Hebrews 11:1 Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. But I am confused by your statement, are you looking for faith or virtue (moral excellence)? Because I don't think they are the same.


How is John 3:16 not clear. It seems pretty simple and obvious to me. He was concerned so much he sent his son Jesus to die on the cross for us. If you need rescue and someone sends help but you refuse how is the one who sent the help evil?

The short answer is sin entered the world and impacts us all even if we are not the one sinning at the moment. Your religious schools teachers sin impacted you and so you view it as if God ordained it. I'm sure Job probably wondered why what happened to him happened. However his view and his faith did not change. So I would argue that while we cannot control our circumstances we do have a choice on how to respond to them.


Then my question would be why are you looking so hard for one that does? I think you are at least very unsure about it. That is just my opinion form seeing all the post and stuff. There are things I don't believe in such as aliens. Many people do think that aliens exist. I don't run around all the time shouting that I don't believe in aliens. Those that do are free to believe it as far as I am concerned it does not bother me and I really could care less. I have always found it perplexing that those who claim atheism seem to have such a problem with us Christsian and have such a need to express it!

And I agree with other we need a Readers Digest version these post are way too long. Trying to keep mine as short as possible!

 

My pity comes from you not even taking 1 second to close your mouth and listen. You shout and point your finger at the first sign of a person who opens their mouth about faith.
And the quotes you picked out of my post, you claim that I was the one who made up those ideas. Wrong. Those come straight from The Bible. The Bible says that faith alone will save you, not works or acts (even though doing good deeds certainly doesn't hurt anyone!)
Also, people need a church. Yes you can be a believer without going to church, but its tough. Church allows you to congregate and have constant reinforcement and education.


I'm not hypocritical in the least bit. You hand-picked words and imagined how you anti-church mind wanted to hear them. I am actually a very humble person and consider myself no better than anyone.

 

For those who doubt, I simply ask:

1. What makes the heart beat?
2. What gives us a spirit? (feelings, love, conscience,etc)

 

You can keep your pity.

So I can go out, lie, steal, cheat, murder and rape, but if I believe in Jesus and God, then I'd still go to heaven when the cops shoot me during a daring daylight robbery of Fort Knox on elephant back?

- NCSU

 

Thank you very much!

 

- ncsu

 

Doesnt quite work like that. Once you have truely accepted God in your heart and understand that he is love, and his love is in us, then we understand that Gods love should come out of us as an example to others.
If you claim to accept to know God, then you go commit horrnedous intentional crimes, then you didn't truely know God in the first place. If you did, you would have no thought to do such a thing.

I fall short and sin all the time and have no problem admitting it. I let a cuss word fly every now and then, I'll get mad at someone at work for something they did to me, I'll look at a girl and think inappropriately about them. I'm 26 and single; it's tough walking on the straight and narrow, but I try. And I ask God every day to forgive me of my shortcoming and to help me resist temptation.
I'm just a regular 26 year old, right out of college, love to fish, love old trucks and having a good time with my friends; I'm not a scholar or high-and-mighty priest.

 

Again, what makes the heart beat? Why did it start in the first place? Did a random glob of cells just somehow know to start doing that?
I hardly think so. God gives us life through the blood; he tells us that in the Bible.


What gives humans the ability to discern right from wrong? The ability to predict things and to love? I don't think it's from electrical charges sent through nerves in our brains. If that were the case, then by your logic, electrical sub-stations could love.

 

Don't just take my word for it...your best learning would come from a person who was a non-believer and used the same excuses you use to shout me down. They can tell you what a real and powerful transformation it is. I had a conversation with a 50-year old irrigation installer last week after my Bible study class was over. Very powerful statement from a guy who finally saw the light after 40 or so years of rejecting Christ.

Look up the book '23 minutes in Hell.' I'll even buy you a copy if you promise to read it. I'd rather not take chances with my eterninty, and the guy who wrote this book can tell you why.

 

Isn't God great? He gives us a choice to believe in Him or not. God rules. - Og

 

But you said the Bible said acts and works don't matter. What if the guy I went out and killed was a "bad" man? What if the money I stole was from rich people who got by exploiting the poor?

Your answer sounds like you don't know the answer.

So it's OK to sin a little, but not a lot? Like you just said, if you truly accepted God and know God, then you wouldn't sin at all.

This has all been just a little exercise to illustrate why I don't like organized religion. All organized religions teach you is rhetoric and to follow those in positions of power blindly. Religion does not promote free thought, or even logical or rational thinking. It's the exact same process our enemies use to brainwash little kids into becoming radical, anti-US, suicide bombers.

- NCSU

 

I'm not going to pretend to be able to explain how the brain functions, but if there are any doctors here, they can chime in. So what makes a cow's heart beat? Or any other creature with a heart? If they're all works of God, then they'll all have souls right? Maybe those folks in Africa who drink the blood of their cows to survive are actually worshiping God?

My dog can love, she can even predict things. I can also teach her what's 'right' and 'wrong' in my house. For example, in my house it's 'right' for her to lay on couches and beds. However, when my parents watch her when we travel, she knows it's 'wrong' to be on their couches and beds and she doesn't even attempt to jump up while over there.

I'm sure lots of people could write very moving stories of what Hell might be like. If he really wants to save people, why is he selling his book instead of giving it away for free? I'm sure the Church would help him spread his story right? http://www.discerningreader.com/book...inutes-in-hell The author didn't even have a "near-death" experience, he just had a "dream". Now my brother-in-law was dead for 30 minutes after a massive upper aortic dissection (think huge heart attack) and, instead of trying to profit off his experience, he became a priest.

Can you just explain to me what happens to the people on this Earth who've never heard of JC. Do they go to hell? What happened to all the people before Jesus, are they in Hell too? Are all other Religions wrong? If one is right, all others must be wrong, correct?

- NCSU

 

Amen! Definitely see both side's decision in this thread.

 

And this whole time I thought your plans were to go into ministry?

 

Isn't that how the New Testament was put together in the first place? Picking and choosing has been around from the start. The whole argument comes down to Faith. I'm not going to begrudge a man for what he believes, unless his beliefs affect my life in a negative manner. I wish the reverse were true more often. Not being a Christian in the USA is something best kept to yourself. You ARE an outsider. You WILL be treated differently.