How come no one is explaining why they dont drink poison and play with venomous snakes? Who is laying on hands and curing cancer? When I was a kid I was told the laying on of hands did not work because my young cousin did not have faith. It was his fault he died in agony at 14 years old.

If the poison, snakes and faith healing is not truth, how do you know what is?

My great aunt in the 50's died from appendicitis because her holy roller faith healer husband wouldn't take her to a doctor. After that every time he got a pain he would go to the doctor. He wasn't a favorite in-law of our family.

Too many churches consider themselves a hotel for saints, not a hospital for sinners and act accordingly.

When mom was a kid she had a ton of warts and some other problems. Someone brought out a faith healer and it all went away. Now I dont expect you to believe a guy on the internet but I sure as heck do believe my mom's first hand personal account.

As far as your cousin and what sounds like a fraud. Well sometimes we pray God always answers Maybe not on our time frame or how we are thinking and sometimes the answer is no. It sure was no when my son was killed dont ask me why. But I will see him again.

Well said. Not one of us is worthy and nothing we can do on our own will make us worthy. We have to accept the gift of salvation freely offered to us through Jesus sacrifice.

Just becust people are Christian does not mean they are now perfect and no longer sin. We do and do so often . the difference is repentance and trying to do better . If any of us were perfect or could be Jesus would not have had to come be tempted, humiliated, beaten, and killed.

Interesting about warts. My daughter had many warts on her hands. She tried some over the counter recipes which didn't help. I had read where some claimed ginseng had cured their warts. So, I got some ginseng capsules from a grower in WI. Within about two months her warts started disappearing. Within about 6 months she was wart free.

Keith,
These churches existed in the 1st century.
Revelation 1:4
I'm not sure where you get the idea all churches begin with The Catholic Church.

I just try to stay one step ahead of the devil.

Think about it, if everyone got healed every time, no believers would ever die. Kinda hard to g to heaven that way.

Just remember the last pope was all for illegal immigration but yet there’s a wall around the Vatican. My mother raised me a Catholic but I’ve only been in church at funerals in last 59 years . It’s all about a buck

None of those were Protestants.

When it started, denominations didn't exist. It was just "The Way."

This.
If death, disease, and bad stuff didn't happen, that would mean we are living in heaven. That option got screwed up a long time ago.

Fear

Fear of losing tax exempt
Fear of offending the biggest tithers
Fear of upsetting the older members
Fear of running off the new attenders
Fear of the women
Fear of the men
Fear of upsetting the denomination
Fear of the Deacons/Elders

"For God hath not given us a spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind." 2 Timothy 1:7

We need more Martin Luthers

"Here I stand; I cannot do otherwise, so help me God!" Martin Luther

I am a deep blue bird and God in Jesus Christ. I also do know that society has made a dramatic left turn. It’s easier to fill the pulpit and your sanctuary with people feeling a need for saving from a church or a following. When people don’t realize his faith comes from your heart and your soul in a belief of something you can’t see or touch. Within that faith it’s having the commitment to take up your cross daily. I feel as our society and many of the people within most religions have learned to go with the flow and try and bend their religion to outwardly project themselves as good people. All I know is that when I go to heaven and I pace God and Jesus that is right that I will be humble within my sins. I have sought and continue to seek forgiveness for my actions where I have wronged. Society has just gave up stopped arguing stop following the laws of the Bible and a loud things that are complete work of demons. I still go to church, but I don’t have to follow their rhetoric or believe everything they say. I read the word of God daily almost 3 times if not more throughout the day, I pray continuously and seek God‘s wisdom. Honestly think that’s where we’ve started to fall down as a people as a human race. We have forgotten others. There is a master and a savior.

And the idea of sola scriptura was proclaimed by Martin Luther in the 1500s. For the churches that maintained Apostolic Succession (Catholic, Orthodox, Church of the East) dating back to "The Way" of the early church, it's quite a novel concept.

You don't have to believe in sola scriptura to be a Protestant. The more charismatic churches teach that God definitely speaks to people directly today. Because that's what scripture says.

Are you familiar with the Jewish Nazarenes. They took head of Jesus's warnings and left Jerusalem before the 70 AD distruction. They were of the first fruits of Jesus. They were around until 700 somthing when the Muslims finished them. They were enemies of the non believing jews, and enemies of the Gentile Christians concerning
the gospel. Because they followed the old covenant laws. Rom 11:28 As concerning the gospel, they are enemies for your sakes: but as touching the election, they are beloved for the fathers' sakes.
They where also enemies of the catholic church. And they were heavily persecuted by the Arion Christians be for the Muslims. There guys where protesting the Popos before there were Popes lol. Constantine became a Christian,
He didn't start Christianity.

I'm not a religious guy, never have been a church goer and was raised that way. I know my Dad's family was Catholic. We never attended Church. I was baptized Methodist at around 20 so I could be a Godparent to my nephew.

I went to my wife's Church (not Catholic) several times on Christmas Eve as that's what she did. My wife's parents were devoted members of the church they went to and my wife attended most of the time with them until her early 20's and she got a job that she worked weekends. Her parents attended consistently and volunteered at most events along with cleaning the Church as well. After her Dad's death her Mom's attendance fell off a few years later and they had a hard time keeping a Pastor which also contributed to that. However her Mom gave to the Church monthly, not a small amount either even though she didn't have a lot of money. Later in life as her mind was failing (dementia) she was a bit too generous to the Church as my wife was balancing her checkbook until she finally took it away. The Pastor was aware of her failing mind but it didn't seem to matter as long as the checks were coming, quite often multiple donations a month. To me it was wrong on every level and jaded me even more on organized religion than I already was. It's a money grab at the core. I don't care if you like that or not and you can say it's not that way everywhere but follow the money.

I'm not a perfect person and never will claim to be. I do believe in God and a higher power but I'll donate to charities and organizations I want to and agree with their goals. I won't be donating to a Church that will decide what to do with it or keep it for themselves. I've seen enough of the Pope and the Catholic Church that I'm glad I'm not a part of it. From the rape of choir boys that was and is still being covered up to being for illegal immigration to being against Capitalism. I have no problem if you're Catholic and a follower as that's your decision and only yours. The same can likely be said for other religions as well.

jalstat was right in his post. Follow the money.