MATTERS OF FAITH


Cross Erected at the Colosseum in Rome to Symbolize
the Triumph of Christianity over Paganism in the Roman Empire.

This Page Has Moved To:
http://www.oocities.org/jtd7/faith.html
All future updates will be made to the page above.

I expect this part of the site to be the most controversial and most likely to get me into trouble - but like they say - no guts no glory!

(Or should I say - "No Cross, No Crown!")

John Mead Gould's Homepage

I'm sure you noticed that I've avoided the word religion. This is because I believe that God does not want us to be religious but rather have a relationship with him through his son - The LORD Jesus Christ. I am a Christian and not ashamed of the Gospel. I hope I will proclaim it with boldness and tenderness - like the Lord did.

I have several objects for this page -

First and foremost is to glorify the Lord Jesus Christ.

Second - To proclaim the Gospel to the lost and hurting.

Third - To combat the stereotype that Evangelical Christians are narrowminded and bigoted and devoid of intellectual prowess.

Fourth - To educate both Christians and pre-Christians (the term non-Christian implys that someone will never accept the Gospel - we should never view anyone as beyond God's love)about alternative religious movements (ARM's) which are often refered to as sects and cults so that people can make an informed choice as to their beliefs.

Fifth - To be a voice of reform within the greater evangelical Christian community so that we can avoid the pitfalls which have befallen Christian movements through the centuries.

As always, I will provide you quality links with which to entertain and inform yourself while the site is being constructed. I will take to bold step of including links to sites and organizations which I may disagree with on some, or many issues. I've done this because I believe that the best equipped soldier is one who is well informed - not only about his resources - but also about his opponent. I feel that too many Christians are ill equipped to do battle with the forces of error as they do not know what they teach or believe. I intend to help in this area.

If you need help in discernment do the following -

  • 1. Pray and ask God for Wisdom.
  • 2. Read what the Scripture says about the issues at hand.
  • 3. Ask a spritually mature brother or sister about it.
  • 4. Repeat steps 1 through 3 three until you get an answer.

Christian Denominations


There are over 1,000 Chistian denominations in the United States. Most, however, are small and have less than 10,000 members. Only about 20 have over 1 million members. These will be listed here. Smaller denominations of significance will be listed as well.

Christian Leaders and Movements


These personalities and organizations are selected by the author to show the variety of "flavors" within Christianity. Inclusion here does not necessarily constitute an endorsement of all the teachings and activities of those listed but more so that those listed are worth investigating to find the positive elements contained therein. As always, use discernment based upon scripture and plain reason. (Unlike some others the author does not see the two as being in conflict.)

The Wild Wild World of Cults

Do you know the extent to which cults can decieve people without them being aware of it? My point exactly!

This page has links and information about several major cults - as well as information on anti-cult groups.

Alternative Belief Systems

The groups on this page would not rightly be called cults as they are not built around a particular personality who is considered to be the voice of God. Rather they hold beliefs and practices which are outside of the mainstream of belief and are somewhat controversial. The author hopes that the viewers will become better informed as to their beliefs and practices so they (the viewer) is better equipped to survive, fight and win on the spiritual battlefield.

Ontario Consultants on Religious Tolerance

OCRT's website provides a myriad of information related to religious movements whether they be mainstream, unorthodox or cultic. While it pretends to be objective in its content - ie. neither supporting or opposing any view points on matters of faith it takes a decidedly liberal slant when addressing the question of Biblical inerrency. It is offered here as a resource to learn about differing views on various issues.

The site is maintained by two Unitarians, one Wiccan and one "liberal and unaffiliated" Christian. My only complaint is that those who claim to be tolerant are ultimately intolerant of those that oppose the fundamental assumptions of their belief systems.

As this site hopes to become a resource of comparative religious information from an Evangelical Christian perspective the editor considers it only fair to offer opposing view points to his viewers.

The Bible on Line

Contains links to numerous on line versions of the Bible.

Use YAHOO! to find other religion related links!

Send E-mail to
jmgould@oocities.com.