Ask a Christian

[MobBoss]

I don't believe in the Trinity because it isn't backed up very well by scripture. (misinterpretations) Does that make me 'not' a Christian? On that subject I believe more in Islam, Jesus was a highly loved messenger of God, who ascended to heaven. I disagree with Mecca, change the word Mecca with Jerusalem (city of peace) in Hebrew, Israel. Thats where you're meant to go pilgrim at. In Islam Allah is merely an Arabic word for God. God says in the Qu'ran that 'PEOPLE OF THE BOOK' which is Torah, Gospel and Qu'ran were all made by the same God.

I would say if you dont believe in the divinity of Jesus Christ, then you are not a 'christian'.

 

[Blake4000]

What would you call me, what would you say I am by definition?

 

[puglover]

How about all them non-canonical books?

What's the deal with that?

Around the third century AD, when Christianity began to spread to its fullest, many gospels were found supposedly written by apostles, but in actuality were penned under a psedonym by Christians who wanted the disciples to say what they themselves believed. As Rome persecuted the Christians, they demanded Christians to turn in their religious books or be slain. Christians began to ask themselves which books were worth surrendering, and which were important enough to die for. And so church leaders began examining the Bible for historical accuracy, and books like the gnostic gospels were quickly ignored. After the Council of Nicea, a full canon had been constructed of the most reputable of the gospels, like the one we have today.

This just poped into my mind. Is it normal for Christians who have gone astray (such as myself) to seek forgiveness from other Christians whom they have bashed?

James 3:2 - We all stumble in many ways. If anyone is never at fault in what he says, he is a perfect man, able to keep his whole body in check.

In other words, everyone falls. The point is picking yourself back up in times of trouble and continuing to follow Christ.

 

[MobBoss]

What would you call me, what would you say I am by definition?

Well, if you believe in the God of Abraham, Isaac and Joseph, but didnt believe in Christ, I would say you might be a Jew.

 

[Gogf]

I'll search for the more in-depth post concerning the prophecies I made a few months ago. I'll edit it in for you.

Thanks .

As for man's character, when I analyze the ways of this universe, morality does not seem to fit with the naturalistic and barbaric processes that govern day-to-day survival.

Why not? A species that doesn't promote murder is more likely to survive than a species that does.

Yet all humans have a basic moral law, a sense of self-sacrifice and altruism. It appears transcendent of our natural world, and leads me to believe in a source beyond basic natural processes.

"All humans have a basic moral law"? What about Hitler, Stalin, and Mao?

Also, our origins lead me to believe God exists, or at least some force beyond our natural world (example: the First Cause/Mover argument in philosophy)

The first mover argument is not even remotely convincing. There are two possible assumptions:

God came into being without aid and then created the universe.
The universe came into being without aid.

An application of Occam's Razor leaves us with the second theory.

Psalm 110:1 - The Lord says to my Lord, sit at my right hand until I make your enemies a footstool for my feet Jesus would have authority even higher than David

How does this passage predict that "Jesus would have authority even higher than David"?

2 Samuel 7 - The Lord declares to you that the Lord himself will establish a house for you: When your days are over and you rest with your fathers, I will raise up your offspring to succeed you wwho will come from your own body, and I will establish his kingdom. He is the one who will build a house for my Name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever. David's dynasty would last forever, for from his descendants would come the eternal ruler of all the earth

I don't see an "eternal ruler of all the earth" today.

Isaiah 52:13-53:12 - He was despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows, and familiar with suffering... Surely he took up our infirmities and carried our sorrows... But he was pierced for our transgressions, and crushed for our iniquities... though he had done no violence... and though the Lord makes his life a guilt offering... therefore I will give him a portion among the great Jesus sacrificed himself as an offering for sin, and then was glorified

So God exists because there was a passive martyr in the bible?

Isaiah 9 - For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Of the increase of his government there will be no end. He will reign on David's throne... from that time on and forever. The zeal of the Lord Almighty will accomplish this. A Messiah would be born as a man in David's lineage and rule over a never-ending kingdom

As far as I know, neither the bible nor any history book I've ever seen ever mentions anybody ruling over a "never-ending kingdom," except, in the bible's case, for God.

Genesis 3 - So the Lord God said to the serpent, "Because you have done this, cursed are you above all the livestock and all the wild animals... and I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and hers; he will crush your head, and you will strike his heel. A man would come to undo man's fall

Where does it predict that "a man would come to undo man's fall" in this passage?

Micah 5:2 - But you, Bethlehem, Ephrathah, though you are small among the clans of Judah, out of you will come for me one who will be ruler over Israel, whose origins are of old from ancient times. The Lord of Israel will be born in Bethlehem

So God exists because a ruler of Israel came from Bethlehem or Ephrathah? I think it's highly unlikely that a ruler of Israel would never have come from Bethlehem.

So far, even assuming that all of these events took place, you have yet to convincingly show that any prophecy has been fulfilled. A prophecy cannot be considered useful unless it makes specific claims that cannot be logically assumed. "A ruler will rise" is not sufficient. It would be amazing if a ruler did not rise. What's more, the evidence must be in accordance with the prophecy. The claim that Jesus having more authority than David somehow confirms that God will "make [someone's] enemies a footstool for my feet" if he sits "at [God's] right hand" is nonsense.

Moreover, would it be any surprise to us that prophecies made in the bible are fulfilled in the bible? That would hardly prove that the bible is a factual document, just that it is consistent with itself. There must be independent confirmation that the event happened and that the prediction had already been made when the it transpired.

What amazes me is that you're using the "fulfillment" of prophecies in the bible as evidence. If you're going to take what the bible says as fact, isn't it much simpler to just take one of the plethora of phrases confirming God's existence?

 

[nihilistic]

Consider this thought experiment: If you were instead born in the Middle East into a Muslim household, what belief(s)/religion(s), if any, would you project yourself to hold at this time?

 

[Eran of Arcadia]

I thought she went to the tomb to embalm his body.

And why would she be the one to do that? . . .

If you were instead born in the Middle East into a Muslim household, what belief(s)/religion(s), if any, would you project yourself to hold at this time?

Probably I would be Muslim. But I was instead born into a society with a relatively large amount of interfaith movement, and besides my denomination has always been a minority in most places (I have never lived in Utah).

 

[bd41094]

ugh...religious people

Moderator Action: Warned for trolling.
Please read the forum rules: http://forums.civfanatics.com/showthread.php?t=422889

 

[Eran of Arcadia]

Err, welcome to CFC OT? There are a lot of religious people, and we like to talk a lot about religion with all the areligious people (of whom there are a lot). If you are serious, why are you in this thread anyways? If not, consider me whooshed.

 

[Homie]

Eran, is that Rasputin in your picture?

 

[Blake4000]

Well, if you believe in the God of Abraham, Isaac and Joseph, but didnt believe in Christ, I would say you might be a Jew.

I don't agree with that, because I do believe in Jesus Christ, just not in the same way the Christians do. (Trinity/God in flesh) I agree with the Muslim position on that. But I don't agree with Mecca as an important city is the only disagreement I have with Islam. I side with Christianity when it comes to Isaac and Jerusalem. I don't agree with Islam saying Ishmael. So I'm a mixture of Christian/Muslim.

 

[potatokiosk]

To what degree can you remember what is in the Bible? Do you merely remember what books are in there?

 

[Eran of Arcadia]

No, he is Orrin Porter Rockwell. Kind of similar, though.

 

[GenMarshall]

To what degree can you remember what is in the Bible? Do you merely remember what books are in there?

I am still a learner so I dont know what is in the Bible off the top of my memory. The parable of the Prodigal Son has left me a great impact on me and has been stuck to my memory (I myself am a Prodigal Son)

 

[Homie]

I don't agree with that, because I do believe in Jesus Christ, just not in the same way the Christians do. (Trinity/God in flesh) I agree with the Muslim position on that. But I don't agree with Mecca as an important city is the only disagreement I have with Islam. I side with Christianity when it comes to Isaac and Jerusalem. I don't agree with Islam saying Ishmael. So I'm a mixture of Christian/Muslim.

Basically you're a muslim who does not agree with the Quaran's position on Isaac/Ishmael and Jerusalem/Mecca?

 

[GenMarshall]

Basically you're a muslim who does not agree with the Quaran's position on Isaac/Ishmael and Jerusalem/Mecca?

Or he can always look into Bahá'í Faith .

 

[Homie]

No, he is Orrin Porter Rockwell. Kind of similar, though.

Interesting read.

 

[Homie]

To what degree can you remember what is in the Bible? Do you merely remember what books are in there?

I remember all the stories and most of the content/theology/wisdom/etc....
But I couldn't tell you where in the Bible you can find it, I'm a noob when it comes to remembering in what book, chapter and verse to find things. Thank God for e-sword.

 

[Eran of Arcadia]

I once had the order of the books memorized. I can still usually remember what each book says (as some tend to say different things, this is useful.)

 

[Katheryn]

This just poped into my mind. Is it normal for Christians who have gone astray (such as myself) to seek forgiveness from other Christians whom they have bashed?

If you have hurt them, yes.

If they do not know, no.

This is the idea:

21 “You have heard that our ancestors were told, ‘You must not murder. If you commit murder, you are subject to judgment.’

22 But I say, if you are even angry with someone, you are subject to judgment! If you call someone an idiot, you are in danger of being brought before the court. And if you curse someone, you are in danger of the fires of hell.

23 “So if you are presenting a sacrifice at the altar in the Temple and you suddenly remember that someone has something against you, 24 leave your sacrifice there at the altar. Go and be reconciled to that person. Then come and offer your sacrifice to God.

Jesus speaks very rhetorically and expansively, but that is His style. So don't freak out, He really isn't saying you will go to hell. More like, you'd better watch it, murder starts with anger.... and is a danger sign.

The point is that without His redeeming work on the cross, you would be in danger of going to hell because the bar is so high. Basically He is showing how tough to the target of 'being good enough' truly is. How far above our expectations is true perfection. It is a rhetorical statement, because of course, we cannot attain such perfection in a fallen state.

My point is that it says... "if your brother has something against you..." you should reconcile with him. But if he doesn't know you insulted him, then you would be creating a problem by confessing, and burdening him with that knowledge. Someone will have 'something against you' often enough that you don't have to go creating it, don't you think?