Originally posted by ushomefree
King Kandy-Have you ever met a Christian man, woman or child? If so, you'd never associate them with members of the Westboro Baptist Church.
I do not (and cannot) understand your connection attached toWestboro Baptist Church members as being Christian.
How are they so?
Originally posted by ushomefree
Hell is taught just the same as bankruptcy during economic courses. Although it's not the core of the message, it's important to understand. It puts things into perspective. You act as if children, even adults, are locked into an insane asylum and brainwashed into becoming Christian with repetitive verses about hell.People become Christian because they are moved by Christ, not the chance of vacationing in hell for eternity. Hell does not have the power to captivate people, but Jesus' love for His creation does. I pray, that someday you will understand.
Hell does exist; it is not a bunsen burner, however. Hell is NOT a place of "physical" anguish, but of "spiritual" anguish. In hell everything is lost, even freedom.
Would you burn in hell if you left Christianity and became something like a Buddhist?
Also, are you not subject to judgment and being cast into the lake of fire if you do not take Jesus as your savor?
If I wished to lead Buddhism, I would not burn in a Buddhist hell or be judged by a Buddhist god. It seems to me that you are motivated to become a Christian and stay a Christian because of the fear of punishment.
Originally posted by ushomefree
YouTube video[b]I do not (and cannot) understand your connection attached to
Westboro Baptist Church members as being Christian.
How are they so? [/B]
What I can't understand, is how you fail to realize they are Christians. Because they use fear? Obviously the mere existence of this thread shows that can't be the reason.
Originally posted by Shakyamunison
If I wished to lead Buddhism, I would not burn in a Buddhist hell or be judged by a Buddhist god. It seems to me that you are motivated to become a Christian and stay a Christian because of the fear of punishment.
Bad example. The only reason you remain Buddhist is because (as you are so quick to remind others) any other beliefs are delusions.
Originally posted by Symmetric Chaos
Bad example. The only reason you remain Buddhist is because (as you are so quick to remind others) any other beliefs are delusions.
No, that does not keep me here (as a Buddhist). I choose... There is no punishment for me if I leave. In other words I am not a Buddhist out of fear. I am a Buddhist because I want to be. As a Christian, my experience was quite the opposite.
Originally posted by ushomefree
Hold on gentleman, I feel overwhelmed. I understand that this is an open forum, but I can only entertain one comment and/or question at a time. Give me a moment, please. Thank you.
Sorry ushomefree, but you are not the center of the world. Keep up as you can.
Originally posted by ShakyamunisonWould you burn in hell if you left Christianity and became something like a Buddhist?
This is a loaded question; let me explain. Biblical Christians are "born again." A Christian, having been blessed with the Holy Spirit, is eternally Christ's. In other words, people who profess to be Christian -- but loose their faith -- were never Christian to begin with. They may have had the best intentions, but they put faith in their works, not Christ's. They completely missed the point, and they were doomed to fail from the beginning. If this does not make sense, please let me know. I'll explain.
Originally posted by ShakyamunisonAlso, are you not subject to judgment and being cast into the lake of fire if you do not take Jesus as your savor?
That is correct, but I have zero fear of hell. It is non-existent.
Originally posted by ShakyamunisonIf I wished to lead Buddhism, I would not burn in a Buddhist hell or be judged by a Buddhist god. It seems to me that you are motivated to become a Christian and stay a Christian because of the fear of punishment.
That is your opinion, but why do you hold such beliefs?
* some "christians" became "christians" because of fear for which, in my opinion, are fake Christians... because in the Bible, Christians are followers/disciples of Christ voluntarily and not by force... and it also depends on the culture, say for example in Asian history, the country Philippines in particular, discovered by the Portuguese Magellan (c/o Spain) blatantly forced Catholicism to the natives... if they do not believe, they'll be persecuted, killed and branded as "ingrates" by the Spanish-dominated society and this went on for more than 300 years since 16th century where Spain colonized/enslaved the Philippines... in this scenario, who would not be a Catholic because of fear? sadly, majority of Filipinos still embrace Catholicism up until now, more than 85% of the country's population are all Catholics...
Originally posted by Shakyamunison Would you burn in hell if you left Christianity and became something like a Buddhist?Also, are you not subject to judgment and being cast into the lake of fire if you do not take Jesus as your savor?
* you still cling to your former religion's obvious misinterpretations... in the Bible, there is hope in the mercy of God even if you left Christianity:
"This you know, that all those in Asia have turned away from me, among whom are Phygellus and Hermogenes.
The Lord grant mercy to the household of Onesiphorus, for he often refreshed me, and was not ashamed of my chain;
But when he arrived in Rome, he sought me out very zealously and found me.
The Lord grant to him that he may find mercy from the Lord in that Day -- and you know very well how many ways he ministered to me at Ephesus."
II Timothy 1:15-18
* and also, God is the savior of all people, may it be believer or not, Christian or not...
"For to this end we both labor and suffer reproach, because we trust in the living God, who is the Savior of all men, especially of those who believe."
I Timothy 4:10
* now, saying otherwise means your former religion obviously carries wrong interpretation of the Scriptures...
Originally posted by Shakyamunison If I wished to lead Buddhism, I would not burn in a Buddhist hell or be judged by a Buddhist god. It seems to me that you are motivated to become a Christian and stay a Christian because of the fear of punishment.
* it seems to me you are motivated to be a Buddhist because you were brainwashed by the wrong teachings of your former religion claiming to be a Christian group...
Originally posted by Shakyamunison
No, that does not keep me here (as a Buddhist). I choose... There is no punishment for me if I leave. In other words I am not a Buddhist out of fear. I am a Buddhist because I want to be.
Being "trapped in delusions" is the exact sort of threat or punishment you're talking about. You stay Buddhist because you are afraid that if you switch to a different system it's the same as being insane, that's what your faith teaches and indeed it is what you preach to others. Seeing you try to pretend different is an absolutely priceless bit of hypocrisy.
Originally posted by ushomefree
This is a loaded question; let me explain. Biblical Christians are "born again." A Christian, having been blessed with the Holy Spirit, is eternally Christ's. In other words, people who profess to be Christian -- but loose their faith -- were never Christian to begin with. They may have had the best intentions, but they put faith in their works, not Christ's. They completely missed the point, and they were doomed to fail from the beginning. If this does not make sense, please let me know. I'll explain.
Your logic is flawed. You can’t be fore sure you are even saved with that way of thinking. In other words, if you have any doubt you were never saved in the first place. That sounds like fear to me.
Originally posted by ushomefree
That is correct, but I have zero fear of hell. It is non-existent.
I wasn’t talking about you. Anyone can push fear way down deep inside, and be in complete denial. Or not have fear because they have been conditioned. I don’t know your story, and this is not personal. I am talking about Christianity in general.
Originally posted by ushomefree
That is your opinion, but why do you hold such beliefs?
You are only trying to dismiss what I say about how I believe by saying that is your opinion.
I used to be a Christian, and I know what it is like to have the “holy spirit” in me. I left because of the evil people in the church I was in. Years later, I found Buddhism, and now I have that same feeling that I had before, when I chant.
Originally posted by peejayd
* some "christians" became "christians" because of fear for which, in my opinion, are fake Christians... because in the Bible, Christians are followers/disciples of Christ voluntarily and not by force... and it also depends on the culture, say for example in Asian history, the country Philippines in particular, discovered by the Portuguese Magellan (c/o Spain) blatantly forced Catholicism to the natives... if they do not believe, they'll be persecuted, killed and branded as "ingrates" by the Spanish-dominated society and this went on for more than 300 years since 16th century where Spain colonized/enslaved the Philippines... in this scenario, who would not be a Catholic because of fear? sadly, majority of Filipinos still embrace Catholicism up until now, more than 85% of the country's population are all Catholics...* you still cling to your former religion's obvious misinterpretations... in the Bible, there is hope in the mercy of God even if you left Christianity:
"This you know, that [b]all those in Asia have turned away from me
, among whom are Phygellus and Hermogenes.
The Lord grant mercy to the household of Onesiphorus, for he often refreshed me, and was not ashamed of my chain;
But when he arrived in Rome, he sought me out very zealously and found me.
The Lord grant to him that he may find mercy from the Lord in that Day -- and you know very well how many ways he ministered to me at Ephesus."
II Timothy 1:15-18* and also, God is the savior of all people, may it be believer or not, Christian or not...
"For to this end we both labor and suffer reproach, because we trust in the living God, who is the Savior of all men, especially of those who believe."
I Timothy 4:10* now, saying otherwise means your former religion obviously carries wrong interpretation of the Scriptures...
* it seems to me you are motivated to be a Buddhist because you were brainwashed by the wrong teachings of your former religion claiming to be a Christian group... [/B]
This is the same flawed logic, but you are more "forgiving".
Originally posted by ushomefree
This is a loaded question; let me explain. Biblical Christians are "born again." A Christian, having been blessed with the Holy Spirit, is eternally Christ's. In other words, people who profess to be Christian -- but loose their faith -- were never Christian to begin with. They may have had the best intentions, but they put faith in their works, not Christ's. They completely missed the point, and they were doomed to fail from the beginning. If this does not make sense, please let me know. I'll explain.
You can't have that and have free will. If they were doomed to fail from the beginning then they didn't have the ability to choose, that was a path already blocked for them by fate. This also leads to Calvinist style predestination in which case Christianity is rendered totally moot.
Originally posted by Symmetric Chaos
Being "trapped in delusions" is the exact sort of threat or punishment you're talking about. You stay Buddhist because you are afraid that if you switch to a different system it's the same as being insane, that's what your faith teaches and indeed it is what you preach to others. Seeing you try to pretend different is an absolutely priceless bit of hypocrisy.
That is a stretch. You forget that I believe that like the elephant and the 5 blind men, no one can know what the truth is. This delusion, for me, is the clearest delusion, but now were are off topic and we are going to do nothing but confuse everyone. Perhaps a different thread, and I different time.