Intro? K.

Username: Hippiefly (No meaning. Just think it sounds cool.)
Political Beliefs: Very middle of the road. I generally team with Democrats but as I also agree with Republicans on certain issues, I call myself Independant. I am also very idealistic in my ideas, with full knowledge that they would never work.
Religious Beliefs: Uhm, weird contradictory mess of Christian, Buddhist, Hindu, Taoist. I kind of take ideas I like from religions and apply them to my own life.
Other Hobbies/Interests/Etc.: Analysis of music, literature and film; music; literature; physics; my baby.
Why did you come here?: Because I like to have intelligent conversation. (I'm hoping that's what comes of this...
What do you hope to gain?: Intelligent conversation. And maybe ideas that I have never thought about before.
What do you hope to give?: An opinion opposing the mass majority. I'm very good at looking at things from the other's perspective and hope to present the other side's opinions as well, at the risk of contradicting my own ideas.
Anything else?: I am not easily offended and may often come off as rash but I sometimes have a hard time putting things "the nice way" and say what's on my mind. I'm also bothered by terrible grammar and incorrect usage of punctuation (or lack thereof).

You seem to be all jumbled up belief wise. Is there anything concretely that you say you can know about what you believe?

Political beliefs or religious beliefs? Or both?

Surf and turf, lady. Both.

K, well...
Religiously I believe that we are reincarnated based on the idea that whatever you do in this life determines what you will be in the next but I also believe there is a higher power of some sort. I am also very spiritual and believe in auras and spiritual alignment. Also, harmony in life and the equality of all living things is very important to me. (I'm trying to make sure I get everything, it's not often I try to explain my religious beliefs in one little box.
Politically I am very much a grounded idealist. By that I mean, I don't think there should be wars, I think there are better ways to get through to people, but I know that sometimes, as we are flawed humans, we need to. I have my own ideas about certain issues--abortion, immigration, etc--that don't really fit on either side.

...I think that's it...? If I need to clarify anything a little more, let me know. I'd be glad to try and be more specific about things.

So, excuse my labels, but you sound like a Hindu from your religious beliefs and an independent, old school hippie.

I suppose that would be right. But I'm a down-to-earth hippie and realize the flaws in my ideas.
As for religion, I never studied them outside of World History, so I don't know if I can actually put a name to what I believe, but if you know more than I do, which I'm sure you do, I'll take your word for it.

Well what you believe in suspiciously sounds like Karma to me.

I heavily believe in Karma. Like, a lot. XD I accidentally killed a spider one time and I was paranoid that other spiders were going to come attack me because of that. Karma.

I should mention that, while in church this morning, I realized that I think I'm a communist. Also, the more I go to church, the more I realize that I am very much not as Christian as I thought I was.

Is it lack of faith or people seem better? If it is the latter, do not worry, every person has a deep-seated evil. Whether we like to believe it or not. Every one of us has a shadow following us.

HolyArchangel wrote:Is it lack of faith or people seem better? If it is the latter, do not worry, every person has a deep-seated evil.

Are you asking about what makes me a bad Christian?

I'm asking what you think makes you a bad Christian? :]

Mostly, I disagree with teachings. I would consider GEBC a pretty true-to-the-book Christian church. Like, if you wanna get the most accurate experience possible, go there. And as I was listening to the pastor say things last Sunday, I found myself frequently disagreeing with him.

Sure I believe in most of the morals taught, but I believe the Bible is more of a collection of morals, like Aesop's fables (which he explicitly said was untrue), and I believe that it is a very accurate depiction of the history of people and their beliefs. I do not believe that some of the texts are applicable straight from the book to today's world. I also believe that a lot of the verses pastors use are seriously taken out of context.

That's sort of a tid-bit I guess...

Is GEBC a baptist church (I ask b/c of geBc)? If so, you should know that the baptists take the bible very literally. You can find denominations that are less literal (Episcopalians! ^_^) and see the bible more as moral guidelines than as a rule book.

So you're not so much a bad Christian as a different Christian than what your church expects of you which in that conext of ideal makes you feel comparitively bad.

But the question remains why not be happy with the Christian you are, because if you were you wouldn't feel comparitively bad? There must be something you think you can do better that they do in that case. Am I right?

Perhaps (and this is sheer conjecture. Hippie, please shoot me down if I am way off the mark) it is not so much that she feels "bad as a christian," but that she feels she is "not doing a very good job as a christian." Perhaps she IS happy with her christianity, but doesn't really get why she seems to be 'not as good at it' as her preacher says she should. :/

For what what it's worth, you sound like a darn good christian to me.

Hippiefly wrote:Mostly, I disagree with teachings.

That doesn't make you a bad Christian. I consider myself a Baptist, but I also disagree with some of what the church is teaching. Don't get me wrong, GEBC is a great and warm-welcoming church. But, I do not agree with some of the teachings either. It happens with a lot of questioning Christians. Through questioning, we learn.

Perhaps I am thinking of Christianity as one whole, instead of a blanket term for multiple groups. Perhaps I need to find a new church to fully decide if I am no longer a Christian or if I am just not Baptist Christian. I grew up in a non-denominational Christian church, so I often don't think about different denominations of Christianity being very different.

Congrats on turing Orange!

WOAH. When did this happen? Was it my 100th post?

I didn't even notice til you said something cuz m screen is funky and if it's not at a particular angle, I can't tell colors that are similar, like the shades of red and orange on here.

Ha, it's cool.

And yeah.... the different denominations are WAY different, both in how they practice and what they preach.