I wish to become a Christian but cannot practice in public, kindly advice?

[Anonymous]

Hello friends, I live in a country and society where being anything by the dominant religion / ideology here is treated with hostility and discrimination. For the past few years I have been reading about Jesus and have accepted him as Lord and saviour. I am ready to become a Christian. But I have a few conditions.

1. I cannot go to church as there few here but under surveillance, to attend you have to submit a written applications and register as a Catholic that will be published in a public gazette.

2. I cannot consult any clergy as the same rule of no.1 would apply. All clearly are approved by the government, thus are civil servants/ party members.

3. I cannot celebrate openly, outside my home, as neighbours might suspect.

5. I can wear a small cross on my person and claim it's fashion, but I cannot wear anything big, I can carry rosary and again say it's part of fashion.

Basically outside my head (beliefs) and home, I don't have freedom. So is that enough to become a Christian.

And what are the rules of Christianity, I already accept that there is one god, that of Abraham, and Jesus is his only begotten son and saviour and he died for my sins on the cross.

[thenerdone]

Man, that's rough. I assume you live somewhere in the Middle East?

You don't need to attend or even be involved with a church to be a Christian, nor do you need to publicly worship. Early Christians did for hundreds of years under persecution, and hundreds more in the case of the Oriental Orthodox churches.

Do what you need to do, though. Let nothing come between you and God, put that beforr everything else. Crucify the flesh, take up your cross daily.

I do not intend to exalt myself as some wise prophet, in fact, I feel like a hypocrite giving you advice that I hardly follow myself, though I know I should.

You will be in my prayers. God bless you and your noble plight!

[BCRanger10]

Where do you live that these are the rules?

I'd be glad to help. I am a practicing Catholic and a certified catechist.

[Daniela1982]

You don't have to attend a church to be a Christian. It's what you believe that counts. You can worship God in your home just as well as in a church. A church is mainly to have fellowship with fellow Christians and to get teachings. But Jesus did say, Matthew 10:33 "If you deny me before men, I will deny you before my Father in Heaven."

[XHopelessRomanticX]

Love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, mind and strength, and love your neighbor as yourself. Loving others and doing good, even to those who would seek to harm you, is your spiritual act of worship in public.

[strateguy632]

Christianity is faith, head as you said is enough.

dont wear cross, dont go to church in a place of oppresiion. Just read Bible with faith.