Just a question you know... getcha thinking and all. Basically I'm asking that just because you believe in something (religion) you get to do something... or is the other one 'wrong' and the followers of that are sinners for believing in a false hope?

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The Stank pwns you!

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The Stank pwns you!

The way I see it, Belief is something that can be shaken (proven wrong, changed for better or worse, unstable, doubtful). On the other hand, I see Faith as solid (unmistakeable, unchangeable, unwaivering, absolute).

When it comes to religion, Faith and Belief can be interchangeable I suppose. But Christianity, as Jesus taught it, is not a religion - it is a lifestyle which totally encompasses the entirety of a person and as a result automatically affects the world they live in for themself and also for those they interact with.

--D-SIPL

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If at first you don't succeed, destroy all evidence that suggests you tried

There are alot of different ways people define faith and belief, the bible often uses the words belief and faith interchangably, however, the bible does make a distinction between what most people mean when they say "believe" and faith.
When most people say "believe" they mean you acknoledge something to be true, you accept it as true. Faith is someting more than that.

In answer to your question about why does it matter what you believe in, if you define belief simply as acknoledging something as true, it doesn't really matter that much. In this sense people can believe in God, believe in Jesus, even believe that Jesus is God, and it won't really do them any good.
The bible presents faith as what might be called active belief. Faith is when you believe in something with such confidence that it becomes the guiding truth of your life. This matters because it changes who you are. When you make something the foundation of your life, it is the foundation of who you are. In the Christian view, faith even goes beyond this because it is the avenue by which God works in our lives. His grace comes to us through faith. Thus when we have faith enough to live based upon God and his Truth, He dwells within us and changes us into what He intended us to be.

From this point of view it makes a great deal of difference what you put faith in, because that ultimately determines what you are.

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-- All that is gold does not glitter,
Deep roots are not touched by the frost,
The old that is strong does not wither,
Not all those who wander are lost.

Problem is, every one thinks that they're right and every one else is wrong. Including me! Like, if you thought your own beliefs were wrong, you'd have to be pretty messed up.

you have a good point there, and many christians can mess up subtly in this point. For a christian can 'defend' their religion (christianity) or whatever for their own purposes rather than just because its true. They defend it because it is THEIR tradtion, THEIR history, THEIR belief, THEIR identity - basically they are on the defensive and defending themselves - selfishly (often because it is JUST tradition and religion, and their security/identity is in this tradtion, so they have to defend it rigourously, however a mature Christian has their idenity firmly in Christ, and can take insults etc, without being defensive, beceause we are secure in our place with Christ, as well as knowing that our God is big enough to take care of himself ), but anyway, if somebody 'defends' christianity in such a way, it is no different that anybody defending their own religion, belief system - islam, buddhism or whatever, it is totally expected and totally human to do that, But christians defending their religion should not be based on THEMSELVES which is selfish (and often you can see this because they hold THEMSELVES in high esteem, and don't really care, and just judge and belittle the person they are talking with (or AT) ), but a mature christian does not so much 'defend' christianity, but rather share it with choosing GREAT LOVE for the person/people they are sharing it with, caring about that person more than themselves..

Karl

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Karl /GODCENTRIC
Visionary Media
the creative submitted to the divine.
Husband of my amazing wife Aleshia
Klumsy@xtra.co.nz