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That's totally Bogus. When people in the people in the Middle East start a Holy War for their God they are looked down on. But by that logic when mothers kill their babies in the name of God it's ok. By that logic of course.
Originally posted by NOTurTypical
reply to post by Akragon
So basically the commandment should have said "thou shall not murder, unless God commands you to do so"
The instant God commands it, it's no longer murder. Can we let God have His sovereignty for maybe 15 minutes?? Is that too much to ask, just let Him have 15 minutes of divine sovereignty??
I believe all killing is murder, regardless of the species... Animal or man... to abruptly end any sentient life is pure negative Karma...
"Karma", you mean the law of sowing and reaping? I though God gave man the animals for food?
And i still say OT God is not the true God.
Jesus disagrees.
How can anyone respect any being... God or human that plays by the rule "do what i say, not what i do"
You're claiming God murdered people. God requires ALL our souls at one point or another. And second after we first sin against Him and He chooses to prolong our judgment is grace on top of grace. We'll all stand before Him. He also tells us that vengeance is His alone, and to not seek it on our own.
We only have 10 minutes left now, can we humans give God permission to be sovereign yet?
What??? You spoke to dead people and Aliens???
Originally posted by autowrench
Does Christianity forbid asking hard questions about its doctrines?
Does Christianity forbid questioning of its leaders and their doctrine or behavior?
Do Christian organizations whose primary focus is fundraising, and who may even resort to deception in order to line the pockets of their leaders? Is it not true that some of these leaders live in luxury, while the one paying them live in poverty?
Do Christians not target young people, the elderly, and others who might be vulnerable to exploitation?
How can Christians be so sure they're right and everyone else is wrong? Isn't that arrogant? Isn't that evidence of a large ego?
Logically speaking, it is simply not possible for all the major world religions to be valid ways/paths to God.
Christianity states that the God of the Bible Yahweh is the only true God and salvation is only possible by accepting Christ as one's Savior and Lord. Judaism states that the God of the Torah/Old Testament is the only true God, and that Jesus is not the Messiah, putting it directly at odds with Christianity. Jesus either is the Messiah, or he is not. If he is, Judaism is not a valid way to God; if he is not, Christianity is not a valid way to God. The mutual exclusion only grows when other religions are added: Islam says that Allah is the only true God, and that anyone who says Christ is the Son of God will be condemned (Qur'an, 5:72, 9:30). Furthermore, if religions other than Christianity are valid ways to God, then one of Christianity's basic principles is false; in that case, can it still be said to be a valid, trustworthy religion?
Is Christianity is intolerant of other beliefs?
I have seen this intolerance many times, in this forum, and in real life.
Tell a Christian you are Wiccan, you very quickly are told that you work for Satan, or are in league with Satan, or Demons, or that you are a Demon, or are possessed by Demons. It is nearly the same if you tell a Christian you are a Buddhist, a Hindu, Taoist, or follow the Native American ways. Isn't it true, and the way if the Christ, that we shouldn't pass judgement on, or condemn these beliefs as being morally wrong? Or sinful?
If someone has a bad disease, telling them that they don't need to seek medical treatment, but to only trust in the Lord, is a wrong thing to do. Isn't it true that a Doctor can help, perhaps faster, and with better results, than prayer?
Whether or not basic Christianity is true or false is a topic of much debate, which is clearly evident in this forum, and elsewhere. It is my contention that when a group, any group, claims to have an exclusive hold on TRUTH, we all tend to immediately doubt the claims of that group. Does Christianity make such a claim? It does claim that Jesus is the only way to God, basically stating that there is only the one path, and all other paths are either morally wrong, or sinful, or the direct path to Hell.
Christianity claims there is good evidence, and lots of it for the resurrection of Jesus from the dead. But truthfully, this evidence is mainly confined to the [canonized] New Testament texts and gospels which were retold from oral/verbal story-telling, (no doubt big in the days before Radio and TV) and various non-inspired written accounts of the life and death of Jesus. The Romans kept meticulous records of everything, and there are no records bearing the name, or the execution of Jesus, to the best of my knowledge. Also, do not forget, there were many men named Jesus at the time:
A Surfeit of Jesuses
This man Jesus is best thought of by secular people as merely another failed Jewish prophet, and human a man, a wise teacher and sage, and nothing more. There were many of these in those times. A lot of them met a violent end, too.
Upon his shocking crucifixion, his disciples had visionary experiences of him and concluded just like the Millerites, the Jehovah’s witnesses, and other similar religious groups that their God was providing a new direction for their cult. In the case of the early disciples they concluded from these visions that Jesus was still alive and that the end of the world would come very soon, within their lifetime.It is my contention that this "historical evidence" is very poor evidence to believe in such extraordinary claims, like the claims Christians must believe in anyway. (or else!)
Christians will claim they have a religious experience which counts as good evidence for what they believe, like an inner witness of the Holy Spirit. This is so bogus of an argument it’s hard to even start. When a believer has a religious experience it is really hard, if not psychologically impossible, to argue him away from his beliefs. It is basically the same with people who have had the ET/UFO experience, once experienced, it would be virtually impossible to make the person think he or she did not really have it. It is the same for a non Christian to have a vision. The vision may be very real for the one having the vision, but to a Christian is it Satan or a Demon trying to fool you. I have been told this many times.
Of course, if a devout Christian has a vision it is fully accepted as coming from God.
And what of those who say they speak to the dead? Christianity teaches that humans have but one life only, and when one dies they either go to Heaven or Hell, and nowhere else. I call attention to
I Samuel 28:11-16: The Witch of Endor. The Witch of Endor reveals that she saw Gods (plural) ascending out of the Earth. There is much debate as to whether or not the apparition that was conjured up by the witch was the real Samuel. The witch described Samuel’s appearance to Saul as being an old man covered in a mantle. A mantle was a type of robe, or coat for the upper portion of the body. There was something about this mantle that convinced Saul that the apparition was indeed Samuel.
I myself have spoken of my Grandfather, who came to visit me, and took me with him for a night of travel and talking that enthralled me. I have also seen, and spoken to my Father, and two friends, all of whom are dead. I also have had conversation with ET Beings.
I have told these things to Christians, who told me it was actually a Demon, fooling me, and not who i thought it was at all. How does one defend against this?
I believe there are many people in the world today who are very deluded by their religious beliefs, even to the extreme in some cases. How do you know that you are not one of them, having been brainwashed by the very culture you were brought up in? How do you know? You must consider this a possibility for it’s a fact that brainwashed people do not know they have been brainwashed.
My claim is that most who call themselves Christian are brainwashed. Demand good evidence along with good reasons for why you believe, believe you know. It’s that simple.
Today's Cult News
Brainwashing & Mind Control Techniquesedit on 12/29/11 by autowrench because: (no reason given)
The spiritual should be no different. If it is true, it is simple.
Originally posted by St Udio
brainwashing is a harsh term for the educating/ training of a Christian
One might call the technique a Total Immersion
......
Originally posted by Deetermined
Originally posted by FugitiveSoul
I asked my father-in-law once what kept him going to church, and he didn't say "love", he said because he'd go to Hell if he didn't respect "Jesus and the lord." If fear keeps you Christian, then you really need to question the motives of the God your religion is preaching about.
I respectfully disagree. If fear keeps you Christian, then you need to question what kind of relationship you really have with God in the first place. To say you need to question the motives of God is like saying my daughter should question my motives and my love for her every time I choose to discipline her.
Originally posted by IrVulture
In my experience, After countless hours of studying the bible, and comparing that to a brush I had with Scientology in my early 20's, I would have to say YES!
The parallels were incredible, Anything that repeats the same things over and over again IS a form of brainwashing.
What really tuned me away from Christianity was when I learned how the early Christians destroyed as much of our human history as they could to further their own cause.
Any place their "missionaries" were sent over the ages, was reformed into their way of thinking and the "old ways" were demonized and destroyed....
From the burning of of the library of Alexandria, to the destruction and genocide of ancient cultures they deemed to be Satanic!
That's why (In my opinion) we can't figure out how the pyramids of Giza were built, or Stonehenge,and most likely Tiwanaku...
I feel that ANY type of organized religion, at it's base, Has an agenda they are willing to kill for...
Again, I could quote Pontius Pilate here.