How God Has Changed My Life

[keith crime 8]

so tex watson who brutalized multiple people and has now accepted christ and is going to heaven has lived a perfect lifeand I who have never hurt a soul i'm gonna burnperfect

[KowboyKoop 0]

This is going to be a long response... and is not mine... but it is my thoughts on the subject.It is readily admitted that Scripture does not speak to this issue directly, yet there is evidence that can be gleaned that would lead us to affirm on biblical grounds that God receives into heaven all who have died in infancy

I think this clinches it for me. God never says anything about it..he just leaves it up to humans, WHO ADMITTEDLY ARE INCAPABLE OF THINKING ON THE SAME LEVEL AS GOD, as the ones who should interpret what God's will/belief on the matter is. How can that be....how can it be a human's interpretation that leads a religion to believe what God's will/belief/methods are, when those same humans are incapable of thinking on God's level.

[Mattnxtc 0]

pretty simple.the majority of humans throughout history won't accept the christian god (because in their environment they find no reason to believe in him or because they believe in something else, *not* because they believe in and reject him). this leaves only 3 alternatives.1. the christian god exists but doesn't care about the salvation of individuals (or we would be in an environment where more WOULD find reason to believe in him) contradicting the bible.2. the christian god exists but is not all-powerful contradicting the bible.3. the christian god does not exist.the latter is by far the most plausable to anyone capable of rational thought.

haha ur powers of reasoning astound me...I really do enjoy readin what you have to say. Ok now lets be serious for a bit...Ur alternatives are kinda funny. Lets look at the reality now...Christianity came to be under the roman empire. The biggest empire at the time. From there is spread into Asia and Africa. Those are the 3 continents that you would claim have othe religions and therefore is ur proof that God doesnt exist. Do you see how you are wrong? Man choose to disregard God long ago. Christianity isnt there not b/c of anything God has done but b/c of what man decided. So that ruins your theory on point 1Point 2 is also not so good. People liek to question why God didnt give them that item they really really prayed hard for. Cant understand why. Until about a year later when they end up in a better situation then they were in. Imagine that. We as humans are so unbelievably short sited that we cant imagine why we dont get everything now. As for God's power...I was watchin a missionary show the other day. 2 missionaries walk up to a remote villiage in the middle of siberia. At the first house they come to they meet a teenage boy who happens to be wearing a cross!!! He wasnt sure why he was wearing it but just felt like he should. There are stories like this all over the world. Stories of miracles being performed all over Asia and Africa. People praying for an answer from God and in comes a missionary a week later. so point 2 is no longer any good for you eitherSo now we are on point 3. You didnt base this on any evidence but on ur dismissal of points 1 and 2. Since those are both back in play you cant justify this at all. Is it an option? Sure it is. We dont have complete Knowledge so it has to be an option. But when more evidence points to there being a God then not being a God...well im not gonna risk it for something that is a pipe dream...

[brvheart 1,768]

There are many ways to approach this subject. The historical evidences for Christianity (see Christian Evidences page), which verify Christ’s identity through the miraculous events, prove that there is a God. Likewise, so does fulfilled prophecy discussed in the fulfilled prophecy page. There are also many arguments from logic. Here we will just use one argument from logic that I think is particularly powerful, and one which the Bible uses in the first Chapter of Romans - the argument from design. The passage under consideration is Romans 1:18-25. Verse 18 says that the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against men who deliberately suppress the truth. What truth do they suppress? The next verse tells us: “because that which is known about God is evident within them; for God made it evident to them.” How has God made it evident? “I have never seen God,” one may object. Again, the next verse tells us: “for since the creation of the world His invisible attributes, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen, being understood through what has been made, so they are without excuse.” So the fact that there is a God of great power and divine nature has been clearly seen, being understood by looking at the creation. A little reflection will show how this is truly the case based on observations in the real world which even the slowest of men can deduce. Design demands a designer. One cannot take the 26 letters of the alphabet, throw them into a box, and shuffle them into a perfect poem. Nor can monkeys in a print shop come up with the Gettysburg Address, no matter how long you leave them there. Design demands a designer. If you were walking on a trail in the forest with a friend, and you both find a watch on the ground, how would you think it came into existence? Suppose your friend told you that he really and truly believed, the pieces of that watch formed and organized themselves up into a working time piece? Who would not think that person would be insane to actually believe that? Can one imagine a tornado blowing through a junk yard and producing a Boeing 747 Jet? But a watch or a 747 Jet is mere child’s play compared to the complexity of the human body which contains over 10 trillion cells organized in such a complex fashion we cannot even fully analyze it let alone reproduce it. In the nucleus of each cell is the DNA molecule, an extremely complex computer that directs growth and reproduction. If one were to take out all the DNA from a human body, stretch it out and link them together, it would reach from here to the sun and back 400 times! All the books that have ever been written do not contain the amount of information contained in the DNA of one single person. Sir Francis Crick, who discovered the DNA molecule in 1956, himself an atheist, stated that not even in 3 billion years of evolution could this have come about by accident. So he postulated that some advanced beings living in outer space must have put it here. No one believes a watch or Jet can come about by accident. Yet many who would never believe that, believe the infinitely more complex human body did! Not to mention the rest of creation. Such a thing is an outrage to the logical and reasoning capacities God gave the human mind. That is why God says “so they are without excuse.” No one can stand before God on judgment day and say “I did not know you existed.” God will answer “I created your mind and gave you the rational capacities I know you have. You had to go against your logical and rational faculties to conclude I did not exist.” If the evidence is that strong, why are there people who do not believe in God? The next verse (Romans 1:21) answers that. “For even though they knew God, they did not want to honor Him as God, or give thanks; but they became futile in their speculations, and their foolish heart was darkened.” When I meet a nice person who does not believe in God, it appears on the surface that he is just an unbiased objective person who perhaps just hasn’t been convinced. But if he goes to the grave with that belief, God’s word says the real problem, in the persons heart, is he “did not want to honor Him as God, or give thanks.” Romans 1:25 gives the reason behind this: “For they exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshipped and served the creature rather than the Creator.” Rather than worship and submit to the God who created them, they rather worship themselves. It is quite interesting that every religion in the world except Christianity does exactly that. Their concept of heaven is attained by man’s works, performance, and attainments; by his greatness, not God’s. Man is on the throne, God is relegated to insignificance or otherwise diminished. I used to be totally mystified when I would explain God’s truth to someone (who had told me they were completely open minded), with good, solid, and convincing evidence, and their reaction would be one of indifference and disinterest. Then when another religious point of view or philosophy would come along that had absolutely no evidentiary basis whatsoever to recommend it, that person would immediately gravitate to it and believe it! Looking back on it, I can now see the other view they gravitated to, without exception, allowed them to put man (themselves) in the position of pre-eminence and diminished the appropriate response of the creature submitting to and honoring his Maker. John 7:17 rings true, where Jesus said “ If any man is willing to do His will, he shall know of the teaching, whether it is of God...” When your ready for more, let me know.

[Mattnxtc 0]

so tex watson who brutalized multiple people and has now accepted christ and is going to heaven has lived a perfect lifeand I who have never hurt a soul i'm gonna burnperfect

But have you sinned at all? have you ever lusted after a woman/man have you ever cussed? have you ever lied? have you ever taken the Lords name in vain? If you can answer yes to even one of those then you have sinned and are no longer righteous. So When you face God and he judges you on His standards...you fail. Do you see?

[brvheart 1,768]

I think this clinches it for me. God never says anything about it..he just leaves it up to humans, WHO ADMITTEDLY ARE INCAPABLE OF THINKING ON THE SAME LEVEL AS GOD, as the ones who should interpret what God's will/belief on the matter is. How can that be....how can it be a human's interpretation that leads a religion to believe what God's will/belief/methods are, when those same humans are incapable of thinking on God's level.

My thought on your thought, is that the issue is not important enough to God to mention. He loves you KowboyKoop, and he wants you in heaven with him. He doesn't want the devil to use divisive issues to turn you away from the only important thing. And that is that you understand that Jesus died for your sin and you will go to heaven if you believe that.

[KowboyKoop 0]

My thought on your thought, is that the issue is not important enough to God to mention. He loves you KowboyKoop, and he wants you in heaven with him. He doesn't want the devil to use divisive issues to turn you away from the only important thing. And that is that you understand that Jesus died for your sin and you will go to heaven if you believe that.

GOD DOESN'T THINK THE ISSUE OF DYING INFANTS BEING DAMNED TO HELL OR GOING TO HEAVEN IS IMPORTANT ENOUGH TO MENTION!?!?!??!?!?!?!?! WHAT!?!?!!?!??!?!??!If you are saying that God doesn't care enough about that to mention it, and thus leaves it up to HUMANS to interpret what THEY think God's will is on the issue of whether dying infants in Africa go to hell or not....then that just makes me laugh even harder.

But have you sinned at all? have you ever lusted after a woman/man have you ever cussed? have you ever lied? have you ever taken the Lords name in vain? If you can answer yes to even one of those then you have sinned and are no longer righteous. So When you face God and he judges you on His standards...you fail. Do you see?

One time, I was playing poker, and I told a guy after he folded that I had flopped a straight. That was a lie...as I only had a straight draw. Guess I am going straight to hell and am a complete failure in life.

[Mattnxtc 0]

kowboy I made a new thread on the subject of infants. take a look at it for the biblical answers to that. As for the 2nd half. Sin is sin. I highly doubt thats ur only sin. So yes as a nonbeliever your fate is hell. The problem isnt that God wants you to be there but that you choose that. He has offered you the free gift of life. If you say no then it is you making that decision not Him

[KowboyKoop 0]

kowboy I made a new thread on the subject of infants. take a look at it for the biblical answers to that. As for the 2nd half. Sin is sin. I highly doubt thats ur only sin. So yes as a nonbeliever your fate is hell. The problem isnt that God wants you to be there but that you choose that. He has offered you the free gift of life. If you say no then it is you making that decision not Him

Lol. I'm going to "hell" because I lied while playing poker. Lol..okay. The only difference with me is that I don't mutter the phrase "Jesus, forgive me" after I sin and then just expect it to be all better. Lol at religion

[chrozzo 19]

Lol. I'm going to "hell" because I lied while playing poker. Lol..okay. The only difference with me is that I don't mutter the phrase "Jesus, forgive me" after I sin and then just expect it to be all better. Lol at religion

Just asking forgiveness in speech after knowingly sinning, that does nothing, you have to truly believe and truly know that God and that He will forgive you. Seriously, if you arent going to take these threads seriously and are here just to try and upset people im sure you can find better things to do, but I may be wrong.

[davezz5 0]

Im a good person, as good as any christian.Nevertheless i dont believe a god like character exists. Why is believing in christianity a pre-requisite to entering heaven? If god can forgive any sin surely he can forgive me my non- believing and let me in.p.s I wish he would look after the third world a little better as well. I mean, bob geldoff? Come on God, pull your socks up!

[keith crime 8]

But have you sinned at all? have you ever lusted after a woman/man have you ever cussed? have you ever lied? have you ever taken the Lords name in vain? If you can answer yes to even one of those then you have sinned and are no longer righteous. So When you face God and he judges you on His standards...you fail. Do you see?

yeah i see you are ****ing insanetex carved up sharon tate he goes to heaven I swore I go to hellnice value system you haveyou were born pure - there was no eve there was no apple

[Mattnxtc 0]

so tex watson who brutalized multiple people and has now accepted christ and is going to heaven has lived a perfect lifeand I who have never hurt a soul i'm gonna burnperfect

but are you perfect? have you ever committed a sin? If so in Gods eyes you are no longer perfect and have to be set aside..

yeah i see you are ****ing insanetex carved up sharon tate he goes to heaven I swore I go to hellnice value system you haveyou were born pure - there was no eve there was no apple

I am sorry its a difficult concept for you to grasp. Everybody has a chance to be forgiven. Those who crucified Jesus had thier chance to be forgiven and to accept Jesus as God and Savior. You have that chance to. When you face God you really wont have any excuse

[crowTrobot 2]

Man choose to disregard God long ago. Christianity isnt there not b/c of anything God has done but b/c of what man decided.

it's because of what god hasn't done. 99.9% of people who disregard the christian god do so because they've concluded they DON'T HAVE ANY REASON TO BELIEVE IN HIM *not* because they think they have reason to believe but "decided" to reject it. that is undeniable. you seem to think anyone presented with christianity should be compelled by it, but that is obviously not the case. it IS god's fault that we are in an environment where so many aren't believing in him (or it would be if he actually existed..)

Point 2 is also not so good. People liek to question why God didnt give them that item they really really prayed hard for. Cant understand why. Until about a year later when they end up in a better situation then they were in. Imagine that. We as humans are so unbelievably short sited that we cant

i have no idea what you're talking about. i said if god is not all-powerful it would explain why he's unable to place us in an environment where more would believe in him.

But when more evidence points to there being a God then not being a God...

speaking specifically about the christian god the majority of the world disagrees with you. but you are of course the smartest person in the world so that fact is irrelevant.

[ShakeZuma 586]

Ok.God gave us free will.God is all powerful.How are these both possible at the same time?If God were all powerful, shouldn't he be able to control human actions, therefore eliminating our free will?

[ajs510 122]

Ok.God gave us free will.God is all powerful.How are these both possible at the same time?If God were all powerful, shouldn't he be able to control human actions, therefore eliminating our free will?

That's only the tip of the Christian Contradiction iceberg...

[Canada 0]

So the fact that there is a God of great power and divine nature has been clearly seen, being understood by looking at the creation. A little reflection will show how this is truly the case based on observations in the real world which even the slowest of men can deduce. Design demands a designer. One cannot take the 26 letters of the alphabet, throw them into a box, and shuffle them into a perfect poem. Nor can monkeys in a print shop come up with the Gettysburg Address, no matter how long you leave them there. Design demands a designer. If you were walking on a trail in the forest with a friend, and you both find a watch on the ground, how would you think it came into existence? Suppose your friend told you that he really and truly believed, the pieces of that watch formed and organized themselves up into a working time piece? Who would not think that person would be insane to actually believe that? Can one imagine a tornado blowing through a junk yard and producing a Boeing 747 Jet?

I think there is nothing that turns more people away from Christianity than the moronic dribble of creationists."Nor can monkeys in a print shop come up with the Gettysburg Address, no matter how long you leave them there." Interesting analogy, but I see the point you are trying to make. Unfortunately its flawed.If you do leave a bunch of monkeys typing away for any length of time, eventually they will type out the Gettysburg Address, along with the complete works of Shakespeare and ironically every version of the bible ever created, along with a 'new' version that has Harry Potter nailed to the cross. Its a mathematical fact.To quote Homer "It was the best of times, it was the blurst of times"?! you stupid monkey!This is amusing as anybody with a basic understanding of mathematics and the principles of infinity along with a sense of humour can atest.How does it apply to "Design demands a designer"?Well to put it simply, given that the universe is infinite and time is endless, any series of random events under those conditions will eventually produce exactly what we are experiencing now.That's keeping it simple, but you usually need to do that with creationists...I also love the way people keep 'proving' God exists, when the underlying principle of religion is faith.To plagarise & interchange somewhat:`I refuse to prove that I exist,' says God, `for proof denies faith, and without faith I am nothing.'`But,' says Man, `The Universe is a dead giveaway, isn't it? It could not have evolved by chance. It proves you exist, and so therefore, by your own arguments, you don't. QED.'`Oh dear,' says God, `I hadn't thought of that,' and promptly disappears in a puff of logic.

[Entrepeneur 0]

That's only the tip of the Christian Contradiction iceberg...

Having the power/ability to do something and choosing to do it are 2 different things.I have the power/ability to stop my 3 year old from doing something that is wrong. I could physically make her not make a mistake.But...I choose to allow her to make her choices, make mistakes and learn from them. Yes...there are certain times when it is something that could really be damaging/hurtful to her, and I'll protect her from it.But...I do allow her to make small choices/mistakes and let her learn from those mistakes. It certainly does not mean I don't love her. Not at all. I do love her enough to allow her to make her own choices. At some point, I hope, she will begin to understand how much I love her. But...that's her choice.I have the ability to stop her, but at times I choose not to.I don't feel this all-powerful but free will thing is one of the "Many Christian contradictions."

[ShakeZuma 586]

Ok, so by that logic God could interfere in our lives, he just doesn't in order to protect our free will. So he refuses to help the homeless man who dies on the street while holding a Bible. He refuses to stop a priest from molesting an 8 year old boy in the confessional booth. He refuses to stop a man from raping and burying a young girl alive. To protect free will.If that is God, he's got a lot of explaining to do.

[Entrepeneur 0]

I also love the way people keep 'proving' God exists, when the underlying principle of religion is faith.To plagarise & interchange somewhat:`I refuse to prove that I exist,' says God, `for proof denies faith, and without faith I am nothing.'`But,' says Man, `The Universe is a dead giveaway, isn't it? It could not have evolved by chance. It proves you exist, and so therefore, by your own arguments, you don't. QED.'`Oh dear,' says God, `I hadn't thought of that,' and promptly disappears in a puff of logic.Hadn't heard that quote before. Kind of funny.I think you are right in regards to proving God exists. I know of a scientist who is a Christian that often debates Creationism verses Evolution.His response to many is, "I can not physically prove God exists any more than you can prove He does not exist."It is a matter of faith and believing.I will not try to 'convince/force' my beliefs on anyone.I can't convince anyone to believe in God, anymore than I can convince a low-limit poker player that calling a 3/1 odds flush draw for 1/1 money is a bad play.For the record...I hate typing on these posts...You try to respond to someone, but no matter what...something you say will be able to be argued against and then you end up trying to fight to defend something you said against someone who is arguing just for the sake of argument.I try to talk intelligently, but any illustration can fail at some point...and there are plenty of people looking for that point.Wow...ADD is apparently kicking in...sorry

[Entrepeneur 0]

Ok, so by that logic God could interfere in our lives, he just doesn't in order to protect our free will. So he refuses to help the homeless man who dies on the street while holding a Bible. He refuses to stop a priest from molesting an 8 year old boy in the confessional booth. He refuses to stop a man from raping and burying a young girl alive. To protect free will.If that is God, he's got a lot of explaining to do.

Nice point (not sw there)It's a standard argument/discussion point in regards to if God exists...And...I'm a horrible defender at times of what I believe.I believe...God is a just God. I believe that He allows all humans to make choices. I believe if He does allow us to make choices under the premise of free will, that He would not necessarily intervene and allow some people to make choices and some not. That does not seems to be a consistent belief in free will.So...yeah..God does allow those things to happen. I don't like how things happen in the world, but I know that we humans have the ability to make our own choices. So..when people have choices to make, sometimes they are not great choices (playing 2 accounts in a Party Poker tournament...etc.)I was about to say that I hope you don't take offense to what I said (I've tried to say that this is what I believe). I don't mean to tell you how to live in any way, shape or form.But...I know that to someone who doesn't believe in God, the idea of a God who allows bad things to happen is not a God they would want to believe in.I understand that. It just seems that if He is going to be consistent on allowing us to make choices, He has to allow everyone to make choices (even ones that are detrimental to society).Great..babbling even more...More of a can of worms open..So be it...

[ShakeZuma 586]

I believe...God is a just God. I believe that He allows all humans to make choices. I believe if He does allow us to make choices under the premise of free will, that He would not necessarily intervene and allow some people to make choices and some not. That does not seems to be a consistent belief in free will.So...yeah..God does allow those things to happen. I don't like how things happen in the world, but I know that we humans have the ability to make our own choices. So..when people have choices to make, sometimes they are not great choices (playing 2 accounts in a Party Poker tournament...etc.)

Thank you for a reasonable post. That playing 2 accounts thing made me laugh. I see what you mean kinda like "show one show all" or something, I don't know. I just think that if thats the way he runs things, he must not be that nice, or doesn't really care.

[Entrepeneur 0]

This post removed by original poster because of apparently stupid comments within it..Original poster out of school for 15 years, making comments out of his anal region from what he remembers from school.In listening to newer evidence and theories, removes post because it has the same weight value as "I think Moneymaker is the BEST poker player in the WORLD." Apologies from original poster...Original poster is now going back to read Sklansky to see if his pushing hard on the button with 2/7suited was really such a good +ev idea in the first place.No need to continue flaming the flood/carbon dating/dinosaur posts...flames are hot enough already...Thanks.Original Poster just wanted to type out Original Poster one more time.There..I feel better.ThanksOriginal Poster

[Canada 0]

I also love the way people keep 'proving' God exists, when the underlying principle of religion is faith.To plagarise & interchange somewhat:`I refuse to prove that I exist,' says God, `for proof denies faith, and without faith I am nothing.'`But,' says Man, `The Universe is a dead giveaway, isn't it? It could not have evolved by chance. It proves you exist, and so therefore, by your own arguments, you don't. QED.'`Oh dear,' says God, `I hadn't thought of that,' and promptly disappears in a puff of logic.Hadn't heard that quote before. Kind of funny.I think you are right in regards to proving God exists. I know of a scientist who is a Christian that often debates Creationism verses Evolution.His response to many is, "I can not physically prove God exists any more than you can prove He does not exist."It is a matter of faith and believing.I will not try to 'convince/force' my beliefs on anyone.I can't convince anyone to believe in God, anymore than I can convince a low-limit poker player that calling a 3/1 odds flush draw for 1/1 money is a bad play.For the record...I hate typing on these posts...You try to respond to someone, but no matter what...something you say will be able to be argued against and then you end up trying to fight to defend something you said against someone who is arguing just for the sake of argument.I try to talk intelligently, but any illustration can fail at some point...and there are plenty of people looking for that point.Wow...ADD is apparently kicking in...sorry

Very nice post.I do actually enjoy discussing religion with sane, open-minded people who are willing to admit they don't have all the answers (either scientific or religous)I've responded in a few threads here, but I've yet to find a poster who is a credit to the 'religous side'.Take Loismustdie for example. IQ lower than a dripping tap, believes everything he says has to be true (usually because he types it in CAPS making it Gospel ), refuses to back down when he makes glaringly stupid remarks and abuses posters left right and centreIf I was God I would tell him to piss-off and join the other teamThat said, the 'non-religous side' definately have it easier, they have logic on their side and are not hindered (sw) by the faith required on the other.When discussing sombodies religion and I hear them say (or type) that they don't have all the answers, but they take it on faith, they get my respect and I will listen/discussWhen I hear them say "I have proof" it gets my back up, because invariably they don't

[Mattnxtc 0]

Ive always thought about it this way...feel free to disagree if you likeIf God protected all christians then wouldnt you want to be a christian to? If you saw christians succeeding at everything they did and never getting sick or getting hurt wouldnt that make you want to be one too? I think everybody would agree that to have that kind of protection would make anybody want to be a part of that group. BUT What does that accomplish in the eyes of God. You came to believe in Him not out of love but b/c you wanted to be safe. That isnt what He is looking for. We are told to expect to suffer. The Disciples and the Apostle Paul all suffered brutal deaths for what they believed. But then you realize that this life is only temporary. Only a split second in the grand scheme of time. So while you may suffer for a short time on earth you spend an eternity in heaven. Now why does that mean that innocent peopel must suffer? Who knows. God has been in control for long enough that I trust He knows what He is doing. Do I agree with it all? No b/c obviously its horrible what happens to people. But does good come of these situations? Yes