Americans, another important question, I need to understand?

Question

In the last couple of days I have been asking a few questions about the belief of my American exchange visitor.

She told me that you have many different types of Christianity, you have confirmed all of that.

I still am not very clear about what is supposed to be a born again Christian(we don't have that in here), I am not religious but I have tried to help her out talking to a priest( we only have catholic churches), she won't go to worship there( which I don't care) however she is starting to worry me about her sanity.

She talks about "raptures", about being "saved" , I don't want her to put those ideas into my kids mind.

My questions are:

What is she talking about "raptures"?

What is a born again?

Are all Christians in your country this scary?

What should I do with her, (my friends think she is nuts)

Would I be considered rude if I ask her to leave?

I seriously am worried about my family!

Do you have normal Christians there?

Answer 1

Romans 10

12For there is no difference between Jew and Gentile—the same Lord is Lord of all and richly blesses all who call on him, 13for, "Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved."[f]

14How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them? 15And how can they preach unless they are sent? As it is written, "How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!"[g]

Answer 2

Read what Jesus says in John chapter three!

He is the author and finisher of the true Christian

faith.

Answer 3

Caro amico: la verita - la parola dil nostro signore Jesus is per lei, per me e per tutti la stesa cosa. Il non cambia, comme non se cambia la volunta de Dio.

Alora, che cose porrei lui fare? Primo, investicate la verita della parola di Dio, la Biblia. Legere la con la signorina. Junti. Pensate a che cose chignifica cosa que se dice la. Ella non e una signorina matta, la parola "born again" deviene di la demanda que le fachieva Nicodemo a Jesus quando el a ditto "che  chignifica que debo sere natto de nuovo, perque si non lo soi, non posso andare al celo?" Jesus le ha ditto que tutti que voleva stare n'el celo, debere sere natto di nuovo. Mais el lo hai ditto in una forma espirituale. La signorina christiana - non catholica, mais christiana, perque non e la estesa cosa - e una "natta di nuovo". Alora in englese: Nicodemo asked Jesus  . (John 3:1-8)  Now there was a man of the Pharisees, named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews: the same came unto him by night, and said to him, Rabbi, we know that thou art a teacher come from God; for no one can do these signs that thou doest, except God be with him. Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except one be born anew, he cannot see the kingdom of God. Nicodemus saith unto him, How can a man be born when he is old? can he enter a second time into his mother's womb, and be born? Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except one be born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God! That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born anew. The wind bloweth where it will, and thou hearest the voice thereof, but knowest not whence it cometh, and whither it goeth: so is every one that is born of the Spirit.

As you can see, my friend, you are in the same predicament as Nicodemu: you did not understand. Do not be affraid of her, be affraid of ignorance, because it kills more people that the truth.

In boca luppo con la signorina "matta" !

Answer 4

''What is she talking about "raptures"?''

In the 1800's, a mentally unstable Anglican priest named John Darby devised an idea from the misinterpretation of the Christian Bible that says that ''true Christians'' will be ''raptured,'' or assumed, up into Heaven in the end-times. Many American Christian Fundamentalists have embraced this idea, and are on TV constantly preaching about the end of the world and the ''rapture,'' when all the ''true Christians'' will be taken away.

''What is a born again?''

In the Bible, Jesus tells the Pharisee Nicodemus that, in order to gain eternal life, one must be ''born again of water and the Spirit.'' What your friend probably means when she says ''a born-again'' is someone she sees as being a ''true Christian.'' In other words, a ''born-again'' is a Fundamentalist. Even though Catholicism has been a Christian religion for a bare minimum of 1600 years before your friend's religion was established, it does not count as Christian to your friend, because it does not fit what she thinks of as Christian. By the way, if you don't speak Latin, the word under my screenname means ''reborn.''  

''Are all Christians in your country this scary?''

No, thank God. LOL. It's just that the scary ones are a lot louder and get a lot more publicity.

Answer 5

Rapture:

1 Thessalonians 4:16

For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first:

Hebrews 9:27

And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment:

Hebrews 9:26-28 (in Context) Hebrews 9

Born Again:

John 3:6-8

6 That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.

7 Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again.

8 The wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh, and whither it goeth: so is every one that is born of the Spirit.

1 Peter 1:22-24

22 Seeing ye have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit unto unfeigned love of the brethren, see that ye love one another with a pure heart fervently:

23 Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever.

24 For all flesh is as grass, and all the glory of man as the flower of grass. The grass withereth, and the flower thereof falleth away:

Answer 6

She is a rude guest.

Nothing more needs to be said about it.

Get rid of her.  

Answer 7

I'm sorry for your troubles. She does sound crazy, and yes there are quite a few christians here who take their faith literally. You should tell her to leave, because I am sure she is trying to convert your kids to her false ideals.

Answer 8

The rapture is when all of the good Christians are taken to heaven and the non-Christians are left on earth.

A born-again Christian is someone who reclaims their faith, and is thus "born again" into Christianity.

Yes, most of them are this scary. Some even more so.

Just politely go along with her story, and pretend to understand. But don't be too interested...she'd probably want to convert you.

If she is threatening you of your family, then yes, you can ask her to leave. You don't want to traumatize your family.

Yes, there are some 'normal' Christians, but most believe the same 'Christ is risen from the dead' sort of thing...however normal that may be.

Good luck, and I hope this in some way has helped.

Answer 9

Do you have normal Christians there?

I seriously am worried about my family!

Are all Christians in your country this scary?

Haha,hilarious.No.

Answer 10

The 'rapture' is an event that will supposedly occur when Jesus returns to Earth.  At this time, all 'good' Christians will be oddly evaporated and transported immediately to heaven.  

"Born Again' means a person has re-applied themselves to Christianity. Being born again means you are free from your prior non-Christian life.

Not all Christians are this scary.  Many Christians all over the world actually follow Jesus' teachings to be non-judgemental, humble, and pacifist in the extreme.  But American Christians think they live in God's favorite country, so they don't have to really follow Jesus.

She is not crazy, but has been brainwashed her entire life by a culture of non-thinking dogma and blind faith.

Answer 11

The rapture idea comes from the book of thessalonians. The book states we Jesus comes back to earth, Christians will be caught with him in the heavens in the twinkling of an eye.

Born again just means turning accepting Jesus as your savior. And then having a personal relationship with him.

All christians are just like "all" anything else. There's good, bad, nice, mean, crazy and sane in all age groups, races, economic groups, etc. what's being a christian have to do with mental health?

If you areworried about your family's protection, why do care if you feel rude? If you really believe she is clinically insane and you are in danger, get her out. what's so hard about that?  

Answer 12

The rapture is when Christ comes for his church. Christians don't agree when this will happen. Before, during, or after the tribulation.

Being born again is accepting Jesus as your personal savior. You are a new creation in spirit. That the old self has died and the new you begins.

Some Christians are over zealous about this and don't know when it's appropriate to witness to people about salvation. If this person is constantly going on about God even after asking them not to, there is a problem and you should ask them to leave. Not because she is wrong in her belief, but that she is making you uncomfortable. If you ask and she stops, I don't see a problem.

Answer 13

You got yourself an evangelical fundamentalist, or a "fundie" as some call them. They represent the far right of the protestant faith. I'm afraid there's no cure.

Answer 14

Do not worry so much about her sanity. She is simply caught up in her zealous beliefs. It's not a bad thing, but you should definitely make it clear to her that you are uncomfortable.

The Rapture has to do with the all stalwart Christians ascending to Heaven and the non-believers left on Earth.

Born Again Christians are people that turn to Christianity at low points in their lives when they've run out of other options. They "renew their faith."

They're not all that scary, many can be though. Be careful of them. It's a form of blind faith which can sometimes be dangerous.

I was raised Meronite Catholic but don't practice, I'm Agnostic. She sounds like the kind of person that immediately turns to something religious to explain any given situation instead of thinking about it logically. Just tell her that you'd appreciate it if she'd tone down her talk of those subjects and reaffirm your childrens beliefs.

Answer 15

answer: definitely ask for a different exchange visitor.  There are some Christians that are even more seriously warped.  She's what is called a Fundamentalist Christian.  

Rapture means they believe Jesus is going to pop around, zap all good Christians to heaven and then let the anti-christ take over and then come back again (or a variation of that timeline)

Being "saved" meaning to believe in Jesus as your savior (but usually only if you believe they way THAT denomination of Christian believes).

She'll probably tell you that other Christians really aren't Christians either, not just Catholics.

Get rid of her, you won't have any peace and it will get worse.  

Answer 16

It is all in the Bible.  It is Gods Word.  You dont need to worry.  Read the book of Acts.  We are to read the Bible and study it.  We cant depend on what man teaches.  Christianity is about following the laws of Jesus.  Not the laws of man(religion)and (Dogma). You have to know these teachings for yourself.

Answer 17

As you can see from the first answers, THEY HAVE SOME RELIGIOUS WACKOS in there!

Answer 18

who is more important her or your family? ask her to leave. there are normal christians even though i don't recommend having a religion in the first place. kick her out she has no right pushing her religion on your family.

Answer 19

You can call the exchange program director, and they can put her with an alternate host family.  It might be best for all of you.

The girl should have been educated on how to present herself in a decent manner, but either she forgot what they were supposed to have gone over with her, or she just is ignoring it.

If she gives the next family a problem, they will send her home sooner than she plans

Answer 20

The Bible does speak of what she says, though a Catholic is a Christian, so I don't know why she said that.

Answer 21

Of course we have normal Christians here.  I am a Catholic, and we ARE Christians.  It is a small percentage of religious who make that claim, so you are NOT dealing with a mainstream person.

Answer 22

Jesus saves!  You must repent from all of your sins and sinful ways if you wish to partake in any of the raptures.  Otherwise the angels of God will sentence you to eternal damnation in a searing lake of fire and brimstone.  You are not happy now.  Only if you join in accecpting Jesus as your Lord and Saviour will you ever be happy.  Join us and see the truth of Christianity, or follow the path of Satan and be damned forever!!!