Are you a Christian and do you believe the Bible is the word of God?

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Gardenlover said:
So, we have no choice or free will, if we are born with a sin nature. Doomed from the beginning.
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My faith-based answer is that God created us with free-will to choose between good and evil. His Son paid the price for our sins for those who confess and sincerely try not to sin, trying to resist temptation. God tests our faith. He honors a strong faith and desire to please Him.

I'm not trying to change your opinion. I'm just explaining what God's is communicating in the Bible.
 

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Lara said:
My faith-based answer is that God created us with free-will to choose between good and evil. His Son paid the price for our sins for those who confess and sincerely try not to sin, trying to resist temptation. God tests our faith. He honors a strong faith and desire to please Him.

I'm not trying to change your opinion. I'm just explaining what God's is trying to communicate in the Bible.
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Sometimes I choose good, sometimes evil. How many bad choices will keep me out of Heaven?

I'm open minded - no worries. If people really think I'm in danger of hell and they say nothing, than I wonder if they really believe there is a hell.
 
Nobody dies perfect. God wants us to have choices to make between good and evil until the very end...because that proves our love and respect for our creator until the end. Not choosing good, not choosing God until the very end is the ultimate sin called blasphemy.

Only God knows how many bad choices will keep you out of heaven. He's smart. He knows out hearts.
 
Lara said:
Nobody dies perfect. God wants us to have choices to make between good and evil until the very end...because that proves our love and respect for our creator until the end. Not choosing good, not choosing God until the very end is the ultimate sin called blasphemy.
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So, living life with a little sin is acceptable? Where is the tipping point on the scale?

Is it true repentance if I keep committing my pet sin over and over?
 
I went to a Catholic convent in France, loved it, loved the Bible, loved the nuns etc. But then I grew up and realised that the Bible, Koran and others were written by “wise” men of the day. Not by God. Although I respect them all, I would consider myself someone who has no mind of my own were I to adhere to every word in a book or books written thousands of years ago.

Funny thing, Jesus. Moses nor Muhammad were literate, they wrote nothing themselves. Interesting, the only educated religious leader appears to have been the Buddha.

I respect what people want to believe. I have formed my own beliefs and live by my faith in God and I am not referring to Jesus as God.

“Religion is regarded by the common people as true, by the wise as false, and by the rulers as useful. ( Lucius Annaeus Seneca).”
 
fancicoffee13 said:
And it also doesn't give us the right to sin anyway, if we are a true believer, we shouldn't want to sin just because.
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I don't think most people just sin because they want to annoy God, but rather because it is their nature. How can someone change his or her nature? Every single person I know continues to sin and those that say they don't sin are lying to themselves.
 
Gardenlover said:
I don't think most people just sin because they want to annoy God, but rather because it is their nature. How can someone change his or her nature? Every single person I know continues to sin and those that say they don't sin are lying to themselves.
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Yes, it is their nature. Some people do or say something without thinking first. That is when you repent and try not to sin next time. But, inevitably, it happens again. Try to hang around the right people, watch better shows on tv, read good books, go to church, get involved in a local church, use better judgement. But, it takes time and conscious effort.
 
TAOISM: Crap happens.
HINDUISM: This crap happened before.
CONFUCIANISM: Confucius say: crap happens.
BUDDHISM: It is only an illusion of crap happening.
ZEN: What is the sound of crap happening?
ISLAM: If Crap happens, it is the will of Allah.
JEHOVAH'S WITNESSES: Knock, knock: "Crap happens."
ATHEISM: There is no such thing as crap.
AGNOSTICISM: Maybe crap happens, and maybe it doesn't.
PROTESTANTISM: Crap won't happen if I work harder.
CATHOLICISM: If crap happens, I deserve it.
JUDAISM: Why does crap always happen to me?
TELEVANGELISM: Send money or crap will happen to you.

Not sure where I came across this, but it always give me a laugh.
Lately I believe religion has been the biggest blight on man kind ever.
I do believe in a higher power but I'm not evolved enough to know what it is.
 
Gardenlover said:
So, living life with a little sin is acceptable? Where is the tipping point on the scale?

Is it true repentance if I keep committing my pet sin over and over?
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According to my faith (and not wishing to push this on anyone who doesn't care to read this)...

Yes, "a little sin" is proof that Satan is real and tempting us. And proof that God is testing our faith.

Good (choosing not to sin) and evil (choosing temptation) will always be choices to the very end of physical life.

Only God knows our hearts as to our sincerity. Believing we need a Savior (Jesus) to save us from our sins is the definition of Christianity.
 
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Gardenlover said:
But my sinful nature makes it impossible to please God or follow Him completely. I understand it is not work based - but at what point doesn't God's grace cover a person.
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From the moment you accept the gift you begin to change.

Just as a mother loves her baby from the moment of its first breath (even before) so God loves all of us as a parent. A parent may be sad when his children do wrong things and take no heed of his teachings. A parent may try to steer his children to better behaviour but God never gives up on any of us.

I know this as a recovering alcoholic (25 years and counting). One night I had drunk myself into near oblivion and heard an inner voice asking, "Why are you doing this?"

I recognised the voice of God, call it conscience if you will, but I answered audibly with, "Not now. Go away".

God waited patiently for the right moment and I was led to an AA meeting. Haven't had a drink since and I am very grateful that I was not abandoned to my fate. That is how God offers help (salvation) but does not force it on us.
 
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1955 said:
TAOISM: Crap happens.
HINDUISM: This crap happened before.
CONFUCIANISM: Confucius say: crap happens.
BUDDHISM: It is only an illusion of crap happening.
ZEN: What is the sound of crap happening?
ISLAM: If Crap happens, it is the will of Allah.
JEHOVAH'S WITNESSES: Knock, knock: "Crap happens."
ATHEISM: There is no such thing as crap.
AGNOSTICISM: Maybe crap happens, and maybe it doesn't.
PROTESTANTISM: Crap won't happen if I work harder.
CATHOLICISM: If crap happens, I deserve it.
JUDAISM: Why does crap always happen to me?
TELEVANGELISM: Send money or crap will happen to you.

Not sure where I came across this, but it always give me a laugh.
Lately I believe religion has been the biggest blight on man kind ever.
I do believe in a higher power but I'm not evolved enough to know what it is.
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There are a lot of different religions, and denominations out there. But only one God and His Word.
 
Who is God?

I would also most respectfully like to ask this question of the devout Christians on this thread. There is a battle now going on in the Australian senate with regard to transgender and gay people.

Would any of you worshippers have a problem with trangender and gay people coming to your church? Would you invite them to your homes?

As I say,I ask this respectfully.
 
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I was raised as a Christian. My parents had me in Sunday school and we went to church services every Sunday. It seems that our teaching was different, or perhaps I interpreted it differently...but the focus seemed to always be on worshipping God, not Jesus. I didn't realized that' other Christians worshipped Jesus until my BFF mentioned it during a discussion. I was a Christian, though not devout, for more than half my life.

I'm not a Bible scholar but I was always told that the Bible was in part written by man. Which men...do we know? I was also told that the words in red were Jesus' words...I don't know. I haven't cracked open a Bible in a long time. My son studied a concordance and he was telling me that some of it's books were left out and other tidbits about the book. Can't remember them all now because that was decades ago. One thing most non-Muslims don't realize is that many Imams (Muslim ministers) and Sheiks (higher order of ministers) teach from the Bible as well as the Quran. I've witnessed this. My husband and I have visited many masjids (mosques), some with predominantly African American congregations, some Turkish and Arab and some a good mixture of all nationalities. We heard references to the Bible in many of them.
 
Shero said:
Who is God?

I would also most respectfully like to ask this question of the devout Christians on this thread. There is a battle now going on in the Australian senate with regard to transgender and gay people.

Would any of you worshippers have a problem with transgender and gay people coming to your church? Would you invite them to your homes?

As I say, I ask this respectfully.
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Does this answer your question?

My church flies the rainbow banner every year for Gay Mardi Gras, with one word printed across it.
That word is WELCOME.
 
mrstime said:
I did the born again thing too, I also found out that some of the nastiest people are born agains. I no longer believe any of it, guess I am an athiest. By the way though money is not the root of all evil, the love of money is the root of all evil. I can't help it I'm pretty keen on money!
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True, the love of money is the root of all evil. But, don't let the nasty born again Christians destroy what you have in Jesus. I know some, but I can keep my born again. Nothing can take it away! I keep mine and you can keep yours too.
 
Warrigal said:
Does this answer your question?

My church flies the rainbow banner every year for Gay Mardi Gras, with one word printed across it.
That word is WELCOME.
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I would love for them to come to the church I go to. They have a right to chose Jesus as their Savior just as I do.
 

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