What religion are you?

[Ravager]

Originally posted by Cuzzo

Overreacting?

In what?

I fight evil every day!

Evil can never win,Evil is alone!

In that...

[devobitch]

Originally posted by Chipi

where was god at World War I? at World War II? Where is god right now, when people are getting killed over israel?!

Why has God permitted wickedness?

Satan the Devil, who caused the first man and woman, Adam and Eve, to rebel against God, stands in opposition to God?s righteous standard and is appropriately termed ?the wicked one.? (Mt 6:13; 13:19, 38; 1Jo 2:13, 14; 5:19) The rebellion initiated by Satan called into question the rightfulness and righteousness of God?s sovereignty, that is, whether God?s rulership over his creatures is exercised righteously and in their best interests. The fact that Adam and Eve rebelled also raised another issue: Would all other intelligent creatures prove unfaithful and disloyal to God when obedience appeared to bring no material benefits? Satan?s claim respecting faithful Job implied that they would do so. Satan said: ?Skin in behalf of skin, and everything that a man has he will give in behalf of his soul. For a change, thrust out your hand, please, and touch as far as his bone and his flesh and see whether he will not curse you to your very face.??Job 2:4, 5; see SOVEREIGNTY.

Time was required to settle the issues that had been raised. Hence, Jehovah God, by permitting wicked persons to continue living, made it possible for others to share in proving Satan?s claim false by serving God faithfully under unfavorable and trialsome circumstances. God?s permission of wickedness has also provided an opportunity for individuals to abandon a wrong course and to subject themselves willingly to God?s righteous laws. (Isa 55:7; Eze 33:11) So God?s holding back for a time from destroying the wicked serves to spare the righteously disposed ones by allowing time for them to prove their love and devotion to Jehovah.?Ro 9:17-26.

Additionally, Jehovah God makes use of circumstances in such a way that the wicked themselves unwittingly serve his purpose. Though they oppose God, he can restrain them to the extent necessary for the preserving of his servants in their integrity, and can cause the actions even of such persons to bring his righteousness to the fore. (Ro 3:3-5, 23-26; 8:35-39; Ps 76:10) This thought is expressed at Proverbs 16:4: ?Everything Jehovah has made for his purpose, yes, even the wicked one for the evil day.?

A case in point is the Pharaoh on whom Jehovah, through Moses and Aaron, served notice for the release of the enslaved Israelites. God did not make this Egyptian ruler wicked, but he did allow him to continue living and also brought about circumstances that caused Pharaoh to manifest himself as being wicked and deserving of death. Jehovah?s purpose in doing this is revealed at Exodus 9:16: ?For this cause I have kept you in existence, for the sake of showing you my power and in order to have my name declared in all the earth.?

The Ten Plagues visited upon Egypt, climaxed by the destruction of Pharaoh and his military forces in the Red Sea, were an impressive demonstration of Jehovah?s power. (Ex 7:14?12:30; Ps 78:43-51; 136:15) For years afterward the nations round about were still talking about it, and God?s name was thus being declared throughout the earth. (Jos 2:10, 11; 1Sa 4:8) Had Jehovah killed Pharaoh immediately, this grand display of God?s power to His glory and for the deliverance of His people would not have been possible.

The Scriptures give assurance that the time will come when wickedness will no longer exist, as all those who stand in opposition to the Creator will be destroyed when his permission of wickedness will have served its purpose.?2Pe 3:9-13; Re 18:20-24; 19:11?20:3, 7-10.

[Cuzzo]

Why do you think that that is overreacting?

[Ravager]

Cuz you're telling the whole Neowin community that every day for you it's a massive war between good and evil. It's like your experiencing the great war between God and Satan.

Whatever, I'm off for tonight people, cya tomorrow.

[ThunderRiver]

I do believe they exist, but it doesn't mean they make my life :) I make my own way :)

[Cuzzo]

Well,IT IS!

This is how i see and feel things!

Maybe you will find yourself to one day.

God nite to all nice people! :)

[devobitch]

Originally posted by aberflasm

thanx devo***** i will look into that. i know that the first appearance of the word satan is during the story of david. it is mentioned once and very vaguely.

maybe the word satan butt

in genesis 3 it reads starting at verse 1

"now the serpent..."

it goes on to explain how this serpent tricked eve into eating from the tree of knowledge then she in turn got adam to eat of it

tricked is not the right word she disobeyed Jehovah

she allowed her selfishness to get the best of her

same with adam

anyway

in the book of revelation 12 ; 9 this serpent is identified as satan

he is a real being

[aberflasm]

i believe satan to be as real as god. i believe that satan was working thru the serpent. i just wanted proof of satan's origin. i feel that to truely know god you must also know his enemies and allies.

[devobitch]

KNOWLEDGE

Essentially, knowledge means familiarity with facts acquired by personal experience, observation, or study. The Bible strongly urges the seeking for and treasuring of right knowledge, recommending it rather than gold. (Pr 8:10; 20:15) Jesus stressed the importance of truly knowing him and his Father, and knowledge is repeatedly emphasized in the books of the Christian Greek Scriptures.?Joh 17:3; Php 1:9; 2Pe 3:18.

Source of Knowledge. Jehovah is actually the basic Source of knowledge. Life, of course, is from him and life is essential for one?s having any knowledge. (Ps 36:9; Ac 17:25, 28) Furthermore, God created all things, so human knowledge is based on a study of God?s handiwork. (Re 4:11; Ps 19:1, 2) God also inspired his written Word, from which man can learn the divine will and purposes. (2Ti 3:16, 17) Thus the focal point of all true knowledge is Jehovah, and a person seeking it ought to have a fear of God that makes him careful not to incur Jehovah?s displeasure. Such fear is the beginning of knowledge. (Pr 1:7) Such godly fear puts one in position to gain accurate knowledge, whereas those who do not consider God readily draw wrong conclusions from the things that they observe.

The Bible repeatedly links Jehovah and knowledge, calling him ?a God of knowledge? and describing him as ?perfect in knowledge.??1Sa 2:3; Job 36:4; 37:14, 16.

The role that Jehovah has assigned to his Son in the outworking of His purposes is of such importance that it can be said of Jesus: ?Carefully concealed in him are all the treasures of wisdom and of knowledge.? (Col 2:3) Unless a person exercises faith in Jesus Christ as God?s Son, he cannot grasp the real meaning of the Scriptures and see how God?s purposes are working out in harmony with what He has foretold.

One is helped to appreciate more fully the meaning and importance of knowledge by examining the Hebrew and Greek words often translated ?knowledge? as well as by noting the relationship between knowledge and wisdom, understanding, thinking ability, and discernment.

[aberflasm]

devo***** just curious but what denomination are you? baptist, methodist, pentocostal, jehovah witness, etc...

[forsaken]

Believe the lie of a God you'll never know, a desperate mind will ignore reality. The words of christ have you lost in fantasy.

Religion - ONLY FOR THE WEAK!!!!!!!!!!

[devobitch]

Jehovah's Witness

from the bible psalms 83:18

that people may know that you,whose name is Jehovah,

you alone are most high over all the earth

[silvrrwulf]

Originally posted by devo*****

Originally posted by Chipi

[...The Scriptures give assurance that the time will come when wickedness will no longer exist, as all those who stand in opposition to the Creator will be destroyed when his permission of wickedness will have served its purpose.?2Pe 3:9-13; Re 18:20-24; 19:11?20:3, 7-10.

First, let me begin with the statement that your point is not only one of the best researched, but one of the most well-stated, that I've seen. Still, it remains one of the fundamental reasons why I cannot accept Christianity as it is presented to me.

All of your references come from one source. Does no one else see a problem with this? It astounds me, on a daily basis, how a teacher can require students to get a minimum of, say, 10 sources for a book report ("because 1 source may be wrong or flawed"), and then tithe away 10% of her income because, well, a single 2000 year old book says so. I cannot put that much stock into a text that was translated by monks, by candlelight, for 1500 years before the printing press was invented (I mean the popular printing press by Gutenberg, for those that?ll say the Chinese had it way before; you get the idea). Not to mention the Catholic Church?s very livelihood depended on not only the belief of the populace, but the power of the church had much to lose if God was not an all-powerful being. All I?m saying is that, in 1500 years, there?s a lot that could have been ?edited.?

Not to mention the notions of fidelity and loyalty. Is it any coincidence that we kneel in church? We kneel to kings and royalty; the bible tells us god is king, so we kneel. Forgive me if I am so bold as to think that any being as might and omniscient as God wouldn?t need my kneecaps to touch the floor. I understand the notions of symbolism, but I find them trite and tired. I see religion as a sociological tool to keep the blind sheep in line; no more, no less. Through it all, though, I realize the fundamental limitation of human understanding, which is why I?m agnostic as opposed to full blown atheist.

In short, how is it that you can put so much stock in one old text? I have a feeling if Tom Sawyer would?ve survived a millennia it would have a large following as well. I?m not attempting to start a flame war or incite riots; I usually only attempt to discuss religion with those from whom I can learn, and you seem to be knowledgeable and intelligent enough to fit the bill.

So help me out. Believe it or not, I?d love to find faith, but I refuse to pretend to have it when I don?t (like, I feel, most American?s do {Sure, I?m Baptist, but I don?t go to church}? pretentious Bull****). Any informati:) you have may be helpful. Thanks :) .

~SilverWulf

:)br />

:)

[B.Y.O.B.]

I was a sinner saved by the grace of God. I believe that God gives each and every person their own free will to choose as we want. I chose God. I firmly believe in Romans 3:23 "For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God" and John 3:16 "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life." I by no means am perfect nor claim to be. I sin and make mistakes every day, but I believe that if I truly repent of my sins that God will forgive me and cast my sins as far as the east is from the west. You can never force any religion upone anyone, it has to be something that they freely accept and believe it. Have I ever saw God? No. But I do believe that he exsists. Have I ever saw Satan? No. But I believe he exsists also. Why does God allow bad things to happen to good people (9/11, Isreal bombings, murders...) because of the evil sin nature of man. I do not see how in the world it is possible to believe in evolution and the mere fact that order and structure came from pure chaos...the world is too organized to see how everything could happen just by chance. Just look at the human body and how complex it is, how can that come about from a single celled ameba. I believe that God is allpowerful and he created Adam from the dust of the ground and Eve from a rib from Adam (read Genesis in the King James Bible). Once again I do believe that everyone has the right to choose as they want and I happen to choose Christianity, and by the way if it matters I'm what most of you would consider a "child" too...

[aberflasm]

just becuase some one is religious doesn't mean they are weak or in a fantasy world. to ignore the possiblity is to live in fantasy. say it is possible but i still don't believe it is true. don't make your self look bad by degrading others who donot think like you. i believe in god and also the possiblity that god as i have come to know may not be true. i just choose to believe in him. not because i need answers or reason but because he has shown himself in my everyday life. i'm not fanatical. god is not part of my every conversation. explaining god is like explaining emotions. you can feel them but it is very had to put in words exactly what they are

[otacorb]

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I believe in GOD and I do know him and he knows me! You've evidently never had the experience, therefore its easy to say its fantasy, but I know its not from the experiences in my life. Denial of GOD's existence is a very poor example of your being based in reality.

I am sure there are weak people that practice religion as there are in all things, but I happen to think its takes a very strong person to surrender himself unto the service of GOD. To not just give into the world and all his glammar and glory. Instead I choose to GLORIFY GOD! That is a hard road and the weak generally don't stick to it. Instead they simply give into the disires of their heart and the world.

The fact of the matter is that I should be dead or in jail with the life I have lived in the past, but instead, I am FREE.. truly FREE! Something that non believers really never undersand or know, cause they close themselves from ever having the experience.

[devobitch]

well you belive in gravity no?

you cant see it but you know its there

from the effects

things fall down when you drop them

you believe in electricity?

you cant see it

butt again you see the effects of it

light bulbs lite up radios play music computers compute

if you were to walk in the woods and came to a house

with all the things you needed to live

would you say i dont believe

know you would know some one built it and everything in it

a step further

earth has everything man needs to live food water

air sun

now why would you believe this was not created

if it was (is) should you not atleast spend a little time tring to

find out who created it and why

from my reading about religion

i know even the jews believed jesus lived

of couse they killed him when he told them he was Gods son

they were under the impression God (Jehovah)was going to come to the earth

[otacorb]

I didn't write this, nor can I take credit for it, but I do agree with most it. In light of the fact that a few posted how could GOD have let all these terrible things happen.

Finally, The Truth on National TV

Billy Graham's daughter was being interviewed on the Early Show and Jane Clayson asked her "How could God let something like this happen?" And Anne Graham gave an extremely profound and insightful response. She said "I believe that God is deeply saddened by this, just as we are, but for years we've been telling God to get out of our schools, to get out of our government and to get out of our lives. And being the gentleman that He is,

I believe that He has calmly backed out. How can we expect God to give us His blessing and His protection if we demand that He leave us alone?"

I know there's been a lot of emails going around in regards to 9/11/01, but this really makes you think. If you don't have time, at least skim through it, but the bottom line is something to think about.... In light of recent events...terrorists attack, school shootings, etc. Let's see, I think it started when Madeline Murray O'Hare she was murdered, her body was found recently) complained she didn't want any prayer in our schools, and we said OK.

Then, someone said you better not read the Bible in school... the Bible that says thou shalt not kill, thou shalt not steal, and love your neighbor as yourself. And we said, OK.

Then, Dr. Benjamin Spock said we shouldn't spank our children when they misbehave because their little personalities would be warped and we might damage their self-esteem (Dr. Spock's son committed suicide) And we said, an expert should know what he's talking about so we said OK.

Then, someone said teachers and principals better not discipline our children when they misbehave. And the school administrators said no faculty member in this school better touch a student when they misbehave because we don't want any bad publicity, and we surely don't want to be sued (There's big difference between disciplining and touching, beating, smacking,humiliating, kicking, etc.) And we said, OK.

Then someone said, let's let our daughters have abortions if they want, and they won't even have to tell their parents. And we said, OK.

Then some wise school board member said, since boys will be boys and they're going to do it anyway, let's give our sons all the condoms they want, so they can have all the fun they desire, and we won't have to tell their parents they got them at school. And we said, OK.

Then some of our top elected officials said it doesn't matter what we do in private as long as we do our jobs. And agreeing with them, we said it doesn't matter to me what anyone, including the President, does in private as long as I have a job and the economy is good.

And then someone said let's print magazines with pictures of nude women and call it wholesome, down-to-earth appreciation for the beauty of the female body. And we said, OK.

And then someone else took that appreciation a step further and published pictures of nude children and then stepped further still by making them available on the internet. And we said OK, they're entitled to their free speech.

And then the entertainment industry said, let's make TV shows and movies that promote profanity, violence, and illicit sex. And let's record music that encourages rape, drugs, murder, suicide, and satanic themes. And we said it's just entertainment, it has no adverse effect, and nobody takes it seriously anyway, so go right ahead.

Now we're asking ourselves why our children have no conscience, why they don't know right from wrong, and why it doesn't bother them to kill strangers, their classmates, and themselves.

Probably, if we think about it long and hard enough, we can figure it out. I think it has a great deal to do with "WE REAP WHAT WE SOW."

"Dear God, Why didn't you save the little girl killed in her classroom? " Sincerely, Concerned Student... AND THE REPLY "Dear Concerned Student, I am not allowed in schools". Sincerely, God.

Funny how simple it is for people to trash God and then wonder why the world's going to hell. Funny how we believe what the newspapers say, but question what the Bible says.

Funny how everyone wants to go to heaven provided they do not have to believe, think, say, or do anything the Bible says. Funny how someone can say "I believe in God" but still follow Satan who, by the way, also "believes" in God. Funny how we are quick to judge but not to be judged. Funny how you can send a thousand 'jokes' through e-mail and they spread like wildfire, but when you start sending messages regarding the Lord, people think twice about sharing. Funny how the lewd, crude, vulgar and obscene pass freely through cyberspace, but the public discussion of God is suppressed in the school and workplace. Funny how someone can be so fired up for Christ on Sunday, but be an invisible Christian the rest of the week.

[Mozart]

The Bible is a collection of books, not one book. The Bible is made from 66 (I think) separate books spanning over a thousand years and many authors.

The Dead Sea Scrolls were found in the 1940's and are basically identical to the Bible scripture we have today. The history of the Bible is a study in itself. There have been many translations thoughout the centuries and the New International Version is based on all of them.

Church is not pretentious bull***. There are many good ones out there.

[sanctified Veteran]

Originally posted by otacorb

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I believe in GOD and I do know him and he knows me! You've evidently never had the experience, therefore its easy to say its fantasy, but I know its not from the experiences in my life. Denial of GOD's existence is a very poor example of your being based in reality.

I am sure there are weak people that practice religion as there are in all things, but I happen to think its takes a very strong person to surrender himself unto the service of GOD. To not just give into the world and all his glammar and glory. Instead I choose to GLORIFY GOD! That is a hard road and the weak generally don't stick to it. Instead they simply give into the disires of their heart and the world.

The fact of the matter is that I should be dead or in jail with the life I have lived in the past, but instead, I am FREE.. truly FREE! Something that non believers really never undersand or know, cause they close themselves from ever having the experience.

you call holy experience to those things that can make a twist in your life, I call them... twist of the life :D, the difference is that I can see the difference because Im aware of the things, the thing that I made was maded by me and only by me, not with the help of a EXTRA-SUPER-HYPER MEGALOMANIAC SUPREME POWER (Commonly know as God), you choose to believe in something that you dont know, I choose to make the things for myself and not to sit and wait for my god to help me and save me and pray to him because I want to be good.

People like you are who claimmed centuries ago that the earth was plane or those who claimmed that the universe moves around the earth

[otacorb]

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The difference is you think you are aware of things. The fact is you sound like you have a very CLOSED MIND. Unwilling to consider the possibilities. We all make our own way in this life, because GOD gave us free will to do so. The difference between you and I is that I know all I can do is the foot work and then count on GOD for the end results. Just wanting to be good or thinking one is good, just don't get it. Look how many thought that loving soldier with blond hair and blue eyes that was easy spoken and so respected while he was in the US Armed Services. Only to get out and BLOW up the Federal Building in OK. Killing all those innocents and he thought he was doing something good.

Uh Huh!

I know I am a sinner and in and of myself on my very best day, would never be good enough. But then I don't have to worry about that, cause my LORD and SAVIOR paid the price for me already. How do I know it, cause I feel it in my heart, not cause someone told me... The evidence for me is in my heart and no matter what anyone says, you simply can't take that away. But you can have too, if you choose too. But rest assured, GOD will not force you too.

[sanctified Veteran]

How do I know it, cause I feel it in my heart, not cause someone told me... The evidence for me is in my heart and no matter what anyone says, you simply can't take that away.

the thing that you feel is just an emotion because you think that you believe in something real, just that, is not god, I can be sure of that :roll:

If you feel exited about something (the first kiss, the firs sexual relation, etc) you feel the exact feelings, bot no, is not god, is just your neural system acting like a train of emotions, and no, emotions are not a work of anu god :roll:

[otacorb]

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How would you know? Have you experienced what I have? I think not, by your own admission don't believe and therefore how do you know what I feel in my heart when it comes to GOD.

Try it before you knock it! Your trying to put a simple explaination on something because folks like you need to rationalize and justify your non-belief.

There is a big difference between having an emotion about something and feeling something that is alive and real in your heart. You simply have no clue, so how could you understand?

Your simple stab at explaining it away, simply don't cut it.

[sanctified Veteran]

Originally posted by otacorb

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How would you know? Have you experienced what I have? I think not, by your own admission don't believe and therefore how do you know what I feel in my heart when it comes to GOD.

Try it before you knock it! Your trying to put a simply explaination on something because folks like you need to rationalize and justify your non-belief.

There is a big difference between having an emotion about something and feeling something that is alive and real in your heart. You simply have no clue, so how could you understand?

Your simple stab at explaining it away, simple don't cut it.

how would you know that your experience is unique?

I used to believe so, somehow, I know how it feels when you believe in something, then I grown up, studied 3 big religions and some sb-religions and sects, and come to the conclussion that there?s not such thing as a god

[frod]

ooh goody religious debate ;).

i came up with a saying that i don't full heartedly believe but it's fun to see religious people's reactions sometimes:

religion was created for those of us who are too afraid to believe in themselves.

myself? well i'm an "i don't careist" hehe. that is i don't care how we got here and i don't care where we go when we die, all i know is that i'm not going to let anything restrict what i want to do in life whether that is another person or another god.