Accepting Christ

[Lady]

I've noticed fundies like to talk about when they accepted Christ, and there seems to be a competition to see who have accepted him at a younger age. Why is this? What is the big deal about accepting Christ, and how is it different from quietly attending church every week?

So Free Jinger, I have some news...

I accepted Jesus as my personal savior at 6 weeks gestational age. So suck it!

[fluttershies]

For most Christians (even non-fundies - I am as non-fundie as they come but even I would agree with this), you are not a Christian simply by going to church or having Christian parents or even being christened/baptised as a baby. You must at some stage acknowledge Christ as your personal saviour. However, as CS Lewis says, sometimes it happens in a way that's not a big dramatic moment or anything - that's when fundies make it into a source of pride.

[Lady]

I was raised going to church every sunday, we didn't do a big thing. You just went.

[Terrie]

I accept Jesus, along with Visa and Mastercard.

[fluttershies]

I was raised going to church every sunday, we didn't do a big thing. You just went.

To use the common analogy, going to church doesn't make you any more of a Christian than sitting in a garage makes you a car. Plenty of people go to church every week, but are not Christians. I'm not saying you can't go to church when you're not a Christian, of course you can, but being a Christian and going to church are not the same.

[Lady]

I accept Jesus, along with Visa and Mastercard.

LOL.

[Kitty]

I have no idea.

Personally, the doing drugs/having lots of sex/being Stalin reincarnate and then finding Jesus testimonies are more entertaining, and they win way more converts.

I think it's that adults like children who do what they do or want to do, and the precociousness of it just makes it even more adorable and gives their parents another excuse to live vicariously through them and use them to their own ends.

[Sunnichick31]

I accepted Jesus when he offered me tacos.

[Kitty]

I accepted Jesus when he offered me tacos.

:lol: :lol:

[FearLyss]

My aunt takes great pride in the fact that she accepted Jesus at the age of 14, and says she has never, not even once, had any doubt. If you are making that choice at a young age, it really doesn't count IMO.

My mother is a devoted christian, studies the Bible inside and out. She thinks it is odd that my aunt never doubted her beliefs and actually feels that it is a huge part of the process (which is why she still thinks I will go back, lol). She has given me many books about her religion but when I offer her a Dawkins book or the origin of species she gets insanely angry. It is almost like she fears what she doesn't know, and won't open up to anything.

I was 12 when I accepted Jesus. A few years later, I realized I was stating these beliefs I no longer felt that connection to. Several family members were terrified of me going to college at 17, because I had rennouncedd the faith. They were so against it because most of them do fear knowledge. At 24, I am sure I will never be born again . . . again.

[nomi]

I accepted Jesus when i was six, after an extremely traumatic incident in my life, and was promised that Jesus would take care of me. I was questioning within a year (after things settled and reality sunk in) and by 11 I was like, screw this shit!

I really don't think people can make balanced judgments on faith and beliefs until they are in their 20s at the earliest.

[Tanaqui]

I accepted the Heathen Life at six years old even though my cousins' church was offering candy and a pizza party if I picked Jesus instead.

[holierthanyou]

I have to admit that when I read this thread title I had a feeling of "oh no..." because I thought it was a fundy coming over here to encourage all us bitter old hags to accept Christ. ;)

[uber frau]

As a Calvinist, I was predestined to accept Christ before the beginning of time. Or maybe after the beginning of time, since my church didn't have an official doctrine on super or sub lapsarianism. Way before your 6 weeks post conception anyway.

Or not. SInce I'm an atheist, I was obviously predestined to reject Christ. That's right, I was created to be eternally damned. Woohoo. Go me.

[SayNoToMullets]

I accepted Jesus when he offered me tacos.

Well, it's only fair, with the munchies and all - he has the best weed.

[nolongerIFBx]

I went back to Yuku and looked up my response to the question since I knew that I had typed it out before.

I was accepted Christ at the age of four. My parents did not force me into anything. I grew up hearing that we are all sinners and that Jesus died to save us. I think many people do know that, whether they believe it or not. But at four years old I realized that I was a sinner and Jesus died for me.

Have I had doubts? Sure. But the bible states that we are to "work out your salvation with fear and trembling" Phillipians 2:12. I believe this tells us to consider and reconsider carefully as in 2 Corinthians 13:5 where we are told to examine ourselves to see if our faith is genuine.

For me, four was not too young. But I would- and have- strongly urged parents not to put pressure on their children. Salvation is a personal decision, between God and a person, and a parent should not interfere, though they should certainly answer questions if anyone asks them. A pressured child or adult who makes a profession to please is just as unsaved as a child/adult who says, "No, I don't believe that". But in the first case you have a confused "Am I, or aren't I?" child/person, and the second knows. I'd rather have the second.

In short, I would not encourage a very early profession of faith.

[alaeangelorum]

For most Christians (even non-fundies - I am as non-fundie as they come but even I would agree with this), you are not a Christian simply by going to church or having Christian parents or even being christened/baptised as a baby. You must at some stage acknowledge Christ as your personal saviour. However, as CS Lewis says, sometimes it happens in a way that's not a big dramatic moment or anything - that's when fundies make it into a source of pride.

Hmm... I would say a lot of Catholics would disagree with that, and a lot of people who are Anglicans in the UK. I would certainly call a child who had been baptised Catholic a Catholic and they would therefore be a Christian, provided they still believe. I don't think there has to be some specific moment of acceptance. Yes, there is confirmation, but that isn't a prerequisite for being a Christian.

[Kitty]

For anyone who wants to know, I got "Saved" at 7. I was pressured into it by friends and all the adults around me just kind of played along. So I don't think it's parental pressure, if anyone got that from my first post, I think adults just go with it because that's also what they believe, and a precocious child is just adorable.

I'm with nolongerIFBx, I don't think a little kid who wants to please is really "saved." And I think parents should ask their kids about salvation. I think it's good to question anyone's intent to be saved- are they doing it to please, or are they doing it because they really, truly want to? I was in a very encouraging environment, but then I got disillusioned with Christianity (well, as it's practiced in modern-day America).

[slickcat79]

I remember watching that Jesus Camp documentary, and one of the boys on it claimed that he started "looking for something more in life" at the age of 5, and that led him to be saved :roll:

I think one of the Bates kids and one of Latisha's boys also accepted Jesus as their lord at about the same age. I don't really buy it.

[Lady]

I have to admit that when I read this thread title I had a feeling of "oh no..." because I thought it was a fundy coming over here to encourage all us bitter old hags to accept Christ. ;)

Eh no, I love you defrauding women just the way you are! :D

[Lady]

I went back to Yuku and looked up my response to the question since I knew that I had typed it out before.

I was accepted Christ at the age of four. My parents did not force me into anything. I grew up hearing that we are all sinners and that Jesus died to save us. I think many people do know that, whether they believe it or not. But at four years old I realized that I was a sinner and Jesus died for me.

Have I had doubts? Sure. But the bible states that we are to "work out your salvation with fear and trembling" Phillipians 2:12. I believe this tells us to consider and reconsider carefully as in 2 Corinthians 13:5 where we are told to examine ourselves to see if our faith is genuine.

For me, four was not too young. But I would- and have- strongly urged parents not to put pressure on their children. Salvation is a personal decision, between God and a person, and a parent should not interfere, though they should certainly answer questions if anyone asks them. A pressured child or adult who makes a profession to please is just as unsaved as a child/adult who says, "No, I don't believe that". But in the first case you have a confused "Am I, or aren't I?" child/person, and the second knows. I'd rather have the second.

In short, I would not encourage a very early profession of faith.

I am glad you had a good experience. My beef is with the contest nature of it, to have accepted Christ at a younger and younger age. If four worked for you though, that's great.

[Lady]

I remember watching that Jesus Camp documentary, and one of the boys on it claimed that he started "looking for something more in life" at the age of 5, and that led him to be saved :roll:

I think one of the Bates kids and one of Latisha's boys also accepted Jesus as their lord at about the same age. I don't really buy it.

Looking for something more at 5? I guess the kindergarten rat race didn't do it for him.

[formergothardite]

I accepted Jesus as a child, got baptised, the whole big deal. I don't think I really had any idea what I was doing, it was just something you were expected to do. But since I was raised "once saved, always saved." I'm still a Christian in my family's eyes even though I'm not really. That decision as a child to give my heart to Jesus out weighs my decision as an adult to take it back.

[Cordelia]

I flirted with him a bit, but never accepted the proposal. ;-)

[Guest Anonymous]

I have to admit that when I read this thread title I had a feeling of "oh no..." because I thought it was a fundy coming over here to encourage all us bitter old hags to accept Christ. ;)

Same here! Except I though "Oh hurrah" and went and got popcorn.... :lol:

For most Christians (even non-fundies - I am as non-fundie as they come but even I would agree with this), you are not a Christian simply by going to church or having Christian parents or even being christened/baptised as a baby. You must at some stage acknowledge Christ as your personal saviour. However, as CS Lewis says, sometimes it happens in a way that's not a big dramatic moment or anything - that's when fundies make it into a source of pride.

It's not 'most Christians' when you take self-identification into account. It's only 'most Christians' to that relatively small subset of Christianity who believe that 'the only True Christians' are those who have said the Sinner's Prayer.

To use the common analogy, going to church doesn't make you any more of a Christian than sitting in a garage makes you a car. Plenty of people go to church every week, but are not Christians. I'm not saying you can't go to church when you're not a Christian, of course you can, but being a Christian and going to church are not the same.

Again, it's only a 'common analogy' among the relatively small subset of those who subscribe to the 'born again' beliefs. You can say what you like to whom you like, but it doesn't make you right or mean you have a monopoly on what a Christian is. For some who identify as Christian, going to church is synonymous with being a Christian.

I was 'born again' myself, age 14, until I became increasingly apostate in my 20s. I was scared of God right from being a little girl, and I 'accepted Christ' quietly when I was 13, but for some reason I didn't count myself as 'born again' until I made a public response to an altar call age 14.

That decision as a child to give my heart to Jesus out weighs my decision as an adult to take it back.

Oh yes - this!

There are of course two options - the other being that you were never truly saved in the first place. But friends seem to prefer the option that I am 'saved by the skin of my teeth' and will scrape my way into heaven, though possibly with fewer crowns to give to Jesus than if I had remained a more fervent believer in this life.