What God and why?

a reply to: butcherguy

That's easy, so many hypocritical Christians who don't know what they believe
It's actually justified in my opinion

Even I don't like most of them

originally posted by: Raggedyman
a reply to: butcherguy

That's easy, so many hypocritical Christians who don't know what they believe
It's actually justified in my opinion

Even I don't like most of them

Are you saying that hypocritical Christians outnumber hypocritical Muslims or hypocritical Jews (remember, if you are born a Jew, it isn't a choice). I wouldn't mind seeing a reference to a study supporting that.

a reply to: butcherguy

Yeah, nah
Fair point
Though we are in the West as opposed to the middle east

The proverb of a " Wolf in Sheep's clothing" comes to mind when I look at the topics of Christains not behaving like Christians. I'm just generalizing the naiveness and how much emphasis people put behind such things and how it can lead to trouble

Don't get me wrong, I like the story of Christ even though I'll never study the Bible. However a God who willing sacrifices himself for sins or for himself does not need a bodyguard or need a sword to fight for him. Which is ironic how Christians are so worry some about the body of Christ when that God has a solid brick jaw from what the story depicts an not a glassone.

And how quick those sheep turn to wolves tearing each other appart.

I read that it better to pray to the Norse gods because there no more frost giants left. Ironically there no more Vikings ether.

Pride cometh before the fall.

a reply to: Raggedyman

You still have to ask? I even posted a link. It is called the "No True Scotsman" fallacy.

a reply to: Raggedyman

Hi Raggedyman - some great questions. I'll add my opinion since you asked.

What does (do you think) Christianity teach that causes offence

There are many thing people perceive is taught and for those who are rejecting Him before even trying? It‘s pretty much all negative because they truly are blinded to the truth.

For the hearts of these people are hardened, and their ears cannot hear, and they have closed their eyes--so their eyes cannot see, and their ears cannot hear, and their hearts cannot understand, and they cannot turn to me and let me heal them.'

Matthew 13:15

Also because it’s so much easier than to be one of the crowd and not even bother to step out and find out the truth for your own heart, live by your own belief.

When Christ came to fulfill the law? He taught:

37 Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.

Matthew 22:37

And

A command based on words of Jesus in the Sermon on the Mount : “All things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them.” The Mosaic law contains a parallel commandment: “Whatever is hurtful to you, do not do to any other person.”

Luke 6:31

“Do unto others ...” is a central ethical teaching of Jesus, often referred to as the Golden Rule.

There’s nothing hard about any of that.

What control does Christianity have that is shouldn't

Control? Religion has control. Being a Christian? No one controls you. It’s because you love the Lord and people (your brother) that you don't do trash you shouldn’t and you do do things that are good and kind and gentle, etc.

Why cant Christians choose another deity if they wish, obviously they wont be Christian but is anyone forced?

Because Christianity? There is only one God. If you choose ‘another’ - you’re not a Christian. ‘Have no other God’s before me’ - is His first commandment. And if you love God, when you love God and you truly realizes just how much He loves you? NO other ‘god’ can compare because He is THE God.

There is so much false information in society and so many people have no idea commenting on what they dont understand

When you believe good, Jesus and the life he wants us all to have? You also believe the 'bad'. You can't not, it's all around you.

The God of this world (momentarily) is satan. He already knows he’s ‘cooked’ and there is no way he will ever be able to get back into the graces of Christ. He’s loosed for a while here on earth - but soon he will be shut up and his power will be stripped from him forever.

What would that tell you logically? He wants to do everything in his power to plant doubt. Repay good with evil. Spread as much evil and destruction as he can, while he can.

Why? There is only one way satan can ‘hurt’ God. By stealing as many souls as he can from heaven, a place satan will forever be without. He’s greedy satan is and he hates mankind with a hate we can’t even imagine. So, he wants to take as many of us away from God as he can. Pretty sick that.

Christians believe in a creator, who gave free will, and you have a right to exercise that free will, why say you don't

No Christian I know would ever say they don’t have free will. Of course, we all do, Christian or no. Maybe you can explain more what you mean.

All this sounds like so much soup until you start to check it out for yourself. Read up some of the New Testament. And best of all - pray. There’s no ‘perfect’ way to pray. Just open up and talk to God, Jesus, the Holy Spirit and simply ask for your eyes and heart to be opened. From there, pray for what you are grateful for, maybe what you would like to see happen in your life.

Keep it up - NO ONE and I mean NO ONE will be rejected by God for the asking.

peace

Edit to add:

I just saw this came out on TY - Enjoy!

peace

I chose the God who Jesús called his Father in heaven. And why?

Simple:

He is simply the highest one, and there can be no other.
He created everything. He knows all.
He loves everyone equally and teaches others to do so.
He even gave his son who is one with him for us.
Then he gave his son the right to rule with him.
Then he sent his power, our comforter to us.
And promises us eternal life in heaven after death-sleep if we only so much as believe in all of the above
and try our very best to emulate his sons behavior.

Best deal ever.

-----------------

Every other religion tries to tell me to make myself better through my own power...what power? It's all on loan/gift.
And every other major religion out there tries to bash this single religion and has even infiltrated it through the higher echelons of the church. That pretty much tells me what's going on...

Bless you all

a reply to: Raggedyman

So why do they think the soul is immortal?

They heard it sometime/somewhere.
A Christian explanation blaming Plato can be found here: The origins of the doctrine of the “immortality of the soul”

What did then Plato believe about the soul? Plato was a disciple of another great Greek philosopher, Socrates. Plato’s work “Phaedo” is a dialogue which depicts the death of Socrates. The dialogue supposedly took place on the last day of Socrates, before being executed by drinking hemlock. As Wikipedia says: “one of the main themes in the Phaedo is the idea that the soul is immortal”. We could consider “Phaedo” a work that gives the combined beliefs of Plato and Socrates, the two greatest Greek philosophers on the matter. Here are some passages from this work (Taken from the following website: classics.mit.edu... ):

“The soul is in the very likeness of the divine, and immortal, and intelligible, and uniform, and indissoluble, and unchangeable …. It goes away to the pure, and eternal, and immortal, and unchangeable, to which she is kin." (Phaedo)

And again:

“The soul whose inseparable attitude is life will never admit of life's opposite, death. Thus the soul is shown to be immortal, and since immortal, indestructible ... Do we believe there is such a thing as death? To be sure. And is this anything but the separation of the soul and body? And being dead is the attainment of this separation, when the soul exists in herself and separate from the body, and the body is parted from the soul. That is death.... Death is merely the separation of the soul and body."

But then again,
"The ancient doctrine of which I have been speaking affirms that they go from this into the other world, and return hither, and are born from the dead. Now if this be true, and the living come from the dead, then our souls must be in the other world, for if not, how could they be born again? And this would be conclusive, if there were any real evidence that the living are only born from the dead; but if there is no evidence of this, then other arguments will have to be adduced. "(phaedo)

Sounds like what we call reincarnation or transmigration of the soul. Socrates calls it ancient doctrine in his time. Phaedo By Plato was written 360 B.C.E

a reply to: pthena

This doctrine from Plato which indeed is the reincarnation doctrine which pervaded itself into christianity is a fallacy.

The dead sleep until the resurrection.
Why have resurrection if we have a "over soul" who lives multiple lives and garners different personalities through the æons...

To me, you have pin-pointed one of the root problem and confusion of christianity.

If I understand Christianity correctly it does indeed say that the soul is our inner argument in regards to reason and consience.

The spirit we are promised to become is for the everlasting life in heaven and that is our gift from both the Father and Jesús to be one with them at once.

I was raised southern Baptist (which is gross). eventually I grew up and figured out those wingnuts are beyond even trying to discuss any other God but their own. but I still have a strong connection to a higher being because I've seen his work in action.
so now I just refer to the power that moves me as the "cosmos". it's an all-gods encompassing term, and as far as I'm concerned nothing is bigger than the cosmos, so all the bases are covered. being someone who has seen some pretty groovy things, I could never again put one supreme being over another.
(although I do practice voodoo, and in some instances I still call upon the proper ancestors for help in specific situations)

a reply to: Sump3

Fabuous post. Thank you for sharing it.

I needed to hear it too.
Just in case you've not heard this one. One of my favorites.

God Bless you Sump3.

peace

a reply to: Raggedyman



People need others to keep an eye on them. That is why we have politics.


Well its not really that.....People dont have trust in other Peoples free will. That is the main issue..... That is why we have to have something in common, like religion and politics. A something that can create some rules.

originally posted by: Sump3
I chose the God who Jesús called his Father in heaven. And why?

Simple:

He is simply the highest one, and there can be no other.
He created everything. He knows all.
He loves everyone equally and teaches others to do so.
He even gave his son who is one with him for us.
Then he gave his son the right to rule with him.
Then he sent his power, our comforter to us.
And promises us eternal life in heaven after death-sleep if we only so much as believe in all of the above
and try our very best to emulate his sons behavior.

Best deal ever.

-----------------

Every other religion tries to tell me to make myself better through my own power...what power? It's all on loan/gift.
And every other major religion out there tries to bash this single religion and has even infiltrated it through the higher echelons of the church. That pretty much tells me what's going on...

Bless you all

Very succinct and well put.

a reply to: Raggedyman

There is so much false information in society and so many people have no idea commenting on what they dont understand Christians believe in a creator, who gave free will, and you have a right to excercise that free will, why say you dont

I agree with your opinions completely. I have read and re read your thread and believe you are absolutely correct.

a reply to: butcherguy

Are you saying that hypocritical Christians outnumber hypocritical Muslims or hypocritical Jews (remember, if you are born a Jew, it isn't a choice). I wouldn't mind seeing a reference to a study supporting that.Text

I do not know about the U.S. but just last week I read an article of a a U.K. poll that stated over half of the U.K. populace does not have a god. That actually floored me when I read it. I really do not know, but have a suspicion that a great percentage of Americans are more into the new age movement and think they are Christians when in fact they are not Christians. I can't really say that it is hypocritical but mostly that they simply do not understand. My opinion of course.

a reply to: [post=22649083]spy66[/post

Well its not really that.....People dont have trust in other Peoples free will. That is the main issue..... That is why we have to have something in common, like religion and politics. A something that can create some rules.

Back in the days of the Hebrew prophets, the Hebrews called it theocracy. That's when you fire all of the politicians and chiefs and get back to God. That is the only true form of government that works.

originally posted by: chr0naut
Very succinct and well put.

True, but it is just the same old kool-aid.

We have all heard that but there is a reason not everyone believes it.

originally posted by: Seede
a reply to: [post=22649083]spy66[/post

Well its not really that.....People dont have trust in other Peoples free will. That is the main issue..... That is why we have to have something in common, like religion and politics. A something that can create some rules.

Back in the days of the Hebrew prophets, the Hebrews called it theocracy. That's when you fire all of the politicians and chiefs and get back to God. That is the only true form of government that works.

No, definetly not
It didn't work then and it doesn't work now
Israel as a nation consistently failed and suffered judgement
Christ never taught kingdom theology, didn't create a new government, told His followers to accept the law of the land
Jesus was about changing individuals not governments

Christianity is not forced, just offered.
It's about free will,Minot force

originally posted by: skunkape23
I don't believe in Intelligent Design.
I do believe in Stupid Design.
Testicles, for example.
What genius drew those blue-prints?

Sue Porter thought of it and made a ton of dough in the 'athletic supporter' niche market...

I believe after this the Porters became agnostic (I'm thinking they didn't want to lose any dough to TheChurch™)

Is anyone familiar with Adam's first wife? So how could the beginning be "In the beginning was Adam and Eve..." Eve wasn't the first so why continue reading? This was stolen from the Talmud which read: "In the beginning was Adamu and Lilith, created from the same dirt..." So they were EQUAL. But the male (Yang) couldn't handle that so 'TheQuorum' (authors of the Rule Book) erased Lilith and replaced Her w/"Eve" who needed a bit of Adam to get going (subservient)


But don't mind Me as I type this in lycra fundawear and a moisture wicking shirt so I'm mixing threads from 2 different weaves and just had to try that Haggis pie last night (meat on Friday) W

*When I get going I'm headed over to Linlithgow Palace to see where Mary, Queen of Scots was born so if Y'all want Me to check on the veracity of the 'Scotman's Fallacy' I can do some 'legwork'...