taylor30

I am writing this because I cannot NICELY respond to many responses on here. I do not expect everyone to suddenly be my friend. In fact only 1 person has taken me up on my offer. I want to write a LONG explanation of what appears to me to be A LOT of reading between lines and accusing me of things I NEVER said. So I will only say I respect your opinions and out of that respect I will not answer posts as I do not wish to be GREATLY insulting or offensive ( as I surely feel like being ). I am very happy for everyone on this site that no one appears to go through the same problems I do. GOD BLESS.

I told you to send a PM which you haven't done. I NEVER asked anyone to post info publicly. Why are you asking me to.

Because I am hoping you might understand what your demands feel like to other people so that you won't judge us for not meeting them.

Is it fair for me to ask you to post your city and state? Well, several people have their location listed on their profile, and still others mention from time to time what state or country we live in. My state is public. So what do you have to hide?

But you want me to invite you to my home to prove I care. Are you going to ask me to pay for your travel expenses as well to get here? And what would you do should you come here? I don't even have a couch for a guest to sleep on. And besides, I would not let any man other than my Dad or my brother stay over. Yet you demand I invite you over to prove I care?

I can understand and appreciate your loneliness - I've suffered the same. But this isn't the way to form friendships, and this isn't the way to find a girlfriend. As I've been trying to tell you, the best way to find Ms. Right is to first be Mr. Right. Consider this, would you want to date a girl who is dishonest and is a nag? Think hard on this, and then look back through your posts here and ask yourself what image you are presenting to any female here, and then ask yourself if a female would be attracted to this image.

And I'm not asking you to walk a path I haven't walked myself.

WOW. You really read between some lines to give a response like that. As I stated before, I never asked anyone to post anything publicly. Yet you just criticized me for not doing it. I didn't say people HAD to invite me over. I was just curious who was willing to show the self sacrificing love that Jesus demonstrated and commanded. I don't condemn people for not doing EVERYTHING they are commanded by God to do, I just don't like it when people elevate themselves higher than they should. I see a lack of humility on here. NOT trying to be offensive.

Correct!

But when you legislate something, it is no longer a right but an obligation.

If you want to maintain the right to not help those in need, when it comes to blood, or to your time, or your companionship etc, then to be consistent you also need to maintain the right not to give organs.

Works both ways .

The biblical answer of course is to give from the heart, willingly, and not under compulsion. We don't compel anyone to spend time with the lonely, we don't compel anyone to give blood, we don't (well ) compel anyone to give money to the poor, and we don't compel anyone to give their organs.

Our motivation to give comes not from compulsion or legislation but because the Lord has blessed us, and because one day we will give an account.

I agree with you but that doesn't solve the problem. We must have forgotten that GOD did legislate morality. Anything that wasn't right was sin I am 100% certain that if the Israelites had the technology back then to do it, God certainly would have had something to say on this issue. Murder is a serious sin that deprives someone of life. Organ donation also CAN be a type of murder ( if someone could have used your heart and you refused to give it ). Allow me to use another illustration to get my point across.

If I see a child drowning in a pool, I have a RIGHT to simply walk away. There is no law that requires me to help and I would have the RIGHT to do it. I view organ donation as the same thing. To refuse to save a life ( if someone is waiting for a heart or lung) is morally WRONG and I must admit my surprise st hearing Christians defend the RIGHT to do something morally WRONG and sin. I DON'T think God would defend this "supposed" right. DO YOU? If God wouldn't, why are we, AND how does it make God feel that we would defend something he wouldn't.

Taylor do you routinely donate blood? If not, why not?

Not blood, but I do donate plasma. And I do that because it pays $25 each time I do it. As so many on this thread have stated, it is our RIGHT to refuse to do good, even though God says to refuse to do good or exercise that "right" is a sin. People on this thread may not judge those who refuse to do right, but God WILL.

Mandatory? No it shouldn't be. That is the ultimate invasion of personal liberty. Is it selfish? Not so sure about that either. People have some valid beliefs that cause them to want their body intact after death.

Personally I will donate anything I can, but I'm not about to condemn others for selfishness because they believe differently about organ donation.

I'm not talking about condemning anyone. I am only saying is it right to allow someone the supposed "right" to refuse someone something that can help someone after thay no longer have need of it. Sort of like a millioniare putting in his will that his cash should be burned though he lives in a small poor town ( as an illustration ).

Yes, we have the right to refuse someone something even if it can help them.

We have the right to have money and not give it to people in need.

Biblically, giving is to be free will, not coerced, not forced, done in secret, where it will be rewarded by the Father.

Yes technically we have the "right" to do it. But having the right does not necessarily "make it right" if you see what I mean. I guess I am on my own on this one. I just believe a Moral Obligation to help someone should not be a choice. IMO

I have a question that got me thinking based on a radio commercial that plays about 100 times a day for some odd reason.

Should organ donation be mandatory for the good of others?

What is mandatory is righteousness before God which is Loving God with all your heart, mind, soul and body and your neighbor as yourself. The question would be, How does organ donation fit into that?

Is it selfish to deny others what you can't keep and they need?

Good question. Once again you bring up selfishness as a possible root cause for someone deciding against donating organs. My question above asks the question, Is what we are deciding to do, with anything, centered around our love for God and others or a self-centered human desire?

My personal opinion of both questions is YES. What do you think?

I am an organ donor. I leave forcing people to do things up to God as that is his department. When man gets involved in forcing people to do things, he is rarely ever just in his efforts.

Gary

Allow me to answer that with another question.

How can refusing to help someone when you have the ability be anything but selfish?

OK, I am going to approach this gently, because I know you are hurting right now.

You cite selfishness as a reason to not give when we could have.

But in your own life right now, you are choosing to stay at home rather than venture out and help others. You could go to church merely for the benefit you could provide to others. You could volunteer your time to people who are also lonely. But you don't, for a variety of reasons. Now... do you think it would be right to FORCE you to give that which you have (time) which could help others? No, it isn't right to force it. God requires free will giving, from the heart, voluntarily.

I agree with the point you make. Of course if people have the RIGHT to deny helping someone, then I certainly have the RIGHT to stand by and withhold help front others too right? I can't be judged for exercising my RIGHT any more than those who refuse organ donation. Correct?

I saw it somewhere, kids were asked what they thought what marriage was, and this was the reply from a 10 yr old.

If the post is not appropriate, then I ask that the mods remove it. Sorry, I didn't mean to upset anyone.

No worries. Its not inappropriate. I didn't get the joke. My skull is pretty thick. Your fine.

No person really decides before they grow up who they’re going to marry. God decides it all the way before, and you get to find out later who your stuck with.

May I ask where you get that opinion? There is nothing in scripture that says that.

Lighten up taylor, it is a 10 year olds perspective of marriage in the humor section for goodness sake! (as the post title says!)

Why all the defensiveness?

I don't know how you saw defenseless in a 1 line response asking a question. But if you did, feel free not to reply to my posts. Just because I may be defensive in some posts does not mean I am in ALL posts. It seems to me you are LOOKING for something to complain about. Mine was an honest question with nothing negative attached. Please DON'T respond. I don't feel like arguing today.

This may appear a stupid question, but does anyone else think it odd that BOTH Jesus and Satan are described as Lions?

I have thought about it often. Satan as a lion is a menace, a marauding, ferocious killing beast, but Jesus as a lion is the king, the top of the food chain. He reigns and protects the pride by His majesty.

Any thoughts yourself, taylor?

Not really. i just always thought it strange. The Lion is certainly an interesting and important animal to get so much notice.

I proudly support those who have fought, bled, and died just so that I could live in a country with liberty and justice for all. Ecclesiastes chapter 3 does say that there is a time for everything; including a time to kill. I do not support murder. But should a time ever come when this great nation comes under attack and my liberties and freedoms already fought and died for are threatend, I will not hesitate to give my 100% support in defending it. To NOT defend this great nation and all it stands for, would be to allow everyone who has died defending this country to date, to die in vaine. And that, in my own personal opinion would be an even greater sin.

I have a question. What defines defending a country? because I only see America going into other countries and occupying them in the name of OUR freedom and defense. I don't see any other countries trying to invade us like we have so many others.

This may appear a stupid question, but does anyone else think it odd that BOTH Jesus and Satan are described as Lions?

People throughout the world seem to regularly engage in worship. While worship is most commonly associated with various deities, some people worship other things: money, material possessions, their favorite athletes or celebrities, other people, etc.

But what really constitutes worship? Is it an attitude, an action, a song or something else?

What do you worship? Why do you worship? How do you worship?

IMO woship is automatic for whatever holds first place in your life, be it God, family, money, etc. Then whatever time you devote to that is worship. IMO

I have a question that got me thinking based on a radio commercial that plays about 100 times a day for some odd reason.

Should organ donation be mandatory for the good of others?

What is mandatory is righteousness before God which is Loving God with all your heart, mind, soul and body and your neighbor as yourself. The question would be, How does organ donation fit into that?

Is it selfish to deny others what you can't keep and they need?

Good question. Once again you bring up selfishness as a possible root cause for someone deciding against donating organs. My question above asks the question, Is what we are deciding to do, with anything, centered around our love for God and others or a self-centered human desire?

My personal opinion of both questions is YES. What do you think?

I am an organ donor. I leave forcing people to do things up to God as that is his department. When man gets involved in forcing people to do things, he is rarely ever just in his efforts.

Gary

Allow me to answer that with another question.

How can refusing to help someone when you have the ability be anything but selfish?

Mandatory? No it shouldn't be. That is the ultimate invasion of personal liberty. Is it selfish? Not so sure about that either. People have some valid beliefs that cause them to want their body intact after death.

Personally I will donate anything I can, but I'm not about to condemn others for selfishness because they believe differently about organ donation.

I'm not talking about condemning anyone. I am only saying is it right to allow someone the supposed "right" to refuse someone something that can help someone after thay no longer have need of it. Sort of like a millioniare putting in his will that his cash should be burned though he lives in a small poor town ( as an illustration ).

Yes, we have the right to refuse someone something even if it can help them.

We have the right to have money and not give it to people in need.

Biblically, giving is to be free will, not coerced, not forced, done in secret, where it will be rewarded by the Father.

Yes technically we have the "right" to do it. But having the right does not necessarily "make it right" if you see what I mean. I guess I am on my own on this one. I just believe a Moral Obligation to help someone should not be a choice. IMO

Mandatory? No it shouldn't be. That is the ultimate invasion of personal liberty. Is it selfish? Not so sure about that either. People have some valid beliefs that cause them to want their body intact after death.

Personally I will donate anything I can, but I'm not about to condemn others for selfishness because they believe differently about organ donation.

I'm not talking about condemning anyone. I am only saying is it right to allow someone the supposed "right" to refuse someone something that can help someone after thay no longer have need of it. Sort of like a millioniare putting in his will that his cash should be burned though he lives in a small poor town ( as an illustration ).

I have a question that got me thinking based on a radio commercial that plays about 100 times a day for some odd reason.

Should organ donation be mandatory for the good of others?

Is it selfish to deny others what you can't keep and they need?

My personal opinion of both questions is YES. What do you think?

No person really decides before they grow up who they’re going to marry. God decides it all the way before, and you get to find out later who your stuck with.

May I ask where you get that opinion? There is nothing in scripture that says that.

Does anyone here know why God decided to create human beings? And why did He place Adam and Eve in a garden where Evil was already present? Was it because the future of mankind was already pre-destined and they needed to learn right from wrong?

Why did God create human beings?

For his pleasure. Col 1:16 For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether [they be] thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him:

What makes you think evil was already present when they were created?

Genesis chapter 1 says that God created man on day six both male and female and that he gave them the fruit of the trees and the herb of the field to eat. Genesis chapter 2 & 3 speak of the creation of Adam and Eve plus their fall. He gives them the fruit of the trees to eat except one in the morning then upon their fall he gives them the herb of the field to eat. In the end it must be understood that their fall was planned and executed on day 6 of creation. At the close of the day God looked at fallen man and said that everything was 'very good'. All going according to plan. He did not say it was 'perfect'. No. He had a plan to make it perfect and we are about 6000 years into the plan and about to close the age of the gentile church. God has always been in full control.

Gary

Was the serpent (Satan) evil. Did he exist before Adam and Eve?

Satan existed as the Angel Lucifer when Adam and Eve were created. However since Giddy called his creation VERY GOOD evil could nite yet have existed. Therefore Satan sinned and fell sometime AFTER Adam and Eve were created.

I understand your logic as to thinking that God would not have declared everything to be 'very good' if evil were present but what then do you do with the information I provided above? I believe evil was present when God made that statement and I have provided scriptural evidence to support that claim.

Gary

You didn't really mention specific scripture. You only said Genesis 1-3. I think the answer is pretty clear. There is NO sin or fall mentioned until chapter 3. Since Adam and Eve were created in chapter 1, I don't understand your logic. There is NO indication any type of evil or sin existed before chapter 3. Chapter 2 is an expansion of chapter 2, specifically the 6th day of creation.

Can you show specific scripture that shows evil already present when Adam and Eve were created? Keep in mind that it is likely Adam and Eve were in the garden for as long as 100 years before Satan tempted Eve and got them kicked out if the garden.

How could one acquire the knowledge of good and evil if evil did not exist? God created this tree, and after the fall, said "man has become like us, knowing good AND evil. I'm almost 100% certain that evil existed long before the creation of man. satan is the author of lies, and all disobedience. He pre-dates mankind.

Gen 2:9 Out of the ground the LORD God caused to grow every tree that is pleasing to the sight and good for food; the tree of life also in the midst of the garden, and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.

If Adam and Eve had already knew of good and Evil, there would be no reason to create a tree of knowledge. If eveil predated man, then you are disagreeing with dozens of scriptures that clearly places the fall with Adam. Satan DID fall before Adam, but THE FALL was with Adam.

Thanks for derailing my thread people.

Taylor, how about you give out your address?

I am not a hypocrite. I NEVER ask something from someone else I am not willing to give myself.

Send me a PM and I will give it to you. I might be considered stupid. I call it trusting God.

Just posting your city and state would suffice for now, actually.

I told you to send a PM which you haven't done. I NEVER asked anyone to post info publicly. Why are you asking me to.

Taylor,

I understand your pain. I've lived it, too, mate. But projecting like this onto everyone here is not gaining anything. Yes, some Christians are mean-spirited and yes, some churches fall far short of what they should be.

However, I would venture a guess that no one on these boards has rejected you. I know several people who have posted on this thread and I can assure you they have good intentions. Don't blame THEM for the shortcomings of others. All it does is make more enemies.

As for me, I am NOT saying I won't attend church. In fact, just the opposite. I will visit ANY church within a 30-minute drive of where I live if someone invites and agrees to accompany me. I don't even care what kind of church it is: catholic, contemporary, mainline, evangelical, LDS, JWs, whatever. I just don't enjoy going alone anymore.

I understand where you are coming from. When I was your age, I had this fantasy that I would go to church, find a beautiful, spirit-filled Christian gal, fall in love, marry and live happily ever after. Even now, I'll admit when I see a young Christian couple with small kids happy in their life and faith, part of me vents inside and says "God, see, look at them. You provided for them Why not me?" I get all that. I wish we all could have the desires of our heart, but sometimes it doesn't work out that way.

So, if church isn't offering you anything, go another direction. Go to the football/hockey/baseball game. Sleep in. Mow the lawn or go to the beach, go hiking, whatever floats your boat. No need to feel obligated to do something that isn't yielded the desired result. If you decide at some later point in life you want to be part of a church, there will be churches there waiting for you.

In the meantime, try to enjoy life.

Thank you. I appreciate your understanding. As far as no one rejecting me, I guess that is a matter of perspective. I had had some MEAN things said to me in some of these posts, but I seem tonne the only one who gets confronted about it. Case in point, earlier today I was accused of not even having any kind of relationship with God.

It may be my latest rants that have gotten people's attention, but before that IT WAS my not going to church that people were criticising me about. Its nice to see someone else on here admit they are not pressured or tilted into attending church because others think they should.

Thanks for the encouragement.

Taylor, how about you give out your address?

Neb! Sis! You hang out with a dead guy!

Would you mind clarifying what you mean by dead guy? Since you quoted ME, I assume you are referring to me. I would like to know How I am the butt of a joke.

Um, enoob quoted Nebula, and if you checked her profile, you would see what he is saying. Actually, it's rather funny and true at the same time!

Your right. I saw my name and just didn't realize that. My mistake. Apologies.

Taylor, how about you give out your address?

Neb! Sis! You hang out with a dead guy!

Would you mind clarifying what you mean by dead guy? Since you quoted ME, I assume you are referring to me. I would like to know How I am the butt of a joke.

Taylor, how about you give out your address?

I am not a hypocrite. I NEVER ask something from someone else I am not willing to give myself.

Send me a PM and I will give it to you. I might be considered stupid. I call it trusting God.

It isn't up to us to find a food church. It is God's hob to lead you to one. Ask Him to lead you to where He wants to plant you, and where you will bloom and He will lead you there.

Please do not resign yourself to being selfish--that is not something to be proud of. that is something we need to shed when we determine to follow after Jesus Christ. god has instilled in us the desire for marriage and family--that is the norm. It isn't selfish to want these things. However, what we must do is make sure that we are disciples of Jesus Christ and are allowing Him to make us become whole people. When we lay down our desires before God, and seek to follow after Jesus with all our hearts, then God will bring that special someone He has in mind for us. He did that for me.

Matthew 6:33

Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need.

Psalm 37:4

Take delight in the LORD, and he will give you your heart’s desires.

I will be proud of MY selfishness as long as its not a sin to want it. I am REALLY tired of repeating myself but I will do it one more time. I want a wife and a few friends. Several people have told me how selfish that is. Well I assume there are many selfish people on this item then, because I'm betting few people have no one.

In the book of James it tells us NOT to give advice without actions. It gives the example of telling a starving man to "be full" but doing NOTHING to help him do that. That is what the majority of people here have done. They give advice and don't reach out physically. I gave a challenge to the "Christians" on this site to give me certain personal information. Only 1 person has done so. So talk is cheap as I have finally proven. When put to the test, people will NOT back up their words and beliefs with actions. James also said faith WITHOUT works is dead, and when I look around I see LOTS of professed faith and NO works.

You can claim safety is the reason. But what would Jesus do? Jesus would invite me in. He would expect his followers to follow husband example. People love to justify themselves, and I have NO doubt they will continue to do so.

Yes I am proud, but the sins of others in their judgement and advice without love and professions without actions is cheap and those sins right now are far outweigh mine.

This part is for everyone reading this.

It is not my intention to simply keep arguing with all of you. I don't want any if you to feel you need to respond. Don't do it out of obligation. Only respond if you want to, no other reason. I'm sorry this thread is not going the way I had hoped, but I honestly don't think any of you are trying to understand. Many of you HAVE spouses and children and CANNOT understand what insane pain this sort of loneliness can cause. Its like a millionaire trying to comfort a homeless person. MANY of you CANNOT relate to me and that may be why your advice is not well taken. You must walk in my shoes to relate to me.

When I said churches are mostly social gatherings, I did not mean that as a negative. Our social needs are very legitimate and there's nothing wrong with a smile, handshake, hug or laugh shared with another human being. I believe those things to be therapeutic.

Look, I wish with all my heart that I could walk into a church and be embraced by the ones there --- pastors as well as lay people. But experience has shown me such is not the case.

For what it's worth, it's not easy to be in Taylor or my shoes. Churches today --- especially Protestant churches --- are all about families. Most churches want nothing to do with single guys over the age of, say, 25. We're regarded as stalkers, creeps, pedophiles or worse, even by people who haven't taken 30 seconds to get to know us. It's inaccurate, mean-spirited and it hurts!!!! You can't accurately paint a picture of an entire demographic like that. I've even been told it was wrong for me to visit said church (never understood that one) because I didn't have a personal invitation from someone there.

I'm new in a strange town. What am I supposed to do? Wait for you to get around to calling or show up on my door? I was trying to reach out to strangers, to be part of your fellowship, and yet wasn't welcome in the "club". And pastors wonder why attendance is decling?!?!?! So, for now, I figure the best thing for me is to perhaps do an online church where I can remain anonymous and not offend anyone by my presence in their midst.

OK, rant over!!!

I'm sorry you Have experienced the same as me. You put it into words far better than I can. I'm glad to meet you and I hope things get better for you. God Bless.