Re: How to Become a Christian, Version 1.01

From: MU (munospam_at_fastmail.fm)
Date: 08/24/04 

Date: Tue, 24 Aug 2004 09:54:57 -0400

On 23 Aug 2004 16:10:03 -0700, Steve Harris sbharris@ROMAN9.netcom.com
wrote:

> COMMENT:
> Ahem. Excuse me? The "Lord" is silent. He doesn't send me email. He
> doesn't appear in my bathroom. He doesn't knock on my door, unless
> he's dressed like a JW or Mormon missionary. So it's rather a problem
> knowing what he wants. Or even that he exists.

I would agree, Steve, with no faith you would have no clue.
 
> COMMENT:
> Says who? And since god is silent, separation from him is sort of
> what we have now, is it not?

My God is not silent and our separation is a matter or temporality vs
supernaturalism. Not in influence, guidance or assistance. Ever present.
 
> COMMENT:
> By god's perfect standard? Any parent who had the standard that his
> or her children were required to obey absolutely perfectly on every
> matter at all times and all places, or be cut off forever, would be a
> complete ass.

Sure would. Thankfully, we have Christ's Death and Resurrection, His Word
that we are saved regardless of our sins.

> Here's fair question: if YOU were god, would you have set similar
> impossible standards?

I have no idea what being God would be like so I have no way to answer.
 
>>> Believe
>>> -------
>>> Believe in Jesus Christ as God's Son and receive Jesus' gift of
>>> forgiveness from sin. God loves each of us. God offers us salvation.
>>> Although we have done nothing to deserve His love and salvation, God
>>> wants to save us.
>
> COMMENT:
> Well, then, why doesn't he just do it and be done with it? This stuff
> about his having to send his son to Earth is certainly overly
> complicated, overly painful, and frankly makes no sense whatsoever.

Oh, you are pretentious today, aren't you? Know God's Mind, understand His
plan? I don't. Why do you waste time worrying about something you will
never be able to comprehend? Which part of the definition of "super"natural
do you not understand?
 
> COMMENT:
> This is the part that makes no sense at all. Why should it matter what
> people believe? Why did god have to send his "son" (in what sense is
> Jesus a "sun") to save imperfect people from being cut off?

See above.
  
> COMMENT:
> All this sounds like forming a social club, preparatory to
> fleecing people with collections and tithes. I suppose Christianity
> and the strange salvation you discuss above wouldn't be very
> interesting if everybody didn't gather to yak about it? And trade
> money for various promises, and as protections against various
> threats?

If you do not find the concept and promise of immortality interesting, in
and of itself, all human trappings aside, I have no idea *what* you might
find interesting.
 
> COMMENT:
> We have the problem of why we should
> believe the Christian scripture and not somebody elses. Even if we
> believe the Christian scripture, we don't see anything in the baptism
> of Jesus that specifies "immersion" or a "local church". If anything,
> the opposite is implied.

The problem is solved by faith. Immersion or not is arguable and IMO
inconsequential. It's symbolic and, in the times of the NT, ritualistic as
many Jews and non Jews were ritualistic.
 
> COMMENT:
>
> Sorry, it's a tale of a god far more vicious than your average child
> abuser, with a Rube Goldberg plan for fixing things up which is one
> part sadism, one part needless showmanship, and two parts ritual
> magic. To which is added a bunch of human institutions whose only
> purpose seems to be public displays of emotion, for purposes of
> induction of mass psychosis, and the collection of money. And the
> gaining of social power by people articulate enough to run such shows.

I see you understand the Mind Of God better than I do. I have no way to
explain why things are as they are and spend little time worrying about
them.

Have humans adulterated Christianity? Of course, what else would you
expect; we adulterate damn near everything?
 
> I'm gunna pass. I won't even say "Thanks for the thought" since the
> thoughts you've given us are utterly disgusting (and so are the shows)
> and contribute nothing to humanity. (Unless you count Jimmy Swaggart
> and Gene Scott as contributions).

Christians contribute nothing? Ridiculous and you know it. Even those two
miscreants you mentioned have favorable pieces in their lives and I find
them far from my liking.

> If anything, I wish these weird
> ideas had never been thought of at all. Whoever first did, must have
> been a sick puppy indeed. Saul of Tarsus needed some Haldol in the
> worst way.

Yes, those weird ideas will haunt you, worry and nag you, Steve, and for
those who never receive Christ's Blessings, I'll bet it does sting to be
constantly reminded of a fate as certain as Hell.
 
> And you the original poster: Wake up! Grow up! This is complete idiocy and
> crap! Try thinking for yourself, even for just a few seconds, and
> you'll begin to see how nutso all this is.
>
> SBH

Think for yourself, huh? Good idea. I have and I think that I'll leave
God's business, His plans and His World to Him.

Me, I'll go and try to spend my time on things that don't waste it. Trying
to crawl into the Mind Of God is a waste.

Relevant Pages

  • Re: How to Become a Christian, Version 1.01
    ... My God is not silent and our separation is a matter or temporality vs ... with a Rube Goldberg plan for fixing things up which is one ... Have humans adulterated Christianity? ... I'll go and try to spend my time on things that don't waste it. ...
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  • Re: Creationism, Religion and Denial
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    (uk.religion.christian)
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    ... In what way are followers of other religions in relationship with God, ... They aren't, Steve, any other religion other then Christianity as was taught ... and practiced in the 1st Century, is a complete waste of time. ...
    (uk.religion.christian)
  • The Problem With Liberalism
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