Is it hard to be a Christian?

[rabbit]

It depends on how you make Christianity a priority in your life. Perhaps surrounding yourself with people who believe in the same thing will help strengthen your relationship with Jesus Christ.

And people think it's wrong of JW's to prefer the company of other JW's! ... We only do it so that we will have our faith constantly strengthend.

One example...someone on Alldeaf...I can't say who. That's how hard it is to be a Christian.

:|

 

[RedFox]

No, it is not better that we are atheists. I can't imagine being someone who does not believe in a greater power. I know there is more out there that we cannot always see, but only feel.

Being unable to imagine nonbelief does not make belief better. How would one know that the "knowing that there are unseen things" feeling is not wishful thinking? I wonder if there are believers who find it hard to keep believing without considering the possiblity that it's only wishful thinking. I also imagine that there are people who can ignore the possiblity that it's not real. Indeed, I was a believer like that, so I know what it's like to absolutely believe in something.

Anyway, it is tough to be a Christian for some people. It depends on how you make Christianity a priority in your life. Perhaps surrounding yourself with people who believe in the same thing will help strengthen your relationship with Jesus Christ.

Yeah, being in a group can make one's beliefs stronger. But that doesn't mean it's right. How does one know that it's not just peer pressure to believe in so-so and so-so? I wonder if there are believers who feel like supressing their own options to go along with the group. I suppose that not all different options get self-supressed because now we see many different versions of Christianity.

The Bible has many true teachings that still apply today that I cannot throw away the Bible. I believe that there were stories in the Bible that are ancient mentality and written by people with human thoughts rather than what God really meant. It's up to us to take time to meditate and read the Bible to find what's the real Truth. That's your free will whether or not you want to take the time to interpret the Bible and understand what you are supposed to get out of it. It's no easy for anyone. Some parts of the Bible is weird and may take awhile to understand. I am not saying it is easy for me either.

The bible is not the only religious book that has teachings that apply today. It doesn't make any one of the books be true about everything they say. So do not throw away any religious books.

I've noticed that believers who have studied the bible are often respected in the community because they become religous teachers and preachers. Studying the bible with its ancient symbolism and metaphors is difficult, so people who had done it a lot get respect. But studying something a lot doesn't always mean you read and interpret everything right and doesn't mean the bible is right. I spent a lot of time doing the same with other books in English classes, but does that make those books true?

 

[coloravalanche]

I don't believe it is hard to be a Christian.

Just don't do evil things that our parents told us not to do.

Don't murder, don't lie, don't steal... I can deal with that rules.

You are correct..However, it is very important for us to ask Jesus Christ to come in our heart and be our personal savior..He is the way, the truth and the life...He is the only KEY for us to go heaven...If we don't ask him in our heart...We die then go straight to hell for eternity...

Yes, It is difficult being a christian but God teaches us to grow stronger every day...its like learning how to walk closer to him...like a baby learns how to walk then finally walk then run...that is kind of example...

I am a christian myself..I am not perfect but I do my best to pray and read Bible as much as I can...to keep up my relationship with Him...

 

[LinuxGold]

Bible contains 66 books written by more than 40 authors, all at different times and a lot of them support others, fulfilled others and are consistent in morality, doctrine and structure in various subjects sewn tightly to provide MOST reliable manual for mankind to follow. Like manufacturer, a manual was written by various engineers, validated and finalized by technical editors, we are to follow them for any device that we purchase to use.

2 Timothy 3:16
All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:

It is not that hard (grievous) to follow his commandments (living Christian's life)

1 John 5:3
For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments: and his commandments are not grievous.

 

[pek1]

I am a christian myself..I am not perfect but I do my best to pray and read Bible as much as I can...to keep up my relationship with Him...

Sequoias said there is one example, well, let me ask this: Suppose that person buys the laundry soap that you really like, would that mean that you would stop buying it because this person does? As a Christian and the others that are would agree with me when I say that you have no business looking at us, you should be looking to Jesus Christ. Look at your own values: Do you follow someone because you think they are cool? For example, a guy in a flashy BMW drives by you, sipping a beer and blaring the stereo . . . would you do the same thing even though you thought the guy looked cool?

 

[Maria]

Sequoias said there is one example, well, let me ask this: Suppose that person buys the laundry soap that you really like, would that mean that you would stop buying it because this person does? As a Christian and the others that are would agree with me when I say that you have no business looking at us, you should be looking to Jesus Christ. Look at your own values: Do you follow someone because you think they are cool? For example, a guy in a flashy BMW drives by you, sipping a beer and blaring the stereo . . . would you do the same thing even though you thought the guy looked cool?

Very good explanation and example ! I agree.

 

[hootster]

Since you're an atheist, I presume you say "oh me!" in place of "oh my god" for in doing so, you're not much of an atheist. Never met an atheist that can answer that question, btw.

With that last sentence, did you mean that they couldnt give you an answer you wanted to hear? Or did you just pull that out of your ass?

It is generally known that "oh my god" is considered by most atheists to be a generic phrase used to show shock/surprise. When they use that phrase, it doesnt mean that they are referring to the christian God or that they believe in God.

Its like saying "holy shit". If a person says that, does that mean he/she thinks that shit is literally holy? No...its just a generic phrase used to show shock/surpise.

 

[pek1]

With that last sentence, did you mean that they couldnt give you an answer you wanted to hear? Or did you just pull that out of your ass?

It is generally known that "oh my god" is considered by most atheists to be a generic phrase used to show shock/surprise. When they use that phrase, it doesnt mean that they are referring to the christian God or that they believe in God.

Its like saying "holy shit". If a person says that, does that mean he/she thinks that shit is literally holy? No...its just a generic phrase used to show shock/surpise.

To say God's name as an exclamation is to blasphemy the name. Would you like it if I used your name as an exclamation? Bet you wouldn't! So why use it?

 

[LisaMarie]

Simply put- use your common sense! be kind to other! dont do this and that whatever is not approatie. Simply!

 

[RedFox]

To say God's name as an exclamation is to blasphemy the name. Would you like it if I used your name as an exclamation? Bet you wouldn't! So why use it?

I won't mind becuase a Google search on my name in quotes returns 73,500 results, including a senator and a baseball player. Equalizing abusing a god's name with the abuse of a person's name presupposes the existence of that god and that the god would care about what someone on a tiny ball of rock and metal lost in the cosmos said. Not everyone believes in those things.

The name God happens to be spelled the same way as the word god, with the capitalization commonly used for the Judeo-Christian god. How do you know if someone you think is saying "Oh my God!" really meant "Oh my god?" Some believers might say God differently from god, but that cannot be said for everyone. It seems like using God as a name makes it easy to criticize anyone who uses that phrase, regardless of which version they meant. It's foisting one's version of theism onto others.

It'd be hard to be a Christian if you said that phrase out of habit or react in the intended way to that phrase, with surprise, when it's said in movies and on TV. If a Christian believes that phrase is blasphemy, they should not allow such movies or shows to use that phrase to make them feel the surprise that the writers and directors intended, but get angry every time the phrase is used, or get forgiven if they sin by letting the phrase surprise instead of anger them.

So, are there Christians who believe that the phrase is blasphemy and try not to let themselves be surprised by it?

 

[pek1]

So, are there Christians who believe that the phrase is blasphemy and try not to let themselves be surprised by it?

No idea. I know I am. When it comes on the cc, I do mute the remote control . . . I also don't go to movies like I used to.