What is your one question about Christianity?

[Dark Virtue]

Well since YOU did the research, why don't you tell us what the other religions had to offer?

I was under the impression that ALL religions offered a guarantee or reward to loyal followers. That, after all, is the hook, no? I don't think you're guarantee is as solid as you think. Remember that little thing called Predestination?

Anyway, I'd like to hear about your research into other religions.

Islam has a pretty good guarantee to me:

Entry to Paradise is limited to those who believe in God and his messengers, and who have led a good life on earth. In the Qur'an:
bullet Surah 2:25: "And give good news [O Muhammad] to those who believe and do good deeds, that they will have gardens [Paradise] in which rivers flow...."
bullet Surah 4:57: "But those who believe and do good deeds, We will admit them to gardens (Paradise) in which rivers flow, lasting in them forever...."
bullet Surah 57:21: "Race one with another for forgiveness from your Lord and for Paradise, whose width is as the width of the heavens and the earth, which has been prepared for those who believe in God and His messengers...."

 

[PapaToad]

Most other religions Do offer some Kind of reward you can achieve by doing something that (By your own power) secures your salvation. Christianity is the only religion that your are saved by grace not by works.

We are saved by the grace of God, thru the sacrifice of the Lord Jesus Christ. Could I be wrong? Yes I am human, Could God be wrong, no.

I stand again on this; we have had this silly debate over and over again.

The word of God is not Wrong or fallible. And yes Our salvation is guaranteed

Romans 10:8-10 8But what does it say? "The word is near you; it is in your mouth and in your heart,"[d] that is, the word of faith we are proclaiming: 9That if you confess with your mouth, "Jesus is Lord," and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. 10For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified

No climbing mountains, no amassing riches, or dying in battle against the heathen, or what ever, just believe. No Zen 1000 mile hike,

BELIEF, that’s it, Belief.

Anyone can believe popular theories, or what science can prove, but faith and belief take a deeper scarier approach.

I am an adamant prayerer and believer. I have been the subject of miracles; I have had the 18 year craving of Cigarettes remove complete from me over night. God has a work happening in me. I have struggled against personal issues and hurts. The Lord Jesus Christ has worked on and is still working on some. I have had persistent pain in my shoulder and my leg, completely removed in prayer. Every morning I get up and Move my shoulder without PAIN; it’s a reminder of the Power of the Lord Jesus Christ. Every morning I am lip free I remember it was prayer when I walk home from church, I limped into.

I have prayed from everything from business; kids; to marriage, and I have seen results. I can say that any situation I pray about will turn out better; than if I did nothing.

When I pray and mediated on the word of God, I am more focused and stronger for it. When I do not I know; I can feel the difference. From everything I have seen and read and studied, it is my PERSONAL belief that the “other major “religions are some form of of corrupted Christianity.

So we can chalk up all this to hysteria or what ever and many other religions are very spiritual. But I have known in my heart and Spirit that I was in the truth. You do not have to accept that. And if you can not believe you will not ever “get” it.

What more is there to say about it?

Now I said that was my two Cents

I know of any other religion where you are saved by grace. And For the record, I do not consider myself to belong to religion, I do not have a set of rules or rituals that will allow me salvation, I have a personal relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ. I was graced salvation; I did nothing to deserve it or bring about, besides believe in the Lord Jesus Christ.

I agree to disagree with you.

 

[PapaToad]

Good point, and therein lies the problem. What is Historical and what is Poetical?

Was the Garden of Eden figurative or literal?

Was the Flood story just that, a story?

Before you answer keep one VERY important fact in mind. If Christianity as a whole cannot agree on a unified answer, how do you know YOUR view is correct? Moreover, how are we, as non-Christians, supposed to filter out contending Christian viewpoints?

I just want to make a quick comment:

Eden Existed

The Flood happened


Christianity has been blasted and abused for a long time. And It is just a personal opinion, that humans tried to hard to get the details; but miss the message. Grace:

The purpose of the Bible was to help Gods people to live decent lives;

Our Purpose is two fold.

The Greatest Commandment Luke 10:27
27He answered: " 'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind'[a]; and, 'Love your neighbor as yourself."

Once you can get that one down the best you can, then you can get this one:

The Great Commission Matthew 28:18-20
18Then Jesus came to them and said, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in[a] the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age."

This one comes natural after the 1st; because you want to share that love with all who will listen.

The bible lets us know trails and attacks will come and how to deal with them without fallen to the trap of despair and festering ill will in our hearts.

 

[Eon]

Enough rhetoric. Proof, proof, proof!

Ah well - you agree to disagree, I just wish you'd use the words "In my opinion" a little more. Since you don't want to discuss it though, perhaps it'd be best left to lie there.

Until the next thread...

 

[Avesther]

The truth is, the Bible is composed of four types of literature: Historical, Poetical/wisdom, prophetic, and instructional.

Sorry Jericho_Falls, the Bible is much more then that. It is spiritual in nature. Meaning while it contains history, science, wisdom and instructions, you can't use any of those tools to test the veracity of the Bible. Much like you can't use English grammar tools to test the gravitational constant. Thats a case of using the wrong tools for the job.

Modern understanding of science, recent historical discoveries and understandings of human nature all lend credance to the what the bible says. But you can't use scientific methods to prove or disprove the bible because the bible is not exclusively subject to objective evidence, which is what sciense seeks.

Now how do you test items of a spiritual nature? For myself I put my life into the promises of the bible and expected them to be fullfilled. The have been or I can see them happening. My proof is in the pudding of my life.

 

[Dark Virtue]

The word of God is not Wrong or fallible.

If this is so, then why are there so many dissenting views within Christianity?

Why doesn't every Christian agree on how to attain Salvation?

You say that you have prayed and studied and by doing so you have acheieved your views. What of other Christians that have done the same thing and have come up with different viewpoints?

How can you both be right? And if you don't think there's a wrong way to view things, tell that to the Catholics and Protestants in Ireland.

 

[Dark Virtue]

I just want to make a quick comment:

Eden Existed

The Flood happened

I'M RICH
I'M RICH
I'M RICH
I'M RICH
I'M RICH
I'M RICH
I'M RICH
I'M RICH

**Checks bank account**

Dang, still poor.

Saying it over and over again doesn't make it so Montrez. Statements require proof. The more outrageous the statement, the greater the proof that will be required.

 

[PapaToad]

If this is so, then why are there so many dissenting views within Christianity?

Why doesn't every Christian agree on how to attain Salvation?
You say that you have prayed and studied and by doing so you have acheieved your views. What of other Christians that have done the same thing and have come up with different viewpoints?

How can you both be right? And if you don't think there's a wrong way to view things, tell that to the Catholics and Protestants in Ireland.

If this is so, then why are there so many dissenting views within Christianity?

Because man (humans) want to control and manipulate and gain over each other. The bible besides being a great tool for salvation, it a weapon. Many times our words are referred to as double edged swords.

Why doesn't every Christian agree on how to attain Salvation?

its clearly written in the bible how to attain salvation.I wish I had a good reason why folks get it confused: DV I wish I really did. But you and I both know, very few of us, want to be the best people we can be. Very Few truly care for their fellow man, this is not just a Christianity issue, this is a world issue. Through the ages the road was narrow and few traveled.

I can best some it up with this, if we all know at the top of Mount Everest, was a cave with God himself there. And lets say for what ever reason, you have to climb it to meet him and talk to him. no parachutes, helcotpers or whatever. A simple climb. How many of us would really go?? Out of those that did; how many would quit during the journey, how many would actually approach the cave; and how many would go in to meet the man himself? I think only a hand full of us at best would dare too.

You say that you have prayed and studied and by doing so you have achieved your views. What of other Christians that have done the same thing and have come up with different viewpoints?

Well, is the message of salvation corrupted? Have I misinterpret something I read. Am I not understanding the context of Scripture. Is in line with all the other teachings in the Bible. What would Jesus Do?? These are question we need to ask ourselves. I always find myself going back to the Greatest commandment and the Great Commission. If what I am reading is in direct violation; I know I am probably off base. But that’s me.


How can you both be right? And if you don't think there's a wrong way to view things, tell that to the Catholics and Protestants in Ireland.

What a wonderful analogy of man twisting the word of God? Where in the gospel does it call us to kill our brethren? or even those of different beliefs? It doesn’t, Never once did Jesus Christ kill someone in the Gospels? He did heal the soldier who came to arrest him, that Peter attacked. Never once did Paul rally the people to kill or injury non believers?

There is a right and a wrong way to handle things. Ireland’s Catholics and Protestants were wrong to kill each other in the name of God. It was a sad abuse of the Word of God. I pray I am never so mislead!

 

[PapaToad]

I'M RICH
I'M RICH
I'M RICH
I'M RICH
I'M RICH
I'M RICH
I'M RICH
I'M RICH

**Checks bank account**

Dang, still poor.

Saying it over and over again doesn't make it so Montrez. Statements require proof. The more outrageous the statement, the greater the proof that will be required.

Is it an outragous statement, the bible says were it was located (Eden) and there are more stories about the flood spaning 350 different varations and religons.

And again, It is not my job to prove you its true, that is God's. Mine is to bring the message of grace and salvation. What you do with it is your business. And nothing you have shown me proved either did not exsist. So again DV we are at a mexcian stand off. we can once again agree to disagree.

 

[Eon]

Actually see various threads for many proofs that the flood did not happen.

Eden I can't answer - there probably WAS a place called Eden once.

 

[PapaToad]

Many proofs of either; but only one is correct! I believe mine, you will believe yours. That mexican stand off again, how thrilling!

 

[Eon]

Well if you don't like it you could always advance proof or attack mine. It's traditional in the world of debating.

 

[PapaToad]

You insinuate that I am some how bothered you do not see the Truth in the Lord. Do you understand I do not care wether you ever see that truth or not. I suppose on some level I do pray you would find the Lord Jesus Christ as your personal Lord and Savoir, but agin the choice is yours not mine. Sadly I will not Lose sleep over you choices.

I am not here to debate so much as discuss veiws and beliefs. This isn't a a debating forums as much as it is a discussion about veiws and beliefs. I have layed my thoughts out, and why I think the way I do, and I have enjoyed your veiws. But I am not called to debate the truth of the Goaspel with you, only to put it out there.

*wink*

 

[Dark Virtue]

You insinuate that I am some how bothered you do not see the Truth in the Lord. Do you understand I do not care wether you ever see that truth or not. I suppose on some level I do pray you would find the Lord Jesus Christ as your personal Lord and Savoir, but agin the choice is yours not mine. Sadly I will not Lose sleep over you choices.

I am not here to debate so much as discuss veiws and beliefs. This isn't a a debating forums as much as it is a discussion about veiws and beliefs. I have layed my thoughts out, and why I think the way I do, and I have enjoyed your veiws. But I am not called to debate the truth of the Goaspel with you, only to put it out there.

*wink*

Oh if only EVERY theist felt this way!

Unfortunately, the majority of Christians feel it is their God given right to try and convert us heathens.

 

[SLNT_FIR]

hmmm... dv, careful in your choice of words. It gives us insight into what you are thinking, and you are thinking differently than what it is said according to what i am reading. >_>

Unfortunately, the majority of Christians feel it is their God given right to try and convert us heathens.

i feel the biggest reason why people don't accept christianity is because of minor and or major misconceptions. there are so many areas where there are misconceptions that i do not want to try guessing. XP i have to go now. I think that the concepts are all fitting, but the biggest block to get by is, did it really happen. I'm generalizing too much, so i'll stop here.

 

[PapaToad]

Oh if only EVERY theist felt this way!

Unfortunately, the majority of Christians feel it is their God given right to try and convert us heathens.

George Carlin once made the Comment

"the Christians are comming ; AND THEY ARE not PLEASANT PEOPLE!!''


It sad because many so called christains are mean and judgemental. My wife a devoted woman of God, can't even watch a movie with crusaders; becuase when she went to bible college she studied the history of christanity and it outraged her so bad.

I do hope that during my time on the plane of existance, I can contribe to tolerance and acceptance; the Same acceptance, our Lord gave us to tolerate and accpet our Choices to choose Him or not too.

Hard as it is, just like a teenager tying to get his 1st love to love them. No one can make someone love them; I can not show the Love of the Lord, only the Lord can show you His love.

I ranted enough!

Peace all

 

[Dark Virtue]

hmmm... dv, careful in your choice of words. It gives us insight into what you are thinking, and you are thinking differently than what it is said according to what i am reading. >_>



i feel the biggest reason why people don't accept christianity is because of minor and or major misconceptions. there are so many areas where there are misconceptions that i do not want to try guessing. XP i have to go now. I think that the concepts are all fitting, but the biggest block to get by is, did it really happen. I'm generalizing too much, so i'll stop here.

What problems are you having with what I said?