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Majikthise
Guest
Welcome!!!
Thats interesting, just how much of what Jesus said dont you belive? As a professing Christian do you belive the Bible or not? Or do you just accept the parts that you agree with and pretend the rest isnt there? I dont pretend its easy, i have many friends and family who arnt christian, but i will not deny the reality of our fallen state and the sinfullness of each one of us - who do you who is perfect? God does not condemn people for not hearing about Jesus, he judges them for their Sin and we all have freewill, he did not have to save any of us and those he has are saved only by his grace. If you have a problem with his judging of sin talk to him about it. Maybe those who havnt heard of Jesus will get a chance to accept him befor they stand before him, i dont know, what i do know is that God has made it clear he hates sin and will punish it, if anyone who has sinned is to enter heaven it can only be through Christ - "for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus. God presented him as a sacrifice of atonement, through faith in his blood."Scott1 said:
We have all broken Gods laws, Jesus has paid our fine if we are willing to turn from our sin to Him.
As a Christian which of the following dont you belive?
Jesus answered, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. John 14:6
If Jesus didn't have to be beaten and crucified to make atonement for people to go to heaven then why did he do it? Do you know something he didnt?
Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because he has not believed in the name of God's one and only Son. john 3:18
For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. Romans 6:23
Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved Acts 4:12
For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. John 3:16
This righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus. God presented him as a sacrifice of atonement, through faith in his blood. He did this to demonstrate his justice, because in his forbearance he had left the sins committed beforehand unpunished- he did it to demonstrate his justice at the present time, so as to be just and the one who justifies those who have faith in Jesus. Romans 3:22-26
As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins, in which you used to live when you followed the ways of this world and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient. All of us also lived among them at one time, gratifying the cravings of our sinful nature and following its desires and thoughts. Like the rest, we were by nature objects of wrath. But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressionsit is by grace you have been saved. Ephesians 2:1-5
For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. Romans 6:23
Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved Acts 4:12
For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. John 3:16
This righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus. God presented him as a sacrifice of atonement, through faith in his blood. He did this to demonstrate his justice, because in his forbearance he had left the sins committed beforehand unpunished- he did it to demonstrate his justice at the present time, so as to be just and the one who justifies those who have faith in Jesus. Romans 3:22-26
As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins, in which you used to live when you followed the ways of this world and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient. All of us also lived among them at one time, gratifying the cravings of our sinful nature and following its desires and thoughts. Like the rest, we were by nature objects of wrath. But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressionsit is by grace you have been saved. Ephesians 2:1-5
With a choice, just like everybody else.jewscout said:
"Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you." Mathew 7:7
Your own scriptures contain heaps of prophecy regarding Christ.
Surely he took up our infirmities and carried our sorrows, yet we considered him stricken by God, smitten by him, and afflicted. But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon him, and by his wounds we are healed. We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to his own way; and the LORD has laid on him the iniquity of us all. Isaiah 53:4-6
Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel. Isaiah 7:14
For to us a child is born,
to us a son is given,
and the government will be on his shoulders.
And he will be called
Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,
Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
Isaiah 9:6
Dogs have surrounded me;
a band of evil men has encircled me,
they have pierced my hands and my feet.
I can count all my bones;
people stare and gloat over me.
They divide my garments among them
and cast lots for my clothing.
Psalm 22:16-18
And many more are found here http://www.christiananswers.net/dictionary/messianicprophecies.htmlTherefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel. Isaiah 7:14
For to us a child is born,
to us a son is given,
and the government will be on his shoulders.
And he will be called
Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,
Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
Isaiah 9:6
Dogs have surrounded me;
a band of evil men has encircled me,
they have pierced my hands and my feet.
I can count all my bones;
people stare and gloat over me.
They divide my garments among them
and cast lots for my clothing.
Psalm 22:16-18
Or are you still waiting for another to do all the things Jesus has already fulfilled?
KirbyFan101
Resident Ball of Fluff
I would like to think that your God would condem you for judging and damning all other non-believers here.Steve said:
See you in hell! :biglaugh:
niamhwitch
Celtic Faery Wiccan )O(
"You must spread some Karma around before giving it to KirbyFan101 again."
Dang you Kirbyfan!
Dang you Kirbyfan!
KirbyFan101
Resident Ball of Fluff
:biglaugh:niamhwitch said:
greatcalgarian
Well-Known Member
You have started a debate for every one else except for yourself :jiggy: You have to learn whether you want literal translation in studying the bible, or just attempt to accept those part of the bible that do not contradict your own life experience. Many Christians will tell you that you just let yourself go, and let the holy spirit guide you. But first, my advice to you is to make sure you know where this holy spirit is.outofthebox said:
Welcome to the mad world of RF, where you will read religion view from all angles, and hopefully you will not become more confused before you start reading postings here.
God Bless You in your journey to find the truth.:162:
kreeden
Virus of the Mind
I wonder if Steve has any idea of just how much damage he does for his religion ?
Steve , your judgemental , narrow-minded views ARE the reason I , and I'm sure many others , refuse to even consider ourselves Christian . But then , God is most likely happy that he can take the day off , knowing that you have everything undercontrol .
Steve , your judgemental , narrow-minded views ARE the reason I , and I'm sure many others , refuse to even consider ourselves Christian . But then , God is most likely happy that he can take the day off , knowing that you have everything undercontrol .
Damage? Hmmm, we must have opposing views of damage.
Hope
Princesinha
There's a cute line from the movie "The Incredibles" that I really like---Mrs. Incredible is talking to her son Dash, telling him that everyone is 'special', and he retorts with a thought-provoking comment, "Which is a way of saying no one's special..."
Similarly, we can apply this to religions. If one embraces all religions, then, really, one is not embracing any religion. You have to draw the line somewhere. To truly have faith in one's religion, one has to embrace it specifically, and make it 'special.'
I've got more to say, but have to run.....i'll finish my thoughts later....
Similarly, we can apply this to religions. If one embraces all religions, then, really, one is not embracing any religion. You have to draw the line somewhere. To truly have faith in one's religion, one has to embrace it specifically, and make it 'special.'
I've got more to say, but have to run.....i'll finish my thoughts later....
kreeden
Virus of the Mind
I guess that depends upon what one is trying to do Mister Emu . I kinda thought the idea was to help others . To show then the Light , as they say . One can be true to their religion , the beliefs , without being judgemental , can't they ? All that this is doing is showing that Christainity has not changed a bit since the first missionary stepped off the boat in the New World , since the Inquisition . That Christians talk of a god of Mercy , but have none theirselves .Mister Emu said:
Like I said , it drives more people from Christianity , then it attracts , in my opinion at lest .
No Hope . no one is " special ". At lest I don't think that any of us are any more " special " in the eyes of God . The Bible even says that He will give Satan a thousand years to repent , doesn't it ? And if Satan gets that chance , wouldn't the rest of us ?
Now , I ask you all , how could I ever worship a god of Love and Mercy , if I have more Love and Mercy then that god ? Wouldn't that make him less then human ? That is not the God I know , for He has forgiven me long before I had forgiven myself .
Scott1
Well-Known Member
Amen!kreeden said:
If they only knew how many people they drive away from the faith, maybe they would stop.... but then again..... I've noticed that people like this preach to others out of pride and arrogance... I really don't think the conversion of others is of any importance.
outofthebox
New Member
As a whole, when I take in everything I've learned about history, people, religions, cultures, "holy books", science, and life experiences....it's so hard to take the bible literally. It's so silly these days to believe it word for word literally, especially taking in everything mentioned above. Now, I do believe that we were created by something much higher than us, but I'm now tending toward this God not being found literally in the pages of the bible. Metaphorically found, sure, but it's so hard to believe otherwise! I know, so how do you interpret it objectively if you go the metaphor route? Mine would be just one of millions of interpretations. Just some random thoughts today.
DreamQuickBook
Active Member
Hope said:
Good post. I think it is possible to have "one's own religion", which draws from all other religions, but is unique and speicial in and of itself.
At least you're thinking; You're obviously open-minded (Which is great) - and you are in Good company here; we may have our little squabbles every now and then, but they're only minor. If it helps, I came here after having been totally 'lost' for longer than I care to remember - but we have some real wisdom here - as I hope you'll find out.outofthebox said:
All I can do is to wieh you the very best; I'm sure you'll find what you are looking for; trouble is, as I have found out, there is rather a lot to learn!
God Bless.
Hope
Princesinha
Ok, back.
I guess what I'm trying to say is, if you believe something wholeheartedly, then you won't 'wiffle-waffle.' I don't expect a devout Muslim or Jew to concede with me, well, perhaps Jesus was the Son of God. Likewise, I don't give up ground on what I believe, and say, well, perhaps Muhammad really was a prophet of God. Too often those who believe strongly in something are labelled 'narrow-minded.' You've got to be somewhat 'narrow-minded' to have faith. Someone here had a quote once about being so 'open-minded' that your mind simply falls out. I think there is truth to that.
As a Christian, I agree about what Jesus said---Jesus said He was the Way, the Truth, and the Life; because He said this, and I believe in Him, and don't think He would lie ( why would I put my faith in a liar? ), I have no choice but to believe His words.
Now, does this mean I get to have total disrespect for everyone who does not believe as I do? Of course not. Everyone is free to believe what they wish. Therefore, outofthebox, you are free to believe what you wish about God. And while I don't agree with you about most of your conclusions, I do think you are onto something about the nature of God. Our human minds can only grasp so much when it comes to understanding God. His Word, which I do believe is true and inspired by Him, was given to us to give us a glimpse of His nature. He speaks to us literally and metaphorically in the Bible. But in His Word He clearly shows us the outline of His character---He sets parameters and boundaries. We cannot change these just to suit our fancy. At the same time, to think we can completely know and understand an infinite God with our puny, finite brains, is delusional. In that sense, He is as 'out-of-the-box' as one can get. In His Word He has given us a starting point, a reference point. It will take us the rest of eternity to truly know and understand what an amazing, awesome, and 'out-of-the-box' God He is.
I guess what I'm trying to say is, if you believe something wholeheartedly, then you won't 'wiffle-waffle.' I don't expect a devout Muslim or Jew to concede with me, well, perhaps Jesus was the Son of God. Likewise, I don't give up ground on what I believe, and say, well, perhaps Muhammad really was a prophet of God. Too often those who believe strongly in something are labelled 'narrow-minded.' You've got to be somewhat 'narrow-minded' to have faith. Someone here had a quote once about being so 'open-minded' that your mind simply falls out. I think there is truth to that.
As a Christian, I agree about what Jesus said---Jesus said He was the Way, the Truth, and the Life; because He said this, and I believe in Him, and don't think He would lie ( why would I put my faith in a liar? ), I have no choice but to believe His words.
Now, does this mean I get to have total disrespect for everyone who does not believe as I do? Of course not. Everyone is free to believe what they wish. Therefore, outofthebox, you are free to believe what you wish about God. And while I don't agree with you about most of your conclusions, I do think you are onto something about the nature of God. Our human minds can only grasp so much when it comes to understanding God. His Word, which I do believe is true and inspired by Him, was given to us to give us a glimpse of His nature. He speaks to us literally and metaphorically in the Bible. But in His Word He clearly shows us the outline of His character---He sets parameters and boundaries. We cannot change these just to suit our fancy. At the same time, to think we can completely know and understand an infinite God with our puny, finite brains, is delusional. In that sense, He is as 'out-of-the-box' as one can get. In His Word He has given us a starting point, a reference point. It will take us the rest of eternity to truly know and understand what an amazing, awesome, and 'out-of-the-box' God He is.
kreeden
Virus of the Mind
Hope , I couldn't agree more . I respect what Christ is to you . And I never said that perhaps some religions weren't better then others , in my view at lest . It is just that at times , some get so overzealous that it appears that they forget " the Nature of God ".
By that , I mean that we often get into disagreements over some little word in a Holy Book . Who cares ? As long as the Nature of God comes through ? God does not lay in a book . Books were written by man , are read by man , and are given interpretation by man . Mistakes have been made translating the Bible , but the meaning still comes through ... well , most of the time . When that poor Monk wrote " Thou shall kill ", kinda got the message backwards .
In my opinion , the Truth is too great for any one person to know , or understand . So we do as best as we can . And yes , God is out-of-the-box ... in-the-box .... is-the-box .
I respect what Christ is to you . And I never said that perhaps some religions weren't better then others , in my view at lest . It is just that at times , some get so overzealous that it appears that they forget " the Nature of God ". By that , I mean that we often get into disagreements over some little word in a Holy Book . Who cares ? As long as the Nature of God comes through ? God does not lay in a book . Books were written by man , are read by man , and are given interpretation by man . Mistakes have been made translating the Bible , but the meaning still comes through ... well , most of the time . When that poor Monk wrote " Thou shall kill ", kinda got the message backwards .
In my opinion , the Truth is too great for any one person to know , or understand . So we do as best as we can . And yes , God is out-of-the-box ... in-the-box .... is-the-box .
kreeden
Virus of the Mind
I just have add add ...
John 9:16 Some of the Pharisees said, "This man is not from God, for he does not keep the Sabbath."
But others asked, "How can a sinner do such miraculous signs?" So they were divided.
The Pharisees were so caught up on the Law { the word if you will } that they couldn't see . The Bible is full of such excamples . Afterall , man was not made for the Sabbath , but the Sabbath was made for man .
John 9:16 Some of the Pharisees said, "This man is not from God, for he does not keep the Sabbath."
But others asked, "How can a sinner do such miraculous signs?" So they were divided.
The Pharisees were so caught up on the Law { the word if you will } that they couldn't see . The Bible is full of such excamples . Afterall , man was not made for the Sabbath , but the Sabbath was made for man .
