I think people change their religion, when they think the other religion is more reliable and right than their own religion. I do think God lets things happen for a reason, and his reasons are he knows we can take the things, and he tests us on our belief to the God.

I think there should be death penalty, it’s morally wrong, but the people who make the crime they aren’t doing morally right things, if they have thought about others they wouldn’t make the crime. People committed to crimes such as murder or rape should get death penalty. If a innocent person gets death penalty, it would be very cruel to kill him, but these kind of problems are really rare.

I definitely agree that the church has sent a message that has caused or continues to cause mistreatment of the LGBT community by Christians. Even though it is taught that homosexuality is a sin, that doesn’t mean that as christians, one would have the right to condemn and judge a person based on their actions. it was explained in the bible that a sin is a sin. Everyone of us are sinners, so just because one is Christian, it doesn’t give us a right to judge other people.
The church must treat everyone fairly and equally, and with kindness and respect.

I believe that the church has mistreated, humiliated, and judged homosexuals which is very wrong. I think that the Church should apologize for what they have done to the LGBT community. God teaches us to love one another and treat each other with kindness and respect.

I do think that according to the christian faith, homosexuality is a sin, but that’s concerning the christian faith. But at the same time, all sin is the same. If you sin no matter what it is, a little white lie, or something like stealing, you’d be considered a sinner. It is not our job or it’s not even our right to make the decision as to which sin is greater than another. I think that as a believer, I believe in respecting people on their own decisions. We have no right to judge them on their lives, as we all have our own battles and sins to face. the church should apologize and should exhibit a better behavior for others.

I don’t think that it is okay for the parents to force Anna into donating for Kate. I think that it should have always been her choice to do decide whether or not she wanted to donate to Kate, even though she was conceived to help Kate. I think that is okay for Anna to decide what she wants to do with her own body.

My belief in the case of aborting a baby that was conceived through rape is that the mother should have the right to choose what she wants to do. It is her body that was sexually assaulted, she had no choice in that matter, she was forced into having sex with another person, that women should have the right to the choice of what she wants to do with the baby that was conceived in that rape. No other person should tell her what to do in that situation unless they have been in the same situation that she had been forced to go through.

Personally, I believe suffering comes from the nature of the world where wonderful things pair instinctively with things cruel and damaging. I agree with Father Mike in the claim that humans have free will, that in breaking our perfection connection with God, we allowed evil into this world. I disagree when he says that God gives up some of his control when he gives us free will; instead of giving up, I see it more as a stepping aside, letting humans use their free will to find God or some form of salvation.

I wonder that all the time, because God wants everyone to be with him. Why did God even create evil? He knew that there would be problems in the world, but why? I think it’s because he wants to test us. I think that he wants to see how we handle hardships and temptation.

Personally, I think God let human beings suffer, even human beings know they have free will they choose to be sinful. Whenever, I’m having difficult times in my life, first I ask myself what I have done wrong to suffer this, most of the times I can find the answers from myself, in this modern day almost every human being is sinful. No one can follow everything in the Bible.

Pain is only temporary and can be fixed with a change in attitude and mind. I agree with father Mike, God does have a “better plan” for us but you have to work for it. I personally feel that there are more than a million paths you get to choose from until it is time to go to paradise. On the other hand some people could have been the best as humans and still suffer, this is something i have never understood. Although I don’t believe God intentionally does this, I do believe that as human beings everyone suffers at least one time in their life. although temporary it is still an emotion we face, and its our decision on how to deal or cope with it.

I am a firm believer in that everything that happens in your life, happens for a reason, whether that reason is good or bad. I also believe that God puts obstacles in your life because he knows your strength that knows that you can overcome it. God puts these “bad” and “evil” things in our lives for a reason, He does it because he loves and cares for us. God also knows that we are not all perfect human beings.

Personally, I do believe that people in America could conduct an event, even though the world is currently in a religious/political uproar. I think that this type of event would have a great impact on our nation. When people come together as a collective group, people are often able to set aside their differences. I do not have any objections to different religions coming together to pray. I believe that it is imperative for other religions to respect one another.

I think there are a lot of Christians, Jews, and Muslims that would be open to praying together in a community, while there are also those that oppose this cooperation. With Trump, and his anti-Muslim speeches and bill, it promotes this idea of discrimination more into the country; people see Muslims as an enemy. I know there have been lot of post on the internet with support for Muslim brothers and sisters, and there has also been hate. Personally, I see nothing wrong with Christians, Jews, and Muslims praying together in one space. Each religion, while different in their approach, worships the same God and practice good moral teachings. I think being in that environment, as long as there is no violence, will show people how different religions can and should respect and work together.

I think that traditions can still be within the church without routines. I would say that some people rehearse it too much. It should kind of flow, but I cannot describe how I would want it. I think tradition comes naturally throughout churches.

A religion with no traditions are usually nondenominational. Nondenominational churches follow the bible and nothing more, on the other hand traditions form once a church gets bigger therefore even nondenominational churches practice or induce some type of tradition. Religion with out tradition would not be the same for anyone as religion can also be shared through generations.

I do not think that traditions can be kept in churches without there being a certain routine to go along with it. Traditions aren’t meant to be changed or tweaked to appeal to younger generations. Traditions are passed down through generation to generation and are not meant to be changed.

I think that many Christians are judgmental. I am a Christian and I witness it all the time. Many Christians believe that if you don’t follow what they do or believe what they believe then you’re going to Hell. Personally, I just don’t think they give Muslims the time of day, because they hate their beliefs. There are many stereotypes against Muslims because of all of the terrorist attacks. I think it’s disgusting, because the people who commit those crimes don’t follow the Qur’an correctly at all. That is NOT the Islamic teaching. We definitely cannot put all Muslims into one category. There are many Caucasian Christians who are KKK members or even shoot at movie theaters or churches. That’s hypocrisy.

I believe that the conflicts that arise between Muslims and Christians are based off of stereotypes that are made against Muslims and their beliefs. The media plays a huge role in how Muslims are portrayed, especially after terrorist attacks. Christians have strong and beliefs systems but so do Muslims and the differences between the two religions could also potentially be another reason why the two religions crash against each other.

I also agree with you, I think that many people are deeply influenced by the media. The media depicts Muslims are a certain stereotype that make them out to be bad people. When in reality they are not like that. If this type of media influence went did not use this type of stereotyping then the relationship between Muslims and Christians would improve.

I believe that if I was still living during the time that the world ends, that I would want to be around my immediate family for comfort and support. I feel as though that I would be scared and frighten of what would happen next, I would want to know if I’m going to heaven or hell. Yes, I would definitely ask for God’s forgiveness. I do not feel as though God should tell people when the world will end. If people knew when the world would end they would not be serving God for the right reasons. Living a righteous lifestyle is a choice that every individual has and it should not be forced upon them.

I would be frightened if the world ended literally right now. But, I know that God has me written in the book of life, so I wouldn’t really panic. I don’t think that there should be a set date for when Jesus comes back. People would be too focused on trying to live a “perfect” life. Some people may even fake it. God wants to come back and save people he knows are true.

Naiya, you stated that God has you written in the book of life. Do you believe that every individual is guaranteed eternal life after death? Also, how have you come to a conclusion about the book of life? Will all Christians and followers of God receive eternal life, once the rapture takes place?

I agree with what other have said with the whole idea of “faking it”. If God had said this date and time from when the world is gonna end, some people would in a way fake the belief in that the salvation to everlasting life is through Christ. In addition, I think that people will then disregard the fact that as Christians, they have to live for God. But if people knew when the world was going to end, then people would act carelessly, continually livings a sinful life, up to the point before the world would end, and then ask for forgiveness.

If the world were to end and I was still alive to actually witness it, I do not know how I would react and honestly, nobody does. Everybody says that they know the emotions that they would be going through such as pain, fear, or sadness. But in terms of what actions they would take, they do not know what they would do unless they were actually in the situation. In any hypothetical event, a person says exactly what they THINK that they would do but in all honestly, they have no idea. I’m also not sure if I would ask God for forgiveness at that precise time due to all of the emotions that I would be going through and knowing myself, I would probably forget to even though I know that to sounds bad but it’s realistically something I would do. I think that it was good that God did not give us a “set date” as to when we all cease to exist, it wouldn’t let us “live life to the fullest.” If we were to have a set date, that would be the only thing that we would think about, what we would live each day concerned about.

I think that anyone at that time would be absolutely terrified. But i agree with you one the idea of trust. I can’t refer to s specific scripture, but I know that the bible tells us that we have to trust in God and believe in Jesus, so the world ending shouldn’t be something to be scared off, but something to rejoice in, in a way.

If I were alive during the end of the world I would definitely be scared and be going through a lot of emotions. I think that I would accept that it is the end and I want want those who I love to be around me. I would also ask God for forgiveness for the things that I have done, but I would also thank him for giving me the life that he did. I don’t think that God should give a specific date to when the world would end because, eventually we are all going to die. I believe that God has a plan for every one of us on this earth and how we will go. Also if he had given us a date then people would only do “good things” in order to do right by God so they are forgiven.

Paula, I agree with you that God wants people to prepare themselves each and every day for the last day, by not sinning and following His commandments. People seem to forget that regardless if they are alive for the end of the world or not, they will still be raised from the dead to answer for their sins.

If I am to be alive during the end of time, I would be frightened and my whole life and actions I have made would probably flash before my eyes. I would definitely ask and pray for forgiveness, but at the same time I would accept what would happen to me, because I made my own choices and also was very aware that this day (and day of judgment) would come. I do not feel that we should know when the last day is, just like we don’t know when we will die. Not knowing things like this are essential to what makes human life so precious. Also not knowing gives us more purpose in our life, and is the whole test of life and how we live our lives. If we knew the specific time, it would constantly be on our minds and would probably change the way we live our lives. The whole test of life is to still be aware and do right by God, even while we are consumed with this material world.

That’s actually a really interesting point. If God answered all our prayers then we would be taking advantage of Him. But also, there are reasons as to why God doesn’t always answer our prayers, like how when we pray, we are always insisting on what we want for our plans. I think that the best plan is God’s plan, so he answers our prayers based on what he knows is best for us. Like the saying that everything is on God’s timing. And his timing is always perfect.
But going back to the article’s question, I do kind of think that if we stop prayer, we could start losing faith in God. I think that this could happen because we were given prayer as a way to communicate to God. So prayer is an important role in developing or continuing your spiritual life. Prayer is used to talk to God and stopping that, kind of stops the communication with Him.

If God was to answer someone’s prayer in today’s society, personally I think I would do anything that asked me to do. If someone stops to praying to God, I think they won’t loose their faith in him, because in today’s society, we have much more pressure in our life and sometimes we don’t have time to pray, but we have our faith inside, so maybe God will forgive us for that.

What you said about faith was really interesting, I didn’t think about it that way. I kind of explained in a way that if we stop praying we do lose our faith, but I can see how we don’t. We might just be more distant from God. Which obviously isn’t a good thing when it comes to devotion. But i think that because prayer is so important it having faith in God, hat if it does continue, it is possible to lose faith in Him. We lose our ways in the path to God, that it can happen to lose faith in him, if we stop praying.

Personally, I believe people will be shocked if God answered their prayers 24/7. Some people cry out for something they don’t mean or expect. I think my calling is to help people, but sometimes I get lost. I pray to God for guidance. My relationship with God isn’t as strong as it should be. I think praying keeps you on track. I think if you stop praying you might lose sight on what’s important. Sometimes my prayers aren’t answered in the way I want it to be. But I learned that God has bigger plans. God may be saying “NOT YET” when I ask for something.

I agree with you, I also think that if God answered everyone’s prayers like he did for Evan, we would lose appreciation towards God. I think that people would take God for granted.

I agree, but Paula do you sometimes feel like you don’t give God enough time? You mentioned that you were lazy or just don’t have the time. Maybe you could try to make time. Right before you go to bed or when you wake up.

I believe it is very possible for the Ark of Covenant to be in Ethiopia, from the information given. I just do not know for sure, since it is not allowed for anyone to go inside, there is no way of proving it. There have been stories told that who ever looks directly or touches the ark will die. There is also some belief that it may be due to the fact that the ark was made out of gold and was conducting electricity, and that is probably why people may have died. So there are many theories on the ark of covenant, none that can be proven. That may be one of the reasons no one has ever tried to break in and see the proof for themselves, or people also may just have great respect for the ark and want to leave it in peace. It will remain unknown, until someone has the audacity to find out for themselves.

Paula, I agree with you that it is a bit unfair to allow people to view the ark or go inside the house/chapel of the ark. But at the same time something so sacred should be sacred and left alone, so I understand that only one person is allowed to be in charge and go inside.

I also have never heard of the Ark of the Covenant, this is the first time that I’ve heard about it. However, without any concrete evidence that states that it is actually in Ethiopia, it’s difficult to believe that it is actually present there. Without anybody actually being able to see and examine the Ark of the Covenant for themselves then it is hard to determine it’s authenticity as well. Despite the claims, there is no certain way of proving that the Ark is truly there without any evidence.

I don’t think that there is enough proof, but I believe it could possibly be there. It would make sense since Ethiopia was a close area. I just don’t think that we will ever know, because Jesus’ life is so mysterious.

I love the evidence you provided, because I had no idea!

I am a follower of Ethiopian Orthodox and we fast Wednesdays and fridays and also some seasonal fast. when we fast we don’t only avoid meats but also any types of dairy products. it is different from people tp people to include fish with dairy products or exclude it. some orthodox eat fish during fasting season including me but some of them don’t eat because they consider fish as a “meat”.

Personally, I do feel as though many Christians have strayed away from the tradition of fasting and avoiding eating meat on Fridays. I believe that in today’s society people are more focused on their occupation and making money to support their families. But on the other hand, their are some Christians who diligently practice fasting on a weekly basis and still manage other aspects of their life. I guess it just depends on the individual and how strongly they feel about their religion.

Tsebaot, do you feel as though as you become older and your life is more fast pace, that it is harder to be consistent and make time to fast Wednesdays and Fridays? Basically, I am asking is it becoming more difficult to follow the Ethiopian Orthodox, as you progress throughout life?

I do not think its practiced that much, because I think it depends on what type of Christian you are. I am a non denominational Christian, and we don’t really fast, but we can choose to give something up for lent. People try to follow the bible, but I just think some people think its a little excessive. It’s pushed upon catholic children sometimes. I went to a catholic school. The school lunch didn’t serve meat on Friday’s so I think it depends on your faith.

I think that there are many people who do not follow this (myself included). But in my family the only one who does it is my brother and mom. Now during lent my brother has decided to give up any type of meat completely so he will only eat fish. I on the other hand don’t do this. I think it is because we have different views.

Each religion has their own practices and a choice of whether or not they choose to follow up with the practices. However, their choice should not affect how others judge their true faith and beliefs. I am a catholic and used to be not allowed to eat meat at all on Fridays during lent by my mother but now that I am older, I have chosen to not follow that practice due to the fact that the choice is actually mine to make. I have had a lot of fellow family member who are also catholic, frown upon my choice but what I choose to do is ultimately my choice and it does not affect how strong my faith truly is.

I always fasted because thats what my parents and family did around me, I never really understood what it actually meant until I came to college. It was the first time I researched what lent really was and why people did it. I did however grow up in a Catholic household but church was just another place I got together to see some of my favorite people I never took it seriously. I came to a conclusion that people fast not only for the recognition of Jesus fasting for 40 days and nights, but to humble themselves and help them realize that we should be grateful for everything that we have. The time of lent is supposed to teach us that sometimes the things we complain about are not necessarily important. It shows you the difference between wants and need. Majority of the people do fast only in the season of lent but everyone is entitled to fast whenever they want to. I now fast at least one week out of every month to give myself that reminder.

I personally like the idea of not pushing a child into a faith, especially when the parents have different faiths themselves. When a child is young they don’t really know where their true religion lies. They may pray or participate in church when they are young, but don’t truly form their religious ideas until later. If parents want their children to join a church community (to get that experience), that is fine, but the choice to continue on with the faith should be their own. I personally like the idea of Baptists churches not baptizing children, only baptizing older folks when they want to join the church. And I believe that it is worthwhile for everyone to understand more than one faith, not being constricted to the one they are raised with; this can be experiencing different Christian branches or even others like Judaism, Islam, or Buddhism. It is important for a child (and really everyone) to respect all religions, and living in a multi-religion household is good way to encourage that respect.

This was a very interesting article. I honestly think that the parent’s religion forms the foundation on the religion of their children, so it forms the structure for their religion. Whether children continue to practice the same religion as their parents, I think that parents should raise their kids with their faith, teaching them not only about the religion, but how to maintain and practice one. Faith of parents can set up a great role model for kids to follow. The children will understand as they grow up whether they wanna change their faith or not.

Ryan, I agree with you that parents should have some influence on their children during their early years of development. But once they are older and have the ability of truly understanding their religion and other religions, then they should be able to make the choice on their own on which faith they want to follow, or not follow at all. I also believe it is a great idea for interfaith couples with children to have their children grow up learning about both religions with no bias, and be able to make the choice for themselves when they are older. At the end of the day if it comes down to Christianity, Judaism, and Islam, they are all worshipping the SAME God anyways.

I believe that parents should allow their child to choose their own religion. Personally, I grew up in a very religious household. But in saying this, my parents did not force Christianity upon my siblings and I. Religion was simply explained to us in a way that we could comprehend and relate to our personal lives. Furthermore, I do not believe children should grow up with more than one religions in a household, because it can be confusing to a young child.

Ryan, I believe that parents should stop influencing their child and allow them to decide their own religious path around the age of thirteen. I believe at this age an individual has a clear understanding of religion and can began to make their own decision pertaining their religious beliefs.

it’s a great blog and I agree with most of the points. it is duty of parents to teach their kids and also its the kids right to follow whatever religion that they agree with after they grow up. they can also stay without no religion if they don’t believe in anything.

Ryan, I like how you worded it on how parents help form the foundation of religion, and then later on let the children decide for themselves what ever they want. I don’t believe there should be a certain age, because every child’s developmental level and wisdom is different. For example, at 13 some kids are very wise and mature for their age, while others are not. Most kids at that age are going through puberty and have many other concerns going on in their life that may impact their view on religion. My mother formed the foundation for our religion, and at 13 my decisions on my religion and religion in general were horrible and I regret them. I feel like I didn’t really understand where I stand with religion till about 9 years later.

The book sounds great! I think it is important to teach a child about religion and still have faith, on the other hand as they grow up and learn about different religions they should be allowed to have the space to explore different things.

I don’t think there’s a specific age in which parents should stop influencing their children. I think that the parent’s main job is to be parents and continually support and influence his or her children even if they’re grown and older. I think that once a child has fully understood that they have the option to seek different religions, and fully understand what it means to follow a religion or to have faith, then the child can decide of him or herself.

Anthony,
I agree that it definitely could put pressure or anxiety on a child if they felt they had to choose one or the other. It would be like trying to pick your favorite parent! I think that for two religion households the most important factor for it to be successful would be both parents treating each religion with respect and thoughtfulness. By teaching the children about both, and also assuring them that whatever they decide will be right with God, when they are ready to decide, I think that it might be a beneficial experience for the children. I almost believe that for a child to make that decision as they get older would lead to a deeper relationship with God. For so many of us our faith was simply always there, we just did what our parents did. But to make a conscious choice seems more significant.

Personally, I think that Parents should let their kids know about their faith. They shouldn’t have to pressure them to follow their faith, but they should expose them to it. If your beliefs are strong why not share them? Although, I would prefer to marry someone who has the same religion. I think it would make the household easier.

Personally, I was raised in a family that we all share the same religion. We won’t have argument on religious problems. We always have religious activities together and have peaceful conversation with each other.

I think since the religion is very sensitive, parents should raise their children with their own religion, because when everyone in the family is believing in different religion, there would be a lot of disagreement on things, also children can live in less struggle in life and can have normal relationship with every family member.

I believe that parents should show their children their individual religion but let them be exposed to other religions as well so they are open to options. Once they are older they should be able choose and decide their own religion. For instance I was raised and was always influenced by Catholicism. My family is very catholic and I also went to a Catholic school. It wasn’t until high school where I was open to many different types of religions.

As a girl who was born and raised in Brooklyn it never gave me any space to think of immigration as a bad thing. I love being first generation in the United States and I will never be ashamed of my roots. The government now deals with immigration in a wrong way in my opinion, the way they try to destroy innocent families and individuals is inhumane. I personal feel that politics and religion should not mix because not everyone follows the same religion or faith. Politics in general is a sensitive topic to talk about even among family members. At the end of the day we live in a society where we think we have rights but we are limited to them.

Personally, I think that if someone wants to come to the U.S then we should let them. It is mostly because they want a better life anyway. EVERYONE was an immigrant before, not to mention Trump’s wife. People instantly forget where they came from. My family would still be in Haiti or Africa if it wasn’t for the slave owners who took us. I think that we need to read the bible all over again.

banning immigrants from getting into certain country is totally far from what God wants us to do. In front of God we all equal and same so it’s better to do what he wound want us to be which is being kind and welcoming like he is .

I believe that the way that immigration is being dealt with now is wrong. This country was built on immigrants and many people in this country are immigrants who come from all over the world for a better life. There are families which are being separated and destroyed. I also think that religion and politics should not mix because there are many types of religion around the world, so not everyone is the same.

I believe that according to the bible it doesn’t matter what time or day the Rapture comes but what does matter is the events before and after the Rapture. “But of that day and hour no one knows,” Jesus said to His disciples on the Mount of Olives (Matthew 24:36) It seems fair that we are told what happens but not when it happens because it prevents chaos.

I do not believe that it matters when the rapture will take place. It is imperative for Christians to live right and be guided based on what the bible says. I do believe this is fair because if people knew the exact time that the rapture would take place then people would not strive to live a life that is pleasing in God’s sight. In God’s supreme wisdom everyone will be judged based upon the condition of their heart, so in other words, people need to live everyday as though it was their last day. Righteousness is something that you practice, it is not to be played with.

I think it is completely fair that we do not know the time when the end is coming. It would definitely change the way people act in this world, especially for people alive when time is almost up. If they were aware that the end is coming during a time frame while they are still alive, it would affect they way the act and live their life. God wants us to act and live our lives based on our faith, not based on the last day.
I find it interesting that the movie shows the saved people disappear and everyone else is left on Earth for a certain period. My religion also believes in the end of time and that on that day the angels will come down and the trumpet will blow and Jesus will come. It is said by many religious scholars of my religion that when the end is coming, it will mostly be only the worst of people that will be alive during that time anyway. So I find it interesting how it correlates with my religion that the “unsaved” people get left behind when the end is coming.

I am in agreement with Mary’s statement. Abiding by God’s rules is a personal choice made by an individual. God allows people to have freewill, whether or not to follow him or not to follow him. The sole purpose of the bible is to guide followers of God until the day he returns. God has already made it known that the rapture will take place, therefore it is an individuals person decision to try to maintain a righteous lifestyle.

I feel like it is fair. We do not know when Jesus is coming back, so why wait? We have to prepare now, because I’m sure people do not want to be left behind. We should want our relationship to grow throughout our life.

I agree, because people may be focused on trying to live “perfect” life and they may not really be living. Life isn’t just about going to work everyday and paying bills.

I agree that churches do need to evolve the way they preach the gospel/ message, but obviously making sure that they don’t lose the true purpose, which Karissa explained. In my personal experience/ opinion I never really enjoyed going to the “teen” or younger generation outreaches. It seemed like they were trying too hard to connect with the younger generations that it didn’t seem natural. I definitely prefer going to traditional services because it keeps it simple and meaningful for all audiences.

I also agree that churches don’t need to “become cool” just to attract millennials. When it comes to churches, they have a very traditional, set appearance; trying to be hip just makes them seem as if they are trying too hard. I think churches should focus and attracting people for the purpose to share God’s word and not only seek millennials. I believe that churches should keep their traditional sort of appearance, but of course they can go modern if they choose. I only really think that churches should update according to the modern decisions like same-sex marriage. They don’t have to alter their appearance to attract millennials, they just need to change slightly to adjust to what millennials support (like same-sex marriage).

Since the church is where you visit once a week and pray to the God for your sin or tell God about the happiness and sadness in your life, I don’t think the structure or the model of the Church should be the reason we choose to go to the Church and not go to the Church.

As the daughter of two Sunday School teachers, I have personal experience with the church attempting to connect with the younger generation. I feel as though that the church wants to welcome the younger generation but they’re actually making the younger generation feel forced or obligated to do so. My church has a youth group that teens may join if they feel the need to do so, if the younger generation truly wants to join the church community, they should not feel forced. However, I do not believe that the Church should change their traditional ways to a more “modern” take on religion.

I understand and you are right, its great to see churches reaching out to the younger generations by creating a more youthful environment. I know that some services in traditional settings can be boring or sometimes it’s hard to connect with, so the “youth” outreach really helps. But again, the only reason why I don’t like the youth services is cause it seems like they are trying so hard to connect with the younger audience that I personally have been pushed away by it. Just like what Zeyna said, churches shouldn’t do anything extra to make younger people feel like they have to do extra. Talking to them and discussing with them could do the trick.

I think churches need to evolve. No one wants to sit during an old traditional church. That’s boring and this generation won’t want to go. My church is entertaining, but still teaches about God. The teachings are just related to our everyday life. That is how it should be I believe.

I completely agree with you, I believe that the traditional ways of the church should not be changed. The way in which the church approaches the younger generation should be changed into a creative way instead. I also think that they should not feel forced to join the church.

It is always a hard transition when change is to come, , an example can be teenagers going through puberty and a parent not wanting to let them grow have their own space, many people may be stuck on the same ways of the church as well. Although religion is written and has not changed in a while or usually does not plan to change, those who do follow a religion have been brought up differently from generation to generation. On the other hand the church does not need a complete makeover on what they bring in the church, or how they conduct it but there are many ways to reach out to millennials which is easier than before. For example with religion comes traditions and m mothers traditions are very distinct from my fathers traditions which is also very distinct from the traditions I have followed growing up. Religion is not about the materialistic aspect of life rather the relationships created with one another and being able to understand the real meaning of the religion and practice. The church should not do a complete renovation, instead educate millennials and all those new followers about the real meaning of religion and faith.

For me, I 100% support same-sex relationships and their right to marry. When it comes to interpreting the Bible, I think we need to refer to “Dei Verbum” and take the Bible in context of the surrounding circumstances. Around the time of the Bible, there were many cultures that included and supported same-sex relationships (like Greece, Rome, etc); it makes sense for the Hebrews to want and reject that lifestyle and include that rejection in their laws. When it comes to priest refusing to marry same-sex couples, while I don’t approve, as private institutions they are allowed to refuse whoever they want. There are some churches that refuse even opposite sex couples from marrying unless they take relationship tests or some sort of counseling. Since priests are of the church, they interpret the Bible various ways (literal or not). If they disapprove of same-sex marriages, that just reflects how they see God’s word.

I believe that if you truly love somebody, regardless of their gender, then you should have the “right” to be with them. The idea of loving someone and not being able to marry them due to your genders is absurd. I also don’t believe that same-sex marriage means that you’re sinful, loving one another is anything but a sin.

I totally respect people who decided to have same sex marriage, but my personal opinion is when the Bible was written I think there wasn’t a thing as same sex marriage, so there is nothing specific in the Bible about it, but when the God created humans he created Adam and Eve, which a male and female, I think that is a hint about what the marriage should look like.

I am not against homosexual’s at all, because people should do what they want. I do not necessarily support it in the case I don’t want my future children to be exposed to it. It goes against what I believe. Yes, all sins are equal. I also do not want my children to kill or steal. I do not want them thinking homosexuality is okay, because I believe it isn’t. I do think people should marry who they want and it’s their business. It is between them and God.

Well, I don’t think Jesus meant that same sexes could be together. He meant that Jonathan’s love is stronger for him period.( 2 Samuel 1:26). I will not bash people for liking the same gender, but it’s something I don’t personally agree with.

I am in complete agreement with you. I support and respect same sex-marriage and their rights.

I want to comment but I don’t think i can fully answer a question. This is such a controversial and sensitive topic, I don’t even know where to begin. It does state many times in the bible that men were made for the opposite sex but it also states that God loves all his children. I agree with same sex marriage because the world is filled with many failing heterosexual marriages, many couples who agree to love the same sex majority of the times have a more success life and marriage over those in heterosexual relationships. On the religion side, I do not think that a priest should state their personal opinion instead dictate the facts that are in the bible. As an individual you can not and should not judge how other people live therefore I don’t believe that this action is a sin even though it does say that the action of physical activities is a sin. Although this is a serious topic many individuals are heavily influenced by others therefore can be influenced into an “experimental stage” or “phase” they go through in figuring out their sexuality, this i do believe is wrong because then this individual is doing it for the “hype” not because this is how they actually feel.

I am in agreement with Anthony and Karissa. The bible presents a clear understanding of salvation. The scriptures John 3:16 and Acts 2:21 both explain that if trust and belief in God is expressed by an individual that eternal life and salvation will be the ultimate outcome. This blog post provides a detailed explanation of salvation along with textual support from the bible.

In the Good News Gospel Message video it explains that the purpose for hell is to serve justice to wrong doers. I am in agreement with this because if there was only just heaven then people would not obey and follow God’s commandments. It would not be fair for people who on a daily basis abide by God’s rules and try to maintain a religious life. But I disagree with the statement made that heaven is for perfect people because God forgives people if they ask for repentance and everyone is guilty of committing sin in one form or another.

I agree with God’s interpretation of salvation. I honestly believe that to understand it fully, a person has to be willing to be one with Christ. I think this blog gave great examples and textual evidence. Although, I do believe that we are set to a very high standard to even reach salvation.

This blog is helpful, but at some point I can’t agree God’s interpretation of salvation, I believe that people who did what the God told not to do go to the hell and people who followed God’s word will go to the heaven, however when people did something bad, they should only ask God to wipe out their sin and not ask the Jesus. Also, from the first video I can’t believe how the Jesus rose after three days of his death.

Growing up I was surrounded in a strong catholic faith, where it was strictly just prayers and attending masses that formed that relationship with God, which bring about salvation. SO i get where you’re coming from. But as I learned about the Christian faith, I learned more about the actual purpose of prayer, and forming that relationship with Jesus. This article does a good job in explaining that with salvation, we must believe in Jesus and continually live our lives in relation to him. Because we are all sinners, and we all need to be forgiven in order to be saved.

I agree that as long as you accept Jesus Christ as your Lord and savior, then you are saved. Although, he does expect you to follow the commandments. I don’t think he would want a murderer with him in heaven, so I would say try to follow the ten commandments and repent.