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Why would God send someone to hell over suicide?

MLB (and I begin to think you chose your name because the abbreviation is also Major League Baseball), I hope you don't think I was arguing with you. But I see a lot of people who seem to think going to the front at an altar call is all they need. That's the seed, and it's a very good thing. But faith is a growing and living thing inside of you, that if properly nurtured will naturally run over and that running-over becomes works.

That is something that always troubled me. I'm sure you've seen televangelists play that angle up, the whole "all ya gotta do is accept Jesus" and then a nice little love gift at the end doesn't hurt.

J.
 
I'm sure you've seen televangelists play that angle up, the whole "all ya gotta do is accept Jesus" and then a nice little love gift at the end doesn't hurt.

That's another thing entirely. Asking for money is something that humans do. You can't blame that on anything else. Just a human thing. It's got nothing to do with faith or anything like that.

MLB (and I begin to think you chose your name because the abbreviation is also Major League Baseball)

:lol: I had that name years ago (for awhile I stopped using it and went by the name Babaganoosh), well before I got hooked on baseball. I got the name from liner notes in albums by the Alan Parsons Project. But the fact that it also has that other meaning, is an added benefit. ;)

I hope you don't think I was arguing with you. But I see a lot of people who seem to think going to the front at an altar call is all they need. That's the seed, and it's a very good thing. But faith is a growing and living thing inside of you, that if properly nurtured will naturally run over and that running-over becomes works.

Exactly. As Martin Luther puts it, a person with faith doesn't ask if good works are to be done, they just do them. And are constantly doing them.

MLB- Why do you have the same signature as me?

I have my board options set to ignore signatures. So I never see them. I was not copying anyone. Do you want me to change it?
 
I have my board options set to ignore signatures. So I never see them. I was not copying anyone. Do you want me to change it?

I don't really care I was just wondering if you first heard the quote from me but I guess not since you have signatures on ignore.
 
A little more on the subject of works.

Sometimes I think we stress ourselves out unnecessarily over the fear that we're "not doing enough," because I think sometimes we may not fully recognize all of our acts of faith. (Hm...I like that term--"act of faith." That might make a less confusing term to get across what I mean.) Some things seem small, or we don't really think about them before we do them and just act on what I'd call inspired instinct, or no one sees us do it, or maybe we just don't see the significance of what we're doing. Other people, however, may be able to see it more clearly than we can. Other acts of faith may be more visible and more conscious. And these can be good, too, as long as we aren't doing them for the sake of saying "EVERYBODY LOOK AT ME!!!" So, I think that if you have faith, that overflow into our conduct is a very natural thing and not something to have any fear about, as if just because you didn't go on this mission trip or do that particular thing that you're going to hell. Not at all...if your faith is genuine, the Holy Spirit will help you find its natural expression in your life and though it may sometimes be difficult, it'll feel right.
 
That's another thing entirely. Asking for money is something that humans do. You can't blame that on anything else. Just a human thing. It's got nothing to do with faith or anything like that.

Well, my point there was just that it became more of a sales pitch to draw people in, and then the plate was passed around. That's why I pointed to televangelists specifically, as they are the most grievous offenders of that.

The whole "all ya gotta do" speech is still quite popular in many churches. It is simply not that easy. There are requirements once you consider yourself saved, things you must do, rules you must follow. It's like owning a club and giving someone a free drink if they decide to join. That's all well and good, but then they realize by signing up to join they also pledge themselves to the club's service at any time of the day, and that they will not break the rules, or else no longer be a member of that club.

J.
 
I just know what I feel..the only way you can be convinced of Jesus Christ being the image of God and how the Holy Spirit fills you after you are born again is to be born again yourself...then your spiritual eyes will be opened and then you will see for yourself what Christians are trying to explain. It is an internal spiritual thing. You know that Jesus is the only one who said He was the only way to God? All the other "religions" say you have to "do" or work at something to attain eternal life. Jesus says to believe in Him, commit to Him and that is all.
I hope you have a good day job, because being an internet evangelist is not your strong suit.

Nothing is entertain as a good theological squabble between Christians* about salvation. ;)

*except for John, who is not a Christian anymore but still argue like one. :p

Mr. Laser Beam said:
:lol: I had that name years ago (for awhile I stopped using it and went by the name Babaganoosh)
You are Babaganoosh?!? :eek::eek::eek:
 
I just know what I feel..the only way you can be convinced of Jesus Christ being the image of God and how the Holy Spirit fills you after you are born again is to be born again yourself...then your spiritual eyes will be opened and then you will see for yourself what Christians are trying to explain. It is an internal spiritual thing. You know that Jesus is the only one who said He was the only way to God? All the other "religions" say you have to "do" or work at something to attain eternal life. Jesus says to believe in Him, commit to Him and that is all.
I hope you have a good day job, because being an internet evangelist is not your strong suit.

Nothing is entertain as a good theological squabble between Christians* about salvation. ;)

*except for John, who is not a Christian anymore but still argue like one. :p

Hey, years of sermonizing doesn't just go away. :lol:

J.
 
they will not break the rules, or else no longer be a member of that club.

And as I said earlier, there really aren't that many rules. Ten, at most. ;) (And those are basically common sense anyway: Don't kill. Don't steal. Don't run off with thy neighbor's wife. That type of thing.)

Mr. Laser Beam said:
:lol: I had that name years ago (for awhile I stopped using it and went by the name Babaganoosh)
You are Babaganoosh?!? :eek::eek::eek:

Yep. I thought everyone knew that. :confused:
 
^ People would post messages where they'd talk about 'Baba' and I didn't know whether they were talking about him or me. So when I said "people" would confuse us, I meant me. :p

In my defense, when I first started using the name Babaganoosh, he was going by CaptAdama. I copied the name from MXC, not him. :D
 
again, God's vanioty is far more importnat to him, than his sense of empathy, and it is for this reason that (should he exist as stated) makes him unworthy of any reverence or worship.

Which should tell you that the God of the Bible is a completely human concept, just as Zeus, Brahma and the million other gods are, too, human concepts. They all embody the particular traits of the believer. Someone finds homosexuality disgusting? Well, guess what? The God of the Bible finds homosexuality disgusting, and it works conversely, too. You find homosexuality acceptable? Well, God never said a thing about gay people in any negative light! You insult a believer? Well, you just insulted God, buddy, because he won't stand for his children to be insulted! All of it requires mental gymnastics just to stay ahead of the game. The Lord works in mysterious ways! We don't know the ways of God! You have to accept Him in your heart! He won't force you! Well, yeah, that's because he's not there. You have to make the move to consider the possibility that he exists. You have to make God a valid possibility to make it work. Once you do that, you can fall back on emotionalism and spirituality to do the work.

J.

So why were you a Christian of you've never felt Christ enter your heart? I say it because it's a very real feeling that you either experience or you don't. I know that if I never felt it I would surely not believe, so i can see where a lot of people here are coming from.
 
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