are they Christians?

[forcedalliance]

does anyone know if sara or any of the other members are Christians? thanks,
forcedalliance

[Goose_17]

while i can't list off-handed interviews where they have said flat-out..and believe i have read that they are professing christians, and not to mention the tones and lyrics of their music and in their liner notes....but i think if i get to meet them in alabama for the 30th concert...my one question to them all is how did you come to know jesus christ as your personal lord and saviour? not a typical question i think..plus...i'd be really interested to know..

chris <><

[Chip]

Chris, Sara and Sean are each very sincere and dedicated Christians, probably three of the most genuine, solid people I've met. I once had a discussion with Chris in which he said that one of the things that made it possible for him to be in a band was that Sara and Sean each place the same importance in their faith as he does, so when they are making a decision, there's never a question about which way to go... it's always a matter of seeking the Lord's wisdom and taking what comes. He said it would be near impossible to be in a band with people that didn't have the understanding and belief in faith that he does, and from the way he lives his life (from what little I know) I can completely understand.

I gotta say that I'm pretty certain that their faith and the low-key, accepting way in which they live it and share it every day is a big part of the reason why they've been blessed with so much success so quickly.

[mel4Him]

amen to that chip!!

[forcedalliance]

thanks for your imput chip. i always kinda figured that they were because of their lyrics but we live in such a postmodern-universalist society that it's really difficult to tell who's who anymore. if i mention God most think i'm talking about allah, or anyone of the millions of hindu gods, or even the same god as the mormons worship. people have a hard time understanding that there's only one God and one way through Him. anyway, thanks for your reply and your time.
in Him,
forcedalliance

[Taipan]

Originally posted by forcedalliance
thanks for your imput chip. i always kinda figured that they were because of their lyrics but we live in such a postmodern-universalist society that it's really difficult to tell who's who anymore. if i mention God most think i'm talking about allah, or anyone of the millions of hindu gods, or even the same god as the mormons worship. people have a hard time understanding that there's only one God and one way through Him. anyway, thanks for your reply and your time.
in Him,
forcedalliance

uhm...I don't wanna start an argument or offend anyone, but shouldn't that be removed? there's so many religious slurs in there it's hardly believable...also, implying that your opinion is correct above all others? I think that's abusing the point of this message board somehow.

[creekster_anna]

Thanks Chip! I think I have read in an interview before that they were but it was nice to have the question once again confirmed by someone who has talked to them and knows them.:)

[Bart Simpson]

We ALL have the right to speak freely about whatever we want be it how good or how bad the current president is, or what religion is right or what one is worng. Or if religion in general is a good idea. I think that forcedalliance was just professing his love for the Christian God that he has come to know and love (just like me). Why stir up something that can lead into an extremely contriversial topic such as this one? I think that we should just leave this topic alone before the board becomes a you are wrong and I am right baord.

[Chip]

Religion and politics are the two things that should never be discussed unless one is ready for an unresolvable argument.

Here's a thought that might help. I used to manage a holistic healing center. One of the elements of the healing process that we considered important was spirituality. At the same time, we recognized that we had many patients with many different religious beliefs... Buddhist, Christian, Jewish, Native American, Moslem, Hindu, and many others. And our staff included people with different belief systems as well.

I have my beliefs which have come to me through my life and experiences, and they are true and absolute for me. At the same time, I also realize that others have different beliefs that are equally true and absolute for them. It is not my place to judge or place any value on someone's beliefs, nor is it (in my opinion) my place to convince someone that my beliefs are right and theirs are wrong (as if there were any way to do that in any case.) Or vice versa for that matter.

What we finally came up with at the healing center where I worked was a policy that basically said We are open to working with and supporting anyone's individual framework and spiritual beliefs, except when those beliefs preclude the honoring of another's right to hold beliefs that might differ. Once that was set up as the expectation, the conflicts pretty much went away.

Since many wars have been fought over religious beliefs, it seems clear that no one will convince anyone else of their opinion on religion when both hold strong beliefs. Therefore, I'd respectfully discourage people from making sweeping statements about what is or isn't true with regard to religion, since what's true for one person may not be true for another, according to their different beliefs.

Therefore, I'd also request that anyone making statements about their beliefs recognize that we'd like to honor everyone's belief systems, and therefore to not make statements that are inflammatory or disrespectful of another's truth.

[forcedalliance]

i agree with a lot of what chip wrote. and despite nontolerance of certain issues, i do not believe that Jesus would force anything on anyone. chip, you hit the nail on the head by explaining that we should respect other beliefs, i don't think that we should tolerate them...that goes for myself as well. i respect the dedication of the muslim however i do not respect the command of the quran to 'kill all the infidels'. when trying to understand one's faith it is important to realize the author of the faith and what they were and are like. i'm not about to go into detail about mohammad's personal life that start quite a few riots. however, if anyone's interested they can read a book written by the canier brothers, one who is my prof., entitled unvieling islam. they used to be muslim but now are Christians. anyway, i'm getting to my poin soon enough;) promise....i'm not trying to force anything on anyone. i respect other faiths b/c of the believer's dedication not b/c i believe the other faiths. i belive that God's Holy Spirit will move on each person's heart accordingly. however, i will stand firm that despite our society who holds to an 'i'm okay you're okay' theology, i truly believe that truth is not relative. 2+2 will always equal 4. there are times that i want it to equal more than that like when i'm balancing my check book, but no matter, it still equals 4 and nothing can change that. there are absolutes. we can either all claim that we have our own abolutes and live however we want, which would defeat the purpose of an absolute and actually be a relative understanding, or we can believe that there is one absolute out there and that someone is wrong somewhere along the way. please understand, Taipan, that i am not forcing my beliefs on anyone i'm talking about the most basic level of understanding logic....either you have absolutes, where someone is wrong b/c somethign is right, or there are no absolutes which is an absolute in itself by claiming that there are no absolutes! so i write this so that everyone will understand that i plan to stand firm to the foundations of Jesus Christ but i refuse to force people into having faith in God the way the hitler forced nations together and the way middle eastern muslims kill thousands of Christians and take over several countries and force those countries to become muslim so that their lives are spared.

my desire is to reach people with the love of Jesus and not only to talk about it but to show it in everyway that i can. i believe that if anyone is true to their faith, especially Christians, then they should live it out. James, the half brother of Jesus wrote in the book 'James' found in the Bible that works are the evidence of one's faith in God (paraphrased but consistent with the text)
in closing, i'm sorry for offending anyone that might have been offended by me but perhaps your feelings weren't hurt, perhaps it's conviction of the Holy Spirit. i am very sincere in writing that i aim not to offend anyone, only to proclaim the truth that i believe God has shown me and so many other people for almost 2000 years.
in His hands,
forcedalliance

[forcedalliance]

in the previous post i meant to say....in the first line....that despite my belief in nontolerance....not that i'm a nazi or anything but just that i believe in one truth.

[Taipan]

Yeah, that's fine and I completely agree with everything that Chip wrote, as I mentioned, I'm not interested in starting arguments.

But, if I was a hindu and I'd read that I'd have been offended. No matter, that's your opinion and that's fine, not my problem if you wanna think like that.

But that one part was the people have a hard time understanding... bit which, again, I accept that it's your opinion but you stated it as if it was a fact, which, to over 80% of the planet, it isn't.

I'm not questioning your faith and hell, it's none of my business, but I think that we shouldn't try to imply that our own personal beliefs or opinions are factual, or in any way better than someone elses. And questioning someone's intelligence when they don't believe in your particular God? Those were the only two points I had with you.

Sorry to cause any unrest there.

[forcedalliance]

as you stated, i'm not interested in starting an argument either. the point which i hope to clear up is that which i had touched on before in the previous post...the idea of absolutes. you see, either the hindu, the muslim, the mormon, the jehovah witness, or the Christian is wrong. they can't all be right. if they were then that would mean that there was more than way to heaven which is a universalist way of thinking and cannot work. it defies all standards of truth. to have that thinking, that religion is just an opinion that everyone can have, is to say that there is no truth out there. if you say that there is no truth than you are saying that there are no absolutes because truth is absolute. just as i said before 2+2 will always equal 4, never 5 or 6, but always 4. you can't get away from absolutes b/c they are the only thing that constitutes truth. therefore, if everything is either absolute, in the case that it is truth, than there can be no relative answers such as everyone can pick a religion that works for them. we're not talking about candy or what time you want to see a movie, we're talking about absolute truth which is the standard for spiritual living.

if you say that there are no absolutes and that everything is relative than you are stating an absolute b/c you are asserting that nothign is ever absolute. therefore, you the argument defeats itself. i realize that what i wrote about people not understanding there is only one God is narrow minded. Jesus said in John 14:6, I am the way, the truth, and the life. He distinctly instructed that He was the truth! if He's the truth and truth is absolute than God is absolute therefore, unchanging. Taipan, i can promise you that more than just 20% of the world's population is Christian. there is incredible revival going on in china right now were more than one million chinese people have converted to Christianity despite the persecution of the gov. why? why would they convert at the risk of being killed? because they realized, through the Holy Spirit, that God is the truth and the only way to heaven. i'm not trying to win an argument or change your view....a part of what i've typed is to plant a seed with you, in hoping that you will one day realize the truth of the Christian God, but my purpose is to have it understood that there's not multiple ways to heaven, there is only one. and if i am close minded and ignorant b/c i believe that then fine. the only man that ever tried to save the whole world was crucified b/c people didn't like w\hat he said. it is historical that Jesus was crucified, so there's no arguing that. the debate comes in at if He's the Son of God and if the Christian God is the only way to heaven. so my, opinion as Taipan wouild put it, is not actually my opinion because what i believe is based on the abolute truth of the Christian God.

so in closing, Taipan, i want you to understand that i'm not attacking you or your belief system or the lack there of, and i'm not just sharing my 'opinion'. i understand that is how you view it, my opinion, but you cannot truthfully deny that absolute truth exist today. id you do than you are stating an absolute and defeat yourself. take care.
in His hands,
forcedalliance

1John 2:1, 2

[prinny]

I think Chip was right on target when he said, Religion and politics are the two things that should never be discussed unless one is ready for an unresolvable argument.

While no one should be made to repress their opinions in an effort to not offend, this also does not mean they should not have to think about what they say (or write) and be responsible for the consequences.

I know from my many classes on the subject that religion is a very difficult topic to discuss in person...let alone on a message board, where meaning and intention can often be interpreted incorrectly. Sometimes we unintentionally run across posts such as this in browsing, and everyone (including myself) inevitably has something to say.

Personally, I would hope that we all recognize that NC are Christians, respect them for how they conduct themselves as Christians, and as fans act in such a way that can be respected in turn, no matter what religion we choose to follow.

Thanks! My, um....two cents.
Jenn

[forcedalliance]

yes ....you are right in agreeing that politics and religion are hard to resolve...however let's not forget that religion is more than some ritualistic experience....at least in Christianity it should be more than that. it's about a relationship with a living God and the price that He paid so that we could all have that relationship...that's something that you won't find in any class...i know b/c i'm at a Christian college and i cannot grow closer to God just by 'knowing more stuff'. that's b/c it's about having a personal relationship with God. my intentions are never to turn anyone away from Christ.....so everyone please understand that i do not write with a cynical, arrogant, or sarcastic tone....i only hope to share the truth with those who have not heard it or maybe didn't understand the first time around.
in Him,
forced alliance

[Chip]

Forcedalliance,

You seem to have an unquenchable need to have the last word :)

You said

either the hindu, the muslim, the mormon, the jehovah witness, or the Christian is wrong. they can't all be right. if they were then that would mean that there was more than way to heaven which is a universalist way of thinking and cannot work.


And most of the people in the world -- heck, maybe everyone -- may agree with you. But no one can definitively say (in terms of reasoning supported by fact) whether that view is correct or incorrect. Lots of dogma, philosophy, belief, and opinion to support various views, but no facts. As such, I don't think (particularly on a general discussion board) that anyone should be taking a position that inherently must make someone wrong for beliefs they hold.

Also, one other point that I think is important: The line (and others) you quoted from the Koran is often used out of context to make it sound as though the Moslem faith condones killing and/or suicide. Those I know who are Moslem scholars would heartily disagree with that statement. Any text, including the Bible, can have verses taken out of context to support a position, so, in the interest of maintaining peace and tolerence here, I will ask once again if we can simply avoid discussing comparative religion and beliefs here.

Your truth is your truth, and you're entitled to hold it. It might be the one, universal truth (if there is such), but those with other beliefs will insist that *their* truth is the one universal truth. So it's a no-win situation, and as such, it's just not OK (at least for purposes of tolerence and what's OK on this discussion board) for you to state that your truth is *the* one and only truth, because there are many others who will disagree with you.

It simply isn't appropriate, and Matt and I don't have the time to constantly step in and moderate these discussions. If they continue to happen, we may have no other choice than to simply ask certain people not to post at all, and we really, really don't want to have to do that.

Thanks!

[EnigmaticSage]

Sorry if this is going off the way this paticular thread is headed, but to go back to the main point of the thread, I have been wondering the same thing for a while and I'm sooooo glad to hear that! I figured with the Hands song they could be. It makes their music so much better to know that [noise]

[aaronsawyer]

bluegrass mag ran a cover story on them a while ago, if you can find it (and good luck to you too) there was a big story on them and in there they talked about their faith and their up bringing with their parents, if you are interested in a summary email me (aaron_sawyer@yahoo.com) and ill try to conjuor up one!

[J. Marie Hall]

concession: forced alliance, i agree that in these times it is difficult to tell who's who...pluralism is what it is.

and yes, most apologists agree that the christian bible asserts that jesus is the only way to god. for the record, i agree.

opinion: i don't think the mention of the other perceptions of the divine were expressed in a derrogatory manner...on their own.

but that last part about most people having a hard time understanding etc. yeah. many christians see pluralism and certain aspects of postmodernism as barriers in terms of absolute statements etc.

but that sounded dogmatic given the context of this list. i don't have any problem with you or others being faithful to the truth found and made manifest. i'm with you! unashamed, joyful, overflowing with the holy spirit :) but i'm thinking along the lines of intellectual humility and presentation of such discoveries.

forced alliance, if you were to ask me, yeah, i think we know the most important and precious revelation accessible to mankind. but there's also a lot we don't know. maybe we should be careful how we interact with others. who knows what we could learn then.

-j. marie

[mandofocus]

I don't want to kill this argument before it really gets going.....wait...yes I do.
I personally feel that this thread has gone far beyond answering the origainal question as to whether they are christians or not. It has spread to become an argument over personal beliefs and negative and unconstructive criticism. As Chip said Religion and politics are the two things that should never be discussed unless one is ready for an unresolvable argument. This discussion board was not set up for people to post arguments. The sole purpose of these boards is for fellow Nickel Creek fanatics to meet and discuss issues of Nickel Creek and the three very talented adults that form it.
I felt that it was clearly said that Chip and Matt would no longer tolerate such behavior on the boards such as this.
If you would like to continue to argue about this topic please do so through emails and private messages as to not invole others in your debates.

Respectfully,
PJ :cool:

P.S. Though I do not agree with the manner of the continuing argument, I MUST say that I am glad that you guys were being intelligent and repspectful in your thoughts and post towards other members. :D

[Chip]

Hey...

Thanks for the words of support from everyone.

I'd like to clarify a bit: I don't think we've ever said that we *wouldn't tolerate* religious discussion. We tend to encourage people to stay away from that topic because emotions run very strong very quickly... but lack of tolerence isn't what we're trying to achieve here :)

Matt and I had a discussion about this tonight and we'll be talking more in the coming days.

In principle, what we're advocating is finding a balance that allows an individual's expression of their faith and beliefs while at the same time making this board a place where *everyone* who visits here can feel welcomed and comfortable, even if they hold religious views that might be different from many of the regular contributors here. We're going to discuss it more and try to flesh it out a little better (not easy to do in a topic like this!) but in the meantime, I'd encourage people to, in their posts, allow others to hold beliefs different than yours, even if you don't necessarily agree with those beliefs.

I don't think it's my/our place to judge others' beliefs or make them wrong, and when you state your own beliefs as absolute (even though they are, to you), you're inherently making the place less inviting to others who might differ with your views.

Hope that helps!

[southernyankee]

woah-heated discussion here...I just wanted to point out that that verse that was quoted from the Quran is not followed by most Muslims-only fanatical Muslims like Bin LAdin-just wanted to clear that up-oh and the number of fanatical Musilims is small. and I don't even think that verse is really fromt he Quran but i could be wrong

I would also like to add that Christianity by nature offends people. I've dealt with it all my years at college-I can't mention the name of Christ without someone getting offended. I think we definitely need to respect everyone's beliefs and not shove ours down people's throats, but for those of us who are christians, we beleive Jesus is the only way and we cannot deny that because it will offend someone.
April

Oh and Erika, I see what you're saying-the gospel offends and Jesus offended people-but He never set out to purposely offended them-do you get what I'm saying? I think it's dangerous to ahve the attitude of I'm going to preach my beliefs and not listen to anyone else's opinion. I'm not saying that's your attitude but peole dying in sin will not see the love of Christ by us shouting scripture at them-they will see it through our genuine love for them which includes listening to their beliefs (even if they're wrong), caring for them despite their sin (like God does for us!) AND sharing the Truth with them whether or not it offends them.

[matt the fiddler]

ok- guys.. you need to read posts when chip or i post on a topic..

In principle, what we're advocating is finding a balance that allows an individual's expression of their faith and beliefs while at the same time making this board a place where *everyone* who visits here can feel welcomed and comfortable, even if they hold religious views that might be different from many of the regular contributors here. We're going to discuss it more and try to flesh it out a little better (not easy to do in a topic like this!) but in the meantime, I'd encourage people to, in their posts, allow others to hold beliefs different than yours, even if you don't necessarily agree with those beliefs

this is not a place for heated religious debate... there are other places on the web for that sort of thing, go there if you need to be vocal about sharp dissagreements.

we are trying to go along and follow creek's lead in this area as best we can, and chip and i have been in constant discussion about this over the last few weeks.... again this moderation is not because of the topic disscused.. [as it can be done in a way that is respectfull to everybody]

matt

[mike]

as a christian, i understand the desire to make truth clear, but i also appreciate matt and chip's position. discussions of faith can be done in gentleness and respect towards others-- even in my theology class.

my observance of The Creek so far is that they make their faith accessible. it is shown plainly so that others may adress it; they don't chase people down and beat them with it.

it is possible to have a humble attitude about one's faith while maintaining an uswervingly steadfast belief in it. since this is a message board about Nickel Creek, let's follow Nickel Creek's example.

mike

[fbic59]

somehow i don't see why we would follow the example of flawed men over the example of the only unflawed man regardless of whom the site is about. while i do think that forcedalliance was a little forward with the things he/she wrote, Christians should not allow themselves to be run over by 'tolerance', which doesn't really exist, or with giving politically correct answers. i def. think that there is a balance of one sharing their faith and still giving attention to the apolegetic nature of Christianity. however, i struggle with Christians who are not willing to stand boldly on the Word of God. if you're not bold enough to stand on His infallible promise than why even claim to be anything more than a nominal Christian?[bang] it doesn't flow logically. getting back to my point, there is a rational and bold way to share the Gospel and even to defend it, but regardless of the approach people will always be offended when they hear the Gospel because man is prideful and sinful and the Gospel speaks out against that.

fbic59

phil. 2:3

[missem]

The members of NC are Christians noted by their Thank yous as well as journal entries on the main NC page (especially Sean's...he talks about reading Ephesians and praying while body boarding.)

As far as the debate goes....

I believe that God (Jesus's father) calls us to take our stand and allow him to do the rest. If you beat people into the ground with your beliefs they are not going to want to be like you, which will in the end turn them from Him. Plant the seed. DON'T plant the seed and then pour grass killer on it. While stating what we blieve is important it is also important to portray Jesus in a loving accepting way.

This is definately not to bash anyone or their beliefs....I am just stating humble opinion.

[desert rose]

Yeah. that's why I don't like those preachers who stand on the side of the road and yell You're going to hell! You're going to hell! God will have wrath upon you!!! when I was little I used to call them 'sidewalk lunatics.':D But I do kind of see their point. But they don't have to be so demanding about it. 'sidewalk lunatics,' is also a VERY old movie about sidewalk dancers and street performers. They don't have much of a difference. :D

[AmandaLynn]

I must say that I am personally a fan of the way the members of Nickel Creek portray their Christianity. Through their music, by singing gospel songs and hymns at their concerts, and even in the way Sara signs her autograph (Seek Him ~Sara) it is obvious that their faith is important to them and their portrayal of who they are as people. Although I am not specifically Christian, I believe that the way the members of the band present their faith to others is respectful, inspiring, and beautiful, and I believe that this sets an example which we all should follow.

[asillittle]

:mad:
[yell]
:rolleyes:

[AmandaLynn]

:confused:

[NcklCrkGurl4Eva]

I agree totally with Chip, I believe they are very dedicated Christians, I look up to them alot for their faith in God. God Bless! ~Maria~ Proverbs 3:5-6

[feadóg]

Well, back to the subject at hand, although good discussion that I always enjoy.

(Religion and Politics are my favorite things to discuss) :D

But I am very encouraged to see secular artists who thank Jesus, God, etc. in their liner notes or lyrical content.

I also like Chris's reference to Tolkien on Not All Who Wander are Lost...good stuff, Tolkien is great.

God Bless...