Ask a Protestant Christian

[Ziggy Stardust]

Not so. I answered the question.

I know and incorporated your answer in my judgement.
Some analogy with fish hooks about wasting sex.

The Bible said (courtesy of Classical_Hero) if you're to horny to keep your pants on, get married and screw yourself silly. Which you call "a beautiful thing". And it depends what you believe sex was made for. Which I think you are referring to making babies. And only married couples can make babies, we all know that.

So, eating a very delicious dinner would be as bad I reckon. Eating was made for survival, not enjoyment. The exact same principle applies.

As I said, completely arbitrary.

 

[GhostWriter16]

Casual sex cheapens sex.

And Classical_Hero never said that. Marriage isn't just about sex, but sex is an important part of marriage.

 

[timtofly]

One of the biggest qualms we non-religious have with faiths such as yours. If God was apparent as you claim, choosing to not believe in God would be as difficult in choosing to not believe in one's own existence. Belief can't be chosen, one way or the other. Delusion might be a choice, but true belief isn't. Belief is an instinctive reaction to what is known or not know. For the sake of argument, hypothetically, could someone that believes in God wake up one morning and choose not to? Unless his/her perspective or psychology is fundamentally influenced by something else, I don't see how that choice can be made.

I'm not saying beliefs are static and cannot change. Only that reducing it down to a simple choice is a little weird to me. "What's your favorite flavor? Vanilla? Now choose chocolate to be your favorite!" Can't see it happening, lol.

So try an experiment. As you read this, choose not to believe. Don't worry about Hell, you can simply choose to resume belief in a moment. But just try to choose non-belief, see if it is possible.

It doesn't work like that. I can't choose unbelief because I am sealed by the Spirit.

I get that some people have intellecutually convinced themselves that the gospel is false, but I believe ultimately, by exammining its claims, you can realize that it makes sense and is true.

And if you have enough faith or facts to actually BELIEVE Christianity, even if you can't KNOW it, pray continually and ask God for the rest.

Or heck, just pray and ask God to reveal himself to you. I think if you pray sincerely enough, he'll reveal himself to you.

Faith is taking God at His word. Faith comes by hearing and hearing comes by the word of the Lord. Many are called, but few are chosen. Does this mean that God does not call all? According to other scriptures, the knowledge of God is written on all hearts.

Having Faith just means that when you "hear" God, you trust Him enough to "follow" His will.

Belief is slightly harder to sway than Faith. Faith needs confirmation, while belief is just keeping that confirmation in regards to reality and experiences.

The Will of God is that none should parrish, but we are free to choose our own will and parrish. Now you said try not to have belief. It is true that we cannot exist without a belief system. That would be like not having a mind. One's belief system is formed from experience, recieved knowledge, and "ruling" out what makes sense and what does not.

Faith is taking God at His word and allowing Him to "change" your belief system even if it does not make sense, (at first).

 

[Lone Wolf]

So, eating a very delicious dinner would be as bad I reckon. Eating was made for survival, not enjoyment. The exact same principle applies.

Exactly! The corrupt Western society is plagued by the sin of food hedonism. The Devil laughs every time you consume any spice except salt.

 

[Ziggy Stardust]

Casual sex cheapens sex.

a. Assuming you mean sex outside a relationship, I wasn't talking abour "casual sex". I was talking about sex outside of marriage, which can also be sex between a couple who aren't married.
b. How does casual sex cheapen sex?
c. How does sex outside marriage cheapen sex? (different question than a.)

I have no use for statements, I have use for explanations. Meaningful ones. Explain how sex between a married couple is different from sex between an unmarried couple.

And Classical_Hero never said that. Marriage isn't just about sex, but sex is an important part of marriage.

No, Paul did. Classical explained it to me.
http://forums.civfanatics.com/showpost.php?p=10494904&postcount=756

And he said it quite a couple of times:

From there he deals with those who are not married, those who are formerly married and never been married, that being single is a good thing, but he does acknowledge that people do have sexual urges, so he says that if you cannot control the urges, it is best to fulfil the urges inside a marriage. That is why he starts of defining sexual morality first, so he has laid down the framework for the rest of the chapter, so he deal with the issue of if people should be married. His preferred position is that they should stay like he is, a widower, since he argues that you can do more for the Lord as a single person, but nowhere does he condemn a person for getting married. He says many times that if someone cannot control there desires for sex, which he never condemns, then that person should be married. Basically the main argument is that if you have sexual desires, get married, if not, then it is best to stay single. So if someone is engaged to be married, and normally that would be a long time, Paul was saying that it is better not to wait until it is too late. Basically he is saying that if you cannot control your urges for sex, then get married.

This was me paraphrasing him: The Bible said (courtesy of Classical_Hero) if you're to horny to keep your pants on, get married and screw yourself silly.

Exactly! The corrupt Western society is plagued by the sin of food hedonism. The Devil laughs every time you consume any spice except salt.

Thanks for backing me up on this one. I can always count on you.

 

[Ajidica]

Salt is bad too. Jesus said he was the 'salt of the Earth' so each time you eat salt you are consuming the flesh of Jesus without a priest offering you communion.
I thought you knew the Lone_Wolf. Your credentials as a Byzantinofascist are slipping.

 

[GhostWriter16]

b. How does casual sex cheapen sex?
c. How does sex outside marriage cheapen sex? (different question than a.)

I have no use for statements, I have use for explanations. Meaningful ones. Explain how sex between a married couple is different from sex between an unmarried couple.

Because when you become married, the two "Become one flesh." Therefore they are to remain united forever.

 

[Ziggy Stardust]

Never mind. Just, never mind.

Zeus, can't a brother get a straight answer?

 

[Ajidica]

Because when you become married, the two "Become one flesh." Therefore they are to remain united forever.

What is your opinion on the marriage of Newt Gingrich?

 

[MagisterCultuum]

Salt is bad too. Jesus said he was the 'salt of the Earth' so each time you eat salt you are consuming the flesh of Jesus without a priest offering you communion.
I thought you knew the Lone_Wolf. Your credentials as a Byzantinofascist are slipping.

Jesus said "You are the salt of the Earth." He was not speaking of himself but of his followers.

Do you mean to say that whenever I eat salt I am eating myself?

 

[timtofly]

It's immoral because sex is for having kiddies, and kiddies need a married, heterosexual couple to raise them. Sex without marriage makes kiddies without marriage possible, and this is a very bad thing <tm>

Sex with contraception is immoral because every sperm is sacred.

I am emphatically not religious, but I'm pretty sure that covers the argument for why extramarital sex is immoral.

Morality is subjective. Nature requires that the species propogate. Morality is self imposed judgment. Making fun of it is what? A person can choose to do whatever they will. Sperm is not sacred, it is a natural function. Are you asking what we believe or attacking personal belief systems?

 

[GhostWriter16]

What is your opinion on the marriage of Newt Gingrich?

Care to enlighten me? I don't know much about Gingrich beyond the basic "He was Speaker of the house before Pelosi, and he is running for President."

Jesus said "You are the salt of the Earth." He was not speaking of himself but of his followers.

Do you mean to say that whenever I eat salt I am eating myself?

He was joking

 

[Ajidica]

Care to enlighten me? I don't know much about Gingrich beyond the basic "He was Speaker of the house before Pelosi, and he is running for President."

He currently is on his third trophy wife at the same time he is 'defending the sacred tradition of marriage from those darn homosexuals'.

 

[GhostWriter16]

He currently is on his third trophy wife at the same time he is 'defending the sacred tradition of marriage from those darn homosexuals'.

Well, politicians are hypocrites, nothing new, I don't like it.

But I'm not supporting Gingrich at present anyway. Ron Paul FTW!!!!!

 

[Ajidica]

Jesus said "You are the salt of the Earth." He was not speaking of himself but of his followers.

Do you mean to say that whenever I eat salt I am eating myself?

Whoops, my bad.

 

[timtofly]

I have no use for statements, I have use for explanations. Meaningful ones. Explain how sex between a married couple is different from sex between an unmarried couple.

There is no difference. Let nature takes it's course. Some people who impose self morality do it to respect the will of God in the matter. Paul was writing to believers. Even believers do not have to choose this way of life. I would think that non-believers are exempt unless they so choose. Why do we have std's and HIV?

 

[Whiskey_Lord]

Because they're viruses that evolved just like anything else?

 

[Perfection]

Jesus paid my price. So it would be immoral at this point. But not if he had chose never to die for me.

So how does that work? How can someone pay someone elses price? Can I pay Curt's price if I were to be tortured extra hard in hell?

I mean, would you say that it's okay for me to say, "put me in jail instead so that this murderer goes free"?

I don't know. The whole point is EVERYONE deserves Hell. Therefore, God can put any standards he pleases on entry into Heaven.

So you would say it is okay if Jesus died for the sins of all left-handed people, only for white people, or only for fat people?

BTW, why is sin worthy of an eternity in hell in the first place?

 

[Arakhor]

So, other the Old Testament laws, which were negated by Jesus' covenant, and the writings of Paul, who was a strict Jew and didn't seem like to women that much, let alone other things, what is in the New Testament that actually condemns homosexuality?

 

[GhostWriter16]

So how does that work? How can someone pay someone elses price? Can I pay Curt's price if I were to be tortured extra hard in hell?

No.

I mean, would you say that it's okay for me to say, "put me in jail instead so that this murderer goes free"?

No, but if it were a fine, it would be fine. That's the point.

So you would say it is okay if Jesus died for the sins of all left-handed people, only for white people, or only for fat people?

Well, he only dies for the sin of those who will believe (Or some would say he dies for everyone yet the sacrifice only applies for those who believe. Either way, Salvation is based on belief. It wasn't arbitrarily decided who Christ would die for.

So, other the Old Testament laws, which were negated by Jesus' covenant, and the writings of Paul, who was a strict Jew and didn't seem like to women that much, let alone other things, what is in the New Testament that actually condemns homosexuality?

Paul's writings are inspired anyway, so basically you are just trying to say "Other than the stuff I don't like..."

Just stop it. ALL Scripture is God-breathed. Paul's writings apply.