If you don't go to church you will go to hell

Well, you deserve a great big "AMEN" for that response! (No pun intended!) It makes me feel a lot better knowing I'm not possessed by the devil, like my mom seems to think - I think she feels bad because I guess she figures she raised me a certain way and I'm not adhering to that way. Oh well...! Thanks so much for responding - you, fellow heathen, you! Hahahahaha! (Just joking, you know!)

There are a lot of churches that are in the money business, but tehre are some that aren't. My church is more about reaching out to the people and meeting their needs. We are actually struggling to meet our finances, but my pastor won't push the issue of giving to the church. WE don't tell the congregation how much they should give, but appreciate what is given.

Its not churches only every religious institution has unaccounted money and in so much that they only can bring us out of the economic crisis alone. I am totally against institutions of any kind and I do not see God anywhere but in anture and in people and inside me. I feel wherever there is something good happening God is there.Today we were standing next to flowers in the garden and chatting suddenly we say a bee moving from flower to flower and we said see here we are just chattering away meanwhile a beautiful dance of life is taking plcae right before us. It was so beautiful and one of my friend stroked that bee lightly and she didn't even move and allowed her to stroke her. It was amazing, I found a miracle in it. Now thats God for you and its miracle too.

One proof that a person has truly accepted Jesus as Lord and Savior is a changed life. As 2nd Corinthians 5:17- "Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new." So sorry for people who pretend to be religious, doing all religious actions as if holy but still can't surrender their vices and living an old sinful life despite their religious actions every Sunday. As Jesus himself said: Not all those who call me Lord will enter into the kingdom of heaven. Being religious is not giving anyone the pass to heaven. I'm sorry that most people are misled by this wrong traditional belief. You were asking if I am a Protestant or what? Well this is my reply: I am a Christian or in it's truest sense a believer who find salvation in Christ and hence have started living for Jesus. Once in my life I learned I am a sinner and hence repented all my sins and accepted Jesus as my Lord and Savior. I did not have any vice and was actually leading a peaceful life but just the same I believe I am a sinner because the Bible says in Romans 3:3 -"There is none righteous no not one.." In Romans 3;23 it says: "For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God." So having accepted my sinful nature, I repented and accepted Jesus as my Lord and Savior. This automatically made me a Christian who has the assurance of eternal life. Having learned the truth about salvation I sought for a Christ believing church that teaches the Bible without reservation and without alternation. I am therefore a Christian by conviction and a Fundamental Baptist by religion. But I tell you it is not my religion that saved me. My religion is just a product of my search for a church where I could find true worship and real Bible based teachings and a church where I could worship Christ in spirit and in truth.

Thanks, I appreciate it!

i agree with you, its not the religion that will save us from the fires of hell it is our own faith and beliefs. i believed in god and if you have faith in him you will never go wrong. and if you practice the ten commandments of god then you will be saved. its not the images, the prayers that we utter regularly during mass but its the way you understand the deep meaning of it. for me its still best if you pray from the heart rather than reciting all those prayers taught to us my our parents, grandparents etc.

I whole heartedly agree with you!

Stand up, sit down, knee, say this response, say that response - it's just too methodical - reciting memorized prayers just isn't my idea of worship! I'm so glad someone understands where I'm coming from! Thank you so very much for fortifying my feelings that I'm not the heathen my mother seems to think I am! :)

hahah i know what you mean some people have twisted beliefs and unfortunately they do not want to open their minds and see what is right. My grandmother is like that, she gets angry whenever she sees someone in a bikini saying that person will really go to hell! and i once said really? even if that person is really good in reality and not some bad person she thinks who belongs to hell..or what if a person dresses to conservatively does that mean taht person will be saved? or something like that...

Is faith really the sole medium of salvation? Would there be 66 books of the Bible if faith will only be the true essence for man to be saved? Huh! Your pastor has misled you and all others who think so too.

Sadly, the Bible was actually misinterpreted BUT it should have not been so. God only told us to read. Consider this: "Seek ye out of the book of the Lord, and read: no one of these shall fail, none shall want her mate, for My mouth it hath commanded, and His spirit it hath gathered them." --- Isaiah 34:16 Further, no prophecy of the Scripture is of any private interpretation: "And so we have the prophetic word confirmed, which you do well to heed as a light that shines in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts; knowing this first, that no prophecy of Scripture is of any private interpretation, for prophecy never came by the will of man, but holy men of God spoke as they were moved by the Holy Spirit." --- 2 Peter 1:19-21

Your religion is also among the worse religions of our time. You believe in the doctrine Once Saved, Always Saved. That principle permits you to do things your way even if beyond what is commanded by God because you think you are saved anyway.

I just want to say you thanks fifileigh , since I have heard many time and also know this fact that Chrisitans has running a whole campainge in all over the world to convert others in their religion but you are telling that even their own followers are converting to another religion LOL, it would happen ...

Hey! Thanks - I'm going to make a note of that for her! Can't wait to hear her reaction!

God ALWAYS do forgive? Beware, you may have been deceived: "For it is impossible for those who were once enlightened, and have tasted the heavenly gift, and have become partakers of the Holy Spirit, and have tasted the good word of God and the powers of the age to come, if they fall away, to renew them again to repentance, since they crucify again for themselves the Son of God, and put Him to an open shame." --- Hebrews 6:6 This verse negates the claim of born-again groups that once saved, always saved. This also negates your view of God being able to pardon all sins. All sins made outside the knowledge of truth and His true Church shall be forgiven. Yet those who fall away after knowing the true gospel being taught inside the true Church of God shall never come to repentance and correspondingly will never receive forgiveness. Other people who will never receive forgiveness are those who turn away from God's invitation for salvation: "Because I have called and you refused, I have stretched out My Hand and no one regarded, because you disdained all My counsel, and would have none of My rebuke, I also will laugh at your calamity, I will mock when your terror comes."--- Proverbs 1:24-26

Religion and religious beliefs sure are controversial! Boy! If my mom really knew what I thought about it all she would have a heart attack!

Really? There is no God? That religion is garbage? Your prejudicial view of religion is just a result of seeing false religions that are predominant in our time. I pray that you find the true Church that will change the way you see things.