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Over on that other thread which somebody , for some obscure reason, locked, you asked me why I blame God for my father's painful death. The answer is that I don't. I don't blame anyone for his death but if God does exist and we are still supposed to love and revere him is this not rather like kicking your dog so that even after cruelty he can lick your hand and show he loves you?
What a lot of religious people don't seem to understand is that the thought of 'nothingness' after death is a bit depressing, so if we could be convinced it would be great but I've been researching for about 40 years (I'm 73) and sadly I have not seen any evidence supported by logic, ( and after all, if He did, create us they tell me it was in his image so....). I've put a lot of effort into books like 'The Jesus Scroll' and Holy Blood & Holy Grail' none of which set out to deny Christianity but to understand what is truth and what is contrived by the church in it's attempt to control the masses. Translations have twisted the Bible in many ways. As an example the Virgin birth idea. The Greek only has one word for this. Aremaic has two. One a woman who has had no sexual contact and one for a woman without children. So the Greek translator had no options.
Also the risen after 3 days after death is not only Jesus' track, but Julangal, Wawalag (Australian aborigine); Tammaz, Ishtar; Pheonix; Quetzalcoatl; Adonis, Baal, Eshman ; Melqart and about 30 others that I won't bore you with, but you get my point.
Maybe you could get The Big Guy to drop me a line- even a dream would do.
You can be assured that there is life after death. Death is not the end as non-believer's would have you believe. IMO, denying that the spirit and soul go on after physical death is just an excuse to avoid being held accountable for their life and their sins in the eyes of God. God's Word tells us that there is an eternal spiritual life after our physical bodies die. The flesh is corrupt and will decay but the spirit and soul live for eternity. We are created "in God's image..." and "God is a spirit". The question we must ask ourselves is: where do we want to spend it?
Why did you make me to look like this knowing I was going to suffer hardship.
I was only trying to do the best and follow your laws. But by your making me the way I am,it became harder to follow your laws.
care to elaborate, either publically or privately? Don't know how good my advice is but I've been told I'm a good listener.
Apparently from reading this thread there is no need to ask god any question as every one has been answered by humans.
It's just a discussion manderly6...an exchanging of ideas and opinions...certainly NEVER thought to be taken as what God would say...how could it?.no one can speak for another....it's just a way to express why you do/don't...or can/can't believe in God...If you could ,would you ask a question?...Another I might ask would be...."why don't you let everyone believe?"
It's just a discussion manderly6...an exchanging of ideas and opinions...certainly NEVER thought to be taken as what God would say...how could it?.no one can speak for another....it's just a way to express why you do/don't...or can/can't believe in God...If you could ,would you ask a question?...Another I might ask would be...."why don't you let everyone believe?"
I disagree. I think some posters think they absolutely know the answers to some of these questions and think they know exactly what god would say.
I disagree. I think some posters think they absolutely know the answers to some of these questions and think they know exactly what god would say.
And some of us do know what God thinks because He told us in His Word. And, since God is the same yesterday, today and forever (He never changes), many of God's thoughts are made crystal clear through the study and contextual cross-referencing of the scriptures and biblical history. Especially when done so with prayer, fasting and the reliance on the Holy Spirit.
And some of us do know what God thinks because He told us in His Word. And, since God is the same yesterday, today and forever (He never changes), many of God's thoughts are made crystal clear through the study and contextual cross-referencing of the scriptures and biblical history. Especially when done so with prayer, fasting and the reliance on the Holy Spirit.
But you disagree. As you wish.
I actually agree with what you just said. Or at least the spirit of what you just said. It was premise of my post.
Apparently from reading this thread there is no need to ask god any question as every one has been answered by humans.
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Originally Posted by MysticPhD
That is not true . . . humans have their OPINIONS about them . . . not necessarily answers. Our personal relationship with God will determine how certain we will feel about those opinions.
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Originally Posted by nateswift
And the question is whether God may be using humans to answer.
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Originally Posted by purehuman
It's just a discussion manderly6...an exchanging of ideas and opinions...certainly NEVER thought to be taken as what God would say...how could it?.no one can speak for another....it's just a way to express why you do/don't...or can/can't believe in God...If you could ,would you ask a question?...Another I might ask would be...."why don't you let everyone believe?"
Quote:
Originally Posted by manderly6
I disagree. I think some posters think they absolutely know the answers to some of these questions and think they know exactly what god would say.
What we think has nothing to do with it. They are opinions, manderly . . . opinions. The Fundamentalists who spout such nonsense do not speak for God. Christians have an exemplar and use their understanding of the "mind of Christ" to infer "What Would Jesus Think or Do" . . . but it is inference and opinion . . . nothing more.
Another I might ask would be...."why don't you let everyone believe?"
Did you mean to phrase the question that way? I ask because God does "let" everyone believe if they choose to. He loves us enough to allow us to choose Him or not.
It's His will that none should perish without Him.
2 Peter 3:9, "The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance."
1 Timothy 2:3-4, "This is good, and pleases God our Savior, 4 who wants all men to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth."
Ezekiel 18:23, "Have I any pleasure at all that the wicked should die? saith the Lord GOD: and not that he should return from his ways, and live?"
But He won't force people to. He gave people the freedom to decide for themselves. How much more meaningful a relationship is when someone CHOOSES to believe in and love you than if they are made (forced) to!
When people recognize the sacrifice that God made through Jesus, and they run to Him and abandon themselves, how amazing that must be to Him!!!
What we think has nothing to do with it. They are opinions, manderly . . . opinions. The Fundamentalists who spout such nonsense do not speak for God. Christians have an exemplar and use their understanding of the "mind of Christ" to infer "What Would Jesus Think or Do" . . . but it is inference and opinion . . . nothing more.
Unless, and until, it's backed up with scripture, taken in context and rightly divided.
Those who think it's arrogant that someone would dare speak for God must then admit that they themselves also do not and cannot because they have no idea what God thinks or would want to say. Thus rendering their opinions and beliefs as their own only, and not Gods, since they don't know God's thoughts on the matter. After all, no one knows what God is thinking or believes, right? It's just impossible! This very argument you use against "fundamentalists" must, then, in your own line of logic, double back and apply even more-so to you and give less credibility to your beliefs because they are indirectly admitted as your own and not God's.
Do you really think God would leave Himself such a total mystery and let His beloved creation work in vain to try to figure out what He wants and thinks, risking their eternities to do so?
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