What does Scientology have to offer me?

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Question:
Now, I am not interested in the teachings, I am not interested in the social benefit, and I am not interested in freeing my body from Aliens.  What does the church have to offer me culture-wise? Do their "Priests" dress in unique clothing?  Do Scientology members participate in rituals?  Are there items that are of high regard in the Church? etc etc...

My Reply:

Being a Scientologist offers you about the same perks as being a Trekkie. A few include that fact that both doctrines and faiths are based on science fiction, and each was written by a human with a great imagination, and who was out to make a buck (or several millions). Culture-wise, both are also full of famous people, and "out of this world". 
Scientology-founder L. Ron Hubbard was a science fiction book writer. He said in an interview once that there's no money in fiction book writing, and that he thinks he'll start up a religion...and that's exactly what he did. 
Click on the blue links in the text for more information.

---Pastor Andy

Evangelism (part 1)

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Question:

What happens when someone has never heard of your God/Christ?  I just want to know what you think, since this is one of the main reasons that I turned away from religion in elementary school (I'm in high school now and am an agnostic atheist). How is it fair that people in other countries who have never heard of your religion will burn in hell for not following it?   And if they don't, then how can you proclaim Christianity as the only way to salvation?  Religion is generally region specific. Christianity is only prevalent in Western countries and their former colonies. No one can control where they are born and thus what religion and culture they are born into. What happens to a person who leads a good life, but doesn't belief in your faith because they have never been exposed to it?

My Reply:

Your question is very common among non-believers and those who want to disprove or judge God.

First of all, Christianity is not about an "it" but a "who".  Christians don't follow Christianity, we follow Jesus.  The religion is the doing-part in response to our relationships with God through Jesus Christ.  In fact, if you don't have that relationship, then you really can't call yourself a Christian to begin with.  And when I say a relationship, I don't mean giving yourself to Jesus then having nothing to do with Him.  A relationship is an ongoing thing...constant communication (prayer), regular reading of His Word, baptism into the Body where He's the Head, engaging in the sacraments and fellowshipping with other body parts (Christians), studying and applying His Word (which you find in the Bible), listening for His direction and obedience to them, putting what we learn to practice, taking on God's character...anything else is just "religious".
Many who fall away from Christianity often do so because they never had that relationship in the first place.  Sometime they never picked up on that part, other times they focused so much on the doing that they didn't put in time with the relational part, and just burned out.  I'm assuming you'd fit in with this type of "religious" person.

So now say you're in a burning building with several other people. The building consists of 4 tall walls and a roof, no windows, and any doors are solid and locked from the outside. So there's no way out, and everybody agrees that such is the situation. It doesn't matter if you believe in fire or not, or if you believe in smoke or not. In fact, it doesn't even matter if anybody sees or smells the smoke or feels the heat. Point is, the building's burning, about to collapse, and there's no way out.

Now, let's say that you somehow find a way out. What do you do?  Do you run to the exit without telling anybody else?  Or do you inform everybody else in the room of your discovery so that they too may escape the flames?
My point of mentioning this is that sin is present, whether you believe it or not. Jesus is also the only way to be freed from the sin, whether you believe in Him or not (although you can only be freed from sin through Jesus). The second part is a response to the cop-out of what about those who don't know. The point here is that if you find the escape route, it's your responsibility to tell others so they too may escape the flames. In the same way, regardless of where you were born or into what culture, it's the responsibility of the "saved" person (or the person who discovered the way to safety) to tell others about the Way (which is Jesus Christ).

As for Christianity being a "Western" religion, Christianity began in the East, for it's the fulfillment of Judaism, which also originated in the East.  And the ONLY reason Christianity is known in the West is because of people who knew Jesus Christ that traveled from the East, to the West, in order to tell people who didn't know (for though much of the original colonizing was to escape the Church of England, much was also to evangelize to the natives of this land).  And so even today, Christianity continues to grow, moving in every direction, due to those who know Jesus.
I've heard your argument before that says if you were born in Iran for instance, you're bound to be a Muslim, or a Mormon if in Utah, or a Hindu if in India.  But then there ARE Christians living in those countries.  Plus, Christians and Christian teachings are everywhere, so where you live or were born no longer (or maybe never) holds water.  Also on that note, thanks to the internet, you can research "it" (called "it" for the sake of the discussion) from anywhere in the world.  ANY question about Christianity, Jesus, salvation through Christ, etc., you can find the answer to or research on.  Therefore, you can no longer use the excuse of being born here or there, for if you really want to know, you can find out.

So the question turns around now, stares you in the face, and asks, how will YOU respond?  Going back to the burning house, will you listen to the person trying to show you the way out, or will you use your excuses of culture and location as reasons to remain where you are?

---Pastor Andy

Can you tell me about Chicago?

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Question:  

I am looking to move there within a couple of years. I have always been very content with that Chicago, and I don't really know why. I took a trip out there totally fell in love with Downtown!!!!  I have never seen a downtown like that in my life, and there were so many damn people…I loved it! So tell me more about it. How is it out there? Do you like it? Have you visited? How was you experience? Thanks!

My Reply:

I agree, Chicago is really awesome. I lived in Chicago's northwest suburbs for 12 years, and the city (Chicago) for 19 years, both downtown and on the north side.
There are good and bad areas, and they're are really all over the place. You could have one block that's good, and the next block you should avoid, or the same place that’s safe in the day and dangerous at night.

I'd say that two of the best parts about Chicago, compared to anyplace else in the world, are the people and culture. I can't really explain it in this short space, but it's totally different, even from the rest of the country...in a good way though.

I think "I-Robot" portrayed Chicagoans well when they stood up to the robots...they'll go about their own ways, often even seeming cold or reserved.  But in the time of need, they bind together and form a team-likeness unlike you'll see anywhere else.

You'll love it there. My wife and I want to move back there, but at the moment, we're called to someplace else.

---Pastor Andy

These may also help:

    

Christians' Lack Of Discerning Good from Evil

Question: Why don't Christians have discernment of good and evil any longer?  In the end, to the churchgoer, will Jesus say; ''depart from me you sinners, I never got a chance to know you?" Will it be a complete surprise?

My Answer:

I’m a little confused by your question.

In the Old Testament, we often read about God calling His people back to Him. Why? Because though God wanted them to be Holy, or set apart from the other nations, they wanted to mix in and be like the other nations. This soon corrupted their thoughts, behaviors, and even worship.

In Paul's first letter to the Corinthians (as well as all the other churches he wrote to), the outside world's culture was leaking into the Church. They were nobodies before entering the Church, and once they began gaining status, they began behaving as those outside the church.

I have come to notice many Christians today making the same mistakes as both groups mentioned. We're called to be Holy, but so many "Christians" today want to fit in with the world...they don't want to offend anybody with their faith, or exclude anybody, even though the scriptures say that many will be; they begin believing only the parts they want in the Bible; and they no longer see the urgency (or even importance) of the Gospel.  And so therefore, they fall away from the Truth, causing them to have difficulties discerning good from evil.

Will Jesus say "depart from me, evildoers, for I never knew you."? Maybe, for Christianity is all about the relationship we have with God through Jesus Christ. If they lost sight of Him and put their focus onto a false god or a false image of Christ, then such is a possibility. (Just because somebody looks like your best friend, doesn't mean they even know who you are).

---Pastor Andy

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Are All People Created Equal?

Question:

I know people say that we are created equal and all, but I mean like, what about competition? If we were created equal, then why do we compete to see who is better than the other person?  People look different, so why do some people consider one person better looking than another? I don’t understand how people are supposed to be equal if both people have different personalities.

What about money? I mean, just because someone has more money than another person, they think that they are better. So how exactly are we all equal to one another?  And if ALL people are created, then you are saying we are equal to Jesus and that every one is equal to mass murderers such as Hitler and the like. But then, how are we created equal to the mentally incapable and the newborn babies that die at birth? How exactly are all people created equal? Don't tell me it’s in the Bible because its not. Or if it is tell me the verse. You can’t!

My Reply:

Your question is about creation in words, but your explanation is about culture and status set by worldly standards. For example, when it comes to money, money is NOT something that sets our equality or status in CREATION...it sets our status in the culture...worldly standards.

Although we were all CREATED equal, none of us were created to be equal to Jesus.  Jesus is God. If we were to be equal to Jesus, then that would be to say that we were created equal to God. But if that were the case, then we would be God (or gods), too...but we're not.  Also, Jesus wasn't created...Jesus has always been.  So in terms of us being created, we were created in God's image...equally.

As for equality with mass-murders...you know, let me ask you something. Is it fair to say that babies who died at birth are equal with us, but also to say that we're not equal with mass-murderers?

You wanted scripture that talks about us being created equal. Look at Romans 3:23. "All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God." You might say we were all created equally-screwed. Verse 24 tells us also that all "are justified freely by God’s grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus."

So we're all created equally into sin, and all equally able to receive righteousness and salvation from this sin through Jesus Christ, regardless if you're a mass-murderer, Hitler, Mother Theresa, the Pope, or just somebody trying to figure out why the world's cultures continue to shun the equality in which we were all originally created.  It's when culture and humanity take what God equally created, and turn it into their interpretations of how it "should" be, that this equality is destroyed. 

But we were all CREATED equal.

---Pastor Andy

Equal sign courtesy of: http://www.polyvore.com/equal_sign_image_picture_sarahwentz/thing?id=228016