Cool Splendour went to theology school

Nothing cranky about it.

You just can't entertain biblical complexity without short circuiting like a lot of other people on here.

So you have one of two options: 1) you give up trying to understand or 2) you get some help from people better at it than yourself.

To me number 1 is the unthinkable option. But each to his own. God doesn't force belief on anyone.

Not very often, which is why it would be a significant piece of evidence for the veracity of Christianity if God put into each sincere believer the identical truth. Why does God want so many people to teach falsely in his name? Only one group can be right.

As I said, perhaps you too are using the wrong methods.

God gave us free will.

If people didn't have some diversity in their thinking then how would we progress on as wide a scope as we have?

Wouldn't we all just be clones?

There's room for growth built into the human species though. Our brains even contain plasticity.

I don't know why universalism is so impossible.

Genesis 8 (NIV):

The Lord smelled the pleasing aroma and said in his heart: “Never again will I curse the ground because of humans, even though[a] every inclination of the human heart is evil from childhood. And never again will I destroy all living creatures, as I have done.


22 “As long as the earth endures,
seedtime and harvest,
cold and heat,
summer and winter,
day and night
will never cease.”


Did the LORD say "never"? Of course, the human race is a different story. It's got nuclear weapons to play around with. Aren't we clever? Can it really be wonderful to repose our faith in the human race with its' track record?

What was the pleasing aroma?

zumby, you didn't know? the creator of the universe loves a good BBQ in his honor. he usually prefers the smell of burning goat but he will take a ram.

Splendour, is this true? Will God be pleased with me if I have a BBQ?

Does he have an opinion on marinades?

Dip your finger in the marinade then the fire and find out for yourself.

As I said, only one of these stances is correct. They are completely incompatible. So, why would God come into people's hearts and teach them mutually exclusive things about salvation?

Also, I never said unversalism is impossible, only that my reading, study and interpretation has led me to believe it's not correct. Obviously, I could be wrong, as could you, as could any other person with different beliefs about Christianity.

Splendour made a funny!

Yes we could all be wrong but I prefer universalism over the other 2 because I believe it exalts mercy over justice like God's nature does. I believe God's even more merciful than he is just.

I was never motivated by hell doctrine to believe in God. Why would I be?

I can recognize that Jesus did something special for the whole world on the Cross and that I'm included in the world and that inspires love and gratitude.

Of course, a recognition of God's power ought to inspire respect.

Most people that are in their right minds respect things that have the power to take their life. That's only natural.

You ought to read Ergun Mehmet Caner's Why I am no longer a Muslim essay in the book Why I am a Christian by Hoffman and Geisler.

He says a key word in Christianity is believe. Christian belief is optional.

While the key word in Islam is submit.

Of course, none of the atheists on here would have checked the religions closely enough to notice that but Caner's a convert from Islam and he noticed the difference between the two having experienced both religions.

You cannot even raise a question about the Qur'an in most Muslim society's without getting into hot water.

hahhaha

Actually, I'm sure plenty of us atheists knew the bolded about Islam. After all, the meaning of the word, "Islam" is to submit or surrender...

As for Christian belief being optional, not sure what he means by that. Perhaps he means that most Christian countries are no longer theocratic and so heresy and other deviations are no longer against the law.

I suggest reading his essay for his additional points.

I'm not strong in Muslim ideas but they impress me by their customs as a return to the Old Covenant. Judaism is also still immersed in the Old Covenant.

Whereas Christians are suppose to be stronger at living in Christ and following his example.

The New Covenant is a lot freer than the Old Covenant.

So when atheists contend all religions are equal they really don't know the specifics of what they are talking about and they are unknowingly urging that we give up our freedom in Christ. They are prompted by scientific biases that want to prove or disprove miracles into making this allegation.

But God already said in the bible that there were dangers in over focusing on signs. If we're out looking for signs all the time won't we miss He already gave us His blueprint for right living in His Word?

I'd like you to watch this. Honestly, it makes me sad that people can let themselves be so deluded ...


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z1xUi...eature=related

No, thanks.

"Unbelief is the oldest of the many spiritual diseases by which fallen human nature is afflicted." J.C. Ryle


Unbelief a Marvel
by J. C. Ryle
(1816-1900)

"He marveled because of their unbelief."--Mark 6:6

http://www.biblebb.com/files/ryle/unbelief_a_marvel.htm

Both books are terrible and stevelikes2curse has made excellent reviews on his youtube channel.

Why would I want to consult someone who's going to increase my spiritual blindness?

You know there's a reason people go to church. It's because it's like a hospital where you receive spiritual therapy.

The more you give God glory the more He uses it to beat back the spiritual darkness/blindness you find yourself in.

Imagine you had knee replacement surgery then refused to do any of the physical therapy. That's what the atheists do up in their Official RGT Images Thread **NSFW** thread. They band together and refuse to receive God's mind enlightening therapy which you get by practicing spiritual activities and acknowledging God has the power to change your spiritual condition.

Splendour, simple question that should have a simple answer. Are Hindus/Sikhs/Buddhists etc "refusing to receive God's mind enlightening therapy"?

I haven't studied them enough to draw a conclusion.

But God is the granter of light. You can see atheists kicking out the light all the time to engage in mockery.

Why would anyone reject understanding to act rude?

Somebody with a greater degree of spiritual blindness that's who.

Everyone suffers from some spiritual blindness in this world. They only differ individually and by group by the degree of blindness.

Well you've previously claimed you HAD studied other religions, so I call BS, but w/e.

Is there something that is WORSE in your eyes when an atheist rejects the claim that Jesus is the Son of God than when a Hindu/Buddhist/Sikh does it?

I studied a lot of subjects a few years ago before I figured out God wanted me to specialize in His ways.

Read Psalm 16. God's Way is a very special way unique to Him.
God always has a personally picked out pattern for everything just like his temple descriptions in the OT.

http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/...16&version=NIV

That's... not answering my question. One more time?