I'm a very strong Christian, joining this thread late. I:
-Attend a nondenominational church, but feel leanings towards Baptist
-Listen to Christian music (although not exclusively, my favorite band is TMBG, although they're not Christian)
-Play the Christian card game Redemption
-Love God and Jesus intensely
-Read and believe the Bible, taking a very literal stance
-Look forward to Jesus' second coming
-Attended a Catholic high school, even though I'm Protestant
I took that "Belief-O-Matic" quiz, and got:
1. Mainline to Conservative Christian/Protestant (100%)
2. Seventh Day Adventist (87%)
3. Orthodox Quaker (86%)
4. Eastern Orthodox (80%)
5. Roman Catholic (80%)
I didn't like the quiz (even though I agree with the top placing) since many questions had multiple answers I thought were right or no answers I thought were right.
As for whoever asked about what happens to those who never heard about Jesus? Well, after Christ's second coming there will be witnesses sent by God to help those who never knew of the way. It's a kind of second chance.
Homosexuality is, I believe, wrong. I do not believe that people should completely shun homosexuals. People should instead try to point out why it is wrong, rather than just shouting, "HEATHEN!" and not trying to accept the person as a person.
God hides a lot of knowledge from us, not because he wants to play games with our minds, but because our feeble human brains cannot handle it. He created humans not as mindless drones, but as the only creatures capable of making a distinct choice toward God, making their praise to him more meaningful. We cannot always know why there is suffering, why people die, or why entropy is such. That is beyond our control, and only God knows.
Jesus loves every single person, and has a distinct plan for each one's life. However, the love has to have a two-way flow. He gives each person many chances to accept him during his or her lifetime. He is so merciful that even the worst people, those most against him, can turn around entirely (see: Paul). If they refuse to accept, they remain lost and will be eternally separated from him.
One thing that turns so many people away from Christianity/Catholicism is the number of people who claim to be part of it but simply do not follow the most basic teachings. In fact, my girlfriend used to be Catholic but abandoned it because she disagreed with Catholic leaders' actions. Satan has planted seeds in even the most involved of Christians, and is trying to do all he can before his captivity to turn people away from God.
Quote:
How does something "just exist"? You don't get something from nothing. It makes no sense to me. Yet we're obviously here, so something must "just exist".
God is all-powerful. He works in more dimensions than we feeble humans can comprehend. Another thing God withholds from us.
Does God hate Catholicism? No! Any who believe in Jesus Christ as God's true, holy son and incarnation and who worship him and live for him will be saved and eternally rewarded. While there are many Catholic practices I disagree with, true Catholics are Christians all the same and will receive the same as Protestants. Unfortunately, Catholic rituals, practices, and overall non-participative stance leaves many professing Catholics to not feel much pull at all, and don't care much about Christ at all.
Jack Chick... he's a fundamentalist alright. He condemns anyone whose every belief doesn't coincide exactly with his. That is, everyone. While some of his tracts are useful tools, many are pointless condemnations.