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FlowersNButterflies · 61-69, FVIP
Religion has you trapped by your genitals, That is how it works by convincing you there is something wrong with being a sexual being, You then become trapped in a "catch 22" and as long as you let them, they will control you by fear. Religion is a needless con to generate money for their leaders to living in mansions with private planes and sometimes yachts while you can't have a happy life, and their control over you is complete.
In short, all religions are a scam for gullible people, and with 4,000+ religions in the world, none the same and all claiming theirs is the only true one, it is mental m@sturbation keeping its adherents in a child-like mind set. Layers of manipulation and frauds.
Walk away.
In short, all religions are a scam for gullible people, and with 4,000+ religions in the world, none the same and all claiming theirs is the only true one, it is mental m@sturbation keeping its adherents in a child-like mind set. Layers of manipulation and frauds.
Walk away.
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MightyLion · 22-25, M
I get what you're saying and I understand why you would think that. But God made us to be sexual for when we are married to produce offspring not to lust after people you've never met or aren't going to marry. Lust is something that's not morally right and with Christianity unlike other religions people believe, it's not a work-based salvation. You don't just do good things and are saved you have to let God change yourself from the inside out and then from that you will produce fruits of good acts. But obviously, satan will still tempt you and often times when you've lived as a sinner for so long you start to take the personality of that sin and even though you are dedicating your life to Jesus you will still feel the urge to go back to your vomit. I personally don't even consider Christianity a religion and more so a relationship with God. I personally have never been religious before nor attended churches but one day I was going through something horrible and had already tried everything I could to make it stop. So I tried praying really hard to God and it stopped and I felt something in me I had never felt. But I was so prideful I believed it was a coincidence. But later on as I started seeing the signs of the times I've decided to become fully Christian. So you are right religions are a scam but Christianity isn't one, many made similarly to Christianity but they remove the true God and Savior. These religions are fabricated by demons that appeared and made themselves out to be Gods so the gullible would believe in something over than the truth. I myself have been attacked in my sleep by demons before, right when I began reading the bible. Many churches are corrupt and you shouldn't guide yourselves by them (especially JW and Cath) guide yourselves by the bible and a church is anywhere Christians meet together. This website has videos on all the signs of the times for anyone reading this that needs proof.
https://revelationsofjesuschrist.com
@FlowersNButterflies
https://revelationsofjesuschrist.com
@FlowersNButterflies
FlowersNButterflies · 61-69, FVIP
There is no god. That is part of the scam. @MightyLion
MightyLion · 22-25, M
Why do you think there is no God? @FlowersNButterflies
LeopoldBloom · M
@MightyLion There’s no evidence of God, so until that evidence is found, there’s no reason to believe God exists.
MightyLion · 22-25, M
I know he exists so I have reason to believe. My bible is evidence along with other experiences and evidences I have had. @LeopoldBloom
LeopoldBloom · M
@MightyLion That’s not enough evidence for me. But if God exists and he’s interested in me believing in him, he can make an appearance any time.
MightyLion · 22-25, M
The more you draw closer to God the more he will draw closer to you. Start reading the bible and praying with as much faith as possible. I first felt the presence of God when I was so desperate for something in my life to stop that I prayed to God for it to stop just one day. The next day it stopped and I felt as light as a feather with fewer problems. I thought it was just a silly coincidence since I wasn't Christian. Less than a year later I did become Christian and felt his holy spirit and how he answered my prayers. I have even been attacked by demons in my sleep who have had it out for me ever since becoming Christian. When you see all the evidence of the end times and everything going on around the world with the Illuminati and all their plans that will definitely be enough evidence if the bible and God's presence isn't enough for you. God bless you and I hope everything goes well if you try what I am saying, which I don't think you have anything to lose by trying. You can find the bible online to read for free. @LeopoldBloom
LeopoldBloom · M
@MightyLion I don't believe God exists, so he's going to have to draw closer to me if he wants me to believe in him. And I have read the Bible; if anything, it pushed me even further away from religion and the irrational belief in invisible deities.
No theist has ever been able to respond to the following:
An omnicient God would know what evidence I would need to believe in him.
An omnipotent God would be capable of supplying that evidence.
A benevolent God would want to supply it.
So the fact that I don't believe in God, proves that God is either not omnicient, not omnipotent, or not benevolent.
In the Calvinist tradition, God knew who he would save and who he would send to hell before he created the universe, and there is nothing anyone can do about this. You could spend your entire days in prayer, but if you're not one of the elect, you're going to hell anyway. And because of "persistence of the saints," if I'm slated for heaven, I could spend my life as an atheist, mocking God continually, but I will go to heaven anyway.
No theist has ever been able to respond to the following:
An omnicient God would know what evidence I would need to believe in him.
An omnipotent God would be capable of supplying that evidence.
A benevolent God would want to supply it.
So the fact that I don't believe in God, proves that God is either not omnicient, not omnipotent, or not benevolent.
In the Calvinist tradition, God knew who he would save and who he would send to hell before he created the universe, and there is nothing anyone can do about this. You could spend your entire days in prayer, but if you're not one of the elect, you're going to hell anyway. And because of "persistence of the saints," if I'm slated for heaven, I could spend my life as an atheist, mocking God continually, but I will go to heaven anyway.
MightyLion · 22-25, M
God is very real. But salvation is a gift. If God forced salvation on us he'd also be seen as the bad guy the same way Satan did when he got jealous and questioned why follow God and not me. You don't have to get saved if you don't want to. This life is just a test to see if you choose him. Hell is just life without God. Without everything that is good. @LeopoldBloom
MightyLion · 22-25, M
@LeopoldBloom God is not going to force himself on you.
LeopoldBloom · M
@MightyLion Then he either doesn't exist, or doesn't care if I believe in him or not.
I'm not saying God should force himself onto me. I'm asking why he doesn't show me evidence of his existence that I would find convincing.
I'm not saying God should force himself onto me. I'm asking why he doesn't show me evidence of his existence that I would find convincing.
MightyLion · 22-25, M
Ask him to show you. @LeopoldBloom
LeopoldBloom · M
@MightyLion Have you ever heard "if you take one step toward Allah, he will take ten steps toward you?" I can't ask a being I don't believe exists any more than you can ask Allah to reveal the truth of Islam to you. This is why God, if he exists, will have to do 100% of the work.
Calvinists believe that since humanity is totally depraved, we're incapable of even the miniscule amount of grace necessary to initiate salvation, so God has to do everything.
Calvinists believe that since humanity is totally depraved, we're incapable of even the miniscule amount of grace necessary to initiate salvation, so God has to do everything.
MightyLion · 22-25, M
Quran was written by a demonically possessed man I believe. Try reaching out to God without involving religions. God wants a relationship with you not religion. The God of the bible that is @LeopoldBloom
LeopoldBloom · M
@MightyLion Muslims believe that the Quran was dictated to Mohammed by the Angel Gabriel on direct orders from God. They also believe that the Bible was tampered with to the point that it's no longer an infallible guide. They have their opinion as you have yours.
If God wants a "relationship" with me, what do I need the Bible for? And as much as you disdain "religion," if the Catholic Church hadn't preserved Christianity through Antiquity and the Early Middle Ages, you'd probably be a Muslim or Druid today, and Christianity would either not exist or would be relegated to a few small areas in Ethiopia, Greece, and Armenia.
If God wants a "relationship" with me, what do I need the Bible for? And as much as you disdain "religion," if the Catholic Church hadn't preserved Christianity through Antiquity and the Early Middle Ages, you'd probably be a Muslim or Druid today, and Christianity would either not exist or would be relegated to a few small areas in Ethiopia, Greece, and Armenia.
MightyLion · 22-25, M
Yes but my opinion on the bible being the word of God is true. There can only be one truth or else it would contradict itself. The bible is to know the character of God and how God works and the story of humankind. Sin has made it hard to communicate with God since sin is separation from God so we don't always get a voice responding to our questions the way Adam and Eve had it. So the bible can help us answer questions we have.@LeopoldBloom
LeopoldBloom · M
@MightyLion No, you just believe it is true, the same as a Muslim believes his own opinion is true.
It is a historical fact that the Bible was written by different people over a course of centuries, and the various stories, some of which have nothing to do with each other, were gathered together first by the Masoretic rabbis, then later by Catholic priests, only becoming an approved collection by the 4th century.
"Sin" is also an opinion. It's not like Christians are unified on what constitutes sin or correct Christian worship. You clearly belong to the "sola scriptura" and "sola fide" school of Protestantism, and your "relationship" opinion is of relatively recent vintage, coming from 17th century German Pietism.
As to whether you're an Evidentialist (the truth of God demonstrated through his creation) or a Presuppositionalist (the truth of God demonstrated solely through the Bible with no external proof needed), I'm not sure as you probably haven't thought that deeply about it.
It is a historical fact that the Bible was written by different people over a course of centuries, and the various stories, some of which have nothing to do with each other, were gathered together first by the Masoretic rabbis, then later by Catholic priests, only becoming an approved collection by the 4th century.
"Sin" is also an opinion. It's not like Christians are unified on what constitutes sin or correct Christian worship. You clearly belong to the "sola scriptura" and "sola fide" school of Protestantism, and your "relationship" opinion is of relatively recent vintage, coming from 17th century German Pietism.
As to whether you're an Evidentialist (the truth of God demonstrated through his creation) or a Presuppositionalist (the truth of God demonstrated solely through the Bible with no external proof needed), I'm not sure as you probably haven't thought that deeply about it.
MightyLion · 22-25, M
The bible was written over the course of many years, in different langauges, by different people, in different places yet no contradictions. That should tell you something. @LeopoldBloom
LeopoldBloom · M
@MightyLion The Bible has thousands of contradictions. Literally verses that say the exact opposite of each other. But believers like you either falsely claim that they don't exist, or that they only appear to be contradictions because mere mortals cannot comprehend the Bible's wisdom.
In rabbinical Bible scholarship (which is a lot more advanced than your "Bible study"), contradictions are recognized as part of the text, with specific procedures on how to deal with them.
In rabbinical Bible scholarship (which is a lot more advanced than your "Bible study"), contradictions are recognized as part of the text, with specific procedures on how to deal with them.
MightyLion · 22-25, M
Maybe if you take things out of context there will appear to be contradictions. But the word of God does not contradict. @LeopoldBloom
LeopoldBloom · M
@MightyLion You're welcome to believe that. However, since I've also read the Bible, I'm entitled to my opinion just as you're entitled to yours. The Bible has contradictions as would be expected from a collection of disparate legends written over centuries by different people, for different purposes. Not to mention the mistranslations, different versions of the same text, and errors.
MightyLion · 22-25, M
Okay, can you give me a contradiction that is undeniable so that I can do research on it? @LeopoldBloom
LeopoldBloom · M
@MightyLion Pick one you like from here.
https://infidels.org/library/modern/donald_morgan/contradictions.html
https://infidels.org/library/modern/donald_morgan/contradictions.html
MightyLion · 22-25, M
I am too tired to research the other ones. For the first one, I found this:
https://tobethe.church/does-genesis-1-contradict-itself/
@LeopoldBloom
Theory #1:
John Sailhamer, in Genesis Unbound, asks this simple question: “Does the text actually say that the sun, moon, and stars were created on the fourth day?”[1]
The simple answer is “no.” Sailhamer holds that Genesis 1:1 reveals that God created the whole universe (including sun, moon, and stars) “in the beginning.” He then proposes that the rest of the chapter (1:2ff) is the account of God ordering that which He already made in the beginning as He prepares the land for humanity to dwell in.
Sailhamer explains:
What the writer wants to show in this narrative is not that on each day God “made” something, but that on each day God “said” something. The predominant view of God in this chapter is that He is a God who speaks. His word is powerful. As the psalmist who had read this chapter said, “By the word of the Lord the heavens were made” (Psalm 33:6). Thus, often when God speaks, He creates. But that is not always the case in this chapter…On this day God “makes a proclamation” about that which He has already created (the sun, moon, and stars)…God announced His purpose for the sun, moon, and stars on the fourth day.[2]
Sailhamer goes on to say that he would translate verse 16 more clearly as “So God (and not anyone else) made the lights and put them in the sky.”[3]
To summarize: God created the sun, moon and stars “in the beginning” (Genesis 1:1), and then throughout the days detailed in Genesis 1:2ff God ordered all he had created with the express purpose of preparing the land for humanity to dwell in. This eliminates any perceived contradiction, because the sun, moon, and stars were not created on Day 4.
John Sailhamer, in Genesis Unbound, asks this simple question: “Does the text actually say that the sun, moon, and stars were created on the fourth day?”[1]
The simple answer is “no.” Sailhamer holds that Genesis 1:1 reveals that God created the whole universe (including sun, moon, and stars) “in the beginning.” He then proposes that the rest of the chapter (1:2ff) is the account of God ordering that which He already made in the beginning as He prepares the land for humanity to dwell in.
Sailhamer explains:
What the writer wants to show in this narrative is not that on each day God “made” something, but that on each day God “said” something. The predominant view of God in this chapter is that He is a God who speaks. His word is powerful. As the psalmist who had read this chapter said, “By the word of the Lord the heavens were made” (Psalm 33:6). Thus, often when God speaks, He creates. But that is not always the case in this chapter…On this day God “makes a proclamation” about that which He has already created (the sun, moon, and stars)…God announced His purpose for the sun, moon, and stars on the fourth day.[2]
Sailhamer goes on to say that he would translate verse 16 more clearly as “So God (and not anyone else) made the lights and put them in the sky.”[3]
To summarize: God created the sun, moon and stars “in the beginning” (Genesis 1:1), and then throughout the days detailed in Genesis 1:2ff God ordered all he had created with the express purpose of preparing the land for humanity to dwell in. This eliminates any perceived contradiction, because the sun, moon, and stars were not created on Day 4.
https://tobethe.church/does-genesis-1-contradict-itself/
@LeopoldBloom
MightyLion · 22-25, M
@LeopoldBloom As you can see if you take a little time to understand the word of God you'll realize that what can seem like outright contradictions most likely are not.
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