Okay so I seem to answering a lot of the same questions lately, so I thought I'd put it all down here. I don't mind talking about any of these again or in more detail, but at least it will give everyone a starting point.
1. I believe in the Lordship of Christ.
This means that everything I do, I always consider whether it would be pleasing to God or not. I try to follow the commands given in the Bible not because I'm a legalistic person, but because I believe those commands were given for our own good. I believe that all good things come from God. I believe there are consequences for our actions. I believe in free will and that bad things are still gonna happen on this earth because so many people are lost to sin.
2. I don't believe in pre-marital intimacy.
First I have to say the thing that always seems the most shocking. I am a virgin. Yes at 35 I have never had sex and have never really even been close although I have done a few things I wish I hadn't. I didn't plan on this, I thought I'd be married by now...lol. But I believe it will be a blessing to the man I marry and I have no desire to have others to compare him to. Plus I believe that God created sex as a way for a husband and wife to become one physically and spiritually. Every time you are intimate with someone you develop a soul-tie with that person. You give a part of yourself to them. I have never, ever heard of someone regretting waiting to have sex. This being said, I hold nothing against anyone for wherever they are in this area. I would love to be a positive influence on others to view sex as the precious gift from God that it was created to be.
3. Along the lines of the above, I don't believe in dating.
I believe in getting to know people as friends. ("frrrr...eeends" as someone I know likes to put it. lol) But really, if you get to know someone on a platonic level after about 3 mos you will have a pretty clear picture of who they are and any red flags. Dating just complicates things. It always involves some form of physical intimacy that causes those silly endorphins to cloud your judgement. :) Then when stuff becomes apparent about that other person that should set off warning bells, you try to rationalize them away. There's a really detailed link on my page that tells all about the difference between dating and courtship.
4. I believe in the Baptism of the Holy Spirit.
This is different than just receiving salvation. This is a specific thing that you can receive that will take your faith to a whole new level. It is not essential for salvation, but it's like going from walking on top of a river of faith to being totally immersed in it. This does mean I speak in tongues and believe in the laying on of hands in prayer.
5. I don't believe married women are supposed to work outside the home.
I don't care if this makes me sound like a gold digger...lol. My mom and most of my sisters have been full time wives and mothers and I can see what a blessing that has been to their families. If there is a need for additional income, I do believe a woman should use her talents and find a way to help from home, but only with the blessing of her husband.
6. I don't believe in birth control.
At this point this probably isn't as big a deal anymore..lol. But I believe that God opens and closes the womb. No child that has ever been conceived was ever a mistake. I personally know children that resulted from rape cases and I can say even these children are the biggest blessings to their families. God has a plan and a destiny for every person He creates.
7. I believe children are the most important things on this planet.
Any time or effort you put into the life of a child creates a ripple effect that can never be measured. Children are a blank canvas and it is our duty to fill that canvas with as much love and compassion as we possibly can. I also believe every child should be taught who Jesus is and how much He loves them unconditionally.
8. I believe it is important to attend church on a regular basis.
Again this isn't being legalistic, it is for our own good. Yes you can study the Bible on your own and maybe you have christian friends you can fellowship with. But there is something about being part of a larger vision to reach others that causes us to shift our focus off of ourselves. Plus, how many times have you heard a sermon and thought "wow, it was like God was talking just to me." I believe pastors preach messages given to them from God and He could very well speak directly to you through one of them. I also believe the fellowship we have as part of a congregation is God ordained. Your fellow church members should be the ones you can turn to in times of praise and in times of need. This is a huge way for our faith to be built and strenthened. It's hard to totally backslide when you have people who really know you and will hold you accountable.
Okay, I think that about covers the main topics that come up. :)
