Originally posted by Nellinator
Changes in my life for the better that never would have occurred without Him and His grace.
I'm happy for you then. 🙂
I've had great changes occur in my life, and my life is far better now than it was before...however, i dont thnk God had ne thing to do with it, especially seeing as how i dont beleive in him.
If i dont beleive in him, then my default, i am not welcoming him into my life...so where do these recent blessings come from i wondor....
Maybe your not who you think you are. Now, I suspect that you will disagree with me rather vehemently, but in my experience in psychology I've been surprised how radically people can change their entire identity upon having an epiphany, though it should be mentioned that this is not always positive.
Originally posted by Nellinator
Maybe your not who you think you are. Now, I suspect that you will disagree with me rather vehemently, but in my experience in psychology I've been surprised how radically people can change their entire identity upon having an epiphany, though it should be mentioned that this is not always positive.
If God really loved me, he would see me for who I am and love that. He would know I do not aim to hurt anybody, I am warm hearted, sensitive and loving.
If the fact that I am Gay and Liberal bothers him in anyway, then his love is not complete, and his biases are stronger than his love.
I do not welcome that kind of love.
Originally posted by Lord UrizenThat's not necessarily true. Liberality doesn't necessarily bother God so long as it is moral. Immorality bothers God, but that does not make His love incomplete considering He knows that you can be better than you are.
If God really loved me, he would see me for who I am and love that. He would know I do not aim to hurt anybody, I am warm hearted, sensitive and loving.If the fact that I am Gay and Liberal bothers him in anyway, then his love is not complete, and his biases are stronger than his love.
I do not welcome that kind of love.
Originally posted by Nellinator
That's not necessarily true. Liberality doesn't necessarily bother God so long as it is moral.
What exactly does "moral" mean to you?
That word is so over used and empty to me now...it means nothing to me. Compassion, love, understanding, and peace are all that matter to me. Nothing of your Bible, or Conservative values mean anything of substance to me, sorry.
Originally posted by Nellinator
Immorality bothers God, but that does not make His love incomplete considering He knows that you can be better than you are.
what does that mean ? better than you are.
You mean STRAIGHT ? 😬
Originally posted by Lord UrizenMorality would be objectively measured by God and what He tells us through the Bible.
What exactly does "moral" mean to you?That word is so over used and empty to me now...it means nothing to me. Compassion, love, understanding, and peace are all that matter to me. Nothing of your Bible, or Conservative values mean anything of substance to me, sorry.
what does that mean ? better than you are.
You mean STRAIGHT ? 😬
'Conservative values' means very little to me as it is also very overused. I support many 'liberal' causes though I simply consider them moral causes (that is I am against racism, helping the disadvantaged, crime prevention etc. through social programs), however I am not morally liberal (that is I am against abortion, etc.).
Better than you are means that God knows you are capable of living a better, more moral life, full of the success, joy, and prosperity that He promises those that simply accept it.
Lord Urzien, the branch of Christianity that I believe in, Universalism, states that God accepts you as you are, because God made you and loves you. Everything that God created is good. I do not believe that homosexuality is a sin. I have studied the bible and booksa bout this bible and found that the places where they were talking about homosexuality, they were talking about relations between men and young boys. Jesus came to earth to spread compassion, love, understanding, and peace amongst his fellow men. I think that's where the message gets garbled up. The bible was written in a patriarichal society, and I think it is good to treat the bible as an historical document, but I think it is most important to remember and focus Christianity on the one upon whose name it is based- Jesus Christ. Who died for everyone, Christian or no. I think he quite literally erased all the sins that people ever did or ever will do so we don't have to worry about that any more, and if that's not an act of compassion I don't know what is. That's why it gets me so angry when people like Marchello begin to talk about condeming others and vengeful God - Jesus erased all that.
All right. I've talked enough. I suppose I seem like some hippie liberal Christian, and I suppose that's what I am. But I've had a lot of time to think about it, and some things have happened in my life that have made me think about it. So... I guess that's my conclusion.
Originally posted by Nellinator
However, God doing what He wants does include loving and caring about us.
Be that as it may, if there was any reality in the ramblings of Marcello I would question the rationality, and indeed the claim, of real loving and caring if "He doesn't care one wit what His CREATION thinks or objects to."
I am fairly sure love really needs respect, and more then that communication, and respect for what the other person has to say.
Does God respect us? Hard to believe, with the number of Christians who quote Biblical passages about how humanity is pretty much scum. "Bah Ha!" one cries "it isn't disrespectful if it is true." Well, sure, but I, and many others, would dispute claims humanity is basically scummy with the occasional act of good. And I would say that having so little faith in ones own creation is hardly a respectful action.
Does God really listen to us? Marcello apparently doesn't think so, but then he is kind of a fool, so maybe that doesn't count. And does he respect our opionions, and what we think?
Morality would be objectively measured by God and what He tells us through the Bible.
Although wouldn't that in itself be subjective? As in it is what God apparently believes is what? Feceman in another thread commented that immorality is also letting something bad go on when it can be stopped... well, if that isn't God to a T.
And the Bible. Regrettable it is so very interpretable.
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*["Lord Urzien, the branch of Christianity that I believe in, Universalism, states that God accepts you as you are..."]
***Your "religion" may state that...but the Scriptures DO NOT. In point of fact, the Scriptures state that you are a SINNER [Romans 3:23]...UNRIGHTEOUS [Romans 3:10-11] and on your way to everlasting PERDITION because your SIN has earned you DEATH [Romans 6:23].
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*["because God made you and loves you.."]
***That is correct. In fact, He loves you so much that He sent His only begotten Son to redeem you [John 3:16]...but you have made Jesus SACRIFICE for you of NONE EFFECT by your fallacious belief by focusing on God's love and His conveyance of such love by grace. This is pure DECEIT for the major premise of UNIVERSALISM is the predetermined decree of God's objective to save all men. This is a fallacious starting point that posits a predetermined objective that is then used to define and justify God's CHARACTER of "love" and His functional grace.
It is true that "God is love" [1 John 4:8,16]. Love describes WHO God IS...NOT something God HAS in order to DISTRIBUTE to others. The God WHO is love PRECEDED the CREATION of man...and He was COMPLETE and FULFILLED in His TRINITARIAN love expression from eternity-past. God did NOT have to save mankind THROUGH Christ in order "to prove Himself" to be love. There was NO external logical mandate that necessarily implied that in order "to be true to Himself," He had to act to save ALL fallen creatures. This IMPINGES upon the ABSOLUTE FREEDOM of God to FUNCTION as the God that He is...and BINDS God in a LOGICAL NECESSITY [which defines HUMAN LOGIC and relegates God as the INSTRUMENTATION of such]..
BOTTOM-LINE: UNIVERSALISM robs God of the SOVEREIGNTY of His OWN WILL and makes Him the INSTRUMENTATION of HUMAN LOGIC.
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*["...Everything that God created is good..."]
***Correct...but you forgot to mention that God told Adam and Eve that if they ATE of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil they would DIE in THAT "day" (i.e., Spiritual death) [Genesis 2:17]...and they DID. Too, God sentenced them to DEATH physically...to wit: "In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread, till thou RETURN unto the GROUND; for out of it wast thou taken: for DUST thou art, and unto DUST shalt thou return" [Genesis 3:19].
So then...Adam and Eve "earned" their DEATH sentences by eating of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil...for it is written: "For the WAGES of SIN is DEATH, but the GIFT of God is ETERNAL Life through Jesus Christ our Lord" [Romans 6:23]. When Adam fell he lost his RIGHTEOUSNESS and became a SINNER...and He passed his fallen NATURE on this his children [US...ALL of mankind...Romans 3:10-11].
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*["I do not believe that homosexuality is a sin..."]
***It does NOT matter what YOU believe [for WHAT you believe is EVIDENCE of your LOST condition]...it is WHAT God says in His WORD that is VALID...to wit: "Wherefore God also gave them up to uncleanness through the LUSTS of their own hearts, to DISHONOUR their own bodies between themselves: Who changed the truth of God into a LIE, and worshipped and served the creature more than the CREATOR, who is blessed for ever. Amen. For this cause God gave them up unto VILE AFFECTIONS: for even their women did change the NATURAL use into that which is AGAINST NATURE: And likewise also the MEN, leaving the NATURAL use of the WOMAN, burned in their LUST one toward another; men with men working that which is unseemly, and receiving in themselves that RECOMPENCE of their ERROR which is meet...Who knowing the JUDGMENT of God, that they which commit such things are WORTHY of DEATH, not only do the SAME, but have PLEASURE in them that do them" [Romans 1:24-27, 32].
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*["...I have studied the bible and booksa bout this bible and found that the places where they were talking about homosexuality, they were talking about relations between men and young boys..."]
***You are one SICK puppy!
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*["Jesus came to earth to spread compassion, love, understanding, and peace amongst his fellow men..."]
***That is a LIE! Jesus came to SAVE SINNERS: This is what the Apostle PAUL says: "This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to SAVE SINNERS of whom I am CHIEF" [1 Timothy 1:15]...and JESUS says the SAME THING...to wit: "For the Son of man is come to save that which was LOST" [Matthew 18:11].
The PEACE that The Lord Jesus BROUGHT is the PEACE OF SINS FORGIVEN [i.e., Justification...the INSTANTANEOUS event where God IMPUTES to the believer, the RIGHTEOUSNESS of Christ]]...to wit: "Therefore being JUSTIFIED by FAITH, we have PEACE with God through our Lord Jesus Christ: By whom also we have ACCESS by FAITH into His GRACE wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God" [Romans 5:1-2]. This PEACE is NOT the PEACE that unbelievers possess...for they have NO peace...but will, instead, experience the WRATH of Christ at His Coming.
(Continued)
Originally posted by Marchello
*["...I have studied the bible and booksa bout this bible and found that the places where they were talking about homosexuality, they were talking about relations between men and young boys..."]***You are one SICK puppy!
No people in the bible are a bunch of sick perverts.
Originally posted by Marchello
*["Jesus came to earth to spread compassion, love, understanding, and peace amongst his fellow men..."]***That is a LIE!
😐
Page 2:
*["...I think it is good to treat the bible as an historical document..."]
***Again you LIE. The Bible is the very Inspired Word of God: "All Scripture is given by INSPIRATION OF God, and is profitable for DOCTRINE, for REPROOF, for CORRECTION, for INSTRUCTION in RIGHTEOUSNESS: That the man of God may be PERFECT, throughly furnished unto all good works" [2 Timothy 3:16-17].
The reason that you lie about the Bible is that you DON'T want to believe it...for it CONDEMNS you as an UNREPENTANT SINNER. Your problem is that you THINK that you are forgiven and that SIN is of NO CONSEQUENCE to you. Too, your faulty HUMAN LOGIC puts you at ODDS with the Scriptures...but you have chosen to go with your LOGIC instead of the Scriptures which are very plain in their rebuttal of your LOGIC.
BOTTOM-LINE: You do NOT believe the Scriptures and do everything in your power to DISCREDIT them. Here is what the Lord Jesus Christ says about His word: "And if any man hear my words, and believe NOT, I judge him NOT: for I came NOT to judge the world, but to SAVE the world. He that REJECTETH me, and RECEIVETH not my WORDS, hath one that JUDGETH him: the WORD that I have SPOKEN, the SAME shall judge him in the LAST DAY" [John 12:47-48].
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*["...but I think it is most important to remember and focus Christianity on the one upon whose name it is based- Jesus Christ. Who died for everyone, Christian or no. I think he quite literally erased all the sins that people ever did or ever will do so we don't have to worry about that any more, and if that's not an act of compassion I don't know what is. That's why it gets me so angry when people like Marchello begin to talk about condeming others and vengeful God - Jesus erased all that."]
***Again you reveal the DECEIVER that you are. Indeed, the Lord Jesus Christ did die on the cross for the SINS of the WHOLE world: "And He is the PROPITIATION for our SINS: and NOT for ours ONLY, but also for the SINS of the WHOLE world" [1 John 2:2]. However, the fact that He did die for the SINS of the SINNERS of the whole WORLD does NOT mean that the whole WORLD will come to Him to have their SINS forgiven. The First chapter of the Gospel of John tells us the following: "He (Jesus) was in the WORLD, and the WORLD was MADE by Him, and the WORLD knew Him NOT. He came unto His own (people), and His own RECEIVED Him NOT. But as MANY (both Jew and Gentile) as RECEIVED Him, to THEM (i.e., those who RECEIVED Him) gave He POWER to BECOME the SONS (and DAUGHTERS) of God, even to THEM (who RECEIVED Him) that BELIEVE on His name" [John 1:10-12].
BOTTOM-LINE: The Bible is very clear as to whom are REDEEMED...it is THOSE who have RECEIVED the Lord Jesus Christ as Lord and Saviour [John 1:12]...those who have RECEIVED the GIFT of God [Romans 6:23] and NO ONE ELSE...for He is the ONLY MEDIATOR between God and men [1 Timothy 2:5]...and those who climb up to God by any other way are THIEVES and ROBBERS [John 10:1-11].
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*["All right. I've talked enough. I suppose I seem like some hippie liberal Christian, and I suppose that's what I am..."]
***You are, indeed, a "liberal"...but from your testimony on this board your views are ABSOLUTELY NOT CHRISTIAN...and so I must, of necessity, take you at your words and comparing them with Scripture...I must conclude that you are NOT a Christian...CONTRARY to your profession that you are.
Marchello
Originally posted by NellinatorNot if you're a believer in predestination... 🙄
Because he loves you.
That is correct. In fact, He loves you so much that He sent His only begotten Son to redeem youYeah, he copied the earlier gods...ie Mithra.
And Jesus did come to teach compassion, love..etc...IT was Paul that said he came to save sinners.