Fellow Christians: if you were to take away all that you have learned in church, culture, family, etc...?

You're absolutely right. I find the organizational religious part of church is often very consuming and seems to be quite frighteningly blinding sometimes, it's very easy to deviate off course...

I found an awesome passage in Amos recently, it really hit hard and I think it's very applicable...

“I can’t stand your religious meetings.

I’m fed up with your conferences and conventions.

I want nothing to do with your religion projects,

your pretentious slogans and goals.

I’m sick of your fund-raising schemes,

your public relations and image making.

I’ve had all I can take of your noisy ego-music.

When was the last time you sang to ME?

Do you know what I want?

JUSTICE, rolling on like a river. Righteousness, like a never ending stream."

- God, Amos 5:21-24

That's in The Message paraphrase, but other translations are very similar, just in less contemporary language.

Just thought I'd share it... I often get fed up with churches behaving in an egotistical way!

If I took your whole understanding of science, math, and everything we have come to know about the universe, and you had a chance to experience the world fresh for the first time, what do you think you might understand differently?

When the Bible was written, there was much we did not understand. As time passed, as we read, reread, and reread again, what the Bible says, and we began to understand the story and the message in between the words. The developed doctrine is not something randomly generated to confuse the believer, it is the culmination of everything we have learned as a faith.

I can't answer that question because all that I am in life and what I do is based on the Bible. It is a bit like asking if I could go back to being "not saved". I can't imagine it. The human mind can not forget and the Word of God impregnates itself into the thought processes. Each time I read it I mine more information and knowledge from it. I can't be de-cultured and not associate words with meaning so I don't think anyone else can honestly answer the question as all of the answers will be based on what a person knows now. It is like asking someone what they would do with a fire if they never saw one. Chances are they would be burned by it - but the survival instinct would prevent them from being burned.

Yes i listen to them but I'm a minister; I re read it and re read it and every time the bible talks to me it will tell me so many different stories so don't get cought up in what it means; just what it means to you is good to; preachers know what it means but what does it mean to you also as u read it?!

If i never was trained to read it then i think the verses

You shall not suffer a witch to live

and

If your eyes cause you to sin gouge them out

May be a hard one to follow but thank god they mean something different :)

I too discover theology very, very exciting... and that i'm existence long LDS. previously each thing i could no longer comprehend why Christians do no longer evaluate Mormons Christian. We believe in Jesus Christ, the Bible, Baptism, and so on. yet in my study i found out why they do no longer, and you extraordinarily plenty hit the hammer on the top at the same time with your assessment. maximum Christian Church's (and that i say Christian Church's because of the fact maximum Christians who comprehend Mormons evaluate us fellow Christians) do no longer believe Mormons are Christian because of the fact we believe in present day-day Prophets, Apostles, visions and revelations, Priesthood, Baptism. in actuality... if Jesus and his church have been to be transported to in the present day, his church and himself could be seen Non-Christian for those very reasons that I reported above... think of roughly it.... a church prepared very further to Christ's church in the Bible... with Prophets, priesthood Authority, further revelation ensuing in greater books to the previous testomony.... That business enterprise could be condemned via present day-day Christianity, the Evangelicals besides. yet Mormons are no longer the only one's rejected.... Evangelicals additionally condemn JW's, Church of Christ, seventh Day Adventists, Catholics, Christian's who additionally take place to be loose Mason's. the only human beings they know as actual Christians are themselves.... So besides the indisputable fact that I do comprehend why they reject each physique yet themselves, i think of something of the international could discover it very puzzling to work out the LDS church as something different than a Christian faith.

Therefore I call you to repent in His name, My children...

To repent in sincerity and truth, to seek My face,

To forsake all which you think you know

And truly humble yourselves before your God.

High-minded children, you know NOT My ways! Says The Lord. Humble yourselves, you who teach in My name! Run quickly and fall down, all you pastors and preachers, all you false prophets and self-appointed teachers, for you have surely forsaken Me! Thus I must also forsake you when the trumpet sounds, when the call is made... Humble yourselves! Cast yourselves down!

Shall I leave you? Oh My beloved, shall I leave you? Again I tell you, I have but to call out, and all those who carry Christ within them, who also keep The Commandments, shall fly away. They shall surely rest in My arms in The Day of The Lord... Beloved, shall I leave you? Tell Me, where do you stand?

Look, your lamps have gone out, for you remain unwilling; behold, you refuse to give heed. Even now, you ignore this last call to repent, though this trumpet is indeed sounding... I tell you the truth, THIS IS THE PURE OIL, given you from My own heart.

And still you turn to Me the back, while you hiss at My messengers in open and in secret. Thus only those who have ears will hear, and only those who truly long to receive shall fill their lamps. Then shall they truly see, and I shall surely look upon them and invite them in. Behold, I shall take them, they shall return home and they shall be hidden, even under the shadow of My healing wings... Abiding always in My bosom, now and forever. I am The Lord.

Churches of men, again I say to you, shall I leave you? Do you really know Me?

How long shall you cover yourselves with the filth of the pagan?

How long shall you abide in the shadow of the heathen?...

You are unclean! Neither do I see of Myself in you!...

Behold, you are left to that which you have chosen,

Refinement and the Day of The Lord,

Great wailing and much gnashing of teeth.

Thus I have spoken to this most deceitful generation, to this very dull and unfeeling people, with great plainness, using few figures of speech. For you are most rebellious and seek not to know the deep things of Christ, nor have you searched out My Truth, nor have you peered into The Book of The Lord with your whole heart, that you might know it. For you are a most wicked and hard-hearted generation, a deceitful people... Not one truly knows Me, none seek Me as I truly am.

Therefore in My wrath I have spoken, in My anger I have rebuked you sharply; behold, in My mercy I have written many Letters to this wayward generation, that some of you might return to Me before the time, for the time has indeed come... And still you will not believe. Even so, amen.

Your question is too hypotheticall

I am a cradle catholic. i AM EXTREMELY GRATFUL TO GOD FOR MY FAITH