Praying Football Coach

originally posted by: Topcraft
a reply to: MeatHookReality

And a good night to you sir, I will respond tomorrow.

Well, I’m back, first and foremost, I would like to tell you a little about myself. I am a 72 year old Roman Catholic who believes that grace cannot be earned, as it is freely given by God to all who would accept his Word.

I have many problems with the motives of the Roman Empire when they gathered that Word into the Bible, and have some concern about what they may have left out. What they did put in the Bible I believe is the Word of God, but not the complete Word. I also believe after watching the Christians closely for 300 years, it was realized the only way they could control them was by claiming authority over that Word, claiming to be Gods representatives on earth thru the succession of the popes.

I call myself a Catholic, and accept the teachings of Christ as truth. I don’t have any allegiance to Rome.

This is to show you where I’m coming from. All this being said, and after pulling out my Bible and re reading Mathew 6, I realize I have been wrong, and offer you a deep and sincere apology. You are correct in this matter.

Public prayer is not forbidden, but it is called out as being the wrong way to petition God. Rather it is a vain way to show others how “holy” you are. I can not agree with you more on this, and will stand with you against anyone who claims different.

I am not the perfect Christian, and I’m sure the pope would see me as a heretic. I claim allegiance to the Trinity despite all my failings.

With your last two posts, you declared your belief system. I believe you to be devoted in your beliefs, and well educated.
All this I will concede to you, but I will state, that I do not agree with you on most of your other points.

All too often peoples emotions cloud their judgment. This incident is one of those times. Sanity must prevail if we are to survive as a society, and we need this discourse to expand our knowledge. Once again, I humbly apologize.

Now! At least you and I (I hope), can continue to have a conversation on things, if I see you in a post and I don’t agree with you, I’m going to jump in. I hope you will do the same.

Please realize, that what you consider the Trinity I don’t agree with.

Regards, you have earned my respect.

What do you Christians or others think ?

As an other, I think you are wrong for pointing that out. Matthew 6 says the Father will reward or not our behaviors.

By judging others, are we not embellishing our own virtues, against presumed lower yardsticks. Perhaps a worse sin than ignorance of scripture itself - Do not judge, or we too will be judged, by the same measure we use.

a reply to: glend

Ignorance of scripture is not a sin, where did you get that from? It is for us to pursue the truth thru scripture. How could that journey be a sin? Absolutely everyone starts that journey ignorant.

a reply to: Topcraft

The root cause of all wrongdoing is ignorance. Those that start the journey in ignorance still exist in sin. As Paul stated in relation to speaking in tongues in Corinthians 14:38. "if anyone ignores this, they will themselves be ignored".

a reply to: glend

Ignorance is “ not knowing “. To ignore is to disregard. Huge difference.

A few questions for you to illustrate what I mean. A baby is baptized into a Christian religion. The baby is absolutely ignorant of scripture at that time and for quite some time to come. Are you saying that baby is living in sin? Or maybe somehow is actively ignoring scripture so that puts them in a state of sin?

Choose your answers with a great deal of thought. My take on this is that the child was under original sin up until they were baptized. At that point they are cleansed of that original sin. Absolutely clean slate, complete reset.

BOOM! Here come an immediate black mark on your soul because you are ignorant of scripture. I don’t think so.

It would really help if you described what “ other “ means. It can be hard to reply if I don’t know where you are coming from.

a reply to: Topcraft

Sorry, my education is poor. I didn't realize the difference.

So you believe a baby that die's before baptism goes to hell. Really?

Jesus was a Jew yes. Jews consider all children are born completely free from sin. Jesus confirmed that children are sinless in Matthew 18:3 (unless you change and become like little children). So the concept of original sin in my eye's is dogma introduced by gatekeepers of Christianity in the 4th century. Judaism itself teaches that we are all responsible for our own sins and no-one else's (Deut. 24:16).

Many of us baptized, including myself, still continue to live in sin. Although I believe I have a firm understanding of the difference between living in sin and being sinless. The will to cross that bridge in my own case has been lacking. I do continue to push that frontier on a daily basis.

The other includes Buddhism, Taoism, Hinduism, Christian mystics etc.

a reply to: glend

You have nothing to be sorry for, and no I don’t believe unbaptized babies go to hell. God can lift that sin before death if he so chooses. That’s what I believe. He would not condemn an innocent to hell.

The big thing you must understand, is that my reference is the Christian Bible. Not the books of the Jewish people. Thru prophecy the Jews were told to expect that a savior would come to them, a messiah. Christians believe that Jesus was that messiah, the Jews deny that it was Jesus, and still wait.

I could be wrong about this, but I feel like you are still searching for God. As far as myself, I found him. I guess you could call me a “ born again Christian “. I urge you to look everywhere, explore all those “ others “. You’re doing the right thing. Most important, get down on your knees and ask God to reveal himself to you. If you are really sincere about it, it will happen and you will get the answers you seek. It can take time, it did for me. But when it happens, you’ll know it.


The best of luck to you, I hope you find what you are looking for. If you have found him already then I am very happy for you.

Regards

a reply to: Topcraft

You could say I exist in the parable of the pearl. I have only got a few pearls in my basket but still hesitant to sell those for the pearl of great price. Trying to understand my self and the desires that impede my progress. But I continue to knock on the gate in the hope that it will open one day. Yes agree that prayer is paramount. Thanks for reminder.

I do understand your reasons and applaud you for sailing in the direction the wind blows you.

Thank You, Topcraft.

Agreeing to pray is paramount, but I rarely see a prayer coach.

a reply to: MeatHookReality

Yes I agree with you as I stated Im for peoples that want to exercise their constitutional rights on public property.

You literally just said SCOTUS got it wrong.......make up your mind......these schizophrenic paced spam OPs get weirder by the day

originally posted by: MeatHookReality

originally posted by: TzarChasm
Recreational outrage is withering the soul of the internet and the collective IQ of every community that uses it

Go touch grass

Absolutely.. Im outside now waiting for skeet league to start . Nice day today .

Ya ...figured you were super young....your posts come off like a late teen early 20s who thinks he's enlightened and got the world figured out

It is summer after all and ATS always gets an influx of kids fresh out of school

originally posted by: ManBehindTheMask

originally posted by: MeatHookReality

originally posted by: TzarChasm
Recreational outrage is withering the soul of the internet and the collective IQ of every community that uses it

Go touch grass

Absolutely.. Im outside now waiting for skeet league to start . Nice day today .

Ya ...figured you were super young....your posts come off like a late teen early 20s who thinks he's enlightened and got the world figured out

It is summer after all and ATS always gets an influx of kids fresh out of school

I was born in the year 1968 … sorry to ruin your narrative pal. Ill be 55 yrs old this year . Probably older than you .
Common sense knows no age & wisdom comes from experience.

originally posted by: ManBehindTheMask
a reply to: MeatHookReality

Yes I agree with you as I stated Im for peoples that want to exercise their constitutional rights on public property.

You literally just said SCOTUS got it wrong.......make up your mind......these schizophrenic paced spam OPs get weirder by the day

You are piecing together words . Prayer should be private , silent & non-spectacle causing. If you read my posts , there is no way to suss what you did .
The SCOTUS is correct as to the right of religion in public spaces . They got wrong the type of religious activity you can do in public .
No one wants Christian , Muslim , Satanic , Occult , Buddhists or Secret Society rituals & theatre going on in any public space .

Nothing against Jesus or any religion regarding myself, although I went somewhat Hindu.
Although I do still think Jesus was a great Yogi.

But anyway, if you like your conversions dramatic, check this out!

Co-founder of the South African Church of Satan finds Jesus!

originally posted by: MeatHookReality

originally posted by: ManBehindTheMask
a reply to: MeatHookReality

Yes I agree with you as I stated Im for peoples that want to exercise their constitutional rights on public property.

You literally just said SCOTUS got it wrong.......make up your mind......these schizophrenic paced spam OPs get weirder by the day

You are piecing together words . Prayer should be private , silent & non-spectacle causing. If you read my posts , there is no way to suss what you did .
The SCOTUS is correct as to the right of religion in public spaces . They got wrong the type of religious activity you can do in public .
No one wants Christian , Muslim , Satanic , Occult , Buddhists or Secret Society rituals & theatre going on in any public space .

In your opinion.

Unless you are GOD, you don't speak for him. It's fine to think the coach was wrong to pray openly. I even agree he did it for political reasons. He got his point across, and won. But he proved that if he chooses to do that, he can, and you don't get to open your pie hole to stop him, but you can cry buckets if that's what you think you should do.

Your self riotous opinion is super abrasive, it makes you come off as an ass. Some think the Bible is a history book, and some think it's a rule and guide of faith. The two ideals aren't as far apart as you would think, but your literal interpretation leaves no room for anything but absolute. Reminds me of the guy I met from a little town south of me. In his mind, only those who were saved in his church would go to heaven. meaning, if you didn't travel to a small town north of Fayetteville NC, and give yourself to Jesus Christ, you weren't getting into heaven, and everyone in heaven will have been to his church. Folks like that deserve a pat on the head and a "bless your heart". So with that, I say, "bless your heart".

originally posted by: network dude

originally posted by: MeatHookReality

originally posted by: ManBehindTheMask
a reply to: MeatHookReality

Yes I agree with you as I stated Im for peoples that want to exercise their constitutional rights on public property.

You literally just said SCOTUS got it wrong.......make up your mind......these schizophrenic paced spam OPs get weirder by the day

You are piecing together words . Prayer should be private , silent & non-spectacle causing. If you read my posts , there is no way to suss what you did .
The SCOTUS is correct as to the right of religion in public spaces . They got wrong the type of religious activity you can do in public .
No one wants Christian , Muslim , Satanic , Occult , Buddhists or Secret Society rituals & theatre going on in any public space .

In your opinion.

Unless you are GOD, you don't speak for him. It's fine to think the coach was wrong to pray openly. I even agree he did it for political reasons. He got his point across, and won. But he proved that if he chooses to do that, he can, and you don't get to open your pie hole to stop him, but you can cry buckets if that's what you think you should do.

Your self riotous opinion is super abrasive, it makes you come off as an ass. Some think the Bible is a history book, and some think it's a rule and guide of faith. The two ideals aren't as far apart as you would think, but your literal interpretation leaves no room for anything but absolute. Reminds me of the guy I met from a little town south of me. In his mind, only those who were saved in his church would go to heaven. meaning, if you didn't travel to a small town north of Fayetteville NC, and give yourself to Jesus Christ, you weren't getting into heaven, and everyone in heaven will have been to his church. Folks like that deserve a pat on the head and a "bless your heart". So with that, I say, "bless your heart".

Your opinion mean nothing to me

originally posted by: network dude

originally posted by: MeatHookReality

originally posted by: ManBehindTheMask
a reply to: MeatHookReality

Yes I agree with you as I stated Im for peoples that want to exercise their constitutional rights on public property.

You literally just said SCOTUS got it wrong.......make up your mind......these schizophrenic paced spam OPs get weirder by the day

You are piecing together words . Prayer should be private , silent & non-spectacle causing. If you read my posts , there is no way to suss what you did .
The SCOTUS is correct as to the right of religion in public spaces . They got wrong the type of religious activity you can do in public .
No one wants Christian , Muslim , Satanic , Occult , Buddhists or Secret Society rituals & theatre going on in any public space .

In your opinion.

Unless you are GOD, you don't speak for him. It's fine to think the coach was wrong to pray openly. I even agree he did it for political reasons. He got his point across, and won. But he proved that if he chooses to do that, he can, and you don't get to open your pie hole to stop him, but you can cry buckets if that's what you think you should do.

Your self riotous opinion is super abrasive, it makes you come off as an ass. Some think the Bible is a history book, and some think it's a rule and guide of faith. The two ideals aren't as far apart as you would think, but your literal interpretation leaves no room for anything but absolute. Reminds me of the guy I met from a little town south of me. In his mind, only those who were saved in his church would go to heaven. meaning, if you didn't travel to a small town north of Fayetteville NC, and give yourself to Jesus Christ, you weren't getting into heaven, and everyone in heaven will have been to his church. Folks like that deserve a pat on the head and a "bless your heart". So with that, I say, "bless your heart".

well dude … explain away Matthew 6: 5-8 ?
Ill wait for your Harris style word salad .
The bible to you evangelical types is sola scriptura
Even when it negates your previous use of the flavour of the day theology you like to employ.
Try harder if you want to lock horns with a real bull .

Maybe showing my age, but I used to think "Tebowing" was ... I mean it was something to see.

www.eonline.com...

a reply to: halfoldman

I mean imagine rugby: on the one side we have the Maoris from New Zealand with the Haka, and in the other corner we have the Opus Dei team from the Vatican with a feast of public self-flagellation!

Woo-hoo, yeah, go Opus Dei ... what I'm just being honest.
That's the problem, everybody just realized you are.