ACRONYM SOUP, or how to run everyone off...

[Anonymous]

We wont have to wait for Ashcroft and Delay to burn him at the stake, keep that fire extinguisher handy for the likes of P.A. and a few other zealots around here!

[ClayL]

I'm certain this is what you are saying, but...

Wouldn't a relationship where one person demands the partner in the relationship follow their every whim upon pain of severe punishment be equal to slavery?

The God I happen to believe in gave me the ability to think for myself and free will. I also believe that God gave me these things because I was intended to use them.

That will be 2 cents please....

CL

[ This Message was edited by: ClayL on 2003-04-23 06:01 ]

[ehm]

If the God you worship, is not a God of a certain religion, then that statement wouldn't apply to you.  

"a relationship where one person demands the partner in the relationship follow their every whim upon pain of severe punishment be equal to slavery?"

I think that would equal a person who was choosing slavery over free thinking or freedom.
 
Morli

[METALGOD8]

Does free will include the act of fornication? I believe that if someone is married, like me, that they should save their sexual organs for their own spouse. How all these people, both private and public do the tube snake boogie with other people than spouses and claim to be religious is beyond me. Can't be both can you? I think it is rather hypocritical. If you're married, it seems like you chose to be with that person and none other. Free will has nothing to do with that now does it? How can you fear god and be an adulterer? If you are having sex with people outside your marriage, then you will surely go to hell, unless of course, god forgives you. But you won't know if he will do that until you die, so whatever... LOL.. BTW...Not tryin to be a zealot, unless those who make rules to suit themselves believe it. What is worse?... A non-believer in god or allah and a law abiding citizen, or a god fearing adulterer  :question:
MG8 :smokin:

[85 Day Jerk]

My religion (Southern Baptist) teaches that as long as you repent, you are forgiven.  Now the act
of repentance is not simply throwing a 20 in the offering plate, or hitting the confessional booth or any of that crap, it is the actual act of being PENTATENT, which is no longer taking part of whatever act of sin you are currently doing.  I am all for Lawyers, Adulterers, Car Salesmen, SUV owners, and Ambassadors to Italy making it to heaven.  That way I'll have someone to call on when my toilet backs up.  I do believe that heaven will have it's own LOW RENT DISTRICT and that is where these people will end up eventually.

[ This Message was edited by: 85 Day Jerk on 2003-04-23 11:53 ]

[not a fuckhead]

Arrogance, pride.( I?m talking about not choosing religion here.)

"a little arrogance (maybe really only confidence) and more extreme, self-centered arrogance? Must we always be at one extreme to avoid the opposite extreme? A little arrogance won't hurt you. Try it."

Meaning exactly that. I?m not talking about the worst extreme of arrogance.
I have seen an enormous amount of arrogance from certain people on this board. That is not the variety of arrogance I meant.

[Anonymous]

You know, for people who don't believe in God, you sure are spending a lot of time talking about Him!! So here's a suggestion: instead of speculating on what you think a loving God would or would not do, and instead of debating on how you think a believer should and should not conduct themselves, how about you read the Bible and find out for yourselves?

Because, whether you want to believe in hell or not, God tells us that His "people are destroyed for lack of knowledge." Ignorance of the law is no excuse. Either you believe and are saved or you don't and spend eternity the way you've spent it on earth, apart from God. There is no third choice. Like it or lump it, it is what it is. But, instead of taking my opinion, pick up a Bible and form your own.

[Anonymous]

Which one?

[Anonymous]

So, I am so very curious of all of these Jesus Freaks (those who would thrust their religious belief upon others). If you could simply answer me this simple question:

John 6:35 Jesus said to them, "I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never be hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty."

Do any of you drink or eat? If so Why? Is it just for pleasure or for necessity of life?


Until you can sustain eternal life without ever being thirsty or hungry you should look harder for your own beliefs, and let the rest of us alone to find our own path.

[wayeast]

<<"You know, for people who don't believe in God, you sure are spending a lot of time talking about Him!! So here's a suggestion:...But, instead of taking my opinion, pick up a Bible and form your own.
"

I've heard this pitch before, and it would be funny if so many people didn't fall for it. I haven't seen anyone here criticize god in any way: it's evangelicals that are taking the heat. The only thing is, the evangelicals can't believe it's really about them. So they come up with this theory that everybody who has a problem with certain Christians is resisting god's will.

This is the "heads I win, tails you lose" approach. If you believe as they do, it's a sign of god's majesty, because you've seen the light. If you don't believe as they do, then god must be real, because otherwise you wouldn't be resisting his will by not becoming a Christian.

I do agree with one thing, though. Read the Bible. Read it all the way through, not just the most-quoted parts. Study it. Compare verses. If you spend enough time with it, you'll begin to see it for what it really is. A fascinating historical document that is self-contradictory at many levels. If more evangelical Christians read the Bible, there would be fewer evangelical Christians.

This is not an endorsement of the post talking about bread of life and not being hungry, by the way. The bread of life is a metaphor not intended to be taken literally.

[Anonymous]

On 2003-04-23 18:33:00, wayeast wrote:

"I've heard this pitch before, and it would be funny if so many people didn't fall for it. I haven't seen anyone here criticize god in any way: it's evangelicals that are taking the heat. The only thing is, the evangelicals can't believe it's really about them. So they come up with this theory that everybody who has a problem with certain Christians is resisting god's will."

Well Said ::rocker::

On 2003-04-23 18:33:00, wayeast wrote:

"This is not an endorsement of the post talking about bread of life and not being hungry, by the way. The bread of life is a metaphor not intended to be taken literally."

Which is my point EXACTLY. Anyone of any religion can pick up a bible, read it, then interpret in their own way. There is no single religion which has the right to claim that their interpretation is correct. But my statement still stands.

If you are out there preaching forcibly about your religion and how great it is, you yourself must have doubts. You are eagerly using others to question what you fear, for religion in of it's self breeds fear, for anyone who questions the word will be going to hell.

The lover of life's not a sinner
The ending is just a beginner
The closer you get to the meaning
The sooner you'll know that you're dreaming

It's all Heaven And Hell ::nod::

[Anonymous]

Put it this way, if a wine drinker found an old bottle in the cellar, they would want to share the joy they had found.

That's what a believer does.

So here's a clue, if a "believer" incites you to anger they are misguided and uninformed. You focus on those who, although they may be believers, have personal issues still to be worked out. These people, of course, are not examples but then, you never know where they were before you encountered them. God is still working on them.

But from my point of view, none of you are debating Buddha, or Muhammed, or any other religion. Just Christianity. And it seems to me, that whenever a believer speaks of their faith, there is zero tolerance for that person's expression on this board.

Take for example FL Bill, why does he feel compelled to make a derogatory comment when someone expresses their faith? Why is it acceptable for him to express his opinion, but not for the person of faith? Am I making sense?

Or take for example VA Bill who says it doesn't matter if his neighbor thinks he is going to hell because he doesn't believe in it. And that's so sad. But what could I do? Preach to him on the board? No. Instead, I just pray that you take an open mind and find your own answers.

But so far, all I see is people discussing an issue they really don't know about, but for whatever reason, they loathe. So let go of whatever bad examples you've encountered, and take a look at THE example: Jesus. That's who a Christian is supposed to be like and if they aren't, then tell them they aren't! Not everyone can see their own weaknesses, you know.

And I'm sorry if my response offends you in any way but it's true, you are letting your biases get in the way of educating yourselves on the matter. God held you in His hands and beautifully and wonderfully created you. There is no other human on earth just like you, there never has been, nor shall their ever be! You are unique and special and God loves you so much that He gave you His Word, and His son, just so you would never be seperated from Him. And yet, you are, because you won't let go of whatever idiot turned you off in the first place. Again, that is so sad! You've let some fool rob you.

I found healing through developing a relationship with the Creator. I used to loathe myself, but now I have self-esteem which developed when I found out how God looks at me and feels about me. He doesn't think I'm a druggie or a loser or a sinner or whatever label you think. He loves you exactly as you are. And don't let any religion tell you any differently, no matter what your lifestyle is! God hates sin, but He loves you! Listen to what God has to tell you, not to what a religion says.

I don't feel compelled to save your soul, however, when I see you questioning, I have to respond. I don't see anyone on the board forcing their religion on you, but sometimes it feels like you are forcing your anti-religion on US. So we speak up. See? It goes round and round. I see you struggling for answers, so I respond. No disrespect intended it's just the American way for all of us to express our own opinions.

And last, yes, you can interpret the Bible in your own way. But you can't misinterpret the basics: hell exists, God exists, prophecy has been fulfilled, and these ARE the last days. And you are incorrect when you say no single religion has a right to say that is the only way. Jesus Christ claimed that right when He died and rose again. Don't believe the Bible? Then read what the Romans had to say in Josephus's book (in the public library) about Jesus.

And finally, speaking for myself, I have absolutely no doubts about my Lord whatsoever. I discuss Him because he is so freaking awesome that I just can't help myself. My God is an awesome God and everyone should know how marvellous and wonderful He is!!!!!!!!! I just want to share the joy. And hey, with discussions like this, I get to!  :grin:

[METALGOD8]

AND ON THE 8th DAY, god CREATED MEL SEMBLER
AND SAID, "HMMMMM, HE WILL BE MY SHINER OF 12,000 LIGHTS"
 :nworthy:  :nworthy:  :nworthy:  :nworthy:

MG8 :smokin:

[Anonymous]

On 2003-04-24 07:02:00, Anonymous wrote:
"Put it this way, if a wine drinker found an old bottle in the cellar, they would want to share the joy they had found.That's what a believer does.

If a wine drinker offered some whine, but the person refused, the wine drinker would not continue on about the merits of his wine and how bad things would happen if you did not partake.

On 2003-04-24 07:02:00, Anonymous wrote:

But from my point of view, none of you are debating Buddha, or Mohammed, or any other religion. Just Christianity. And it seems to me, that whenever a believer speaks of their faith, there is zero tolerance for that person's expression on this board.

Oddly enough, I don't see anyone here trying to quote me versus from the Koran, or telling me that I should become a Buddhist because that is the only way I will be saved or be able to find any peace. I don't see any of these religious faction "preaching" there religion here, do you? I guess if they did, people would eventual tire as then have with Christians knocking on their door and 7:00AM on a Saturday morning.

On 2003-04-24 07:02:00, Anonymous wrote:
But so far, all I see is people discussing an issue they really don't know about, but for whatever reason, they loathe. So let go of whatever bad examples you've encountered, and take a look at THE example: Jesus. That's who a Christian is supposed to be like and if they aren't, then tell them they aren't! Not everyone can see their own weaknesses, you know.

So, again you point out that everyone who is not in agreement with your personal religious practices ignorant and angry. Then you go on to "PREACH" some more. Further destroying your own credibility.

On 2003-04-24 07:02:00, Anonymous wrote:
I found healing through developing a relationship with the Creator. I used to loathe myself, but now I have self-esteem which developed when I found out how God looks at me and feels about me. He doesn't think I'm a druggie or a loser or a sinner or whatever label you think.

And here is my point. If you or anyone feel the need for religion in order to feel good about yourself, the more power to ya, but don't preach to me. I am fine with myself and my life. I lead a good life, I love myself and my family. I do not need organized religion, prozack, or zoloft to feel good about myself.

It is a shame that you people feel the need to attempt to fill a void which only you see within other people who are perfectly happy with them selves.

On 2003-04-24 07:02:00, Anonymous wrote:
I don't feel compelled to save your soul, however, when I see you questioning, I have to respond. I don't see anyone on the board forcing their religion on you, but sometimes it feels like you are forcing your anti-religion on US. So we speak up.

It was your speaking up, your wearing of religion on your sleave in order to be able to more readily point at it at every single opportunity that comes along.

Tell me, did some anti-religious people come knocking on your door and preach to you about how you should not love god, or that Jesus was a false prophet? Are there anti-religious people hanging out in the street handing out pamphlets that are intended to "destroy" the word of God or to convert people to non-religon? Do you see anti-religious people sign their posts with "Down with God".

On 2003-04-24 07:02:00, Anonymous wrote:
I see you struggling for answers, so I respond.

Struggling, are we? I don't think so. You are so easily bated, and are so willing to put down any interpretation other then your own.

On 2003-04-24 07:02:00, Anonymous wrote:
And last, yes, you can interpret the Bible in your own way. But you can't misinterpret the basics: hell exists, God exists, prophecy has been fulfilled, and these ARE the last days.

If you read the bible as so many here are saying we should, you would know that Jesus said EXACTLY the same thing. Man has been saying the exact same thing for thousands of years. I guess you will eventually be right. One day our sun will go supernova, or we may be hit by yet another meteorite of proportion to wipe out our existence, or some sick bastard may just push that button. But then you will juyst say that God did it won't you. You will then look back and re-twist the passages within revelation and history to mesh to your idea of the end.

On 2003-04-24 07:02:00, Anonymous wrote:
And you are incorrect when you say no single religion has a right to say that is the only way. Jesus Christ claimed that right when He died and rose again. Don't believe the Bible? Then read what the Romans had to say in Josephus's book (in the public library) about Jesus.

Again, here you are touting that your religion is better then all others.

Now, let me state openly that I am not a Muslim. That being said, since Jesus came and his teachings surpass that of which cam before him such as Moses, then surly the teachings of Mohammed must take precedence over that of Jesus.

[Carmel]

Well, I have to say here...that the issue really isnt about whether or not God or Jesus or Heaven or Hell exists....the issue is whether or not people have enough respect to acknowledge that people who dont share their beliefs, no matter what they are, should not be related to in a way that minimizes their point of view.  

Even though your post Anon, is very unassuming in its delivery, its still seems to contain the very aspects of "preaching" for lack of a better term, which turns people like me off to it.  There is a tone of pity expressed on those who do not believe as you do...and in essence, conveys a general air of superiority that is mildly offensive to some who dont share your particluar spiritual path.  Many people feel just as strongly and deeply about their own belief just as you do, and to make a statement that you feel sad or sorry for someone who is "lost" can be interpreted as an insult.  We should all have the opportunity to SHARE our thoughts and feelings about our own PERSONAL spiritual relationships,how we percieve them for ourselves and how they have affected OUR lives, however, its probably better to refrain from making a generalization concerning someone elses lack of agreement with your perception, at least in the way of religion and personal beliefs.  It is my understanding that this, from the Christian point of view, is truly "witnessing". Relating ones own personal experience in the hopes that others may see hope and attempt to make the journey themselves.  I think its when we cross the line from speaking of ourselves, to encompass others and demand their acknowledgement of our own perceptions, that we become offensive.  We should be able to convey our story, and be just as accepting of a negative response as we are of a positive one.  If "God" needs that person to be a believer, then "God" will make them one.....no matter how much or for how long we flap our tounges at them!

I love to share my meaningful experiences regarding my beliefs, but I would be wrong in assuming that because others have not shared my particular experience, that they are missing out.  I have to respect that their own personal path has been just as profound for them as mine has for me.  And that "God" (my way of saying Higher Power - whatever that or they may be to whomever) is big enough, and wise enough to understand the differences and accept them all among everyone.