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| What were you previously? |
| Christian - Catholic |
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35% |
[ 19 ] |
| Christian - Lutheran |
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13% |
[ 7 ] |
| Christian - Methodist |
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3% |
[ 2 ] |
| Christian - Babtist |
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16% |
[ 9 ] |
| Christian - Pentecostal |
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5% |
[ 3 ] |
| Christian - Orthodox (please say what type) |
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1% |
[ 1 ] |
| Christian - Charismatic |
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0% |
[ 0 ] |
| Christian - Unitarian or non-trinitarian groups |
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0% |
[ 0 ] |
| Christian - Other (Please explain) |
|
16% |
[ 9 ] |
| Other Religion, Denomination, Sect, etc. (please explain) |
|
5% |
[ 3 ] |
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| Total Votes : 53 |
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| Author |
Message |
tinker683
Entirely Too Serious
Joined: 13 Mar 2003
Posts: 1041
Local time: 3:54 AM
Location: USA
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 Posted: Thu Sep 27, 2007 4:17 pm Post subject: |
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I was born and raised a Lutheran, mostly because of my grandmother. Shortly after I entered my "period of doubt" (when I still considered myself a theist and wasn't sure if I was a Chrisitan or not) my parents joined up with a Baptist church. I went there a few times, but didn't really like the vibe there.
So, I consider myself an ex-Lutheran.
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"Not everything that steps out of line, and thus 'abnormal', must necessarily be 'inferior'" - Hans Asperger, 1938 |
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Gerard
Old World Shadow
Joined: 18 Nov 2003
Posts: 3986
Local time: 8:54 AM
Location: Groningen, the Netherlands
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| Posted: Thu Sep 27, 2007 5:25 pm Post subject: |
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I was baptised in a Roman Catholic church, but I can't say I ever really followed that religion.
Gerard
_________________
The Historical Atlas of Europe
But as man exists in nature, I am not authorized to say that his formation, is above the power of nature.
Paul Henri Thiry Baron d' Holbach, (1723-1789)
Not collecting stamps is my hobby.
Gerard, (1962-*) |
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cartman
Joined: 25 Dec 2004
Posts: 1034
Local time: 6:54 PM
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| Posted: Thu Sep 27, 2007 5:33 pm Post subject: |
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Christian - Roman Catholic
I believed it overall through my childhood right into my mid teens, I'd say but always found a huge chunk to be ridiculous. Gradually, that chunk grew larger until there wasn't really anything left. I guess I was a sort of deist for about a decade after that until I gradually ditched that idea as well. Religion was never a particularly serious matter in my life though - it just provided opportunities for having a laugh, generally.
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"I am the beginning, the end...the one who is many. I am the collective." - The Borg Queen |
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CET
The Spiritual Atheist
Joined: 02 Apr 2003
Posts: 12826
Local time: 12:54 AM
Location: SoCal, USA
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| Posted: Thu Sep 27, 2007 6:16 pm Post subject: |
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Wow, there's a lot of ex-Catholics and Lutherans here.
_________________
Namaste,
CET 
The Spiritual Atheist
"Much of the suffering in the world comes from the delusion that we are separate from one another." - Gautama Buddha
"Those who dance are considered insane by those who can't hear the music." - George Carlin |
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RyanDzundza
Sock Puppet
Joined: 19 Sep 2007
Posts: 5243
Local time: 8:54 AM
Location: Manchester
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| Posted: Thu Sep 27, 2007 6:21 pm Post subject: |
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| CET wrote: | | Wow, there's a lot of ex-Catholics and Lutherans here. |
Suppose that might be because if you turn youre back on certain religions (lets say islam) you would be dead by the time it would take you to reply to this message lol
it may seem im unfairly bashing the islamic religion here and thats because i am, no other religion deserves such a bad press
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not_a_theist
Forum Texan
Joined: 06 Jun 2004
Posts: 2040
Local time: 2:54 AM
Location: H-town
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| Posted: Thu Sep 27, 2007 6:27 pm Post subject: |
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methodist representin'
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Citizen X
Forum Plebian
Joined: 13 Dec 2006
Posts: 185
Local time: 3:54 AM
Location: Indiana
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| Posted: Thu Sep 27, 2007 6:59 pm Post subject: |
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United Church of Christ - the real Jesus lovers!
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He flexed his muscles to keep his flock of sheep in line
He made a virus that would kill off all the swine
His perfect kingdom of killing, suffering and pain
Demands devotion, atrocities done in his name |
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Mr_C
Reckoner
Joined: 26 Jun 2006
Posts: 6546
Local time: 1:54 AM
Location: Pale Blue Dot
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| Posted: Thu Sep 27, 2007 9:06 pm Post subject: |
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Here's what I used to believe, from my church's "distinctives"
| Quote: |
The Bible
We understand the Bible to be the inspired and inerrant Word of God. As such it is the sole source and standard for matters of faith and practice for the believer. It is sufficient to meet every spiritual need of the Christian (II Peter 1:3).
The Bible should be understood plainly and literally unless there is reason in a given passage to believe that it was intended to be taken otherwise (e.g., figures of speech, prophetic language, etc.). The meaning of the Scripture can be understood through careful (II Tim. 2:15) and prayerful (I John 2:27) study.
The Church
The Church is described in the Bible as the “body of Christ” (Eph. 4:12; I Cor. 12:27). The Apostle Paul explains this metaphor in I Corinthians 12. Just as the physical body has only one head but has many individual parts that perform different functions, even so the “Body of Christ,” the Church, has one head but is made up of many individual members. The head of the Church is Jesus Christ. He is the central organizing and directing influence of the Church. The body, made up of eyes and ears and hands and feet, constitutes the wide diversity of individual Christians. We are individually gifted and enabled by Christ to perform specialized functions in the Church so that the Church functions in a healthy manner.
The Apostle Paul also describes the Church as the “pillar and support of the truth” (I Tim. 3:15). For this reason we see one of the great privileges and responsibilities of the Church to be the preaching and teaching of the Word (II Tim. 4:2). Therefore, we see the teaching and preaching of the Bible as one of the central focuses of the various ministries of the Church.
Theological Distinctives
Broadly understood, theology is simply the message of the Bible understood in all of its various elements and details. It is a synthetic understanding of the whole of the Bible (all 66 Books—Old Testament and New Testament) set out topically and systematically. Christians and churches have traditionally recognized various theological movements or schools of thought that are helpful in describing important biblical ideas (e.g., salvation, redemption, sanctification, End Times, etc.).
This being said, xxx Bible church is:
1. Calvinistic. We believe that the Protestant Reformation was a real recovery of the Biblical truth concerning salvation and the role of the Scriptures in the life of the believer and the Church. We firmly embrace the 5 Solas (Latin for “alone”) of the Reformation: Sola Scriptura, Sola Fide, Sola Gratia, Solus Christus, and Soli Deo Gloria. We also recognize that the Bible places a strong emphasis on the sovereignty of God.
2. Non-charismatic. The Greek word underlying this word literally means grace—“the unmerited favor or blessing of God.” The New Testament describes God as individually gifting believers with certain spiritual gifts for the benefit of the Church. Among the various spiritual gifts described in the New Testament we see some that were more vividly supernatural manifestations of the power of God and the influence of the Holy Spirit. Some of these gifts were intended to be temporary and were uniquely suited to the founding of the Church during the lifetime of the Apostles. Other gifts were intended to be permanent and have been manifested in every age of the Church from the first century forward. By “non-charismatic” we mean to indicate that we acknowledge this distinction.
3. Dispensational. Dispensationalism refers to the observation that God seems to have related with man throughout history in different ways throughout different ages or dispensations. These dispensations are typically characterized by certain distinct organizing principles. It does NOT suggest or infer that man was saved in different ways at different times. Man has always—in every age—been saved by grace through faith (Eph. 2:8-9).
Dispensationalism is characterized by a clear distinction between Israel and the Church and by a consistent use of a literal principle of interpretation. Dispensationalists differ on the specific number of dispensations. Some would see as few as two dispensations, identifying a period before Christ and a period after Christ. Others would see as many as seven or more (Innocence, Conscience, Government, Promise, Law, Grace, Millennial Kingdom).
4. Premillennial. A large portion of the Bible speaks of events which were future at the time they were written. Of these passages a significant portion refer to future events yet to be fulfilled. These passages are generally understood as referring to the “End Times.” Two of the most significant end-time events yet remaining to be fulfilled are the return of Jesus Christ to the earth (the Second Coming) and the establishing of a physical kingdom by Jesus Christ here on earth (the “Millennium”). By premillennial we understand the ordering of these events to be such that the Second Coming precedes the Millennium.
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"If we long to believe that the stars rise and set for us, that we are the reason there is a Universe, does science do us a disservice in deflating our conceits?"
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The Atheist Forums Rules
Summary: Just play nice, mmkay? |
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redraiderdude187
The Madcap Laugher
Joined: 19 Jan 2007
Posts: 1152
Local time: 3:54 AM
Location: Houston, Texas
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| Posted: Thu Sep 27, 2007 9:33 pm Post subject: |
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| Mr_C wrote: | Here's what I used to believe, from my church's "distinctives"
| Quote: |
The Bible
We understand the Bible to be the inspired and inerrant Word of God. As such it is the sole source and standard for matters of faith and practice for the believer. It is sufficient to meet every spiritual need of the Christian (II Peter 1:3).
The Bible should be understood plainly and literally unless there is reason in a given passage to believe that it was intended to be taken otherwise (e.g., figures of speech, prophetic language, etc.). The meaning of the Scripture can be understood through careful (II Tim. 2:15) and prayerful (I John 2:27) study.
The Church
The Church is described in the Bible as the “body of Christ” (Eph. 4:12; I Cor. 12:27). The Apostle Paul explains this metaphor in I Corinthians 12. Just as the physical body has only one head but has many individual parts that perform different functions, even so the “Body of Christ,” the Church, has one head but is made up of many individual members. The head of the Church is Jesus Christ. He is the central organizing and directing influence of the Church. The body, made up of eyes and ears and hands and feet, constitutes the wide diversity of individual Christians. We are individually gifted and enabled by Christ to perform specialized functions in the Church so that the Church functions in a healthy manner.
The Apostle Paul also describes the Church as the “pillar and support of the truth” (I Tim. 3:15). For this reason we see one of the great privileges and responsibilities of the Church to be the preaching and teaching of the Word (II Tim. 4:2). Therefore, we see the teaching and preaching of the Bible as one of the central focuses of the various ministries of the Church.
Theological Distinctives
Broadly understood, theology is simply the message of the Bible understood in all of its various elements and details. It is a synthetic understanding of the whole of the Bible (all 66 Books—Old Testament and New Testament) set out topically and systematically. Christians and churches have traditionally recognized various theological movements or schools of thought that are helpful in describing important biblical ideas (e.g., salvation, redemption, sanctification, End Times, etc.).
This being said, xxx Bible church is:
1. Calvinistic. We believe that the Protestant Reformation was a real recovery of the Biblical truth concerning salvation and the role of the Scriptures in the life of the believer and the Church. We firmly embrace the 5 Solas (Latin for “alone”) of the Reformation: Sola Scriptura, Sola Fide, Sola Gratia, Solus Christus, and Soli Deo Gloria. We also recognize that the Bible places a strong emphasis on the sovereignty of God.
2. Non-charismatic. The Greek word underlying this word literally means grace—“the unmerited favor or blessing of God.” The New Testament describes God as individually gifting believers with certain spiritual gifts for the benefit of the Church. Among the various spiritual gifts described in the New Testament we see some that were more vividly supernatural manifestations of the power of God and the influence of the Holy Spirit. Some of these gifts were intended to be temporary and were uniquely suited to the founding of the Church during the lifetime of the Apostles. Other gifts were intended to be permanent and have been manifested in every age of the Church from the first century forward. By “non-charismatic” we mean to indicate that we acknowledge this distinction.
3. Dispensational. Dispensationalism refers to the observation that God seems to have related with man throughout history in different ways throughout different ages or dispensations. These dispensations are typically characterized by certain distinct organizing principles. It does NOT suggest or infer that man was saved in different ways at different times. Man has always—in every age—been saved by grace through faith (Eph. 2:8-9).
Dispensationalism is characterized by a clear distinction between Israel and the Church and by a consistent use of a literal principle of interpretation. Dispensationalists differ on the specific number of dispensations. Some would see as few as two dispensations, identifying a period before Christ and a period after Christ. Others would see as many as seven or more (Innocence, Conscience, Government, Promise, Law, Grace, Millennial Kingdom).
4. Premillennial. A large portion of the Bible speaks of events which were future at the time they were written. Of these passages a significant portion refer to future events yet to be fulfilled. These passages are generally understood as referring to the “End Times.” Two of the most significant end-time events yet remaining to be fulfilled are the return of Jesus Christ to the earth (the Second Coming) and the establishing of a physical kingdom by Jesus Christ here on earth (the “Millennium”). By premillennial we understand the ordering of these events to be such that the Second Coming precedes the Millennium.
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This looks like exactly what I used to believe too. Ex-Baptist here... Chrissy was too BTW. 
_________________
Above the hive, beyond the lynch mob, where two and two always make four. |
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3kixintehead
Intern
Joined: 06 Aug 2007
Posts: 62
Local time: 3:54 AM
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| Posted: Thu Sep 27, 2007 10:29 pm Post subject: |
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| Quote: | | 1. Calvinistic. We believe that the Protestant Reformation was a real recovery of the Biblical truth concerning salvation and the role of the Scriptures in the life of the believer and the Church. We firmly embrace the 5 Solas (Latin for “alone”) of the Reformation: Sola Scriptura, Sola Fide, Sola Gratia, Solus Christus, and Soli Deo Gloria. We also recognize that the Bible places a strong emphasis on the sovereignty of God. |
LOL @ Calvinism
These are great guys (and gals). I'm a little bit surprised at the outcome of the poll, I thought Baptist and Catholic would be the two highest. |
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Daggett
Forum Leader
Joined: 22 Jul 2007
Posts: 553
Local time: 2:54 AM
Location: Kansas
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| Posted: Thu Sep 27, 2007 10:43 pm Post subject: |
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| I was raised in some sort of Methodist tradition. |
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Philosophos
Do it
Joined: 01 Mar 2004
Posts: 9289
Local time: 4:54 AM
Location: Where Scum Are
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| Posted: Fri Sep 28, 2007 12:06 pm Post subject: |
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Mixed Catholic & Eastern Orthodox traditions.
_________________
The whores and politicians will shout 'save us'...
...and I'll whisper 'no'. |
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rickyroma
Repressed hippy
Joined: 09 Aug 2004
Posts: 6516
Local time: 8:54 AM
Location: England
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| Posted: Fri Sep 28, 2007 12:08 pm Post subject: |
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A life long atheist, stubbornly enough.
_________________
Theists wank too. |
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Philosophos
Do it
Joined: 01 Mar 2004
Posts: 9289
Local time: 4:54 AM
Location: Where Scum Are
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| Posted: Fri Sep 28, 2007 12:24 pm Post subject: |
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| 3kixintehead wrote: | | LOL @ Calvinism |
The fact that there are five "solas" tells you just how funny Calvinism can be!
_________________
The whores and politicians will shout 'save us'...
...and I'll whisper 'no'. |
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BarkAtTheMoon
O Captain, my Captain
Joined: 20 Dec 2004
Posts: 4890
Local time: 4:54 AM
Location: Wilmington, DE
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| Posted: Fri Sep 28, 2007 3:51 pm Post subject: |
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Grew up Episcopal. I was never much of a believer, though.
_________________
"The very existence of flame throwers proves that some time, somewhere, someone said to themselves, 'You know, I want to set those people over there on fire, but I'm just not close enough to get the job done.' - George Carlin
"I hope that someday we will be able to put away our fears and prejudices and just laugh at people." - Deep Thoughts by Jack Handey |
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