Do you believe that your faith should be a private matter???

Question

TELL ME YOUR THOUGHTS. Please explain.

Answer 1

Did Jesus say:

Go forth unto all nations and keep it private?

Answer 2

Under no circumstances! Why would Jesus had made it so clear that we were to go "out into the world" if our faith was to be a private matter. Our lives should be so Holy Spirit filled and desiring of God's love and our appetite so strong to know and have more of the Lord that it is obvious our about our faith, whether we ever open our mouths or not. Jesus tells us that we are known by our fruit bearing - how can we be fruit bearing if we are not in the Sonlight? A tree growing in a dark closet isn't going to grow. Our faith should be such an outward manifestation of what is going on within us that it oozes from us and radiates as though we were blood-filled with neon! What if the disciples had chosen closet faith? What would we have? What if Christ had said, "now, Abba, I'll go, but it has to be kept in a closed door arena, I'm not doing a public stage thing?" No, our faith is not private by any stretch of the imagination - it is very public, that doesn't mean we have to be motor mouths or plaster our cubicles with signs - it means it ought to be evident by who we are - inside and out.

Answer 3

Faith cannot, by nature of the human being, be a "private" matter. Faith shows up in everything that is an important part of who we are as a person. It is in the manner that we talk to and treat others. It is in how we interpret the circumstances that are delt us as we go through our lives. And Faith ultimately interprets how we respond to death and dying.

Life, Death, Friendship, Relationships, Family... none of these can be truely "private" things either.

Answer 4

Not necessarily. I think it is fine to exchange ideas and beliefs about faith. But under no condition is it acceptable to expect another person to conform to another faith. I find the need for organized religion reprehensible because of the pressure put on people who do not conform. There are basically two kinds of people in varying degrees: People who want control and people want to be controlled. The very best people are the ones who are secure in their beliefs and let others believe in whatever faith they choose. People should be judged by their behavior not their faith.

Answer 5

What I faith/believe does not matter. What you faith/believe is everything. It could be public or hidden; it is what makes you, you.

From your question, I can not tell if you are mature in your faith/believing or you are searching. In any case, it starts with you and ends with you.

Whatever I faith/believe will not help you find yours. Faith/believing is funny, it is a individual thing.

Note: Faith/believe is one Greek word that requires two English word to describe it meaning. It is active not passive.

Answer 6

Yes.

I come from a family with many different religions (Buddhist, Muslim, Hindu, and Christian), and in a society that is multi-religous. As such, I have grown up to respect everything, and to tolerate the practices of other religions.

However, my ex disagreed with me. We were both Christians, but when my Buddhist grandfather died, I bowed at his altar and offered incense. To him, that was abominable, because it was bowing to an altar, an act against God.

But I explained that it was an act of respect, that it did not mean to me what it meant to other people. I bowed, not for my grandfather's gods, but an expression of my grief, that I knew this was what my grandfather would want me to do. It was my way of doing one final thing for my grandfather.

I told my ex this was in no way different than if he ate Halal food (animals which have been killed in the name of Allah, which is very common here) or his working in a staunchly Buddhist company, because we still know that these things do not shake our faith or express it in any way. But he still felt what I did was wrong.

I was very disappointed then, but his anger at what I did does not change my tolerance for other religious practices, or what I feel about my Christianity. It is a matter between me and God, and if God has not rebuked me for it, why should I let others judge me?

If your faith is something you allow to be influenced and directed by others, you will never truly feel peace, or even the presence of God, because everyone has a different relationship with God, and you will be too busy listening to everyone except God.

Answer 7

It's all up to you.

Assuming you live in the US, we have freedom of religion and speech. Like everything else, you decide what should be private and what should be public.

If someone wants to keep his faith private, I would respect it. If someone wants his faith known and tries to convert me, that's fine too. I make my choices on my faith.

Answer 8

faith is a deeply personal matter, but I don't think it needs to be a private matter. people are too easily offended, they take the fact that others don't believe as they do personally. they seem to think that if they hang around someone of a different faith, they'll be contaminated or something. everyone needs to get over themselves.

Answer 9

in a way although for many it is a social and political concept.

and even more feel the need to bully everyone else to their way of thinking.
it seems that religion is to impress other people , to belong to the same club for power or social acceptance.

if it was true faith it would concern only the individual and he or she would not care what other people thought or did

unfortunately the reality shows that it is political peer pressure which has the face of religion but the charactor of politics

Answer 10

Yes I do. I just think this is the way it should be as a courtesy to the people around you. If someone asked then that is another story. Look at it like this, I don't run around telling people what I do for a living, or how much I make, why would I tell someone what my spiritual beliefs are. I may be proud of what I do for a living, but that doesn't mean anyone will care about it.

Answer 11

Faith is a believe, it should never be argued for no matter. But the bible does say to express your faith, and you shouldn't be ashamed of that. expressing your faith opening can make you a more graceful person