Originally posted by marcu
Am I open to the possibility of me being wrong about my faith in God?No. I think that I have learnt enough and heard enough to believe with everything that I have...that i am on the right path. Staying on that path and moving forward is the challenging part.
How is it challenging if there are no doubts ?
Originally posted by marcu
Challenging in the sense that It is hard for me to live a life that is pleasing to God.
And what does that mean exactly ?
Why do you need to "please God" ?
Originally posted by marcu
The world we live in makes that real hard to do.
You mean the world that your God created?
Originally posted by marcu
I am a talented sinner. 😮
Do you intend to hurt people ?
If not, then you have nothing to worry about.
I don't ever intend to hurt people, no. But, I often do I'm afraid.
It's more than that for me though. I have a difficult time praying as well as find reading the bible very hard to do. These are the things I believe help me grow closer to the God that I serve.
By the world we live in comment...yes, the one He created. But it is us the people that make it an ugly place to live at times...because of our sinful nature.
Christians should never walk around saying that they are not sinners or that they are any better than the next guy. I sin, you sin...we all sin. No one is exempt from that.
I forgot the rest of the questions. I have to go back and read now.
Originally posted by marcu
I don't ever intend to hurt people, no. But, I often do I'm afraid.It's more than that for me though. I have a difficult time praying as well as find reading the bible very hard to do. These are the things I believe help me grow closer to the God that I serve.
Tell me - why did God create us? So we could be unhappy lumps fretting about how unworthy we are and worrying that we don't live up to God's standards?
I know my parents, at the simplest, want me to be happy, and try to work towards making that happen. They are proud of me, and encourage me, and when I make a mistake, well, are understanding. Really, the way you talk about your approach to God sound, the whole "challenging" and "it is hard to do this etc" - it... well, I guess if it makes you happy, that is what matters.
But plenty of theists I have known, known of, aren't especially happy people, so tied up in knots as they are by their faith. And I see that and say "well, what is the purpose? Do you honestly think your God is up there saying "yes, they aren't happy, but they are doing there best to live up to my standards, so it is all cool." Like always I question a claim about a loving relationship where one side seems so unconcerned about the happiness, opinion or struggles of the other.
By the world we live in comment...yes, the one He created. But it is us the people that make it an ugly place to live at times...because of our sinful nature.
What about the ugly things we have no power over? The diseases, the natural disasters, the people that harm us through no fault of our own. What about Biblical claims of God doing ugly things? I fail to see how a creator can be completely beyond blame for flaws in his design. Sure, we should take responsibility, but the idea of God throwing his hands up and going "hey, don't blame me, I just designed the place" brings a cynical grin to my face.
Christians should never walk around saying that they are not sinners or that they are any better than the next guy. I sin, you sin...we all sin. No one is exempt from that.
Except sin isn't what matters - is it? The fact we are by default categorised as "sinners" - despite the majority of us doing nothing that we could get charged for in a court of law. Yet we are judged by that. Or are we?
No, apparently by the view of some we get issued with a "admit you are guilty, join my club, and you go to heaven. Anything else, at all, and you are buggered." That doesn't seem about sin at all, that seems about simply pledging yourself, regardless of actual actions, to one side in the hope it is the side that will ignore ones actions because you sided with it. Doesn't sound rational really. Just some sort of childish "my club is better then yours. My club is heaven, everyone else's is hell."
Originally posted by marcu
Am I open to the possibility of me being wrong about my faith in God?No. I think that I have learnt enough and heard enough to believe with everything that I have...that i am on the right path. Staying on that path and moving forward is the challenging part.
Originally posted by Rogue Jedi
agreed. i myself have been through some things that have convinced me of his existence.
What about those people who have been through things that convince them of some other God/gods existence? Are they wrong? Are you wrong? Are you both right in which case there is more then one god, thus making the idea anyone of them is all powerful or the only path to salvation questionable?
What about the people in the past who believed so strongly in gods of religions that have almost died out - they likely would have said something similar at the time - were they right at the time? Or were they always wrong?
What about those people who believed in a god of some sort, and then something happens that convinces them that that god doesn't exist, or at least not in the way presented... are they right? Wrong? All right along with the people who go continue to believe?
Originally posted by Rogue Jedi
not everyone is going to agree on one god to believe in. its up to the individual to decide what they believe in. i choose christ, thats just me.
Yes, but are you of the opinion that there is but one true God, but one way to get into heaven? And if a person doesn't join with Jesus then that person is unlikely to be saved?
Either yes - in which case someone, somewhere must be wrong, or no, in which case most major religions claims they are the "one correct path" are wrong.
Originally posted by Lord Urizen
Ofcourse, personally, this thread is meant to address Christians and Muslims, however, for the sake of being fair, I want to ask everyone this....Christians, Muslims, Jews, Buddhists, Hindus, Atheists, alike (and whatever other religion you identify with)
[b]Are you at ALL open to the possibility that you can be wrong ? That your beleifs/conclusions could be false ?
If so, why ?
If not, why not ? [/B]
Yes. Particulary because I cannot prove my religious claims, but I believe in them, and thats all that matters, I feel.
Maybe once we figure out how the Universe came to be, my religious views may become little different.
Originally posted by marcu
I don't ever intend to hurt people, no. But, I often do I'm afraid.
How so ?
Originally posted by marcu
It's more than that for me though. I have a difficult time praying as well as find reading the bible very hard to do. These are the things I believe help me grow closer to the God that I serve.
That's funny, because I've read the Bible extensively, I mean I still read it today even though I don't believe in the God of the Bible. It's a very interesting collection of human history and philosophy, and it causes so much thought-provoking controversy when read in its entirety, i don't see how you would have trouble doing your reading.
Why do you find it hard to pray ? I used to pray every single day when I was Christian. I still pray even sometimes today, to "any" universal force that may be willing to listen.
Originally posted by marcu
By the world we live in comment...yes, the one He created. But it is us the people that make it an ugly place to live at times...because of our sinful nature.
Like Imperial said, what about diseases, famine, wild animals, and deadly weather conditions ? Do those not contribute to the suffering of this world ?
We are in no way responsible for the entirety of those things.
Originally posted by marcu
Christians should never walk around saying that they are not sinners or that they are any better than the next guy. I sin, you sin...we all sin. No one is exempt from that.
I agree that Christians should not walk around claiming they are better, especially many Conservative Christians who claim moral superiority (*cough* Marcello *cough* Feceman)
However, the term "sinner" means nothing to me. We all do good, and we all do bad. We all love and we all hate (to various degrees)
Why are we automatically labelled sinners when we are responsible for good doing as well ? 😬
Originally posted by marcu
I forgot the rest of the questions. I have to go back and read now.
Then do so