How can an omnibenevolent God allow this to happen?

hescominsoon said:
There is a single thing with christianity..it's called the Bible..:)

My church while it is a baptist church..if it was not led by the Bible..i would hnot attend. I am not interested in the denomination..i am interested in them following the Word.
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Oh if it were only that simple.

If it WERE that simple, there wouldn't be hundreds of denominations.

So you want to follow the Word...I guess you would have to do it alone. If you seek others to study with, then you find yourself back at square one. Who is right and who is wrong? There is WAY too much finger pointing in Christianity. Each sect believes THEY are right and everyone else is wrong. How many times have people been accused, on this very forum, that they weren't a "true" Christian?

Why, pray tell, are you a Baptist? Why not Catholic or Lutheran or Methodist?
 
I believe that the many denominations actually complement Christianity, rather than taking away from it. Given, the world would be a pretty groovy place if we all agreed with each other, but I don't really see the different denominations as agreements or disagreements with or against each other. Instead, I see the denominations as healthy additions to our lives, just as the various cultures of the earth are; such as the cultures of the Japanenese, American-Indians, and Africans.
If we could learn to live together this world would be a really neat place to live. Unfortunately, just as many people are racist against other cultures, Christians can be the same way against different denominations.

Understand that this wasn't God's original plan for us; in the beginning he intended us all to live together and to be one people. But, I still think that it was a pretty cool change he mixed into our lives. We just have to be careful wtih it, and realize that we're as human as the next person no matter their skin color or beliefs. (To be clear I'm not saying that we should be tolerant of everyone, but instead that we should love them. Does that make sense? As long as the change is here we should accept and run with it.)
 
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I think DV means which translation of the bible, just one small word in the text tranlated wrong can make the phrase change dramaticly.

So which Bible do u read and y did u pick that one over all the rest.
 
All denominations of Christianity are based around the Bible, but all have their own interpretation of the text. A verse may convey a particular message to one sect; to another the same verse could mean something completely different. That is what DV means by the situation not being that simple: All Christians believe in the Bible, but they all believe in a different way.
 
The difference between churchs are very petty at best. The bigest difference being seen between the Catholics\Orthodox and the protesting churches (Protestant). And while it may appear that the rift between the two seems to be a wide chasm, when you actually study the difference, they too are pretty petty.

In the end, saying "look at how the baptists and the anglicans differ, unless they reconcile, I will always have problems christianity" is tatamont to saying, "I will never eat an apple because granny smiths and golden delicious are different." It is a poor and lazy arguement at best.
 
hescominsoon said:
It is that simple. reread this part of my post please:


If this church was not following the bible, I and therefore my family would not attend. It IS that simple.
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You're missing the point. You say that your Baptist church is following the Bible, but more to the point, your Baptist church is following THEIR OWN INTERPRETATION of the Bible. Every Christian denomination states that they are following the Bible, yet their interpretations of it are wildly different. The interpretation is the basis for the denomination.
 
Gods_Peon said:
The difference between churchs are very petty at best. The bigest difference being seen between the Catholics\Orthodox and the protesting churches (Protestant). And while it may appear that the rift between the two seems to be a wide chasm, when you actually study the difference, they too are pretty petty.

In the end, saying "look at how the baptists and the anglicans differ, unless they reconcile, I will always have problems christianity" is tatamont to saying, "I will never eat an apple because granny smiths and golden delicious are different." It is a poor and lazy arguement at best.
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Petty? Maybe you should define petty.

Since Christianity has existed, haven't there been bloody conflicts between denominations? From the Gnostics of the first century to the trouble in England and Ireland today. I don't think they'd define the differences as "petty".

Your apple analogy is poor and doesn't fit this situation at all, sorry.
 
Petty? Maybe you should define petty.

Since Christianity has existed, haven't there been bloody conflicts between denominations? From the Gnostics of the first century to the trouble in England and Ireland today. I don't think they'd define the differences as "petty".

Your apple analogy is poor and doesn't fit this situation at all, sorry.
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An unexpected reply from an objective freethinker. Now, leave human ego out of it, and review the differences between the denominations using sound reason and logic.

It is very obvious the human condition of needing to be right at all costs has diminished to the point of non-existance in most of the world. I don't see any Sunday night rumbles between the local Baptists and Methodists at the local parking lot.

Your position ignores all the successful efforts all denominations have made to bridge the gaps in a non-violent processes. You flush the reality down the toilet in an effort to justify your position. Your position that the denominations are at war with each other in some form, as being a valid reason to reject Christianity, is based on, at best, the same logic of the Canadian government purchasing leaky submarines from the British.
 
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You would be absolutely 100% correct if that was, indeed, my position.

My point about Christianity being at war with itself was meant to be directly solely at the CAUSE. That being, the differences between the sects, those little "petty" differences you brought up. I wasn't talking about the Crusades or anything of the sort. I'm talking about "Christian" vs "Christian". The wars was a simple example to illustrate how these differences should not be considered petty at all.

I understand that religion has made many contributions to society, but I also balance that out with all the things religion has done that detracts from a productive civilization. The Dark Ages anyone? That, though, has absolutely nothing at all to do with my point, which was very specific: that the differences between denominations are very important, not petty.

If that were the case, then why are followers so steadfast in the denomination that they follow? Why don't Christians like heiscomingsoon follow ANY denomination? Because they believe that THEIR sect is the one, true sect, the one that is following the "correct" path, that has the "correct" understanding of scripture.

I hope that clarifies my position.
 
Just another opinion, and yessireee, I do fully well realize what they say about those! I think Mr. Hanegraaff expresses what I believe about religions of today. As it stands, you can pretty well make up your own! Nevertheless, those that adhere to the Bible, (and lets be honest, many twist and turn it), and most improtantly Jesus, His life, burial, and resurrection, adding not one iota to that for our salvation, is the only true religion.

Don't All Religions Lead To God?

Taken from The Bible Answer Book by Hank Hanegraaff

Before answering this question, a word of warning is in order: Anyone who answers in the negative may well be ostracized for being narrow-minded and intolerant. That being said, my answer is, "No, not all religions lead to God, and it is incorrect and illogical to maintain that they do."

First, when you begin to examine world religions such as Judaism, Hinduism, and Buddhism, you will immediately recognize that they directly contradict one another. For example, Moses taught that here was only one God; Krishna believed in many gods; and Buddha was agnostic. Logically, they can all be wrong but they can't all be right.
Furthermore, the road of religion leads steely uphill, while the road of Christianity descends downward. Put another way, Religion is fallen humanity's attempt to reach up and become acceptable to God through what we do; Christianity, on the other hand, is a divine gift based on what Christ has done. He lived the perfect life that we could never live and offers us his perfection as an absolutely free gift.
Finally, Jesus taught that there is only one way to God.

I am the way, the truth, and the life; no man cometh to the Father but by me. John 14:6

Moreover, Jesus validated his claim through the immutable fact of his resurrection the opinions of all other religious leaders are equally valid in that they are equally worthless. They died and are still dead. Only Jesus had the power to lay down his life and to take it up again. Thus, his opinion is infinitely more valid than others.

For further study, see John MacAruther, Why One Way? Defending an Exclusive Claim in an Inclusive World

Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved. Acts 4:12
 
In Christianity Jesus is the only one to say that He is God, and that He is deserving of worship, in no other religion does the "main man" say this. He is also the one to ever to die for his religion and not just die. He is also the only One.
 
I have seen my beliefs shift over time, and my personal belief is that all religions lead to God, although calling it that is definitely prejudicial to the concept.

Claiming that the differences in religions (for example the Hindu polytheism) make this impossible is a bit of a false argument. You say there is only one orange, but the orange is divided in segments, isn't it? A single segment is still "orange" and the whole of them all is AN orange.

Even Christianity splits the Inifite into the Trinity.

I am a rational scientist too - and nothing I see in science says that the initial laws that power creation couldn't have been imposed. It's specific arguments of times, orders and so forth that cause problems between science and religion.

So whether you call it God, Kami-sama or Jehovah - it's pretty much all the same thing in the end. And how does squashing someone elses Orange make yours taste better?
 
So whether you call it God, Kami-sama or Jehovah - it's pretty much all the same thing in the end. And how does squashing someone elses Orange make yours taste better?
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If you have reason to believe another person's orange is poisonous, you wouldn't say something? The idea isn't to make our orange taste better, it's to offer what we feel is the best orange out there.
 
I don't know - there comes a time when you have to either make your orange better than the competition, or accept the sales you have.
 
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