The Town of Odyssey

So yeah, ask me anything you want and I will answer to the best of my ability!

How would you define Christian Hippie? Or did I miss the inside joke?

Are you currently attending a church? If so does it have a statement of faith you would share?

Hahaha nah, no inside joke. i'm not ACTUALLY a hippie, but i'm just a christian pacifist I guess. I relate with what the "hippies" felt back in the day.

And yes, I am attending a church. We don't really have a statement of faith that I know of, but we're non-denominational.

What led you to be a pacifist and is that something your church shares with you? Also where there any writers that influenced you?

What is your stance on the Nicene Creed?

How often does your church take communion?

What does your average Sunday service look like?

Do you have any interaction with other churches in your area?

And do you believe miracles happen in the present age?

Interesting questions!

You know, there were a few things that led me to this belief, one huge part of it was basically the aggressive nature (militarily speaking) that I find many Christians have. I'm not judging by any means, but that just doesn't seem right to me, and it gives me a bad feeling. It's not at all how Jesus was, and I don't think it's how he wanted us to be either. Another thing that influenced me, which leads into your next question! Was Leo Tolstoy, I would say he's the main source of influence as far as authors go. And no, my church does not share that with me.

I believe wholeheartedly in the Nicene Creed!

My church takes communion once a month.

Hmmm, usually it starts with a few worship songs, then welcoming, then the sermon, and that's about it unless we have communion.

Not really, no. I mean apart from natural interaction since everyone has friends that go to different churches and they visit every now and then.

Hmm, yeah I think so. I think it's a miracle every time someone gets saved! So yes, they don't happen exactly like they used to as much, but they still happen.

I've recently become very interested in Tolstoy as well and am looking forward to reading more of him.

Does you church practice open or closed communion? And is it a symbol or something more?

How do you think miracles today differ from what we see in the Bible?

Awesome! Read The Kingdom of God Is Within You if you get the chance. He truly is an amazing author.

Well it's definitely open in the sense that we allow anyone and everyone to take it, we don't forcibly stop anyone who comes in. But my pastor definitely makes it clear what the Bible says about taking in the wrong attitude.

Well, I would say they're not necessarily as blatant as they used to be. Either that or our culture has slowly shaped us to believe that certain miracles are either coincidence, or "science." I think God still heals people, he doesn't physically send Jesus down again as a man to touch people and heal them. But I think he heals people nonetheless, so really they haven't changed ALL THAT much, it's just that Jesus doesn't physically walk around doing them anymore.

What are your thoughts on 1 Corinthians 11:14?

JH, what is it with you and long hair? Also have you ever read slightly farther down in 1st Corinthians?

But if any man seem to be contentious, we have no such custom, neither the churches of God.

Samson, anyone?

John Chrysostom wrote:JH, what is it with you and long hair? Also have you ever read slightly farther down in 1st Corinthians?

But if any man seem to be contentious, we have no such custom, neither the churches of God.

Custom
Not the custom of contentiousness, but that of women speaking unveiled. The testimonies of Tertullian and Chrysostom show that these injunctions of Paul prevailed in the churches. In the sculptures of the catacombs the women have a close-fitting head-dress, while the men have the hair short.

- Marvin Vincent

Okay, what about what Woody said?

Also, does this really matter as much today? Why are you so obsessed with hair length?

Not obcessed.

The last Nazarite was John the Baptist.

The last Nazarite was John the Baptist.

Do you mean after John the Baptist no one could lawfully be a Nazarite? or that just no one chose to be one?

John Chrysostom wrote:What led you to be a pacifist and is that something your church shares with you? Also where there any writers that influenced you?

What is your stance on the Nicene Creed?

How often does your church take communion?

What does your average Sunday service look like?

Do you have any interaction with other churches in your area?

And do you believe miracles happen in the present age?

If I may ask, why those questions?

Those questions give me a good overall picture of someone's denomination.

I see. So not because these questions are the most important to be asked?

Important for what? Different questions are important for different reasons. These Q&A threads are about getting to know other people's beliefs so I think the questions I asked are the way to do that.

The Nicean Creed question for me is a good way to say do they agree on the very basics of Christianity?

A churches stance on communion tells me about their view on the sacraments, the invisible vs visible church, their relationship with other Christian traditions, and their beliefs about salvation.

Average church service seems like an obvious question.

The others were more specific to this thread. Anyway, you should ask the questions you think are important.

Your questions tended more toward outward things like communion, average church service, interaction etc.

Ok.

Do you practice all the teachings of the Sermon on the Mount?
Which would include...
--loving your enemies (no war)
--no swearing of oaths
--no divorce and remarriage
--Kingdom treasure (no accumulation of wealth)

The Mysterious wrote:Not obcessed.

The last Nazarite was John the Baptist.

*Bursts out laughing*
Actually Paul took a Nazarite vow and even mentioned that when he had finished he had to go to Jerusalem to shave off his hair.