Jmden, I can relate to much of what you wrote and thank you for writing it. I also want you to know that I noticed that you didn't attack anyone, ridicule anyone or call anyone names. I respect that and it says alot about the man. God bless.
Roll-yur-own,
I have to say that I concur with some of what you are saying. Part of me believes that ANY organized religion is a waste of time and money. But part of me wants to believe that there is something else. I don't think that a church is a megaphone to gods ear and the only way that he hears you is if you are sitting in church singing (or chanting) some silly song that you have had to memorize. Everyone wants to go to heaven but no one wants to die. I bet we could all argue over bible verses till the wee hours of the night. It's pointless to go on attempting to change someones mind about religion. Just be an American and let them believe what they want and you do the same. Arguing over which religion is the one going to heaven is like an arguement over who would win in a fight, Superman or Mighty Mouse? What do you expect? The guy on the other end of the internet is going to say, "Wow, I guess your right and I'm wrong and everything my parents have ever told me was also wrong. Thanks, I'll go wake my wife now and tell her that we're switching churches because I lost an arguement about religion on the internet."
Find something worthwhile to argue about.
Tom
.....we are saved by grace not by works or being good.......
Roll- ur- own.Says who? You?
JMDen, if you think there were no dinosaurs you are a moron. There are two stories of creation in Genesis which one is right?
Why couldn't God have created dinosaurs?
So why don't you answer the question.
Are the Jews, Hindus, Buddists, and members of non-christian religions going to heaven? If not where are they going?
Again I implore someone to answer this.....Where do the babies killed by abortion go?
Tom, I agree with you. I believe God is too big for any one religion.
I'm not arguing over which one is going to Heaven. It frustrates me when any one religion thinks that "they" are the ones going and if you don't believe in Jesus then you're not going to Heaven.
or, the king james Bible is the "true" word of God. Its pathetic. The king james version is only 400 years old.
What is amusing is that these guys don't like big gov't telling them what to do but that is exactly what they have. Except pat robinson and similar folks run that gov't.
What I sincerely find dangerous is that there is a large number of these zealots and many of them would act no different than terrorists is told to do so by there leadership.
Haven't evangelicals blown up abortion clinics in the name of God? What makes that different than 9/11 terrorists other than the number of causualties?
I'm not trying to change someones mind about their religion. I'm simply suggesting people be tolerant of others.
OK guys, now I'm done with this thread. Going over to see what the status is on hunting brown bear with slingshots.
Tom
Why this discussion on LRH? I've never heard even a similar topic at the hunting camp?
Roll-Yur-Own,
Have you every studied any of these religions you talk about? They are wildly divergent in their basic tennants and beliefs. Are you willing to believe a God that says they are all OK? There's a stretch in credibility for yourself and very much more for the 'god' you seem to believe in. Think about that. You are putting your 'god' in box that makes you comfortable. Would you want to serve a 'god' like that? A 'god' like that doesn't deserve your service, yet that's exactly what many do. The Creator of the Universe does deserve your service.
You are serving yourself with philosophy like this. You are making up your own 'god'. God Almighty will not be put in a 'box' and you will face Him one day to account for your actions and whether you rejected the Gift of his Son, or not.
Tolerance...it sound like to me that you are willing to be very tolerant of every religion that you are comfortable with and not very tolerant of true Christianity which is not a religion, but a relationship with the one true God. Hmm...isn't it interesting that so many folks want to talk about tolerance but are anything but when they come face to face with true Christianity. Why is true Christianity singled out so often in our culture? We're often more concerned to talk nicely about Islam than we are about Christianity.
Let's 'pretend' and 'assume', for arguments sake, that Satan exists and that there is truely a tremendous spiritual battle ongoing for the souls of men between Satan and God. Would not Satan be happy and 'tolerant' of you believing whatever you wish other than the truth, which for the sake of argument, we'll call the beliefs of true Christianity? Satan wouldn't care what you believe as long as he had your soul, but he really doesn't like it when you believe the Truth, because then he is not winning the battle for your soul. Hmmm...sound at all familiar?
Again, don't base your beliefs and philosophies on the sinful actions of a few. That's a copout. Base your philosophies and beliefs on the one true God.