Ask A Protestant Christian II

[Shekwan]

Are you really giving credit to Stalin for stopping the annihilation of the Jews?
He was a bigger mass murderer than Hitler! Pogroms were definitely happening under his watch as well.
He didn't launch into WW2 to save the Jews, the USSR was attacked by Germany, and thus brought in.

I will grant that the USSR did the lion's share of the fighting in Europe, but it wasn't out of some ultruistic idea to save the Jews! It was simply to save the USSR!

Yes I completely agree that he believed he was saving the USSR.

However, who's to say that he wasn't put in that position by GOD to save the Jews by chance?

Hey, this religion thing is fun.

 

[kochman]

Well, how many were saved? Not that many, in comparison to how many were lost.
I believe everything happens for a reason, and yes, as an unintended circumstance, he played a role in saving many Jews...

But the Jews would not have been annihilated, there were Jews all over the world... This problem was isolated to Europe.

 

[timtofly]

Maybe I should have said Jewish Nation. Hitler did not import Jews to annihilate them, he just wanted them out of the area he was controlling. Besides there are over 5.1 million now in Israel, so he did not even get a chance in Russia. Now Stalin may have interceded, did he also claim to be the Messiah?

@ civgeneral: It was a metaphor.

@ leoreth: I am not sure why He would have. He would have had maybe 10-12 years to go anywhere in the known world. He knew carpentry, not sure how that would mix well with traveling.

 

[Shekwan]

Well, how many were saved? Not that many, in comparison to how many were lost.
I believe everything happens for a reason, and yes, as an unintended circumstance, he played a role in saving many Jews...

But the Jews would not have been annihilated, there were Jews all over the world... This problem was isolated to Europe.

Wait hold on a second, not many were saved compared to how many were lost BUT there were plenty left elsewhere? A bit conflicting? Maybe.

In anycase, who is to say that if Stalin/the USSR didn't defeat the Nazis that Germany wouldn't have gone on to win the Cold War.

Then there'd be a pretty good case for the annihiliation of the Jews.

In summary, yes the problem was isolated to Europe, thanks to Stalin.

 

[GhostWriter16]

How is meditation to gain enlightenment against Jesus's teachings?

Reincarnation... I'll kind of grant that one. However, Jesus didn't really speak against that, and the idea was already around (from India at a minimum) for a LONG time.

Reincarnation doesn't fit because our goal, according to Jesus, is "The Kingdom of Heaven." And "I have prepared a place for you (In Heaven.)" So reincarnation is against the Bible.

Meditation I guess technically isn't against the Bible, in fact, its commanded in some sense, but "Clearing your mind" doesn't seem to be the type of thing we are told to do in Scripture...

 

[GenMarshall]

I don't know, reincarnation has a better appeal to me since I can come back as a new person.

 

[kochman]

Reincarnation doesn't fit because our goal, according to Jesus, is "The Kingdom of Heaven." And "I have prepared a place for you (In Heaven.)" So reincarnation is against the Bible.

Most people who believe in reincarnation don't think it is forever, as far as I know... but more like you take a few shots at life, until you get it right.

I am not familiar enough with Hinduism and Buddhism to know if in the end they have a heaven... but, I don't think the idea of having a few shots at life is too heretical.

There are things we don't understand...
I am just saying, I don't completely discount it.

 

[Ajidica]

I am not familiar enough with Hinduism and Buddhism to know if in the end they have a heaven...

I'm not sure of Nirvana counts as a 'heaven', but my basic knowledge of Hinduism and Buddhism seems to indicate heaven is a good discriber for Nirvana.

 

[GhostWriter16]

Most people who believe in reincarnation don't think it is forever, as far as I know... but more like you take a few shots at life, until you get it right.

I am not familiar enough with Hinduism and Buddhism to know if in the end they have a heaven... but, I don't think the idea of having a few shots at life is too heretical.

There are things we don't understand...
I am just saying, I don't completely discount it.

Well, according to the Bible man is appointed once to die and then judgment, not that we will get additional chances of life, so according to the Bible it is heretical.

Besides that though, reincarnation basically makes you forget everything anyways, so its basically pointless, you won't remember the lessons you learned last time, so at best you may get lucky and be born in a different environment...

 

[Arakhor]

Meditation I guess technically isn't against the Bible, in fact, its commanded in some sense, but "Clearing your mind" doesn't seem to be the type of thing we are told to do in Scripture...

We're not told to do lots of things in Scripture, but that's not an instant condemnation. We are pretty much aware of the many, many things that the Bible does condemn.

Well, according to the Bible man is appointed once to die and then judgment, not that we will get additional chances of life, so according to the Bible it is heretical.

Is this your interpretation or does the Bible actually say this?

 

[kochman]

Well, according to the Bible man is appointed once to die and then judgment, not that we will get additional chances of life, so according to the Bible it is heretical.

Besides that though, reincarnation basically makes you forget everything anyways, so its basically pointless, you won't remember the lessons you learned last time, so at best you may get lucky and be born in a different environment...

Also according to the bible, on Judgment Day all the souls will awaken to be judged.

Does reincarnation, if it exists, make you forget everything? There are a lot of people who would disagree with that statement.

"It's like de ja vu all over again" - Yogi Berra

 

[Jehoshua]

christian meditation fundamentally differs from oriental methods in that it seeks to fill the mind and spirit with Christ rather than achieve emptiness as is the goal of eastern meditation. They are incompatible to eachover.

 

[classical_hero]

I don't know, reincarnation has a better appeal to me since I can come back as a new person.

2 Corinthians 5:17 Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.

The word meditation means to ponder and to think upon things, not this letting you mind go free.

 

[El_Machinae]

Well, both Christianity and Buddhism make it a virtue to give up worldly desires and worldly pleasures. But asceticism seems to be a holiness trait in many faiths, because it's so obviously spiritually powerful

 

[kochman]

christian meditation fundamentally differs from oriental methods in that it seeks to fill the mind and spirit with Christ rather than achieve emptiness as is the goal of eastern meditation. They are incompatible to eachover.

Well, perhaps that is the Catholic view? No doubt that some Protestants would agree, since our collective beliefs are all over the board.

BUT, This is ask a Protestant.

That being said, I disagree with the notion that they are incompatible. My approach to Christ is not so rigid that you absolutely can never meditate for emptiness.

 

[GhostWriter16]

I'm OK with Jehoshua's answer in this case, since that IS the standard Protestant answer.

And, I guess you could meditate for emptiness I guess, and its not necessarily immoral, but its definitely empty and pointless.

 

[kochman]

I'm OK with Jehoshua's answer in this case, since that IS the standard Protestant answer.

And, I guess you could meditate for emptiness I guess, and its not necessarily immoral, but its definitely empty and pointless.

I disagree that it is the standard Protestant answer. From your answers on other things, I can see that you are a rather conservative Protestant... Not all are. I would refrain from making such statements as your opinion being the "standard"... unless you were referring to your specific denomination, which you weren't.

Meditation for emptiness, it's kind of like relaxing or sleeping.
Sometimes we don't even call it meditation. You might just chill out at the beach, and let your mind blank out... it's not evil/sinful at all.

 

[GhostWriter16]

I disagree that it is the standard Protestant answer. From your answers on other things, I can see that you are a rather conservative Protestant... Not all are. I would refrain from making such statements as your opinion being the "standard"... unless you were referring to your specific denomination, which you weren't.

Yeah, I'm Evangelical, and yes you are right. But I meant that his answer was A standard Protestant answer. It was a valid answer, not a Catholic answer.

However:

Meditation for emptiness, it's kind of like relaxing or sleeping.
Sometimes we don't even call it meditation. You might just chill out at the beach, and let your mind blank out... it's not evil/sinful at all.

I agree now, this is true. However, taken too far it can be sinful. If its your main goal in life, IMO it goes too far.

 

[Arakhor]

Anything taken too far is sinful. Why is meditation so bad?

 

[SG-17]

Do protestants perform Last Rites on the deathbed?