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Wouldn't it make more sense to convert them? I wonder what the "other practices" are and if any of them are practiced today? Should we still destroy these people or their descendants? If He didn't want His people to be influenced by the others, what does that say about His creation? Imperfect or He wasn't sure what they would do.
I'm not sure what you meant by that. The date may have been borrowed, a lot of feasts were determined by the moon. The solstices were always big, so some dates were just naturally party days. But I don't accept the idea that a pagan holiday was adopted as a Christian holiday by changing a few words.
Aren't most the "Christian" holidays "borrowed" days from other religions to allow an easier transition into the Christian religion?
I am so happy to see you! I was hoping you'd jump in here. If it won't ruin your reputation on these boards, I'll tell you that you're precious to me. Well, let's see what you've got for me.
Well, then you have a disagreement with Cogito, Ergo Sum. I'd pay a nickel to watch the contest between you two to decide who can come up with the better perjorative. But, really, it's between you and God what you call Him.
I'd suggest respect, but that's up to you.
You're absolutely right, I agree. I've listened to arguments, been a part of various faith traditions, read books, examined claims, and after all that I don't know anything better than to worship God.
You may have missed my point. I was saying that some of the Old Testament laws are moral laws which are binding regardless of whether they're found in the New Testament.
If you want to say the Old Testament is fraudulent and has no relationship to reality, fine, that's your call. Some would argue about evidence from archaeology and the fulfillment of prophecy, to the conclusion that it is real.
Which is it going to be? The Old Testament is a fabrication, or the Old Testament is the truth?
Would it have helped if I had skipped the shorthand and said "It isn't the day when the Church decided to celebrate Jesus' birth, it isn't the day when the Church has decided to commemorate Jesus' death, it's the day when all Christians should give a hoot and a holler as they explode in joy over Jesus' resurrection?"
Really, I don't care what holidays may have been influenced by what traditions. I care about what the holiday (Holy day. Get it?) means now.
superman2012
reply to post by charles1952
Agree to disagree I guess. It seems that it matters which denomination of Christianity a person is that shapes their beliefs about Christianity and Paganism.
The laws were used to determine who could participate in the temple services, and they were written on a big sign at the entrance to the temple courtyard, with the warning that only those who abide by these laws can enter.
One of the main purposes of these laws was to keep the Israelites identifiable and separate from their neighbors. God had set them aside to be a special people dedicated to Him . . .
I don't have much feeling either way for the title of "hero," but if you think His sacrifice was similar to a papercut, I would ask you to re-read the accounts of the Crucifixion. Jesus was human, he experienced pain. I don't think any of us could have lasted 30 minutes under a Roman flogging without collapsing, willing to do anything to stop it. The torture continued, the pain and weakness grew, then the Crucifixion. A paper cut? Spikes driven through your body, a paper cut? The suffocation on the Cross as he tried to get into a position where the pain lessened, only to find his breath was cut off.
Not sure why Jesus is worth the title of hero if he sacrificed almost nothing.
My apologies, but "fulfilled" is not the same as revoked or amended. When one is released from prison, it isn't because the sentence was revoked or amended, it's because the punishment has been fulfilled.
And that is, since Jesus fulfilled (read: revoked / amended) the former rules, it demonstrates that the diety in question is -not- infallible.
Matthew 5:17
17 Do not think that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets. I am not come to destroy, but to fulfill.
Interesting, I disagree of course, but if true, what is the purpose of the Bible? It's concerned with sin, holiness, and redemption. For it's message (and Jesus is supposed to be a good teacher, remember) to remain hidden from the very beginning up to the time the UFo craze hits in, say the last century, and to provide us with no meaningful insights, seems more far-fetched than the Bible stories.
I think the plot of the bible story (old + new) is the story of a person (or most likely persons) testing their hand out at abiogenesis and new intelligent life. (aka, hinting on alien theory),
You think you could take that, even if you knew that you were returning to heaven? I couldn't. But He didn't even know that. Remember His famous words, "My God, My God, why hast Thou forsaken Me?" He didn't know he was going to Heaven,
superman2012
reply to post by charles1952
Consider the people whom God ordered destroyed. They practiced adultery, bestiality, burning children as a sacrifice to Molech, and temple prostitution, among other practices.
Wouldn't it make more sense to convert them? I wonder what the "other practices" are and if any of them are practiced today? Should we still destroy these people or their descendants? If He didn't want His people to be influenced by the others, what does that say about His creation? Imperfect or He wasn't sure what they would do.
Finally, the biggest flaw I see in organized Religion is, why would God make people with souls? Why have those souls inhabit bodies only to die later and join him in Heaven? Why not just keep them in Heaven? There is no point to it unless we are just bags of meat.
My 2 cents.
superman2012
reply to post by SasquatchHunter
God also created the souls to inhabit our sacks of meat and guts. My question is/was: why send those souls to inhabit the meat sacks when we could just be created with the knowledge that He wants us to gain?
It would be more logical to go that route.
I have a secret to let out, don't tell anyone, this is tippy-top Secret. There is a member on ATS whom I love in the romantic sense. I have never met, and probably will never meet, her. Forget procreation, the 1952 in my name should tell you something. It's a different kind of love, or maybe it's not, but it's there.
There are quite a few scientific studies that state and show that most of what we call "love" is due to chemical reactions meant for procreation and for our species to breed and multiply.
windword
Also, God told the Israelites "Thou Shall Not Kill", then proceeded to order them to kill people of the other cities, because they didn't worship him, and to kill their own kin for various other transgressions.