Catholic v. Christian

[Kurn, son of Mogh]

[ QUOTE ]
It all starts with being born again. Catholics and many Christian denominations differ from true Christians in how this is accomplished. Catholics believe priest-baptized infants are born again. This is false. Any religion that baptizes infants and declares them born again is false.

You need to be born of God to be a child of God and a Christian. There are many who try to follow certain philosophies of Christ. There are few who are His kinsmen.

[/ QUOTE ]

When I read mindless, evil, hateful crap like this, I start thinking that human society will only move out of our infancy when all religion is purged forever from this planet.

Then I remind myself that as a libertarian I believe that even idiots like this have the right to believe their silly little fairy tales.

Excellent point on infancy.

Some of you guys have been scared into your beliefs.

Have you ever asked yourself the question, "What would I believe in if I was born in Japan or India?"

[hmkpoker]

That's what got me to drop Christianity [img]/images/graemlins/wink.gif[/img]

Not only those born in a place where christianity is preached can hear from God. Only those who seek truly find, not those who sit in church services.
It's a pity an issue such as your place of birth would make you lose faith in God, I think it's a proverb that says something like, if you fall apart during crisis there was not much of you to begin with.

[Lestat]

So what is someone born in the Middle East into an Islamic family supposed to do? If it were you, do you HONESTLY think you would not be a Muslim right now?

I think it's most likely that I would have been a muslim, yes.
I think if I were around when Christ was I would have been one of the Jews trying to get him killed.

Yet, I'd like to think that I would see if I could defend and rationalise my faith.
Isn't is obvious that if a person has exposure to beliefs they are more likely to accept it, it's only because they have had exposure to it.
A person who I really respect was brought up in a Jewish home, he now believes in Jesus, against his family's wishes, he has been quite excluded from his family.
I like to think that I would measure the accuracy of my beliefs with personal experience and finding relevant answers to my questions.

[Lestat]

I appreciate your honesty.

Although I obviously don't agree with your friend's conclusion, I also respect anyone who thinks outside what they were brought up to believe, and arrives at their own conclusions. Even if he remained Jewish, as long as he thinks for himself at some point. You seem to have done this as well (which I also respect even though I disagree with your conclusions), but it's surprising how many have not.

[malorum]

[ QUOTE ]
When I read mindless, evil, hateful crap like this, I start thinking that human society will only move out of our infancy when all religion is purged forever from this planet.

[/ QUOTE ]

There have been some notable attempts to implement the suggested purge.

- Pol Pot : banned religion (Kampuchean constitution chapter fifteen article twenty)

- USSR : the state imposed severe restrictions on religious activity, banned many churches, and persecuted religious leaders.

The results speak for themselves.

Wether you are an atheist or a theist you may find the argument against religion in society somewhat more complex than it at first appears.

[Kurn, son of Mogh]

You forgot China [img]/images/graemlins/wink.gif[/img]

The results speak for themselves.

They do, and I did add the libertarian part afterward. I would never support such measures, but when I get angry, the evil part of me comes out. Wu v. Wei and all that. [img]/images/graemlins/cool.gif[/img]

[ajmargarine]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
It all starts with being born again. Catholics and many Christian denominations differ from true Christians in how this is accomplished. Catholics believe priest-baptized infants are born again. This is false. Any religion that baptizes infants and declares them born again is false.

You need to be born of God to be a child of God and a Christian. There are many who try to follow certain philosophies of Christ. There are few who are His kinsmen.

[/ QUOTE ]

When I read mindless, evil, hateful crap like this, I start thinking that human society will only move out of our infancy when all religion is purged forever from this planet.

Then I remind myself that as a libertarian I believe that even idiots like this have the right to believe their silly little fairy tales.

[/ QUOTE ]

I thought your question was why some Christians think of Catholics as non-Christians? You may get some fine-point doctrinal answers that avoid the central issue, which is "Who is born again", but you won't get a better or more truthful answer than the one I gave you. Being born again is the starting point of a true Christian life. How that is "mindless, evil, hateful crap" I have no idea.

I agree with you about the futility of religion. It substitutes itself for relationship with God and does nothing but hold men back.