JTaylor

Absolutely!! I'm humble and proud!

Turbohot

My friend's husband has recently found God after reading a book on Islam's plan to vanish Christianity. I met this friend for long lunch today and she talked about this most of the time. Her husband is now reading a lot on just Christianity, going to his local church regularly and according to my friend he's finding God very helpful. His missus (my mate) is like James's missus. She thinks that it could be just a phase, although she's supportive of him. She said he told his 5 YO son that if anyone lies, they burn in hell. My mate wasn't impressed with that, but it's working alright there. Tbh I think my mate's in denial, and in her heart she also now wants to be a practising Christian. She doesn't want to go to church every week with her husband, though. My friend says that with Christianity going extinct and Islam spreading like wild fire, it makes sense to recognise own faith and drive/promote it.

She also said that their older kids (in their 20's) take a pith of his transformation, but he lets it go above his head. He says that he had made many mistakes that he needs to make up for, and his newly found God will help him in the process.

Edited again to say, she said that another benefit of him becoming pukka Christian is that he, who might have done allsorts in past, won't cheat on her or leave her as per his faith's teachings, which is really good.

jonc

How does that stand with the Pope and the Vatican's billions?

JTaylor

https://www.scoobynet.com/1026662-st...l#post11706720

JTaylor

Having given the above some further thought, much of the art and architecture that has been inspired by God does enrich the human experience, I think. Purely as a spectacle, many of the world's cathedrals are awe inducing and the Judeo-Christian paintings and poems and music are often quite beautiful. The caveat is that these things should be dedicated to the glory of God and used and heard and seen in an non-idolatrous context.

Matteeboy

God buildings are pretty but how much to build?
If you marry/partner with a non believer, it is your duty to convert them.
The most evil person can go to heaven by "letting Jesus into his/her soul" just before snuffing it.
The most generous, lovely person in the World who never believes is f**ked.
The religion is all about sharing yet top ranking Christians are usually extremely rich.
1000s died building these temples of God.
1000s of non believers have been killed throughout history.
A vast number of priests/bishops get convicted of child abuse.
"Thou shalt not kill" appears to contain a zillion get out clauses.
God clearly didn't exist before the bible was written. What happened to the previous 10,000 years of modern man?
God made Mary pregnant; didn't that upset Joseph? And how (if he didn't sleep with Mary) does the lineage make Jesus his son?
God decided his son should die for mankind then changed his mind and brought him back to life; a serious lack of commitment there.

Hmmmm, where do I sign up?

JTaylor

Here you go, Matthew:

http://www.christianityexplored.org

Infected by sti

iTrader: (6)

How many gods are there in total?

Which was the strongest

JTaylor

Well Christ carried the sin of the entire world on His shoulders, so I'd say it was Him.

Matteeboy

In a rucksack or maybe on a hod carrier? Does sin weigh much?

JTaylor

1 Peter 2:24 says "He himself bore our sins" in his body on the cross, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; "by his wounds you have been healed."

Does your sin weigh much, Matthew? Unburden yourself, my friend.

Matteeboy

"Sin" means "without" in Spanish.
I'll go for "without guilt."

JTaylor

I'm afraid we're all guilty, Matt; ever since the snake entered the garden.

ditchmyster

iTrader: (7)

Nowt wrong with snakes in the garden, I have quite a selection and very useful they are too.

Out of curiosity, why are churches built in the same format as ancient sun worshippers temples.

JTaylor

The So(u)n rises and chases away darkness, the So(u)n is followed by twelve disciples (constellations), on earth as it is in heaven and so on and so forth. You're in the realms of esoteric Christianity here, Ditch.

To understand the natural law one must first be a pagan. Paganism preceded Christianity. Better to be a pagan than to worship the self.

Matteeboy

So we have to feel guilty about something. Then seek forgiveness. Then not feel so guilty?
How about not feeling that guilt in the first place?

JTaylor

Contrition leading to reconciliation with the Father through His Son.

Matteeboy

Are you replying via some Google God translation unit.
I notice Christians are often proud of how they can recite the bible.
It's as useful as my ability to quite the bhp of almost any car made in the last 10 years.

JTaylor

No.

I'm not, but I think one ought to understand and have a knowledge of the eternal text.

It depends if you idolise cars or God.

Matteeboy

For me, the cars get my hugs.

JTaylor

Something needs to fill the big, God-shaped void in people's hearts.

Maz

iTrader: (34)

Contrition for what? If you've been moral and just throughout your life why would you need contrition? I want you to answer this not by quoting bible text or what someone else has said but from your own self.

hodgy0_2

I think I can answer

because we are inherently sinful and the only way to receive the glory of god and gain entry into the kingdom of heaven

is letting jesus into your hearts

it is, in itself, not about being good/moral (the Ghandi/Hindley paradox)

that's the logic

Geezer

So it's a protection racket

Al Capone, Chicago's version of God......

john banks

Interesting to consider whether moral hazard is involved.

JTaylor

We're instinctively selfish, proud, ungrateful, idolatrous, vain, glory-seeking creatures. I explored this here:

https://www.scoobynet.com/non-scooby...-altruism.html

It's only when we recognise this that we can change and evolve towards a Christ-like nature and consciousness, but a period of contrition must precede rebirth. Or we can embrace our 'nature' and worship Satan (the archetype).

The less sin one's committed, the shorter the period of contrition will be. Mine was very long!

Matteeboy

But Christians kill many people, abuse kids, brain wash others into giving money to the cause (US evangelists), accuse people of doing wrong when they haven't (not believing in their same God), consider women to be inferior and so on.

If they were all paragons of goodness, you'd have a point but they aren't.

The most amazing people I can think of aren't religious at all.

hodgy0_2

well that would explain why you have to fear him (as well as love him!!!!)

Turbohot

Generally speaking, I experience that one's guilt seems to correlate with the reliance on the imaginary.

Environment, loss, sorrow, other past trauma, fear of failure, past history of substance abuse, severe deprivation of some sort, and some others negative emotions also correlate with one's leaning on the religion, but guilt seems to top the list for over-indulgence. And then there could be psychiatric issues, solely responsible for abnormal reliability on God.

hodgy0_2

if you read the thread from the beginning we have discussed all this

Ultimately where I come from, and I am sure this won’t be a surprised to JT to hear it

is that I view JT's views in the same way I view ISIS/Taliban etc (and any Religious Fundamentalist)

Remember we are not talking about Cultural Christians - or people who man the church tea stall at the village fate

but people such as JT who have rigid fundamental “non negotiable” views

Logically I have no choice - they both believe in the sovereignty of a supernatural non-existent being, that they believe has sovereignty over everyone and everything on the planet – and that single fact drives everything else

it is medieval in outlook - which explains the medieval levels of barbarism ISIS go to to protect their God

he actually has no answers to the problems faced by humanity – poverty disease, inequality and war, his only answer is “a new Jerusalem” whatever that is (I am sure ISIS have a similar philosophical construct – logically they have to, because like JT they offer no answers on worldly problems exept God

but listen I called JT out on this even before he converted, over 5 years ago it was obvious - and he has actually confirmed that he was a militant fundamental atheist now he is a militant fundamental religious person

the key here being “militant fundamentalist”

I said he was a “different side of the same coin” – I was right then – and still am