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It's amazing how people can call "good" the idea that God will abandon you, His own creation.
At the same time, these same people will call "bad" the honest soul-searching of the individual. Apparently, truth doesn't matter. Being honest doesn't mean a hill of beans.
Lastly, this continuous hypocritical use of the declaration in Jeremiah 17:9-- (The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?) to tell people to not use their hearts or minds, but just let themselves be brainwashed by the local pastor!
If you can't trust your heart, then why does God give you a new one??
Why does Jesus knock on a deceitful heart?
Why is Jesus Christ to dwell in our hearts by faith? Does Jesus dwell in deceitful places??
I think there's some serious holes in some people's doctrines...
It's sad to think of the amount of hoodwinking that's going on in the USA today. And most people just plain don't get it...
Lastly, this continuous hypocritical use of the declaration in Jeremiah 17:9-- (The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?) to tell people to not use their hearts or minds, but just let themselves be brainwashed by the local pastor!
If you can't trust your heart, then why does God give you a new one??
Why does Jesus knock on a deceitful heart
brian
It is just a encouragement to sincerely examine ones faith to see that we are indeed in faith. It is biblical advice. Do you really think the heart is never wrong? Pray, study the word and examine you own behavior to see if you are on the right path. That is the advice, and is you view that hypocritical, then that's just too bad.
It is just a encouragement to sincerely examine ones faith to see that we are indeed in faith. It is biblical advice. Do you really think the heart is never wrong? Pray, study the word and examine you own behavior to see if you are on the right path. That is the advice, and is you view that hypocritical, then that's just too bad.
So where are you supposed to look, Finn?? If your heart is wicked, your mind is reprobate, and satan is at work in the unbelievers, then what do you suggest that people do? Run to the nearest pastor and give him their money and soul, and wait for guidance??
Ilene is being sincere in her thoughts and feelings, which is more than many people are able to do.
And what happens as a result? She's threatened with hellfire and brimstone!!
Ya know, when I read the Bible, alot of times, my conscience doesn't like what it sees. I see killing, I see destruction, I see weird laws by modern standards, I see what appear to be different laws and consequences carried out over time, and I get glimpses of a very different perspective over time: The Christian God's perspective. The perspective of a creator and owner of this world who dared to put it partially in the hands of very imperfect people, giving them freedom to screw things up all while bringing forth a plan to save them from themselves that interferes with their freedom as little as possible.
And the bolded part above is exactly why I don't believe the Bible about that kind of God. It's just not true.
Quote:
This plan, we can't possibly even begin to understand with our limited perspective in a way that will completely satisfy us. We can only use the minds God gave us and try to understand his perspective as the creator and owner of the universe seeing the big picture. He floods the earth (or at least the region, but thats another debate) killing drowning untold numbers, he has the Hebrews virtually exterminate tribes, and he does a host of other things that make our modern consciences freakout, and yet they called it justice back then.
I don't think the flood story is true either. It's just a story. Justice according to who? That's right, ancient ignorant people who liked to blame everything on God. God had nothing to do with any of the horrific things attributed to him in the Bible.
Quote:
Maybe God just gave us what we wanted while giving us enough freedom to be our primitive selves and yet still bringing about his plan to bring forth the Savior of the world in a way we could still recognize? That's a mouthful right there, but its a possibility I can't dismiss when I think about the big picture of what God is trying to accomplish while letting his creatures be themselves for the most part. Maybe he even "commanded it" because he knew we wanted it at the time and would eventually look at it with shock in modern times, perhaps even to remind us what living in an unreconciled world was like.
Here's where it gets really really tricky for me.....if I don't believe the Bible, then why would I believe in Jesus and his death and resurrection? I can't just pick and choose the parts that sound good to me. I either believe it or I don't. I'm going to have to really study on that one because if nothing else, I always appreciated and adored the idea of Jesus being the Savior of this awful world, I liked the idea of him and what he stood for. But I'm afraid it's just another fairytale.
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As long as there is a way it makes sense to some degree, I will have faith in it (and yes, apologetics and the Holy Spirit helps too). For those of you who cannot rationalize even most of it, yet you still believe out of fear, why not choose another religion or make up your own?Islam has the actual tortures in their hell visually described in detail ya know. Some of them even get to use guns in their fire and brimstone sermons! Though I still have hope that the ones who do are in the minority.
If it makes sense to you and you still have faith, that's great for you. I have absolutely no problem with people having "faith".....after all, it is required to believe any of this stuff. I just don't have it.
Quote:
For those of you who want to make up your own religion, faith, or recreate God in your own image with your conscience and plan ways to make the world better without messing with free will, that's your right. Though you might want to go watch the movie Bruce Almighty again lol ;p ..I'll shut up now..
That's the beauty of agnosticism, there is no need for religion or faith....it is what it is. Maybe I have made God in my own image, I don't know but from what I see in nature he's got to be magnificent and worthy of our praise simply for what he has created. That's all I know. And oh, I love Bruce Almighty!! "I got the power"~~~!!!
Ilene wrote
"I am and will be eternally grateful to the URist's....if I were to become a Christian again it would be as a UR, that's for certain. NO question."
If Ilene were to put her faith in the Bible again she would no doubt choose these translations.
Fifteen literally translated (not interpretively translated) Bibles that reveal what God will do with the sinners in Matthew 25:46
Concordant Literal, Young’s literal, Wilson’s Emphatic Diaglott, Rotherham’s Emphasized, Scarlett’s,
J.W. Hanson’s New Covenant, Twentieth Century Bible, Ferrar Fenton's, The Western New Testament, Weymouth’s (unedited), Clementson’s, The New Testament of our Lord and Savior Jesus Anointed,
The Restoration of Original Sacred Name Bible, Bullinger’s Companion Bible margins, Jonathan Mitchell’s translation (2010).
How about that .... 15 dogs returning to their vomit.
It's amazing how people can call "good" the idea that God will abandon you, His own creation.
At the same time, these same people will call "bad" the honest soul-searching of the individual. Apparently, truth doesn't matter. Being honest doesn't mean a hill of beans.
Lastly, this continuous hypocritical use of the declaration in Jeremiah 17:9-- (The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?) to tell people to not use their hearts or minds, but just let themselves be brainwashed by the local pastor!
If you can't trust your heart, then why does God give you a new one??
Why does Jesus knock on a deceitful heart?
Why is Jesus Christ to dwell in our hearts by faith? Does Jesus dwell in deceitful places??
I think there's some serious holes in some people's doctrines...
It's sad to think of the amount of hoodwinking that's going on in the USA today. And most people just plain don't get it...
Just my 2c..
Blessings,
brian
Worth a dime, Brian - a quarter even! I cannot abide the mindset of the uber-religious zealots. And that's a fact.
I don't see it. Sorry. I think you need to point out the posts you are referring to.
Many totally disrespect her by talking down to her, talking to her like you would scold a child.
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Though I still have hope that the ones who do are in the minority.
"I got the power"~~~!!!
