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"Being a Christian"

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Wed 03/12/03 at 11:05
Regular
"RIP: Brian Clough"
Posts: 10,491
I am sharing a simple message of the love of Jesus and the sacrifice He paid for sin, in this post. Jesus

Jesus is going to return one day, soon and will judge the world, on account of all its sins. Revelation (the last book of the bible) gives a vivid prophetic view on the return of Christ, stating "every eye shall see". Jesus will decide who is allowed unto the Kingdom of God for all eternity through the straight and narrow path and who passes through the gates of the broad and wide path.

The Kingdom of God is heaven which is described as a place of no more tears, or pains, night or day or hunger or famin. We are told he has the best mansions lined up for his people and has glories beyond our human interpretation.

He also tells us about Hell, a place of weeping and nashing of teeth, a place of eternal punishment and terrible suffering. He also says some will have few stripes and some who reject the word of Lord will have many stripes.

My friends in order to pass from death until life you must allow in the Holy Spirit and must pray for God to come into your life. No amount of charity money or giving or helping will enter you into the Kingdom of God for all eternity except by this way; excepting the Lord Jesus into your life, the same man that took away all man's sins on the cross. John 3:16 "For God so loved the World that he sent his one and only son, for who ever believeth in him may not perish but have everlasting life" Jesus was the perfect sacrifice. He paid the price for sin, in order to get the burden of sin off your shoulders and with you for all eternity in Hell, you need to trust in the Lord Jesus, who died for sin. This is the most important decision you will ever make, either accept you are a sinner and Jesus has taken away your sin or reject Jesus and face Him one day and all eternity in Hell.

God bless and thankyou for your time. If you are interested in any of the points raised in this article or you would like to ask Jesus into your life please feel free to write to me at [email protected]
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Mon 08/12/03 at 16:40
"I love yo... lamp."
Posts: 19,577
As for the 6 million Jews, yes they were slaughtered for being Jewish. But think for a second light, was it for their religion they were slaughtered, or was it because racially they were different, not being perfect Aryans and all?

Yes Hitler hijacked the German Protestant churches. They didn't hijack him and then go off to war. They sold out to stay alive. As did the Vatican.

The point is that it wasn't the churches who told Hitler to take over Germany then go off invading countries left right and centre. He did it because he wanted to.

Sure there would have been more deaths if the Crusaders had machine guns. I'm fairly certain I didn't say it wouldn't make any difference. But bear in mind another thought along those lines: the reasons people murder others today are the same reasons they did thousands of years ago. Theft. Betrayal. Hate. All of which we can all experience without religion. Had guns been around a thousand years ago there would have been more deaths because of those said reasons outside of religion than actually happened.

If we're going to get technical only Catholics claim the pope to be God's living representative on earth, I certainly don't though still am Christian. I'm not going to defend the churches when they stray from the bible. The campaign against contraception is wrong and downright stupid. Paul said when talking about sex "do not be depriving each other of it". If sex for fun was allowable back then I don't see why it wouldn't be now.

Light wrote:
> If religion stayed as a matter of personal faith I would laud it throughout the land. As is, we have Organised religion, and it's a tool used to control people. Nothing more, nothing less.

There is more to it than that and you are clever enough to know it. People want to know others who share the same ideas and beliefs. You're an actor Light. You act with other people. Because it is something you want to do. If you don't like the play director or the other actors, if you feel they are controlling you in a way you are not happy with then you can give it up.

As YH says, you aren't forced to watch the TV. Religion on TV is no more "forced" on you than football is on women and gardening is on me. It simply is programming for an audience that does want to watch it. You don't have to be part of that audience.
Mon 08/12/03 at 15:54
Regular
"Wanking Mong"
Posts: 4,884
Your Honour wrote:

>
>
> Ah, but you don't have to watch it, do you.

True enough, though I would say that the fact that so many religious programs go out on our National Broadcasting network, and that the BBC is obliged by law to provide religious programs, constitutes force of some type. I take your point though.

> Did you speak to the
> Mormons and listen to what they have to say? Were you rude? Were they
> rude? Or did they just say "Would you like to listen to what I
> have to say?"?

I started off by telling them that I'd listened to what their colleagues had to say some years earlier, and that I wasn't really interested. This was a mistake on my part; they didn't leave my doorstep for a good 5 minutes, and didn't stop pursuing the "Ah, but if you let us in now, we can guarantee we will change your minds" approach. I'm always civil to religious types who turn up at my house, but I'm starting to think I should have just slammed the door in their face when they started the hard sell.


>
> I imagine they didn't make you listen. They gave you the choice to
> listen, and you turned them down. I see nothing wrong with that. They
> offered you something you didn't want, fair enough.

Had it just been "Are you interested? No? Okay, bye then" I would totally agree with you. But it wasn't; it was the hard sell. Maybe that was just these two, but even so...

That said, I do take your point that these days the influence of religion in the lives of we in the west has waned greatly (WOO-HOO!!!!). It has not done so however in the developing world (where, thanks to the Catholic church and it's phobia of contraception, AIDS is rife), to say nothing of the extremist Moslems (if you are not with us, you are infidel and must die!), fundamentalist and evangelist christians (see extemist moslems), Hindu nationalists (if you're the wrong kind of Indian, or a Pakistani, then GO TO HELL!!)....well, you get the idea.

My point is that these groups are fighting to make religion an integral part of people's lives. Co-incidentally, those religions try to dictate huge portions of how people should live their lives. So basically, as far as I can see, religious leaders are simply trying to increase the number of people whom they have control over.

It's not as if this is limited to the developing world; have you seen some of the laws being passed in the South of the USA? Laws demanding that creationism be taught in Science classes (something that is happening over here now thanks to that school in Gateshead that wants to do the same), or even going as far as suggesting that evolution shouldn't be taught at all.


>
>
> I didn't mean about them believing the same or different things, I
> meant that so many people believe in one form or another, that it
> must do something for them else, they wouldn't bother.

Oh, I agree with that; I've always said that mankind has a God-shaped hole in it's head. What I object to is people abusing that to gain power over themselves.

Actually, I should clarify the earlier point about 'Religion/good/evil' that we mentioned;

I would say thatt Religion is a contruction of man, and has absolutely nothing of the divine (should such a thing exist) in it.

Faith is something entirely personal and has nothing to do with being told that one MUST believe in a certain God or church. Faith comes from within. It can be positive or negative, but it is something that comes from the individual.

Would you agree?

>
> Anyhoo, its the end of my lunch now, so I haven't "done a
> 'dandy" if I don't reply for a while :-)

M'kay; I have to say that I'm finding it difficult to find the time to respond in the run up to Xmas. Bah, humbug...
Mon 08/12/03 at 14:05
Regular
Posts: 14,117
Light wrote:
> Heh. As it happens, every Sunday, religion is forced down our necks
> via TV. Happily, barely anyone watches the array of blistering
> nonsense fronted by Michael Buerk and others over the course of
> Hangover day. But as for me personally, the last time was about 8
> months ago when some Mormons arrived at my door.


Ah, but you don't have to watch it, do you. Did you speak to the Mormons and listen to what they have to say? Were you rude? Were they rude? Or did they just say "Would you like to listen to what I have to say?"?

I imagine they didn't make you listen. They gave you the choice to listen, and you turned them down. I see nothing wrong with that. They offered you something you didn't want, fair enough.


> Broadly, yes they do believe in the same thing. But look at all the
> multitude of offshoots, subsects, and cults. As I say, if religion
> stayed personal then that would be fine. Alas, it's always, always
> hijacked by somebody who wants a little power over people.
> Remember; millions of people the world over believed in fascism and
> eugenics. Doesn't stop both idea's being a vast crock of old toss.


I didn't mean about them believing the same or different things, I meant that so many people believe in one form or another, that it must do something for them else, they wouldn't bother.

Anyhoo, its the end of my lunch now, so I haven't "done a 'dandy" if I don't reply for a while :-)
Mon 08/12/03 at 13:57
Regular
"Wanking Mong"
Posts: 4,884
Your Honour wrote:


> Indeed. But when was the last time someone tried to force religion on
> you? My girlfriend and her mum are religious, yet whenever I stay at
> hers for the weekend, neither tries to force anything on me. At
> least, not in that way...

Heh. As it happens, every Sunday, religion is forced down our necks via TV. Happily, barely anyone watches the array of blistering nonsense fronted by Michael Buerk and others over the course of Hangover day. But as for me personally, the last time was about 8 months ago when some Mormons arrived at my door.


> Maybe, but it is still something that millions of people across the
> world believe in, be it Christianity, Buddhism - whatever.

Broadly, yes they do believe in the same thing. But look at all the multitude of offshoots, subsects, and cults. As I say, if religion stayed personal then that would be fine. Alas, it's always, always hijacked by somebody who wants a little power over people.
Remember; millions of people the world over believed in fascism and eugenics. Doesn't stop both idea's being a vast crock of old toss.
Mon 08/12/03 at 13:50
Regular
Posts: 14,117
Light wrote:
> Thing is, even the interpretation of those guidelines differs from
> person to person.


So we're back to the problem of translation and interpretation again....



>It's only when some megalomaniac titmuffin attempts
> to force their particular interpretation onto others that the problem
> arises.


Indeed. But when was the last time someone tried to force religion on you? My girlfriend and her mum are religious, yet whenever I stay at hers for the weekend, neither tries to force anything on me. At least, not in that way...


> If religion stayed as a matter of personal faith I would laud it
> throughout the land. As is, we have Organised religion, and it's a
> tool used to control people. Nothing more, nothing less.


Maybe, but it is still something that millions of people across the world believe in, be it Christianity, Buddhism - whatever.
Mon 08/12/03 at 13:40
Regular
"Pouch Ape"
Posts: 14,499
"titmuffin" is the best word ever. I'm sure God would agree.
Mon 08/12/03 at 13:38
Regular
"gsybe you!"
Posts: 18,825
Religion as I see it is fine. It's just the organised religion that considers dominance over others that is wrong. And usually isn't in the name of religion at all.
Mon 08/12/03 at 13:33
Regular
"Wanking Mong"
Posts: 4,884
Your Honour wrote:

>
>
> Ah, but isn't he elected by the members of the church? People who are
> not infallible...

He is, but according to Catholic dogma, the Pope is God's representative. The cardinals who elect him are simply the vessels who express Gods will.

Yes, religious dogma is more tangled, contradictory, and sophistic than ANY other bureaucracy in the world...

>
.
>
>
> Woah! I don't know the history, and I don't care. I'm not religeous,
> I feel it came about as a way of explaining things that were
> previously unexplainable "Where did we come from?"
> "Well, ummmm, there's this all powerful god, right..."

Heh. Yup, can't disagree there. Man made God in his own image.

>
> Religion itself is a set of guidlines that, in theory, if everyone
> were to follow, then everyone would live a joyful and happy life.
> However, realistically, not everyone is going to follow them, and so
> it falls down.

Thing is, even the interpretation of those guidelines differs from person to person. It's only when some megalomaniac titmuffin attempts to force their particular interpretation onto others that the problem arises.

If religion stayed as a matter of personal faith I would laud it throughout the land. As is, we have Organised religion, and it's a tool used to control people. Nothing more, nothing less
Mon 08/12/03 at 13:25
Regular
Posts: 14,117
Light wrote:
> Your Honour wrote:
>
>
> Religion has done no evil. People have done evil in the name of
> religion.
>
>
> Hmm...a fair, if semantic, point. However, I don't fully agree. If
> we're going to get technical, the Pope is God's living representative
> on earth.


Ah, but isn't he elected by the members of the church? People who are not infallible...


He is infallible. He is a conduit to God's will. He IS the
> Catholic Church. And from Pope Urban's exhortation to the Christian
> masses to fight the crusades, up to John Paul II and his hateful
> campaign to keep contraception as a sin, the Popes (and therefore the
> Catholic religion) have committed all sorts of evil on a depressingly
> regular basis.


Woah! I don't know the history, and I don't care. I'm not religeous, I feel it came about as a way of explaining things that were previously unexplainable "Where did we come from?" "Well, ummmm, there's this all powerful god, right..."

Religion itself is a set of guidlines that, in theory, if everyone were to follow, then everyone would live a joyful and happy life. However, realistically, not everyone is going to follow them, and so it falls down.

>
> Out of interest, would you say that religion has done no good in the
> world, people have done good in the name of religion?

Good point :-)
Mon 08/12/03 at 13:19
Regular
"Pouch Ape"
Posts: 14,499
Light wrote:
> And from Pope Urban's

Wasn't he in The So Solid Crew?
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