A previous thread asked Why are you a Christian? There were good answers, but the way the question was phrased may prompt people to give the good reasons rather than the real ones. I can list at least eight reasons why Christians I know became Christians: (1) their parents were, and they were raised that way; (2) they were in a recovery program that stressed surrender to a Higher Power, which is typically identified (particularly in the Bible Belt) with the Judeo-Christian God or Jesus; (3) their friends or significant others are; (4) they felt a sense of emptiness, meaninglessness, and confusion and happened to turn to Christianity for answers and a sense of purpose; (5) they had a religious experience, spiritual awakening,moment of clarity, etc., in which they came to see the world in a new way;(6) they were searching for a source of comfort and hope when confronted with death of a loved one,serious illness, or other loss; (7) they were inspired by the example of people they admire who are Christians;(8) they read a book by some Christian writer like C.S. Lewis who persuaded them. In my case, it was "all of the above". Are there other any I'm leaving out? I What about the rest of you?
"(5) they had a religious experience, spiritual awakening,moment of clarity, etc., in which they came to see the world in a new way" All Christians must be "reborn" in spirit by asking for Jesus to come into our lives, thus the spiritual awakening and clarity that brings about new understanding. I was inspired by the Holy Spirit when I prayed to The Lord and asked for knowledge of Jesus Christ, and I when I SINCERELY invited Jesus into my life. At that moment I was reborn in spirit, with knowlege, understanding, and most importantly, faith. www.biblestudysite.com
Yes. I did that too. But why did you do it? In my case, I was grappling with a difficult life decision in a condition of considerable stress. Certain passages from the Bible, dredged up from some storage place in my brain, came to the forefront, with a meaning I had not been aware of before, and my worldview was transformed. I was able to solve the problems with energy and insight I never knew I had before--going to bat effectively for three co-worers who were about to lose their jobs. I've never been the same since. It would be easy to give naturalistic explanations of this: stress, adreneline, psychotic break, etc. Whatever. I'm a Christian as a result.
I became Christian after I realized the truth about satans agenda for us. I became interested when I started noticing all these esoteric satanic symbols in today’s media. There are all these video games my friends like to play, and movies, TV, etc., all glorifying evil and the devil, some more blatant than others. The conspiracy forums here on hipforums opened my eyes to the freemasons, the illuminati, and the nwo agenda. That is what prompted me to receive Christ, realizing that there are purely satanic forces existing, which hate me and wish for my soul to perish along with theirs. These forces have succeeded in brainwashing most of the people, corrupting the media, our economy, our schools, our government, and our churches. Their agenda is simple; the more people who reject the teachings of Jesus and The Lord, the more company with them on the way down. Realizing the insidious plot against myself and humanity, I prayed for Christ’s forgiveness and help. I also prayed for knowledge and understanding. Of course the Lord forgave me my sins and gave me the free gift of salvation, which he gives to anyone who asks for it in Jesus's name. He also helped me to realize that understanding and knowledge is to be found by honest prayer and Bible study. The Lord led me to the link www.biblestudysite.com where I've discovered much about Christianity that I didn't know and wasn't taught in church, much that has opened my eyes to what is really happening in this world. I understood that The Lord's plan is very simple also. God created Jesus to fix our human corruptions (by taking them on himself) so that we can exist with him in perfection for eternity. All we have to do is believe that this is true. Here is a great Christian commentary on the subject of belief. http://www.biblestudysite.com/ibelieve.htm My whole life I've been interested in God and religion, but I've always regarded these subjects with secular skepticism. It was in May when I SINCERELY invited Jesus to come into my life, and I became Christian Reborn.
You have to see something in the message of Jesus that appeals to you, despite the mess the church has made out of it. To become a Christian in the sense of becoming what Jesus was is impossible. Not because he was a "son of God", but because the church doesn't understand the message. It never has. It can't light your candle because it's own is not lit. When I was a child growing up in Alabama, I KNEW the church had it wrong. I went along with the act until I became of age. I never looked back. Now that I'm getting up in years, there is no doubt in my mind that Christianity is little more than a cult governed by worldly people who think that strength in numbers must mean their message is the correct one. They apply this power as it pleases them. You spoke of the New World Order. You need to understand that Christianity has a pivotal role to play in it's unfolding, just as it has played a role in the neocon government that now controls the USA. What would Jesus do? He would distance himself from "Christianity". It would be alien to this gentle master. You can still embrace his message of compassion. You don't need a religion to live such a life. People join religions because they enjoy the shelter they provide from the harshness of life. A safe harbor. Few are really concerned about spiritual advancement. They don't understand any concept of it outside what they've been taught by their chosen faith. Yet, they have the urge. There is no shortage of people wearing crosses who will take advantage of your urge. None of them work for Jesus. x
