[JGS]

It might be a good idea to have a parallel Christianity debate thread somewhere, just so that you can point people there to exercise their debating urges, and keep this one free for believers to do their thing.

http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showthread.php?t=389221

[Fernando Rocker]

Like I said in the OP, I created this thread mostly for us Christian-GAF. If some of you guys want to debate about religion, you can go to this thread:

The Official Religion Thread

[Juanadams]

By the same token, do we need a hundred "I hate Christians" threads?

Athiest-gaf aren't I hate christian threads, christians can be so defensive.

[teruterubozu]

This has been attempted several times in GAF history. All have failed miserably.

[Delightful Oonsk]

By the way... to what Christianity movement do you belong? I'm a Methodist.

Assemblies of God here.

Yup, I'm in. Jesus is my hero. I'm personally too lazy to do it the old fashion way, so I use the android app to read it out loud to me on the day to work. I'm up to Leviticus now. Furthest I ever got before was halfway through genesis where all of Abraham's sons were named.

Oh what a bummer lol. The Old Testament can be pretty dense at times for certain. I always advise people to start with the New Testament, then go back to the Old Testament later. I find I get a lot more out of the New Testament that is applicable to my life.

Athiest-gaf aren't I hate christian threads, christians can be so defensive.

I don't have any problems with particular threads, I just find it frustrating when a thread gets made about something bad that happens and inevitably there will be a chain of posts of "where is you God now?" and other stuff life the Troll God meme in the funny pics thread. I don't have a problem with atheist-GAF, but it's hard to read all of that stuff being posted daily and know that to reply with any reproach would be to totally derail the thread and spark arguments.

[AceBandage]

Athiest-gaf aren't I hate christian threads, christians can be so defensive.

A lot of Religious threads end up being "You stupid Christians, how can you believe in a magical creature".

[WillyFive]

Good luck to you guys, try to keep it civil. I'm personally an atheist but I can understand why people lean towards religion and practice it. So here's a question or two: 1) How did you acquire your christian faith? Were you born into christianity or did you "find God" through other means?

Being born into it gives you a good start, but you really don't continue doing it unless you start to really believe in it.

2) Other than your faith, how do you cope with the substantial evidence that contradicts both the beliefs and many texts of the bible? To expand on this question, there are quite a few glaring paradoxes that can be found in the bible, namely to creation and even with God's benevolence. When people bring up these paradoxes to you... how do you respond?

By studying them. A lot of criticism aimed at the Bible are either due to poor sense of context or it comes from a point of view that is too simple to judge at face value.

It's the same as people saying "Why are there still monkeys?". They are thinking the problem is a lot simpler than it really is (in this case would be thinking evolution is a straight line instead of like a tree). That is how it looks like when some say "Why is God mean to us in the Old Testament, but then Jesus says he's nice in the new one?" (which in this case would be thinking God is made of just one quality instead of many).

[ghst]

Like I said in the OP, I created this thread mostly for us Christian-GAF. If some of you guys want to debate about religion, you can go to this thread: The Official Religion Thread

can't wait till this spreads to the gaming side.

Uncharted 3 lOTl - Autogame for half-tucks.
Uncharted 3 - Official thread of people who really like Uncharted 3 (no debate please).

A lot of Religious threads end up being "You stupid Christians, how can you believe in a magical creature".

and you should proceed to tell them why, not run off to your little "no dissension" club. it's how forums roll.

[Matthew Gallant]

Does it bum anyone else out that all protestants who died before 1964 went to hell?

[kinggroin]

Assemblies of God here. Oh what a bummer lol. The Old Testament can be pretty dense at times for certain. I always advise people to start with the New Testament, then go back to the Old Testament later. I find I get a lot more out of the New Testament that is applicable to my life.

Don't know if I have a denomination. I just kinda pick and choose to make my own kind. I like parts of one and parts of another. There are even some parts of islam I like to practice (mostly relating to dedication to worship).

Assemblies of kinggroin representing I guess.

[AceBandage]

can't wait till this spreads to the gaming side. Uncharted 3 lOTl Uncharted 3 - Official thread of people who really like Uncharted 3 (no debate please).

Going into a gaming thread simply to troll it certainly is a quick way to get banned, actually.

[coldvein]

i could perhaps be considered a christian. raised methodist, anyway. i truly hope that there is a great god of infinite love out there that loves me.

[vitaminwateryum]

Going into a gaming thread simply to troll it certainly is a quick way to get banned, actually.

Discussion is not trolling.

[WanderingWind]

can't wait till this spreads to the gaming side. Uncharted 3 lOTl - Autogame for half-tucks. Uncharted 3 - Official thread of people who really like Uncharted 3 (no debate please).

We get it. You want to debate. Want to post about it several more times, or what?

[sphagnum]

1) How did you acquire your christian faith? Were you born into christianity or did you "find God" through other means?

Family raised me in it in the evangelical tradition, which pretty much ruined me and made me massively dickish and insecure. When you think that the world is going to end any minute and your friends are all going to hell and sex is wrong and you shouldn't have self-esteem because it's a secular liberal creation to take you off reliance from God, you tend to become a bad person. This all went against everything my brain was telling me, because I was interested in science since my childhood, and I was always at the top of my class, so I understood how critical thinking worked. Eventually I took to reading/thinking for myself and secretly led my own religious life for a few years before I officially broke from my parents' church. I now consider myself nondenominational but I go to a Methodist church. You'd probably think that after all that I'd have turned atheist, and for a while I tried out agnosticism, but both of them just felt meaningless. I read up on Buddhism, Islam, Messianic Judaism, etc. but kept finding various things about them that I didn't like. Liberal Christianity (and to an extent socialism) was the only ideology/creed that appealed to me. It's too beautiful for me to dismiss, as irrational as that sounds. But then again, I like Kierkegaard, and the knight of faith immediately grabbed me.

2) Other than your faith, how do you cope with the substantial evidence that contradicts both the beliefs and many texts of the bible? To expand on this question, there are quite a few glaring paradoxes that can be found in the bible, namely to creation and even with God's benevolence. When people bring up these paradoxes to you... how do you respond?

I agree with them, because the Bible isn't a divinely inspired holy text, it's just a collection of various writings by various authors with various opinions on various subjects, from various places over various eras of time. I'm really interested in textual criticism and all that though, so while that often shoots holes through the Bible, it also seems to indicate to me that there's a solid basis for at least the New Testament. And the apostles went through a whole hell of a lot of suffering with pretty much no hope of worldly reward for something (I know that's not necessarily indicative that they were correct, but it's always something I've found both interesting and inspiring).

[AceBandage]

Discussion is not trolling.

Nothing is being discussed by ghst, though.
It's basically "This thread shouldn't exist and it's stupid."

[Baby Jesus]

Great thread. My father will be pleased.

[WillyFive]

Discussion is not trolling.

Of course there is a difference. You can still go into one while thinking you are doing the other though.

[ThoseDeafMutes]

Is there any data about the religiosity of Gaf? Like a poll thread or something?

[ghst]

Nothing is being discussed by ghst, though. It's basically "This thread shouldn't exist and it's stupid."

official christianity thread? go nuts.

official christianity thread ONLY FOR THOSE WHO ACCEPT THE LORD AND SAVIOUR is poisonous for any forum that doesn't want to become a swamp of censorship. i don't remember any other thread in gaf history that makes specific theistic requirements for participating in it.

just because the op lays down some exclusionary dogma in the op, doesn't mean it's going to be enforced.

[OttomanScribe]

Maybe y'all Christians should simply not feed the trolls until they go away? Alternatively just answer their queries (if answering is important) in the other debate thread? Then refer them to your reply?

[Dreams-Visions]

Does it bum anyone else out that all protestants who died before 1964 went to hell?

clarify.

[AceBandage]

official christianity thread? go nuts. official christianity thread ONLY FOR THOSE WHO ACCEPT THE LORD AND SAVIOUR is poisonous for any forum that doesn't want to become a swamp of censorship. i don't remember any other thread in gaf history that makes specific theistic requirements for participating in it.

While I agree that there certainly shouldn't be a theistic limit put on the thread, I also agree that there's enough threads about on GAF that argue beliefs endlessly as it is.

[WanderingWind]

Outside of my wife, nobody really knows I'm a Christian, because I keep that shit to myself. Nobody cares, and I'm not interested in preaching. I find it humorous, though, how some Christians view the world and it seems to directly conflict the base tenants of the book they base their life around.

It should be simple. Love one another. Don't be a shithead. Treat the world and everything in it as a gift. Let others live their lives. Live yours.

I'm not a church goer, because I hate the business of religion. I'm sure there is a name for what I practice, but I pray for thanks, work my ass off for what I want, and try to be a better person when I go to sleep than when I woke up.

[Agent Ironside]

Christian-GAF assemble.

Just a random thought ive had lately, I need to get my stuff together, lately been finding myself drifting away from Church and the Bible etc. I think its good to remember that yes, he is a God of love, but that he is also a God of judgment.

Anyways, I am a non-denominational Christian.

Outside of my wife, nobody really knows I'm a Christian, because I keep that shit to myself. Nobody cares, and I'm not interested in preaching. I find it humorous, though, how some Christians view the world and it seems to directly conflict the base tenants of the book they base their life around. It should be simple. Love one another. Don't be a shithead. Treat the world and everything in it as a gift. Let others live their lives. Live yours. I'm not a church goer, because I hate the business of religion. I'm sure there is a name for what I practice, but I pray for thanks, work my ass off for what I want, and try to be a better person when I go to sleep than when I woke up.

Well but its good when people know you're a Christian, it sets a good example, and not by pushing your beliefs on them and stuff, but by just the way you act around them, I think people can tell, there is usually just a different kind of energy around a Christian.

[OttomanScribe]

official christianity thread? go nuts. official christianity thread ONLY FOR THOSE WHO ACCEPT THE LORD AND SAVIOUR is poisonous for any forum that doesn't want to become a swamp of censorship. i don't remember any other thread in gaf history that makes specific theistic requirements for participating in it.

There is no censorship required, all the Christians have to do is ignore troll posts. The reality of the forum is that there will always be people who are more familiar with each other than others. This occurs along economic, political and other lines as well. I am already starting to familiarise myself with the people on this forum whom I think I can engage in intelligent debate with, and those who are beyond it. This is a natural process.

I don't see what harm this can do, as long as the trolls aren't baited, and lets be honest, this is a giant troll snack hanging from a tree.

I don't think it will be a matter of having 'specific theistic requirements' to participate as much as it is 'have some respect for the purpose with which the thread was created'.

[racooon]

If you think there's a God then you're a deist, can't really think of anything more specific than that.
Isms and schisms are daft anyway.

[eternaLightness]

I've been on a mission to start back getting into the bible regularly and hopefully can read it cover to cover. I recently added the Bible app to my phone since it's always with me and really want get it to be a part of my life again and study it on a regular basis.

When I was younger, I loved going to church, Sunday school, reading the Bible, all that stuff but as I got older I've definitely gotten more lazy in my spirituality. I even went through a pretty dark period last year where my family hit a rough spot and I blamed God for it all and started to hate. I eventually "opened my eyes" after awhile and realized that I could be trying to make things better so I started to pray a lot more and I definitely feel things have gotten a lot better for me and my family. Things aren't perfect but I'm happy where I'm at now.

I do hope to become a better Christian and I know that's gonna rely on me to put forth the effort.

[ghst]

I don't see what harm this can do, as long as the trolls aren't baited, and lets be honest, this is a giant troll snack hanging from a tree.

i think we've found something to agree on. any thread that opens with "YOU CANNOT POST HERE OR VOICE YOUR DISSENT AGAINST MY BELIEFS" is a comic sans type invitation to a $2 all you can eat troll buffet.

[kinggroin]

Outside of my wife, nobody really knows I'm a Christian, because I keep that shit to myself. Nobody cares, and I'm not interested in preaching. I find it humorous, though, how some Christians view the world and it seems to directly conflict the base tenants of the book they base their life around. It should be simple. Love one another. Don't be a shithead. Treat the world and everything in it as a gift. Let others live their lives. Live yours. I'm not a church goer, because I hate the business of religion. I'm sure there is a name for what I practice, but I pray for thanks, work my ass off for what I want, and try to be a better person when I go to sleep than when I woke up.

I always knew my mother was lying about me not having any brothers from her previous marriage.

Glad I found you.

[SenseiJinx]

I'm a Christian. Thanks for posting this thread!

[Jeff-DSA]

Checking in.

I'm LDS, served my mission in Santiago, Chile back in 2002 until 2002. I hope this thread stays positive and constructive. It would be nice to have a good place to discuss current issues from a Christian perspective and not get trolled out of the thread for it.

[WillyFive]

Christian-GAF assemble. Just a random thought ive had lately, I need to get my stuff together, lately been finding myself drifting away from Church and the Bible etc. I think its good to remember that yes, he is a God of love, but that he is also a God of judgment. Anyways, I am a non-denominational Christian.

If you need any help or insight in what troubles you, we (the serious ones, at least) will gladly help.

[racooon]

If you're genuinely worried about being 'trolled' on GAF I'd advise mass-joining a Christian web forum (or making your own?).

[Fernando Rocker]

For anyone wanting to read the Bible again, you guys should try with the New International Version.

I'm currently reading the Spanish version, and it's way easier to read.

[Agent Ironside]

Outside of my wife, nobody really knows I'm a Christian, because I keep that shit to myself. Nobody cares, and I'm not interested in preaching. I find it humorous, though, how some Christians view the world and it seems to directly conflict the base tenants of the book they base their life around. It should be simple. Love one another. Don't be a shithead. Treat the world and everything in it as a gift. Let others live their lives. Live yours. I'm not a church goer, because I hate the business of religion. I'm sure there is a name for what I practice, but I pray for thanks, work my ass off for what I want, and try to be a better person when I go to sleep than when I woke up.

Well but its good when people know you're a Christian, it sets a good example, and not by pushing your beliefs on them and stuff, but by just the way you act around them, I think people can tell, there is usually just a different kind of energy around a Christian.

[OttomanScribe]

If they can keep off the trolls, the biggest danger is sectarian warfare, I've been on Christian forums before, people can get pretty into that stuff. Hopefully being a minority will breed unity?

[WanderingWind]

I always knew my mother was lying about me not having any brothers from her previous marriage. Glad I found you.

*bro-fist bump*

Well but its good when people know you're a Christian, it sets a good example, and not by pushing your beliefs on them and stuff, but by just the way you act around them, I think people can tell, there is usually just a different kind of energy around a Christian.

I don't deny it or anything. I just don't bring it up. It's just not my fight, ya know? I do feel a responsibility to fight for basic human rights, however. Based on my inner sense of right and wrong and based on the fact that so many of our brothers and sisters seems hell-bent on tearing down instead of building up.

[aronnov reborn]

How many of Christian-GAF regularly read the Bible?

I frequent it quite often. More lately for some reason.

[WillyFive]

If you're genuinely worried about being 'trolled' on GAF I'd advise mass-joining a Christian web forum (or making your own?).

But that's stupid. Why should we leave NeoGAF just because of our beliefs?

[Cyan]

Man, I get that people want somewhere to discuss their religion without getting 10x "lol spaghetti monster!!!111" responses, but this sort of sub-community thread usually gets locked pretty quick.

Would be interesting to have a general love-in thread where people can talk about whatever they like without getting hateful responses. Maybe we could try something like that.

[AceBandage]

If they can keep off the trolls, the biggest danger is sectarian warfare, I've been on Christian forums before, people can get pretty into that stuff. Hopefully being a minority will breed unity?

I never really got this.
I've met a lot of so called Christians who are so uppity about which denomination they are.

Man, I get that people want somewhere to discuss their religion without getting 10x "lol spaghetti monster!!!111" responses, but this sort of sub-community thread usually gets locked pretty quick. Would be interesting to have a general love-in thread where people can talk about whatever they like without getting hateful responses. Maybe we could try something like that.

I think the biggest problem with any of these kinds of threads is that we're all jaded assholes on the internet.

[Jeff-DSA]

If you're genuinely worried about being 'trolled' on GAF I'd advise mass-joining a Christian web forum (or making your own?).

Why don't people just refrain from trolling, like the TOS says they're supposed to do?

[rmt92]

Wouldn't really label myself a denomination but I attend Assemblies of God.

My brother just attended a "convention" of sorts I guess in Nashville where he did a sermon. Very proud, especially since he is only 14.

[Ezalc]

official christianity thread? go nuts. official christianity thread ONLY FOR THOSE WHO ACCEPT THE LORD AND SAVIOUR is poisonous for any forum that doesn't want to become a swamp of censorship. i don't remember any other thread in gaf history that makes specific theistic requirements for participating in it.

There aren't any theistic requirements, the only requirement is respect.

The thing with GAF is that you guys are usually a pretty accepting bunch, until it pertains to religion. If I went to the gay thread right now, and started bashing homosexuality I'm positive that I'd be banned within a few minutes. This however has never been the case with religion as far as I have seen.

People can doubt, question, and even find the whole thread pointless and stupid. But if you won't be respectful of the people's beliefs then don't bother posting, ignore the thread. I'm pretty sure you have skipped over other threads that didn't interest you why is this one any different?

Anyways, I am a Christian. I'm not frequenting church right now since I moved recently and I haven't found a church I like yet. I don't really like denominations, to me I just believe in God and Jesus and that's all that matters to me. I don't go around preaching to people because I feel that I will live my life and they will live theirs. Their choices are their own and they are free do with it whatever they want. If a person comes up to me and asks I won't say no to talking to them about it though.

[Matthew Gallant]

clarify.

Vatican II. Before that, all non-Catholics automatically went to hell.

[racooon]

Why don't people just refrain from trolling, like the TOS says they're supposed to do?

Because I'd like to discuss and criticise Christianity, as I would anything I find problems with. That ain't trolling., but clearly OP and co would rather I didn't.

[Fernando Rocker]

There aren't any theistic requirements, the only requirement is respect. The thing with GAF is that you guys are usually a pretty accepting bunch, until it pertains to religion. If I went to the gay thread right now, and started bashing homosexuality I'm positive that I'd be banned within a few minutes. This however has never been the case with religion as far as I have seen. People can doubt, question, and even find the whole thread pointless and stupid. But if you won't be respectful of the people's beliefs then don't bother posting, ignore the thread. I'm pretty sure you have skipped over other threads that didn't interest you why is this one any different? Anyways, I am a Christian. I'm not frequenting church right now since I moved recently and I haven't found a church I like yet. I don't really like denominations, to me I just believe in God and Jesus and that's all that matters to me. I don't go around preaching to people because I feel that I will live my life and they will live theirs. Their choices are their own and they are free do with it whatever they want. If a person comes up to me and asks I won't say no to talking to them about it though.

Thank you for this post. This is exactly how I feel...

Sometimes I can't really express myself that easily here on the forum because English is not my main language.

Please, people... we should respect each other.

[OttomanScribe]

I never really got this. I've met a lot of so called Christians who are so uppity about which denomination they are.

I think it is less prevalent now. When my Grandmother married a Protestant (she was Catholic) it was a HUGE deal. Now there are so many atheists and non-Christians running about that Christians ally with each other. I know that even religious people in general seem to make shaky alliances in the face of atheists. That was the case on an atheist forum I used to frequent.

[AceBandage]

Because I'd like to discuss and criticise Christianity, as I would anything I find problems with. That ain't trolling., but clearly OP and co would rather I didn't.

You can question without criticism, you know...