Brittany's comments

Brittany's comments from the Christian Readers group.

Note: Brittany is no longer a member of this group.

thanks so much for sharing barbara! we are so glad to have your input. :)

kym- i also agree! i'm friending you now... i like the way you think!

i politely (but passionately!) disagree, ruth. there are plenty of sweet stories not wrapped in the occult that are worth reading. and the chronicles of narnia are supposed to be symbolic of biblical things, i believe.

melissa- i am totally with you. i know that the occult (oiuji boards, wicca, seances, possesion, etc) are very real and mentioned in the Bible. and even if vampires are not mentioned in the Bible, i feel that they are in that "darl/magic" category, and to me are something to steer clear of.

Melissa, I agree with you. There is a fine line between reality and fantasy, and it's easy to cross in books and movies and such. But it does all come down to personal conviction. I read the first 3 Harry Potter books at age 12, and was convicted in my spirit even then that I should not be reading about witchcraft and the like. And even had I not felt that inside, I still wouldn't have been impressed by the books.

I am in the middle of "Stepping Up" right now. It's video lessons and a workbook. It's great so far. I have requested several of her other books (non-Bible study) from the library, but have not started any yet.

i have not, but it sounds interesting!

Louie Giglio and Chris Tomlin (the singer) are starting a Passion church, in Atlanta I think. I heard Chris talking about it on the radio yesterday.

i just picked up The Shack at the library. i was number 42 on the queue. haven't started yet.

Thank you Peter!!!

_____You wrote: "What about infant baptism? Do you believe that it saves a child from hell if it dies? What if the child isn't baptized? I am a little confused about this." ____

Just wanted to touch on this briefly... to me, baptism is symbolic and very meaningful. However, I believe there are people who are not baptized who will make it to heaven, and some who are who still will not because of sin.

Somewhere, many years ago, I heard about something referred to as an "age of accountability". I do not recall where it comes from or if the Bible clearly mentions anything like it, so I am glad to read this as I am prompted to look into it more. I would hate to think it's Biblically-based if it is not.

Anyway, the idea is that innocent babies and toddlers are sinners only by nature, not by choice; that they have made no conscious informed decision to sin and therefore are destined for heaven. More precisely, that children too young to make their own decisions on what is right and what is wrong, guided by their conscience, cannot be blamed; nor can anyone who has never read the Bible or heard the word of God, say, children in a primitive third-world country never in contact with a missionary. Most people tend to think the age of accountability is around 7 or 8, when kids know right from wrong based on a gut feeling, not based on Mommy or Daddy's reaction.

Has anyone else heard of this or read anything remotely like it in the Bible? I would appreciate your response.

I would say you pick up the first one, read it together, and then discuss it. Figure out together if it's suitable for her. She may find she doesn't like it. They don't interest me in the least.

However, I was a teen when Harry Potter first came out, and my aunt bought me the first 3 books, hardcover. I read them, realized they were not anything I was interested in, and knew that the wizardry/ witchcraft element was not something that fostered my religious beliefs. You know what a frenzy the secular world has been in over HP.

I think that as a Protestant, Pentecostal Christian, I have direct communication with Jesus Christ when I pray and read the Bible. I don't need to speak to another human to speak on my behalf.

Pastors are leaders in the church, shepherds of the flock, and are called to intercede in prayer, etc. But I don't go to my pastor when I need to talk to God- I talk to God through Jesus. No man goes to the Father but through the Son, and only His blood can wash away my sin, not any words of man.

Nice to "meet" you Monica!

I agree. Not everyone with the "gift of gab" is called to preach. :)

Hi everyone. I just wanted to tell you all how much I enjoyed Redeeming Love by Francine Rivers. If you have not yet read it, I urge you to. It's an 1850s retelling of the story of Hosea, and it has touched my heart.

Upon reading it, I immediately bought copies for all of my closest friends. It is one of the best Christian fiction books I have ever read (and I have read far more than I have rated here!).

And for kids, I highly recommend The Princess and the Kiss, by Jennie Bishop. It's a fairy-tale story about the importance of purity, beautifully written and illustrated. I bought a copy for my future children after hearing it read on the radio one night. It made me cry.

What are some of your favorite Christian books?

I feel that realizing God's call on your life can come in a number of ways, but that you are always qualified- to begin with or through trial- to do what He wants you to do. Ministers of music have talent as instrumentalists or vocalists. Childrens' workers have a great fondness and greater patience for kids. et cetera.

Sometimes He asks you to do things you don't want to do in the process, but anything done by His will and calling will glorify Him. Best wishes for your group. Let us know how things go.