Why did God, in foreknowledge of man, still create man?

a reply to: TzarChasm

The difference between a man made control mechanism and religion is the Spirit of Christ. Christ could have ridden on a colt into a throne room He could have ordained by Himself, yet He, instead came into Jerusalem on an ass and the people shouted 'Hosanna'. If anyone of worldly sovereignty were to see that display they would laugh themselves into asphyxiation.

You have not known the Spirit of the Lord, it is of true virtue, for the one true Religion is that of Virtue. But it still seems you worldly conspirators hate us. If we were to be poor you'd hate us and if we were rich you'd hate us because we detach ourselves from the world we love and you so despise.

a reply to: backcase

Christ could have ridden on a colt into a throne room He could have ordained by Himself, yet He, instead came into Jerusalem on an ass and the people shouted 'Hosanna'. If anyone of worldly sovereignty were to see that display they would laugh themselves into asphyxiation.

You have not known the Spirit of the Lord, it is of true virtue, for the one true Religion is that of Virtue. But it still seems you worldly conspirators hate us. If we were to be poor you'd hate us and if we were rich you'd hate us because we detach ourselves from the world we love and you so despise.

its not about hate, its about practicality. if you are going to worship something, make sure its something that actually benefits you instead of conditioning you to mistake coincidence and optimism for a religious experience.

a reply to: TzarChasm

all things are religious experience. Coincidence and optimism are a part of that religious experience. If I find significance and optimism in life through religion, that is more than a coincidence. If I fit no where and am told I'm damned if I do, and damned if I don't, I look at who says this to me and go to my God Who loves me and tells me otherwise. There I find comfort, there I find practicality, there I find reason and logic, and there I stay and for that I receive hatred from the world.

The world is not forever, God is.

a reply to: backcase

If I fit no where and am told I'm damned if I do, and damned if I don't, I look at who says this to me and go to my God Who loves me and tells me otherwise. There I find comfort, there I find practicality, there I find reason and logic, and there I stay and for that I receive hatred from the world.

stockholm syndrome.

a reply to: TzarChasm

no, because I am free and choose to have my good Master

originally posted by: backcase
a reply to: TzarChasm

all things are religious experience. Coincidence and optimism are a part of that religious experience. If I find significance and optimism in life through religion, that is more than a coincidence. If I fit no where and am told I'm damned if I do, and damned if I don't, I look at who says this to me and go to my God Who loves me and tells me otherwise. There I find comfort, there I find practicality, there I find reason and logic, and there I stay and for that I receive hatred from the world.

The world is not forever, God is.

That sir, is not even close to why xtians receive hate from the world. The hate comes because of xtianity's need to condemn and convert everyone around them. The hate comes because xtianity's idea of love is to save(conquer) the world "for Christ". The hate comes because you have pronounced anyone who is not xtian as a "sinner" and hellbound. The hate comes because xtianity, at its core, is an elitist religion, just as the other two Abrahamic faiths.
(You in general. Not you personally.)

a reply to: Klassified

Yet the point Christianity makes, is that change begins with the individual. The changing of heart.

Just as one person can change the world, so one person contributes to its bad.. and that one person is each of us. The collective is made up of individuals, and each individual is responsible.

It is easy to look at another and say that is wrong, but much more difficult to look at self and say the same. We sit and condemn Muslims for looking on at ISIS while atrocities are committed and doing nothing about it..



yet do the same thing when we say there is nothing we can do about the 1% running amok, or the government funding terrorism such as in Syria in the first place.. we look the other way when it is us doing nothing, and condemn when it is others.

We are just as depraved, and while its not easy to say "by doing nothing I contributed to this" but we must say it, and then when we realize our part; we must then change the condition of our own hearts.

Is it elitist to say most wont even try, because most want to see themselves as good, just simply powerless? No.. because that is the simple truth.. that is not elitist. Nor does any real Christian see themselves as better than anyone else... a real Christian knows self.

Christianity says, the path to godly life, which is that thing which is truly better, is through God. It's better, because its root is true and pure love.

A Christian can make no one accept this path, but what a Christian can do is to show it in action and beauty. Many do miss that point, that that is what a Christian should do.. but some do get it, and make differences in the world after allowing themselves to be healed. There are many Mother Theresa's in this world, just not all became famous.

a reply to: OpinionatedB

Basically what you're saying is there are VERY VERY few "real Christians" around.

& what you're basically representing is humanities pathetic ability to love something purely of their own inner projection.
Same reason women stay in abusive relationships.

I'm not saying there's anything wrong with your personal beliefs, but it seems really easy to think something Loves you just because you Love it unconditionally.

a reply to: OpinionatedB
Not a bad mini-sermon.

You do indeed remind me of myself not that many years ago.

a reply to: Klassified

lol..and you, me..

(PS. not a sermon.. )

originally posted by: OpinionatedB

originally posted by: Klassified
a reply to: backcase

You know, I get real tired of hearing how wretched, I and my fellow human beings are. We are a species still going through
Striving toward our betterment. In christianity, things are called "evil" while in another believe system such as atheist, things are called "bad" or simply "not better or not good for society"

Atheism is not a belief system. Atheism consists of exactly one position: there is no God. Why is it so difficult to understand that?

a reply to: Tangerine

because it proselytizes just as religions do, it is a belief system all its own, in its modern construct.. it shares commonalities with religion.. they even make churches for atheists these days. It is a system of belief where self is god.

originally posted by: OpinionatedB
a reply to: Tangerine

because it proselytizes just as religions do, it is a belief system all its own, in its modern construct.. it shares commonalities with religion.. they even make churches for atheists these days. It is a system of belief where self is god.

Religion is the performance of ritual on behalf of or in obeyance to a supernatural deity or deities. Where is the supernatural deity in atheism? There isn't one. Where is the ritual? There isn't one. Hence, atheism is not a religion any more than the position that extraterrestrials don't exist is a religion.

Churches for atheists? Really? Can you prove that? Tax-exempt churches for atheists?

a reply to: Ericthedoubter

Only kidding,I'm an atheist,god doesn't exist...ask yourselves please,why did god make such a poor job of making humans?

God didn't screw up. He made a perfect man. Actually God never made anyone else. Man made themselves after Adam. It's call procreation. Man screwed themselves up after Adam. It's the same ole same ole. The kids all blame dad for everything.

a reply to: Tangerine

Pope Francis is significantly upping the Catholic Church's buzz quotient, but another congregation is hoping to take America (and other countries) by storm. Like Methodism and Episcopalianism, the Sunday Assembly is a British import, but with a difference: This church doesn't believe in God. It's motto is "live better, help often, and wonder more." It's striving to be a global atheist religion.

Stand-up comedians Sanderson Jones and Pippa Evans started the original Sunday Assembly in a decommissioned London church in January, and there are now five congregations in the Sunday Assembly Everywhere (SAE) denomination: Three in Britain, one in New York, and one in Melbourne, Australia. Starting Oct. 22, Evans and Jones are starting a "global missionary tour" to visit the four branch congregations and set up new ones in 18 other cities in Britain, Scotland, Ireland, the U.S., Canada, and Australia.

The stated goal is to have "a godless congregation in every town, city, and village that wants one" — and hopefully 30 to 40 by the end of December. If they reach that goal, the Sunday Assembly says in a press release, "the 3000 percent growth rate might make this non-religious Assembly the fastest growing church in the world, catering to the fastest growing belief / non-belief group."

theweek.com...

valerietarico.com...

Many believe that a person's god is anything that is worshiped and that thing does not have to be supernatural; for the atheist - that god is self.

but, this is off-topic..

a reply to: Tangerine

I will explain AGAIN: beliefs are never facts. When testable evidence proves that something is fact, it ceases to be a belief. Do not confuse truth with fact. Truth is a belief and there are many beliefs. Here's a test: If something you are about to present is based on testable evidence, it's a fact. If it's not based on testable evidence, it's a belief. It's actually quite simple.

I think you really screwed that one up real good Tangerine. You said not to confuse truth with fact. You mean that truth is not fact? You said that truth is a belief and there are many beliefs. So then if i believe there is a God then that is truth?

You can base many things on testable evidence which are not necessarily factual. I can base God on all of science but all of science cannot show God as a fact and all facts are not testable. Evidence is nothing more than evidence and is independent of fact. There is circumstantial evidence and that is not necessarily factual is it?

a reply to: Klassified

No, that is why God's children receive hate from the world. I am not concerning myself with non spiritual Christians at the moment, or the 'luke warm'.

originally posted by: backcase
a reply to: TzarChasm

all things are religious experience. Coincidence and optimism are a part of that religious experience. If I find significance and optimism in life through religion, that is more than a coincidence. If I fit no where and am told I'm damned if I do, and damned if I don't, I look at who says this to me and go to my God Who loves me and tells me otherwise. There I find comfort, there I find practicality, there I find reason and logic, and there I stay and for that I receive hatred from the world.

The world is not forever, God is.

I'm still waiting for you to explain to me how that photo proves that God exists. I'm interested in understanding the reason in logic used to support that claim.

originally posted by: OpinionatedB
a reply to: Tangerine

because it proselytizes just as religions do, it is a belief system all its own, in its modern construct.. it shares commonalities with religion.. they even make churches for atheists these days. It is a system of belief where self is god.

Which atheist churches exist? That is, which tax free organizations declared churches by the government are atheist churches?

originally posted by: OpinionatedB
a reply to: Tangerine


Many believe that a person's god is anything that is worshiped and that thing does not have to be supernatural; for the atheist - that god is self.

but, this is off-topic..

It's not only off topic, it's ludicrous.