Who do you choose, your life or your God?

There has been a lot of discussion on ATS lately about religious beliefs and working for the government, so my question is easy who do you choose, your job or your God when it comes down to having to choose between one or the other? Most government positions do not have to make their employees choose but what if you were required too? Who would you choose? Now in order to make a response to this thread within its context you have to believe in a God otherwise you are trolling this thread and isn't trolling against ATS T&C?

Maybe more importance should be added to this thread? How about you are given the choice of between life and death? Deny God and his existence and live; choose to believe in an invisible being and die along with your family. Now the stakes have been raised. What do you do?

Of course there is a lot of controversy here on ATS concerning the Christian faith and some of it I agree with (very little) BUT not all. Like in any religion or better yet any culture there are differences of agreement......being overzealous comes to mind.

I think some of you Christians have forgotten the mission we are on that Christ told us to do? To tell others about the "Good News"? The gospel..... remember? Now that does not mean to push it down someone's throat but to share it to those who accept it and to those who do not want to hear it? Fine ...... bless them and walk away. Have you been taught how to share the message? Most have not and yet they went out blind and tried and failed miserably.

Do you understand the meaning of this teaching?

James 2:14- Faith Without Works Is Dead

14 What does it profit, my brethren, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can faith save him? 15 If a brother or sister is naked and destitute of daily food, 16 and one of you says to them, “Depart in peace, be warmed and filled,” but you do not give them the things which are needed for the body, what does it profit? 17 Thus also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead.

18 But someone will say, “You have faith, and I have works.” Show me your faith without your[a] works, and I will show you my faith by my works. 19 You believe that there is one God. You do well. Even the demons believe—and tremble! 20 But do you want to know, O foolish man, that faith without works is dead?[c] 21 Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered Isaac his son on the altar? 22 Do you see that faith was working together with his works, and by works faith was made perfect? 23 And the Scripture was fulfilled which says, “Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness.”[d] And he was called the friend of God. 24 You see then that a man is justified by works, and not by faith only.

So you see a man or woman of faith AUTOMATICALLY has works due to his/her FAITH. Sitting on your ass and believing is NOT faith, going to church on Sunday is NOT faith but getting off your ass and spreading the gospel, healing the sick, comforting those in prisons and hospitals, feeding the poor, etc... THIS IS FAITH. Faith by works. Works does not get you to God but faith with works do! As mentioned above faith alone is dead and does not bring you to God. This does NOT mean to go banging on doors and disturbing people, why don't you go for a walk and you will see those in need, if you are a Christian than the Holy Spirit is with you and he will guide you to where you need to be BUT many can not hear him..... right?

Matthew 6: 25-27: 25 "For this reason I say to you, do not be worried about your life, as to what you will eat or what you will drink; nor for your body, as to what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? 26"Look at the birds of the air, that they do not sow, nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not worth much more than they? 27"And who of you by being worried can add a single hour to his life?…

If you worry about your future, how to pay your rent and bills then you have not surrendered...... to God. No faith..... a little pressure and you snap and easily give up.

So I ask you who comes first in your life?

Your life?

Your family that God gave you?

Or God?

Which is it?


EDIT LATER: Without sounding "HOLIER THAN THOU" ..... the Holy Spirit guided me and told me what to say in this thread. Those that have discernment of spirit I need a witness. God bless you all.

a reply to: DeathSlayer

There are several times that I quit or walked off a job because changes in management's demands of me, or some advertisers' wild ideas of how I should present myself, violated my personal moral compass.

a reply to: DeathSlayer

Don't like secular jobs, become a Priest, Monk, Nun or any other religious vocation but don't become a public servant and then expect everyone to bow done to your belief system. You guys in the states are getting more and more like the Middle East with your constant religious drivel day in and day out.

The First Amendment (Amendment I) to the United States Constitution prohibits the making of any law respecting an establishment of religion, impeding the free exercise of religion, abridging the freedom of speech, infringing on the freedom of the press, interfering with the right to peaceably assemble or prohibiting the petitioning for a governmental redress of grievances. It was adopted on December 15, 1791, as one of the ten amendments that constitute the Bill of Rights.

Absolutely nothing in your first amendments permits religious fanatics to infringe the civil rights of the rest of society. Want to be a god fearing nincompoop, go and join a Cult in the wilderness and leave the rest of society to get on with improving civilisation and undoing millenniums worth of damage caused by shepherds.

Your particular god/set of superstitions have nothing to do with anybody else, if it effects your job performance you need to get another job.

Its not complicated.

originally posted by: DeathSlayer

So I ask you who comes first in your life?

Your job?

Your family that God gave you?

Or God?

Which is it?

My family comes first, always. The family I created with my ex husband, the 'traditional' way, nothing to do with any deity as my ex-husband is a great guy but he is not a God!

a reply to: Prezbo369

Yet it seems to be for so many people. You have to kind of feel sorry for those who can't see the simplicity in things.

a reply to: DeathSlayer

don't have to choose...I don't believe, therefore I'm free to make my own decisions and not feel obligated to follow the guidelines of an old book.

But that said, you can always find another job (or create one for yourself) if you don't like the demands of an employer.

originally posted by: windword
There are several times that I quit or walked off a job because changes in management's demands of me, or some advertisers' wild ideas of how I should present myself, violated my personal moral compass.

Same here! My morals (personal beliefs) are more important than any job. I wouldn't sell out. But I definitely wouldn't expect the company and coworkers to change or adjust to MY morals in order to accommodate ME. That would be highly selfish, self-centered and inconsiderate. I would leave the job.

I believe you should love God above all else, but I don't believe you have to choose between God and your family or even work. Its not God and nothing else, that's why we can ask Jesus to come into the hearts of people you love so that they may have ears that hear the word and realize its truth. If your work is going against your faith, it is definitely good to trust that Jesus would answer your prayer to find work that is good. I've never had a job that went against my personal beliefs on how to treat one another, so I don't know how it feels to be morally compromised in the workplace.
The scriptures you shared are the truth.
What I've learned as true,
We are saved by grace through faith, though not of ourselves, faith is a gift.
When faith comes to the believer, it acts.
Our acts of good faith are from God alone through Jesus Christ.
I was told that you can give the word to someone and they either take it in or they don't, of course you can always pray for them, then leave them be.
God bless.

From my point of view Human Religions are simplified views. Can be used as a spiritual map to gain something if you seek it.

You prove yourself to the holy spirit and it will make itself known/revealed and you do not automatically know the holy spirit just because you choose a human team view. The human team view leads to faith without works both in Judaism. Christian (Many Christians are following Paulism not Yeshua) and Islam faith.

a reply to: windword

There are several times that I quit or walked off a job because changes in management's demands of me..... violated my personal moral compass.

Yep! Me, too.

a reply to: DeathSlayer

"For what have I gained if I save my life and lose my soul?"

I know I'm paraphrasing there, but that's about how I look at it and how I live. I have found myself -- and put myself -- into some less-than-safe situations, but I do what I must to be able to live with myself.... And to know that when my judgment day comes, I can honestly say I did my best.

I'm an atheist. But, for the sake of argument. I'd choose hell over God's "heaven". My job as a dishwasher is far from Biblical hell, but, here on Earth, it can feel like hell. Still.. I would not choose the Christian God.

I think it depends on what I'm being asked to do.

You've already gotten a lot of atheist posters in here (despite you admonition that you weren't asking them) who claim it's no biggie. So I'd like to ask them what happens if their job and means of livelihood were to suddenly ask them to go against what they feel is decent or moral?

Only one of them actually said already they'd left jobs for asking that. The rest simply jeered.

What if you were in a position where you were suddenly required to lie or cheat? Maybe steal? Or if you had power over people in some capacity ... say the terms of your job changed to where you were required to us that power abusively? Maybe rape or even murder?

What then?

originally posted by: ketsuko

You've already gotten a lot of atheist posters in here (despite you admonition that you weren't asking them) who claim it's no biggie. So I'd like to ask them what happens if their job and means of livelihood were to suddenly ask them to go against what they feel is decent or moral?

Only one of them actually said already they'd left jobs for asking that. The rest simply jeered.

You are so judgmental. You are always talking about 'them' and 'us'. I think on ATS people have the freedom to reply to any thread, nobody has been rude, they have simply stated their opinion, some with a bit of light humour. Jeez, you need to chill out a bit instead of constantly assessing people's answers.

You can take your ass kissing contest and shove it.

a reply to: ketsuko

ou've already gotten a lot of atheist posters in here (despite you admonition that you weren't asking them) who claim it's no biggie. So I'd like to ask them what happens if their job and means of livelihood were to suddenly ask them to go against what they feel is decent or moral?

Only one of them actually said already they'd left jobs for asking that. The rest simply jeered.

No. At least three of us said that.

Do you need me to link to the posts?
windword,
BenevolentHeretic,
and myself....

ALL stated that we have left more than one job when instructed to behave in a manner that violates our moral codes.

a reply to: ketsuko

What if you were in a position where you were suddenly required to lie or cheat? Maybe steal? Or if you had power over people in some capacity ... say the terms of your job changed to where you were required to us that power abusively?...What then?

That has happened in four of the positions I have held. (No assignment to murder or rape! Good grief!) but other things.

The first time, I simply refused, and they dropped it (I was supposed to cosign on 'bad checks'. I said NO.)


I walked away from the other three for very different but still TOTALLY UNETHICAL cause. ALL of them were wrong and unethical 'mandates' from 'management.'

But, I know you aren't really interested in what "we" say we have done. Sorry for interrupting you.

Not having "a" god, I'll take life thanks.