Can anyone deal with life anymore?

[cowboybiker]

"If you confess with your mouth, "Jesus is Lord" and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. Romans 10:9--I pray that you, child of God, know the importance of being in a personal RELATIONSHIP with the Father, May you confess your sins to him and bring yourself to right standing with your creator, who loves you and wants whats best for you. May you leave your old ways and live in a new Life with Christ. May you accpet him fully into your life, knowing that he is your only way to the Father and to eternal life, May you accept the Lords free gift of grace and live for him from this day on, may you know the Lord better each day and feel his Love----God Bless my friend

Im so glad to see you here

[fitmom43]

\

We dont want that.


inb4Modpet.jpg

Awwww I'm sorry I don't mean to give you a bad rep If you want I can ban you for a day so you don't get any heat

[cowboybiker]

\


Awwww I'm sorry I don't mean to give you a bad rep If you want I can ban you for a day so you don't get any heat

No, thats cool.
I'll go quietly.
I'm getting ready for the gym anyways.
Waiting for my Jack3d to kick in.


note: is that the crutch that OP was talking about?

[socket]

I can only speak of what I see/live.

I think many people in this country have issues because of how happiness is/was defined and presented to them.
I see what the kids are shown through the media. Nick, disney, etc. Total fake worlds, where everything is easy peasy.
TV in many ways fills peoples' minds with grandeur and bliss. Then they can't handle reality.
30min. shows in which all problems are solved.
Commercialism and the fake world that is presented causes many mental issues imo. We're told we need all kinds of **** we don't really need, but we feel helpless when we don't have it. We try to keep up with the Jone's.........and feel we failed when we don't achieve the "ideal life".

TV isn't the scapegoat, just using that as one example of how our minds are molded away from reality.

I think we've in many ways lost the mind set to be thankfull for the little things. A nice sunset, blue skys, a beautiful bird flying in the sky. Our childrens' smiles. Our mothers' kisses and hugs...... people dwell on the negative and worry too much instead of just counting their blessings.

[thomashenry]

Im so glad to see you here

----------Always Thanks

[Old-Time-Lifter]

You have to have a open heart to hear him, why would he waste his time on a non believer that is not going to listen to him? God is not going to go out and beat people into believing him, he will use those of us that do as his messengers to try and spread the Gospel to non believers. And if they open their hearts and minds to him then you will hear and feel his presence. It's really not complicated, you just have to have faith.

Sorry Sara you are wrong today.

ex-atheist and future pastor here.

Nobody convinced me to come to God but God alone. I was reading up in order to attack scripture and suddenly realized that I wasn't going to let the narrow minded literalist fundies nor the atheist keep me from the Love of Christ. God loves all especially the lost sheep... remember that parable?

God does not call the qualified he qualifies the called. And those called can come from anywhere.

God doesn't give up (nor should we) on anyone even atheists. Remember Anthony Flew became a theist before he died.

[vabyss]

My beef is not with people that believe in God. I believe in some sort of creator.

But what separates me from them is that I am not claiming certainty...and I'm especially not asking for MONEY for that certainty. I have the courage to admit that NO ONE KNOWS what happens after we die or why we are here. NO ONE KNOWS. Anyone who claims to is a charlatan. The end. No exceptions. If you cannot admit this to yourself, you're a coward, so afraid of the unknown that you are willing to believe absolutely anything. Even that "proof" that religion is real is a compilation of fairy tales put together over hundreds of years by dozens of different authors. Not only that, but it has been translated and indeed RE-WRITTEN multiple times, with the overseeing of this project being conducted by some of the most barbaric, corrupt monarchies in the history of the free world. IT...IS...INSANE.

It's so pathetically transparent. "I know what God thinks...now give me your money." And you actually fall for it! If this was the 1500's and education was scarce, you would have some sort of excuse. But there are dozens of contradictions to it proven by modern science. To believe it to be literal truth in this day and age reeks of desperation.

[Old-Time-Lifter]

No, thats cool.
I'll go quietly.
I'm getting ready for the gym anyways.
Waiting for my Jack3d to kick in.


note: is that the crutch that OP was talking about?

LOL, I as thinking wth? With the bashing of energy drinks... thank God he didn't mention coffee.

[fitmom43]

Sorry Sara you are wrong today.

ex-atheist and future pastor here.

Nobody convinced me to come to God but God alone. I was reading up in order to attack scripture and suddenly realized that I wasn't going to let the narrow minded literalist fundies nor the atheist keep me from the Love of Christ. God loves all especially the lost sheep... remember that parable?

God does not call the qualified he qualifies the called. And those called can come from anywhere.

God doesn't give up (nor should we) on anyone even atheists. Remember Anthony Flew became a theist before he died.

I stand corrected thank you Roy


And to Vabyss I know with 150% Certainty where I am going once I die

[vabyss]

I stand corrected thank you Roy


And to Vabyss I know with 150% Certainty where I am going once I die

Because a serpent who is after your money told you? Or because primitive savages that treated all women as property and routinely stoned them to death wrote it down?

Which one is it?

Because that is the only evidence you have, like it or not.

[fitmom43]

Because a serpent who is after your money told you? Or because primitive savages that treated all women as property and routinely stoned them to death wrote it down?

Which one is it?

Because that is the only evidence you have, like it or not.

I feel so sad for you, and I will definitely send up a prayer for you as well. Please do not bash my Christianity on the very narrow view you see on TV. There is so much more to it. Don't stereotype a whole religion based on the actions of a few.

Plus I will not get into debates on here Thank you

[thomashenry]

You are the first guy to ever think of this. You are original and clever. I can see clearly that you are much more intelligent than the rest us.

Thank you for your valuable contribution to this thread.

I noticed he quoted Marx, hardly a mystery, but I am curious as to what benevolence and humanity he brought to the planet in contrast to Jesus ?

[socket]

OP's question/statement was if anyone can deal with life anymore without "needing" something to get through the day?

Confused on how this became a thread about Jesus

I'm out, this "my faith vs. your faith" stuff is for the R&P section people

[vabyss]

I feel so sad for you, and I will definitely send up a prayer for you as well. Please do not bash my Christianity on the very narrow view you see on TV. There is so much more to it. Don't stereotype a whole religion based on the actions of a few.

Plus I will not get into debates on here Thank you

I don't watch tv. I don't have cable. My information comes from multiple religion courses I took in college as well as tireless research in the pursuit of answers. My mind was not satisfied with the "because I said so" routine that seems to be good enough for you. My education clashing with my faith led me to an extremely content view of "I believe, but I'm not sure. And all organized religion is a Ponzi scheme."

Why would you feel sad for me? Because I pity people that live their lives in servitude out of fear? Because I do not live according to authoritarian rules created by MEN, that so obviously have men's filth written all over them?

"God is a jealous and vengeful god." I have never heard anything more absurd in my life. An all powerful being suffers from faults that most people get over. That doesn't strike you as the least bit peculiar? The verses championing slavery and stoning ungrateful children to death...you agree with them? If not, on whose authority do you nitpick what you want to follow?

It's a scam. An ancient, ongoing scam preying on the greatest fears of our species. Stop being a slave and live your life for you, your loved ones and your fellow man. And if indeed God is real he will admire our skepticism, as he gave us the intellect required to have it.

[vabyss]

I noticed he quoted Marx, hardly a mystery, but I am curious as to what benevolence and humanity he brought to the planet in contrast to Jesus ?

Ah, yes. And the tie between religion and capitalism. Surely this was a direct idea from Jesus.

How does this link BY ITSELF not make you suspicious? It's mind blowing!

Jesus said, "Ye shall go forth and maximize profits." LMAO!

[fitmom43]

As much as I so want to have this debate with you I cannot, and will have to respectfully decline.

There are times like this that just for a moment I wish I was not a Mod LOL

It's all good

[Brackneyc]

I believe in some sort of creator.

But what separates me from them is that I am not claiming certainty...

And the winner for biggest internet contradiction of the day goes to^^

[theKurp]

I cant stand religeon.
Thank GOD its about a relationship with HIM.
And faith is not believing that HE can, its knowing that HE will.

Think back on every post you've written here on BB. Would you have directed those same posts to the God you refer to as "HIM" and "HE"?

If so, then I have no issue with your belief in God. If not, then I rest my case with regards to my distaste for the concept of anthropomorphizing God or otherwise thinking in 3rd person terms.

John 17:21 "That they all may be one; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us"

[vabyss]

As much as I so want to have this debate with you I cannot, and will have to respectfully decline.

There are times like this that just for a moment I wish I was not a Mod LOL

It's all good

Mods have debates all the time. As long as you do not mod neg for personal reasons, you're not in violation of anything.

You just don't seem to have a legitimate retort for anything I wrote. But how could you?

Look, I know they got you one of two ways:

1) You were born into an extremely religious family and were indoctrinated throughout your life.

OR

2) You went through a time of personal crisis and religion was there to prey on you and ensnare you when you were at your weakest.

That is how they operate. But that is no reason to waste the rest of your life believing that an organized crime syndicate has all of the answers to life.

[vabyss]

And the winner for biggest internet contradiction of the day goes to^^

Not sure if serious. I personally believe, but I do not claim certainty. I would LIKE to believe there is a God, but I KNOW there is no evidence to say that there is. All I know is what I FEEL, which in no way can be claimed as certainty.

It truly is a pedestrian concept to understand.

[thomashenry]

Ah, yes. And the tie between religion and capitalism. Surely this was a direct idea from Jesus.

How does this link BY ITSELF not make you suspicious? It's mind blowing!

Jesus said, "Ye shall go forth and maximize profits." LMAO!

What on Earth are you talking about ?

[fitmom43]

Mods have debates all the time. As long as you do not mod neg for personal reasons, you're not in violation of anything.

You just don't seem to have a legitimate retort for anything I wrote. But how could you?

Look, I know they got one of two ways:

1) You were born into an extremely religious family and were indoctrinated throughout your life.

OR

2) You went through a time of personal crisis and religion was there to prey on you and ensnare you when you were at your weakest.

That is how they operate. But that is no reason to waste the rest of your life believing that an organized crime syndicate has all of the answers to life.

Nope wrong on both counts I did not come from a very religious family, and I became a Born Again Christian 15 years ago. No one coerced me or asked me for money and I was not going through any crisis.

And I was fortunate enough to study under Dr. James Kennedy's guidance in Ft. Lauderdale, FL. He is neither a TV Evangelist like Baker nor some fly by night preacher. But a true man of faith that is well respected and has published many books.

So like I have said so many times before on here, don't ever presume to know me, because you never will

[TunaAssassin]

Jebus, I go do some work for a little while and this thread turned into...

[vabyss]

Nope wrong on both counts I did not come from a very religious family, and I became a Born Again Christian 15 years ago. No one coerced me or asked me for money and I was not going through any crisis.

And I was fortunate enough to study under Dr. James Kennedy's guidance in Ft. Lauderdale, FL. He is neither a TV Evangelist like Baker nor some fly by night preacher. But a true man of faith that is well respected and has published many books.

So like I have said so many times before on here, don't ever presume to know me, because you never will

"Newcombe: Well I don’t know if it’s just as dangerous, yeah, in the long run, yes, it is, in the long run it is. In fact, as D. James Kennedy once pointed out, in 1935, what was the most educated nation on earth? The answer was Germany. But that didn’t prevent Auschwitz from taking place. So there is such a thing as education, where if it’s devoid of God, it is dangerous."


Yes, he seems like quite the level-headed fellow.

[Marius_Ursus]

Sorry Sara you are wrong today.

ex-atheist and future pastor here.

Nobody convinced me to come to God but God alone. I was reading up in order to attack scripture and suddenly realized that I wasn't going to let the narrow minded literalist fundies nor the atheist keep me from the Love of Christ. God loves all especially the lost sheep... remember that parable?

God does not call the qualified he qualifies the called. And those called can come from anywhere.

God doesn't give up (nor should we) on anyone even atheists. Remember Anthony Flew became a theist before he died.

That sounds similar to my story of how I studied ancient history to have the knowledge to dismantle religious arguments...ended up being the greatest information to support my faith in G-d.

Who knew?

[Old-Time-Lifter]

Mods have debates all the time. As long as you do not mod neg for personal reasons, you're not in violation of anything.

You just don't seem to have a legitimate retort for anything I wrote. But how could you?

Look, I know they got you one of two ways:

1) You were born into an extremely religious family and were indoctrinated throughout your life.

OR

2) You went through a time of personal crisis and religion was there to prey on you and ensnare you when you were at your weakest.

That is how they operate. But that is no reason to waste the rest of your life believing that an organized crime syndicate has all of the answers to life.

Stereotype much?

Sorry I don't fall into either of your choices. Do not try and lump all Christiantiy into one lump.

Your argument resembles a strawman to me. You make broad assumptions and insist that all fall into it and then knock it down.

Sorry, non-literalist, liberal interpreter, doesn't believe God is all powerful (at least not as most claim), capable of discerning and willing to recongnize testimony and counter-testimony in scripture, follower of Christ reporting for duty.

And you'd might be surprised that there are many, many, like me out there. Pretty much all the professors at your major (non-fundamentalist) seminaries out there are in agreement with me. If you really studied religion you'd know this and realize that making such broad and all encompassing statements about religion pretty much makes you in the wrong.

The Bible is a series of stories about the relationship of various men and women with God. We look to it for guidance for our own relationship with God but if we (both fundies and atheist) refuse to understand that we must digest this relationship through the lens of the culture in which it was written and then reconstruct it in the context of our own time, then we are and will continue to miss most of the beauty of scripture.

I might assume that you came from a narrow minded literalist christian family and got to school and found out that yes there are contradictions in scripture and your faith went out the window. Unfortunately if this is the case, you have let this cut you off from knowing about the beauty and grace to be found in practicing a Christ like life.

[Marius_Ursus]

My own testimony isn't crisis related or indoctrinated, either. My revelation came after years and years of study of many different pre-Hebrew and proto-Hebrew peoples and many different world religions and the history, language, and culture that gave rise to each one. It was a simple conversation I was having one late night with my then-fiance that turned everything on its head for me.

[tsoden]

Looks Like We Are Not In Kansas Anymore ToTo!!!!!!!!!

[Brackneyc]

Not sure if serious. I personally believe, but I do not claim certainty. I would LIKE to believe there is a God, but I KNOW there is no evidence to say that there is. All I know is what I FEEL, which in no way can be claimed as certainty.

It truly is a pedestrian concept to understand.

If you have faith, then that IS certainty. If you feel the need to qualify that faith (and you would not be the first) with tangible evidence, then it is no longer a matter faith. In the grand scheme of things, even hard evidence (regardless the topic) is often dismissed due to "faith."

I call it a contradiction because you seem to be subscribing (imo) to two separate doctrines at the same time (believing, and also not believing). FWIW, there are many who believe as you do.

[Smelly bull]

If you have faith, then that IS certainty. If you feel the need to qualify that faith (and you would not be the first) with tangible evidence, then it is no longer a matter faith. In the grand scheme of things, even hard evidence (regardless the topic) is often dismissed due to "faith."

Nicely stated....