How Did You Believe?

[pratt]

some one in this forum claimed he read and researched and came to the conclusion that christianity, in his opinion, is true,,,,

 

with so many exCs here, i have a sample of 7 questions i like to see how would one become a christian.

 

Ok, I would assume that you beome a christian upon saying the sinner's prayer and inviting jesus into your heart.

 

so let see how many of you kind folks would say yes to all 7 questions before saying the sinner's prayers.

 

1. Did you read the whole bible?

2. Did you know about trinity, 3 in 1 god?

3. Did you know about your sins originates from Adam/Eve/talking snake?

4. Did you know about 40,000 denominations?

5. Did you know about the young earth prescribed by the bible and evolution theory?

6. Did you understand some parts are literal and some parts are not?

7. Did you know the bible is just a collection of books decided by board of directors in 300+ AD and they did not claim to have the original manuscripts?

 

My answers to the above questions

 

1. no

2. no

3. no

4. no

5. no

6. no

7. no

[ironhorse]

pratt,

 

Those are some valid questions.

Are they only for Ex Christians to answer.

[pratt]

of course christians are welcome to answer

[Roz]

1. Did you read the whole bible?

---grew up with adventist parents, I think my first book was some children's bible (EDIT:  before I became christian (gave heart to yeshitwa)?  No.  While a christian?  No.

When I was having doubts?  Started.  By the time I said "you fucking slaver!" to yeshitwa?  Finished reading it."

2. Did you know about trinity, 3 in 1 god?

---hard to say, being born into a christian family.  It wasn't until early-teen church school that someone attempted to explain this fucked up doctrine.

3. Did you know about your sins originates from Adam/Eve/talking snake?

---I would say yes, but that's because I grew up in the church.  So before I gave the sinner's prayer I knew this.

4. Did you know about 40,000 denominations?

---Again yes, but we were always told we had the right doctrine and the others were missing pieces of it.  Looking at the denomination's websites now, they all preach the same damn thing heh.

5. Did you know about the young earth prescribed by the bible and evolution theory?

---All adventists are YECs, so I knew YEC.  Evolution?  Not until high school.

6. Did you understand some parts are literal and some parts are not?

---See answer 4.  All the denominations differ on where exactly they draw the lines.

7. Did you know the bible is just a collection of books decided by board of directors in 300+ AD and they did not claim to have the original manuscripts?

---Yes, but we were taught it was protected by god's loving hands (hahahahaha)

[Lucynia]

some one in this forum claimed he read and researched and came to the conclusion that christianity, in his opinion, is true,,,,

 

with so many exCs here, i have a sample of 7 questions i like to see how would one become a christian.

 

Ok, I would assume that you beome a christian upon saying the sinner's prayer and inviting jesus into your heart.

 

so let see how many of you kind folks would say yes to all 7 questions before saying the sinner's prayers.

 

1. Did you read the whole bible?

2. Did you know about trinity, 3 in 1 god?

3. Did you know about your sins originates from Adam/Eve/talking snake?

4. Did you know about 40,000 denominations?

5. Did you know about the young earth prescribed by the bible and evolution theory?

6. Did you understand some parts are literal and some parts are not?

7. Did you know the bible is just a collection of books decided by board of directors in 300+ AD and they did not claim to have the original manuscripts?

 

 

1. Yes, several times by the time I came back to my faith as an adult.  I was raised in a babtist/ non denom home and was very involved as a child/ teen.  Fell away during early college years, came back full force in my early 20's.

2. Yes, had studied church history and all that.

3. Yes.

4. I didn't know there were that many, but had been a member of several different denominations while growing up.

5. Yes, thought it was ridiculous.

6. I sure thought so!  I was even pretty sure on what was what.  I was so smart.

7. Yes, but the whole 'Guided by God' principle held me over for a while.

[disillusioned]

some one in this forum claimed he read and researched and came to the conclusion that christianity, in his opinion, is true,,,,

 

with so many exCs here, i have a sample of 7 questions i like to see how would one become a christian.

 

Ok, I would assume that you beome a christian upon saying the sinner's prayer and inviting jesus into your heart.

 

so let see how many of you kind folks would say yes to all 7 questions before saying the sinner's prayers.

 

1. Did you read the whole bible?

2. Did you know about trinity, 3 in 1 god?

3. Did you know about your sins originates from Adam/Eve/talking snake?

4. Did you know about 40,000 denominations?

5. Did you know about the young earth prescribed by the bible and evolution theory?

6. Did you understand some parts are literal and some parts are not?

7. Did you know the bible is just a collection of books decided by board of directors in 300+ AD and they did not claim to have the original manuscripts?

 

1. Yes, several times. I was made to memorize many chapters.

 

2. Yes.

 

3. Yes.

 

4. The number 40000 was not discussed, but I was very much aware that there are many denominations, and that they differ significantly.

 

5. Of course. I was taught that serious people don't believe in evolution, and that it is a hoax put forth by atheists. I was also told that the Biblical narrative aligns much more readily with the actual evidence than does evolution. The realization that this is false was one of my first steps away.

 

6. I was taught that the Bible is inerrant and literal. Contradictions and inconsistencies were explained by the fact that God's ways are not our ways, and the fact that our understanding is incomplete. The realization that the Bible is neither inerrant nor literal was another major step out the door.

 

7. Yes, I was aware of this, but I was also taught that these people were inspired by God in their selection of texts, thereby preserving the sanctity of God's word.

[Cousin Ricky]

I was raised Catholic, and they don't do the Sinner's Prayer. The best equivalent they have would be the Sacrament of Confirmation, so I will use that milestone. I had just turned 14.

 

1. Did you read the whole bible? No.

2. Did you know about trinity, 3 in 1 god? Yes.

3. Did you know about your sins originates from Adam/Eve/talking snake? Yes, but I did not take it literally. (Talking snake? Right! (Funny how I never questioned the floating zombie that came later.))

4. Did you know about 40,000 denominations? I didn't know there were that many, but in the Catholic mindset, the number of denominations is irrelevant, because the Catholics were first (so they claim).
5. Did you know about the young earth prescribed by the bible and evolution theory? Yes to both.
6. Did you understand some parts are literal and some parts are not? Yes. (In fact, in religious education, I was told flat out that Jonah was fiction.)
7. Did you know the bible is just a collection of books decided by board of directors in 300+ AD and they did not claim to have the original manuscripts? No.

[directionless]

some one in this forum claimed he read and researched and came to the conclusion that christianity, in his opinion, is true,,,,

 

with so many exCs here, i have a sample of 7 questions i like to see how would one become a christian.

 

Ok, I would assume that you beome a christian upon saying the sinner's prayer and inviting jesus into your heart.

I grew up Episcopalian so there was infant baptism followed by confirmation at about 12. Then at times I would watch TV and wonder if I was a Christian and say the sinner's prayer, but I always felt like I must not be doing it with all my heart because it never seemed to do anything - no "I saw the light" experience.

 

So I'll use confirmation to answer those questions.

 

1. Did you read the whole bible?

yes

 

2. Did you know about trinity, 3 in 1 god?

yes

 

3. Did you know about your sins originates from Adam/Eve/talking snake?

maybe (don't remember)

 

4. Did you know about 40,000 denominations?

no (I probably thought there were 10 or 20)

 

5. Did you know about the young earth prescribed by the bible and evolution theory?

yes

 

6. Did you understand some parts are literal and some parts are not?

no

 

7. Did you know the bible is just a collection of books decided by board of directors in 300+ AD and they did not claim to have the original manuscripts?

no

[TheRedneckProfessor]

1. Did you read the whole bible? Yes

 

2. Did you know about trinity, 3 in 1 god?  Yes

 

3. Did you know about your sins originates from Adam/Eve/talking snake?  Yes

 

4. Did you know about 40,000 denominations?  No

 

5. Did you know about the young earth prescribed by the bible and evolution theory?  I was taught creationism only and had nothing

more than a vague awareness of the existence of evolution theory.

 

6. Did you understand some parts are literal and some parts are not?  Yes

 

7. Did you know the bible is just a collection of books decided by board of directors in 300+ AD and they did not claim to have the original manuscripts?  No

 

[Orbit]

1. Did you read the whole bible? 

Yes, more than once before the age of 18.
2. Did you know about trinity, 3 in 1 god?

I knew about it, but personally rejected it because it didn't make sense to me.
3. Did you know about your sins originates from Adam/Eve/talking snake?

Yes, but Presbyterians didn't overly emphasize this.
4. Did you know about 40,000 denominations?

I thought there were hundreds, I had no idea there were thousands.
5. Did you know about the young earth prescribed by the bible and evolution theory?

No, I always accepted evolution, and this was not a big issue in my denomination.
6. Did you understand some parts are literal and some parts are not?

I did understand that, but my mom was a literalist.
7. Did you know the bible is just a collection of books decided by board of directors in 300+ AD and they did not claim to have the original manuscripts?

I found out about this when I was in my early 20s.

[ironhorse]

I am answering this based on what I knew at the age I accepted Jesus as the Messiah. I was twelve.

 

1. Did you read the whole bible? No, I remember reading some in the OT and some in the NT, but not much.

2. Did you know about trinity, 3 in 1 god?  I heard the term but did not understand what it meant. 

3. Did you know about your sins originates from Adam/Eve/talking snake?  I understood original sin as Adam and Eve disobeying God.

4. Did you know about 40,000 denominations? I knew there were some but not how many.

5. Did you know about the young earth prescribed by the bible and evolution theory?  I was taught that God created the earth is six days and rested on the seventh.

6. Did you understand some parts are literal and some parts are not?  Not sure. I don't think I was well versed in knowing the difference between literal and figurative language.

7. Did you know the bible is just a collection of books decided by board of directors in 300+ AD and they did not claim to have the original manuscripts?  I only understood that the Bible was a collection of ancient books.

[Deidre]

1 through 5 = yes

#6 = no

#7 = yes

 

*Prior to deconversion process taking shape.

 

*I was indoctrinated into Christianity as a kid, so really wasn't a choice, per se, on my part.

[FreeThinkerNZ]

I am answering this based on what I knew at the age I accepted Jesus as the Messiah. I was twelve.

 

1. Did you read the whole bible? No, I remember reading some in the OT and some in the NT, but not much.

 

2. Did you know about trinity, 3 in 1 god?  I heard the term but did not understand what it meant. 

 

3. Did you know about your sins originates from Adam/Eve/talking snake?  I understood original sin as Adam and Eve disobeying God.

 

4. Did you know about 40,000 denominations? I knew there were some but not how many.

 

5. Did you know about the young earth prescribed by the bible and evolution theory?  I was taught that God created the earth is six days and rested on the seventh.

 

6. Did you understand some parts are literal and some parts are not?  Not sure. I don't think I was well versed in knowing the difference between literal and figurative language.

 

7. Did you know the bible is just a collection of books decided by board of directors in 300+ AD and they did not claim to have the original manuscripts?  I only understood that the Bible was a collection of ancient books.

Do you now accept that there are approx 40,000 denominations?  Why do you think there are so many?

 

Do you think god created the earth in 6 literal or 6 figurative days, and why do you think that?

 

How do you determine the difference between literal and figurative language in the bible?

 

How do you know the right books were included in the bible?

[moanareina]

Somehow conversion and 'knowledge' merged, can't remember an exact date when I 'accepted' Christ...though I remember to take that decision several times because I felt like I had not been a real Christian once in a while and needed a new start, wanted to get serious.

 

1. Did you read the whole bible?

I read the whole bible when I was in my twenties. Before I have read a lot of it but not all. I think I had the new testament though. By the age of 18 or so. 

And I have heard the major stories several times during my entire childhood.

 

2. Did you know about trinity, 3 in 1 god?

Can't remember when that concept came into existence...but it sure came after me considering myself to be a Christian.

 

3. Did you know about your sins originates from Adam/Eve/talking snake?

Yes from the very start and I always thought it was kinda unfair to be held responsible for something someone else messed up. Even when the concept of Jesus having payed for it has been introduced I found it unfair that we had to deal with all the difficulties of life just because Eve could not resist to eat that fruit...and therefore I had to grow up in an unloving and broken environment, deal with all that heartache.

 

4. Did you know about 40,000 denominations?

Nah, I was four duh, when I got into that mess of religion and my family was methodist. I did not really understand what that actually meant. Then my parents went to the protestant church nearby as we moved. Then the pastor there got kicked out of his Church (protestant and catholic are the two Churches of the state, means they are funded by taxes and therefore controlled by the state which actually is a good thing...) because he got quite pentecostal. Of course that meant he was persecuted...and therefore took the people who where on his side with him and started a nondenominational (very manipulative and fundie) Church where my dad was in the leading team. It was the time when my parents had a fight each sunday because my mom didn't like that Church and my dad was happy...And my mom then looked for another one while my dad refused to leave that Church...rumors started and judgments as well (my mom not submissive to my dad crap) and so my dad finally gave in and left...to attend a very conservative congregation called Chrischona. By that time I was quite aware of denominations but not that many. I live in a small country...haha.

 

5. Did you know about the young earth prescribed by the bible and evolution theory?

Yes my dad made sure we 'knew' the 'real deal', especially by the age dinosaurs and evolution theory was brought up in school. Dinosaurs was second or third grade and evolution fourth grade.

 

6. Did you understand some parts are literal and some parts are not?

I guess I did. And then I didn't.

 

7. Did you know the bible is just a collection of books decided by board of directors in 300+ AD and they did not claim to have the original manuscripts?

As much as I can remember they explained how the bible got put together in children's hour...that was when I was about eight or nine. And we had a tape with the story of the dead sea scrolls that we used to listen to.

[bornagainathiest]

I am answering this based on what I knew at the age I accepted Jesus as the Messiah. I was twelve.

 

1. Did you read the whole bible? No, I remember reading some in the OT and some in the NT, but not much.

 

2. Did you know about trinity, 3 in 1 god?  I heard the term but did not understand what it meant. 

 

3. Did you know about your sins originates from Adam/Eve/talking snake?  I understood original sin as Adam and Eve disobeying God.

 

4. Did you know about 40,000 denominations? I knew there were some but not how many.

 

5. Did you know about the young earth prescribed by the bible and evolution theory?  I was taught that God created the earth is six days and rested on the seventh.

 

6. Did you understand some parts are literal and some parts are not?  Not sure. I don't think I was well versed in knowing the difference between literal and figurative language.

 

7. Did you know the bible is just a collection of books decided by board of directors in 300+ AD and they did not claim to have the original manuscripts?  I only understood that the Bible was a collection of ancient books.

 

Re # 5, Ironhorse...

 

You were taught that God created the earth in six days and rested on the seventh - by someone who had a proper understanding of # 6...?

[midniterider]

so let see how many of you kind folks would say yes to all 7 questions before saying the sinner's prayers.

1. Did you read the whole bible?
2. Did you know about trinity, 3 in 1 god?
3. Did you know about your sins originates from Adam/Eve/talking snake?
4. Did you know about 40,000 denominations?
5. Did you know about the young earth prescribed by the bible and evolution theory?
6. Did you understand some parts are literal and some parts are not?
7. Did you know the bible is just a collection of books decided by board of directors in 300+ AD and they did not claim to have the original manuscripts?

 

1. No

2. No

3. No

4. No

5. No

6. No

7. No

 

Learned all that after doing the sinner's prayer.