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I know good people who do good things who have no faith, some with half-arsed faith, and some who fervently believe in some variant of God.
What I was commenting on was your pedestrian, quite lame explanation of what it meant to be born again.
It was as moving as reading about the composition of cardboard.
For people like jimmie being "born again" is a ritual and magic thing achieved by following the prescribed religious formula. But jimmie's heart is sincere and he does know how to love, so he is "born of God." Unfortunately, he is smothered under the "precepts and doctrines of men" that corrupt his understanding of God. He is in for a big surprise.
Why do you believe I don't have love? I converse with you and others all the time. Methinks you make much ado about nothing.
I don't know if you do or you don't, but that wasn't really the point.
You had an opportunity to reply to that question in a completely different and personal way, and instead you backed off and did the colder, standard-issue detached bible-quote thing. There was no heart in your response. I'm just pointing out that this is a problem, and it's a common problem that causes the walls between those who put bible knowledge ahead of compassion in their conversation and those who see and hear them.
What if you said, "By born-again, I mean that after I believed, I changed. I became a different person from the one I was before." Sure, some will still be skeptical, but so what. It's more intriguing a statement than chapter and verse by rote.
For people like jimmie being "born again" is a ritual and magic thing achieved by following the prescribed religious formula. But jimmie's heart is sincere and he does know how to love, so he is "born of God." Unfortunately, he is smothered under the "precepts and doctrines of men" that corrupt his understanding of God. He is in for a big surprise.
Is that the agape love you talk about? You know, it doesn't mean much if you don't actually practice it.
For people like jimmie being "born again" is a ritual and magic thing achieved by following the prescribed religious formula. But jimmie's heart is sincere and he does know how to love, so he is "born of God." Unfortunately, he is smothered under the "precepts and doctrines of men" that corrupt his understanding of God. He is in for a big surprise.
Quote:
Originally Posted by jimmiej
Is that the agape love you talk about? You know, it doesn't mean much if you don't actually practice it.
I have nothing but love for you, jimmie, that is why I try so hard to open your eyes to the real Gospel of Christ.
I don't know if you do or you don't, but that wasn't really the point.
You had an opportunity to reply to that question in a completely different and personal way, and instead you backed off and did the colder, standard-issue detached bible-quote thing. There was no heart in your response. I'm just pointing out that this is a problem, and it's a common problem that causes the walls between those who put bible knowledge ahead of compassion in their conversation and those who see and hear them.
What if you said, "By born-again, I mean that after I believed, I changed. I became a different person from the one I was before." Sure, some will still be skeptical, but so what. It's more intriguing a statement than chapter and verse by rote.
The point is does your faith make you a better person? There is no point in having a faith if it doesn't make you a better person than you were before. Sadly all to often the 'born again' dogma makes many people worse, in my experience!
Chris Tomlin's song "Jesus Loves Me" explains very simply what I felt when I went through a Born Again type experience. Check it out when you have some time.
Yes, I do believe I am worthy of love, and I also believe I have a responsiblity to return that love which I receive from others. I don't need the Christian god or the bible to tell me that.
I have nothing but love for you, jimmie, that is why I try so hard to open your eyes to the real Gospel of Christ.
Yeah, right. That's why you belittle me even though we've never met. You need to work on yourself.
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