What if you were not raised christian? Would it make sence?

[excaliber]

If you never heard of Christianity,
but was in search of God and went
in a Catholic church for the first time. And you saw a large replica
of a Man hanging from a tourture
device…what would you think?
would you you turn and walk away
then and there?

Lets say you don’t leave and you ask who is that man hanging dead
on the wall…and a Christian told
you it was God…would you laugh and leave? Remember you were not raised to think this way.

So lets say you don’t leave, and you see communion. So you ask what is this? Then a Christian told you they were eating Gods flesh and drinking his blood. Then you would definitely leave thinking Christians were radical.

I wounder we were not raised around christianity, would we be Christian?

 

[StrawberryJam]

If you never heard of Christianity,
but was in search of God and went
in a Catholic church for the first time. And you saw a large replica
of a Man hanging from a tourture
device…what would you think?
would you you turn and walk away
then and there?

Lets say you don’t leave and you ask who is that man hanging dead
on the wall…and a Christian told
you it was God…would you laugh and leave? Remember you were not raised to think this way.

So lets say you don’t leave, and you see communion. So you ask what is this? Then a Christian told you they were eating Gods flesh and drinking his blood. Then you would definitely leave thinking Christians were radical.

I wounder we were not raised around christianity, would we be Christian?

I have wondered similar things myself. I was not raised by Christians, but you know here I am asking questions after my car accident.

 

[AshleyBelle]

The first thing that came to mind when I read this post was the scripture that tells us God has written the Truth on our hearts.

I think if someone is truly seeking God, and finds himself in a Catholic Church standing before an image of Christ Crucified, and His true presence in the Eucharist, God has drawn them there. They may not understand it, and it might not "make sense" but if they are receptive and seeking the Truth with an open heart, God will help them in His time.

For anyone who has never experienced or been raised with Christian influence to be led into a Catholic Church can be nothing other than the Holy Spirit drawing them there, no matter how little they were able to understand.

God bless

 

[Eucharisted]

Yes. God’s grace is powerful.

 

[judechild]

I wasn’t raised Christian, but I was touched by Him at age 6, and have never doubted Him since. It was through asking questions and praying that I eventually learned about this God I didn’t know; He will guide you if you honestly seek Him.

 

[FCEGM]

I wounder we were not raised around christianity, would we be Christian?

Christianity attracted a great number of ancient Greeks and Romans, to say nothing of Goths, Visigoths, Celts, etc., etc., etc…

 

[Sailor_Kenshin]

I have wondered similar things myself. I was not raised by Christians, but you know here I am asking questions after my car accident.

I heard in an EWTN homily of a pagan man - a tourist - who attended a Mass where somehow a Host was dropped on the floor, and in the crush, no one noticed. When Mass ended, he picked up the broken pieces, licked up the crumbs, then found the priest and told him what had happened.

That man had an instinct for the sacred. He may even have converted.

 

[excaliber]

What if they just so happened to wander into a baptist church.
Did God lead them there?

Could it be that there is a Christian
church on every corner, and not
a hindu temple. Is that why people end up in christian churches.

Or is God drawing them?

 

[Monica4316]

I was not raised a Christian. I was raised in a family where religion was simply not discussed. I didn’t even know that church existed till middle school, lol. but God was revealing Himself to me in various ways… now both my family, and me, are Christians. They are Eastern Orthodox and I’m Catholic.

I remember my very first visit to Church. It was an Eastern Orthodox church. I did not understand much… .I had no concept of the Eucharist, and there was no crucifix. However, there were many icons, and I understood they represent events that actually happened.

I do believe that God reveals Himself to people. If it happens in a Protestant church, maybe that is what they’re ready for at that time. I went through a pretty complex spiritual journey, where I was first a (non practicing) Orthodox, then agnostic, then I ‘discovered God’ through a non denominational church, and started going there… did God lead me there? I believe yes… .but ONLY to lead me to the Catholic Church later on I found out about God through Protestantism, I came to the Catholic Church to find the “fullness of truth”.

 

[gurneyhalleck1]

I think many people would be reluctant to accept Jesus who come from a pagan background. But thanks be to God that Our Lord is merciful and as per the Catechism, these people have the possibility of finding God despite their ignorance. I emphasis the word “possibility.” It is a comforting thought to me that Our God is this kind and merciful. So many people don’t know or understand the Lord through no fault of their own. I’m confident in Jesus’ mercy. But I’d feel a whole lot better and be happier if they came to know the same Saviour we know!!

 

[distracted]

If you never heard of Christianity,
but was in search of God and went
in a Catholic church for the first time. And you saw a large replica
of a Man hanging from a tourture
device…what would you think?
would you you turn and walk away
then and there?

Lets say you don’t leave and you ask who is that man hanging dead
on the wall…and a Christian told
you it was God…would you laugh and leave? Remember you were not raised to think this way.

So lets say you don’t leave, and you see communion. So you ask what is this? Then a Christian told you they were eating Gods flesh and drinking his blood. Then you would definitely leave thinking Christians were radical.

I wounder we were not raised around christianity, would we be Christian?

i wasn’t raised Christian… I was raised Catholic…

 

[distracted]

If you never heard of Christianity,
but was in search of God and went
in a Catholic church for the first time. And you saw a large replica
of a Man hanging from a tourture
device…what would you think?
would you you turn and walk away
then and there?

Lets say you don’t leave and you ask who is that man hanging dead
on the wall…and a Christian told
you it was God…would you laugh and leave? Remember you were not raised to think this way.

So lets say you don’t leave, and you see communion. So you ask what is this? Then a Christian told you they were eating Gods flesh and drinking his blood. Then you would definitely leave thinking Christians were radical.

I wounder we were not raised around christianity, would we be Christian?

i would feel great pity for this man on a cross… and great empathy (we’ve all suffered…) and wonder why the whole world, seemingly, hated him enough to do that to HIm… and even if one is not raised Christian, one knows this to be true… All history books mention Christ… (virtually all…all the ones i’ve ever read)

 

[Sr_Sally]

If someone was rasied with no religion at all, I’m sure they would be confused. But many deist religions (pagan/heathen) do have stories of sacrifice, redemption, ect woven into them. It is part of the “natural law” that God has put in everyone’s heart. Most primative cultures also have flood stories and the idea of a ‘chosen people’ also.

In the US, someone can be raised as ‘unchurched’ or even anti-Christian, but there are very few people who do not know the Christ story (even if they don’t understand or have the details wrong) because as a pp said, the basic outline is covered in most world history classes in high schools.

 

[distracted]

If you never heard of Christianity,
but was in search of God and went
in a Catholic church for the first time. And you saw a large replica
of a Man hanging from a tourture
device…what would you think?
would you you turn and walk away
then and there?

Lets say you don’t leave and you ask who is that man hanging dead
on the wall…and a Christian told
you it was God…would you laugh and leave? Remember you were not raised to think this way.

So lets say you don’t leave, and you see communion. So you ask what is this? Then a Christian told you they were eating Gods flesh and drinking his blood. Then you would definitely leave thinking Christians were radical.

I wounder we were not raised around christianity, would we be Christian?

Ghandi wasn’t raised Christian but when he entered a Catholic cathedral in some European country, he felt the Real Presence (just didn’t put it in those words… but he was respectful…)…

Looking at a crucifix is far different in His Real Presence than … in some other… place…

 

[StrawberryJam]

Just to add some other thoughts on this question about location of churches, and if people are being led by God or are they just finding what they want to be God where they are, in what circumstances they have…

What if they just so happened to wander into a baptist church.
Did God lead them there?

Could it be that there is a Christian
church on every corner, and not
a hindu temple. Is that why people end up in christian churches.

Or is God drawing them?

I don’t know if anyone adequately addressed this question you raised. But, my thoughts I would share are there must be multiple factors in play about why circumstances are such a way for some.
I can not really know if God is leading them to an understanding of him, or if people desire to lead themselves to what they want. I’m fairly certain a catholic will say God is leading all to him no matter what venue (Baptist, Hindu) as long as they are sincerely seeking God. I could be wrong, but that is what I have seen mentioned in addressing other controversy here regarding those of other denominations and religions.
What are your views on this?

 

[historyb]

Or is God drawing them?

No one would come unless God draws them

 

[excaliber]

Just to add some other thoughts on this question about location of churches, and if people are being led by God or are they just finding what they want to be God where they are, in what circumstances they have…

I don’t know if anyone adequately addressed this question you raised. But, my thoughts I would share are there must be multiple factors in play about why circumstances are such a way for some.
I can not really know if God is leading them to an understanding of him, or if people desire to lead themselves to what they want. I’m fairly certain a catholic will say God is leading all to him no matter what venue (Baptist, Hindu) as long as they are sincerely seeking God. I could be wrong, but that is what I have seen mentioned in addressing other controversy here regarding those of other denominations and religions.
What are your views on this?

This is a very honest post, and I like it. A Christian has no choice but to say that God will forgive a sincere person. Otherwise there would be no reason to persue God
without full knowledge of his requirements, And that would not be loving. And all abrahamic faiths
teach that God acts with justice.

The point to all this is we have things in Christianity that make no sence.So are we Christian because we drawn or we chose to accept it, because in many parts of the world we don’t know anything else.

 

[excaliber]

Christianity canot acount for what we see in the world, verses the attributes of God.
So we must asume that a God that
Loves Individuals all the same, MUST be guiding them.

Even though this makes no sence.
God could not lead one into a spiritualy healthy place, then lead another into a destructive cult.

For Justice to be a MAIN attribute
of God, he could not have directly lead one to his church and another
to a destructive cult.

For love to be a MAIN attribute of
God, he could not do anything to harm anyone in anyway.

There is massive confusion in Christianity…MASSIVE. Some chose to ignore this and say something like “God is leading everyone to the same place” this makes no sence but makes us feel
better and avoids a major problem

God has chosen not to envolve himself, reguardless of human intention or desire to sincerely seek in many individuals lives.
We can gather enuff evidence to prove this as fact.

This makes no sence in Christianity. Which teaches that God is SO interested in humanity that he chose to become human.
Extremely involved at one oint in time, then the opposite as sincere
seekers end up in cults and false religions.

Hell also makes no sence. A judge needs a set of rules known by both
the Judge And the person on trial.
Christianity has people meeting God for the first time, on the day to be judged by him.
This makes no sence…its almost comical.Do they get a chance to talk a little before trial, by the way
I am such and such a God and this religion was the correct one, now hear is where you will spend forever.

If a Christian died, and was all of a sudden standing in front of some Hindu God like Kali. It would scare you to death first of all, It would be terrible to find out that way second, And it would be worse to find out you were going to hell.

That senario or even any like it is rediculous. But I think we chose not to even address it.

 

[distracted]

What if they just so happened to wander into a baptist church.
Did God lead them there?

Could it be that there is a Christian
church on every corner, and not
a hindu temple. Is that why people end up in christian churches.

Or is God drawing them?

in the Movie The King & I… (a true story) the king is a Buddhist… but he is open to what the Brittish Christian schoolteacher has to teach him…

all humans are born with a curiosity about God… How can thye not have this curiosity when there are so many things in life that are "too much " for them? (thunderstorms, earthquakes… human evil, etc…).

so God and/or fate draws people to… whatever will help them find HIm…

 

[distracted]

and say something like “God is leading everyone to the same place” this makes no sence but makes us feel
better and avoids a major problem

God does lead pepole to Himself… but sin leads them in the opposite direction… sin & ignorance, etc… Even so we are all born w/ a conscience & it tells us when we are going the wrong way… The problem is, not everyone listens to that conscience… and/or we somewhat listen but then rationalize, etc…

God has chosen not to envolve himself, reguardless of human intention or desire to sincerely seek in many individuals lives.
We can gather enuff evidence to prove this as fact.

God involved himself by living as one of us and suffering and dying on a cross… (as all of us also have our crosses in this sinful world)

This makes no sence in Christianity. Which teaches that God is SO interested in humanity that he chose to become human.
Extremely involved at one oint in time, then the opposite as sincere
seekers end up in cults and false religions.

it is spelled SENSE… and if people end up in cults, well, their conscience (& those who are in the truth themselves) will tell them this is wrong…

Hell also makes no sence. A judge needs a set of rules known by both
the Judge And the person on trial.
Christianity has people meeting God for the first time, on the day to be judged by him.
This makes no sence…its almost comical.Do they get a chance to talk a little before trial, by the way
I am such and such a God and this religion was the correct one, now hear is where you will spend forever.

God judges people according to where they are, spirtually, etc… Again, ALL are born w/ a conscience… The bible says that “to whom more is givne, more is required.” and also that those who are worthy of “many stripes” will get less stripes (less punishment ) if they are ignorant than those who are not so ignorant. I don’t think we have to worry one bit about justice tkaing place in the end…

, It would be terrible to find out that way second, And it would be worse to find out you were going to hell.

no one is going to be super-surprised at ending up in Hell… Those who end up there were already “there” more/less on Earth… Going against one’s conscience over and over and knowing one is in opposition to God… is Hell… but people often ignore this so they can succeed in the world. etc.