What is your thought or opinion?

Areyouforreal · #21 (**permalink**) 08-28-2006, 10:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sam

Are you it was post no. 10 on the homophobia thread where you did say this in response to Lookagain. It made you look as though your views are in line with him.

That was a failed attempt at humor. See the faces I put those when I am joking. I was mocking him with that thread.

SAM-euro · #22 (**permalink**) 08-28-2006, 10:50 PM

Oh Sorry for missing the humor. I now understand at times you must be joking and I misread your threads as inconsistant.

cat's meow · #23 (**permalink**) 08-28-2006, 10:56 PM

Christian...

I have to turn the question back because it has been on me so many times and quite frankly I get very offended. (Please stay with me here Areyouforreal...)

The umbrella of Christian faith is (supposed to be at least) very wide, loving, and inclusive. But, honestly this has come into question from Christian Evangelicals and it is a religious tact as much as it is a political tact. In this climate of what we are experiencing right now even the word 'Christian' is very divisive...this makes me very sad about my faith and the idea of Christianity.

Me personally...I was baptised as and confirmed later an Episcopalian. I am NO LESS CHRISTIAN THAN AN EVANGELICAL!!!! But I am put down by Baptists and Evangelicals that I am less in my faith than they are. The wink...the nudge..."you guys are the ones that drink" Yeah, real funny...well...it is not funny and I don't like that at all anymore.

So what kind of Christians are we talking about?

Lutherans? They are Christians from what I was taught...
Catholics? They are Christians from what I was taught...
Presbyterians? They are Christians from what I was taught...
etc, etc...

I don't know anymore...if you are not 'born again' you are 'not in the club'...this is one of things that does upset me greatly about how the climate changed after George Bush pronouncing his born again faith during his first election. While he has been president I have never been so insulted by different people about how my faith being less than thiers, it really does infuriate me and is a personal insult to me, these are very personal thoughts that I do share with MY God that had their start when I was only about 8 or 10 siting in the pews praying...I don't blame Bush personally but this has been taken advatage of and I really dislike it it, it has hurt me personally (I do not exagerate). I have very intelligent girlfriend in the medical profession who feels the same exact way.

one might think Hillary and Bill were Elitists...? They might be but nothing like what I have expereinced on the other end...give me break...

What does this mean...? I have real mixed feelings about Christians even while being one. But as of 2006 many do not consider the Episcopal Church (that is near to my heart) and others a part of the 'true' Christian faith. This sort of thinking is eroding away tollerance and cooperation in our country...

Areyouforreal...this is a good question but I am being as honest as I can and you are not putting me down here (I know that)...I am trying to just answer and my thoughts are not happy ones on this right now. I am sad about our country in certain ways and for me this is at the core of it all really.

Lookagain · #24 (**permalink**) 08-28-2006, 11:59 PM

No ones views are in line with mine unless you believe in MIRACLES

Free will does not mean that YOU can establish the curriculum,
It means only that YOU can elect WHAT you want to believe at a given time.

Nothing REAL can be threatened.
Nothing unreal exists.
Herien lies the peace of GOD.

There is no order of difficulty in miracles. One is not "HARDER" or "BIGGER" than another.
They are all the same.
ALL expressions of REAL love, the MAXIMAL love.

ALL miracles mean LIFE, and GOD is the giver of life.

Miracles are thoughts.
Thoughts can represent the lower or BODILY level of experience or the higher SPIRITUAL level of experience.

You MAY have heard that ALL roads lead to GOD, or that there are two roads, But I tell you true, there is ONLY ONE. YOU can decide which way to go, nearer or further from GOD.

From GOD you came and to GOD you shall return.

Learning how to operate the principal WILL of god and embrace it as your own is the reason you are even reading this.

When christ gave his life for ours, THAT is exactly what he did.

LIKE IT or not, WE ALL each and every one of us, BELONG to HIM.
Whether we KNOW it or not.

To be a true Christian you must understand that when you condemn your brother you condemn youerself.

The world we live in is a DREAM created by our ego.

Miracles reawaken the awareness that the spirit IS the alter of truth.

Miracles enable even YOU to heal the sick and raise the dead becuase YOU made sickness and DEATH yourselves.

YOU ARE THE MIRACLE
Capable of creating in the likeness of YOUR Creator.

EVERYTHING ELSE is your own NIGHTMARE, and does not exist.

For ONLY the creations of light are real.

So my children WHAT you believe is what you recieve for you manifest it of your own beliefs. You can pray and pray till you are blue in the face but GOD is not some VENDING MACHINE in the sky.

YOU MUST LEARN that YOU manifest what you BELIEVE.
not the other way around.

If you do not know how to operate principal you do not know how GOD works.

ONLY the HOLY SPIRIT can show you this.

For the ego that know nothing but it's own illusions, can not show you truth when it knows not what it is or how to find it.

From your looney freind, when it looks too good to be true
LOOKAGAIN.

Lookagain · #25 (**permalink**) 08-29-2006, 01:06 AM

"That was a failed attempt at humor. See the faces I put those when I am joking. I was mocking him with that thread."

ARE YOU FOR REAL

Mock not what you do not understand or you may NOT be for real.

True VISION is the NATURAL perception of Spiritual sight.

TO KNOW is to BE CERTAIN

Uncertainty means that you don't know.

PERCEPTION is temporary, as an attribute of the belief in time and space, and is subject to either fear or love.

MISpersceptions produce fear and true perceptions foster love, BUT NEITHER brings certainty because ALL perception varies.

That is why Perception is NOT knowledge.

TRUE, perception can be the basis FOR knowledge, but knowing is the affirmation of TRUTH, beyond ALL perception.

All YOUR difficulties stem from the fact that you don't know me, yourself, your brother OR GOD.

The questioning mind, percieves itself in time and therefore looks for future answers.
The CLOSED mind percieves that the future and the present will be the same

True vision is the perception of spiritual sight.

Spiritual sight is not a device for knowing but means of 'right perception' which brings you within the proper domain of GOD.

while you ask questions about GOD you are clearly implying you do not know him.

Knowledge requires no action.

When you say you are acting on the basis of knowledge, you are confusing knowledge with perception.

To percieve the truth is NOT the same as to KNOW IT.

Knowledge preceded both perception and time, and will ultimately replace them.

THAT is the meaning of"ALPHA and OMEGA", the begining and the end

All CERTAINTY comes from GOD

I am not a perciever. I know beyond all perception and shadow of doubt.

I AM the mirror, tell me what YOU see when you look at me, and I will tell you-

LOOKAGAIN.

Lookagain · #26 (**permalink**) 08-29-2006, 01:09 AM

"That was a failed attempt at humor. See the faces I put those when I am joking. I was mocking him with that thread."

ARE YOU FOR REAL

Mock not what you do not understand or you may NOT be for real.

True VISION is the NATURAL perception of Spiritual sight.

TO KNOW is to BE CERTAIN

Uncertainty means that you don't know.

PERCEPTION is temporary, as an attribute of the belief in time and space, and is subject to either fear or love.

MISpersceptions produce fear and true perceptions foster love, BUT NEITHER brings certainty because ALL perception varies.

That is why Perception is NOT knowledge.

TRUE, perception can be the basis FOR knowledge, but knowing is the affirmation of TRUTH, beyond ALL perception.

All YOUR difficulties stem from the fact that you don't know me, yourself, your brother OR GOD.

The questioning mind, percieves itself in time and therefore looks for future answers.
The CLOSED mind percieves that the future and the present will be the same

True vision is the perception of spiritual sight.

Spiritual sight is not a device for knowing but means of 'right perception' which brings you within the proper domain of GOD.

while you ask questions about GOD you are clearly implying you do not know him.

Knowledge requires no action.

When you say you are acting on the basis of knowledge, you are confusing knowledge with perception.

To percieve the truth is NOT the same as to KNOW IT.

Knowledge preceded both perception and time, and will ultimately replace them.

THAT is the meaning of"ALPHA and OMEGA", the begining and the end

All CERTAINTY comes from GOD

I am not a perciever. I know beyond all perception and shadow of doubt.

I AM the mirror, tell me what YOU see when you look at me, and I will tell you-

LOOKAGAIN.

And I'll still say MOHAMMED

I KNOW HIM NOT

Roman · #27 (**permalink**) 08-29-2006, 01:38 AM

I think the term "Christians" is too broad to give a simple answer, especially since there are hundereds of different sects. Most of them try to do the right thing and are good people. Others try to strongly (almost forcefully) influence people to believe the same. What bothers me is when some say that they'll let Jesus take care of it. Also, I don't like how some are in your face and can not keep an open mind or repsect someone else's beliefs. A great example would be a few Holloweens ago. A college town about 30 minutes away from me has a big Holloween party every year where about 10,000 people come and they block the streets off. There were a group of these Christians holding signs, telling everyone who was in costume or drinking they're gonna hell. One started screaming at me after I laughed at him and told him how dumb he was. I asked him why I was going to hell and he said becuz I was drunkard blah blah blah. Then I ask him, didn't Jesus turn water into win, wasn't this one of his miracles? He said it was a different type of wine ans it wasn't fermentated. I replied, "what is wine, its fermentated grape juice, why was it a miracle if they didn;t drink it. Why do people read what they want to read and disregard what they don't want to read?

Eternal Footman · #28 (**permalink**) 08-29-2006, 07:48 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sam

I think if you were able to see the innermost soul of people (their core moral values) you could take an equal cross section of all religions and include non believers and a close percentage of each group would be moral and truthseeking with many shades of gray with the other end of the spectrum being people who seem to be inately drawn to evil .

This is a fact. However, to this point, a Christian would apply the "not by works alone" adage. It's Christianity we are talking about, not good deeds.

Quote:

Originally Posted by SAM

I think Christians have such a wide variance of beliefs that I do not see them sharing identification.

In most denominations of Christianity, the differences are not significant enough to change their status of Christian(if they are true to their faith). Further research will support this statement.

Quote:

Originally Posted by SAM

The largest congregation in our city is a born again Christian light with the message being Pray and you might get the new house, that hot girlfriend or even a trip to heaven. (The pastor while having an affair with the babysitter(who was underage when it began felt God had answered his prayers when his wife was killed in a car accident.) They have a billboard that says the Pope is the anti christ. These religions do not seem to have the same core values.

Your oversight surprises me. By posting this you are also accepting as fact, everyone claiming themselves as a Christian to be a true Christian. The example you have given is irresponsible and misrepresentative. It would be no less offensive than if I made a statement claiming all those practicing Islam are evil, based on Bin Laden's actions.

Quote:

Originally Posted by SAM

The Morman church views all non Mormans as not Christian and breeds constantly "to get to higher levels of heaven" I could keep giving examples but all the different churches in my city do not seem to have the same core values with "little nuances"

I think you missed my point. What I said was:

Quote:

Originally Posted by Eternal Footman

People do vary in their views, but persons who truely belong to a shared religion will share the same critical points of that religion. Subtle nuances of views may not necessarily change their religious identification, as you suggest.

I was speaking about true believers of the same faith having slight variations. You are speaking about entirely different religions who claim to be Christian or claim to be destined for heaven. I hope you see the difference.

I don't need you to argee with me, but I do want you to use a discerning eye when identifying Christians. Too many atrocities have been commited using religion as a crux.

Areyouforreal · #29 (**permalink**) 08-29-2006, 07:59 AM

Lookagain I am only going to say this once.
You hatred potrays you as a non-Christian. God sent us to spread his word through love not hate.
Also you judge people especially the Muslims. You are supposed to be trying to bring people to Jesus not push them away.
Remember The measure that you use to judge others will also be used to judge you.
We are all sinners and fall short. That is the reason Christ died for ALL of OUR sins. So that NONE may perish but live forever.
Stereotyping a group of people is wrong (you stereotyped Liberals and Muslims) Unless you know the person you can not correctly read a person.
I mocked you and for that I apoligize that was wrong.
Also I do believe in miracles.

SAM-euro · #30 (**permalink**) 08-29-2006, 12:11 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Eternal Footman

This is a fact. However, to this point, a Christian would apply the "not by works alone" adage. It's Christianity we are talking about, not good deeds.

In most denominations of Christianity, the differences are not significant enough to change their status of Christian(if they are true to their faith). Further research will support this statement.

Your oversight surprises me. By posting this you are also accepting as fact, everyone claiming themselves as a Christian to be a true Christian. The example you have given is irresponsible and misrepresentative. It would be no less offensive than if I made a statement claiming all those practicing Islam are evil, based on Bin Laden's actions.

I think you missed my point. What I said was:

I was speaking about true believers of the same faith having slight variations. You are speaking about entirely different religions who claim to be Christian or claim to be destined for heaven. I hope you see the difference.

I don't need you to argee with me, but I do want you to use a discerning eye when identifying Christians. Too many atrocities have been commited using religion as a crux.

I really do not know if all these people are "true"Christians or not. I also do not generalize about Christianity based on some peoples interpretation. I do not judge any religious group based on the actions of some. I just think so many Christian religions have more than a few "small" differences because that is what they say! If they say some religions do not "count or are satan "or they each have a different literal interprtation to me this is huge.