Ex-Christians, Why Did You Lose Your Faith? (mystic, Christ, verse)
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Has to do with a previous post by another to which a response was warranted..in which the discussion touched on christian dispensation---
THE CHRISTIAN DISPENSATION
This period extends from Pentecost of Acts 2 to the Lord’s final coming. This period is the time in which we must hear Christ as He speaks to us through His New Testament. This is the time in which everything we do in religious matters must be authorized by the New Testament (Col. 3:17). During this time, Christians serve as “an holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ” (1 Pet. 2:5).
Under the Christian dispensation, we must obey Christ. Back during the Mosaic age, Moses had prophesied in Deuteronomy 18:15, “The Lord thy God will raise up unto thee a Prophet from the midst of thee, of thy brethren, like unto me; unto him ye shall hearken.” In Acts 3:22,23, Peter teaches that this prophecy has been fulfilled in Christ and “that every soul, which will not hear that prophet, shall be destroyed from among the people.”
This was also affirmed at the transfiguration. Christ was transfigured, and Moses and Elijah also appeared. Peter wanted to build three tabernacles, one for each. But the plan was destroyed by these words of God: “this is my beloved Son, in whom I am well-pleased; hear ye him” (Mt. 17:5). There was a time when man was to listen to Moses and Elijah, but now he must listen to God’s Son. “God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets, Hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds” (Heb. 1:1-2). We are living in the Christian age and must do the will of Christ. Let us pray that we might always do His will.
which is directly tied to the OP of why people "fall" away from the faith..and that an "authorized servant" has always been present on earth, which in my interpretation means there is someone who is going to hold the church together and keep the faith strong to prevent or at least slow the falling away...and the LDS is a christian faith church so it just seemed likely that if there were an authorized servant, we ought to know who that person is? I would ask the same of any denomination that claims to have a mouth piece for god...who is it and how were they selected for such a lofty position.
Some did and some didn't, But let me ask: if they didn't 'toss' God, just the religion, are they still ok they with God in which case religion doesn't matter, or not, in which case they might as well go all the way as they can't be any worse off.
I suspect they don't case as their sorta God -belief is based o reason, not faith, disbelief in the Bible except maybe as having some good morals and, I would guess no belief in a hell, though they might still believe in an afterlife.
some of this isn't entirely clear, @ "I suspect they don't case as their sorta God," but those all seem to be subjective questions imo, that one should answer for themselves. And in your most objective question up there, i'm not sure what you might mean @ "they might as well go all the way as they can't be any worse off." Or actually i'm pretty sure i do, but this indicates a rejection of religion while still holding the same inadequate characterization of God, at least to me.
Or, i think describing what you mean there will show itself to be dichotomous iow. I'm reading "i may as well toss the whole concept of God, that way i don't have to deal with the condemnation." To which i would say amen, God was not condemning you anyway, that was guys with ties lol.
but my Q is still whether you have any concept of a Creator now?
None whatsoever.
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Or to put that another way, since i can give you all of the chemicals that embody life, but you cannot make a life with them, do you admit to a Creative Force...
No, I see no reason for it to be necessary.
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...or do you suspect that humans might one day be able to make life?
I think that eventually someone will discover the mechanism of how it occurs naturally.
I can see someone attempting to argue that, having discovered how it naturally occurs one might also be able to duplicate it, and then, in turn, use that to argue for the existence of a creator; but if it is shown to occur naturally, then the need for a 'creator' is obviated and, lacking any additional evidence of such, does not become a positive argument for it.
some of this isn't entirely clear, @ "I suspect they don't case as their sorta God," but those all seem to be subjective questions imo, that one should answer for themselves. And in your most objective question up there, i'm not sure what you might mean @ "they might as well go all the way as they can't be any worse off." Or actually i'm pretty sure i do, but this indicates a rejection of religion while still holding the same inadequate characterization of God, at least to me.
Or, i think describing what you mean there will show itself to be dichotomous iow. I'm reading "i may as well toss the whole concept of God, that way i don't have to deal with the condemnation." To which i would say amen, God was not condemning you anyway, that was guys with ties lol.
ps, the movie is a fave!
To clarify. If they lose belief in Christianity but still believe in a god, are they going to heaven even if that God is the Christian god? If they are, then believing in Christianity isn't important. Any Creator -god belief will get you to Christian heaven.
If however, believing in a non -specific creator -god will not get you to Christian heaven, then there is no practical point in the belief, but it is done on what they would consider rational grounds. What I'm getting at is - they could be no worse off if they were atheists.
To clarify. If they lose belief in Christianity but still believe in a god, are they going to heaven even if that God is the Christian god? If they are, then believing in Christianity isn't important. Any Creator -god belief will get you to Christian heaven.
If however, believing in a non -specific creator -god will not get you to Christian heaven, then there is no practical point in the belief, but it is done on what they would consider rational grounds. What I'm getting at is - they could be no worse off if they were atheists.
No worse off, probably, but significantly more surprised, Arq!!!
oh, you're just over reacting to death, that's all. the chicken little of the believing world. Death is atrocious to you, but irrelevant to God. Death clears the way for life. But it isn't ever going to be pretty. And, it denies that life is better right now by any measure you care to use from 100 years ago. You wouldn't wanna live 100 years ago.
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Originally Posted by 1insider
I think that's true of all believers except those who invent their own.
i think everyone's concept of God is a little different; and no one knows God
Yes, I agree. A pretty good post. Ongoing fear of death seems to drive us, and we think we'd like to live forever, but would we really? And I totally agree with your rejection of the 'Golden Age' fallacy. Also with your observation of everyone's god being different.
You are close to becoming a sortgod-agnostic (if you are not one now), and getting an idea that our primate instincts drive all we do. We have the ability to reason, but we are not yet a rational species.
Mid week I picked up my resurrected laptop and took my sister and niece to a Japanese they like as a reward for saving my Work. While we were there we drove down to our "Own City" to my Aunt's funeral. My cousin was with her at the end. She showed no fear of death. Night before she died she had said her goodbye. Next morning she awoke and muttered 'Blimey, am I still here?'
Last edited by TRANSPONDER; 09-24-2016 at 04:30 AM..
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