christ they are more likely to walk away from the Church just as Christ taught them to....

This is only my thought and opinion...

You are just so full of yourself aren't you? LOL

Your rants about Christians & Christianity shows you know nothing about them or the people. It's really sad that you allowed one person to turn you away from the one true Living God.

There isn't anything I can do for you there. You have to take that up with God. Tho I think you just want your man made feel goodisms to not be challenged.