Honest questions for God

[crwtom 0]

to someone for whom religion is incomprehensible hocus-pocus, but loves the absurd argument and uninhibited phantasy this thread is really amusing reading. It may not be the literal heights of Eugene Ionescu or Monty Python, but the reality show character makes up for it.

I had caught myself pretending to study a poster or show window so that I could evesdrop on bizarre conversations about whether you can fit an angel through a needle's ear, the alledged wives of satan, detailed sex guides given of some scriptures, and, of course, who is the best in an arbitraryly sprawling spectrum of religious flavors.

The fever and seriousness with which homeless bums and Harvard professors alike would engage in these bizarre and contorted discussions is always an amazing phenomenon in human psychology to me.

In the end it seems religion is about one thing: Entertainment

That's about one thing Roman's of 200 AD got right when Christians served as very credible actors in their lion shows. Unfortunately, these have come out of fashion and are somehow considered politically incorrect.

By contrats atheists are incredibly boring. They have nothing to fight and argue about - all they occupy their minds with are the mundane issues of every day life that, in a depressingly sobering way, actually have well defined meanings and require tangible actions.

No atheists has ever slaughtered another atheist for believing in the wrong flavor of atheism. How Utterly Lame!!

Just in case old age and senility should catch up with me some day and I want to turn to some kind of religion - I would greatly appreciate any advance advice on which religion or facett of religion would have the highest entertainment value.

Entertainment could be anything from an intriguing mythology of creatures, places or forces , the creative absurdity in theological arguments, a belligerent dispositions towards other religions, complex myrad of rules and moral codes, a broad reflection in scripture of psychological abberations of the human mind, and the prospects of a good fist fight.

Thanks and Cheers, T

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--- various ---

I've heard many Catholics label themselves as Roman Catholic and I've heard many label themselves as Christian Catholic. I've even heard many Catholics say that they're not Christian, they're Catholics.

Christians don't worship saints and they don't worship Mary. Catholics do. Which is how they are different.


Christianity stands alone in that righteousness only comes through repentance and faith in the Savior. It is not of yourself. You are sinful by nature and do not merit righeousness.

If Chuck Norris was Jesus, he would have kicked ass for our sins, not died like a pussy

Christianity is radically and completely different from any other religion on the planet that you might follow or even make up for yourself.


I did read that Jesus didn't like religion because it was man-made. It focused too much on customs, do's and don'ts than it did on Love and Forgiveness. Which is why Jesus came down from heaven to earth.

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Fear causes hesitation, and hesitation will cause your worst fears to come true

[SpeedRacer 1]

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By contrats atheists are incredibly boring. They have nothing to fight and argue about

except on dropzone.com's Speakers Corner, apparently.

Speed Racer
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[SuperKat 0]

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Why do you not maintain a physical presence amongst mankind that proves without a doubt your existence?

He did that already, when he sent his Son, Jesus Christ to live among us. 2,000 years later, people still need proof of his existence. It was a done deal a long time ago. That's every unbeliever's problem, they need proof to see it with their own eyes and to hear it from their own ears. You don't need to open your eyes or your ears. You need to open your heart to let him come in.

What's the most you ever lost in a coin toss, Friendo?

[pajarito 0]

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What an absolute load of unmitigated horseshit. What incredible born-again arrogance. What a crushing lack of understanding of the world. Try telling my fiercely devout Catholic parents-in-law that they're not Christians. They will laugh in your face, and rightfully so -- Bro.

If you have the time to listen, this sermon by John MacArthur on a previous broadcast of Way of the Master Radio addresses the issue of whether Catholics are born again and whether or not they should be evangelized to just like unbelievers. You may not agree with it but it is a hard-hitting point of view.

[Butters 0]

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Why do you not maintain a physical presence amongst mankind that proves without a doubt your existence?

He did that already, when he sent his Son, Jesus Christ to live among us. 2,000 years later, people still need proof of his existence. It was a done deal a long time ago. That's every unbeliever's problem, they need proof to see it with their own eyes and to hear it from their own ears. You don't need to open your eyes or your ears. You need to open your heart to let him come in.

It was a question for God, asking God why God does not maintain a physical presence amongst mankind that proves without a doubt the existence of God.

PS: Are you God?

"That looks dangerous." Leopold Stotch

[DSE 5]

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WOW!
Who says there's no irrational hostility towards Christianity in this country?

I guess "irrational" depends on where you stand.
Christian religion is almost entirely responsible for the divided nation in which we now live.
Christian religion is almost entirely responsible for the war in which we now fight.
Fear of misplaced/misguided Christian superiority is responsible for the founding of this country, and is now a significant part of the destruction of this country.
Christianity has bred a false sense of entitlement amonst many Americans.
On a personal note, Christianity drove many of my culture to their death. When I drive through the various Pueblo reservations down home, it sickens me to see all the various churches that have been built on top of holy places. Only the Hopi have stayed immune from Christianity building their monuments on top of sacred ground.
In the Four Corners, Mormons and Catholics killed our people 100 years ago. Now, they just pluck children from their homes and place them with foster families so "they can get an education." Children only have to deny their cultural religion, quit speaking Dine', and they're handed their "God-instructed right" of education.
The way I see it, there would be nothing wrong with Christianity, excepting that the *majority* of evangelicals have crowned themselves with a mantle of entitlement and God-induced narcissism. It is mindful of a 5 year old sticking out his tongue and saying "I'm going to heaven and you're not, nanner nanner, nanner."
Look at this thread? People asking for not "proof" but rather evidence of Jesus' actual power. Not existence, but that he was a son of God in a literal, not figurative sense. Virtually everyone with half a brain and a few hours of study know that his deification came at the hands of a group of politically-savvy men that needed an anchor to their mall of retail dissembly of human dissention. They needed a man that didn't merely speak to god, there were lots of those at the time, so they created the "New! Improved!, All-powerful, All knowing, SON OF GOD!" Look at virtually any marketing campaign of today, or attend Marketing 101. Christ was bound to become a product regardless of who he was.
But rather than getting answers about the integrity of the product, we get "faith proclamations" rather than intelligent responses to questions. Quotes from books, statements from men who play with harlots, drugs, and whatever. Jim Bakker, Jimmy Swaggart, Haggard, etc...all once proclaimed great men (of hypocrisy) and shoulder-rubbers with the men quoted in this thread. Eventually, these quoted men too, shall be proclaimed as false prophets, you can bet on that.
Christ is a product, no different than Elvis. Except Elvis' fan base built while he was alive. I wouldn't be surprised if some messed up Elvis freak makes it to a position of authority someday, and the world has to contend with "In this corner, we have Jesus Christ weighing in with 10% of the world loving him and proclaiming salvation! In this corner, weighing in with 20 platinum records, we have Elvis, bringing us eternal melody...."
Except today, you don't have freaks and nutjobs walking around the planet telling you that you're going to have an afterlife of misery if you don't buy the new Brittney Spears cologne or the new Ford Explorer. Face it, your brand isn't better than my brand, and to say so merely makes you look silly and ridiculous. No wonder Christianity is so ridiculed, it deserves to be.

Not so deep inside, I can't help but wonder if the Rapture is so late in coming, that Christians of today are bent on hastening hell to the rest of us just to support their cause. It wouldn't be so hard if they'd just shut the hell up and let the rest of us live. No one would feel the need to stand so hard on their position if twe didn't have bible-thumping, adrenaline-induced whackos proclaiming moral superiority (while they screw young women, steal from poor people, and have gold-plated dog houses) sleeping in the White House as guests of our president, all the while whispering in his ear that "God elected him" and that "Jesus is standing with him." One doesn't have to lean into the wind if there is no wind blowing their way, so if Christians don't like the "liberal bent" then maybe they should tone down the rhetoric and dial down the wind they're blowing.
If that is any indication of what heaven will be like, I'm looking forward to hell.

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[Andy9o8 2]

Excellent post.
I don't suppose an "educated Injun" joke would go over too well now?

No, I don't suppose.

[rhys 0]

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>I guess "irrational" depends on where you stand.
Christian religion is almost entirely responsible for the divided nation in which we now live.

Wow,

My thoughts also. I posted this poem/song on another thread but i think it is appropriate here too it kind of describes what you have said?


"The Decline"

Where are all the stupid people from?
And how'd they get to be so dumb?
Bred on purple mountain range
Feed amber waves of grains
To lesser human beings, zero feelings

Blame it on
Human nature, mans destiny (mans destiny)
Blame it on the greediocracy (greediocracy)
Fear of God
The fear of change
The fear of truth

Add the Bill of Rights, subtract the wrongs
There's no answers
Memorize and sing star spangled songs
When the questions
Aren't ever asked
Is anybody learning from the past?
We're living in united stagnation

Father what have I done?
I took that .22
A gift to me from you
To bed with me each night
Kept it clean
Polished it well
Cherished every cartridge, every shell

Down, by the creek, under brush, under dirt
There's a carcass of my second kill
Down, by the park, under stone, under pine
There's a carcass of my brother William
Brother where, have you gone to?
I swear, I never thought I could
I see so many times
They told me to shoot straight
Don't pull the trigger, squeeze
That will insure a kill
A kill is what you want
A kill is why we breed

The Christians love their guns
The church and NRA
Pray for their salvations
Prey on the lower faiths

The story book's been read
And every line believed
Curriculum's been set
Logic is a threat
Reason searched and seized

Jerry spent some time in Michigan
A twenty year vacation, after all he had a dime
A dime is worth a lot more in Detroit
A dime in California, a twenty dollar fine

Jerry only stayed a couple months
It's hard to enjoy yourself while bleeding out the ass
Asphyxiation is simple and fast
It beats seventeen fun years of being someone's bitch

Don't think (Stay)
Drink your wine (Home)
Watch the fire burn (Be)
His problems not mine (Safe)
Just be that model citizen

I wish I had a schilling
(For each senseless killing)
For every senseless killing
I'd buy a government
America's for sale
And you can get a good deal on it
(A good deal on it)
And make a healthy profit
Or maybe, tear it apart
Start with assumption
That a million people are smart
Smarter than one

Serotonin's gone
She gave up, drifted away
Sara fled, thought process gone
She left her answering machine on
The greeting left spoken sincere
Messages no one will ever hear

Ten thousand messages a day
A million more transmissions lay
Victims of the laissez faire
Ten thousand voices, a hundred guns
A hundred decibels turns to one
One bullet, one empty head
Now with Serotonin gone

The man who used to speak
Performs a cute routine
Feel a little patronized
Don't feel bad
They found a way inside your head
And you feel a bit misled
It's not that they don't care, yeah

The television's put a thought inside your head
Like a Barry Manilow, jingle
I'd like, to teach the world to sing
In perfect harmony
A symphonic blank stare, yeah
It doesn't make you care (make you care)
Not designed to make you care (make you care)
They're betting you won't care (you won't...)

Place a wager on your greed
A wager on your pride
Why try to beat them when, a million others tried?

We are the whore
Intellectually spayed
We are the queer
Dysfunctionally raised

One more pill to kill the pain
One more pill to kill the pain
One more pill to kill the pain
Living through conformity

One more prayer to keep me safe
One more prayer to keep us warm
One more prayer to keep us safe
There's gonna be a better place

Lost the battle, lost the war
Lost the things worth living for
Lost the will to win the fight
One more pill to kill the pain

The going get tough, the tough get debt
Don't pay attention, pay the rent
Next of kins pay for your sins
A little faith should keep us safe

Save us
The human, existence
Is failing, resistance
Essential, the future
Written off, the odds are
Astronomically against us
Only moron and genius
Would fight a losing battle
Against the super ego
When giving in is so damn comforting

And so we go, on with our lives
We know the truth, but prefer lies
Lies are simple, simple is bliss
Why go against tradition when we can
Admit defeat, live in decline
Be the victim of our own design
The status quo, built on suspect
Why would anyone stick out their neck?

Fellow members of
Club "We've Got Ours"
I'd like to introduce you to our host
He's got his, and I've got mine
Meet the decline

We are the queer
We are the whore
Ammunition
In the class war
We are worker
We love our queen
We sacrifice
We're soilent green

We are the queer
We are the whore
Ammunition
In the class war



[ www.plyrics.com ]

"When the power of love overcomes the love of power, then the world will see peace." - 'Jimi' Hendrix

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[jakee 1,594]

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--Ray Comfort, "Out of the Comfort Zone"

And into the Self Righteous Cunt Zone!

How can you take those two tossers seriously?

Do you want to have an ideagasm?

[pajarito 0]

I have yet to find anything unbiblical in Ray Comfort's teachings. As a matter of fact, it is the most solid Biblical teaching I've ever heard. That is why I take him seriously. He, Kirk Cameron, and Todd Friel are excellent.

[pajarito 0]

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If you have the time to listen, this sermon by John MacArthur on a previous broadcast of Way of the Master Radio addresses the issue of whether Catholics are born again and whether or not they should be evangelized to just like unbelievers. You may not agree with it but it is a hard-hitting point of view.

I am truly amazed that no Catholics have taken the time to listen to this audio and commented on it. Nobody. I listened to it again. Whew!

[crwtom 0]

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If you have the time to listen, this sermon by John MacArthur on a previous broadcast of Way of the Master

Whew!

thanks man - i put Catholizism at the top of my list. Real cool

"Catholzism a front for Satan",

"The Pope is the AntiChrist" and "would crucify Jesus if he returned"

This is almost as good as WrestleMania

Cheers, T

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Fear causes hesitation, and hesitation will cause your worst fears to come true

[Mockingbird 0]

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What is your goal then?

To glorify God.

AMEN !!

never stop doing what you are doing brother

I agree.

God is glorified when His kids love people enough to tell them what they need to hear, regardless of the criticism they might invoke.

Blue skies & happy jitters ~Mockingbird
"Why is there something rather than nothing?"

[DSE 5]

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What is your goal then?

To glorify God.

AMEN !!

never stop doing what you are doing brother

I agree.

God is glorified when His kids love people enough to tell them what they need to hear, regardless of the criticism they might invoke.

I agree, but it seems people don't want to hear me.

On the serious, why is it that WE need to hear YOU speaking for SOMONE ELSE that you've never met, spoken with an a format that all humans would consider "conversant" as opposed to interpreting what you *think* is being said to you by diety, or perhaps the anti-diety, but you, a fallable person get to decide whether you're hearing the voice of deity or non-deity.
For some reason, there are a majority of you who believe you're capable of choosing which voice you're hearing or obeying.
What about those of us that hear no voices? I realize that there are those of you with the audacity to respond that "we're going to hell..." but according to whom? To youhm?

Who grants you the authority to speak on behalf of God, Jesus, or Nelson Mandela? (that's a rhetorical question)
"No man speaketh but that he do so in mine name..."

King Edward
(he was a tyrannical bastard)

I'd *love* to make this deal with Christians....
I'll quit making fun of your beliefs and quit telling the world that you're all nuts, if you'll stop telling me that I'm going to hell for not believing what you believe, and that you quit forcing your morals and beliefs regardless of how right or misguided they may be, upon my life and lifestyle.

In other words, tolerate me, so I can tolerate you.

I think they refer to that as "Do unto others as you'd have them do unto you." Right?

[crwtom 0]

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I'll quit making fun of your beliefs and quit telling the world that you're all nuts, if you'll stop telling me that I'm going to hell for not believing what you believe,

why does the threat of "hell" bother you?

Cheers, T

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Fear causes hesitation, and hesitation will cause your worst fears to come true

[Mockingbird 0]

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Watching Anderson Cooper's "What is a Christian" on CNN tonight, I'm more scared of the Christian faith than I ever before. The gall, the arrogance, the attitude these people portray is truly something everyone should be frightened of.

Which far from normal group of "Christians" is he lumping in with the majority of normal ones in order so they all look bad?

Blue skies & happy jitters ~Mockingbird
"Why is there something rather than nothing?"

[Mockingbird 0]

He's done that before. And everyone believed in His existence, but some preferred not to let Him be God in their lives. They did the "all we like sheep have gone astray, we have turned to our own way" thing.

Blue skies & happy jitters ~Mockingbird
"Why is there something rather than nothing?"

[Andy9o8 2]

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I have yet to find anything unbiblical in Ray Comfort's teachings. As a matter of fact, it is the most solid Biblical teaching I've ever heard. That is why I take him seriously. He, Kirk Cameron, and Todd Friel are excellent.

Kirk Cameron is a 100% USDA Grade-A certifiable whack job.

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Judged by the Company One Keeps
by Unknown
Frequently attributed to Benjamin Hapgood Burt.

One night in late October,
When I was far from sober,
Returning with my load with manly pride,
My poor feet began to stutter,
So I lay down in the gutter,
And a pig came near and lay down by my side;
Then we sang "It's all fair weather when good fellows get together",
Till a lady passing by was heard to say:
"You can tell a man who boozes,
By the company he chooses",
And the pig got up and slowly walked away.

[AFFI 0]

This thread had gotten needlessly messianic.
"Broomfundel"

The chances of finding out what really is going on in the universe are so absurdly remote, I say just hang the sense of it and keep yourself occupied.
"Slatribardfast"
-

Mykel AFF-I10
Skydiving Priorities: 1) Open Canopy. 2) Land Safely. 3) Don’t hurt anyone. 4) Repeat…

[kallend 2,147]

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I'll quit making fun of your beliefs and quit telling the world that you're all nuts, if you'll stop telling me that I'm going to hell for not believing what you believe,

why does the threat of "hell" bother you?

Cheers, T

He did not say that it did. I interpret it that he doesn't like preachy self-righteous people going on and on about it.

Maybe Hell is being nagged for eternity by someone like Paj or Mockingbird.

...

The only sure way to survive a canopy collision is not to have one.

[Andy9o8 2]

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If you have the time to listen, this sermon by John MacArthur on a previous broadcast of Way of the Master Radio addresses the issue of whether Catholics are born again and whether or not they should be evangelized to just like unbelievers. You may not agree with it but it is a hard-hitting point of view.

I am truly amazed that no Catholics have taken the time to listen to this audio and commented on it. Nobody. I listened to it again. Whew!

Probably for the same reason Jews and African-Americans don't listen to David Duke. Truly amazing.
Whew!

[pajarito 0]

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thanks man - i put Catholizism at the top of my list. Real cool

"Catholzism a front for Satan",

"The Pope is the AntiChrist" and "would crucify Jesus if he returned"

This is almost as good as WrestleMania

Actually he said that the Pope has the embodiment of Antichrist. He didn't say that he was; only that he demonstrated qualities of. He mentioned that there have been many of the sorts. He also did not just make blind accusations. He gave very detailed Biblical reasons why. Any refutations? Explain?

[Andy9o8 2]

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thanks man - i put Catholizism at the top of my list. Real cool

"Catholzism a front for Satan",

"The Pope is the AntiChrist" and "would crucify Jesus if he returned"

This is almost as good as WrestleMania

Actually he said that the Pope has the embodiment of Antichrist. He didn't say that he was; only that he demonstrated qualities of. He mentioned that there have been many of the sorts. He also did not just make blind accusations. He gave very detailed Biblical reasons why. Any refutations? Explain?

Where's Micro when we need him?
Actually I think it's shit like this that made him fly the coop out of disgust. Sonic Beef, indeed.

[pajarito 0]

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Kirk Cameron is a 100% USDA Grade-A certifiable whack job.

There's no substance to your argument. I've seen the man speak in person. I believe his sincerity. I've also read stuff he writes. It's Biblically solid. So are the others in his ministery. Even more so.

I have no idea what your poem is supposed to prove with regard to this.

[pajarito 0]

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Where's Micro when we need him?
Actually I think it's shit like this that made him fly the coop out of disgust. Sonic Beef, indeed.

I mean absoultely no disrespect to Micro or any other Catholic. Sincerely. These are just some very detailed and substantiated claims by John MacArthur. It could have monumental implications with regard to the salvation of millions.