Jorge S

You'll be surprised to know that Galileo was betrayed by a colleague professor who disliked his heliocentric views. You must understand that the prevailing view within the scientific circles of that time on the arrangement of the universe was Aristotelian. The matter was not a Church priority and was never a point of debate before. The influence of Greek Philosophy within the early Church led to a disregard for the natural world, which was viewed as an imperfect and base reflection of spiritual things. That is why certain positions and paradigms in our understanding of nature, regardless of how awckward we may see them today, went critically unchallenged for a very long time. Galileo was not the rebellious atheist you want him to be. He defended freedom of inquiry as much as he also advocated that the results of scientific inquiry were not to be taken as articles of faith. By the way, the Catholic Church apologized under John Paul II for the Galileo Trial. It is more obvious to me that denying God's Existence takes quite a lot more of 'blind faith' than the one you think you're fighting. God is available to anyone who cares to seek Him. You can try and experience for yourself rather than relying on someone else's testimony. Religion does not claim anything. God declared He made 'the heavens and the earth, and all of the hosts of them.' He didn't explain the process in terms of Quantum Physics. He said He did it by an orderly set of fiats in the span of 6 days. In principle, there should not be contradictions between Science (the student of Creation) and the Bible (the testimony of the Creator.) Whatever position Science may hold contrary to the Bible is temporary and bound to change as more evidence is accumulated and properly interpreted, as good Science always does. Evolution as a whole is a theory, and not a uniform one. Christians live in this world, go to school and learn like anybody else. I was raised as an atheist, studied evolution at school and believed in it. I later became a Christian and changed my understanding. I now trust the Bible and there's nothing in the Bible confirming that God used evolution to create the world and its inhabitants. You may wish to update your medieval mindset. Evolution, not Creation, has officially been taught for decades at schools. And Science, as well as the Arts, Sports, Entertainment, Philosophy, etc, have had no limitation from the Church, much less in America.

Hi, Soul-Searcher50. I agree totally with you in that sometimes we see and believe what we want and not what is objective. Everyone could be right about everything everytime unless there was a standard applicable to everyone on everything all the time. That is what The Bible is to me. God inspired the Bible, amognst other things, to give us an objective way of knowing Him the way He Is and not as we want Him to be. You depict a God that is impersonal, neutral, powerless, lethargically detached from the world and lovingly unidimensional. We are partakers of his very essence; he is in us, we are in him: we are divine. We don't need moral standards, authority, justice, grace, salvation. Sin is an illusion. It is all about our level of spiritual enlightenment, which can be achieved by self-awareness. We are divine sparks that fell on earth for no apparent reason and must make our way back up to rejoin the Supreme Being. In Scriptures God reveals Himself as a distinct Person (triune, for that matter) Who created the universe out of nothing (not of His Own Nature) and actively sustains it. He commands history, has standards, teaches what is right and what is wrong, judges our actions, and declares in advance what He is going to do. He created us in His image and allows us to exercise choice. He knows we are fallible and dependant on Him for grace, forgiveness and remission of sins. That is why He offered Jesus as the perfect atonement for our trespasses. We just need to acknowledge Him and abide in Him to avoid the condemnation that sin and lawlessness deserve. He is not only perfect Love, but also perfect Justice, Righteousness, Peace, Knowledge, Power, Sovereignty, etc. Love that does not teach, correct, inspire, transform, elevate and liberate is not Love but darkening and vicious permissiveness not in line with God's Nature. He perfectly exercises all His Attributes harmoniously and eternally. We cannot be like Him, for we are His 'Handiwork'. Be Abundantly Blessed In Jesus' Name.

Prove to me that the Bible in general and specifically Jesus are historically incorrect. And give your references in support of what is not new about the Bible. Cheers.

Hi, getdunn, You have received a host of excellent replies. I just wanted to add that it is not religion what you should be concerned with but God Himself. He is knowable to you if you let Him. Religion is man's way to search for and worship the divine but The Bible, instead, is the Word of The Real and Only God. I tend to define Christianity not by its different and numerous denominations but by the brotherhood of people who see Jesus as Saviour and have a live relationship with Him that permeates every aspect of their lives. A particular Christian denomination can be at times confusing in terms of Bible interpretation, doctrinal position and practices, but we are accountable to God on our own and He has given His Word as a guide and a tool to discern, learn and grow. May Our Lord Jesus Touch your heart and Set you free from doubt.

Hi Daniel, What does the Bible mean to you?

Hi, Scylth The reaction of your brother in Christ is the perfect example of what is being discussed. He is angry, refusing to fellowship again with you all, and holding himself in pride. As a supporter of the idea of a 'magic' and irreversible sinless regeneration he was expected to exhibit a different attitude. Becoming a Christian does not automatically renders us equal to God, Who is the only One incapable of committing sin. We just come back into reconciliation with Him, are adopted into His Kingdom and start to be moulded in Christ's Image. It is a lifelong process to learn how to live in holiness. It is not that we sin what counts but how do we revert from sin through true repentance and learn how not to do it again with progressive spiritual growth. The teachings of the New Testament writers are no addressed to unbelievers but to believing, church-going Christians. And they speak about sins we can commit due to ignorance, temptations or false teachings. My own experience as a Christian is an example that we do sin after baptism. The differences I have noted as compared to when I was unsaved are: - The Bible has given me a set of values and principles to live by. I feel freer because I have a better sense of my own boundaries. - I have naturally and painlessly rejected things I loved before because now I know they are sinful. - The Spirit of the Lord convicts me of what I have done wrong and leads me to repentance, which I accept and practice more easily than ever before. - I have learned the value of forgiveness. Hope this helps. Blessings.

What an undermining statement with regards to one of the greatest scientific minds of the modern era! Quite strange coming from a person who bases his worldview in Science. Who, according to you, is the greatest person on earth? We Christians have Jesus and we are doing great without those philosophers. In the end, we are interested in having our sins forgiven and enjoy the eternal life we obtain in, with and through Him. By the way, what have you learned from Nietzsche's works? I'm glad you brought that up, Mark. Some non-believers are so blinded by their secular arrogance that they think Christians have committed intellectual suicide. LOL! Wonderful and powerful testimony, Lisa. May Our Gracious Lord Bless You Abundantly! Blessings to all

Well, Micen2 We are more in agreement than your first post led me to believe. My point against Tabby is that you cannot blindly trust any evidence in the physical or spiritual realms of existence for the sake of the evidence itself if the Bible tells otherwise. For a Christian it is critical to weigh things according to the Bible because an evidence or an interpretation which contradicts the Bible is not divine revelation. Blessings.

You sound a lot like the apocryphal Gospel of Thomas, which is a spurious Gnostic work. The Word of God is eternal and Jesus came by the Word to fulfil the Word. Jesus could have been anyone else if His coming was not announced, prophecized and revealed according to the Word. The dissemination of the Bible was the singlemost important factor for the development of printing. Prior to that, the recipients of the Word of God painstakingly copied it by hand for centuries. Many prophets, starting with Moses, received the divine command to write down His Words, teach it to the children, attach it to the signposts, meditate upon it, presserve it and live by it. A significant part of Jesus' terrestrial ministry was to teach the 'Law and the Prophets' and reveal its deeper meaning so people could have a real loving relationship with God rather than a mechanical liturgic exercise. Jesus Himself was tempted by Satan with Biblical excerpts to lure Him into acting inapropriately but our Lord replied with Scripture upon which He added even more righteousness and obedience for His choice of conduct. All of this tells you that the Bible is not just another book. It is God's expressed revelation to Mankind to serve as a reference in real life. Trusting an evidence, a teaching or an attitude which cannot be confirmed by His Word becomes a dangerous exercise. Satan is also a spiritual being capable of performing wondrous acts and he has been given rulership over this world for a time. We know about God in His Word. We learn discernment in His Word. We acknowledge truth by His Word. We mature spiritually by studying His Word. We keep our blessings by acting according to His Word. Cheers.

Very humanistic, very self-righteous and ... very wrong! Your philosophical position is not new, though. It was attempted since the beginning of the Christian era and was called Gnosticism. It degenerated into something worst than the obcurantism its adepts thought they were fighting. The thing is: 1- God Exists and created the Universe. 2- He has Spoken. 3- His Word is recorded in the Bible. 4- He has given every person who has ever existed the possibility to know Him. 5- His decrees are universal and affect everybody, whether believer or unbeliever. A Christian has in the Word of God a surer ground to step on than what your eyes can see or your mind comprehend. By the way, the Bible is there for all to seek and learn. Why don't you try and apply to it the same inquisitive rigour you say you apply to everything else. Then tell us where is the Bible wrong as compared to what you think is right.

Hi Troyboy, We all have gone through difficult times in our lives and you're going through one regarding your faith. Don't be afraid to examine, seek and inquire as much as you like. God loves faithful children and you cannot be one whilst doubt gets the best of you. There's every conceivable temptation to separate ourselves from our Creator. God does not impose but offers Himself as a choice to each one of us and we are enjoying an extended period of Grace negotiated by Jesus on the cross for our salvation. It is between you and God; we can only assist with our prayers and hope that you'll enter a more formidable level of relationship with our Heavenly Father after this crisis. Science has become a new front in the spiritual batleground of our times in the last 3 or 4 centuries. Science is just another tool at man's disposal to understand Nature and cannot be a replacement for God. You can use it to glorify God or to fall in Satan's trap. Remember that Science is the result of human intellect and effort; it constantly evolves and redefines depending on the status of technology and accumulated information over time; it does not offer any final answers and it deals with limited aspects of the visible, measurable dimension of the Universe God created. Scientific speculation and transient paradigms are no match for God's Word and the witness of His Creation. You are not to worship Creation over the Creator Himself. Our prayers are with you.

Hi brethren, The doctrine of Reincarnation is NOT Biblical at all. It actually stems from Hinduism and constitutes the operational mechanism of the Law of Karma. It has been revived in the West through Kardec's Spiritism, Blavatsky's Theosophy and other variations of Occultism. Reincarnation is in sharp contrast with the teachings of the Bible and it has never been there for anyone to remove it.

Hi Brethren, I agree with Dad Ernie. Besides, when you look at chapter 12 you see that Satan and his demons were cast out from Heaven and directed their wrath against the 'remnant of the seed', those who 'keep the commandments of God and have the testimony of Jesus Christ.'

Hi Brother, As Old Timer has pointed out, the time of fulfilment of the Rapture has been a major issue of debate within Christianity and there are a number of positions in this regard. The doctrine arises from Paul (1 Th 4:17) in what appears to be a special revelation given to him, although it is implied in Jesus' Parable of the Reapers (Mt 13:30) and the Olivet Sermon (Mt 24:31), but it is not clearly stated in John's Apocalypse. That is why the first problem with the Rapture is that, whether pre-, mid- or post-tribulational, it has been seen in many places within the Book of Revelation: (1) 3:10: The promise given to the Church of Philadelphia (hence, to all believers) of being kept from the hour of trial, which implies being removed from the tribulation. (2) 4:1-2: John is invited to come up and enter the Throne Room through an open door in Heaven. In this case John symbolises all believers. The voice

Hi, I'm also bilingual and willing to assist you. For Bible references is better to use a Spanish Bible. E-Sword has the Reina-Valera and La Biblia de Las Am

Hi, Brother Loclann I appreciate your honesty and thirst for knowledge. As you continue studying the Bible you will surely grow in faith and understanding. Remember that prayer is very important, therefore, practise it before reading the Bible because God is our guide into His Word. I have found that reading the Bible entirely from Genesis to Revelation every now and then provides an overview that helps understand certain books, doctrines and themes. Our faith is historic, e.g. is based on what God has done and revealed in His exchanges with Mankind since the time of Creation. You need to take into consideration issues like historic, cultural and linguistic background, writting styles, as well as the foremost principle that 'Scripture interprets Scripture' in order to have a better grasp on what you're reading. I have also found in my own experience that the Christian Faith appeals to every sphere of the human soul: emotions, will and reason. Trying to emphasize one area over another can bring error in interpretation. God provided His Word to be understood, practised, meditated upon, trusted and fulfilled. The Bible is our reference book in every area of our lives. You can find a personal message in the Book of Revelation as you would in every book of the Bible, but that is only one aspect of God's purpose when He inspired it. You are not alone in being perplexed by Revelation. It is a Book that has bewildered many, continues to do so, and has even divided the Church in major factions based on different interpretations regarding its historic fulfillment. Without entering the controversies generated by diverse interpretations of Revelation, I would like to attempt a summary that you may find helpful: 1- It is a prophetic book - that is, it reveals what will happen after it was written. 2- It represents the fulfillment of God's redemptive plan first announced in Gen 3:15 and implemented throughout history, of which the remaining Books of the Bible bear witness. 3- It encompasses the span of history from the ascension of Our Lord to the future time of God's Judgement and re-Creation of the 'new heavens and the new earth.' 4- It is the expanded prophecy of Jesus about the End Times (See Matthew 24 and parallels in Mark and Luke) 5- It constitutes His historic update of previous prophecies given mainly through Isaiah, Daniel, Jeremiah and Ezekiel; that is why the imagery of Revelation refers to those books. 6- Its message therefore has both personal and universal connotations. Hope this helps. Have a blessed day.

I agree with you, brother, and I replied to a similar question in another board with your same arguments. Christ used this same verse to neutralize Satan's temptation in the wilderness. Those studies purport to contain, classify and predict God's Will within a statistical model that fits human comprehension. It is so ridiculous and disrespectful that I wonder why a person who calls him/herself a Christian agrees to participate in something like that. One of the first things a Christian learns in walking with God is to accept God's Will in everything, including issues concerning sickness and death. We know that our Heavenly Father is more concerned about our spiritual health because the faithful does not taste the second -and definitive- death. So, let us remind our tireless seekers of worldly things about the Sign of Jonas that Jesus left for the unfaithful who expected a 'miracle on demand': His own atoning death and resurrection by means of which saving Grace was given to mankind.

Sue and EricH, I must apologize for not responding to your questions posted 3 weeks ago. I hadn't come back to this thread until now. Meanwhile, Sue's initial post has generated quite a number of excellent posts and I agree with most. You were asking why did I consider the dream 'revelatory.' I gave some hints in my first reply. The theme is in line with prophetic revelation and Sue explained that one of her dreams seemed to have forecast the tsunami devastation. The context of her dream indicates an event that cannot be understood as an individual situation but one involving groups of people in an apocalyptic setup. I have had experiences with prophetic dreams where God reveals to me the outcome of a particular situation I'm going through or events that will happen to me in future. When they occur I have a sense of deja-vu and I can shape my attitude or actions according to what the dream revealed. I also agree that the gift of prophesy is current and active within Christianity and that the Bible is the blueprint for further revelation. Blessings to all.

Hi Ezekiel's dreams: This is my interpretation of your dream. - It's either a revelation of your current situation or a forewarning of something that will happen in near future. You'll need to examine everything going on in your life to place the dream in context. Things worrying or frustrating you at the moment or something you had in your mind at the time of going to bed may give you clues. - The outline is: you are playing a fantasy game whose characters suddenly spring to life in the real world and pose no identifiable threat but make you feel afraid. - Note that your role is passive all throughout. You hide away, attempt to solve the situation by magic means and not by direct action, an explanation is given to you with a reference to the Bible but you forget the message, later on another person does what you were expected to do because you became speechless. At the end, you realized that the menacing dragon was friendly because it came to you instead of you finding out actively. It looks like this is your call for self-assertion. You need to take things for what they really are rather than by what they seem to be. An effort needs to be put on your part to examine things rationally, act positively, avoid being led by fear, insecurity and misconception, get out of any comfort zone you have currently placed yourself at, and pay attention to what really needs your attention. Hope this helps. In Jesus

Hi Sue, I'm really amazed. Your dream has very clear revelatory clues and if you had confirmation on your previous one about the Tsunami, then, that's it, we should watch out. The theme and the conclusions it leads to are Biblically based. The Lord said that in the End Times he would pour His Spirit very powerfully over His people so we would prophecize, have visions and dreams. It also confirms issues of judgement to the wicked and protection for the faithful as recurrently shown in prophetic revelation throughout the Bible. Thanks for keeping us posted. Psa. 3:8 "Salvation belongs to Jehovah. Your Blessing is on Your people"

May the Name of the Lord be blessed for ever and ever! You're the first person I have replied to since my inception in this board and we happen to share a few things in common. I laughed reading your reply because... guess what... I also contemplated taking vows of celibacy about the time I met my wife! I'm not Catholic and by then I was in the process of conversion. I was longing for a family and frustrated by failed relationships in the past. It looked like there was no hope. I knelt down on my Dec. 2001 birthday and asked God to give me deliverance from my spiritual confusion (I was first an atheist then a 'truth seeker' in paths other than the Christian faith) and bless me with a family and a certain possession I was in need of. I had three specific requests in this order: faith, family and that item. His answers were unbelievable: faith by 25 December, material gift by 24 February 2002, and I met my future wife 9 April 2002. We married 29 October 2002 and our lovely son was born the following year. I want to emphasize the last two paragraphs of my previous post. Pray! Pray! Pray! And wait on the Lord! Blessings.

Hi Chang, I also share your conviction that marriages are made in Heaven. When God first established marriage He caused Adam to fall into a deep sleep to find Eve upon waking up. (Gen. 2:21-25) We are not told whether Adam was handsome enough for Eve or whether Eve was beautiful enough in the eyes of Adam. We know that they only had God and each other in shameless nakedness, no credit card, luxury car, big house, dream jobs, career expectations, high social status or anything else material. They did have, though, what God provided for them in the Garden, His Blessing, plus the divine decrees to cleave unto each other, be fruitful and take dominion over the Earth under His Rulership. None of them chose, God did. Adam acquiesced without hesitation and named his wife in full exercise of his authority and acceptance. The title question of your post tells me that you are still undecided. I had an issue of confusion regarding my own marriage but I prayed over it and God blessed me with a sense of certainty on what to do. I simply followed where He led and -believe me! - everything happened lightning-fast and well. I wasn't doing things on my own, I was actually carried from step to step without a hint of trouble! I earnestly urge you to pray and follow God's command. There is no confusion in Him and He will not allow confusion to trouble you. My prayers will also be with you. Be Blessed in Jesus' Name.