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11/03/2007 10:50:05 AM · #326 |
Originally posted by NikonJeb:
I just love all this crap about how if you don't see "The Way", you'll be annihilated, burn in Hell, better make up your mind now, 'cause once you die, time's up.
I say Bullshit!
The God of my understanding isn't a petty, pedantic God of punishment and intolerance.
And I really resent that whole condescending "You'll see" attitude.
Guess what?
You *DON'T* really know for sure, you have your faith and beliefs, but you're doing that same crap all over again with preaching that yours is the only way.
And the best part? I readily admit that I don't know, and I'm not so pompously convinced that my answer/faith/beliefs are not only true, but the only way.
Therefore as a good and decent being trying to live life as I understand that my God has intended me to, I hope and pray that your faith and beliefs give you strength and comfort, and that you too realize that maybe......you don't really have the answers, but that you should live life to be your best and treat your fellow man with decency, respect, love, and compassion.
Peace out. |
I wasn't trying to scare you into being a Christian, I was simply telling you that (I believe) God loves us very much, and that I don't understand everything about Him and i don't have all of the answers, and i don't think that i need too. I have questioned if my belief is accurate, and every single time, something happens within a short time period, that reminds me why i believe what i believe. When I look at the things around me, i am consistently reminded that i believe in God, because everything is so intricately designed. I personally don't believe that all this could come of nothing. I believe He loves me because i see "something" working in my life to bring along what is in my best interest. I believe that that "something" is God. I believe that He loves me and wants the best for me. I believe that He loved me so much that He died for me so that i have the opportunity to live with Him forever.
But that's just what i believe. I'm not trying to force anyone else to believe it or even state that I am in my right mind. All I am doing is explaining what i believe and why i believe it. I don't really care to argue with anyone about it, you can call me insane, you can make fun of me, it won't bother me, i know what i believe and nothing will ever change that.
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11/03/2007 10:52:30 AM · #327 |
Originally posted by 777STAN:
However, it is also apparent that the One Who has this power to convict your heart has already begun His work! |
Uh huh.
Originally posted by 777STAN:
I will pray that He continues (John 6:44) before it is everlastingly too late for you! |
You do that.
Originally posted by 777STAN:
I am glad to see that you are angry. |
Oh, I'm not angry, far from it. I am entertained.
Originally posted by 777STAN:
...one or both of your parents who loved you and took you to church regularly, and who are still praying for you TODAY, still loving you TODAY, and begging God to send somebody like me to you to tell you that you are "NOT TOO FAR GONE," even yet! |
See, this is where you get yourself into the realm of the kooky, and begin to lose what little credibility you had to begin with. This is kind of tiresome, but let me wearily point out that you have no clue who any of us are, you have no idea if our parents were atheist and brought us up to be good little humanists, if we were orphans our entire childhood and had no parents, how and why and by what route some of us may have seen the light and abandoned belief, if any of us had any belief to begin with, etc. etc. Your bolded and italicized tirades may get you on the Christian Broadcasting Network, but they'll do little to convince reasonable people that your huffing and puffing is nothing more than superstitious hocus pocus.
Originally posted by 777STAN:
The words you are using prove that Jesus is still knocking at your "heart's door." (Revelation 3:20) You need only open and give up. He will change you. He gave you His Word! (John 3:16 |
By the way, you will find it particularly ineffective to use that magic book to prove something to someone who sees nothing but literature, and not sorcery, in it. |
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11/03/2007 11:18:08 AM · #328 |
This little exchange highlighted why the OP had issues with the last little thing sent home.
What these radicalized Christians don't understand is that it is not Christianity that people have a problem with it is the Taliban like zeal that some radical Christians put out there.
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11/03/2007 11:21:06 AM · #329 |
Originally posted by nomad469:
This little exchange highlighted why the OP had issues with the last little thing sent home.
What these radicalized Christians don't understand is that it is not Christianity that people have a problem with it is the Taliban-like zeal that some radical Christians put out there. |
No kidding...
R.
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11/03/2007 11:58:40 AM · #330 |
Originally posted by 777STAN:
He gave you His Word! (John 3:16) |
I see that sign (John 3:16) held up often at sporting events, particularly football games. For some reason I've never gotten around to looking up the reference, so I'm glad to find out what it says.
Now, I know that a great many teams circle up to pray before the game. I'm wondering which team God chooses and why ... and how I can find out in time to get a bet down on the game.
Message edited by author 2007-11-03 12:00:57. |
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11/03/2007 12:19:53 PM · #331 |
Dave - yes, it IS that simple.
Robert - I appreciate your candor & ability to understand what people intone / explain - thank you for not only attempting to listen to my thoughts, but even help explain it even better than I have.
Paul - Umm, I'd like a cut of that action as well - but just think of all the wars that occur, with both sides praying for victory. Quite ironic to think they might be talking to the same being. Sounds just like my daughters arguing... though, at least I can reason with my children. ;)
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11/03/2007 01:20:27 PM · #332 |
Originally posted by rossbilly:
Robert - I appreciate your candor & ability to understand what people intone / explain - thank you for not only attempting to listen to my thoughts, but even help explain it even better than I have. |
You're welcome. I appreciate all peoples for what they believe. While I am a Christian, I am not of the evangelical persuasion. Nevertheless, it bothers me when others ridicule ANY believer for the nature, or especially for the passion, of his beliefs.
R.
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11/03/2007 01:38:01 PM · #333 |
Originally posted by rossbilly:
Robert - I appreciate your candor & ability to understand what people intone / explain - thank you for not only attempting to listen to my thoughts, but even help explain it even better than I have. |
Originally posted by Bear_Music:
You're welcome. I appreciate all peoples for what they believe. While I am a Christian, I am not of the evangelical persuasion. Nevertheless, it bothers me when others ridicule ANY believer for the nature, or especially for the passion, of his beliefs.
R. |
There's such a thin line between raving and extolling the virtues of a particular persuasion, and unfortuately, that line is blurred from one person to the next.
Though I am always willing to hear your beliefs, that line becomes crossed when you start to try to convinvce me that your way is anything but cherished in your heart.
I do *not* believe in one human trying to save another, and that's not just a religious thing.
Offer a helping hand if you feel that you need to, just don't tell me how to live.
And if someone is Hell-bent on self-destruction, the only thing that you can really do for them is to be there if they live when they hit the wall.
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11/03/2007 02:03:02 PM · #334 |
Originally posted by GeneralE:
Originally posted by 777STAN:
He gave you His Word! (John 3:16) |
I see that sign (John 3:16) held up often at sporting events, particularly football games. For some reason I've never gotten around to looking up the reference, so I'm glad to find out what it says.
Now, I know that a great many teams circle up to pray before the game. I'm wondering which team God chooses and why ... and how I can find out in time to get a bet down on the game. |
Well if it is the Dallas Cowboys playing God ALWAYS chooses the Cowboys because they of course are "God's Team"
That is why there is a hole in the roof of Texas Stadium "so God can watch his favorite team [wikipedia reference //en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Texas_Stadium
(I dint much care for radicalized Cowboy fans either)
Message edited by author 2007-11-03 14:04:02. |
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11/03/2007 04:15:32 PM · #335 |
As requested here is it...John 3:16, King James Version (i.e. Old English, 1611 AD)
"For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten son, that whosoever believeth in Him, should not perish, but have everlasting life."
New International Version, "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son,[a] that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life."
New Living Translation, "For God loved the world so much that he gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life."
Contemporary English Version, "God loved the people of this world so much that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who has faith in him will have eternal life and never really die."
When you base your belief or disbelief in God merely on the imperfect human beings, like me, who try to serve Him as poorly as we do, then you will miss Truth every time you look for Truth. I am nowhere close to being a representation of who God is. That's not my job. God is not bigger one of me (a mere reflection of a human.) My job is to reflect Him, and as you have consistently seen...I do a very poor job of THAT! (Yet, it doesn't change the fact that I want to reflect His character.)
Probably the best visual I can give you of my job as a Christian is the way the moon reflects the sun. The more I am able to get the World "out of the way" the more you can see the light of the Son reflected off my "crusty exterior."
Finally, your real argument is with the Son Who generates the Light, not the "crusty" individual who reflects the Light into eyes that wish to remain in the dark.
(More Entertainment! Enjoy!)
Message edited by author 2007-11-03 16:19:58.
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11/03/2007 04:55:27 PM · #336 |
| You've convinced me. I'm off to church. |
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11/03/2007 05:37:32 PM · #337 |
Originally posted by Bear_Music:
I appreciate all peoples for what they believe. While I am a Christian, I am not of the evangelical persuasion. Nevertheless, it bothers me when others ridicule ANY believer for the nature, or especially for the passion, of his beliefs. |
I get the feeling this is directed at me (though that could just be my ego saying so). If it is, I always wonder why people let the most outrageous examples of prosyletizing pass, and then decide to cry foul when someone objects by pointing out the inanity of it all. |
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11/07/2007 04:51:32 PM · #338 |
It has never ceased to amaze me that the EVANGELISTS of tolerance can TOLERATE any idea that passes through their self-defined filter of tolerance judged through the eyes of their self-appointed divinity! Woe to anyone, like me, who fails to meet the standard of tolerance!
Dude! Losing credibility for not being PC!?! AS...IF...you had the ability and right! :/
The ability to self-adjudicate the limitations of one's own "socio-religious mental monitor" is critical for communication to be at its best.
Any photographer knows that the white-balance, contrast/brightness, color-tone, pixel count, etc. areas of monitor callibration all affect the ways we adjust the jpegs that we turn in to each challenge on this website.
Our scores are further affected by the callibration in these various areas of every monitor used by every member who judges these photos.
Not only do the callibrations of two computer monitors in tandem affect our scores, but the "callibration" of each heart & mind of every member who votes affects the scores (since some people seem to like pretty bright colors, some demand absolute [rather religious concept in itself] sharpness before they will give anything but a "one", some people hate flower pictures, some love macros, some love landscapes, and everybody has their own unique idea as to what constitutes "meeting challenge criteria.")
All these variables come into play in one area that we all love: Photography! Is it possible to see how that discussion of an area that has such a close tie to our hearts, like matters of faith and spirituality, as well as any area of life that has a strong social following and cause, can make the variables increase exponentially.
 Is what I see when I share something I believe to be socially beneficial.  Is what you appear to be seeing when you read what I shared.
My request is simply, "Please turn your Social Sensitivity Button down a couple decibles because the social-concept 'jpeg' I just finalized by saving for web in 'Social Shop Elements 4.0' may look differently in my mental 'monitor' than it does in yours because the tandem callibration in our conversational transmissions could be slightly off."
Bottom Line: If we use the same standards for socio-religious discussions that we use for photographic challenges, it would be the rare person who would have any cause to get bent-out-of-shape over differences of opinion.
For example, Every challenge entry that I post, I do so with the confidence that I have done my best in the time allotted, even though many fall short of the standard I recognize, but am not yet able to create. (I even have one "Brownie" to my dubious credit.) However, I post my photos with pride and hopes that others will like them as much as I do. I can't demand that people like my photos. (I wouldn't, if I could, but thankfully no one has yet demanded that I not post photos, even though 3 DQ's have prevented me from doing so.) DPChallenge is a "Free Market of Ideas"! The cream rises to the top. The dross fades into oblivion.
The same standards apply IMHO to the discussion of socio-religious topics. As a rule I present my ideas with confidence,...the same way I present my challenge jpegs. If you like them, vote...10! If you hate them, vote...1. Yet, don't attack me as though I somehow forced my ideas on you, simply by stating them.
Back to the original comment of the thread, the church who presented a paper with a cherished idea made an entry into the realm of a socio-religious "challenge", and left it with your "good sense" to make an informed "vote" on the info-jpeg legally entered into said challenge. (No one chased you down to see if you voted a "10", a "1", or some other number. They entered...that was all!)
I surely am glad that you guys don't have the power to issue DQ's on everything you consider DNMC or the SC would be DOA! :)
Message edited by author 2007-11-07 16:54:13.
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