Dear Freakintiger...

[mr_woodster]

And a daily interactive relationship with God? It's there for you. He hasn't pulled away and left mankind out in the universe alone. There's millions of us Christians on earth having a daily interaction with God. He covers us, blesses us, protects us, handles all of our problems. I am amazed daily at things God does right in front of me. I wouldn't waste time telling you such were it otherwise.

For sure, all of your questions will be answered when you are dead right? All of your questions can be answered if you will read God's word now. That's cooler. Everyone's standing around kicking tires, nobody's willing to get in and drive the car. Drive the crap out of it, dog it, try to break it, buy it if you like. Reading the Bible doesn't automatically make you a Christian so don't be skeered!

Exactly

 

[kiddiccarus]

I am glad that there are believers in this world, Like I have always said man needs to believe in something, wiether it is God or not.

I dont see the If you dont believe in me you are Satans property. That is leaving out way too many cultures that still have not even seen a Christian.

 

[kiddiccarus]

I believe that you know what you are talking about from your perspective and I love that, but I still dont subscibe to that line of thinking. Religion and Politics are hard subjects neither is truely cut and dry, ministers will even tell you to read and intrepret it for yourself. My ex father in law is a Rhema Minister

 

[silver pony]

we are all gonna die....
.....where do you wanna be?

 

[kiddiccarus]

Yes we will that is a true fact, I would like to be having fun at the time.


"It's too late to turn, you won't want to learn. Price of life you cry, now you're gonna die!" Crovax

 

[mr_woodster]

i really dont subscribe the line of think that gravity applies to everyone and everything. i mean there are people in africa that couldnt even pronounce the word let alone understand, therefore i believe it doesnt exsist.

 

[kiddiccarus]

Then if it don't apply to everyone where is the line drawn? Cognative thinking of the subject? Hearing the arguement? I really think no one knows this answer.

 

[mr_woodster]

The bible states in Ecclesiastes 3

11 He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the hearts of men; yet they cannot fathom what God has done from beginning to end. 12 I know that there is nothing better for men than to be happy and do good while they live. 13 That everyone may eat and drink, and find satisfaction in all his toil-this is the gift of God. 14 I know that everything God does will endure forever; nothing can be added to it and nothing taken from it. God does it so that men will revere him.

God put in us an understanding that there is more, but at the same time we cant fathom how much more. Each man is accountable to God according to this verse, he reveals himself to us everyday wether you want to give him credit or not for the sun rising , your heart beating...or the salvation of your soul though accepting Jesus into your heart.
What we "believe" or "think" doesnt change what is.

 

[kiddiccarus]

How many religions are there anyways. and How many gods? When all of the religions come together and agree on the same thing then they can have a definate answer on things, but until then each religion will say that their god is the only true God. Only time will tell.

 

[mr_woodster]

Again your asking for the end times, the bible states in Philippians 2:5-11
5Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus:
6Who, being in very nature[1] God,
did not consider equality with God something to be grasped,
7but made himself nothing,
taking the very nature[2] of a servant,
being made in human likeness.
8And being found in appearance as a man,
he humbled himself
and became obedient to death--
even death on a cross!
9Therefore God exalted him to the highest place
and gave him the name that is above every name,
10that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow,
in heaven and on earth and under the earth,
11and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord,
to the glory of God the Father.

I see societies ideals have put you in a position where you think its impossible for there to be only one way to God. But the bible clearly states it, Jesus said " I am the way , the truth and the life...NO ONE comes to the father , but by me." Buddah isnt God. idols, statues, Mary(mother of Jesus), good works, or going to church cannot save you. Only by the power of Jesus do we have salvation. "there is no other name worthy of praise".
Do comparisons with other religions, following the teachings of christ you will find the flawlessness of his message and life...along with 100% accuracy in prophecy to coincide with. God acculy challenges other "gods" (little g) to predict the future like he does in his word. Strange, many tried, some even got 1 or two predictions that came true, but out of hundreds that they were wrong.
This world in the spiritual view is black and white, your either for him or against him, theres no middle ground, and there is only 1 way into heaven. Yes its not "politically correct", aint it swell?

 

[kiddiccarus]

LOL in the bible it does state that I trust you. BUT you are counting out every other religion that has never had contact with a Christian. This is why most people argue with Christians, They think they are right because of their teachings. WELL the others believe the same thing, They are right due to their teachings.

The answer is never going to be clear, religious indecision can lead to war and it has. Well I dont think we are ever going to agree on this subject, but your cool anyways.

 

[freakintiger]

How many religions are there anyways. and How many gods? When all of the religions come together and agree on the same thing then they can have a definate answer on things, but until then each religion will say that their god is the only true God. Only time will tell.

Think not that I am come to send peace on earth: I came not to send peace, but a sword.
For I am come to set a man at variance against his father, and the daughter against her mother, and the daughter in law against her mother in law.
And a man's foes shall be they of his own household.
He that loveth father or mother more than me is not worthy of me: and he that loveth son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me.
And he that taketh not his cross, and followeth after me is not worthy of me.
He that findeth his life shall lose it: and he that loseth his life for my sake shall find it.
-The words of Jesus as recorded in Matthew 10:34-39


This thread is like a microcosm representing the last 2000 years, it would continue like this for eternity, but man is quickly wrapping things up. Between the looming advances in computer technology(Israeli researchers have developed a computer that uses light instead of metallic conductors, nothing is faster than light, so soon computers will be as fast as they can ever be), nanotechnology(ah the promise of immortality, repair from the inside out)and the soon to be discovered "Unified Theory" of the universe, man is maxing himself out.
Don't fool yourselves my friends; change will come hard and fast. History repeats itself and is augmented by advances in technology. Technology simply amplifies the nature of men. Before we killed with the sword, man to man. Now we have the potential to wipe out cities in an instant. Nothing has changed, whether you believe that man has walked the earth for 8000 yrs or 80,000, things repeat themselves. Why should we believe that things will change? Socrates spoke truth concerning the state of affairs in Athens, they railroaded him in their court, then sentenced him to death by drinking hemlock. Were they savages(Greece is the origin of the Democratic system)? No, or rather no more than we are. Does technology make us better than we were before? Think so? Then look at this. When we see human suffering on TV many of us simply turn away. When we see our fellow humans suffering on TV and we laugh(just because it's reality TV and they are being paid does'nt give us the right to laugh at their suffering, if no money were involved would they be doing those things to themselves/eachother?)
The principle of ENTROPY in physics says that : IN A CLOSED SYSTEM DISORDER WILL ALWAYS INCREASE.
The textbook example is a glass of water being knocked off the table, no force in the universe will cause that shattered glass and spilled water to reconstruct and leap back onto the table as if nothing has happened, bacause time only moves in one direction: forward.
So, man's disorder will also always increase. Don't believe it, then explain the old axiom: "Power corrupts, absolute power corrupts absolutely."
The Star Trek universe's fictional take on the future is a farce. Man will have made extraordinary leaps in technology beyond which we are able to comprehend. Companies like Hewlett-Packard are racing Japanese researchers to perfect nanotechnology. Humanity will soon be thrust into a state of true future shock.
Don't let the mass media fool you, they are only concerned that you see the commercials, so you become discontent with what you have, so you will buy more. Society has enslaved us, programming men and women with what is expected, not to further humanity as a whole but to further the aims of a few depraved individuals at the cost of the whole.
In the human body it is called cancer and is destroyed with extreme prejudice.
I submit to you all that the "body" of society is sick, and has been so since its conception. Study history my friends, there truly is "nothing new under the sun".

 

[kiddiccarus]

When we see human suffering on TV many of us simply turn away.

I know you meant Fear Factor ,,,,,,,BUT Lets talk about a charity The CCF Yes the Christian Childrens Fund. This is a charity that promotes itself throughout the third world trying to help children. This portion is great, BUT what about my streets, what about the children that have nothing here? I have followed this charity for 3 years now and am in a campaign to change their view of who needs help. We all know less fortunate children in our country, state city, maybe even neighborhood. The family that makes "too much money" to get federal assistance, but not enough to get food for dinner. Well CCF does not recognize these children because of the same guideline the federal government does. These children are our future the future of America and charaties like ccf turn their backs on them daily. They promote school, and food programs but when we went to them about the kids of Louisville, ky they told us that America's prices are too high for them to help out. WHAT!!!!!!!!!! They will not bring in the food from other places to help these kids because of a demographic, they love the thrid world because it is cheap to help them. They told us that all the american children have to do is apply for federal free lunches at school and they can have 1 good meal a day. OMG 1 good meal a day is all these kids are to this particular charity. This disturbs me and when I see a CCF comercial I get enraged about all this again. I am not attacking other charities from anywhere just the CCF. Please if you support a childrens charity think of my rant here and look for one that helps the children on the streets of America first, doing this will affect your life in many more ways, one of these kids may be the one that pulls you from in front of a car one day, or recognizes you on a street and says thank you for changing my life.

I have went to my company and got them to set up a charity for the kids in Louisville, I presented them the everything of my findings from the CCF and UPS steped up and took 500 children off the street and fed them and placed them into schools since January of this year.

See I do have a heart.

I know that this is off the topic but the sentence of suffering set me off some, I dont watch fear factor or those shows, I have seen too much of the real thing from my Army service, which is where I had a good experience with CCF that I can share also.

Melissa is a worker from Arkansas that was in CCF and we were in Ziare, I was on a mission and LOL so was she. Anyways she showed me all of the great things that CCF overall has done for the children of the third world and tried to recruit me just like a good Christian would, well she got me interested in the fight for the children, but my fight brought me back to the streets of America where I seen the local need. I began to talk to CCF and that was where they started to throw up red flags everywhere. Well I talk to Melissa still and she tells me that I not only joined their fight for the kids but I changed her views on who is in need. She had started to change things from within CCF so the funds find their way to the streets of the USA. She is a director now and goo things are about to happen for our children the children of America.

As my rant here ends, Please research a charity before blindly giving them money, make sure that the charity is helping who they say they are and how much of your money is hitting those in need. CCF gives the last dime to those in need, but ho is in need is my fight, demographic does not determine need a hungry child does weither it is in Angola, or Texas.

I have to take a break or I am going to get upset.

 

[MadMatt5oh]

Not really following this thread past the first few posts due to lazyness. I just wanted to say that I love Jesus and I get choked up with emotion when I think of the sacrifice that was made for my sorry ass. Praise the lord Im a Christian! I need a bumper sticker

 

[kiddiccarus]

Irony = a cro started thread going on and on about religion.

 

[freakintiger]

As my rant here ends...

...my rant begins; and a rant it's going to be!

First a scripture to set a context:

"And all the believers met together constantly and shared everything with each other, selling their possessions and dividing with those in need."
-Acts 2:44+45 (The Book)

As a Christian, and I will take this moment to say as a born-again Christian, who the Catholics refer to derisively as a "holy-roller"(note the difference I am making here I will allude to it later); I don't consider myself to have arrived at the level of selflessnss the afore-mentioned scripture describes.

kidddiccarus, do not become offended at what I will write, I consider you a new friend, and the statements I will make are not targeted at you, it is your statements though that will bring them out of me.

That said:

Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven.
-the words of Jesus as recorded in Matthew 7:21

Not all who claim to be Christians are Christians. Those reading who are not Christians must remember they are on the outside looking in. True Christians serve a Master who despite his message of love and non-condemnation(John 3:16-18) is hated and reviled the world over.
Many have done evil in the name of Jesus Christ, but it seems that no one has made the question in their minds: were those perpetrators of evil truly followers of Christ and obeying his teachings? Further do we on the outside of Christianity even know what those teachings are? Further still, if we claim to have some idea of what those teachings are, have we taken the time to research them to make sure we are not running on rumor, speculation or assumptions, so we can accurrately judge for ourselves?
Heres a good example:

During WWII the Pope in power of the Catholic Church turned a blind eye to Hitler's activities in Europe, instead of using his platform to denounce what was going on, was he a Christian just because he said so?

I think not.

Why, because his actions went against the scriptures- which define Christianity.

I am not trying to convince anyone to become a Christian; I simply want the record kept straight. I have been a student of scripture for just over 7 years now.

Now as far as CCF is concerned it seemsthat they have done well with what they have been entrusted with.

Now I am going to be offensive, so I apologize if my beliefs or opinions hurt, alienate or otherwise harm your reality.

American children are no better than third world children. Americans seem to have the idea that they set the standard for the way the world should be. I believe that all children should be helped, that all people should have at least the basic necessities of life. America is a capitalist nation, observing its own interests, case in point: SUDAN. The only thing there is human suffering.

As a born-again Christian let me say this to differentiate myself: I consider Democracy and Capitalism to be antichrist world systems. I consider myself to be a global citizen and all peoples to be the same.

As I said in my previous post, man is corrupt on the whole, so whether I live here or there makes no difference it's all the same. The condition of freedom in this country has weakened the Church; it is too relaxed and has waxed fat and lazy. You must remember history: this country was founded in part by Christians who ran away from martyrdom, instead of standing strong like the brothers in Rome did, who died for their belief in Christ. This was the greater faith.

You think to much of suffering in this world, what of the next, what will happen to the energy that is described as your mind and soul when your body dies. We are subject to powers(like gravity) and authorities(the govt. and police)in this life, will there not be powers and authorities in the next life? These are things to contemplate, as reasonable men prepare for retirement and death(life insurance).

CCF knows this, that is why they are out in the third world. There is a church on every corner in America, but what difference does it make? Yes feed and clothe and shelter, but theirs is the greater mission: the eternal soul.

Physics states that energy can neither be created nor destroyed, proof positive that your consciousness will go on in some form when you die.

You can either stand back and point the finger or get involved like kiddiccarus has.

Suffice it to say there is yet much work to be done.

Again sorry if I offended anyone, just voicing my opinions before the next version of the Patriot Act makes it illegal.

 

[silver pony]

Some people think to much.


I am in no way religous nor do I have a religon, I only have faith that Jesus is my Savior and I share this with people who ask, show interest, or I hear of or see a action that needs to be thought over and they need some guidence.

As harsh as it may sound, not everyone is going to be saved. So the Battle to Save everyone you meet that is not a believer is almost useless, Saving someone won't help them now. Most people who Don't believe believe in things that happen now, they don't look past the present so to say, they don't connect things together.

What you need to do is Be a friend, Keep your friends close keep your "enemies" closer. I don't consider non-believers enemies though, it's just a example to life, cuz to be honest that saying is pretty true.

If they can be saved they will be saved, it may take time or a event in their life that changes them. PREACHING to someone who doesn't want to be preached to doesn't help the cuase, it only worsens it.

 

[silver pony]

I am Human and so are You.
Sin is of our nature.
I WILL sin and so will YOU.
The Lucifer does not make us sin nor does he tempt us. he has better things to do than the general public, maybe someone of power But we need to take responsibility for our actions, not devert the blame.


...where am I going with this???

 

[freakintiger]

...where am I going with this???

I think you said it best.