What I don’t understand about Christianity

Lara said:
There's nothing wrong with them but they are definitely different...in a good way. They are filled with the Holy Spirit and some, when it first happens to them, they are on fire for the Lord. You can't blame them really because they have been completely cleansed inside and then filled with “The fruit of the Spirit: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control” (Galatians 5:22-23, NLT).Jul 30, 2021
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I have always wondered does the Holy Spirit, or Jesus that comes into your heart?
 

both at different times -they are on continous 24 hr shifts for eternity so a lot of work to put in but heh for them it's a doddle as we say in Oz
 
I beg to differ - I can blame anyone who is arrogant and self righteous and zealous and tries to impose their beliefs on others.

that isnt different i n a good way at all.
 

Knight said:
God destroys all life in a flood (Genesis 6:17). God causes brimstone and fire to rain down on Sodom and Gomorrah (Genesis 19:24-25). God commands the destruction of the city of Jericho (Joshua 6:21). God commands the destruction of the people of Amalek - including men, women, child, infant and animals (1 Samuel 15:3).
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But.... but... he loves us, right? RIGHT?
 
smiley said:
and maybe their own God??
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Which would ridicule this Christian God, who would have failed to mention he has some friends. But of course, the excuse makers would suggest it's the same God.

smiley said:
when you get to the other side and first say " OMG those bloody christians were correct all the time now how can I let them know I care about them more now?" send us a 'god message' real quick
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I would try, but apparently of the billions who have died before me, none of them have gotten a good enough signal. :D

Knight said:
God destroys all life in a flood (Genesis 6:17). God causes brimstone and fire to rain down on Sodom and Gomorrah (Genesis 19:24-25). God commands the destruction of the city of Jericho (Joshua 6:21). God commands the destruction of the people of Amalek - including men, women, child, infant and animals (1 Samuel 15:3).

That didn't work & I don't think this did.

Death of a man identified as Jesus to atone for the sins of mankind. Not a pleasant thought to visualize a human being nailed to a cross.

As far as I can tell nothing horrific has happened to mankind for the last 2000 plus years to equal what took place as described in the bible.

Why did God stop?
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The Old Testament is a huge problem. Christians get away with it by claiming they have a new deal with God that supersedes it. They want to dig into it too much.

I will say this. I was not born with sin. If that were the case, then God's creation was flawed, and if it were, then what the heck was God thinking? He could have changed things immediately. I simply do not accept I was born with sin. I was born with certain instincts, for sure. But sin? No.
 
I'm just contributing to a healthy forum - and I do it for the many observers not necessarily for you? you can be your own harbinger and I mine? you do advertise Scrappy VIP's?
 
smiley said:
I'm just contributing to a healthy forum - and I do it for the many observers not necessarily for you? you can be your own harbinger and I mine? you do advertise Scrappy VIP's?
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Sure, do as you please. But don't be surprised when you're questioned about it. You replied to my post, after all. I'm just saying, with no other info, your post is pointless.
 
VaughanJB said:
I will say this. I was not born with sin. If that were the case, then God's creation was flawed...
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Man was created without sin. God did not and does not create sin, nor does He delight in punishing those who choose to sin (Ezekiel 33:11). His desire is that all come to repentance and experience the blessing and joy of eternal life with Him (2 Peter 3:9).

Sin began with Lucifer who was a fallen angel...evil. The mystery of evil and why God has allowed its reality with all of the suffering it causes may never be fully known in this world, but Scripture assures that evil is temporary. Once the culmination of God’s redemptive plan is complete, Jesus Christ will have destroyed the devil’s work forever (1 John 3:8).
 
One more thing, VaughanJB ...You said that if man were born with sin, God could have changed that immediately.

It’s true that God could have prevented sin, but that would have meant stripping His creation of its free will (Daniel 4:17; cf. Psalm 33:10-11). All His ways are good. In Him is “no darkness at all” (1 John 1:5), and He is right now working all things for good (Romans 8:28; cf. Isaiah 46:9-10).
 
Don't forget that VaughanJB did ask the question in Post 160 and 156...therefore it's polite to reply
But I assume you were just entering some levity for fun. No problem
 
I think that meme is a great example of the saying "many a true word spoken in jest"

it is funny, it is levity - but it is also true.
 
I think in a way we are discussing these views in a rather unbalanced way - what we should be doing imo is looking at say ALL the major religions of the world and then discuss and compare their similarities and differences - surely all of them will have worthiness on this planet and I believe just focusing on christianity is a bit limiting and too one - eyed don't you think? Surely there can be no-one here claiming that christianity is the truest and greatest??
 
I guess we discuss what the thread title leads to - you could start another thread comparing similarities and differences of major religions.
 
smiley said:
I think in a way we are discussing these views in a rather unbalanced way - what we should be doing imo is looking at say ALL the major religions of the world and then discuss and compare their similarities and differences - surely all of them will have worthiness on this planet and I believe just focusing on christianity is a bit limiting and too one - eyed don't you think?
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I found Philosophy of Religion in college to be a surprisingly interesting topic, and while it's true that they all have more in common than their differences (at least as I see it), I'm not sure why that needs to be discussed in this thread.
Surely there can be no-one here claiming that christianity is the truest and greatest??
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I don't know if you're being serious or not. No one has come out and said that, but I'd bet there are some pretty strong feelings about it from most Christians here.
 
smiley said:
Surely there can be no-one here claiming that christianity is the truest and greatest??
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In my experience, fervent followers of ALL religions are dead certain theirs is not only the greatest, but is the one and only true religion.

As a point of interest, near death experience reports across time and throughout the world are almost identical. Agnostics, atheists and members of all religions recount remarkably similar experiences.

Same is true among children as young as 4 years old (about the youngest age when they can both report it at the time, describe it well, and remember it clearly, but haven't been influenced by prior reports of near death experiences).

The near-universal description includes brilliant, beautiful light, sometimes alluring music, being warmly welcomed, and feeling surrounded by love.
 
Lara said:
One more thing, VaughanJB ...You said that if man were born with sin, God could have changed that immediately.

It’s true that God could have prevented sin, but that would have meant stripping His creation of its free will (Daniel 4:17; cf. Psalm 33:10-11). All His ways are good. In Him is “no darkness at all” (1 John 1:5), and He is right now working all things for good (Romans 8:28; cf. Isaiah 46:9-10).
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So, God created a flawed human being (in his own image) and he was powerless to create us without sin? This gets linked to free will, but it seems to me it's only the free will to sin. Why would anyone do that? What would be the point? If I were creating a world, I'd create it as a place where sin didn't happen. It's a rather strange decision, imo. If God is all powerful, why even allow a hell? Why create temptation (the apple), and then forbid Eve from eating it? I'm sorry, but for me, simply saying, "to allow free will" doesn't work. Let;s remember, God is supposed to have created everything - that we even have the capacity to sin seems like a serious flaw.

Aside from that, what is sin? If I read the Old Testament, I see a lot of horror in there, and not all of it was from man. Still, sin boils down to a set of rules defined within Christianity, and if you're not a Christian......

It's awfully convenient to suggest everything good is God, and everything bad is the Devil, don't you think? It just makes little sense to me.

Then there is the inherent contradiction (and old chestnut). If God knows everything we will do, then he knows one will sin. And if he knows that, where is my free will?
 
VaughanJB said:
Then there is the inherent contradiction (and old chestnut). If God knows everything we will do, then he knows one will sin. And if he knows that, where is my free will?
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That thought made me wonder did mankind sin before there was knowledge of a creator?
 

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