Question for Christians...

originally posted by: ATF1886
So your willing to believe in a fairy tale like aliens and dont believe in GOD...hmmma reply to: Krazysh0t

Mexicans aren't fairy tales... Oh wait, you mean extraterrestrials! Where did I ever say that I believed in extraterrestrials? I've said that the possibility for their existence has very good odds, but I have never said they definitively exist. So I'm really interested to know where you got this claim about me from.

originally posted by: windword

originally posted by: Krazysh0t

originally posted by: EternalSolace
a reply to: boymonkey74

It's said that God removes all sadness and all tears from his followers upon entry to heaven. That would mean that a Christian recognizes each individual's responsibility for their own eternal choice.

Wouldn't this be a violation of free will? What's the point of granting humans free will on earth only to strip it away 70 short years later?

I wouldn't suppose that there's "free will" in Heaven, as it leads to rebellion (God's says "Been there! Done that!") and generally usually leads to SIN!

So considering the length of eternity, what's the point of having free will for such a short time during that eternity if it is only going to be rescinded once you prove that you can be a "good boy" and follow god's will?

originally posted by: ServantOfTheLamb
If I can show someone that Jesus Christ was most likely God in the flesh and that is a truth about reality.

How do you propose to do that?

I mean you are on a conspiracy website that has alot to do with Extraterrestrials last time I checked.. reply to: Krazysh0t

Dang double post..

a reply to: EternalSolace

Where you you folks make this stuff up from? I don't see it anywhere in the bible. These are layer fairy tales.

a reply to: ServantOfTheLamb

If only Chris can change someone's heart then isn't this all on him? Pretty cruel if you ask me...

originally posted by: EternalSolace
How do you expect someone to convert to Christianity when it means accepting that all their deceased family members have gone to hell?

I have never heard of such a concept in any of the many varied denominations of various churches I have attended over the years, and such reasoning is certainly not in line with the traditions of my current Catholic Parish. I hope that I am Catholic does not dissuade you, for while there is much controversy surrounding some higher officials within the ranks, not all of "current accepted canonical doctrine" necessarily speaks for those of us in the service of the Most High on a smaller scale.

As I understand it, in His Infinite Wisdom, God has created an innumerable amount of Heavenly Planes for the deceased. There are spaces in between realms where souls who have passed over may intersect and cross paths with those of different planes on occasion, but certainly nothing that would manifest as the current understanding of "Hell Fire and Brimstone" for the average souls of human men and women.

As we are all flawed and mortal beings, it seems far more likely that we are given the appropriate afterlife in accordance with our proclivities during our earthly incarnations....just because one has sinned in the eyes of Man does not mean a just and loving Creator does not understand that persons reason for doing so. He created us with these flaws in forethought, that we might learn and grow from our experiences of a lifetime with them in place.

Many 'conventional' sins are highly inconsequential in the Divine Perspective when he knows our reasons and motivations for committing such in the first place. They are there as a matter of course to help us develop ourselves personally, spiritually, and socially. Not all are easy to bear, but they ultimately serve a greater purpose in the Grand Scheme of Things when all is said and done.

One would have to be created purely for eternal damnation to receive such, and it is highly unlikely that any mortal man or woman is ultimately worthy of such a nasty afterlife for all eternity if one really thinks about the fragility of our being.

When a man or woman truly repents of prior misdeed and accepts Christ's Eternal Love and Compassion into their hearts, and changes their day to day course of living as a result of this atonement, there is always Salvation to be found.

The path away from even minor sin can be tricky, but when one holds their heart within the Miracle of the Covenant, anything is possible. One would have to be a truly cruel and wretched person to deserve the Hell Fire and Brimstone treatment. The majority of us do not qualify for such entry.

On a personal note, and not by 'official doctrine' (as my church does not touch on this possibility that I am aware of) I resolutely believe it may be possible for souls who have not atoned or accepted Christ's Mercy upon their passing from this lifetime are given a second chance at life via reincarnation in some instances, that they might have as many lifetimes needed in which to learn the Light of His Word, the Love of His Grace and the Path of Peace.

I cannot speak with any further authority on the matter as I am still a student myself.

I dearly hope you find comfort in knowing your family members are most likely not suffering in Eternal Hell Fires regardless of whatever transgressions may have occurred during their time on this Earth.

It pains me deeply to hear you have been led to believe otherwise.
I wish I could be of more help.
*hugs*

originally posted by: ATF1886
I mean you are on a conspiracy website tgat has alot to do with Extraterrestrials last time I checked.. reply to: Krazysh0t

So? Since when did my participation on a website determine my beliefs?

It does not but it does influence it you just said your self that it is a possibility that they exist which means you do believe and like I said earlier while you dodged my question your willing to believe in a fairytale like Aliens but not in God?? reply to: Krazysh0t

originally posted by: ATF1886
It does not but it does influence it you just said your self that it is a possibility that they exist which means you do believe and like I said earlier while you dodged my question your willing to believe in a fairytale like Aliens but not in God?? reply to: Krazysh0t

Then you have no understanding of my belief structure. I'm agnostic. I'm certainly willing to believe that a god exists. I just don't find it likely. No evidence, plus the reasoning for existence is rather shaky.

My twelve year old is mad at me because I claimed to be a Christian Buddhist. What I had meant to say was that I am a Buddhist christian

So your on the fence you believe that there is a higher power just not willing to admit it??a reply to: Krazysh0t

originally posted by: ATF1886
So your on the fence you believe that there is a higher power just not willing to admit it??a reply to: Krazysh0t

No... I'm willing to believe that a higher power exists if evidence can be shown for existence. That doesn't mean I believe though. My position on both aliens and god can be adequately summed up as such: "I don't know" or "Indeterminate". I may have some logical reasoning that makes me lean in one direction of belief or the other, but I am by no means saying that that reasoning is 100% correct and represents my beliefs.

"Question for Christians..." Errrrrrr EVERYONE

Why this need to wonder or worry about anyone's beliefs or faiths?

Why not just leave everyone alone.

No need to cheery pick others religions, or try to convert anyone.

This non stop back and fourth on this site is stupid.

To each their own in life.

And im an atheist, I could care less if people believe in god, budda or purple gnomes playing marbles.
If it makes a person happy, then leave them to it.

My 2 cents
~Cheers~

Ill agree to that to each his own!!a reply to: Black_Fox

a reply to: EternalSolace

How do you expect someone to convert to Christianity when it means accepting that all their deceased family members have gone to hell?

Beats the hell out of me!!

But, I'm not a Christian, so... there's that.

a reply to: Black_Fox

This non stop back and fourth on this site is stupid.

Really? I think it's fun.
Entertaining.

a reply to: EternalSolace

It remains a matter of debate but remember Christ did not come just to save one person but the whole world, in fact he has but you have to come and claim that by coming to him.

The story about Paul meeting a Jailor and converting him, Act's 16 is worth your time to read.

…30and after he brought them out, he said, "Sirs, what must I do to be saved?" 31They said, "Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved, you and your household." 32And they spoke the word of the Lord to him together with all who were in his house.…

There are many true scholars of the bible on this site who I am sure will more elequently tell you than I ever could but Christ is more merciful and good than many portray him, when the crowd stood there with there stone's to stone a woman accused of adultary he simply picked up a stone looked at them and then said not looking at her but at them, "Let he that is without sin cast the first stone", non are without sin except through his mercy and at some deep level they knew there own hypocrisy, lucky for them or else he would have cast his stone at the first sinner to accuse that woman and when they all dropped there stone's and walked off he simply dropped his own and said "Then neither shall I".

He also said Judge not lest YE BE JUDGED.

On the cross he prayed to God saying "Father forgive them for they know not what they do" so he was asking for they who did not believe in him to be forgiven.

Christ is mercy and it is put like this, If you did not live under the law then you would be free of sin as you would not be breaking that law but you do live under the law so sin is death but Christ took your burden of sin and died on your behalf, more than that he rose form death "Destroy this temple and I shall raise it up again in three day's", this is so that you may rise in him and live eternally, but eternal life is not forced on you, "Whosever thirst I will give of the water's of life freely".

Christ was a social justice reformer and he was arguably the first true socialist, indeed the early churches were actually more commune like than you would think with shared wealth, they were not an institution but a group of family's pooling there asset's and sharing there wealth for the common good, he said also "If you have two coat's and your brother has no give the one you are not using to him", and "It is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter heaven", "Sell all you own and give to the poor then come and follow me", "Even the bird's of the air have a place to rest there feet but the son of man has no place to lay his head".

(Can you imagine what the world would look like if the soviet union had not been anti christian in it's policy's and instead had adopted it as the obvious state religion since marx and lennin stole there idea's form the christian original).

Many people hate christianity out of misguided perception's, they see organized religion and church institution's and hoarded wealth with strange pervert's abusing alter boy's but that is not the church at all, that is a heirarchy that christ would never have called good, no the church is were two or more are gathered in his name, were they talk about the gospel's and there meaning discussing them and how to apply them to there live's and breaking bread and sharing wine as they remember christ sacrifice and the last supper but faith can and does make institutional churches acceptable to him but only the faith of they who serve him in them and not the institutions themselves' with there entrenched corruption's though it has and does serve a purpose in his world, a broken world that he is salvaging us from for a new world he has prepared.

So do not confuse christ and christianity with organized religion, modern born again and evangelical christian's are often closer to the true spirit of the church but to really get to it find a christian community who truly care about one another and pitch in to help one another as there are in many places in america and around the world because they are the true church of our lord jesus christ especially when they are poor or help the poor and are not bigot's, we are all bigot's to some degree and to say otherwise would be hypocrisy.

Christ is about community, the first church's were more similar to a kibbutz than almost any modern christian groups but they did not cut themselve's off from the world like some kind of sect, He is about people and about life not death, he cares about you even if you do not listen when he call's you but you have a choice, you can choose to be saved or you can choose to not be saved.

I choose to be saved.

originally posted by: EternalSolace
a reply to: ATF1886

Yes, each is responsible for their own actions. That doesn't really address the issue at hand. How does a Christian convert, when it means that those they've held dearest have not accepted.

If Jesus was standing in front of you, and Jesus said "follow me and I will give you eternal life", would you then say "no I prefer not to because You didn't offer eternal life to those who refused to follow You"

Would that make sense to you? Just asking...

If you were at the store, and the cashier told you that if you applied for a credit card they would give you a free gift, would you say only if the same gift is offered to my mother who doesn't want to apply?

Would you accept a job only if they paid your dad - who was not going to be working there - also?