Without giving my testimony, I'll say what you are describing was me for many years.

 

Faith was my hold up...I couldn't see it, feel it, touch it...I wasn't convinced. Once I truly wrapped my head around the faith of Christianity it was easy to understand where God and Jesus fit in my life and what was missing without them.

So how would you view a person who lives up to every teaching and practices daily all that is taught in the Bible except professing belief in Christ and God? They don't deny Christ and God but do not accept them on faith either. I think an agnostic person could be the person I am describing here.

 

A good person but not a Christian.

 

I agree with both of you here.

A good person but not a Christian. I have friends that live that very life. I'll admit I love them and pray for them that they accept Jesus.

 

What is your definition of a Christian? I have a buddy who does not consider Catholics to be Christian. Since we pray thru deities and not only directly to God.

What is your definition of a Christian? I have a buddy who does not consider Catholics to be Christian. Since we pray thru deities and not only directly to God.

 

Do you believe Jesus Christ is the son of God, that he willingly died for your sins and rose from the dead three days later and you accept him as your Lord and Savior...in simple terms to me, that is a Christian.

How you look at them as people, if you question why they feel that way, etc... Anything that comes to mind, really.

 

Well, I have probably 8 or more good friends who are either agnostic, deist, or atheist. In all honesty, I don't look at them as any different than any other person out there. They're just people, same as we all are.

 

I will say, about the only thing that I ever find myself wondering from time to time is how things are going to go for them when they get up to the pearly gates. I'm full aware that some of them are among the nicest, most genuinely 'good' folks that I know, and I think that is undoubtedly worth something in the eyes of God when it comes to final judgement. But still, I've got no idea how everything will go for them in the end. Or, I guess more simply put, I hope that I get to see my non-religious/non-believer friends in heaven.

Do you believe Jesus Christ is the son of God, that he willingly died for your sins and rose from the dead three days later and you accept him as your Lord and Savior...in simple terms to me, that is a Christian.

 

I’m a Christian !

This really doesn't answer the original question, but the thread itself has spawned some additional thoughts within my cranium.

 

At the risk of boxing myself into a label, I'm in the "I don't know" category because "I don't know, and I don't know that I can know", yet I don't discount the possibility of some higher power, but even if there was I'm not exactly sure if I can ever know that there is.

 

I'm not comfortable with the notion that I'm supposed to subscribe to a higher power because others who likely don't know either warn of undesirable consequences if I don't.

 

I'd find it peculiar that a higher power would expect devotion without giving concrete evidence of its existence. Any concrete evidence that some may suggest is such, really isn't, or there's no real way of proving it.

 

With that said, our existence is most definitely perplexing so it would appear that there are so many unanswered questions that might even continue to go unanswered, or maybe even somehow some eventually are.

 

Since humanity is limited in what it does and can know, and the unknown might suggest that there's something incredible to know if only we knew it, but still just because the unknown my suggest this, there's no certainty that it's suggesting anything at all.

 

I'm completely fine with entertaining the idea of what is beyond our comprehension, and even while I have had personal experiences that make me even wonder harder because they can feel too real to just be coincidences, and while it might be admirable that many can take their beliefs solely on faith, I find it peculiar, while it's their right and prerogative to do so, when their faith equates to them undeniable evidence, and while following this faith pray for others to also follow what they themselves only take on faith for their lack of having any real true knowledge.

 

Just about everyone of my friends began to question their beliefs around the time they entered college age, and some more comfortably than others, while others were riddled by guilt for questioning.

 

The thing that most definitely has come to be is that most of my friends who remained single also remain in a questioning state of mind and allow themselves the freedom to do so, while all of my friends who have married and have children put their questioning behind them, and though they have never verbally suggested this, it would appear that for the sake of raising their children under some guidelined type of belief system have resorted to teaching them what they had been taught with a "It was good enough for me, so it'll be good enough for them" mentality.

 

They're somewhat in a quandary and they don't want to outwardly contradict themselves to their children, but it is ultimately just easier to self-conclude a belief in something to appear more believable to their kids.

 

I've even had some friends who were raised Christian who never much followed it begin to follow it more closely when they began raising children. It appears that it gives them some direction to take their kids into rather than just some haphazard non-direction that's all over the place regarding their values.

I love them as I would anyone else, because God created them too (even if they don't acknowledge that).

How you look at them as people, if you question why they feel that way, etc... Anything that comes to mind, really.

 

I am not trying to categorize or paint with a broad brush, but aren't the 3 most dominant positions:

 

1) Atheist - I know there is no God

 

2) Deist - I know there is a God

 

3) Agnostic - I don't know if there is a God

 

Less than 5% of people are atheist, so doesn't that mean that most people were agnostic at some point in their life? I view agnostics as people trying to sort things out and figure out what is going on around them. Often struggling with the issue of faith and sometimes the issue of submission to a higher power that they are not certain about - it's understandable.

For full disclosure, I consider myself to be agnostic. I wanted to hear what others thought and generate some discussion, so I appreciate everyone's input!

I don't know how I feel about them.

For full disclosure, I consider myself to be agnostic. I wanted to hear what others thought and generate some discussion, so I appreciate everyone's input!

I appreciate your honesty! I still think you are a pretty cool dude!

What I was trying to get across....

My faith and my prayer life are a big part of who I am. I will never force it on others.

 

However, I am all about accommodating others and making people feel comfortable. That said, I wil likely not be myself around agnostic people, because I would be afraid that I would say something that would make them feel uncomfortable.

What I was trying to get across....

My faith and my prayer life are a big part of who I am. I will never force it on others.

 

However, I am all about accommodating others and making people feel comfortable. That said, I wil likely not be myself around agnostic people, because I would be afraid that I would say something that would make them feel uncomfortable.

 

Do you worry that they may make you feel uncomfortable? Treat it like discussing politics or sex. The 3 of them are considered taboo to discuss, yet we always do.

I agree no need to preach (except the church tells us to spread our faith) but I'd not go out of may way to not discuss it.

What I was trying to get across....

My faith and my prayer life are a big part of who I am. I will never force it on others.

 

However, I am all about accommodating others and making people feel comfortable. That said, I wil likely not be myself around agnostic people, because I would be afraid that I would say something that would make them feel uncomfortable.

 

100% agree on not forcing it on anyone. That is a big turn off, but that idea isn't isolated solely to religion.

 

I can only speak for myself, but I have never felt uncomfortable around people discussing religion. It's nice that you would consider the other person, but you shouldn't hide your faith. Just because we may not agree doesn't mean you shouldn't be able to voice your opinions and faiths.

 

In short, be yourself, especially around me. :lol2: