It can allow the hopeless to obtain hope...

It can enable one who cannot understand why to have 'reason' of...

It can forgive one who cannot forgive themselves thereby enabling one to not have to be able to...

It can encourage the do as I say not as I do form of disciplinary measure...

It can show to one that which lies within...

It can wipe the slate clean of the understanding necessary to not repeat one's mistakes...

It can falsely place blame outside of one's self...

It can bolster a pure soul...

It can confuse a simple notion...




In short...




It is that which one makes it...

Jesus Christ is Lord of all and he is the ONLY reason we are here. No confusion on that

you forgot it can lead to genocide and corruption of a person or group.. but very true


religion, in general, is what you make it

this is truth

My Mom and Dad are the reason I'm here! and I follow Oden.

Yes I actually looked at Islam, and found it the most difficult and rigid religion, don't know how they do it...we as humans are selfish, wretched, and sinful, there is no other way I personally could ever get to heaven without a savior, God knows I really need one, I am not bad, but I do have a past..and sometimes I have been led down the wrong road, I was a follower instead of a leader at some points in my life, I need someone to let me into heaven cause I surely can't do it myself.....

I'm cum-fused.

I think that every religion is trying to explain unexplainable. The reason why have so many of them is just the variety of ways people tried to explain this what is beyond them - faith.
If you understand - you will have faith. If you don't - you just worship - as good as talking to a stone or a cross - it's just an object.
If you don't understand you will die for your religion.
If you DO understand, you will live with faith.

If you look closer, you will notice that
Every religion is flawed, because it's based on how humans perceive the notion of God and try to explain it to others.
If you don't understand, you will continue to argue which religion is better or worse, hard to understand or easy to follow.
But you will miss what matters.

This is untrue, we do not do anything we do not want to do. We are the control of ourselves. If we choose to live a good life we will do so, if we want to live evily we will do this also. A person has ultimate control of themselves. No god gives or controls this. Within each of us is the strength to live justly and fairly all we have to do is decide to do it.

I guess most people I know must be aliens then.

And here I never used to believe in UFO's.

Abracadabra! damn you for stealing the coolest name ever.. I wish I would have thought of it

Abracadabra!
The coolest name ever
pulled out of a hat in a magic endeavor
placed on screen in letters of blue
above all the stars where it’s easy to view
it’s a magical name that was given to me
in a spiritual moment so effortlessly
it came from the cosmos and the center of souls
from the life-giving force and all it extols
it describes, in a word, my natural state
as a being whose thoughts will always create
the illusion of living a mystical dream
of rowing a rowboat down a magical stream

you are freakin crazy! I love it

I must have missed this post the last time I was here.

These are excellent words Brooklyn.

I agree with them all but especially like the following,...

If you don't understand you will die for your religion.
If you DO understand, you will live with faith.

* I believe in One God who created the universe and everything in it.
(Isaiah 43: 10-13; Isaiah 44: 24; Deut. 6: 4; 1 Corinthians 8: 4-6)

* I believe that God became flesh, in Jesus Christ. So He is One with God.
(John 1: 1-5; Isaiah 9: 6-7)

* I believe Jesus Christ was born of a virgin. In saying this, I believe Mary was a virgin when she 'gave birth'.
(Luke 1: 26-38)

* I believe Jesus died on the Cross for our sins, that we may be forgiven. And that He was bodily raised to life on the third day.
(Luke 23: 33-34; Luke 24: 1-7; Isaiah 53: 3-7)

* I believe we shall have 'eternal life' by accepting God's plan of Salvation which is accepting Jesus Christ as our Lord and Saviour.
(1 John 5: 10-12; Romans 10:9; 1 Timothy 2:5)

* I believe in being 'baptized' by full-immersion after receiving Jesus as Lord and Saviour. I do not believe that water baptism saves a person. Salvation is a free
gift by accepting Jesus.
(Romans 6: 3-4; Matthew 28: 19; Ephesians 2: 8-10)

* I believe in the 'Baptism of the Holy Spirit', and speaking in tongues.
(John 1: 33; Acts 1: 5-9, 2: 1-18; 1 Cor. 14: 2-4, 14-19)

* I believe that the word of God (the Bible) is the only authority, and is inspired by the Holy Spirit, and is the only truth that we must live by. I do not believe or accept any other teachings and beliefs, there is only 'One Truth'.
(2 Timothy 3: 16-17; Hebrews 4: 12; 1 Peter 1: 25; Mark 13: 31)

* I believe that Jesus Christ will come back again to gather up His Church.
(Acts 1: 11; 1 Thessalonians 4: 13-18)

* I believe there is a real 'Heaven' and a real 'Hell'. And where we spend our eternity is determined by which one we choose while we're alive. There are no second chances after 'Death'.
(Revelation 21: 22-27, 20: 10-15; Hebrews 9: 27-28)


When we’re facing a decision
And we’re feeling so unsure
We need to pray for godly guidance
And the wisdom of the Lord

We need to wait with confidence
That God will show the way
And open doors we must go through
Giving peace when we pray

Show us your ways, O Lord
And where we need to walk
Guide us to where you want us
Help us pray as we ought

Equip us with power and strength
To tread upon new ground
To go where we’ve not been before
Where your blessings shall abound

For we shall never know how much
You long to bless our lives
Unless we take that step of faith
And follow the steps of Christ

To be where we can grow in you
And become more mature in faith
To live in the wisdom that you've given
To be immersed in your saving grace

To know your will for our lives
We but only need to ask
You long to show us what to do
All we need is obedient hearts

and love enters to dwell where fear cannot overcome

I like it.

When the topic is where Christianity fails, I find I have allot to say. I am a Messianic Pagean. Messianic means I believe Jesus was the Messiah. That makes me a Christian too. I read the bible, and see nowhere that he told is disciples to try to ram his teacings down anyone else's throats. He does say to offer it to them. If no one in a town wants it, wipe the dust from your feet. He did say that. He also didn't tell them to collect lots of money for themselves. He told them the exact opposite. Take no more than you can carry.
My problem with most Christians, as with any other religion, is they talk it on Sunday morning. Then they go home and forget about it. I don't see that as being Christian. Either live it, or don't claim it. I don't make much, but I still find charities that could use my pennies. If those churches used less expensive stuff to house their expensive things, they'd have more to give to the poor.
Just my opinion. We all have one. That's what this forum is for.

An interesting story on Jesus christ can be found in "Zeitgeist".

The similarities between Jesus and Horus are ironic, at the least.

However, to be on topic; I believe the founding principles in christianity (and most religions for that matter) or good. However its when you bring it to an organized front that things get jumbled, confused, and warped. You have to remember the way people are; if you tell one person a story, by the time it gets back to you its completely different than what it was.

I take that same line of thought with any story. The only way to truly know what was originally written in the bible is to get the original text, which was (OMG!!) destroyed when King James decided to publish a *copy* of the bible to suit his own needs. The texts that people hold so dear at this point are a point of view from one king.

One thing you have to always remember about history; the victor is the one who writes it.