|
Post by Patrick on Jun 23, 2010 20:30:30 GMT -5
The bible teaches us to love God and each other, not to strive for goodness. How is loving God and eachother not striving for goodness? How does striving for goodness violate the commandment to love God and eachother? They go hand in hand. This is one of the biggest reasons I am a Christian. If the Bible taught against this, I would not be a Christian. I would make it a point to be enemy number 1 against the Christian God.
|
|
|
Post by Jeremy on Jun 24, 2010 2:18:47 GMT -5
There is no reason, we are at the top of the food chain, if humans didn't exist the world would be unaffected Ecclesiastes 1:2
|
|
|
Post by Patrick on Jun 24, 2010 2:40:19 GMT -5
There is no reason, we are at the top of the food chain, if humans didn't exist the world would be unaffected Ecclesiastes 1:2 Haha! This is brilliant! Brent and the Bible have spoken with one voice!
|
|
|
Post by dlectronic on Jun 24, 2010 2:44:11 GMT -5
Patrick, you see, the problem with your thinking is that you believe we are. What do you mean by that? I believe in God, and I believe God wants the most good for as many people as possible. Apart from the areas of life where things are out of my hands (or should be), it is my responsibility to bring about the most good for myself and the world around me. If Christ taught me to be evil, I would not be a Christian. I am because the Bible resonates with my convictions, not because I have any particular desire to conform to the Bible for the Bible's sake. Well I was actually just messing around when I said that. I know you ask these things sincerely and I was joking, so I'll stop. To respond to things on topic though, I think we are here to glorify and enjoy Christ. Some might call that a selfish belief, but I think there are good, rational arguments to believe such a claim is more plausibly true than not. Pat, I think you ought to look into the source of "objective morality" in relation to God. You seem to be saying you believe in God because His teachings line up with what you feel to be "objectively moral," independent of what the Bible writes. I, however, would say that these morals you are sensing come from God Himself. www.rfmedia.org/av/video/is-god-necessary-for-morality-craig-vs-antony-1/
|
|
|
Post by Radiant Magnificence Alastair on Jul 2, 2010 9:51:38 GMT -5
I have many things to say, but right now I'm completely exhausted. I'll revisit this thread when I'm more awake in order to frame my thoughts correctly. We're holding our breath.
|
|
|
Post by Metzuda on Jul 3, 2010 11:51:11 GMT -5
From the Westminster Shorter Catechism:
Q. 1. What is the chief end of man? A. Man’s chief end is to glorify God, and to enjoy him forever.
|
|
|
Post by Brent on Jul 3, 2010 16:39:07 GMT -5
we can't fully understand God, but we can enough to enjoy him forever!!!!
|
|
|
Post by Patrick on Jul 3, 2010 20:05:08 GMT -5
we can't fully understand God, but we can enough to enjoy him forever!!!! Sure. You don't need to understand cars to be able to drive one. You also don't need to be a civil engineer or an architect to enjoy a house. We don't understand most of what we enjoy everyday.
|
|
|
Post by Brent on Jul 3, 2010 20:46:13 GMT -5
At least I know cars and houses exist!!!!
|
|
|
Post by Muffy on Jul 4, 2010 0:28:10 GMT -5
The Christian meaning of life is like being in a family, but you've never met your dad. You're told he's off in some desert fighting a war for your freedom, but he never answers your letters. Maybe our "mom" (the church,) is lying to us. Say the father does exist. Then we the inexperienced, incompetent children are supposed to form the whole relationship with him with no obvious participation on his part, using methods that are just plain vague and inconsistent. But we were told through his book that this would work! This book that the supposed military man gave us is full of wonderous excitement. Dad can fly? My father can walk through walls? He even gives a list of things he would take offense to, and he wants me to obey, otherwise mom will deliver righteous punishment. Maybe mom is fooling us.
What do you think of this illustration? (this is not my belief, just a brief point of view I have come up with)
|
|
|
Post by Brent on Jul 4, 2010 0:47:03 GMT -5
|
|
|
Post by Patrick on Jul 4, 2010 1:38:50 GMT -5
The Christian meaning of life is like being in a family, but you've never met your dad. You're told he's off in some desert fighting a war for your freedom, but he never answers your letters. Maybe our "mom" (the church,) is lying to us. Say the father does exist. Then we the inexperienced, incompetent children are supposed to form the whole relationship with him with no obvious participation on his part, using methods that are just plain vague and inconsistent. But we were told through his book that this would work! This book that the supposed military man gave us is full of wonderous excitement. Dad can fly? My father can walk through walls? He even gives a list of things he would take offense to, and he wants me to obey, otherwise mom will deliver righteous punishment. Maybe mom is fooling us. What do you think of this illustration? (this is not my belief, just a brief point of view I have come up with) But if you tie this analogy to reality, mom isn't trying to punish anyone. The people in the world wielding the sharpest swords now days are politicians. Christianity has for the most part lost its teeth, and I would say rightfully so. It is based on the belief that human justice is flawed, but we have the hope that there will be an impartial judge to meet us when we die. Christianity itself hardly wields any threat today, only its beliefs do.
|
|
|
Post by Brent on Jul 4, 2010 2:07:46 GMT -5
so uhh let me get this straight
human justice is flawed
but
"hoping" (believing blindly) God is an impartial judge when the Bible says all sins are equal (disrespecting father is equal to murder, looking at a woman lustfully is equal to adultery, etc.) and also says that NOBODY can live forever unless they accept him and his son as God when the majority of them in the world never have the slightest clue about a supreme creator because they're constantly seeking shelter and/or food and/or are mentally inept and/or cannot believe IN A BOOK WRITTEN 2000 YEARS AGO BY SHEEP HERDERS WHO SAID THE EARTH IS FLAT, WAS CREATED 6000 YEARS AGO AND IS LOCATED THE CENTER OF THE UNIVERSE and so this God meets us after we die in a magical realm and sends us off to either eternal bliss or eternal separation FOR NOT WORSHIPPING HIM in our mortal existence which lasts about 50 - 80 years.
|
|
|
Post by Brent on Jul 4, 2010 2:11:10 GMT -5
MAKES TOTAL SENSE TO ME, IT'S ALL CLEAR TO ME NOW
GOD IS DEFINITELY AN IMPARTIAL JUDGE!!! MAN PATRICK YOU SURE ARE AN AMAZING GENIUS AS ARE THE OTHER BILLION CHRISTIANS IN THE WORLD
MAN ALL I HAD TO DO WAS DISREGARD HUMAN LOGIC TO REALIZE HOW AMAZING THIS GOD IS!!!!!!!!
|
|
|
Post by Muffy on Jul 4, 2010 2:15:03 GMT -5
I see your point but I was trying to follow up Metzudas post that we are here to glorify God. The part about punishment was only a hint that maybe the churches subtle goal is to control.
|
|