Of course not! He was a Jew which is a religion with a great tradition of charity & good deeds. And helping others is hardly limited to Christianity. It is, however, an excellent way to immerse oneself in the "new commandment" to love one another. It is my experience that when one is struggling with faith and he or she sets aside study of the gospels and engages in ministry to others, faith comes naturally. |
| When I was yearning to know more 30 years ago when I first started seeking, a friend recommended Community Bible Study. They are in churches and homes all over the area. I went to the one at Fourth Presbyterian in MD. They had a class just for us nursing mothers and I learned a lot. The have studies for both men and women. I'm forever grateful! ? |
| *that question mark was supposed to be a heart! |
Of course not, but then Jesus didn't come just to talk to Christians only. |
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This is a great question OP. What is your religious background, and what do you know about Jesus?
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Jesus didn't come to talk to Christians at all. There were no Christians during Jesus' life. Jesus himself died a Jew. |
former Catholic, have rejected religion for years, in the midst of a personal crisis - and had a [u]very vivid dream recently telling me to find Jesus. So I am going to give it another chance. Obviously I already know some from my Catholic years, but I want a fresh start with Jesus, not Church dogma. |
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New believers bible .
http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=6mhCM0IimHc |
| See if a church in yourarea is offering an alpha course. This ia a very good introduction to the bible and the person of Jesus. I know that national community church usually offers this course on Capitol Hill. But it is available many places, all kinds of churches. |
Do you always follow through with what you dream about? Do you think god was talking to you in the dream? |
+1. Excellent recommendation. OP, finding a strong church that will help you explore Christianity at your intellectual level will be key. There are others, but you might start with a Presbyterian, Episcopalian (may be too close to Catholic in the ritual) or Methodist church. |
The commandment to love one another is not 'new' and did not start with Jesus. As has been stated previously in this thread, Jesus was a Jew in a Jewish religious milieu. Do you think he invented the notion of loving one another? |
| Pray, listen, serve those in need, and look for God in everyone. |
Who else defined love as laying down your life for your friend? |
I don't think I would agree that Christianity teaches us that love means to commit suicide for others. |