How would you explain entry into your faith?

[cradlecathlic26]

there are lot of people who believe that they are called of God but are not.
How does your priest know he has been call by God, or your bishop, or even the pope

How does your un ordained pastor know he has been called on by god?

BTW, everyone should give Priests credit, they have given up there lives for Jesus, all they do is preach the Word of the Lord. They dont take on some of the privelages that we can have. It takes a special person to do this. God must have chosen them.

 

[Claire_from_DE]

there are lot of people who believe that they are called of God but are not.
How does your priest know he has been call by God, or your bishop, or even the pope

Someone can think he has a calling to be a priest but he doesn’t know it until it is confirmed by the bishop(representing the church) accepting him for ordination.).

 

[Claire_from_DE]

Did you know for a Catholic to enter into the kingdom of God, He has to DIE FIRST and then all of the above applies?

In baptism we die to sin.

 

[Claire_from_DE]

So your saying to born into a religion?

Not really. I was born pagan but was baptized Catholic when I was a week old. By this I became part of the body of Christ. As I grew, I was taught about God and, at different ages according to my level of maturity, I believed and accepted Christ as my Lord and tried to live as He taught. As I grew, I heard the scriptures proclaimed in church, I read the bible, I learned about other faiths. Eventually, as an adult, I had to decide to base my life on the belief that Jesus is God and the Catholic church is the one He established. I made that decision. So, for me, I became a Christian at baptism and continued to grow in my faith. For me, then, this was entry into my faith.

 

[Claire_from_DE]

Entry into faith with God, we got so far

1. One can be Born into a covenant with God
2. One has to Swear an oath to enter

3.One has to establish a relationship (family) with God

1. One has to be called to follow him and have faith in God

These are all GREAT answers!

One can be born into the family of God, come to the age of reason in order to Swear an Oath to God, thereby establishing a family (covenant) relationship with God, and to live by faith in God

Is there a faith religion that has all of the above, not just one?

.

Baptism does all that.

 

[Gabriel_of_12]

In baptism we die to sin.

To die is gain, to live is Christ.

CCC pg.163 #628 Baptism, the original and full sign of which is immersion, efficaiously signifies the descent into the tomb by the Christian who dies to sin with Christ in order to live a new life. “We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, so that as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life.”

See Rom 6:4, Col.2:12, Eph.5:26

In any case Claire a death occurrs, and a renewed life begins in Jesus Christ. That was my point, This response is not to disagree with your statement I concur.

Peace

 

[Gabriel_of_12]

Not really. I was born pagan but was baptized Catholic when I was a week old.

Your original response gave me the impression of being born into a religiion, for example you listed Jews and others. Thanks for your clarification. So by the faith of your parents, you entered into the Catholic church through your baptism. At the age of reason you were confirmed into the Catholic faith. Do you recall your OATH AT YOUR BAPTISM OR CONFIRMATION?

 

[Reuben_J]

Hi

Very simple to become Muslim. If one is convinced heart and soul, that Allah is one and only one and there are no other gods, and Muhammad is his ProphetMessenger, and the person entering announces that loudly, he becomes Muslim. No other condition is there.

Thanks

There is one problem here though. A catch, you did not tell us that. If you change your mind you cannot get out. Once you come in you cannot get out. Does that ring a bell? When you sell your soul, there would be pay back time. Where did I hear about this no compulsion? This certainly is not the case, by any means.

True love is freedom and freewill is given.

 

[Mr.Bee]

Hi

Getting convinced of the truth of ONENESS of God, and there is no god except Allah and that Muhammad is his truthful ProphetMessenger. As long as one witnesses it;remains steadfast on it one is a Muslim to startwith, the moment one denies that one becomes a non-Muslim, no compulsion.

Thanks

Hi Paarsurrey,

Serious question (sorry if it’s been asked before)

But how do you deal with the question of doubt? Do you and other Muslims acknowledge the existance of doubt in your faith? And if one does experience doubt, how does the Muslim faith deal with it?

(And this goes for Christians too) All too often it appears that doubt of ones faith is out of the question, that if there is ever the slightest grain of doubt, then you are doomed, and the typical reaction is the wall comes down, conversation over. Almost like it can’t happen. But it does.

And I’m suspcious of those that deny doubt, denial which turns faith into superstition.

If I were a Muslim friend and told you I feel I don’t want to be a Muslim anymore, what are you supposed to do?

My point is: All this isn’t 100% clear, if it was then we wouldn’t be discussing this now, would we?

I guess I entered my faith because I was allowed to question it.

 

[Reuben_J]

…

I guess I entered my faith because I was allowed to question it.

The convinced thing is but a trap! It’s a diversion, not a reality. We are all convinced one time or the other, and God continues to keep us convinced, but humans as they are do change their mind sometimes. But God wants us to love him from our hearts voluntarily. We are not to be chained by some human laws who would behead us when we decide not to.

Good observation. We are allowed to question it. They aren’t.

 

[Claire_from_DE]

Claire from DE;3273828:

Not really. I was born pagan but was baptized Catholic when I was a week old.

Your original response gave me the impression of being born into a religiion, for example you listed Jews and others. Thanks for your clarification. So by the faith of your parents, you entered into the Catholic church through your baptism. At the age of reason you were confirmed into the Catholic faith. Do you recall your OATH AT YOUR BAPTISM OR CONFIRMATION?

Actually I don’t remember either. But sometimes at mass we renew those promises: I reject Satan, etc. And at every mass we affirm: I believe in God, the Father almighty, etc. And at communion when the priest says ‘the body of Christ’ and I say ‘amen (yes, I believe, I would stake my life on it)’ I renew my commitment.

 

[Claire_from_DE]

Claire from DE;3273828:

Not really. I was born pagan but was baptized Catholic when I was a week old.

Your original response gave me the impression of being born into a religiion, for example you listed Jews and others. Thanks for your clarification. So by the faith of your parents, you entered into the Catholic church through your baptism. At the age of reason you were confirmed into the Catholic faith. Do you recall your OATH AT YOUR BAPTISM OR CONFIRMATION?

Actually I don’t remember either. But sometimes at mass we renew those promises: I reject Satan, etc. And at every mass we affirm: I believe in God, the Father almighty, etc. And at communion when the priest says ‘the body of Christ’ and I say ‘amen (yes, I believe, I would stake my life on it)’ I renew my commitment.

 

[Publisher]

So you are saying to establish a relationship? How do you start?

There is a process to become a member of the Society of Friends. For lack of a better word…one fills out an “application” stating the reasons one wishes to become a member. On the “application” questions are put forth about one’s faith and desire to serve among Friends and the level of one’s commitment and belief is examined.

An interview process takes place before the “Elders” or “membership committee” formed for the process. There are the “Queries” that are answered, the closest thing Friends have to a “creed”…the “queries” offer an insight as to what is expected of Friends who are “convinced”. The applicant returns several times to the “membership committee” and gives account to some of the tasks that the committee put forth…what social concerns “speaks” to the applicant…are they willing to “live in that Virtue and Power of Life which takes away the occasion of war.” Do they seek the guidence of the Light of Christ…Light Within…That of God…in their decisions? Do they engage in daily prayer and study? Are they willing to take on the joys and responsibilities of the “life of the Meeting”?

In every Meeting, one will find “birthright Friends”, those raised as Quakers, births are recorded in the Meetings. But whether one is a Friend by birthright or a Friend by “convincement”, the life of a Quaker has responsibility that goes with it…responsibility to the Meeting and responsibility for our neighbors.

The final step the applicant is brought before the Monthly Meeting and offers his reasons for becoming a Friend, the Meeting greets the new Friend as a member of the Society.