I'm sorry you took it that way, as that was not what was intended. I haven't corrected Wes in his assumptions, because he is exactly correct.
No biggie. A wise man once told me when talking politics, you need to learn to check your feelings at the door ($1 to wes) Same rule applies to religion as well.
Interesting. So what would you consider yourself? Why mark Christian when you are not?
Pretty much read Ogre's response.
I have read and studied for years. I have asked many questions along the way. Yes, I believe in God, too much going on all at the same time for it to be just one big coincidence in my mind. I believe that the same God wants me to do what is right, live a good moral life, obey his commandments and try my best to live "the straight and narrow". I believe that we are a creation of his image and that he loves us and wants us to love him. Do I do those things? Not even close. I do some things that are acceptable, I donate to charity, I genuinely try to help people that are in need and when they need it. I try to be polite and courteous to everyone most of the time. I go to church from time to time (more often that not). I do a lot of things that make me look good in others eyes.......but.......
Those things are not enough though. I believe that one has to try and live a Christian life before they can even consider to call themselves Christian. My wife is a good example of this. She tries her hardest, she lives her life in a good Christian way 90% of the time. Just b/c she might say poop, hell, damn, ass and bitch from time to time and have margarita from time to time, doesn't meant that she is a bad person or not a Christian. When she messes up, as she like to call it, she knows that she has to ask for forgiveness. She understands as well as I do that the bible teaches that we are not perfect and will sin. She chooses to let it bother her and do what her teachings tell her in order to make it right. Me, I don't ask and most of the time I don't care, nor does it bother my conscious.
The bible, the "inspired word of God" (not his literal word, man had his hand in it so you know some things got screwed up along the way) if you choose to believe it will tell you that many will hear the word and many will believe the word, but many will not accept word. Now when I was early teens I was baptized into Christ, but now that relationship is pretty much non-existent b/c I no longer follow his teachings. I don't believe in the once saved always saved doctrine that some do.
I am too lazy to look it up, but in Peter's (II Peter I think) teachings he says be holy in all you do, that if you escape worldliness and accept Christ only to fall back in, you are worse off in the end than you were at the beginning, and it would have been better to have not known the way of righteousness than to have known it and turned your back on it . (Paraphrase) That leads me to believe that one can lose their salvation. Like Ogre said that could be far worse than being an atheist in some Christian's eyes. I may choose to follow that path again someday, I may not. I can't say with certainty.
In short, I marked it, b/c I believe in the Christan God and Christian views, but that doesn't mean that I consider myself a Christian. I don't live my life according to Christian teachings nor do I even pretend to try.
EDIT: These are my personal beliefs, if someone else looks at being a Christian differently, that is up to them and their right. I don't claim to be right, just stated what I believe. I will not judge you nor bash you and your beliefs.
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