Faith and Courage

[elijah23]

Does it take some faith and courage to be a Christian?

 

[Free]

Depends what part of the world one lives in and if one truly seeks to be a follower of Christ.

 

[elijah23]

Depends what part of the world one lives in and if one truly seeks to be a follower of Christ.

Sometimes one has to take an unpopular stand in his own church.

 

[Former Christian]

Good way to get kicked out of a Church. Sometimes one has to just live the life and not say too much. Which sometimes takes more courage than standing with words. Faith is always required. Faith is just being convinced that something is true and real. And as far as God is concerned, it's impossible to please God without it. Courage follows faith.

FC

 

[Free]

Sometimes one has to take an unpopular stand in his own church.

Sometimes, perhaps. But if one feels they need to do that, they had better be sure they are in the right. Better to be courageous and right then courageous and wrong.

 

[Ace1234]

In America we seem to think Christian persecution is when someone is gossiping about us in church

 

[elijah23]

Good way to get kicked out of a Church. Sometimes one has to just live the life and not say too much. Which sometimes takes more courage than standing with words. Faith is always required. Faith is just being convinced that something is true and real. And as far as God is concerned, it's impossible to please God without it. Courage follows faith.

FC

I’d rather get kicked out of a church than fail to stand up for what is right. What church can kick you out for standing up for what you think is right?

 

[elijah23]

In America we seem to think Christian persecution is when someone is gossiping about us in church

Yeah, that’s about as bad as it gets, though sometimes social climbers can make things pretty unpleasant for the others.

 

[elijah23]

Sometimes, perhaps. But if one feels they need to do that, they had better be sure they are in the right. Better to be courageous and right then courageous and wrong.

Sometimes things build up to a point that one cannot help but speak their peace.

 

[Former Christian]

Elijah23

“What church can kick you out for standing up for what you think is right?”

Any Church that doesn’t agree with you that what you think is right is right.


“Sometimes things build up to a point that one cannot help but speak their peace.”

One good thing about the denominational character of Christianity is that one can practice Church hopping. When you feel it’s got to the point you mention, you have the freedom to go to another Church. Unless, of course, you live in a one horse burg and there isn’t but one Church there. Or until you get to the point that you realize that none of Christianity is going to agree with you, as happened to me. When you get to that point, you’re either going to have to stifle yourself, or meet together with yourself alone. And yourself may not always agree with you either.

FC

 

[elijah23]

Elijah23

“What church can kick you out for standing up for what you think is right?â€

Any Church that doesn’t agree with you that what you think is right is right.


“Sometimes things build up to a point that one cannot help but speak their peace.â€

One good thing about the denominational character of Christianity is that one can practice Church hopping. When you feel it’s got to the point you mention, you have the freedom to go to another Church. Unless, of course, you live in a one horse burg and there isn’t but one Church there. Or until you get to the point that you realize that none of Christianity is going to agree with you, as happened to me. When you get to that point, you’re either going to have to stifle yourself, or meet together with yourself alone. And yourself may not always agree with you either.

FC

How would a church justify kicking someone out who is merely standing up for what is right?

 

[elijah23]

Elijah23

“What church can kick you out for standing up for what you think is right?â€

Any Church that doesn’t agree with you that what you think is right is right.


“Sometimes things build up to a point that one cannot help but speak their peace.â€

One good thing about the denominational character of Christianity is that one can practice Church hopping. When you feel it’s got to the point you mention, you have the freedom to go to another Church. Unless, of course, you live in a one horse burg and there isn’t but one Church there. Or until you get to the point that you realize that none of Christianity is going to agree with you, as happened to me. When you get to that point, you’re either going to have to stifle yourself, or meet together with yourself alone. And yourself may not always agree with you either.

FC

I would rather speak my mind than run off to another church.

 

[Former Christian]

Elijah23

“I would rather speak my mind than run off to another church.â€

And that would be the problem wouldn’t it? It’s your own mind you’re a speakin.

So maybe you’re big, brash, and intimidating. And the people in your Church are milk toasts and easily intimidated. All well and good and you’ll get your own way if you speak long enough and loud enough.

But what if they won’t be intimidated and they disagree with you as to what you think is right? And they just tell you to either conform or leave? What will you do then? Will you humble yourself and conform as much as you are able? Will you agree that you should leave? Or will you just burn their Church to the ground in frustration?

FC

 

[Davies]

Does it take some faith and courage to be a Christian?

Hi elijah23,

I say it takes the faith as small as a mustard seed and a mountain of courage. Yes, there are persecutions and terrible trials we hear about in poor countries, not to minimize the threat people face in wealthy materialistic societies. I say it takes a tremendous amount of courage to be a Christian simply because it requires a person to be honest with who they are. We will spend the rest of our lives, as Christians, discovering the depths of sin in us and the tremendous amount of grace God pours on us as we are being transformed. It's this kind of love that God gives us which springs from our faith, or is discovered by our faith, that will provide all the courage we need. Give God the credit.

- Davies

 

[Queequeg's Travels]

How can we even define courage without faith, atleast faith in something sacred, something in which to be accountable or to serve? There is no such thing as courage in self regard.

 

[Former Christian]

Queequeg’s Travels

“How can we even define courage without faith, at least faith in something sacred, something in which to be accountable or to serve? There is no such thing as courage in self regard.â€

So you’re saying an Atheist can’t have courage? Faith only means to be convinced about something. Even Atheists have faith. Even though you might not agree about what they have faith in.

FC

 

[Queequeg's Travels]

Queequeg’s Travels

“How can we even define courage without faith, at least faith in something sacred, something in which to be accountable or to serve? There is no such thing as courage in self regard.â€

So you’re saying an Atheist can’t have courage? Faith only means to be convinced about something. Even Atheists have faith. Even though you might not agree about what they have faith in.

FC

I was speaking of faith, but for the athiest all roads lead to autonomy, so probably would be hard to define bravery.

 

[Former Christian]

Queequeg’s Travels

How little you understand the Atheist. He’s as much a conformist as you are. He just conforms to a different standard than you. Usually the standard of the culture in which he finds himself. So unless it’s a part of the culture, he isn’t going to murder you in your sleep for disagreeing with him.

Faith simply means to be convinced about something. It isn’t a word connected explicitly or implicitly to the sacred, except in the mind of a few Christians. An Atheist has faith. Just not in the same things that you do as a Christian. Bravery means the same thing to the Atheist as it does to the Christian. Unless the Christian changes the meaning of the term to conform to his own misunderstanding of the matter.

Now, the reason for bravery may be different. A Christian may be brave because he thinks it’s related to the dignity of God. An Atheist may be brave because he believes in the dignity of humanity or of all living things.

FC

 

[elijah23]

Elijah23

“I would rather speak my mind than run off to another church.â€

And that would be the problem wouldn’t it? It’s your own mind you’re a speakin.

So maybe you’re big, brash, and intimidating. And the people in your Church are milk toasts and easily intimidated. All well and good and you’ll get your own way if you speak long enough and loud enough.

But what if they won’t be intimidated and they disagree with you as to what you think is right? And they just tell you to either conform or leave? What will you do then? Will you humble yourself and conform as much as you are able? Will you agree that you should leave? Or will you just burn their Church to the ground in frustration?

FC

It is good to speak out against injustice.

 

[Former Christian]

Elijah23

With that I agree.

FC