What did you always wanted to ask a real pastor?

@hunkalove: Yes

@Quizzical: Paganism is growing in all western civilizations.

@Dreammmer: It's not a try...

From the BBC religion website.

"Samhain (pronounced 'sow'inn') is a very important date in the Pagan calendar for it marks the Feast of the Dead. Many Pagans also celebrate it as the old Celtic New Year (although some mark this at Imbolc). It is also celebrated by non-Pagans who call this festival Halloween"

Incidentally, do you know which religion created All Saints Day to fall directly after a Pagan festival? lol

Tagging on again :D

@Dreammmer: Why did the christians attempt to suppress the Old Religion then? Why slaughter all the Pagans?

As the so-called christian holidays are actually Pagan in origin, Pagan hollidays are celbrated in most countries. Even the days of the week and most months of the year are named after Pagan gods.

@Dreammmer: My husband was called through friends and myself. I was called to be a missionary.

@SweetMae: What a joy and honor to be called for what makes a difference in eternity! God bless you :)

@Dreammmer: God bless you in your ministry as well.

@kikegasser: hmmmmmmm thought as much

@Goralski: Of course they do, Jesus was one and so was Paul

@Dreammmer: but they dont believe in heaven nor Jesus Christ how is that possible

@Vgore0304: My mom took me and both my sisters to church. I learned the bible stories and I believed as a child believes. Mom prayed with us each evening and that was part of my life too, the short prayer of thanks over food. My dad hardly ever prayed.

When I was about 13 or 14, I started to doubt, I could no longer believe as a child, my childhood faith was leaving me. That was a difficult time. I had so many questions. If there is no God, then what about life and dying, what if there is no life after death? Would I live 70 or 80 years and then all ends, just nothing, blackness forever? That thought was horrible!! I was afraid of dying. At the young age of 14.

Dear God, if you really exist, show me, I want to believe. That was my prayer many times.

I did not attend church anymore. I did not go to the kids group.

I started to do bad things.

There was a factory near our house where sweets were produced (marcipan, if you know). I discovered that the delivery trucks on the parking lot behind the large factory were not locked. So I took packages out of the vans and trucks and sold that stuff at school. Over a period of weeks. I even had a friend come with me and steal with me. I told my friends and classmates, that my aunt worked there and I get it cheap. I made money. I wanted money. I saved the money. I tried to break open cigarette vending machines, I tried to steal a brand-new car from a train...

My parents had a horticulture business and three times a week my dad sold stuff on a farmers market. As kids we had the job to count the money, make piles of coins etc. etc. I thought it fair to pay myself for the work I had to do, I stole money from my parents and thought it was right.

And I searched for God and for faith.

One day I must have bragged a bit about the money I had before my sister and her friend. My mom saw it. Later that day she talked to me and asked me how come I have so much money. I could not lie to her. So I told her the truth. I still see my mom sitting there with me, crying and asking me „Why did you do that?“ I was not able to give her an answer, as much as I wanted to.

I had to give my parents my money.

That evening when I went to bed and was about to say my evening prayer, I realized all in a sudden: Jesus has protected me all the time and He made an end to all of that, so that I did not end up in jail. I asked him for forgiveness right there and gave him my heart and life.

From that moment I believed.

And I never again had a fear of dying.

@TearDropsOfLove: You can choose to block all adult content.

@Dreammmer: I do and I do it often. Just a warning, the demons are also very active in this site.

@TearDropsOfLove: I agree.

@TearDropsOfLove: Thank you!

@BDAG18: Honestly, I doubt that you are in a position to make such a claim, since you probably know only a handful of churches.
I dont believe that most Christians hate gays. Is that typical of gays to overreact, to term anything critical as hate? I tend to think that many who consider themselves to be homosexual dont handle differing opinions very well.
My opinion? Not one gay person is like the other just like not one heterosexual person is like the other. It is impossible to and not helpful to make general statements about gay. Overall I tend to think: They are not gay as in gay being happy. I have read a whole number of books, articles and have attended seminars about homosexuality. I have met Dr. Gerard vanden Aardweg and I believe that I understand the issue better than most people. Gays need love and acceptance just like everybody else. Homosexual activity is wrong in my opinion.

Many things are considered sin that humans participate in. God hates sin not the sinner! @Dreammmer:

@Nomar67: Yes, but it was not a matter of faith, it was a matter of being a man of integrity.

@QueenOfQuirk: Yes, a good number.

The most impactful being?

@QueenOfQuirk: I cant tell which was the most impactful. All were impactful. Just two years ago we prayed for a man who was very sick, the doctors were not able to do anything for him anymore, he was close to dying, his digestion had stopped working. During church service I had the strong impulse that we need to pray for him and so I asked two members to pray. They did. Right that moment he said his digestion started to work again and soon later he was home. He has healthy and alive today.

@AliceinWonderland: No you wont go to hell. You are a child of God.

@Vgore0304: Why, what happened?

@Dreammmer: I got psoriasis and loss my step mom to cancer and I found out I'm adopted

@Vgore0304: Oh my, I truly am sorry, that is really a lot to deal with. when did that happen, are you at peace today?

@bijouxbroussard: Sorry, I totally misunderstood. Do clergy generally spend time on sites like this one ? Are you here to help, proselytize or just observe ?

@bijouxbroussard: I dont know if clergy are represented here more than others. I am here to help and to learn.