/christian/ - Christian Discussion and Fellowship

A second part to this Heston could also be:

> Did you choose your denomination based on actual doctrine and belief, or just the aesthetics?

If I would have still found Anderson's "The Bible way to Heaven" video then probably

>>591231

Doctrine and belief

>>591234

Yes but what that have convinced you? Or would your native culture (example Indian Hinduism) stopped you from relating to Christianity? I'm not accusing anyone but it's an interesting concept

>>591229

I can't say what I don't know, but I would hope to accept Christ if I had been born somewhere else. I am thankful that I was born in the West to a family that worshiped God and taught me the ways of Christ and the Bible. I once fell away when I was a teenager because of the world, but God brought me back into the faith, much stronger than before.

I am glad that people in distant lands are becoming Christian. It gives me hope that many more can be saved before time is up.

As to the second question, I chose my beliefs on doctrine. I was raised Southern Baptist. I am a mix between Baptist and Church of God, as I go to both, and I've found they both have very similar beliefs. However, I am not bound to any denomination, I just go where I find that is most Biblical and true to God. I hate liberalization and lukewarmness, and it is rampant in all of the West.

Actually, I think I became a Christian not because of its familiarity but despite it. American Protestantism has negatively distorted my view of Christianity and the main reason why I've avoided it all my life. Had I never found the Orthodox faith I'd still be agnostic or some kind of occultist.

>>591229

Would I become a Christian? Let us see. I am not a westerner though, my answer might be moot.

>Christian schools prevalent here in the east. They are good schools.

>People found faith there.

>Christian movements such as charities, humanitarian aid, etc. Ever since Catholic missionaries have landed here. They have been kind.

>My local church always have events for charities and fundraisings for such as marathon, jogging, etc.

>Those do not make news, why should it be because that is what Christians do. >Meanwhile atheists go "'member when church does something for people", having their head so far up theirs they cannot see things outside themselves literally.

>People seek God at their lowest moment in life. /christian/ being present here in this deep dank corner of the internet is a Godsend and what makes me returns to Him again.

Yes, yes, and yes.

>>591229

i became christian because of its philosophical teachings that can be found in the bible. once i learned how God suffered and still suffers for our sins and seen christ in mass i wont turn back. im not sure if i would've become christian if i didnt live in the west but im eternal glad i did become a christian and going over the "what ifs" is pointless especially in this point because the faith is universal and living another country wouldnt remove you from God's grace

>>591229

I've been investigating about religion and spirituality since very young. So I think yes.

>If you had not been born in a Christian or Western nation, do you have confidence you would have still found the Lord?

Yes. But then again I'm not answering the question correctly. I was found by Him, not vice versa.

>Did you choose your denomination based on actual doctrine and belief, or just the aesthetics?

I didn't choose it. I was guided to it.

Also, speaking as a 21st Century European citizen, Christianity and living a properly Christian life are almost completely removed from the minds of most people, so much so that many who even call themselves Christian just sleepwalk through their devotions (even most of those who devoutly attend weekly mass), while simultaneously and openly espousing modernist, worldly heresies or abominations. It was the edifice of Europe but in so many places it is now just the sediment.

This isn't the same cultural or religious climate that our grandparents or even parents grew up in, so this "Gotcha!" type question doesn't even apply.

As far as many of us converts and reverts are concerned, we may as well have been raised in outer Mongolia.

>>591229

I didn't find the Lord, he found me. It would have been the same in a different culture, maybe even quicker as I was brought up in a vehement anti catholic protestant culture. That's the nature of grace, you either accept it or reject it and God will move mountains to incorporate you into his body the Catholic church.

>>591229

Impossible to answer. I would be a different person if I had spent my life being exposed to a different culture. But the important point to make is even if I would not be Christian under those circumstances that would not affect whether the religion is true or not.

>>591229

> If you had not been born in a Christian or Western nation, do you have confidence you would have still found the Lord?

You say this like it's up to me… Faith is a gift from God. Perhaps I would not have, and God saw fit to put me here, to face these challenges instead. Or perhaps these challenges require people like me to solve them.

>>591243

The easiest way to convert a Hindu and to troll a catholic is showing them that idolatry is a sin.

>If you had not been born in a Christian or Western nation, do you have confidence you would have still found the Lord?

Honestly, only God would know…I was born in a place where Christianity has been mocked for decades by Commies, so, maybe yes?

I've actually thought about this question and have asked other Christians family members about this. The funny thing is where i live in the western nation, it's very anti-Christianity as it is, also the media has always been anti-christian.

The way i found God was learning about all the satanism or covert satanism that is in structures of power and media. Once you learn how occultist worshiping stones or the meaning of black cubes than you can see a secret god being worshiped.

That said, if it was my family that was really into Islam, i honestly don't know. I've been atheist and have been at conflict with my family, so it's possible that my contrarianism would return me to Christ. I always look at the criticism of other religions and see the answer for them. If i would have become trapped by some other religion's "everyone is just worshiping our god, but they don't know it" claim. If i never would find a bible or bible documentaries, maybe, but that is a big if.

I probably would have gotten more into occultism until it would go horrifically wrong and i would need a deliverance.

Since I was an atheist till 33 and since until that point I would have been more embarrassed being caught with a bible then porn i think i could have. Mostly the history of the catholic church and mormons (only religious people I knew) kept me from ever really taking religion seriously. But after deciding to read and study the bible just to understand western history better it took only a couple of month for me to come to faith. As my path to christ, I be came a bible believing christian. I think this could have happen anywhere.

>>591252

Same here. For the vast majority of my life I had defined myself solely on being "anti-christian" when in reality I was just against the shoddy and performative American Protestantism that's rampant.

>>591229

> If you had not been born in a Christian or Western nation, do you have confidence you would have still found the Lord?

I was never, and both of my parents are atheists.

I still found him.

Australia is one of the least religious countries in the world, and so I was raised into a culture of irreligion and hard secularism, and no one in my family was religious. I didn't know a thing about any religion until my late teens until I researched it myself. Christianity has very little bearing on modern Australia or its culture, and I am very much an outsider in following Christ.

In regards to your question, OP, the answer is that I simply don't know.

>>591229

Stop this bullshit. Western countries are largely atheistic and our lifestyles are not fit for a Christian world view. Everything was stacked against Christianity, yet here we are.

Assuming my personality was similar enough and I had access to the internet, I would have stumbled upon Christian apologetics and would have been serious enough about my religion for it to sway me.

Also, there's the fact that I used to be an evolutionist but became a YEC, so if I could take that drastic step, going from Buddhism to Christianity or something like that can't be that impossible.