Re: Re: Re: Your Religion!
 

I'm a Christian, I was raised Jewish, until the Lord came to me and changed my life. I am now a Christian, as I said before. The denimination I presently practice is Episcoplian, as I find the "high churchness" of it brings me closer to God, and shows some of the best we can give, in terms of worship. Indeed, my personal relationship with God is that which makes me unseceptable to athiest banter. And while I, personally, don't believe you are going to hell, I do think your life would be more fulfilled if you let God into your hearts.
I'm not trying to convert anyone... and I think this is not the place for anyone to attemp that.

Re: Re: Re: Re: Your Religion!
 

Only one question. Is acknowledging Christ as the Messiah the only difference?

Re: Your Religion!
 

I would say that I'm Atheist, but I don't deny completely that there is maybe something out there. But it's certainly not what traditional religions think it is... I'm pretty sure there is no greater power, but there is so many unanswered questions that we can't deny that possibility.

Because we don't need guidelines in order to be good individuals in life? Because we can accept death and the fact that there's nothing after? And if there's really an afterlife, are you telling me that because I didn't follow any of those organised religions, even though I have been a good man all my life, that I won't be allowed to that place you call heaven?

And may I ask you how it happened? How the lord changed your life?

Re: Re: Your Religion!
 

Holy run-on sentences Batman!

It depends on which denomination of Christianity or other religions you ask. Some teach that theirs is the only way. Others, like Catholicism, teach that it is possible for someone to reach heaven regardless of their faith if they lead a Christ-like life.

Re: Re: Re: Your Religion!
 

What about atheist? Like me, ignoring every single form of organised religion, but leading a life by trying to be a good person as much as possible.

Re: Re: Re: Re: Your Religion!
 

So then, you're not an atheist. You're an agnostic.

ag*nos*tic

1.
a. One who believes it is impossible to know whether there is a God.
b. One who is skeptical about the existence of God but does not profess true atheism.

2. One who is doubtful or noncommittal about something.

Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Your Religion!
 

Sort of.. there are Messianic (sp?) Jews, also known as Jews for Jesus, but they're kinda confusing (or confused). The entire new testiment in not considered by Jews, and there is a lot of Jewish doctirine that Xtians no longer accept as relevant. Christians also do not acklowlege the talmud, which contains much Jewish law. Church history also defines much of what the Xtian church currently believes.

I could write more but I have to cram for a latin qizz can you believe we have a quiz already.. we've only had a few days of classes).

Re: Your Religion!
 

Ah yes, Pascal's Wager. The problem with it is choosing which religion to believe in. Why exactly is it that picking a religion equates to having "faith and believe in the mercy of its God?" Not all religions have a God that's supposed to be merciful. In fact, not all religions have a God.

Besides, you can't exactly just wake up in the morning and say, "Hey, I should be religious so I have a chance for something better. I didn't believe in God before, but I'm going to start believing now."

I don't get it. I don't see anything in your definition of the word "agnostic" that says an agnostic is someone who, among other things, tries to be a good person as much as possible. Are you saying that if someone is atheist, he can't possibly be making every effort to be good?

With all due respect, I think that's absurd.

I'd say more, but I'm really not sure you've thought through exactly what you're trying to say. If you could clarify more, I'd be happy to discuss my point of view.

By the way, I'm a Buddhist, and I'm also Atheist in the sense that I don't think there is a God. The two are not incompatible.

Re: Re: Re: Your Religion!
 

im a run on sentence type of person.

Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Your Religion!
 

I'm not sure about this but I don't think that being an atheist means you can't be a good person as Xantar said. It's perfectly logical that you can not believe in God and yet still believe in being moral and living a "good" life.

Sure. We believe that God, can save whoever he wants. Who are we to say who will and will not get into heaven? Only God can make that decision. Therefore, we believe that God may save anyone he deems worthy whether they believe in him or not. Heck, I'm sure there are many Atheists out there that are a lot better people than many Christians I know, including myself.

Besides, say there is someone who has lived a life of service to others. They do everything that a Christian is supposed to do. However, they lived in a very remote area. No one ever got to them in their life to teach them about Christ. How can we say they won't get saved simply because no one told them about Jesus? I mean, maybe they won't be, but that's up to God. Meanwhile, I'm not going to rule out the possibility.

Re: Re: Your Religion!
 

This is what I actually was referring to, since I guess many just read the last post.

I already know that, and to me it's almost a shame. I don't actually see the Bible as the way a religion should be, but instead the instruction manual for life. Like the numerous times he would be angry at his own chosen people the Jews, who did all the sacrifices and festivals, but were not leading moral lives.

I once heard that it is more moral to do something because it is right instead of because someone stronger than you told you to do so.

Re: Re: Re: Re: Your Religion!
 

[keep in mind this is from my belief's point of view, if you have conflicting views I'm not trying to argue, I'm just informing Ranzid about what will happen to him according to my beliefs]

Sorry my friend... but no you wouldn't. Why? Because no man is perfect, and everybody sins... and in order to get in heaven you must be forgiven for your sins and dedicate your life to Christ. Does God make exceptions? As far as I know, he doesn't. But he set the requirements, so eh.

It's not my job to say you are going to hell, because it's not my choice, but based off of what I know it would seem very likely that you would.

Also, you said "Because we can accept death and the fact that there's nothing after?"

I didn't know that was a fact... have you died before or somthing?

Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Your Religion!
 

well... I find that reasonable to... but people who hear it and flatly deny it... AND go out and argue against it are the people who are in the most trouble imo. SOme people just have no excuse except that they simply refuse to believe. Some people are so bad that even if events in the bible start happening they would still rather look for another explanation rather than submit and believe. These are the people I have extreme doubt about going to heaven.

Oooooooohhhhhhhh......


Let's open up a can of worms.


Did you know that Jehovah's Witnesses and Seventh-Day Adventists teach that death is the end and there is no judgement until God resurrects all the dead in the history of the earth?
Ecclesiastes 3:18-21 I said in my heart with regard to the sons of men that God is testing them to show them that they are but beasts. For the fate of the sons of men and the fate of the beasts is the same; as one dies, so does the other.They all have the same breath, and man has no advantage over the beasts; for all is vanity. All go to one place; all are from the dust, and all turn to dust again. Who knows whether the spirit of man goes upward and the sprit of the beast goes down to the earth?
Ecclesiastes 9:5 For the living know that they will die, but the dead know nothing, and they have no more reward; but the memory of them is lost.
I'm sure that they're not the only ones.

Re: Your Religion!
 

After you die there is no concept of time... the way I see it you are just KOed when you die. But because heaven is forever, waiting a million years would be just like waiting a second if there is no end. Right?

I may be wrong, I haven't read anything to conflict with it, but I think the second you die in your eyes everything will be done almost instantly... it all depends on if time will exist and how fast it will move. The time of your life on earth would only get smaller and smaller with every passing second in heaven.

The second day of an infant's life is the equivelent of the second 10 years of a 10 year old's life. But the longer you live the more it accelerates. Even if it's just waiting in a shell, when we look back on it a trillion years from now, it will be nothing.