SoulGrind Posted October 17, 2006 Group: Advanced Member Followers: 1 Topic Count: 16 Topics Per Day: 0.00 Content Count: 244 Content Per Day: 0.04 Reputation: 2 Days Won: 0 Joined: 07/11/2006 Status: Offline Birthday: 02/20/1973 Author Share Posted October 17, 2006 Hammurabi didn't write a bible. He wrote a law code. FYI. He was an ancient Mesopotamian king. You truly are anal-retentive. It was metaphore. Now I am beginning to understand why some people don't understand the Bible - the don't understand metaphore. You have been helpful - thank you. You ripped me a new one for trying to honestly answer your question. What else do you think I would have done? You have been rude, insulting, and angry in this topic. I think I've acted quite nicely, all things considered. Believe me, I haven't ripped you a new one - and no, I have not been rude. At least these were not my intentions, therefore - if you feel that way - I appologize. I have been trying to understand your viewpoint, through debate - but the logic you supply seems twisted (to me), hence the reason I keep up with the rebutal. You keep spwaning more questions than answers (for me). Maybe you and I need to take a step back from one another - agreed? We see things from two totally different angles and it's getting us nowhere. And regardless of your viewpoints, I would hate to think I've alienated my fellow man because we don't see eye to eye. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SoulGrind Posted October 17, 2006 Group: Advanced Member Followers: 1 Topic Count: 16 Topics Per Day: 0.00 Content Count: 244 Content Per Day: 0.04 Reputation: 2 Days Won: 0 Joined: 07/11/2006 Status: Offline Birthday: 02/20/1973 Author Share Posted October 17, 2006 Okay. I apologize, and I'll be willing to discuss any questions you do have on this topic. I think we are just misinterpreting each other. I think we can both agree, we are both passionate about our beliefs. And there is NOTHING wrong with that. I have however (maybe prematurely) asked the moderators to lock this thread before it does get out of hand. I am glad however we have both agreed to simmer down and regain a civil attitude. It's difficult (even for Christians) at time. I'm really not all that different than you - just far more conservative - but that is to be expected from a Christian. But it doesn't mean we're any less passionate. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SoulGrind Posted October 17, 2006 Group: Advanced Member Followers: 1 Topic Count: 16 Topics Per Day: 0.00 Content Count: 244 Content Per Day: 0.04 Reputation: 2 Days Won: 0 Joined: 07/11/2006 Status: Offline Birthday: 02/20/1973 Author Share Posted October 17, 2006 (edited) Like it or not, it will eventually. Long-duration studies have shown that the only bad thing that happens to children raised by homosexual parents are the experience of "homophobia". And you find this acceptable? Another thing- I don't loathe Christianity. All of my family is Christian, and I have good relationships with all of them. Really? - If you don't mind me asking - why did you steer clear of Christianity? I'm curious about that. I was raised in a Christian family too - and I turned my back on Christianity for 10 years and thought just as you do now (in more ways than you may realize). So, you will support equal status for homosexual relationships as heterosexual relationships? You don't have to label it "marriage", but would you endorse a bill that recognizes similar legal rights for long-term homosexual couples? I will "tolerate" a person's choice to practice homosexuality. However, I cannot, in good conscience, support equal status for homosexual relationships. Remember, I am bound by a different covenant than you. Edited October 17, 2006 by SoulGrind Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
secondeve Posted October 17, 2006 Group: Nonbeliever Followers: 1 Topic Count: 117 Topics Per Day: 0.02 Content Count: 1,276 Content Per Day: 0.19 Reputation: 2 Days Won: 0 Joined: 04/02/2006 Status: Offline Birthday: 02/21/1986 Share Posted October 17, 2006 I am curious about something... maybe some non-believers, specifically the "Athiests" can shed some light on this for me. Being a Christian, I understand that according to scripture, I am to spread the Good News of Jesus Christ. This is known as "The Great Commission" "...And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth. Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen" [Matthew 28:18-20 - KJV] It is up to the recipient of the Good News to either accept it or reject it. A clear choice is required. I'm surprised nobody else has commented on this. Not me personally, but a great many athiests that I know of, have a great dislike for this aspect of Christianity, which is one of the things which leads them to actively argue against it. Christianity tells you to go out and preach, and many people resent being preached at. This isn't leaving everyone to their own thing; this is a specific mandate from God telling you to go out and, effectively, communicate to the general non-Christian populace that they're getting everything wrong. Preaching is unsolicited. It would seem to me very hard to try and talk to someone - a stranger or perhaps even an aquiantance - about why they should convert to Christianity without coming off the wrong way, by which I mean, I can't see how it can be done without, either directly or indirectly, implying that the person's current beliefs and way of life are either faulty or inadequate. People take offence to such suggestions naturally; and, depending on the kind of Christian involved, pretty much nobody likes being told that they'll go to hell for living what most people would consider a good life, except (in the opinions of Christians) for absence of faith in God. I know many athiests - actually, I'll put myself in this group, too - who've had Christians preach to them, unasked, about how their lifestyle or their lack of faith is evil and sinful; about how they are sinful and hell-bound; and about why they should just repent now. Also, it is within the power of non-Christians to get angry at Christians who picket gay pride events, or who get on TV and talk about how all Muslims are evil, or who stand outside abortion clinics and throw things and shout at frightened, emotional women. This isn't every Christian, not by a long shot. But they are a vocal presence in the everyday world of msot everyone here. In the west, Christianity is more present, more powerful and more familiar than any other faith. We also have freedom of speech, just as the Christian protestors do, to speak up about it. So, to cut that down to a summary, a lot of athiests don't like unasked for preaching and/or unasked for judgement on what they consider to be acceptable decisions, views or actions. They resent that they are, in a sense, sought out to be told they are wrong, and some take that motivation and reverse it: by seeking out Christians and doing the same. Now, from what I know of true "Athiesism" (which admittedly, isn't much on my behalf), I do not understand why Athiests are so eager to attack Christianity with such fervor. There are so many different religions in the world, yet Christianity is the target of choice. Why? This has been addressed by others, and also briefly by me above. I know nothing about Zoroastianism, and it has little effect on my life. Why should I go out of my way to protest it? I know a reasonable amount about Islam, but am not so comfortable in this knowledge to challenge it. And, more importantly, Christianity and Christian values actively influence politics in my country and in other western nations. Trying to find out why this is, when I disagree with some of it - and challenging those parts - is not entirely unreasonable or unfathomable, surely. We Christians tolerate your right not to believe. We may not agree with it, but we tolerate it. Some do. Many don't. See my first response. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EricH Posted October 17, 2006 Group: Royal Member Followers: 3 Topic Count: 366 Topics Per Day: 0.05 Content Count: 10,933 Content Per Day: 1.57 Reputation: 212 Days Won: 1 Joined: 04/21/2005 Status: Offline Share Posted October 17, 2006 Closed at the request of the OP Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts