[QUOTE]Originally posted by popcornbird
Thanks for the answers everyone. I must admit I am still confused about Trinity, but perhaps its something I will never understand.
yes, the Trinity is a hard one. I don't really understand it completely either and I have not had a good explanation from a pastor either. The best analogy is One God in three persons - Father , Son and Holy Spirit, 3 in One, like Ice, Water and Mist are all H20. The Father was the Creator, the Son was the Redeemer and Savior and the Spirit is the Comforter and Enabler to Come to Faith and Remain in Faith, yet all the same person. How can that be? I don't know - He's God.

I don't understand how a child can be born *sinful*. The child wasn't a part in anyone else's sins in the past. The child didn't even exist in the past. Why would God judge a newborn child as *sinful* when the child has never committed a sin? Do you believe that if a baby dies, and that child was not baptized yet, will that child go to hell? Do you believe the children of people of other faiths will go to hell if they die young, before the age of accountability? I ask these questions because its something soooo different from how we see things. We see children as completely sinfree. We believe that if a child dies at a very young age, whether that child is a Jew or a Christian or a Muslim, Hindu, Buddhist, whatever, that child will go to heaven because he/she never committed any sins.
this one troubles many people. maybe a better way of putting it is that we are all born with the capacity to sin. obviously, a newborn infant is not going to lay there and commit sins, but nobody has to teach that little baby to become selfish and to learn how to get his/her needs met, etc. They learn "me first" pretty quickly. That is the natural sin in us. Some Christian denominations insist an unbaptized baby will go to hell but this is not taught in my church (Lutheran) However, we do baptize infants as soon as possible, just to make sure they are given the opportunity to have God place His Holy Spirit within them. But, it does not depend on us so we dare not say what happens to a baby who dies unbaptized - but rather leave that infant in God's loving Hand. I would only worry about - say a believing parent who refuses baptism for her infant after being taught that baptism is the proper thing to offer her infant - why refuse to bring your child to God if you are a believer? There is lots of room for debate about baptism even among Christians. Lutherans believe baptism is a sacramental work of God and leave it at that. It is a miracle. Others denominations see it as an outward sign of what has already occurred in the heart - a symbolic washing. The thief on the cross was likely not baptized and yet when he confessed his faith in Jesus, he was told that "Today I will see you in Paradise". So, baptism is a controversy - the way it is done, when it is done and what it accomplishes. Only God knows and I cannot say anyone is going to hell for any reason that has to do with baptism or lack of baptism. That is up to God. The Bible only says BELIEVE and you will be saved. Please no debate from other denominations - it would be counterproductive - these are my Lutheran based beliefs and do not affect our eternity. I happened to have been fully immersed in a Baptist church, but that is what was available as I was an adult convert so I guess i have all bases covered

Another question. I know Christians believe Mary, the mother of Jesus, was a Virgin, as we do. How could she be a virgin from your faith if Jesus had a father..........God? How could a woman have a son with God? Do you not believe Jesus was a human being? How could God Almighty have a son like a human being?
Jesus was both true man AND true God at the same time. You cannot separate the two. He was not an ordinary man per se because he always had the divine nature as well - we do not hear about it much until he was 12 years old and conversing in the temple. The Catholic Bible does have some stories of miraculous things he did as a child but the Protestants do not use these books of the Bible. He was conceived of Mary, a virgin - by the Holy Spirit - he had no biological father - in that way He was Divine by nature. Joseph had no relations with Mary until after Jesus was born, she remained a virgin. Yet, he was human in the sense that he felt things like hunger, emotions, pain, etc. He cried and he bled.

Ok, now answers.
That is the best I can do, based on my study and understanding. Some of it is "head knowlege" and some is just embedded deeply in my heart and hard to explain because I just believe it by faith even though it may not make sense of have logic to it - some of it even offends my intellect. I was not raised as a believer. My mom was Roman Catholic and my Dad was a Unitarian and sometimes an Agnostic - encouraged me to seek and think for myself. Unfortunately, when I did think for myself and become a Christian - he laughed at me and told me I was gullible and a hypocrit - based on other Christians he has known. It makes me sad. Christians can be some of the most closed minded people i know. I am still a believer though. I remember my dark and searching years and would never want to be without my faith again. Jesus is my Savior from sin and I will live in heaven with Him for eternity. I am still a sinner and sin every day, but He loves me anyway! THAT is amazing and that is grace. It is NOT an excuse to sin. I try not to - but I am weak like everyone else. I try to be better because I love God, not because my future depends on it. This is what I believe.