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I was more going for humans are less than (rather than one group over another) thing considering how you used that scripture in Isiah and your rational for killing all the inhabitants of the earth in the flood. God also killed all the animals that day too. I would assume a True Believer would also in some fashion consider themselves unworthy of salvation as well. Picking the right book to follow and the right men to tell you how to follow it is apparently how God separates the sheep from the goats.
No. God didn't pick me because I happened to choose the right book. I have no idea why God saved me. He hasn't seen fit to tell me.
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What sins did you commit you need forgiveness for? I have made plenty of mistakes in my life but I reject the concept of sin. I vehemently reject the idea than we are born sinners.
Just go down the 10 commandments. I have not killed anyone, but I've hated -- which Jesus said was murder of the heart. I haven't committed adultery, but as every red-blooded man has, I've lusted in my heart. I've dishonored my parents. I've lied, stolen, etc. Every one of us has at some point.
Even you. You may say "Well, I've never stolen"....ok, fine. You've broken the rest of them, and you've lived in rebellion against God. Your sexuality is only one tiny bit of your sin.
Don't agree with me? OK. God disagrees---because he's said it about all human beings.
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Edit: what is this "your side" crap.
My apologies if that offended you---I really didn't mean to. I was referring to others that are like-minded with you and that would disagree with me.
Spot on! We were not born sinners and just because we grow up making mistakes either by ignorance or just being immature does not mean we are sinners.
A cold calculated evil person is not even a sinner in my mind they are just an evil conscience.
A pathological liar is just that....it's not a sin, it's a very unbecoming personality trait that does nothing but keep them mentally tormented and blocks opportunities for personal growth and development.
I don't have to sit around thinking don't do this or that because it's considered a sin. I have no desire in my heart or soul to steal, cheat and lie much less commit murder or bring imminent harm to any creature or plant on this Earth. These are simply my innate qualities and I don't even have think about them...it's natural to feel this way. Many people do.
Religious folks who talk this sin crap are just very lost and have no clue what they are talking about. OR they are the biggest deceptive humans around committing "sin" all the time, but see it as "sin" so they can feel like a special little snowflake in asking some invisible man created god to forgive them..then they feel all smug thinking they have been forgiven. What a crock of you know what!
Nothing could be more true than this quote: “Religion is an insult to human dignity. Without it you would have good people doing good things and evil people doing evil things. But for good people to do evil things, that takes religion.”
You put my feelings into words very well....thank you!
As a kid, growing up in a very conservative religious environment, I always heard in church that we were born as horrible sinners and would never be able to do anything other than keep sinning.....but would be able to be "saved" from our sinful ways by this fellow jesus who loved us beyond all human comprehension, but if we didn't "believe" in him, and "accept" him, we'd be cast into the ash heap of eternal fire. That just never made sense to me. Made me think this "jesus" fellow was a pretty evil and egotistical being himself. Also made me think that whoever was responsible for designing this entire fearsome scenario was pretty f'ed-up.
We were called gods children in church. Would you as a parent spend your entire day/week/month/year telling your children how evil and sinful they were and that they never had any hope for amounting to anything without you saving them from themselves ? Would you continually tell them they needed to honor you, worship you, continually say wonderful things about you....or else eternal torment awaits them ?
Sounds like some egotistical humans I know...lol. But, after all, I guess god was created in our image, so it shouldn't be surprising that he has human traits !
Yes, I believe there is an energy in the universe. There is something out there that we all are a part of. It's a wonderful part of us all. However, in my opinion, it's about as much different from what I learned about in church, as oil is to water, or day is to night. There is nothing to fear. Live you life as you so desire. Do what truly feels right to you. We'll sometimes mess up, but that's not sin, it's called being human. Try to do better each day than the last and you'll end up just fine.
Wait a minute Matie...you are above this kinda thing.
There IS a majority...and in a place with the population of Texas that IS a vast amount of people.
53% out of 100% is not a vast majority. You need to take a statistics class.
You put my feelings into words very well....thank you!
You're welcome!
Sorry you had to endure being brought up with a horrible lie, but at least you had enough sense to realize that it made no sense. Perhaps that Universal energy was protecting you from becoming a lost zombie.
I was more going for humans are less than (rather than one group over another) thing considering how you used that scripture in Isiah and your rational for killing all the inhabitants of the earth in the flood. God also killed all the animals that day too. I would assume a True Believer would also in some fashion consider themselves unworthy of salvation as well. Picking the right book to follow and the right men to tell you how to follow it is apparently how God separates the sheep from the goats.
What sins did you commit you need forgiveness for? I have made plenty of mistakes in my life but I reject the concept of sin. I vehemently reject the idea than we are born sinners.
Edit: what is this "your side" crap.
This tactic is right up there with trying to sucker people into joining a multi-level marketing scam. Remember when people used to wear a button that said, "ask me how to lose weight"?
No. God didn't pick me because I happened to choose the right book. I have no idea why God saved me. He hasn't seen fit to tell me.
Just go down the 10 commandments. I have not killed anyone, but I've hated -- which Jesus said was murder of the heart. I haven't committed adultery, but as every red-blooded man has, I've lusted in my heart. I've dishonored my parents. I've lied, stolen, etc. Every one of us has at some point.
Even you. You may say "Well, I've never stolen"....ok, fine. You've broken the rest of them, and you've lived in rebellion against God. Your sexuality is only one tiny bit of your sin.
Don't agree with me? OK. God disagrees---because he's said it about all human beings.
My apologies if that offended you---I really didn't mean to. I was referring to others that are like-minded with you and that would disagree with me.
Yikers! It sounds to me like you are being pretty hard on yourself. That thing about having hatred being like murdering someone doesn't sound right to me. Usually when I am hating one someone they have no idea and I am the one that suffers. There are a couple of people at work that rub me the wrong way and they come up and talk to me all the time seemingly oblivious to the fact that I can't stand them. I probably talk to people who don't like me too and I just don't know it. So I am going to say the only person you can hurt with your thoughts is yourself. It's a good thing I can only get judged as I judge, right? I do tend to let a lot of things slide based on someone having a bad day so maybe God does the same for me.
You didn't offend me, even if you did no apology would be necessary as that would fall under my problem. There you go with God says again. YOU say. You got your viewpoint from what you believe to be God's word. Other believers come to different conclusions, even about which book is right, so saying "God says" is really jumping the gun.
Is saying you don't have any idea why God saw fit to choose you to save fall under humility? Does even asking fall under arrogance. I ask this because when I was a little JW kid I asked myself this. I never could come up with an answer outside of "why not me?', even to a little kid that's kind of a lame answer.
Yikers! It sounds to me like you are being pretty hard on yourself. That thing about having hatred being like murdering someone doesn't sound right to me. Usually when I am hating one someone they have no idea and I am the one that suffers. There are a couple of people at work that rub me the wrong way and they come up and talk to me all the time seemingly oblivious to the fact that I can't stand them. I probably talk to people who don't like me too and I just don't know it. So I am going to say the only person you can hurt with your thoughts is yourself. It's a good thing I can only get judged as I judge, right? I do tend to let a lot of things slide based on someone having a bad day so maybe God does the same for me.
It's what Jesus said. God demands perfection of us--which I am not. The good news is that through Jesus I'm forgiven. You can be, as well.
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You didn't offend me, even if you did no apology would be necessary as that would fall under my problem. There you go with God says again. YOU say. You got your viewpoint from what you believe to be God's word. Other believers come to different conclusions, even about which book is right, so saying "God says" is really jumping the gun.
God claimed it to be his word. I'm merely quoting it. I recognize that you don't believe it.
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Is saying you don't have any idea why God saw fit to choose you to save fall under humility? Does even asking fall under arrogance. I ask this because when I was a little JW kid I asked myself this. I never could come up with an answer outside of "why not me?', even to a little kid that's kind of a lame answer.
I have questioned that, myself. I don't know, though. The Bible says it's unconditional -- it's not based on anything we do, say, or believe. God has his reasons--and it's based on HIS reasoning, not mine. That's the definition of Grace -- it's unmerited favor.
Am I the only one who finds it rather amusing that Gldn, King of Definitions, is saying that the definition or meaning of "vast majority" is irrelevant? Typical fundy..... just of fundy with different stripes.
I'm just fine with the definition. No problem at all. BTW..."vast majority" is not a word. If you look up "vast", and look up "majority"...you will get the idea I was conveying just fine.
I explained that my noting "Texas is vast majority Christian" is different than noting, "the vast majority of Texans are Christian".
In hindsight it probably woulda been best if I put a comma in there. Matie is super-smart...she will understand my clarification just fine.
No big deal. Either way, though, it didn't change my point a bit...that anyone that is bothered by Religion will be constantly reminded of it in Texas, USA due to the vast amount of Religious people there.
The POINT...that is what matters.
If I was Texan, and had his views...I'd move. Some places are just a better "fit" for people.
I have questioned that, myself. I don't know, though. The Bible says it's unconditional -- it's not based on anything we do, say, or believe. God has his reasons--and it's based on HIS reasoning, not mine. That's the definition of Grace -- it's unmerited favor.
Woah...truth bomb...drops mic
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What a crock of you know what!
