It works for me!
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Faith in Jesus works for me - it's exciting. I love the Bible and believe all of it - though there is mystery. There is mystery everywhere though, right? I am a incredibly happy believer in Jesus. I'm not a theologian, I just believe in Jesus.
I understand you can't make anybody believe in Jesus and the Bible, and I don't personally try to do that. But I highly recommend it from my experience with it. I can't get enough of the Bible or Jesus. I can't imagine trying to navigate through life without it at this point in my life.
I don't think Jesus or God is a thing you can prove to somebody. I heard about it a large percentage of my life and it didn't mean anything to me until a certain point - then that all changed.
So do you guys think that I'm fooling myself, not really happy, you don't believe me, or do you really think I can't be as happy or enlightened as you - are you evangelistic in that sense or what? What is the purpose of this site? Do you have something better to offer? If so, what is your gospel?
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Hey MODS give me my last post back and I will fix it .... what the heck .... who did that ??????????????? ... I DID not WRITE that last post under my pen name ....
Atheism Books.
It's gone. Kill em with kindness forum, buddy.
I will go back and put my name to the edit.
Still love ya.
Atheist Books, purchases on Amazon support the Rational Response Squad server, which houses Celebrity Atheists.
Sheezzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz
The message was god is not a HE daddy thing, and if you ain't god you are a silly idol worshiper ... and atheism today is the on going Resurrection of truth, as I say I am God as YOU , without the FEAR of a death sentence .....
COME CLEAN ... who deleted me? .... did you save my WONDERFUL RANT ???
was this a computer glitch ??????????? That hurt .....
Atheism Books.
I axed it.
I did not save it.
We don't pick out words and change them all the time.
You're not the only one that has lost a rant and won't be the last.
I love your posts and deeply appreciate your participation EXCEPT when they go too far.
It is the same with everyone even our theists and I don't see that changing today or the next.
So as eternally and ever lovingly omnipotent we are as gods as you we do try our best.
We want the world to love all of your little gods and goddesses.
That's why we have the rules made and put in place.
I did not save it.
I axed it.
Atheist Books, purchases on Amazon support the Rational Response Squad server, which houses Celebrity Atheists.
Oh no! This is "Kill Em With Kindness" isn't it?
I keep using the Recent Posts link on the left side of the page so I always forget when I'm in this section. I might have some........... "unadvisable" material in my previous posts. Sorry.....
Our revels now are ended. These our actors, | As I foretold you, were all spirits, and | Are melted into air, into thin air; | And, like the baseless fabric of this vision, | The cloud-capped towers, the gorgeous palaces, | The solemn temples, the great globe itself, - Yea, all which it inherit, shall dissolve, | And, like this insubstantial pageant faded, | Leave not a rack behind. We are such stuff | As dreams are made on, and our little life | Is rounded with a sleep. - Shakespeare
Well thanks Darth for letting me know ... but darn it, I really liked that rant , I put a lot into it .... and HEY, what happened to the BIG RED WARNING , Kindness thing to the left???? I just post , I don't visit forums here , except to post an OP .
Why a no cussing rule anyways ???? Is smelly poopoo stink an unkind reality ... is the slang word for sexual intercourse an unkind word??? To treat them with kindness is to call them on their stupidity from caring.
My post YOU deleted was all KINDNESS .... YOU GOOFED Darth .... I AM KINDNESS. I am indignant. Oh well, love ya just the same. WE all goof , darn it ... LOL
Say no more , I've recovered , laughing again , really ...
Atheism Books.
Kindness?
*sigh*
There people go, making up words again! Next they're gonna tell me that mercy and compassion are words too!
Hmmm, maybe the kindness board isn't the place for a guy with a pic of someone clubbing a baby seal as an avatar.
It takes a village to raise an idiot.
Save a tree, eat a vegetarian.
Sometimes " The Majority " only means that all the fools are on the same side.
Do you guys know how many times we(the mods) have had this discussion with other people?
Now, I suppose we should return to the matter at hand, which is figuring out how to communicate with preachers on a message board.
Atheist Books, purchases on Amazon support the Rational Response Squad server, which houses Celebrity Atheists.
No, what I need is enough evidence to support my position, and a lack of evidence for theirs, or even better, evidence that their position is false. If I didn't have evidence for something I wouldn't believe it in the first place, so I wouldn't be confident at all if it came down to faith.
Huh? Either you stop talking in riddles, or you'll have to supply me with the decryption codes. Once again I fail to understand you.
"Nobody will ever win the battle of the sexes. There's too much fraternizing with the enemy."
...oh, right... that' what you're doing... :-/
Imagine the people who believe such things and who are not ashamed to ignore, totally, all the patient findings of thinking minds through all the centuries since the Bible was written. And it is these ignorant people, the most uneducated, the most unimaginative, the most unthinking among us, who would make themselves the guides and leaders of us all; who would force their feeble and childish beliefs on us; who would invade our schools and libraries and homes. I personally resent it bitterly.
Isaac Asimov
THINKING - NASTY OR NO -
jc, old buddy, old pal-
From my experience and perspective the good news of salvation in Jesus enhances thinking.
Isn't it better to think in an atmosphere of peace of mind and full assurance?
I'm not concerned about the past nor anxious about the future. I'm putting my strength into today and focused on it. I'm not afraid of death and have hopes that see and extend beyond that horizon.
This is all enabled by the great hold faith has on the Sword of the Word of God.
What doubt can't be killed by that double edged sword?
Today my conscience is clear and my heart is lifted with joy because this moment I am in fellowship with the Living God in Christ. I hold tight on things the Lord says, like, "I will never leave or forsake you".
My spirit burns bright fed by the anointing oil of the Holy Spirit.
My mind is well stocked with gold of Scripture. I am content and happy with my work. I am at peace with all men including you and myself. I am at rest but highly motivated to work.
I am secure and at peace in Christ - Who is the same yesterday and today and forever - but on guard and aware of danger, ready to draw the Sword of the Word of God.
I am happy with my lovely wife, my crown. Troubles and discouragements are to me a spiritual workout gym, a weight to lift and get stronger. I totally accept and embrace my lot and today, the moment. The presence of Christ is always with me, lifting me up.
Where is it that I am having a problem in my thinking - and where is it that you are profiting from thinking that is unknown to me?
Bob - You'll have to decide for yourself, but for me it's the difference between real and fake.
From my perspective you are trying to give examples of failure to disprove success.
Interesting - I have all the positive things you point to (peace of mind, full assurance, lack of worry for present and future, happiness in a equal relationship with my wife) without having to worship the Canaanite gods that you do.
Why do you need them?
"I do this real moron thing, and it's called thinking. And apparently I'm not a very good American because I like to form my own opinions."
— George Carlin
This was very interesting, very interesting...
I don't have any illusions of convincing you otherwise - because scripture says it is impossible to restore one who has tasted the heavenly gift then turned away - it could happen, I'm not saying that and the Bible's not saying that. It's just that the door opens from your side.
But first I think the efforts to moralize the world like the guy wanting to change the holiday are a misrepresentation of Jesus, because He didn't do that or advocate it. That's why He rebuked Peter's ear removal of the guard in the garden. He said His Kingdom is not of this world - or His servants would fight.
The guy was trying to legislate the world from the Bible. It didn't accomplish anything good because it isn't authorized by Scripture which is the Spirit of Jesus, God breathed.
Your bitterness is misdirected because you experienced the results of something that God didn't instruct anybody to do. He didn't do the cause of God any good in doing that, and there are many, many examples of this - all in sheep's clothing.
I hope you will re-trace on this and reconsider that there are many misrepresentations of what Jesus said. Right at the end of John Jesus told Peter a metaphor of how he was going to die and Peter ask about John. Jesus told Peter, "if he sticks around until I come again what's that to you". The Scripture then says that some were mischaracterizing this to say John wasn't going to die, but the point of it was for Peter to mind his business. So Scripture gives us an example of misrepresentation.
You see how things get misrepresented in everything and are you - a thinking person - going to let this keep you double-parked un unbelief?
How are you going to feel if this turns out to be the case - in the end you have been cheated out of something eternally great because of this hypocrite? Won't that be the ultimate victory for hypocrisy and ultimate regret for you?
My understanding of what happened is that you made a turning point when you got in the college classroom. At that point you started putting faith in the scholar's view of Scripture. I don't have that kind of faith in scholars. I have worked for some of them that, well, just don't inspire confidence.
In contrast I hae complete confidence and faith in the Scriptures. It's all great food. I have no doubts about any of it. There are some mysteries that maybe I'll eventually understand, maybe not. It doesn't matter. I know Jesus is King of Kings and Lord of Lords forever.
But that is the point, what is your criterion for deciding between real and fake?
There is absolutely no way for you to compare the 'authenticity' of your experience is more 'real' than some other person's internal confidence in the reality of theirs, since you do not have access to their mind.
If you can accept that others can be deeply sincere in their conviction, yet mistaken, and admit that it is just a matter of personal judgement, then you admit you could be the one who is in error.
If you won't concede that you could be wrong, then you ARE either dishonest or deluded.
You still have no way to know that that is in fact the case, rather than the other possibilty that you are the one mired in delusion, and have yet to encounter the experience which opens your eyes.
Someone who has been through the process has extra experience that you haven't, so is in a better position to judge.
Simply saying they have not had a genuine experience, or are on the wrong path, will not help, since there is no way, without external oobjective evidence, ie not just internal experience, to know who is closer to the truth.
Favorite oxymorons: Gospel Truth, Rational Supernaturalist, Business Ethics, Christian Morality
"Theology is now little more than a branch of human ignorance. Indeed, it is ignorance with wings." - Sam Harris
The path to Truth lies via careful study of reality, not the dreams of our fallible minds - me
From the sublime to the ridiculous: Science -> Philosophy -> Theology
Socrates may have said some true things but Socrates wasn't the "Word made flesh". He wasn't the "Lamb of God that takes away the sins of the world". Socrates didn't provide the Sacrifice for the sins of the world.
Well in the first place, it would take stronger arguments. You have never traveled this road and from where I stand you have not presented any arguments that even register.
You're playing dodgeball with my arguments like every other Atheist. What would it take for you to actually respond to my stronger arguments?
I'm saying this is a real war you could get your teeth in. This is all logical and makes sense to me because I believe what "the Lord says" is true. To you, however it is folly because you reject Jesus. I'm not fighting you personally however. I'm all for you repenting and believing the gospel. It just seems to you like I'm your enemy. I want your good, but I respect your right to choose your own way. We're just communicating from two different perspectives - belief and unbelief.
I believe that you believe that. I just don't buy the logic and reason of unbelief.
Conscience is a part of man's spiritual nature, the light within that enables a man to search that he is thinking and why, his purposes, his rights and wrongs.
Conscience can have sores and sore spots and brands, but the good news is it can be all opened and healed in the blood of Jesus.
It's just semantics on that.
The reason I have to use a metaphor is because you don't know what I'm talking about, as evidenced by "what is conscience"? I'm not trying to keep you out with metaphors I'm trying to ramp you in.
This answer you gave was about eating shellfish wasn't it. Good news on all that - Christ declared all foods clean. Jesus fulfilled the law - like a marriage fulfills the engagement. The division between the Holy Place and the Most Holy Place - where the High Priest could only go once a year - was torn from top to bottom when Jesus died on the cross.
Access to God is open to all now in Christ. In Christ we are all now priests. We are all anointed.
In other words, things have changed from the shellfish era. You are looking at the Law of Moses. Now we are in the era of the Law of Grace and Truth in Christ. You can eat anything but blood. But there are a lot of things that I don't want to eat anyway. I prefer pizza and Mexican.
I'm anchored in faith in God and you're using any stick to beat a dog.
Is this supposed to represent an answer to my question?
At that point when you see you were totally wrong about Jesus you won't be asking that.
If you are going to bring in new good stuff you're going to have to throw the bad stuff out to make room.
This is a turn in the road you are not willing to take - as stated.
.....As the paperclip hits the anvil.......
I'm supposed to act like you are putting thought into your answers?
Clever
It's slipping out that you don't believe Jesus is Lord.
The intellectual community which you are representing here doesn't move me, so I can understand how you react to Jesus and the Scriptures.
Maybe you can understand how I regard the intellectual community concerning these things.
I want to remind you that "cruise control" doesn't mean you can go to the back of the van and get a drink.
No but I believe Job showed what it's like to be in the presence of God and shut up.
I want to congratulate you on this metaphor. You expressed yourself pretty well here and from the perspective you are in. I'm not where you are, but I can understand how you are thinking on this. I like that.
Hello!....Hello!....
No, because you are wanting me to approach spiritual things with worldly proof.
The difference is spiritual eyesight - faith. We see these things through the eyes of faith. Jesus and God bring our spiritual nature back to life and healthy in Christ. Our blindness and spiritual leprosy are healed and we can see. It's a struggle, it's a war, but we are holding on to the Sword of the Word of God and Jesus through the full assurance of faith.
You haven't cast any doubt on anything.
Being wise in your own eyes doesn't show wisdom.
[guote=butterbattle]
*sigh* This is getting nowhere.
Where do you want to go?
Right, iit was a "non starter" for you.
You are making it the "day of entertainment"?
MARCUS AURELIUS - NOUN - EMPEROR OF ROME nephew and son-in-law and adoptive son of Antonius Pius; Stoic philosopher; the decline of the Roman Empire began under Marcus Aurelius (121-180)