Just curious.....
#54136 - 03/25/04 08:44 AM
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StephS
Reged: 09/11/03
Posts: 2123
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what is everyones religion? Do you have a religion?
I'm from UT. so I bet you can guess mine 
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Mormon?
I don't have any certain religion per se...I believe in God, but my views don't fit in exactly with any certain religion. (more spiritual and open-minded)
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Hey, Steph, I live in Macedon, NY. Assuming that you are a Mormon, I live about 5 miles from the birthplace of your religion (Palmyra)! The two towns share a school district, so I went to school with a LOT of Mormons. I dated one for almost two years, as a matter of fact. 
I'm Lutheran. I was involved in the campus ministry and protestant worship in college, but nowadays I don't go to church as much as I should. 
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"Anyone can exercise, but this kind of lethargy takes real discipline." -Garfield
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Yep! Kree that's pretty cool!
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No religion and all religions.
Cryptic, no?
I was raised Roman Catholic and don't believe in The Church. That doesn't mean I don't believe in some of it's teachings, though. I have studied lots of different religions (including pagan religions and Eastern philosophy) and have taken a little from each. I have my own spirituality but don't consider myself of any one religion. I have friends in just about every religion you could name. I have the utmost respect for every religion and recognize it's value and importance to the practitioners, but find no personal solace in any one organized faith. I live my life based on the universal teachings of all religions (they're remarkably similar when you get to the crux of it all). I do not go to Church/Temple/etc... unless it's out of politeness-- i.e. someone's wedding, bar mitzvah, a christening, etc...
Right now I'm trying to leave the Cult of RKTs!
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LOl Jen!! Yeah I had to leave that Rice Krispy colt too. No the sugar on is next!!!
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I know I believe.....but I was never raised in a church. Which is kind of odd because both of my parents were and my grandparents on my dad's side are extremely religious (Lutheran). My husband's family is also very religious, but he no longer attends church. We both believe that you do not have to claim a religion or go to church on a regular basis to be a good person. I know plenty of people who attend church and are not the best of people. Does that make sense?
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I am a Christian. I go to a Nazarene church but prefer non denominational. I believe that God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that who so ever beleives in Him shall not perish but have everlasting life. (John 3:16) I do not force my beliefs on other people. I do pray that my friends, family and others may come to know Him. I know that God is real because I surrendered my life to Him and He know lives in me. And what a difference He has made in my life.  I don't regret making that choice.
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Yes, it does make sense. I know quite a few people who are "devout" but not nice at all.
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Not so good people in church...the truth is that nobody is perfect and we all fall short of the Glory of God. We have former prisoners, alocholics, etc. in our church. Oh my, I won't even go there with my mistakes, they are BAD! But it's the reason they are in church, for hopes to be better people. God does slowly teach us to be better people. I am not interested in religious arguements, but no church is full of perfect people.
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I was baptized Lutheran, nearly married into Christian Reformed (sorry, but I had BAD experiences with a group of those folks) and now am exploring my own spirituality. My fiance wasn't raised anything, but believes in God.
My parents took me to chruch until I was about 10, then we stopped going. Became too much a pain in the butt. I started going to church again after I met, dated, and got engaged to a CRC guy, but had issues with religion and broke up over those issues. I wasn't raised CRC (or any religion, really) and his parents never really accepted me. They were upset when we told them we were engaged, and I bawled my eyes out while they lectures us. He never defended me, and I refused to live like that. I broke off the engagement after four months of being engaged, and nearly four years of dating.
I never really got the whole church thing, never felt comfortable or at home there. I feel that religion is a very private personal matter.
But I do thank God that my ex-fiance's parents were stuffy old fundamental hypocritical christians...If they weren't, then I wouldn't have met my true soul mate, my fiance.
Anyway, that's my story!
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~jules
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Speaking of this topic...I just finished reading "The Da Vinci Code". Wow! Has any one else read this book?
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AMAZING BOOK!
#54199 - 03/25/04 10:16 AM
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jenX
Reged: 08/11/03
Posts: 3252
Loc: Richmond, VA
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I read it over the Christmas holidays. It's phenomenol, isn't it!? 
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I think what you did was brave! Your much better off with out in-laws like that!!! That must have been hard!!!
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My Hubby read it and loved it!
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PROOF that everything happens for a reason!
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Thanks Steph, it was the hardest thing that I'd ever done in my life. But I learned so much about myself and became so much stronger. And I'm so happy now!
Haven't read that DaVinci Code, but I want to so badly! My step dad read it and told me about it. Sounds fascinating.
By the way, my step dad is very spiritual and wants to start his own church. He's totally brilliant. He stopped going after he had knee surgery and his church sent him a flyer asking if he'd still like to make a donation to the church even though he was home recouperating from surgery. Grrr. ... Stuff like that makes my blood boil. ALso, when he was 15, he was in church with his very strict Baptist parents. He really really disagreed with what the preacher was saying, so he stood up and walked out. Never went back. Created quite a rift with his parents for a while, but they got over it.
My step dad is actually officiating my wedding ceremony. Like Joey did on Friends! (LOL). He had to take this, like, 4000 question test over the Internet. For weeks straight, he was hunched over the computer with his bible. He's so cool.
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~jules
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Yes definitely! Blew my mind too. I finished it a week ago and I can't get off my mind. Someday....SOMEDAY...I would like to get to Paris and see that final resting place of the Holy Grail....someday!???
Also, I am newer here and remember Ruchies post in here, major soul bearing and then it seems she hasn't been here..just wondering if she is OK?? It was very brave of her to open up like that ..and healthy too!
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Hee hee hee... Just watch Monty Python and the Holy Grail.
Sorry, every time I hear Holy Grail, I think about that movie. It's my all-time #1 favorite movie.
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~jules
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I agree. I want a DaVinci Code tour of Europe!
I don't know where Ruchie is. I think she's taking time off, but I hope she comes back soon. She's brave, indeed, and terribly well-loved here.
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Smart Girl to listen to those signs, I have missed some of those, even when they are banging you over the head!! Oh well, live and learn. Definitely read that book at some point in your life.
I love your qoute at the end of your messages, makes me laugh every time and so applicable in so many situations!!
Cindy
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good question! I'm just not sure of my answer. I wasn't brought up with religion, I remember going to church for special occasions only, like weddings and such.
When I was 18 I married my high school sweatheart. His family was Catholic so I was going to get married in his families church. Well, in order to do that you had to meet the Priest and take classes. Ok, I was willing to do that. In the first meeting with the Priest one of the very first questions he asked me was "How long have my parent been married?" I told him my parents lived together for 10 years before seperating but were never officially married. He had the balls(sorry, but this really upsets me) to tell me "I was a child of sin, not welcome in the church and how could I even live with myself? LIKE I HAD A CHOICE IN THE MATTER!!!
Needless to say after that I got into a huge fight with his mom. We did marry but it was in a little country church, not even sure what denomination. So after that I have been pretty soured on religion. Just for the record my first husband had an affair about 3 years after we got married and got a girl at his work pregnant. I divorced him (obviously!) and moved on with my life. About one year after our divorce, he was murdered by another employee trying to rob the restraunt he was the manager at. If I believe we should have the death sentance in MI does that go against religion?
It is a topic I have been thinking about lately because I am trying to have a baby. My hubby grew up in a small town and went to the little country church there but doesn't really believe in organized religion. When we are at his parents, we go to church on holidays but thats about it. I haven't discussed too much with my hubby about what to raise our child as because, well, he wants to wait until we know for positive that I'm pregnant to discuss anything to do with the baby!
Now with all that being said, can you believe my brother-in-law is moving to Russia to become a missionary?!
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Taking it one day at a time.....
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Everything does happen for a reason, and I believe your fiance is "Mr. Right"! Hand picked for you by God.
I have friends and family who are Agnostic, Athiest, other denominations, etc. But I still LOVE and TREASURE them!!
Sounds like your ex-in-laws lost site of God's greatest commandment...That we LOVE one another with brotherly love.
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I'm an inactive Mormon if there is such a thing?
I was baptized in 1988... I have not been to church since oh....1990?
Prior to that...I did not have one....
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www.facebook.com/shell.marr
www.myspace.com/shellmarr
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Quote:
Speaking of this topic...I just finished reading "The Da Vinci Code". Wow! Has any one else read this book?
No, but it's on my list of books to read SOON!
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"Anyone can exercise, but this kind of lethargy takes real discipline." -Garfield
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Yay for Monty Python and the Holy Grail! That's one of the funniest movies ever. I agree, it really gets in your head. I recently read a book about the grail and whenever they mentioned Camelot I couldn't help thinking, "On second thought, let's not go to Camelot, 'tis a silly place."
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"Anyone can exercise, but this kind of lethargy takes real discipline." -Garfield
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Wow... I'm so sorry Jules and Michele that that stuff happened to you.
We went to Christian church when I was little (the kind of Church that's "just Christian") But we had similar problems... my sister kept getting beat up in Sunday School and no one did anything about it. The minister (who had a young wife and child) got caught naked in the Church Secretary's closet. They started spending all of their time collecting money for a new building and none of it on religion. So we stopped going. I really liked singing in the choir and playing handbells, but not the rest of it.
Now, my husband is an atheist and I probably am as well. I have a lot of friends who are devout believers in their religions, and I respect them. I haven't had good experiences with a lot of facets of religions, but I try to look at every person as an individual and not make sweeping judgements about anyone based on what religion they say they are.
I hope that makes sense.
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I'm an inactive Mormon if there is such a thing?
I was baptized in 1988... I have not been to church since oh....1990?
Yes Shell there is such a thing! What happened? Are your parents mormons? Or were you converted?
I'm mormon. But a really laid back mormon. I was married at 17 and had my son 7 months later. I'm active but have not been to the Temple...don't know when I will. My family and my husbands are both active. Hubby has issues atm..with religion! He goes through phases! Any how....that's interisting!
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Wow! You got married at 17? Props to you for being so mature! There's no way I was ready for marriage then. You are very impressive!
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Well thanks!!! But ya know there was a baby on the way!! OOPS It was the best thing to do...besides we were going to get married anyway...just not that soon! We would have waited another year or two..But Dylan( my son )was just to excited to get here!!! Now we will have been married for 7 years on April 11th. We have known each other for almost 10!!! Wow how the time flys!!!
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Michele
#54286 - 03/25/04 02:30 PM
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StephS
Reged: 09/11/03
Posts: 2123
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Michele, Wow you have been through a lot! I can't imagine what you have been through. That would have been so hard. I'm glad that you are happily married now! I hope the baby thing works out soon for you!!!
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That is a long long time to know somebody. When did you start liking each other? I guess you were childhood sweethearts? Through church or school? I know what you mean about time flying by though... my husband and I have been together for six years and that seems crazy to me sometimes.
And yeah, I can see how an eager Dylan would speed things up.
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Well we meet through a friend during high school!!! NOT at church!! We were way too cool for that! We were a little bit of rebels too!! I actualy met him at his house...my frien new him and wanted to go see him!! I thought he was so cute!!! It was fun and crazy....those crazy teenage years!! Well the first part of them...then I was a mommy...and loved it! I was pretty mature for my age. I've always loved babies...natural mother! So this is my life...I'm a stay at home mom! Its a good thing!
And when Dylan is 20 I'll only be 38 So I'll make up for everything when my kids move out!!! Just kidding!
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I'm glad you're happy. The idea of being married to my high school sweetheart makes me giggle. I've heard rumors that he came out of the closet when he was in college. Umm... guess that wasn't meant for the long term.
Also, my husband and I met in the lamest possible way ever (on a blind date set up by our Mom's that we went on to get them to shut up), so hey, I'm not one to judge how anyone else met their significant others.
It's great that you like being a stay at home mom. I'm sure your kids definitely benefit from having you around.
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Steph, I agree, that's fantastic that things have worked out so well for you after marrying so young. You hear so many stories, but I guess it's all about meeting the right person, and that can happen anytime in your life... and of course about putting work into your relationship to get it to stay strong, which you obviously have!
Jenny, I'm with you about the high school sweetheart though. Mine is actually marrying one of my best college friends this Summer, and I'm in the wedding!! Lol. Actually, I set them up. Scott's a great guy, he just wasn't for me. But he and my friend Amy are so cute together. Funny how things work out.
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"Anyone can exercise, but this kind of lethargy takes real discipline." -Garfield
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Quote:
Quote:
I'm an inactive Mormon if there is such a thing?
I was baptized in 1988... I have not been to church since oh....1990?
Yes Shell there is such a thing! What happened? Are your parents mormons? Or were you converted?
I'm mormon. But a really laid back mormon. I was married at 17 and had my son 7 months later. I'm active but have not been to the Temple...don't know when I will. My family and my husbands are both active. Hubby has issues atm..with religion! He goes through phases! Any how....that's interisting!
Well... my Mom, Grandmother, & Step-Grandfather are also inactive. Grandma & Grandpa used to go to church many many years ago (when I was a small child I remember going there). My Mom has not been to church probably since the day she got married there (she was 17 and prego) . My Father was born & raised Catholic (he HATED it... BUT was forced to go) I think he finally stopped going sometime in high school.
My parents did not take us to church or anything...they wanted my sister & I to pick what WE wanted once we were old enough to do so.
In high school.... (10th-11th grade I think) one of my closest friends asked if I wanted to go to some thing at her church (don't recall now what it was)..... it was all I did for months was go to church activities and was baptized. I was a bad Mormon from day one... I had a crush on one of the missionary!! LOL I went to seminary every morning before school (I was always late too)..., sang in the choir...etc.
Later.... after high school... the bad seed in me REALLY came out and got into a lot of trouble.... well...not just me... but also the girl friend that invited me to the church.... we PARTIED for many years together! LOL
She is now married and goes to church... she married a guy that I said I was not interested to at a bar one night.... I'm I a bad girl or what??LOL She now has 3 kids..... but I'm not sure how "good" she really is.
I really should give her a call...... hehehe
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www.facebook.com/shell.marr
www.myspace.com/shellmarr
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I'm glad you're happy. The idea of being married to my high school sweetheart makes me giggle. I've heard rumors that he came out of the closet when he was in college. Umm... guess that wasn't meant for the long term.
That is too funny.... I think ALL the guys I was interested "came out" after high school too!!
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www.facebook.com/shell.marr
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The funny thing is... we went to a super liberal high school where it would have been no big deal. Not to mention that his best friend's dad was gay and I asked him once if he'd ever thought about it and he said NO!
I guess he changed his mind later. He certainly seemed into me when we were dating.
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I am Baptist. My dad is a pastor and so is my husband's dad. In fact we met at a bible camp that both our dad's preached at. 
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Hey Fressy! My mother always took us to Baptist churches as kids. We went to a Baptist church camp in Arkansas when I was 9 and my sis' was 15. Cool, another Christian on the board!
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I was raised Roman Catholic and don't believe in The Church. That doesn't mean I don't believe in some of it's teachings, though.
I would have to agree with Jen. I was baptized and confirmed at Roman Catholic, spent childhood attending church classes and helping my mom teach her classes, as well as assisting with the Christmas play.
However, I despised having to go to church. It isn't that I don't believe in God - I just don't believe you have to sit for an hour in order to 'worship'. This is, though, a personal opinion and is not ment to offend anyone in any way.
I still go to church, but only 4 times a year: Easter, Christmas, my mom's birthday, and Mother's Day (my mom is still a strict Catholic and reminds me every chance she gets that I'm going to hell ).
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- Jennifer
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Man, Steph, what HAVE you started! This thread goes on forEVER! I'm CoE (Church of England) btw - non-practising. Simon is resolutely nothing. Getting him to agree to get married in church was a problem!
Wow, Mormons! Soz, that sounds really bad doesn't it? But you guys have really different laws and stuff don't you (understatement I guess)!
I'm gonna read DaVinci Code now - been thinking bout it for a while, but I've been trying to cut down on buying books. Guys, come over here and we'll meet in Paris! That city is so cool.
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Linz!
#54363 - 03/25/04 06:30 PM
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StephS
Reged: 09/11/03
Posts: 2123
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Wow, Mormons! Soz, that sounds really bad doesn't it? But you guys have really different laws and stuff don't you (understatement I guess)!
LOL Linz!! What do ya mean? I'm not sure what ya mean about our own laws!!!
Yea this thread has gotten pretty long!! Funny! Sparked some intrest in everyone!
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Re: Linz!
#54368 - 03/25/04 06:58 PM
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Linz
Reged: 09/01/03
Posts: 8242
Loc: England
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Aren't some Mormons into bigamy, etc? And no blood transfusions or something (like our Jehovah's Witnesses). My knowledge of your religion is WAY outta date tho! I once read a really weird Sherlock Holmes story that was about Mormons and that coloured my opinion.
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Oh my goodness dear....your WAY,Way,Way off!!! No we aren't any of those things!!!! I've heard of the blood thing but that's not MORMONS...that's some other religion.
NO were just normal people not some weird cult!!!
LOL you really made me laugh!!! HEEE HEE!!! If you have any other ??? ask me!!! That's just to funny!!!!
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I'm sorry some of you have had bad experiences with church.
I grew up in a Legalistic Baptist home and I couldn't wait to leave my church and find another one without so many rules.
I strayed from church around 18 - mostly due to my parents. They came across as the perfect Christians, but behind close doors they were different people. They are not nice and were very mean to me. I didn't want to be part of their religion.
Now I attend a Missionary Alliance Church and love it. My kids look forward to going to Sunday School and get upset when we miss church. Admist my bad upbringing I don't believe I would have survived my childhood without trusting God and the power of prayer.
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That's ok Linz...don't be embarrassed! Many people have misconsceptions of the mormon church!! You should here some of them! ITs funny, really! So don't worry!!!
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Barb....
#54392 - 03/25/04 07:43 PM
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StephS
Reged: 09/11/03
Posts: 2123
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that's to bad about your parents! I think its really great your boys love going to church! I think its improtant for little ones to go and learn...and have something to believe in!
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Well, I'm a Christian and I attend a Baptist church. I'm not a member, but I've been going there for a long time now. I wasn't raised in any religion at all. I started reading the Bible and going to church when I was about 6 years old. I'd go with a school friend and her family. I relied on God throughout my whole childhood to get me through that scary, hard mess. In my twenties I studied all religions, but Christianity made the most sense to me. I never discuss religion or politics, and I hesitated to post a reply here. However, I believe that we should accept each other as we are, including our religious beliefs or lack thereof. I haven't read the DaVinci Codes and I don't want to. Right now, I'm reading "The Purpose Driven Life". Anyone else read it? I'm also studying the book of Isaiah with J. Vernon McGee on ttb.org. He's a very good teacher, btw!
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Terri, I agree with you...religion and politics is just not something I talk about openly about with people I don't know well.
Growing up I had a very worldly mother who made me go to all the various houses of worship with my little girl friends who had various religious beliefs. Through that exercise she taught me respect for all the various religions in the US. A lot of us fail to realize that Christianity is still a small religion compared to the actual numbers of people who worship other faiths, yet all are related in their basic premise.
Now about being Baptist. I'm not but I married one. Do any of you Baptists know the difference between a Northern Baptist and a Southern Baptist?
A Northern Baptist says "there ain't no hell", and a Southern Baptist says, "to hell, there ain't!" LOL
Even my devote Southern Baptist mother-in-law, now 98 years young howled over that one and even told it to her pastor!!!!
Oh, , how I love southern humor!!!!
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The idea of being married to my high school sweetheart makes me giggle. I've heard rumors that he came out of the closet when he was in college. Umm... guess that wasn't meant for the long term.
That's kinda funny, my highschool sweet heart (we dated for two years) did that as well. I got to meet her and her new partner at a wedding a couple years back, that was um, different.
"Not that there's anything wrong with it" (Jerry Sienfeld)
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That's a very funny joke! Made me laugh! Can't wait wait to tell my husband this one!
Terri
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I was raised non-denominational, then when I was about 10 my mom got married to a Lutheran and we began goign to his church. They were divorced 2 years later but we stayed with that chruch for another 3 years since I went to school there. Now we've switched abck to non-denom because well....no offense to the Lutherans but it's jsut so boring! You have to sit up straight and be focused on the preacher the entire time or else ou'll get a nasty look from te elders. Children aren't encouraged to be in church and you have to sit and stand every five minutes to sing a holy hymn! Ok sorry, nobody else at my Lutheran schools believes me when I tell them about how great a non-denom church is, so I had to tell somebody. Non-denom is very open and loving, and they're always willing to help you through your problems! At our Lutheran church, they didn't call or offer help or anything when they found out that my mom was getting divorced! Anyways......
Linz, isn't the CoE an Anglican church? i've always wondered what's different about Anglicans and other denominations?
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It comes down to the art of living on [color/red]
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Right now, I'm reading "The Purpose Driven Life". Anyone else read it?
My church jsut did a huge "40 Days of Purpose" that was completely based on theat book! They gave otu free copies and my mom joined the classes. She said that they were excellent and she loved the book!
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It comes down to the art of living on [color/red]
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Hi TeeCee,
I have not read "The Purpose Driven Life" but I heard it was very good. I like to read Francine Rivers' Christian fiction books, Jan Karon, Beth Moore...I am reading random passages/books of scripture at this time. I used to attend a Bible Study Fellowship (BSF) It's cool, very intense study and non-denominational. They are in large cities all over the world.
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