[unknown624]

I am Christian. Or am I Catholic?

What is the difference?

I'm also worried about my religion. I go to church, but not every Sunday. I pray everyday in school, and I pray for God to help me be a better person. But I keep going behind my parents' backs, and I don't feel good about it.

I know it's Lent, but I haven't given anything up. Instead, I was going to work on being nicer to my family. Is it too late to give up lying?

[Tj3]

I am Christian. Or am I Catholic?

What is the difference?

I'm also worried about my religion. I go to church, but not every Sunday. I pray everyday in school, and I pray for God to help me be a better person. But I keep going behind my parents' backs, and I don't feel good about it.

I know it's Lent, but I haven't given anything up. Instead, I was going to work on being nicer to my family. Is it too late to give up lying?

If you are a member of the Catholic Church you are a Catholic.

If you have received Jesus Christ as Lord and Saviour, you are a Christian.

It is never too late to change, and giving up things for lent in not in the Bible. We should never wait for lent or anything else to do what is right. There is never any better time than the present.

[Clough]

Hi, Tj3!

Once a thread has been started and people post on it, for a member to solicit others to contact them privately, takes away from the purpose and integrity of the site. It's also not fair to others who've posted on the thread and keeping information on a thread can be helpful to others who might have similar issues with which they need help.

I get quite a few private messages from people wanting me to go outside of threads to exchange information. I either respond back to them on a thread they might have started that I received their private message or direct them in a private message to start a thread about what they're wanting to know.

Just the other day, someone kept putting their personal contact information on a thread, and I kept deleting it. I think they might have gotten the message now to keep things on the thread, but I'm still not sure...

It's true that it's not perfectly clear in the Terms of Service and Rules about this site concerning using private messaging outside of threads. Hopefully, the clear description about when it's appropriate and when it's not appropriate to use private messaging will be improved.

Here's a quote from the Terms of Service and Rules, though. Link is HERE.

Private Messaging other members
By default, Registered members may communicate by Private Messaging, which is similar to email, but is done within the site - and uses the member's username as the "to" address.

This feature may be turned off in the Profile Options. The below applies only to members who have not turned the feature off.

Please Note: Do not use Private Messaging for questions that should be asked in an appropriate topic.

Someone a couple of weeks ago, wanted to solicit off-site contact in order to commence some sort of business deal. The thread was already well-developed. I closed the thread because of what was happening.

I then received a private message from the one doing the soliciting, where he indicated that he thought that posters could engage others privately in order to provide a service of some kind to them in order to make a profit for themselves.

Granted, it would be great to be able to do that, and there is a forum topic area where soliciting providing a service of some kind is allowed, on the threads, but only after a person has posted more that 200 times on the site can they even offer such a thing.

Now, I know that it also states on the homepage of this site, the following:

Accept money for answers that you provide.
Communicate privately with other members (PM).

It's not really made clear in those statements as to how a person might accept money and how and when communicating privately with others is to be done. Hopefully, that is something that will be made clearer.

I know that your issue here is not about you cutting some sort of business deal, but just wanting to help the original poster.

Unknown624 asked original questions by starting this thread, and so, I think that it would be safe to assume that unknown624 would appreciate answers being on the thread. The question, sentences and words used on this thread will be easy to find when people are doing searches for similar things on the Internet. How fair would it be for others who do the searches on the Internet for answers they seek and need to questions they have, if when going to where the questions have been asked, someone has simply stated that please email me so that we can discuss this privately?

I know that what I've posted here is my opinion, and that others here who've had to deal with this sort of thing might or might not agree with me, and that they might also add what they think too. This site's not perfect, but hopefully, through cooperative efforts of us all, it will get to be better and more efficient and clear as to how it's to be used.

I, for one, want to insure the integrity and richness of this site, and I hope that you do too!

Thanks!

[N0help4u]

How old are you?
It is never a good thing to lie especially when you are young and feel you can't be honest with your parents.
When you can't get to church spend some time reading your Bible
Read your Bible, ask specific questions you want to know about God and do Bible studies on things to help you understand better.

We all go through our trials and the important thing is what we learn from them and how we learn to deal with things.

[arcura]

unknown624,
If you are confirmed in the Catholic Church you are a Catholic.
That means also that you have accepted Jesus Christ as your Lord and savior so that means that you are a Christian.
All Catholics are Christians and don't let anyone try to tell you different. They are members of the oldest and biggest Church in the world.
It is never too late to stop lying except after death it is to late.
So stop the sooner the better.
Call upon God and pray for strength.
Peace and kindness,
Fred

[JoeCanada76]

What exactly is it your lying about?

Lent is more then just giving up something. Lent is about mourning and asking for forgiveness for your sins and turning a new leaf. Having a fresh start. Do what your heart tells you is right, in my own opinion that is all that God asks of you. Love others. Love yourself.


You're a Christian, whether your catholic or any other denomination.

[Tj3]

A Catholic is a member of the Catholic Church denomination.

A Christian is a person who has received Jesus Christ as their Lord and Saviour.

Member in an organization - any denomination or organization - does not guarantee that you have been saved from your sins, though a person who is a member of a denomination - any denomination (or even no denomination) - may in fact also be a Christian.

What defines a Christian is this:

- Acknowledging that we have sinned. Look at the 10 commandments for starters and see if you can honestly say that you have perfectly obeyed them all at all times. Scripture says no one has - that makes us all sinners. The Bible says that the wages for sin is death, and that means both that we die in the flesh and that we die in the spirit by spending eternity in hell unless that penalty for sin is paid.

- Acknowledging that we, as sinners do not have the ability to save ourselves from our sins, but need a Saviour.

- Acknowledging who God is, and that Jesus (God the son) is able to save us by paying the sacrifice for our sins on the cross.

- Receiving in truth (not just by words) Jesus as Lord and Saviour. When you have done this, the righteousness for Jesus covers us and the penalty is paid. This does not mean that you can go on living as you wish, but rather the Holy Spirit comes in to indwell all believers to help them live the Christian life.

Lastly, you need to get involved with a good sound Christian, Bible-believing church where you can have fellowship with other believers, and can grow in the knowledge of God and His word (The Bible).

As for Lent - giving up things for Lent is not in the Bible, but in fact giving up lying is something that should be done now. When a person is saved, the Holy Spirit works in their lives to help them become more like the person that God would have them be.

[arcura]

Jesushelper76,
I agree with you.
I also wonder what he is lying about.
Peace and kindness,
Fred

[Wondergirl]

Once a thread has been started and people post on it, for a member to solicit others to contact them privately, takes away from the purpose and integrity of the site. It's also not fair to others who've posted on the thread and keeping information on a thread can be helpful to others who might have similar issues with which they need help.

How does this work for the Resume board? A resume is a very personal piece of paper. As the expert for that board, I can give general information, such as put an Accomplishments section (with measurable successes) as the first heading or keep your resume to one page (since resume means "summary" and is simply a teaser that will hopefully get interviews for you). What if someone wants me to look at and tweak his resume? Could that go into PMing?

As for the OP's concerns, Catholics are Christians. In fact, they were the main body of Christians before anyone else was termed that.

[arcura]

Wondergirl,
Yes,
You are right.
Thanks,
Fred

[arcura]

unknown624,
If you are confirmed in the Catholic Church you are a Catholic.
That means also that you have accepted Jesus Christ as your Lord and savior so that means that you are a Christian.
All Catholics are Christians and don't let anyone try to tell you different. They are members of the oldest and biggest Church in the world.
It is never too late to stop lying except after death it is to late.
So stop the sooner the better.
Call upon God and pray for strength.
Peace and kindness,
Fred

[classyT]

Fred, and wondergirl,

I totally disagree. Not ALL catholics are Christians anymore than all people calling themselves Christians are in fact Christians.

[Wondergirl]

Of course not everyone who professes to be a Christian actually IS a Christian!

The Catholic Church is a Christian church, just as the Baptist, Lutheran, and Presbyterian churches are Christian churches.

[Clough]

So, what do you think now, unknown624? I hope that you return to this thread that you started!

Your input would be appreciated and is needed here!

Thanks!

[Wondergirl]

Correct Classy, simply being sprinkled at birth by a Catholic priest, does not make you a christian.

Simply being immersed or blessed or prayed over as a form of baptism over doesn't make a Christian either.

I sometimes wonder if the Catholic church uses this ploy to make the claim of being the largest church in the world? Now if you were to count active members who actually practice Christianity, I wonder how many members the Catholic church would have? Any guesses??

What a lovely, Christian thing to say, 450donn. NOT!

[Tj3]

Simply being immersed or blessed or prayed over as a form of baptism over doesn't make a Christian either.

Quite right. One must receive Jesus Christ as Lord and Saviour. That is the ONLY way to become a Christian. Memberhsip in a denomination will not do it (Catholic or otherwise), nor will any ritual (be it baptism, a blessing or going to church every Sunday).

Baptism is however, intended to be an act of obedience after one is saved. Unfortunately in many churches it now becomes a cultural event, a rite of passage. Or, as you suggested, something that people believe will save them.

[arcura]

Don,
A person becomes a Catholic not at baptism but at Confirmation after having attended several years of instruction.
I was baptized a Protestant. I became a Catholic at confirmation.
Peace and kindness,
Fred

[Wondergirl]

Don,
A person becomes a Catholic not at baptism but at Confirmation after having attended several years of instruction.
I was baptized a Protestant. I became a Catholic at confirmation.
Peace and kindness,
Fred

Just for fun, what does a person become when baptized?

[Tj3]

Just for fun, what does a person become when baptized?

Wet.

[Akoue]

Just for fun, what does a person become when baptized?

Free from original sin.