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Religious (or not) affiliation

Trala said:
The church changed my life. Having something to believe in gave me strength.

While I attended services, and prayed alot, I didn't mix with my fellow parisheners.
Probably a good move on your part.

A Catholic nun became a mentor of sorts and was really the first person to ever see good in me and believe in me. And I think on reflection I just wanted to be like her and please her.

I have had a few people who have helped me forever change the direction of my life, for the better, Sr Mel being the first. The bible she gave me is one of my most treasured possessions (not counting my shoes, my car, my jewerly and my clothes... Ha!)
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It's awesome she was able to help you with your direction in life. A we have both said religious influence can be good for people and you are testimony to that.It's just cool too you have realised the own potential in yourself. It did the same for me too. Sr Mel has clearly been awesome for you and I hope others cross her path as you did. Whether you realise it or not you just did a positive thing by letting people know how that lovely lady helped you. I just think it's cool you can pinpoint that positive where your life did take a diff. direction. Props to you both.:)
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Alias said:
I've never been religious, nor has my family. I do recall my parents dropping us off at a Sunday school once or twice so they could go to the pub, but I don't think that counts. :devil:
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Same here when I was a youngen. Sunday School was just a thing we did and apart from a little sing-along of "the wise man built his house upon the rocks" the morning was filled with lollies and fairy bread. My mother especially though was an "events" Christian: weddings,christenings,funerals,one Easter and one Christmas service. That's it.
 
Kismet said:
I have done the same with my girls although they know a lot about religions and god models in general. Good on your parents for allowing you the freedom to make that decision for yourself as an adult.
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Thanks @Kismet, I have also always given my kids a choice when it comes to religion. They are well informed about all faiths, but I always remind them that the main person to have faith in is themselves.

Like almost everyone else, I tend to pick shit through my parents for not doing what I think is right, but I reckon they got the religion thing spot-on!
 
Xaltau said:
Thanks @Kismet, I have also always given my kids a choice when it comes to religion. They are well informed about all faiths, but I always remind them that the main person to have faith in is themselves.

Like almost everyone else, I tend to pick shit through my parents for not doing what I think is right, but I reckon they got the religion thing spot-on!
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Good on you too!:) and IMO your parents were right on the mark. IF people believe they need religion in their lives it is, or should be, a personal choice and an educated one at that.
 
Xaltau said:
Thanks @Kismet, I have also always given my kids a choice when it comes to religion. They are well informed about all faiths, but I always remind them that the main person to have faith in is themselves.

Like almost everyone else, I tend to pick shit through my parents for not doing what I think is right, but I reckon they got the religion thing spot-on!
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Good on you too!:) and IMO your parents were right on the mark. IF people believe they need religion in their lives it is, or should be, a personal choice and an educated one at that.
 
I was christened Greek Orthodox but only for the sake of my grandparents' happiness. As a teenager I identified as a very strict Atheist, which eventually softened to agnosticism, which has sort of evolved into an appreciation for modern paganism.
 
Kismet said:
I don't know if that is the case as the majority of christian teachings tend to rely on the words of Paul over that of Jesus of Nazareth who BTW never left any personally penned offering for anyone to know exactly what he was allegedly about. All writings even relating to "him" were assumed second or third hand accounts at best. Other than that,do you personally perceive him(Jesus of Nazareth) as having been Sadducee, Essene or Pharisee?
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Before studying, I thought Paul was an idiot. After studying, I love Paul – but still think some of his work is atrocious. I cannot agree that the majority of the christian teaching in the Anglican Church (at least in my diocese) relies on Paul’s words. I rarely preach him, actually. When I do I provide clarification of how that teaching fits with the Gospel. I take your point that the Gospels were written many years after by “who knows” but - allowing for the personal prejudices, audience and agenda of the authors – I believe them to give a fairly true picture of Jesus and his teachings. The same criticisms that can be directed at the Gospels can be directed at the Hebrew Scriptures as well.
Do I perceive Jesus as Sadducee, Essene or Pharisee??? Good question. There are arguments for and against each – which I am sure you are very well acquainted with. I personally lean towards Essene as I see a fair amount of similarity between their doctrines and practices and those of the early Christians. Also, Jesus made enough negative comments about both the Sadducees and Pharisees to lead me to believe he either wasn’t part of their sects or was a dissident within them.

Well his mother as is dictated was a Jew. His "father" was the god model purely at the time of Judaism. That "god" clearly chose a female Jew as the vessel for his worldly offering so would that NOT have been of major importance to that God? If the OT or even the Pentateuch is indicative, the jewish "god" clearly loathed ANY other religion hence his clear disdain for Molech and Ashtoreth and Baal worship.
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Sure. Mary was important – maybe even as more than a vessel (but I am certainly not going Catholic on you) But Christianity says that Jesus is that God. We say that Jesus is the Messiah that the Jewish God promised all along. God is not going to loath Godself. It certainly doesn’t lead me to question the validity. (I hate inclusive language clumsiness. If I state categorically that God does not have a gender and is not a he or a she or an it, can I get away with calling ‘him’ ‘he’ as the English language doesn’t provide me with an alternative? )

Paul it is clear brought Hellenistic/Pagan influences into his claimed "insight" hence Christianity observing their own special brand OF Hellenistic and Pagan worship.
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I see what you are saying about Paul’s influence - but in what way do you see Christianity observing Hellenistic/Pagan worship?


I should let you know at this point I studied for 10 yrs with Morling College and took 18 months of that time for immersion work in Israel to even start to get my head around Hebrew and also study the DSS.
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Wow ! Ten years at College. Why were you studying? Did you have a specific purpose in mind? I assume that when you started at College you were a Christian? Is it as a result of your study that you became an athiest?
I studied at a tiny little college in Brisbane – St Francis College. I did four years there. This was part of my priestly formation program. When I began, SFC was part of the Brisbane College of Theology – a joint project of the Anglican, Catholic and Uniting Churches. Students came from those 3 denominations and another couple (Lutherans and even Baptists if I remember rightly). Half way through my degree, the Anglicans pulled out and joined forces with Charles Sturt Uni. I think you will find that your College is much more evangelical than mine. In fact the Dean of the College and the Director of our Education Commission are both extremely ‘progressive’ in their theology. To give you an idea, the Dean is a Fellow in The Jesus Seminar. My personal theology falls somewhere in between those two points.
My learned friend, I envy you your time in Israel and have to admit to having no Hebrew at all. I find the DSS fascinating but we really only touched on them for a couple of semesters.
 
jessy_girl said:
Oh nice to know. I feel bad really that I don't know much about this. I don't plan to ever have kids (aside from my gayby with mutley of course) but does that really mean any hypothetical child of mine would also be Jewish? That seems like such a strange thought, but it is nice all the same.

So, there you go @Kismet, let me reword my answer to say that I am Jewish :)
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there is another interesting thread,why people chose not to have kids.I dont have any either
Christian but I dont go to church
 
Lindsay1973 said:
there is another interesting thread,why people chose not to have kids.I dont have any either
Christian but I dont go to church
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Even as an atheist I reckon ones faith is purely their own and as such if you choose to be a Christian, that relationship is between you and Jesus. Whatever floats your boat. :)

BTW I chose to have children but don't go to church. Both my decisions were make after careful consideration.
 
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