I 86'd this thread two days ago, and the people that don't believe are still grinding away. LOL.. Grind on man.
Printable View
I 86'd this thread two days ago, and the people that don't believe are still grinding away. LOL.. Grind on man.
Bailey, you are just a side-splitter if there ever was one. I'd like to meet the person [[ not really), that led you to believe you're some sort of humorist.
Ann Coulter has written a recent column about this topic that tells it like it is:
http://townhall.com/columnists/AnnCo...&comments=true
Just as much of a keeper as that column was one of the comments written in response to it, by a "Ted B. of Tiffin Ohio" which I made sure to cut and save lest some liberal manage to have it censored out. It's one of the best rebuttals I have ever seen to liberal bums who reject Jesus but reserve the right to invoke His name when trying to blame others for their problems.
Ted wrote:
"Remember, liberals, Jesus was divine. As such he could see right into the hearts of men to know if that individual was truly unfortunate " in a bad situation - through no fault of his own. Jesus could also instantly know a phony who was in a bad place because of laziness, negligence, or dishonesty. The current western liberals just do not care about any distinction! It is just the rescuing that feeds their ego and addiction to pity. Oh loverly, loverly, more victims to rescue!!!
I did not understand it, years ago, because I did not understand the egotistical motivation behind their every cause. But knowing the motivation makes each new liberal cause and reasoning extremely predictable. They value their own sense of superiority and like any child, IMMEDIATE emotional gratification. They do not care about the economic consequences to the rest of us caused by their sick behavior. ‘‘What deficit? ’’ ‘‘Money doesn’t matter,’’ or lie that the next boondoggle is going to actually help the economy. It always harms, but that is never important to them. No concern, no regrets for the incredible spending and costs that WILL push the USA over the edge, and into real economic chaos. Picture your own descendents skinny as bones and too weak to brush the flies away. It is coming because of liberals!
They don't want to hear about money. Reality will interfere with their childish emotions. They just wants to spend other people's money to .... RESCUE VICTIMS, MUST RESCUE VICTIMS, MUST RESCUE VICTIMS, MUST RESCUE VICTIMS, MUST RESCUE VICTIMS, MUST RESCUE VICTIMS, MUST RESCUE VICTIMS! as long as it's other people's money.
They are thieves who invoke the name of Jesus to rationalize their theft.
Remember this, when they start their whining about what Jesus would do, hit them right back in their phony snout with the real facts, the real consequences!"
I couldn't have said it better myself.
Quote: "what a sad, petty little person you must be. "
Wrong on all three kid. Any other juvenile insults? Silly question, I'll just check your next post.
Quote: "You just can not restrain your self from posting can you?"
Translated: When I insult you, you're supposed to tuck tail and flee. Why do you keep responding to my insults?
Not according to authentic Christian theology, they aren't. Nor according to the Bible. Jesus said in John 4:6, "No one comes to the Father except through Me." And Acts 4:12 says of Jesus: "... there is salvation in no one else; for there is no other name under heaven that has been given among men by which we must be saved." Certainly not "Allah."
Here's what C.S. Lewis had to say about that line of thinking. Granted, Lewis uses the term "great human teacher," but I believe calling him a "great prophet" would fall equally under similar logic. From "Mere Christianity":
"I am trying here to prevent anyone saying the really foolish thing that people often say about Him: 'I'm ready to accept Jesus as a great moral teacher, but I don't accept His claim to be God.'
"That is the 1 thing we must not say. A man who was merely a man and said the sort of things Jesus said would not be a great moral teacher.
"He would either be a lunatic -- on a level with the man who says he is a poached egg -- or else he would be the Devil of Hell. You must make your choice. Either this man was, and is, the son of God: or else a madman or something worse."
Then Lewis adds:
"You can shut Him up for a fool, you can spit at Him and kill Him as a demon; or you can fall at His feet and call Him Lord and God.
But let us not come up with any patronizing nonsense about His being a great human teacher. He has not left that open to us. He did not intend to."
I suppose that you are correct in painting the theological view of the majority Christian faith as being centered upon the aspect that Jesus was, in fact, God incarnate.
As a belief system, that works well. But ask yourself this. Can you trust the translation of King James or is there a better translation? Can you get a copy of the original version and accurately translate what is the earliest surviving translations? There are some that challenge those assumptions.
Quote: "Can you trust the translation of King James"
LOL... A defense used on both sides of the discussion. If it sounds like something God said, it probably is. I don't get too caught up in "writings" myself. Yeah yeah I know what's coming next.
each and every one of you people are filleting out tiny factoids to support your biased view of the world and then armed with such factoids you proceed to sledgehammer you opponent until they submit to your superior factoids.
Aren't you embarrassed yet?
Not getting too caught up in writings? How else do tenets and laws of any religion get transmitted? Osmosis? And the "if it walks like a duck" theory is pretty weak.
To be quite honest with you, I'd sooner live a life that I can be proud of. I know plenty of religious people that use the "forgiveness" crutch as a "get out of hell free" card.
That's a good thing.
Personally, I dislike the King James as I find its archaic language unneccessarily difficult for the modern reader to understand. I prefer the NASB translation. However, that is not the point. The point is whether a translation is faithful to the original manuscripts, and of that, yes, I have sufficient confidence in which to place my trust.
Actually, Biblically, what we can "be proud of" isn't the issue at all. The Bible says NONE of us are good enough [[Romans 3:23). Forgiveness/grace IS a "get out of hell free card" - Biblically there is nothing we can do to earn our way out no matter how "proud" we may feel about "our" accomplishments. But as further explained in other Scriptures such as the book of Romans, grace is NOT a license to simply do anything we want.
I have to laugh. I know that I am not worthy.
I believe in Jesus. I believe in his works.
I also believe in humility. I also believe that this world is populated by latter day Pharisees. And also Sadducees for that matter.
Using forgiveness and grace as an excuse to do things and get away with them is precisely the MO of your average Christian. They conveniently ignore the parts that don't suit them to insert their own interpretation.
Living a good life, one that you can be proud of , is the only way I can explain my philosophy. I can see a better outcome than the liar that goes to church each day while cheating on his wife and drinking to excess.
Quote: "I'd sooner live a life that I can be proud of."
Stosh, faith is not simply a way of life, and the Bible is not simply an instruction manual for that life. It's been translated numerous times, many things lost in translation, and why their appears to be so many inconsistencies. Some scholars after researching, even deduce the word "hate" to really mean "love" in some verses. It's why I don't get too caught up in ancient texts [[writings). Or take things too verbatim. If we could read them in their native expression, they would be much more understandable.
I see the Bible as sort of a test in that regard, can you read this or that verse that goes against what you think, and still believe?
Quote: "The point is whether a translation is faithful to the original manuscripts, and of that, yes, I have sufficient confidence in which to place my trust."
Exactly..
Quote: "Using forgiveness and grace as an excuse to do things and get away with them is precisely the MO of your average Christian. They conveniently ignore the parts that don't suit them to insert their own interpretation."
So, those people are not in charge of your salvation. Be thankful, you're smart enough to know the difference.
Yes, but they would LIKE to be. Where I and the majority of Christendom part company. Look about you. Everywhere that you look it's always boiling down to donations to keep their "ministry" afloat. Doesn't that bother you?
And what is it that they DO with the donations? It reminds me of a quote.. faith without works... some do good things. Most don't. They will answer for that.
I actually am confused about the Modern day Church and understand where you're coming from. In their attempt to get the word out, their very activity turns a lot of people off. And I can't say that I blame them. I just try to look above all that.
Here is how I look at donation or "tithing": I do so out of obedience, what the recipient does with it is their responsibility. It is their responsibility to be wise stewards with what is handed to them. So if you see a "church" throwing cash around and really want to fix there wagon, hand them some more..:)
I have seen so much abuse and misuse of the principle of tithing, that it is sickening. Some areas of the country, "preaching" is just another vocation. Organizations ran in almost organized crime like methodology. Neputism, coercion, bribery, cons, it's all there. I think these folks "on the take" buying Cadillacs, and mansions while others eat dogfood and sleep in the street are going to be sorry.
What passes for organized religion nowdays stinks to high heaven [[pun?). Their attempts to get the word out pales in comparison to the lavish lifestyles and lack of moral character of some of these men of the cloth. It has become a easy path to riches for those glib and good looking folks that can entice the simple minded to send 200 dollars for a prayer cloth blessed at the Holy Sepulchure, or something similar. Akin to selling indulgences or trafficking in relics of the saints.
Obedience to who? Tithing is only needed to support the clergy. If they are living a lifestyle better than most, reduce the tithe to what will SUPPORT them. Not give them a retirement home in the Keys.
I would prefer [[and do) support charities and religious orgs that actually demonstrate their willingness to get their hands dirty and do something about the human condition on Earth NOW. Their spiritual life is their own to handle.