For you Christians

[slewfoot]

Originally Posted by VatorMan

According to Southern Baptist teaching, a lot like Catholic. As long as you confess your sins and accept Jesus you are saved. That goes for serial killers as well.

I was always jealous of Catholic kids. Could raise holy hell during the week and confess on Sunday-clean slate.

Originally Posted by LATB

It really doesn't work that way.

Originally Posted by VatorMan

Oh, but it does. As long as you confess your sins and truly accept, yes it does according to SB teachings.

Originally Posted by LATB

Nope.

It is not your actions, it is what is in your heart.

Originally Posted by slewfoot

At the end of each day, I will reflect a bit and ask myself if I did anything at all that was nice. Not planned and simply spur of the moment. Nothing serious at all, simple to major.

Example: yesterday, I went to the grocery store. As I was walking in, an old lady with a cane was beside me which I had then passed by.

I went to get a cart and you know how you need to wrestle and pull the fk out of them sometimes to separate them. So I did, then turned around and there she was, so I said to her, "here ya go honey." She gave me a smile and we walked off.

Originally Posted by LATB

Being nice is good but it does not get you into heaven.

What? Doing nice generally comes from the heart.

[LATB]

Originally Posted by slewfoot

What? Doing nice generally comes from the heart.

Indeed and it is always good to be pleasant. But that alone will not get you to heaven.

[Trapper Sean]

The excuse, 'doesn't know right from wrong' I think was mainly invented by lawyers.

Follow up question might be, 'will OJ's lawyers go to heaven?'

[slewfoot]

Originally Posted by LATB

Indeed and it is always good to be pleasant. But that alone will not get you to heaven.

Well, yeh, just checking.

[SurfnSun]

Originally Posted by Ronins2ndCuzzin

But not one that I'm willing to believe without actual proof.

What proof are you looking for?

There is plenty of proof of the existence of God, however, if you don't want to believe it, you won't be able to see it.

Every man has a choice, but eternity is a long time to be wrong. There are no second chances.

[Ronins2ndCuzzin]

Originally Posted by SurfnSun

What proof are you looking for?

There is plenty of proof of the existence of God, however, if you don't want to believe it, you won't be able to see it.

Every man has a choice, but eternity is a long time to be wrong. There are no second chances.

Such as?

[WydGlydJim]

Originally Posted by Ronins2ndCuzzin

Such as?

Isaiah describing Jesus nearly 800 years before he walked on earth.........

53:5 "But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was on him, and by his wounds we are healed."

Do you think this was just coincidental blather?

[Onebadcad]

Originally Posted by Ronins2ndCuzzin

Such as?

Our Earth, Solar System and Galaxy.
It was created by GOD, and no one can prove otherwise.
Some will attempt, but always get stumped when they cannot explain how it started from NOTHING.
NOTHING cannot start anything, some superior being had to create the matter to start it, as all high-level academics will agree that you cannot get something from nothing.

There are many, MANY other examples, the one above cannot denied by anyone.

[SurfnSun]

Originally Posted by Ronins2ndCuzzin

Such as?

Start with the complexities of a single strand of DNA.
Explain the existence of morality.
As was mentioned, explain all of the prophecies of Jesus fulfilled, or the rise and fall of Israel as was foretold.

As I said earlier, most don't want to see truth so they don't/can't. You ask for proof but do no research at all...do you really want proof? Lee Strobel is the most famous example of a man looking to put the idea of God to rest once and for all...after all of his research, he became a Christian and penned the book "The Case for Christ." Why do you think that happened?

[LATB]

Originally Posted by Ronins2ndCuzzin

Such as?

Spend any time in nature.
A woods. A mountain. A beach. An ocean, lake or river. A farm.
Do it alone.
While there observe the beauty.
Then contemplate the animal world especially humans. The unbelievable complexity.

I will add…I believe that it is shortsighted and even arrogant to assume that there is no higher power.
And most humans regardless of their culture or religion are humble enough to believe that there is something larger than themselves.

[SurfnSun]

Originally Posted by LATB

Spend any time in nature.
A woods. A mountain. A beach. An ocean, lake or river. A farm.
Do it alone.
While there observe the beauty.
Then contemplate the animal world especially humans. The unbelievable complexity.

I will add…I believe that it is shortsighted and even arrogant to assume that there is no higher power.
And most humans regardless of their culture or religion are humble enough to believe that there is something larger than themselves.

These things require one to be a thinker and contemplative. If someone doesn't do that, they don't really care...regardless of what they say out loud.

[Ronins2ndCuzzin]

Originally Posted by Onebadcad

Our Earth, Solar System and Galaxy.
It was created by GOD, and no one can prove otherwise.
Some will attempt, but always get stumped when they cannot explain how it started from NOTHING.
NOTHING cannot start anything, some superior being had to create the matter to start it, as all high-level academics will agree that you cannot get something from nothing.

There are many, MANY other examples, the one above cannot denied by anyone.

You're talking about "The Big Bang."

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nr5WKt2aRS4

This is of course not "settled" science, but it's definitely much more of a debatable subject in today's scientific community.

[Onebadcad]

Originally Posted by Ronins2ndCuzzin

You're talking about "The Big Bang." https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nr5WKt2aRS4

This is of course not "settled" science, but it's definitely much more of a debatable subject in today's scientific community.

So the Big Bang started from nothing, that defies the foundation of ALL sciences.
What else on our planet started from nothing??

[Ronins2ndCuzzin]

Originally Posted by LATB

Spend any time in nature.
A woods. A mountain. A beach. An ocean, lake or river. A farm.
Do it alone.
While there observe the beauty.
Then contemplate the animal world especially humans. The unbelievable complexity.

I will add…I believe that it is shortsighted and even arrogant to assume that there is no higher power.
And most humans regardless of their culture or religion are humble enough to believe that there is something larger than themselves.

Would it also be arrogant and shortsighted to think that we're the only sentient beings in the entire universe? Do those sentient beings also believe in a "higher power?" We are unlikely to ever find out, certainly in our lifetimes.

Contrary to some believers here, I've had plenty of time to reflect on creationism.

[Ronins2ndCuzzin]

Originally Posted by Onebadcad

So the Big Bang started from nothing, that defies the foundation of ALL sciences.
What else on our planet started from nothing??

The theory that there must be a higher power.

[Ronins2ndCuzzin]

Originally Posted by WydGlydJim

Isaiah describing Jesus nearly 800 years before he walked on earth.........

53:5 "But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was on him, and by his wounds we are healed."

Do you think this was just coincidental blather?

No. I think it's just a passage from a book. A book written by men translated from century to century and language from language. Additionally, the bible isn't the greatest source of creationism simply because of the sheer volume of content that was omitted from it. It's like being handed a history book and having several chapters removed from it.

[Onebadcad]

Originally Posted by Ronins2ndCuzzin

No. I think it's just a passage from a book. A book written by men translated from century to century and language from language. Additionally, the bible isn't the greatest source of creationism simply because of the sheer volume of content that was omitted from it. It's like being handed a history book and having several chapters removed from it.

The first five books did not contain a thorough explanation of all things, as Heston had to come down from that mountain to finish the movie.

[SurfnSun]

Originally Posted by Ronins2ndCuzzin

You're talking about "The Big Bang."

This is of course not "settled" science, but it's definitely much more of a debatable subject in today's scientific community.

Ah yes, the ol big bang. I have said it a ton of times on these forums and no one ever challenges it with any coherent argument....


Go blow something up and in the process create order, life, rational thought, and morality all at once.


Not going to happen. Ever seen a pile of bricks and wire get exploded into a perfectly functional wired and plumbed building? Of course not. But that's the big bang. Hence why I said go look at a single strand of DNA. It ends the ridiculous notion of big bang.

It takes exponentially more faith to believe that everything you see today came from a cosmic explosion starting with space dust, that can't be explained, and energy, that also can't be explained.

Atheist scientists try to bury their argument with time, but that doesn't work either.

[Ronins2ndCuzzin]

Originally Posted by SurfnSun

Start with the complexities of a single strand of DNA.
Explain the existence of morality.
As was mentioned, explain all of the prophecies of Jesus fulfilled, or the rise and fall of Israel as was foretold.

As I said earlier, most don't want to see truth so they don't/can't. You ask for proof but do no research at all...do you really want proof? Lee Strobel is the most famous example of a man looking to put the idea of God to rest once and for all...after all of his research, he became a Christian and penned the book "The Case for Christ." Why do you think that happened?

You make very large assumptions about research that I have or have not conducted. If I make an assertion that the stock market will crash tomorrow, and it does, am I a prophet? I don't know Strobel, nor do I know his motivations, but who knows why? Maybe the dude just got tired and wanted to live out his golden years not worrying about it anymore.

I think all religion is a place holder until the actual answers are found. A good system of checks and balances for a violent species determined for destruction. All religion comes down to one word. Faith. I just won't place my faith in something that doesn't seem plausible to me.

[jw38]

Originally Posted by Don Rickles

What about that huge door on the Vatican? It's only opened every 75 years, with an exception now and then.[b) But a believer is to have all their sins forgiven as they pass through this doorway[/b]. So, the trick is to die as soon as possible after going through, because, we sin.

The forgiven sinner would be then be welcomed into Heaven.

This was the story told to me while visiting years ago....

Wrong. No Earthly man or structure can forgive anyone of their sins. There is no trick to get out of sinning, but life is actually quite easy...

1. Trust in Jesus
2. Read the Bible
3. Do what it says

Originally Posted by Ronins2ndCuzzin

How would anyone ever know? How would I?

You're taught religion. It's a thought/memory in your brain (and sure, I'll give those who "feel" it a nod here too). However, when you die, so does your brain along with every memory, feeling, etc. After my death, I won't be worried about anything, no heaven, no hell, nothing...because my brain is dead. Everything you were taught in your life becomes irrelevant.

I believe religion was taught to humanity through time as an answer to the question of what happens when you die. Since death is permanent and typically not pleasant, the thought of a "heaven" or some all powerful deity welcoming you to some eternal party, makes death suck less. It also has a beneficial second order affect of keeping people in line. IE If you don't play nice, you don't get into heaven. It's a nice thought. But not one that I'm willing to believe without actual proof.

You're certainly entitled to your opinion...and that's what it is...and I'm entitled to my. In my olinion, you're wrong. You were given free will and I believe you've chosen the wrong path.