Do these type of Christians bother anyone else?

It is just more BS to attempt to legitimize their scam/

Dishonesty as usual.

It bothers me that I don't know what they mean by that.

The "personal relationship" part doesn't bother me. I use that same language myself, when trying to explain what "faith" really means. I don't think of it so much in terms of having an "imaginary friend" (as the common atheist joke about Christians goes) as in terms of personal commitment to mutual trust: I trust God and try my best to keep faith with him. I can't even prove he's there, but I can try to behave as he would want me to behave. That's a relationship (entirely aside from the fact that I DO talk to him, and believe he hears me).

The part that bothers me is the emphasis on the notion that it's NOT a religion. But that depends a lot on what we mean by the word, and the meaning, in turn, can depend on context: the reason we're discussing the word and what the speaker intends it to mean. There are doubtless words related to other belief systems (e.g., Hinduism) which I don't fully understand, and that fact that some fellow Christians use a familiar word in an unfamiliar way isn't too surprising.

"Religion" comes from "religio" in Latin. In the ancient Roman Empire, "religio" had to do with religious observances and duties, which were only very remotely connected to the mythologies. When Christians were persecuted by Rome--which didn't happen all the time, but it did happen--it was because they refused "religio": they didn't sacrifice to the Roman gods, and people not sacrificing to the gods was likely (in pagan belief) to threaten the whole society. The closest analogy to this is modern terms is the Westboro Baptist Church claiming that failing to oppress homosexuals makes God angry at the whole country and gets our soldiers killed in battle.

I'm not sure if this notion of religion, as a bunch of ritual observances, is what some Christians mean when they say they don't have a religion. Personally, I prefer a more expansive notion of what constitutes a religion. For instance, in terms of the First Amendment freedoms (the Establishment and Free Exercise clauses), I want it interpreted so the freedom extends to atheists as well as believers.

But there comes a time when it's more useful to ask someone what they mean, instead of objecting to the words they choose.

I agree. I don't really care if someone believes in something. I do criticize, quite often actually. But it's not the belief itself, it's what people do with that belief. I'm tired of seeing people tell us non-believers that we have to act a certain way, while they act the opposite. Yet, they're the one's supposedly following this "religion"? I'm not following it. I have no desire to be a member of a religion that follows such a vindictive god. But that's just me.

Yes, it does bother me. It IS a religion. But, if they want to say it's only a relationship, then fine. We will treat it in the same fashion some of them have treated other relationships. We get to vote if it's ok for them to publicize this relationship, right? ;) The way they think we should vote on whether or not homosexual relationships should be publicized thru marriage. ;)

Not as much as TV Evangelists who take peoples money under the pretense of curing their illness or send me money and God will make you rich. Joel Olsteen makes 40 million a year and doesn't help anyone but himself. Or Benny Hin makes 100 million a year and he is not even a good moral person.

They are the worse kind of crooks. They pray on peoples faith in God which seems so cruel.

That money could be used to really help the poor and disadvantaged or into scholarships so some kid can get an education. Help by sending in money to spay or nurture animals so many doesn't have to die, just less would be born. Donate clothes to some family who is having problems getting descent clothes for their children to go to school. Other kids can be so cruel. Do something that actually helps people. Donate to a soup kitchen, if you see someone in the grocery store and they don't have enough money to cover their grocery's, offer to pay for them. But don't send some rich guy money.

Ive realized that allowing anything a theist says to affect me in any way only encourages them to babble on just like krista. I think of it like children playing with imaginary friends, or dogs chasing their tales. Its cute until it gets weird. Once it gets weird, I mind my own business.

I know, right?! I also hate it when people say: "I'm not an atheist *or* a theist - I'm agnostic!", and then act all smug about it.

Agnostic isn't a stance on a subject - it's a knowledge claim!

Just, well, any-time someone says something incredibly 100% incorrect in the context that they use it annoys me. :P

Ohmygoodness yes. I mean, honestly, Jesus FOUNDED the Church! If these people deny the Church they deny Christ's will. But they're so full of themselves and their new "brilliant" theology that they don't stop to consider that.

Sorry. Rant over. :P

That does NOT bother me.

Not even a little.

There are millions of people in your world. Many of them believe stuff you don't agree with. No matter what you do, they are going to continue to believe this stuff and there is nothing you can do about it.

You can let it drive you nuts or you can ignore it. I humbly suggest that the second way is better, but knock yourself out....

All religions, as I am concerned, are cults of indivisuals who do not faith with in them selves to achive self worth.

No, why does that bother you? We don't view our faith as a religion because that term doesn't really describe it as well as the term relationship does. Plus, the relationship is found in countless parts of the Bible, which we Christians view as holy an God inspired.

A bit really. I don't ever get what they're playing at with that line.