Posted By Samie <3 on 01/06/2011 1:21 AM
But in all that craziness was one woman. I could tell by looking at her that she was a Christian. There was a calmness, a serenity.....shouldnt that be the way it is with a Christian?
You know who the most serene people I've ever met are? Buddhists. They exude this peace that just immediately puts you at ease. My point is it's not necessarily religion that gives a person peace (though it certainly can). It's a bit of a personal journey really. A person learning to let go of what weighs them down and trying to ease the weight of others. That's how most people I've known have found that kind of peace, just letting go, forgiving. A good book I'd recommend is RT Kendall's 'Total Forgivess.' It's related to what I summarized.
Not much else I can add to Jo and Clockwork's posts, but I will say the 'Justification by Faith' doctrine should answer your question about actions vs belief. It's in the book of James, the exact chapter is escaping me, but it's only 5 chapters and it's all a good read! 
As far as clothing goes, unless it's utterly out of order, it doesn't matter one whit to me if they have red hair or a mohawk. Tell you the truth, I find those people more interesting to talk to! Ha ha! Looks are quite obviously a matter of perception I've found. I've met Christians with tatoos on all limbs, Buddhists who were formerly soldiers and atheists who look like June Cleaver.
I probably haven't cleared up the waters that much for ya, but if you take anything from my rant, take this. Jo and Clockwork defined Christianity for ya, but meaning is a whole different and more important animal. What does being a Christian mean to you?
Hope that helped somewhat! 
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