Carol says her bit

Hello, hello, and welcome!

I'm Carol, one of the two Christians referred to. I've been a Christian for as long as I can remember and fully believe that the Bible is true and infallible. However, this does *not* mean I am unwilling to read through arguments against Christianity and suchlike. It is because I believe that it is completely true that I don't mind questioning it; I believe that as it is true it will stand up to questioning.

An important point here is that whilst I believe the Bible is infallible, I know that it is not always easy to interpret and that there are some differences of interpretation.

For example, some people believe that it is wrong to have tattoos, because your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit and they feel that it would be defacing the body. I do not believe that, though I wouldn't get a tattoo anyway. But I believe that for them it would be wrong, because to do something that you sincerely believe to be wrong is not right.

I do not expect every Christian to believe *precisely* the same thing as me. I do expect people who call themselves Christians to believe in the fundamentals of the faith - detailed below.

The best way to give a brief summary of my beliefs is probably to quote the Apostles' Creed, which was a widely used historical creed; although it hasn't been used in any churches I've been part of it does cover the main points.

I believe in God, the Father Almighty,

the Creator of heaven and earth,

and in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord:
Who was conceived of the Holy Spirit,

born of the Virgin Mary,

suffered under Pontius Pilate,

was crucified, died, and was buried.
He descended into hell.
The third day He arose again from the dead.
He ascended into heaven

and sits at the right hand of God the Father Almighty,

whence He shall come to judge the living and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy *catholic church,

the communion of saints,

the forgiveness of sins,

the resurrection of the body,

and life everlasting.

*NB the word "catholic" (with a *small* c) is used in its original meaning of "universal", rather than "Roman Catholic".

I believe that the only way to God/heaven is through Christ. I do *not* believe that this means you should indiscriminately bombard everyone you know with informative leaflets about Christianity, or invite them to every single event at your church (if you are inviting someone to 1: the youth club 2: the women's coffee morning 3: the men's breakfast 4: the over-50s dinner 5: the quiz night 6: the alternative-to-halloween celebration Fun for All the Family 7: the marriage enrichment course etc etc ... somehow, that doesn't seem right).

I believe that a Christian should always be living out their beliefs to the best of their ability, and asking God to help them become more like Christ, and that this is a more powerful witness than words alone. I also believe that a Christian should be ready to a) explain and give reasons for their faith to the best of their knowledge and b) say "I'm not sure" or "I don't know" when appropriate and go and ask someone more experienced. If you are asked a question about your faith which you don't know the answer to, for goodness' sake don't blag it or say "well, the Bible's right anyway!" in a defensive tone; it's bad form.

I think I'll stop there**.

**a prize for anyone who recognises this quotation and can tell me which famous man said it and when.

Mark welcomes you to our blog!

This is a place where three friends gather to philosophise and argue -- probably to a large extent about religion. We thought a blog would make it easier to keep track of our various thoughts and scribblings, so here it is! Of course, others may get involved. I really don't know how this is going to turn out but I expect it'll get pretty hairy. I should at least find it very interesting. I dunno about you... Anyway...

My name's Mark and I'm the agnostic in the title. I represent my own beliefs, thoughts and opinions. As far as I am concerned, the number of people who agree or disagree with me has no effect on the validity or otherwise of my thoughts. (Remember that before you blurt out something like, "What? Are you aware you're disagreeing with thousands of people?!")

Likewise, from my point of view the academic qualifications, achievements and popularity of other people do not add to or subtract from the validity of their beliefs. (Remember that when you try out that oh-so-convincing, "Einstein agrees with me on this one!" line of yours.)

Having said that, I do my best to remain open-minded and receptive to corrections and reasonable arguments. Much like a scientist, my beliefs are dynamic. If I encounter sufficient reason to change my beliefs I will do so. (I'd better warn you: It may take some time for the changes to sink in. If, for instance, you present me with proof of the existence of a particular deity, do not expect me to instantaneously join your religion. It'll take time for me to triple-check your reasoning and figure out what to do if I decide you are correct.)

I'm sure the other two would like to write their own introductory posts so I'll leave that to them. I think I'll go into more detail about myself in the next few posts. You see, I intend to lay some foundations so that others start off with as few misconceptions about me as possible. Ta!