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Why would anyone want the Christan God to be real?

strikeviperMKII

Well-Known Member
before we continue...
chosen for me implies being preferred above others

could you please explain your understanding of "chosen" to avoid any confusion

It is a fine enough idea, let's go with that. I would reconsider who you perceive as doing the choosing, though.
 

AllanV

Active Member
The word grace means favor. One who is under grace has favor.

If I have two sons and favor one then perhaps I would prefer to be equal with both but the behavior of one just will not allow it.
 

waitasec

Veteran Member
The word grace means favor. One who is under grace has favor.

If I have two sons and favor one then perhaps I would prefer to be equal with both but the behavior of one just will not allow it.

what can the favored do that the un-favored cannot?
they are just as capable, are they not?
 

McBell

Admiral Obvious
Immature ideas of faith see contradictions in the Bible as dashes to its credibility. They see myths, fairy tales and pointless ritual. They see what their mind tells them and nothing more.

Mature ideas grow beyond it. Beyond the need to be right, beyond the constraint of their own knowledge. They are willing to take risks. They are willing to gamble what they have because they know the only way to learn to live is to learn how to die.

Immature ideas see faith as a death. A trap, a cage, a prison. They see it as a death and refuse to touch it for fear or guilt or shame or some other reason. Immature ideas have their box of what faith is and that's it.

Mature ideas see it as freedom. Not blind freedom. No, they know perfectly well what is wrong with faith. They use it to their advantage. Mature ideas take death and turn it into life. Mature ideas of faith destroy the box.
So if one has faith that the Bible contradicts itself that faith is somehow by default immature?

Sounds to me like you are merely saying that those whose beliefs matches up with your have mature faith and those whose beliefs differ from yours have immature faith.

How "deep" does ones faith have to go before it is no longer immature?
Does the subject of the faith have a factor in the 'maturity' of the faith?
I mean, if someone has more faith that the bible is full of contradictions than you have faith that the bible does not have contradictions, does that make YOUR faith the immature faith?
How do you measure faith?

How do you determine who's faith is mature and whose faith is immature without falling back of your own beliefs as a measuring point?
 
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strikeviperMKII

Well-Known Member
So if one has faith that the Bible contradicts itself that faith is somehow by default immature?

If that is all you see, yes.

Sounds to me like you are merely saying that those whose beliefs matches up with your have mature faith and those whose beliefs differ from yours have immature faith.

I'm not above pride. I do believe myself to be more mature in faith. I admit I do look down on people who are caught up in the 'its not real' sort of thing. Then I have to remember that I was there once. Sometimes I forget to tell myself that, but I try.

How "deep" does ones faith have to go before it is no longer immature?
Does the subject of the faith have a factor in the 'maturity' of the faith?

How long does it take for a kid to learn that his/her parents aren't trying to ruin their life by placing rules on them? It is the same principle as faith. The subject is the maturity of faith. There is no other factor.

I mean, if someone has more faith that the bible is full of contradictions than you have faith that the bible does not have contradictions, does that make YOUR faith the immature faith?
How do you measure faith?

You measure faith by the person who has said faith. In this case, I judge faith based on responses I get. How I measure it...well, there is no rubric, if that's what you want. That said there are certain things that people with mature faith have that people with immature faith don't.

How do you determine who's faith is mature and whose faith is immature without falling back of your own beliefs as a measuring point?

I fall back on my own experience, not my beliefs. It is not 'if you believe X, then you are mature, but if you only believe A, B, and C, then you're immature'.
 

AllanV

Active Member
what can the favored do that the un-favored cannot?
they are just as capable, are they not?

God looks at what is useful to Him.

One may have the follow through to find God the other may not. Remember finding God is getting passed the personality and own belief. Any hangups could become a problem.
Failure must not be part of the makeup just moving forward. Some people get hung up on all manner of dramatic instances and these build barriers.
 

waitasec

Veteran Member
God looks at what is useful to Him.
i do not subscribe to the ideal of a celestial totalitarian dictator...

One may have the follow through to find God the other may not.

1st we have to define what god is in order to find it...
and the bronze age ideal of god is not necessary ideal for today
we know so much more now than then, wouldn't you say?

Remember finding God is getting passed the personality and own belief. Any hangups could become a problem.

ever heard of integrity and self dignity...if we don't have that ...we have nothing to justify our innate sense of importance...

Failure must not be part of the makeup just moving forward.

what? are you implying no room for mistakes?
but thats how one learns

Some people get hung up on all manner of dramatic instances and these build barriers.

tell me about it...
 

strikeviperMKII

Well-Known Member
i guess no one....
so i'll sit right here and wait.....to be chosen. :sarcastic

Really? No one chooses? Did you not choose to have (or not have) breakfast this morning? Did you not choose to reply to my last post?

So I ask again, who is doing the choosing?
 

waitasec

Veteran Member
Really? No one chooses? Did you not choose to have (or not have) breakfast this morning? Did you not choose to reply to my last post?

no i didn't...my stomach told me what to do. my innate sense to debate chose to reply to your post...which is really a result of the environment i grew up in. i did not choose my parents and i did not choose to be born in the US. i did not choose to be female or have brown hair. i did not choose to be musically inclined...

So I ask again, who is doing the choosing?

no body. i'm just gonna sit in a cave and wait... and wait and wait to be chosen
:rolleyes:
 

strikeviperMKII

Well-Known Member
no i didn't...my stomach told me what to do. my innate sense to debate chose to reply to your post...which is really a result of the environment i grew up in. i did not choose my parents and i did not choose to be born in the US. i did not choose to be female or have brown hair. i did not choose to be musically inclined...

You can look at life this way. Of course, that'd be choosing to do something...

no body. i'm just gonna sit in a cave and wait... and wait and wait to be chosen
:rolleyes:

Another choice. Choosing to wait does have its values.
 

AllanV

Active Member
i do not subscribe to the ideal of a celestial totalitarian dictator...

1st we have to define what god is in order to find it...
and the bronze age ideal of god is not necessary ideal for today
we know so much more now than then, wouldn't you say?

ever heard of integrity and self dignity...if we don't have that ...we have nothing to justify our innate sense of importance...

what? are you implying no room for mistakes?
but thats how one learns

tell me about it...

Everyone is under a totalitarian dictator now and the Bible calls him Satan. Individuals, in the family, in the local neighborhood and the politics of sovereign states display a dictatorial power trip pretty much all around the world.

Jesus said God is an energizing Spirit. I know this is true. At the moment man's mind power de-energizes and puts everyone on a chemical trip.

There is a way of disconnecting and experiencing a perfect nature that is not dictatorial at all. If this can be done the person becomes energized in the heart and mind powerfully. This is being in the will of God to be energized in the heart with Love. That is all there is to it. Others will hate you for it. It will frighten some especially those in power.

Getting there can be a little messy. I have tramped through the NZ bush and over mountains and that can be messy as well. But there is more at stake in the quest of knowing God.
 

waitasec

Veteran Member
Everyone is under a totalitarian dictator now and the Bible calls him Satan.

well you may be but i am not.

Individuals, in the family, in the local neighborhood and the politics of sovereign states display a dictatorial power trip pretty much all around the world.

that's called greed and a hunger for power...nothing new.

Jesus said God is an energizing Spirit. I know this is true. At the moment man's mind power de-energizes and puts everyone on a chemical trip.

you are responding to chemical reactions right now...

There is a way of disconnecting and experiencing a perfect nature that is not dictatorial at all. If this can be done the person becomes energized in the heart and mind powerfully.

ok...i call it the power of positive thinking. funny thing is i don't feel superior for thinking that way...i just get anoyed

This is being in the will of God to be energized in the heart with Love. That is all there is to it. Others will hate you for it. It will frighten some especially those in power.

"love is the answer"
england dan and john ford coley...one of my favorites


Getting there can be a little messy. I have tramped through the NZ bush and over mountains and that can be messy as well. But there is more at stake in the quest of knowing God.

anyone with an ounce of integrity and self dignity who is lead by their conviction does this same thing...no faith necessary.
 

AllanV

Active Member
well you may be but i am not.



that's called greed and a hunger for power...nothing new.



you are responding to chemical reactions right now...



ok...i call it the power of positive thinking. funny thing is i don't feel superior for thinking that way...i just get anoyed



"love is the answer"
england dan and john ford coley...one of my favorites




anyone with an ounce of integrity and self dignity who is lead by their conviction does this same thing...no faith necessary.

I don't feel superior at all. I have life and work skills that give me a lot of self confidence and all the training involved gives me reassurance. This is needed to get the awkward job done. My mind has to be set to not let other people irritate or otherwise interfere with my goal and this annoys them. I know it does, but should I fail just to make that type of person happy. Their own self indulgence isn't complete and they feel unaccomplished and they often become nasty.

The whole question of religion isn't any different but it is not about force or any one looking good. It is a simple, and perhaps not so simple explanation.
But the real goal is own salvation, that is becoming perfect, knowing God and being immortal in a new world system. And that salvation has to be worked out with fear and trembling, this shows that it has some significance.
 

AllanV

Active Member
Originally Posted by AllanV
Everyone is under a totalitarian dictator now and the Bible calls him Satan.

well you may be but i am not..

Just make it personal for a moment because only you know you.
This is about whether or not you let your emotions get away with you in certain situations. Or if you are tested in a situation those captivating aspects will determine your behavior. This could be as simple as a pointed remark or an opinion without any fact. You will have weak, strong, bad and good points in how you approach everything. Others will see things in you and this may be hard to accept when you are down, but may be able to be brushed them off when you are up.
Some people will do terrible things when the opportunity is presented and some will do good.

We are really dictated to by our emotions and our strength at that moment.
All this goes. All the reaction and emotional response is got passed.
This is the completion of the aim and is the goal. This is what the early Church was about. But the story has changed because those who practiced such were killed.

There are aspects lodged in our makeup that trap us. We may go our whole lives and never be tested because we live in persuasive cultures. But the idea it to test this, induce and find those aspects and in an exercise using own will thrust them aside and find the perfect nature. The mind and heart become energized and this is God. This is the will of God from the heart. Love.
 
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waitasec

Veteran Member
the real goal is own salvation, that is becoming perfect, knowing God and being immortal in a new world system.

worry about yourself then...
it should be your ambition to lead a quiet life...

And that salvation has to be worked out with fear and trembling, this shows that it has some significance.

where there is freedom there is no fear
i don't respond to ultimatums...
 

AllanV

Active Member
worry about yourself then...
it should be your ambition to lead a quiet life...

where there is freedom there is no fear
i don't respond to ultimatums...

I have a quiet life -- at the moment.

Seek the Lord early, because times can change and times are coming.

Actually you have enough information from me now, we agree on some points, try to be open minded but not devoid of intelligence. Future events will bring to mind what I have been writing.
 
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