Please do not call yourselves Christians any more.

a reply to: ChesterJohn

No she doesn't.
God instructs us all from the book of Monkey.

a reply to: ChesterJohn

Well you asked to know but now you don't No problem for me.

Oh, by all means, do share with us what incident prompted this sudden salvation and your right to judge others as hell-bound.

It's up to you. I asked why bother, if you're just trying to "save us" and "condemn us".

Some JWs came to my door yesterday....they knocked, I opened, the lady tried to slide her Watchtower thing through the storm door (which was open about 4 inches), I said, "No thank you."

She said, "Okay, have a nice day."

I said, "You, too!" and as I was closing the door I noticed her little sidekick newbie shadow had a very sort of "what-the-hell-did-I-sign-up-for?" look on her face.

bleh

So - if it helps you, Chester, to share your narrative, I am more than willing to listen (having been a counselor before I retired) and help you "reframe" your story so you're not so tormented...

it's all gonna be okay, though. I'll tell you that, for sure.

None of us are going to hell, we will all get to the peaceful place eventually. You're just an "underclassman"....a freshman. Those of us who are more advanced can offer you some comfort. If you want it. And it hasn't anything to do with your dusty (moldy) book.

a reply to: BuzzyWigs

Go back and re read the thread all the answer except for my testimony is there.

I already answered why I can judge and listed all the verses that support it.

Have a good life.

a reply to: ChesterJohn

I just did, as a matter of fact, go back and read our entire exchange.

I'm offering you a chance to share your testimony. This would give you the opportunity to be heard, and (possibly) understood, so that the rest of us know and can avert any further ugliness.

All you said was that you were full of darkness and lies, and then X happened, and now YOU are fine and dandy and saved, and that the rest of us are all pretty much unworthy (we were told that as little kids, and we decided to reject that nonsense). So, you're new, and that's fine.
You want to watch a really good little video about what you're buying into? (I've posted it previously, but it's a great audio-visual reminder of what I see in people like you.)

meh. Whether you want to watch it or not, I'll go ahead and post it again. For any readers who haven't yet seen it.



That is your "Paul" guy's message.
I think it reeks of ugliness.

a reply to: Akragon

1 Cor 1:19-20 "It is written, I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and will bring to nothing the understanding of the prudent. Where is the wise? Where is the scribe? Where is the disputer of this world? Hath not God made foolish the wisdom of this world?"

a reply to: ChesterJohn
Ah I see, we're gonna play that game... as you wish

Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves.

16 Ye shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles?

17 Even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit; but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit.

18 A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit.

19 Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire.

20 Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them.

a reply to: Akragon

There you go misusing the Bible, a book you don't even believe.

Talk about hypocrisy.

a reply to: ChesterJohn

ah right... I forgot, I misuse the book when it doesn't suit you...

those verses also apply to false Christians... Know them by their fruit...

originally posted by: Antidisestablishment
a reply to: intrptr

You don't know that. Jehovah is most likely to be the Demiurge spoken about in the Gnostic texts.

I was being sarcastic. Everybody's god is the "one true god".

Whats a "demiurge"?

a reply to: Akragon

Your not a Christian so what would you know?

a reply to: intrptr

The demiurge is the god of the OT...

The gnostics believed that it was a false god posing as the true God of all creation...

The Apocryphon of John is the best source of info on the demiurge

He created the world, and messed it up... which explained why there was so many crazy things, atrocities, and other such things written about in the OT

the Demiurge is called Yadabaoth, which is ironically similar to Yahweh... and in all honesty it makes a lot more sense then the official story about the so called god of the OT

originally posted by: ChesterJohn
a reply to: Akragon

Your not a Christian so what would you know?

that's the stupidest thing you've said yet... You think one needs to be Christian to understand Christian theology?

It seems to me atheists understand Christianity much better then people that claim the label do... chances are that's why they chose that path...

There are many reason's I am not Christian... but it certainly does not mean I don't understand the concepts of the religion

I've been dealing with Christians my entire life... I know them quite intimately... and there is the rare exception to the rule.... but most don't have a clue about what Jesus taught... they just listen and agree with their pastors

a reply to: Akragon

Thanks for the definition, Akragon.

He created the world, and messed it up… which explained why there was so many crazy things, atrocities, and other such things written about in the OT

How many worlds does that make, you think?

If these gods have been making worlds forever, they should be good at it by now. I agree about the official story, across the board, not just man made religious texts..

a reply to: Akragon

Know them by their fruit…

Thats more literal. Know their bent by what they produce, bullets, bombs, barrels of oil, nuclear waste, that kind of "produce".

a reply to: intrptr

The "produce" he's referring to is what we make of our lives... the fruits of our labour so to speak... the actions (or lack there of) and words we use every day is what counts in this life

theres a better version of the passage a few chapters later actually... while speaking to the Pharisee's he states.


Either make the tree good, and his fruit good; or else make the tree corrupt, and his fruit corrupt: for the tree is known by his fruit.

34 O generation of vipers, how can ye, being evil, speak good things? for out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh.

35 A good man out of the good treasure of the heart bringeth forth good things: and an evil man out of the evil treasure bringeth forth evil things.

36 But I say unto you, That every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the day of judgment.

37 For by thy words thou shalt be justified, and by thy words thou shalt be condemned.

a reply to: Akragon

The "produce" he's referring to is what we make of our lives… the fruits of our labour so to speak… the actions (or lack there of) and words we use every day is what counts in this life

Fruit is fruit, a tree is roots branches and leaves, the fruit is what it produces. What a nation produces is the fruit.

Limiting it to just behavioral fruit is how its interpreted today. That way you can work in a defense plant all week and still go to church on Sundays. How convenient.