indeed. But as corrupt as our politicians are, they are still less corrupt than other countries. COUGH Russia, France, China, etc
I’m a naturalist. I believe that the connection to god comes when you are closest to your dearest loved ones, or within the confines of solidarity that can only be found with a throttle and an open windy road.
You feel “God” when you are closest to power.
“God” is allmighty for which reason? For the reason that his wisdom, love & might are all forms of power. The will to God is the will to power.
I was raised in a fundamental mormon household. Every rule of mormonism and its culture was enforced, but both of my parents were really loving and I was never spanked, though many mormon/american parents spank their kids.
I get most of my spiritual views and feelings from the Tao now being 26 years old. Though I get inspired and high from being out in nature, bridge jumping, sitting by a fire or skateboarding. This is spirituality to me. But spirituality is a quest to me, and I’m sure I’m in for suprises.
No religion, I give no money to people dressed in religious garb . . . but I try to give respect to everyone.
I know that this is not really the forum to start a debate, but religious prophesies are usually “self-fullfilled” ones. An open ended prophesy can be fullfilled, like horoscopes. but absolute prophesies are usually not. Many new religious prophesies, like when the end of the world is coming, fail, b/c they are absolute. But open ended ones, vaige ones, you can find a piece of history that happens and then try to fit it in, and say, “oh wow, it fits” and that is b/c it was vaige in the first place.
Sorry, I didn’t want to start a deviation from the thread. But you started it. 
just kidding. Why need prophesy or signs to follow what you feel inside. Just do what makes you happy, what you feel is ethical, logical and spiritually right, and that doesn’t cause others harm. Looking for signs will just spin your head, and give you a headache. (also, most people look for signs that confirm and support what they want to believe before they actually get any “evidence.”) Anyway, I’m done rambling.
And I agree with you that misery loves company, not because it is obvious, but because I’ve experienced it from many sides.
Don’t have a religion myself. Haven’t found a use for one.
It may look that way because of all the nuts that are running around but you couldnt be more wrong.
While many things in prophecy can be used just as you say remember. I believe in truth as an absolute. If any part of a prophecy does not match up like it should you cant believe it. Prophecy is special in that it is written so that you cant use it to fortell the future in an obvious way. But you can look back upon history and see what has been done! And if at any point it does not match up or if all the pieces cannot be accounted for you do not take it for truth but as a guess, theory, or hypothesis! Test Prophecies as you would any science experiement. But you must keep it in context! If you dont you will never get a match for anything!
What do you mean Astral, that you are the real one?
The “truth as an absolute” is your version of the absolute, that you believe you know by testing. Some people claim to know something totally else by testing.
I may be wrong here, but my understanding is that Jesus actually came 200 years later then prophecy.
Also, what is a legitimate prophesy? And how can you know from text that has been transfered by copying by hand for hundreds of years to and from different languages. I am sorry, but no guarantees.
That does not seem legitimate, and seems like you are beging to get the answer you want like I have already stated.
exactly. That is life, most things are not certain. We can either except that and live good lives regardless, and use the blueprint for life that we find and believe is true for us. It is totally different when someone starts to think they found some blueprint that everyone should be a part of. That is ignoring the very human condition that we are all apart off, and I think that is dangerous at times, and usually quite annoying.
Keeping it in context seems to be an excuse to “manipulate it” to give it the answers you want.
I think many people want answers, but to me, how you live your life is more important that what you profess to believe.
Anyways, have a lovely summer. I am in the Idaho dessert, melting at the moment. I think I am going to go jump in the river in an hour or so.
I did not say people cant be wrong. But if we can all be judged then truth is absolute and we know the difference between good and evil. This is the knowledge that was passed to us by the apple. Stop and think. When you lie dont you know that your lying? Same goes for when people do evil. They know they are but instead of dealing with it they try to ignore it in some vain attempt to justify their selfishness.
There has NEVER(except 1) been a prophecy that gives you a date and time. And I believe the reason for that is because we have such a large amount of say in what does on down here on earth. The freedoms we have because of free-will has surely given God pause to wait for a time longer. There is only 1 specifically defined time. And that is when the abomination of desolation appears on the temple mound and claims to be sovereign. then the final 7 years will be started. And I am willing to bet that it will still not be specific to the day!
Then you have not understood what I meant. When Jesus was asked about prophecy He said, “So that you might see and believe.” What does this mean? It means that its a great Proof of God and the Bible. Now you can believe why lucifer has inspired so many people to lie about Prophecy. The best way to hide the truth is to clutter it up with a pack of lies! Now people dont know what to believe and we already know people dont want the truth handed to them and they certianly will not get off their own laurels to find the truth.
I am not sure I understand what you mean. Knowing the truth of Prophecy is NOT required for salvation. But it is nice to know for those who care to know. And I dont think if someone gets prophecy wrong they will be any worse for wear either. The bible already states that very very few will understand.
So are you saying that taking it out of context is better? Perhaps you should rethink your comment. The bible is written in a specific dialect and time. We must understand that when we read it or it will never be understood correctly. This is why a lot of research in science does not get translated to engrish. Because we often missuse words to mean something they do not (one for tentative). Science must be exact and specific or we risk destroying the context and completely lose sight of it.
Yes that is a common belief. The Bible specifically says that if you do not have Faith in Christ that nothing you do even if all you ever did was good and kind, then you will never be justified and you will not be saved.
Christ said there is NO OTHER name given under heaven where by man may be saved. This is a deal breaker. This means that Christianity is WHOLESALE exclusive of all other religions or beliefs! All that is left is to find out if Christianity if wrong or right.
You as well, it was fun posting with you!
I’m a calathumpian myself.
holy moly!!! another has clued into the scheme of deciet!
I estimate that only about 5% of humanity has a clue…
Satan wants moral, emotional, civil and mental anarchy. Within disunities, exploiters can easily target the self-conflicting mass and exploit it. Satan doesn’t attack you, he tries to make you attack eachother. Satan doesn’t lie to you, he tries to make you lie to eachother. Satan doesn’t tempt you, he tries to make you tempt eachother.
etc.
But Nietzsche said “There was only one true/real Christian ever and he died at the cross”.
heh… Jesus is not a Christian. That shows how much Nietzsche knows.
Sorry for the really late reply. Its been busy in real life lately.
What I mean by that is that I seek to know the truth and abide in my faith. I may not always be correct but neither do I intentionally use or abuse the label of Christian.
Many people go to church just to attend to look good about it. = False Christian.
Many preachers use the word for $$ profit. = False
Then we have the twisters and abusers for power and authority. = False
Most people in most any religion fall under one of those 3 definitions! It is the rare bird and institution that does not follow this generalization.
Therefore I will not use the Word for profit, to look good, nor to obtain power or glory. I use it to help myself and others seek salvation. I myself am not perfect and pray for God to guide my steps. I know many things others do not care to know. But as surely as I open my mouth there are those who are fake and hate the truth that do stand against me.
That shows about much you know about Nietzsche. Don’t misunderstand Nietzsche’s words like how some Christians interpret their bible - literally. Actually Nietzsche was complimenting Jesus ( and Jesus should be happy about that).
Christian might mean any one who believes and follows what Jesus believed and taught. In my opinion, if someone who lived before Jesus’ time, believed and followed the same principles as Jesus, then he/she can be called a Christian. In that sense, Jesus can be called a Christian.
It is like calling Kierkegaard and Nietzsche and many others as existentialists even though that philosophical movement started only decades after they all died.
I would thusly say that you do not know that much about what it means to be a Christian either. Specifically, being Christian is not about following Christs example. You can follow Christ’s example all your life and never be a Christian.
Its about accepting Christ as your Savior. Thats being a Christian! That is the primary defining point of it! Obviously Christ is not in danger of damnation and requires no salvation! Therefore Christ IS NOT A CHRISTIAN!
Didnt think it was that hard of a concept to understand or explain!
How can you do two mutually exclusive things at the same time? (seeking to know the truh and abiding in your faith) If you are abiding by your faith, you already have a truth given by your faith (which obviously is a subjective truth). If you seek to know THE truth (which is objective), you are not abiding by your faith anymore.
If philosophy is considered as seeking the truth and religion is considered as abiding by faith, then as someone said:
“Philosophy is all questions which can’t be answered, whereas religion is all answers which cannot be questioned”.
Abiding by faith = I have all answers, found truth and I will stick to it
Seeking the truth = I have to ask questions to find the truth
so, they are mutually exclusive
If you view truth as subjective how is that YOUR SUBJECTIVE truth can rival mine? Further more how can they contradict?
I offered no contradtion. Once again you show that you do not comprehend. You also show that you know just about nothing concerning God, Judaism, or Christianity. The Bible says to question all things. Are you sure you are qualified to post against my knowledge of my own religion? Try reading the Bible a little bit first.
Definition of Christian is very subjective. You think that accepting Christ as your Savior is Christian. I found the following definitons among the others at dictionary.com.
Christian:
Manifesting the qualities or spirit of Jesus; Christlike.
One who lives according to the teachings of Jesus.
If Jesus lived according to what he taught, then that would make him a Christian. In my opinion, Christ is like the word Buddha, a symbolic form for certain noble qualities not some human being walked on the Earth ( or on water sometimes).