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Post by defaultPost by RobertPost by defaultReligion is all about god and uses the bible as justification for god
then god's character, needs, and other entirely too human
characteristics but belonging to a god.
There are many gods, various religions with various gods as well. You
must out of necessity include them all in your discussion for a sense
of fairness and objectiveness. Supposedly there are far more Muslims
than Christians, their god is not the same, nor is their teachings.
How can you say that? The Christian god is not the Jewish or Muslim
god if you compare the OT/Koran versus NT. Whole different set of
ethics focus and attitude.
The "Christian" God is the same as the Jewish God from the OT times.
Different from all other gods, and He is the God of gods.
Post by defaultBut both the Muslims and Jews lay claim to "The God of Abraham." Same
god... different ideas.
Here you would be correct in saying they are different gods.
There are different Covenants for the Israelite there was the Mosaic
Covenant, and for the Christian Believer there is the Blood Covenant.
There are many differing Covenants in the OT with the Mosaic being the
largest, and was a covenant voted on by the people of Israel. The New
Covenant is a one way covenant, a covenant made by God, to be upheld
by God regardless of what man accepts of denies. A promise he made to
men that he will uphold and is a total gift promise to men who are
willing to accept it. It cannot be earned, which is contrary to the
teachings of many religions like the RCC and the Orthodox Churches but
they are not alone in their errors.
Post by defaultPost by RobertBut as to your comment Religion is about control, not god. The Holy
bible is concerned about you, the individual, and your salvation
resulting in eternal life, not how many crackers you ate.
The Unholy bible (do you need a reference to some of the evil verses
in the bible?) was written by and for a religious institution or
organization. You've read the bible? Cover to cover? and it is about
salvation and eternal life? You must have a different bible than I
had.
Yes, I have read the bible cover to cover many times. As to us having
a different Bible, perhaps, my mainstay Bible is the KJV without the
extra books. And there are no evil verses in it. Feel free to point
them out if you believe you have some, and I will look at them in the
context of which they were written.
Post by defaultPost by RobertPost by defaultThe OT god has all the charm of a sadistic, juvenile, serial killer.
That statement only serves to show us that you are no more educated in
the scriptures than most other men.
If you mean did I learn the bible from a bible apologist, who's aim is
to try to justify something like: "Happy the one who takes and dashes
Your little ones against the rock!" The answer is no - I read it in
the bible.
But did you read it with spiritual discernment? Those who worship God
must worship him in spirit and in reality. Anyone who does not have
the spirit of God in him 24/7 is not of God nor can the understand
much of God.
What was evil there? It was not done in the "Christian spirit" to be
sure, but these people are under law; they are not under grace. They
are under law that provided justice.
Psa 137:7 Remember, Jehovah, for the sons of Edom, The day of
Jerusalem, Those saying, 'Rase, rase to its foundation!'
Psa 137:8 O daughter of Babylon, O destroyed one, O the happiness of
him who repayeth to thee thy deed, That thou hast done to us.
Psa 137:9 O the happiness of him who doth seize, And hath dashed thy
sucklings on the rock!
Just prior to this they had captured Israel in a violent manner and
then mocked them and their God.
Post by defaultIf you mean did I learn the bible from a preacher who cherry-picked
the passages that are not controversial and seem to make sense, the
answer is no again, I read the bible.
One should always consider the source, in full. Some consider God
cruel for placing people into the lake of fire and brimstone, to be
tortured forever. But did not Jesus die for everyone so that they
could escape all that without expense to their souls?
Post by defaultI can't understand how anyone can read the bible and be a Jew, Muslim,
Christian or any of their splinter groups. Or quote the passages they
like and ignore the ones they don't and claim the bible is the work of
a just, compassionate, loving, god.
But you are also guilty of ignoring the fact that he is a Just God are
you not?
God does not destroy or pass judgment without fair warning, often
three time he would try to show people there errors and what was to
come if they did not change. So then on whose shoulders lies the
blame?
Post by defaultPeople want answers. I get that. But what I don't get is latching on
to some ideology because it makes you feel secure. What I don't get
is that most people are quick to latch on to the technology that
science provides then when the science conflicts with what they want
to believe they have a problem with "science." But most of all, what
I don't get is how people can justify a belief in god because they
don't understand nature. Life is so complicated a god must have done
it...
Well you have a very good point there, and what you have pointed out
is evident throughout the history of men, they instinctively search
for a god and some are glad to take advantage of that. Kings,
Emperors, religious "High Priests" of every sort. Which is what
scripture sorts out for man, the real truth against a deceiving
"truth"/philosophy/theology, etc.
Yet in simple nature, the nature of God is shown.
Post by defaultI've repaired and designed incredibly complex machines. Except they
are only complex and hard to understand if you look at the whole
contraption. Once you start breaking them down to individual parts
and sub-systems and learn how it is supposed to work, the mystery is
gone and it's not the behemoth that defies understanding. A scanning
electronic microscope looks impressive and complicated but is no more
difficult to understand than an analog TV set (uses the same
technology in fact). Child's play, once you know how it works.
How many primitive cultures, on encountering an advanced technology,
attribute it to gods? Human kind is like those cultures, religious
people choose to lay the blame or praise on a god, but avoid looking
any further, they have their answer.
Very few scientists and engineers cling to a belief in god. Look how
far medicine has come once doctors started trying to understand what
was going on instead of using cures like blood-letting that have no
basis in fact. Scurvy, ditto, a simple matter of diet. All the
mysteries once attributed to divine causes respond well to
understanding and don't respond to superstition.
<pruned>
Well like scientists, doctors often do no believe in God, although
like a scientist once they are immersed in their fields they see
things that show them that they are not God, and that there must be a
God or at the least some super force that enables things to happen.
But at the bottom of all of this is the fact that I know God, speak to
him and He to me. The more I focus on him the more I see and hear. I
know the reality of God in my life as well as those around me.
I also learn more of myself and how undeserving I am, and I am
beginning to see that I am living well below my means in the Christian
Walk. God has provided a place for me Here- but I am living here_, Not
just me, but many others as well, and it is for lack of knowing who
and what all I am, in Christ Jesus.
Did you know that God does and will confirm the teaching of His Word?
--
But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.
(Heb 11:6 KJV)