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Does your faith alone can save you?
Posted by janizarzagon • 8/18/08 • Subscribe to this Discussion [RSS] • Report This Topic
I went to mass yesterday. And the gospel is all about Faith. While the priest give his homily, there's one question that comes through my head. Does your faith can save you?
User Comments
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Nope. I've already saved myself & continue to take personal responsibility. -
A resounding NO. -
nope -
Scepticism saved me. -
Personal inner faith will save the massed from the kingdom of the darkness during the judgment era.
Although a faith, such as religion will not save anybody.-
"Personal inner faith will save the massed from the kingdom of the darkness during the judgment era."
Huh? That made no sense whatsoever. -
The word "massed" is to be masses, or the majority of the children of the light for a deeper context.
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Check out the real life story
www.ablogwithadifference.com/2008/05/faith-in-god-is-all-that-matters.html -
I think so -
Faith without action is nothing?
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inaction is totally acceptable, in fact no action is often more useful than wrong action
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acousticguitarist, so i can sit all day long and worry no more?
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weemundo, i read ur post..its inspiring..
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Faith screws more people than it saves. -
voodookobra, y u said so?
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Do you know how many children die every year because their parents refuse to take them to the hospital because they think the child's illness is a test of their faith? Too many.
There are other incidents in which faith can screw a person, but I'm too tired/lazy to list them all.
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ohhh!that's their belief. Let's just respect it.
condemning won't help them.ryt?-
No, but criticizing it won't hurt. And if more people openly criticize such dangerous thinking, society will pressure these morons into thinking straighter.
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well, that's ur point of view.. i respect that..
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Yes, that IS my point of view. And I respect any intellectually honest criticism of my point of view. I'm not one of these easily-offended jerks who thinks their opinion is sacred.
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"Faith: The effort to believe that which your commonsense tells you is not true." - Elbert Hubbard
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lol!hahhhaa
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Voodoo is at polar opposites to your point of view. I wouldn't underestimate his intelligence. Often people that have the opposing view to oneself will turn out to be your greatest teacher.
The problem is you are disregarding what he says because it doesn't fit with your opinion.
I think Faith can change fate. But the Faith I'm talking about is very different to yours and also I see an issue with action.
who is the Doer?
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i guess, they just expressing their thoughts..
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Who are you talking to?
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I was going to ask that too...lol
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you
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voodookobra
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First, I don't know what you mean by "save" but based on my understanding of that word, I don't think any one thing can do that. Altho I've seen faith give people in pain and distress a lot of comfort and strength to go on.
Life can be tough so what ever works for you. Personally I don't have a religion but I know it's a huge support for people who do. But I think you need more than just faith in life.-
Aye, it depends what you mean by 'save'
I think faith can save a person from loneliness and uncertainty. It can save a person from feeling lost and pointless in the world; it can save a person from independent thought or self-doubt. Faith can probably save a person from alot of things.
If you're looking at 'save' in a biblical sense, I have no doubt that pure faith will 'save' you from burning in hell.
But you have to have the faith in hell before you can save yourself from it.
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ma'am DrowseyMonkey,
as we all know that we are going to die. When we have faith in God. are we going to save from hell?-
Well Jesus didn't and there have been others that didn't die
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I don't believe in hell or heaven or any of that ... so I don't think about it. But I think faith is more about action. More about how you live your life, if that makes any sense.
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I tend to think of faith as a religious thing (although I guess it doesn't have to be).
I think faith without religion is just morality. Which to me, is even better
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And what's with the HELL nonsense?
satan , Evil, Devil...what dribble, that's fairytale stuff
Yes there's God but that other stuff is ridiculous-
Agreed but they have never experienced what we have. -
"And what's with the HELL nonsense?
satan , Evil, Devil...what dribble, that's fairytale stuff
Yes there's God but that other stuff is ridiculous"
The Greatest trick the Devil ever pulled was convincing the world he didn't exist. -
I am reminded of CS Lewis' book,The Screwtape Letters
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Screwtape_Letters
Video clip:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=TdBNimP7eaw
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yes but he resurrected on the third day.
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agreed
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Sometimes, I think people get caught up in the details. Do good. Be a good person. All that other stuff is just noise and gets in the way.
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acousticguitarist,im confused..
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That's not my fault
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lol
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Ma'am DrowseyMonkey,
yes u got a point.. -
If you are reading this and have never heard the Gospel before let me share it with you now. The Bible says that we are sinners, not good people. It says that there is none that does good. We have violated the Laws which God gave us. These are called the Ten Commandments. We are to use these as a mirror to see if we are in line with His standards. The thing is, none of us are. For example, How many lies have you told in your life? Quite a few I'm sure. The Bible says we are liars. Have you ever stolen anything regardless of value? If you have then you are a thief. Have you ever committed adultery? No? Listen to what Jesus said. He said,"If you look at a woman to lust after her you have committed adultery with her in your heart. Just the thought of doing something is as bad as actually doing it, in God's eyes.
If you were to die in that state, God would give you justice for breaking His laws. He is Pure, Holy, and Just in all His ways. You would end up in hell on the day of judgment. The Bible says that all liars will have their place in the lake of fire. It also states that no thief, no adulterer will enter the Kingdom of Heaven. This is some hard stuff. But this is the Gospel, that 2000 years ago God became man and took upon Himself the punishment meant for us. If you would repent, meaning turn from your sinning, and put your trust in Jesus to save you, you will be saved. There is nothing we can do to save ourselves except to throw ourselves on the mercy of the God's court. God is just, but He is also full of mercy. Do that today because we are not guaranteed tomorrow.-
screw that guitar425. I don't know one person on this earth who is capable of such a feat. I mean talk about splitting hairs,
"How many lies have you told in your life? Quite a few I'm sure. The Bible says we are liars. Have you ever stolen anything regardless of value? If you have then you are a thief. Have you ever committed adultery? No? Listen to what Jesus said. He said,"If you look at a woman to lust after her you have committed adultery with her in your heart. Just the thought of doing something is as bad as actually doing it, in God's eyes."
we are all F'ed..big time. I think this could have been the most futile post on an already futile argument.
Believe in yourself and be happy with what you have done. It's your life, and the one point I agree with you on, "we are not guaranteed tomorrow," you should be living for anyone. God, Jesus or any other fairy tale character out there. -
shagnast2100 said, "...we are all F'ed..big time. I think this could have been the most futile post on an already futile argument.
Believe in yourself and be happy with what you have done..."
First point: I agree, we are messed up.
Second point: Be happy that you have lied, or stolen, or murdered, or committed adultery?
Repent and trust Jesus today. -
@guitar425 Nice Summary!
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god became man? but the bible says god can't be man!
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None of the biblical texts say God CANNOT be a man, but say that God IS not a man, a major difference! In fact the Hebrew Bible even predicts that the Messiah of David is actually God in the flesh:
"For to us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Of the increase of his government and of peace there will be no end, on the throne of David and over his kingdom, to establish it and to uphold it with justice and with righteousness from this time forth and forevermore. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will do this." Isaiah 9:6-7
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What about the possibility of a god who hates faith and wants people to use their unassuming reason? What if all this faith nonsense is just to test us? What if belief is just a crutch that this alleged God of yours wants us to overcome? You have to walk before you can run, and most people choose walking over running.
I should start a religion... for the lulz.-
God has given us a conscience. Con=with, science=knowledge. When you sin, you sin with knowledge that it is wrong. Do not be deceived. Fall on His mercy while it may be found. We all know we have sinned against God, there is no disputing that.
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What if your "God" doesn't exist? Where could this conscience come from?
How about natural selection? Hey, yeah! Animals that are genetically inclined to cooperate with each other are more likely to survive. After a few hundred generations, only the cooperative organisms exist, and the "gene pool" of that species is entirely full of cooperative organisms (not taking into consideration mutations that cause sociopaths
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I don't need to believe in God to have a sense of right and wrong, and I don't need to feel guilty for enjoying my life.
[We all know we have sinned against God, there is no disputing that.]
I don't believe there is a God, so I don't think I have "sinned" against God (let alone "know"); so there certainly IS disputing that. -
You skipped my question and instead attacked timethief, guitar425. Will you please provide a clear answer.
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@voodooKobra Good luck with your religion. There can only be one! Isn't that from Highlander? Sounds alot like like the first commandment.
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Save you from what?
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Hell
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Here we go again. Fearful humans in ancient times create an imaginary mythical god and attribute to him the creation of the universe and all therein. To the mystical god of their own creation they also attribute the ridiculous concept of original sin thereby declaring all humans sinful at birth, and in need of salvation from the hell fires that their mythical god purportedly created especially for those who don't have faith in him. Can faith save the profoundly ignorant from creating and ascribing to idiotic belief systems? I guess not.
Do we unbelievers have to tolerate the continual abuse we receive from the profoundly ignorant religiously challenged fools who claim to possess "faith"? No.-
I have never made but one prayer to God, a very short one: "O Lord make my enemies ridiculous." And God granted it. - Voltaire
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It's high time for BC's religious zealots to recognize that the belief system they choose to be fettered to has no legitimate place in their politics and on this forum. Two thumbs up for civil rights and two down for the religious zealots that try to force their ridiculous beliefs "down our throats".
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Who's forcing anything down your throat? What a whiner. Don't get involved in the conversation if you don't like it. You knew what the post was about when janizarzagon posted it. Yet you still came in here. No one is forcing anything down your throat, get real. You are so intolerant.
p.s. God didn't create hell for those who don't have faith in Him. He created for satan. Read the bible before you start speaking as though you are an authority. -
@Guitar, our greatest weapon, especially in the face of unbelief, is prayer.
Where there is unbelief, grace abounds.
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Do we unbelievers have to tolerate the continual abuse we receive from the profoundly ignorant religiously challenged fools who claim to possess "faith"? No. - TT
I'm unclear about something here...while BC administration is on record for supporting threads about faith. A few people look at the posting of a faith discussion as "abuse"?
And then when someone engages with a blogger opposed to faith discussions or defends a statement of faith...that is also seen as "abuse?"
Then BC admin is forced to lock a thread because the faith thread gets ugly. This is NOT about the last word for me...it is about being able to voice my opposition to character attacks.-
@TBR
We simply continue to stand firm, in the face of unbelief. Our faith is not based upon man's approval or rejection of Him. Nor should it be.
Stand firm, be strong, and disregard the words of those who spew spite...
...and pray for them.
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BTW...
Staying on topic, you may want to check this out:
Greg Laurie's Harvest event...Friday thru Sunday...watch the videos of all three nights!
www.harvest.org/crusades/2008/anaheim/ -
faith without works is dead.
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buffedstuff ,u got a point.
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answer: going to Christian Mass deserves a Christian answer which is a resounding NO.
Orthodox Christianity teaches it is by God's grace all are saved. Without God's grace we cannot have faith and cannot perform works of love.
edit: it is written, even the demons believed (had faith in who Christ was) are they saved? -
kevinatserieatalk,meanig even devils have faith?
is that what ure trying to say? -
i believe that faith from any religion, translates into good actions since if you really believe, your actions are the valued effect. Belief is the first level, the next level will be actions to express the goodness that is inherent in man but corrupted by society.-
[i believe that faith from any religion, translates into good actions]
What about the Crusades? Or the Spanish Inquisition? Do you think the Native Aztecs would agree with that statement? -
@voodoo,
"What about the Crusades? Or the Spanish Inquisition?" what about them?
What you've done in typing this is just as bad as those criticised quoting scripture without context.
What do you actually know about the topics you raise and assume everyone has a similar impression?
edit: don't answer that, as we'll go off topic but you should get what I'm explaining. -
The context is irrelevant. Faith does not ALWAYS translate into good actions.
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Oh well so much for me trying to stay on course,
the context is relevant voodoo eg. the Spanish Inquisition was spread over 350 years give or take, was not as bad as many revisionists attempt to claim and was a Civil Inquisition during which the Eccelestical authority of the pope(s) was being ignored once abuses were noted. In the minds of the Spanish adminstration/monarchy the region had only recently freed itself from Muslim control and was fearful of a regression back into any pennisular conflict.
The process was first established to ferret out conversos—Jews and Moors (Muslims) who pretended to convert to Christianity for purposes of political or social advantage and secretly practiced their former religion.
Those who openly practiced their faith were not put to death as some vast persecution many emigrated.
sources:
The International Symposium on the Inquisition
"Balanced History of the Inquisition is Possible, Says Expert." Zenit, June 16, 2004. www.zenit.org/article-10377?l=english
Olsen, Ted. "How the Inquisition Saved Lives." Christian History & Biography, Summer 2004 Issue 83. www.ctlibrary.com/ch/2004/issue83/5.07.html
(btw there have been Protestant,Jewish,Communist,Atheist,Facist,Puritan American Inquisition as well as others, one doesn't have to be a religious to take part) -
The context has no bearing on the point I was trying to make. And that point is "Faith does not always yield good results."
People have died because of the faith of others. How do you plan on justifying that? By claiming "That was 350 years ago"? So what, does the Holocaust not count because that was 60 years ago? It's essentially the same assertion. -
Dear me you really are confused and adding to your original statement the challenge to the Jewish Holocaust.
Nazism's greatest enemy was the religious voodoo the regime was Atheism. By raising this new revelation you are providing an example of how, to use your own words with an added twist,
"Atheism does not yield good results."
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gabgab, ur trying to say that our faith is affected by society?
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can you honestly profess your faith if you're a Christian living in a Muslim region. Of course, communities tend to develop behind a common faith.
Advertising that sells products is a great example that we are influenced by society. -
Does science explain everything or is there more to it than that? What is the fountain from which all of nature flows?-
Science doesn't explain EVERYTHING. If it did, scientists would be out of a job.
Just because we haven't yet formed a theory that YOU PERSONALLY understand doesn't mean you should take the shortcut and assume there's a divine spy-camera.
(On that note: Morality from authority isn't really morality.)
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gabgab,i believe that god exist.and my faith will save me..
i dont care about society.What I care is if I do good here on earth .
I have reward in heaven.-
That's dangerous thinking, man.
If you don't follow the rules of society, you'll be easier to coerce into killing innocent people in the name of God.
Slayer - "Jihad":
Be optimistic, happy, and calm
Show no fear or anxiety
Smile at the face of God
And your reward will be eternity
Holy warriors
Your patience will be justified
Everything is for Him
You must not confront the animal before you kill it
Strike as champions at the heart of the non-believers
Strike above the neck and at all extremities
For it‘s a point of no return for Almighty God
God will give victory to his faithful servants
When you reach ground zero you will have killed the enemy
The Great Satan!
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SeanReynolds,
there's many things that science cannot explain.
for example when jesus perform his miracle
he walk in the water and
multiply fish and bread.-
Prove that those things ever happened, and I guarantee science will find an explanation for it. If not, we'll learn to replicate it.
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Only God can make something out of nothing.
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I am not making any assumptions at this stage just asking the questions. I guess the question for me is will science ultimately explain everything when we know more or at its boundaries are we left with things like conciousness affects reality and quantum uncertainty?
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Do you know how many scientific advancements have been made in the past 10 years? Since 1998?
You might be able to name four or five things, because that's all the media caught wind of; but there have been thousands-- millions, even-- of technological and scientific advancements in the past decade.
At this astounding rate of scientific discovery, I think we will not only fully understand, but also fully take advantage of quantum uncertainty before the day I die.
There is no evidence that consciousness affects reality in any significant way.
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i just answer ur question.
as much as i could. -
now a days only faith cn save u????
otherwise people wont belive at u?????? -
As for conciousness affecting reality, look around you.
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Consciousness doesn't affect reality, actions do. I'm talking about the lack of evidence for psychic powers.
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Save me from what? Why do I need 'faith' to save me? I am able to 'save' myself from making foolish decions or harming others.
Why do I have to abdicate responsibility to a metaphysical entity or worse some 'canon' of institutionalised dogma that has been invented by position seeking individuals who are more interested in the status they hold in an institution than care about others.-
God loves everyone! The truth is, if we are true CHRISTians, we begin to adapt the same characteristics as our God, the reason we are sharing the gospel with you is because we love you even if you don't love us or our God. We are trying to share the truth with you if you want to accept it or not.
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Our conciousness determines our actions.
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If you misread my latest post, I'm saying that we can't move things with our mind alone. Thinking about setting your enemy on fire won't do it. There is no magic, there are no psychic superpowers.
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I agree it's more subtle than that. The battle is for control of our minds. Control what we think and you control what we do and hence the reality we create.
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i strongly agree with your point ...
but we are all born into an established society complete with norms, values, culture, etcc...
and it takes years for each of us to achieve critical thinking / independence ...
How do we choose our desired faith / values / friends and reason for living ?
Do we live our lives for faith or for careers or public service ?
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Hmmm... I've never had much faith to begin with, so I don't think it will save me. Now God... could he save me? That's a different question...-
Yes, an altogether different question...
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For God so loved the world he gave his only begotten son that whosoever believeth on him shall not perish but have everlasting life.-
So generous...
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thank you leafsoup, always love to hear that -
Isn't that the whole problem though? Whenever there is a debate about faith, religious folk just quote scripture rather than using their mental faculties to make an intelligent deduction of their own...i.e. thinking.
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That's part of the reason why a lot of serious academics don't take religion seriously.
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@voodooKobra
perhaps you aren't associating with the right group of serious academics
@thevagmaster
Q. why is theology considered one of the core doctorates? professions? -
@thevagmaster & @voodooKobra Who can say it better than God himself?
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@thevagmaster
"Whenever there is a debate about faith, religious folk just quote scripture rather than using their mental faculties to make an intelligent deduction of their own...i.e. thinking."
wrong, the problem is not so much quoting but doing so without providing a background, an authentic backdrop, without a proper context. Their thinking is not absent but warped. BTW not all religious folk are like this, only the ones you are most familar with. -
watch thy language as serious academics, don't have to Ship High In Transit over the rest of us. (your emphasis doesn't require the F-word)
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from your favored source wikipedia,
Profanity has always been used to describe a word, expression, gesture, or other social behavior which is socially constructed or interpreted as insulting, rude and vulgar, or desecrating or showing disrespect as measured by the religious elite.[1]
your usage has more to do with disrepect of other persons than proving a point on the notion of words -
The scripture does say whoever BELIEVES in him. It doesn't say whoever does the most works. But I am not so sure how much we can actually trust the Bible. I mean, it's obvious we can't take it literally or women would still be oppressed, slavery would be aright and we couldn't eat shellfish or wear cotton with polyester! And I love my cotton polyester blended shirts! Also it leads us to believe God created and has dominion over a hell where people are burned and tormented. No, Satan can't create and does not have dominion over hell, God does. So if you love the Biblical God you love a God that actually created a place to burn people who didn't love him! Sounds a bit sadist to me! I am not so sure I would be comfortable worshipping a sadist God!? But what does this confused know anyways?
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@thehunkygardener
actually the bible doesn't say anything, it is a series of books, when persons in the book(s) quote other portions of scripture you read, "it is written".
It is therefore an authority outside of the written text which provides an interpretative instruction of the text and your ideas on oppressed women, evil slavery and prohibition of eating shellfish do not come from the bible, they come from a faulty interpretative authority.
"The scripture does say whoever BELIEVES in him. It doesn't say whoever does the most works."
Q. what is it to believe? -
....yeah, yeah, yeah...but you forgot to mention the part about it being written a couple of hundred years after all of the events it concerns itself with. BELIEVES in him...sure. We laugh at the Greeks for believing in Zeus. I'm just ahead of my time for laughing at you now.
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John 3:16...Amen....sista!
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No one group has a monopoly on wisdom. We need to decide for ourselves and create our own realities based on what is unique to each of us as individuals and what feels right to us. The meaning of life can be whatever we want it to be. The challenge is not to be diverted from this.
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I see so everyone has truth but no truth is similar. that sounds more like no truth at all
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I see so everyone has truth but no truth is similar. that sounds more like no truth at all
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Argh! "Everyone has truth?" Seriously?
Truth is reality. If something is not reflected by reality, it isn't truth.
www.kobrascorner.com/opine/words-phrases-fallacies.php
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"When the priest give his homily," indeed.
The only time faith will save you is when a rabid Muslim puts a gun to your head and asks you if you believe in Allah.-
And that's not so much faith as it is lying to a murderer.
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Part of reality is us and we are all unique.
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'"Beauty is truth, truth beauty," - that is all/Ye know on earth, and all ye need to know.' John Keats 1819
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Sometimes the truth is ugly, grizzly, and uncaring. And in those situations, we need to be realistic and abandon our delusions.
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Beauty is not truth, but I'll grant you that religion is a pretty lie.
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No. -
Some of the uglyness may stem from being out of allignment with true principles and beauty is in the eye of the beholder.
As Sir Isaac Newton 1642-1727 famously observed after a lifetime of ground breaking scientific discovery “I seem to myself like a child playing on the sea shore, and picking up here and there a curious shell or pretty pebble, while the boundless ocean of truth lies undiscovered before me.”-
That's a beautiful quote, SR. Thanks for bringing that to my attention.
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I don't think it can! -
I've heard worrying is a sin & besides it causes those nasty worry lines
I believe big time in faith but theres more to it than that -
The opposite of faith is fear.
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The opposite of Love is Fear
the opposite of Faith is Doubt -
Thank you, acoustic, for beating me to it.
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The opposite of love is selfishness.
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I you liked that quote here's another one from Donald Rumsfeld
“Reports that say that something hasn’t happened are always interesting to me, because as we know, there are known known’s; there are things we know we know. We also know there are known unknowns; that is to say we know there are some things we do not know. But there are also unknown unknowns — the ones we don’t know we don’t know.”-
Makes perfect sense to me!!!!? -
[Makes perfect sense to me!!!!?]
Why the question mark? -
well you are probably suited for Scientology
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I was being ironic - obviously didn't work :-)
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Yes, I realise that, I just followed the thought through
However I carefully analysied that Rummy one one day and it made sense. But I won't say any more about that person -
Cool quote though.
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Interesting discussions! Back to the original question: Can your faith save you?
Faith is believe without any scientific evidence.
It will not save you!
Only faith in Jesus Christ, who is purely God, whose blood he died on the cross for everyone, and resurrected in the glory of God, is able to save us from our sins (all of us are sinful-you know it!).
There is only one God, the one who created the universe. We are his crea-tion. Our sins separated us eternally from God-pure and holy, absolute no tolerance of a single sin. No one - not even one - can be reunited with God. But He is merciful in that He provided a mean for us to be reconciled with Him; that is through his son, Jesus Christ - that everyone of us is given the grace by God to be saved from eternal death, and be reunited with God in heaven.
But you need to have faith in the bible, an inspiration of God's words. If you have no faith in the bible, everything that I've mentioned here is meaningless to you.
The bible says "Vengence is of God". So don't mock and kill and say that that's from God. You don't revenge, you're misusing the name of God in your bad deeds.-
[There is only one God, the one who created the universe. ]
You're right. Hail Zeus! -
nonsense
you represent your own opinion about Jesus God and whatever
they've lied to you and you've believed this rot
But the teachings are so polluted with rubbish, control and fear that people are too scared to even consider that God is bigger than miniscule limited view that binds them in great sufference and mental poverty...
Yes there is some type of God that is the life blood of all things and beyond all. Yes Jesus is one with that essence. -
Right on Home2105!! You represent what the BIBLE says. That is where we get our information. Historical, factual, time tested, scrutinized beyond comprehension, and yet it still stands. There are only 2 types of religions in the world:
1. Christianity, which states that there is nothing you can do to save yourself or draw closer to God.
2. All others, which say you can do "things" to obtain closeness, to get to heaven, or whatever.
We will never be good enough to be pleasing to a Holy God. But Jesus lived that perfect life for us. He then sacrificed Himself so that our penalty could be paid.
It is a very simple gospel. -
[Historical, factual, time tested, scrutinized beyond comprehension, and yet it still stands.]
No it doesn't. Just because people still believe in it doesn't mean it "still stands." What created God? If the universe has to be created, so does the creator.
[There are only 2 types of religions in the world]
Bigotry.
[We will never be good enough to be pleasing to a Holy God.]
Why worship a being you can never please then? Why not say, "Screw you, your standards are too high. I'm gonna live my life MY way."?
[It is a very simple gospel.]
But it's not based on facts. -
voodooKobra you ask good questions but seem to throw your sarcasm and irreverence in with them. You are right His standards are to high for us to live by. The bible says this. That is why Jesus came to earth. He lived the life we couldn't. That is why it is "good" news. When Jesus was on the cross God looked at Him as though He lived my life while at the same time looked at me as though I lived His. The command is to repent of our sins and trust Jesus for our salvation. And yes it is based on facts, do some research. Read the bible for yourself without your preconceived notions. Honestly. Thanks for your questions.
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guitar: This is how I read your comment:
*compliment* but *lead-in to proselytizing*. *Proselytizing*. *Using the Bible as a source.* *Proselytizing*. *Proselytizing*. ....... *Proselytizing*. *Assuming I haven't read the Bible.* *Exasperated adverb.* *Gratitude.*
As for your "sarcasm and irreverence" statement: Religion does not inherently deserve ANY respect. Just like every other idea, it earns its respect. The best way to do this is through being accurate and truthful. You don't consider it irreverent if I criticize the liberal viewpoint, do you? Why should superstition be held to a different standard? -
That made me laugh.
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It's total garbage and control
God is a God of Love
The Torah/old testement stuff is absurd at times, whatever they have done with it and changed about fearing God does not represent anything apart from leaders/ elders of society that wanted to enslave its people and those that do not have the depth of experience to discriminate between what is Godly and what total enslavement of thought.
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I guess the question is faith in what type of god. We can be closed to all that this could entail by being too wedded to some form of dogma or there may be more than one way to achieve this.
If you have faith then that faith informs your actions which will save you, but from what? It is a question of our actions bringing us closer to god or moving us further away?-
The way I see it is this:
If there is a God, and this alleged deity gave us free will, who am I to not put my free will to good use by refusing to believe in him/her without sufficient proof?
For all we know, all the religions are false and the real creator of the universe abhors being worshiped.
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@ voodoo The Bible is that sufficient proof.
" Just how convincing are these Messianic prophecies? In his book Science Speaks, Professor Peter Stoner says that by using the modern science of probability in regards to just eight of the scores of Messianic prophecies "we find that the chance that any man might have lived down to the present time and fulfilled all eight prophecies is 1 in 10 to the 17 power." "That would be 1 in 100,000,000,000,000,000.""
In order to help us understand these amazing odds, Stoner explains it by imagining that "we take ten to the seventeenth power silver dollars and lay them on the face of Texas. They will cover all of the state two feet deep. Now mark one of these silver dollars and stir the whole mass thoroughly, all over the state. Blindfold a man and tell him that he can travel as far as he wishes, but he must pick up one silver dollar and say that this is the right one. What chance would he have of getting the right one? Just the same chance that the prophets would have had of writing these eight prophecies and having them all come true in any one man, from their day to the present time, providing they wrote them in their own wisdom."Remember there are over six times that number of fulfilled messianic prophecies in this chapter alone. In other words, these fifty fulfilled prophecies provide overwhelming evidence that the Bible is the Word of God and can be trusted. You can know and love the Messiah of Bible prophecy. You can trust God. You can understand the future as God has revealed it in the Bible books of Daniel and Revelation. You can find security in an insecure world! "
(www.tagnet.org/prophecymadeeasy/chapter02.htm)-
If the Bible counts as proof, so does Harry Potter. Avada Kedavra! I just killed your god.
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That's where you are mistaken friend. You didn't kill my God, you may have killed him in your heart, but you can not kill my God. I can only pray that your heart becomes unhardened and you realize the truth. God Bless!
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I do realize the truth. I truly do.
The truth is that the universe exists as the result of natural causes, which eradicates the logical need for ANY god to exist. Any god.
[I can only pray that your heart becomes unhardened and you realize the truth. God Bless!]
I can only pray that your heart becomes clogged with cholesterol and you realize the truth. The hard way.
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I personally believe what the Bible says in Ephesians 2:8-9, "For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: (vs9) Not of works, lest any man should boast."
Many don't believe this because they will not believe the Bible because they will not believe it to truly be God's Word. That's definitely everyone's choice to have faith in Almighty God and His Word or not have faith in Almighty God and His Word.
But please just think of this: IF the Bible is false and filled with error, etc., ones who are held by it's morality, character, and Author have "generally" lead a good and basically happy life. Then at the end of life [if the Bible is false] those ones will just die and go to the grave. BUT - if the Bible is true and without error and inspired and preserved by an Almighty God who actually knows more and knows better than we...then ones who reject Him and His Word will also go to the grave, but they're in serious trouble.
All I'm saying is "think about it"...If the Bible's false, there are folks following "ancient fairy-tales"...and everyone is following something. BUT, if the Bible is true, there are folks following THE TRUTH.
It would be in your best interest to think on and to search this out for yourself - you're eternity [I believe] depends on it.-
[I personally believe what the Bible says in Ephesians 2:8-9, "For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: (vs9) Not of works, lest any man should boast."]
So people who will never hear about Christianity in their entire lives but act good and moral will burn? What a kind and loving god you worship. -
don't tell me that... please don't tell me that... i tried to read bible i swear i did... i could not go beyond a few initial pages... am trying to read Koran now... will that help??? I heard Islam and Christianity had the same origin. -
Judaism is a monotheistic religion based on principles and ethics embodied in the Hebrew Bible (Tanakh), as further explored and explained in the Talmud and other texts. Judaism is among the oldest religious traditions still being practiced today. Jewish history and the principles and ethics of Judaism have influenced other religions, such as Christianity, Islam and the Bahá'í Faith.[From Wikipedia: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Judaism]
According the JudeoChristian Bible, Judaism began with Abraham in Genesis 12. Abram was a citizen of Ur of the Chaldees, a region in what is now in Iraq. It is said in Genesis 12 that God made promises to Abram and told him to pack up his family and move to an undisclosed location.
Based on Abram's faith, he packed up his family and traveled west, eventually crossing the Jordan river and ending in the land of Canaan; the region that is now near the disputed territories of modern day Israel. In the land of Canaan, God promised the land to Abram and there changed his name to Abraham, meaning Father of many nations.
There is a tradition in Judaism that Abraham was born in the year 1948 BCE. This tradition is very old in Judaism, and it is an amazing coincidence that modern Israel was founded in 1948 CE. It is also interesting to note that Abraham was called the Hebrew in Genesis 14:13. This is the first mention in the Bible of Hebrews.
Because Abraham trusted God and obeyed HIS commands, it is said that Abraham is the father of Judaism. The complete story of Abraham, his journeys and his eventual death is recorded in Genesis from Genesis 11:27 through Genesis 25:9
Abraham's covenant with God was specifically for his son Isaac the younger son, not for his elder son Ishmael. This division has become the contention between what is now the Arab nations who also (rightly) claim Abraham as their father. God promised to Abraham the land of Canaan to the son Isaac, although HE also promised that Ishmael would be prosperous and a great nation in himself.
Isaac was the father of Jacob who was renamed Israel in Genesis 32:28. Notice that Jacob's name was Israel, the name of the Hebrews of the JudeoChristian Bible. Jacob/Israel had 12 sons, among them Judah. While not the eldest son, Judah is figured prominately in the Genesis account as the responsible brother. Therefore, in the blessings of Genesis 49, his name is named as the ruler of Israel until "Shiloh comes".
Judah means Praise. Leah his mother named him Praise, so the descendents of Judah are the people of Praise. Judaism is the religion of Praising God, and since Judah is the "ruler" of Isreal in Genesis, Judah's faith is identified with Israel as children of the covenant of Abraham.
[wiki.answers.com/Q/Where_did_Abraham_start_Judaism]
"There is a tradition in Judaism that Abraham was born in the year 1948 BCE. This tradition is very old in Judaism, and it is an amazing coincidence that modern Israel was founded in 1948" AD = year of our lord! I believe this is more than coincidence, this is the work of God! Praise the Lord! Praise the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob! Repent of your sins and praise the Lord Jesus Christ! Amen -
@voodooKobra
You said,"So people who will never hear about Christianity in their entire lives but act good and moral will burn? What a kind and loving god you worship."
You have heard the gospel and yet you mock and blaspheme the God who gave you life. Jesus said unless you repent you WILL perish. -
I disagree with the removal of that post.
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@lbcpastor
"I personally believe what the Bible says in Ephesians 2:8-9"
I'm sure you think you do however what you actually believe in is an intepretative tradition which did not exist during the first 1600 years of Christianity.
I've noticed you've decided to truncate the passage by not quoting,
Eph 2:10. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus in good works, which God hath prepared that we should walk in them.
Seriously,your bible verse slinging is what gives other Christians a bad name. I really, really really do not enjoy those in the Separatist camp turning the scriptural text into some comic-book evangelist/apologistics mockery.
Nowhere does the Christian New Testament scripture proclaim by faith alone ye are saved and that is why Martin Luther had to add it to his bible edition.
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Faith cannot save anyone, however it can 'sustain' them. Personally I prefer to trust in Jack Daniels.-
Hell yes! Every once in a while, a Christian will tell an atheist, "Well whatever you believe in is your god."
The atheist responds, "Well I believe... I'll have another beer."
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wrong place!!!
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Well, let's take a look at what the Bible says,
"For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God" (Ephesians 2:8 NKJV)
According to the Bible we are not saved by faith alone, but by God's grace alone. Thus, faith doesn't save us; rather, it helps us to realize that we are saved.
I will post something on my blog some time this week, to explain this further. Please be sure to subscribe to my blog so that you will be notified when I post it.
Blessings to you,
--Chris -
I have been posting this stuff on my blog, since I started it, which wasn't long ago. One of the main reasons I started it was to show my love for God.
www.thomas-slater.net/ -
I think the question should be "does your religion can save you?"
Faith actually can save us. But it depends. If we have faith in God but never trust Him and we're all just for cheap talk, then our faith doesn't save us. Our faith in God through Jesus Christ by grace we receive is , I think can only save us if we trust Him wholeheartedly and leave our old ways so that we are renewed by living in Him and Him living in us. For how can we say that we are saved or how can say we have faith if we're still living in our old ways and we still don't trust Him? For how can we be saved if we don't allow Him to live in us and us living for Him? Faith is useless if we are not born again to a new life in Christ. Jesus Christ's death save us from eternal damnation of our sins and the only thing we need to do is to let Him work through us.-
Well… religion doesn’t save anyone.
In fact its the most dangerous thing that’s been on the plant since man kind.
But I guess that’s another subject for a different thread.
Getting back to the main Q.
We are saved by faith , with G_ds Grace alone.
What exactly does that mean?
Grace = Favor
G_d finds favor in us when we have no doubts in HIM that he exists.
Meaning by us believing in HIM is how we are saved and how we receive Grace.
So the answer would be “YES” it is by faith that we are saved, OTHERWISE you have believed in vain.
Paul makes it very clear that it is not our good works, but our faith.
What’s in our hearts is the end result on how we are judged.
Good works isn’t enough, though we do it anyway b/c we can, and we want to, and its part of who we are in Him.
Good words is just another added point for us, meaning favor, which equals Grace.
Nevertheless, without FAITH we would not do any good works, so FAITH is the main key to the passageway to the gateway of heaven.
BTW - On this same subject “Saved by Faith”
Did you know that there is only “one” unforgivable sin according to G-d’s word.
Know what it is? -
denying him
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Angie A...just a quick question...why do you put an underscore mark instead of the "o" in God? i.e. G_d
Just curious. -
Kat,
that is correct.
Alex,
I am surprised that you have asked me that question.
Being you’re the BigRuski and it being very basic.
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I've constrcted a small army of clay soldiers to save/protect me in the after life.-
Cool! You couldn't lend some of them to me, could you? I might need a bit of protecting from... well, stuff, too.
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kdawg: I will raid your tomb, and steal your portraits of Curlin.
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Ha! I've had secret ninja construct boobie traps to prevent that from being possible.
LOL - I just said boobie.
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I believe nobody here is saying that by faith alone, one is already saved , there is a need to prove one's faith by action. Atheists tend to measure their "salvation" by the profound effect of their actions to society. This has been a wonderful exchange of views....
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Here is the scripture reference:
Eph 2:8-9 For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast. -
@guitar425
this is the second time I've read a poor biblical interpretation, I'll respond to the first time by pastor also.
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@voodooKobra
The truth is that the universe exists as the result of natural causes, which eradicates the logical need for ANY god to exist. Any god.
Natural causes? Really! Please explain.-
What about the existence of the universe don't you know about? Let's start from there.
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@Thomas
That's a very small view of the Universe
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anyone?
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Aren't you satisfied with the results?
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if she was satisfied and truly believed what she said she wouldn't bother asking the question in the first place. When people ask such questions it is really just a way to get people on board because the have doubts but don't realise it.
Conviction by numbers.
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I can only say this
"your faith is the greatest divine after God" -
I can only say this
"your faith is the greatest divine after God"-
I don't think so
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I would have to say no. No hope for me. :-) -
Yes there is Bryan, there is always hope
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At one time I believed that.
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more so now than ever bryan
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I'm all "tapped" out.
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The good news is that hope is not tapped out. What do you need prayer for?
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I don't need prayer. I don't believe in it.
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youneed it now more than ever bryan
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Maybe, maybe not. I have a feeling it would be a big waste of time. What ever happens will happen regardless if I pray for a different outcome or not. Destined for bad to happen or destined for the good.
If there is a "higher power", who am I to ask him or her to change his mind? It's kinda like saying, "Hey wait, you're making a mistake".
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Angie,
I don't mean to get into a 'semantics' battle here, but it is incorrect to say that we are saved by faith 'with' God's grace alone.
It would be more appropriate to say that we are saved 'with' faith by God's grace alone.
It is important to stick with what the Bible says. In Eph. 2:8 it says "by grace", not 'with' grace.
There is a difference...
Please follow my Blog and I will post something on the subject soon for further explanation.-
I was never debating “By Grace”, as “By Grace” granted would be more appropriate.
I believe the main point in my statement is simply:
"By Grace we have been saved through faith"
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globalgirl,
Prayer is the expression of hope.
Yet, it is so much more than that... -
Yes. As the prophet Slayer once said,
"Jesus Saves"-
LMAO! Too funny, Rich. ^5
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Hey, you edited your comment.
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RichMan,
I understand what you were implying 'before you edited your comment'; but you don't see what I am saying, because you don't understand what is at stake here; nor do you know the Scriptures ...
It's not an issue of grammar, but one of correct 'thought'.
One simple word used in the wrong way has the potential to create a worldview of error.-
what is the nature of correct thought? Who are we to deem what is correct? The end is coming! I hear the horsemen riding- plus, the grammar of this category just irked me. It doesn't make any sense. Proof reading apparently is not covered in Leviticus, but with the way you people type it damn well should be!
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i interpret the discussion has drifted from faith to belief in Jesus. Nevertheless, nothing can save you unless you save yourself.
Complete faith in God(Consider Christ if you want to) and yet misinterpreting his teachings and being intolerant to others is never gonna save anyone.
If faith alone could save anyone I believe all religious terrorists who kill people in the name of God will get the best of heavens. And certainly my God is not one who would like that, nor do I have faith in any system or God who could justify that. -
since i am an agnostic (i.e., an atheist who still wants to have a social life), i'm not so concerned about being saved, unless of course, i was drowning or in some sort of peril. but i don't think that's what you had in mind. but i do have faith. just in other things, like mccain will pick romney (well not so much any more), or how about that 4 comes after 3, or that the alphabet will never need a new letter, fulfilling stuff like that.
does that help somewhat?-
I tend to believe the way you do, crane. I put my faith in things that I know will not change; like your examples. I have, however, stopped putting my faith in man. It only tends to disappointment. The only person that I have faith in, is myself. There is no hurt, no disappointment, and no heartaches that way.
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G8,
If you put your faith in that which doesn't change, then you should put your faith in Jesus Christ.
For, "Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever."
(Hebrews 13:8 NKJV)-
I don't want this to sound mean but I put my faith in him for many years and it got me nowhere.
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RichMan,
If someone were to tell me that there are no absolutes, would it be wrong for me to tell that person that he isn't thinking right?
The fact that he uses an absolute to say there are no absolutes proves that he doesn't know what he is talking about, as he has just blindly defeated his own worldview with his own statement...
So the idea that we can't tell a person what constitutes correct thought is false.-
Chrisesty- you are right. Here is an absolute, you are a schmuck. Howabout them apples?
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G8,
It got you nowhere because you didn't fully entrust your life to Him.
And I can say this with certainty because you are no longer looking to Him...
Now, I would like to help you through this. Would you be willing to talk about it with me in private?-
Didn't fully trust him? Ha!
Not to sound rude, but you have no idea what I have been through in my life. I did trust him fully at one point. Recently I took a step back and looked around, I saw nothing.
Religion is a gamble. You take a chance in believing in a higher power; you follow the belief of that religion in hopes of some great reward after death. There is thousands of religions and all claim to be the gateway to some type of "heaven". They all can't be right.
Why can't there be nothing after death, just darkness; the end? Because humans always want something better, never satisfied.
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Will you people stop trying to convert G8rbryan to your insane superstitious cult already?
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It's ok, voodoo. Thank you. I do however, enjoy a good debate. :-)
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This isn't a debate. It's them saying what you should do, and saying "Give Jesus a chance!"
A debate would be "I believe God created the earth, and here is my logic and facts to support this claim." -
I think the conversion attempts ceased after my latest comment to chrisesty. Lol.
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Good.
You have to be very stern with these people, because they can't seem to grasp the concept of "not wanting religion." -
True.
Religion is not for me any longer.
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G8,
No, you didn't fully entrust your life to him. If you did, you would not have turned your back on Him. Instead, you would have followed this proverb: "Trust in the LORD with all your heart, And lean not on your own understanding; In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He shall direct your paths. Do not be wise in your own eyes; Fear the LORD and depart from evil." (Proverbs 3:5-7 NKJV)
Do you want to look at someone who fully entrusted his life to Jesus Christ?
Take a look at Paul for example. Let's see what he went through...
"Are they Hebrews? So am I. Are they Israelites? So am I. Are they the seed of Abraham? So am I. Are they ministers of Christ?—I speak as a fool—I am more: in labors more abundant, in stripes above measure, in prisons more frequently, in deaths often. From the Jews five times I received forty stripes minus one. Three times I was beaten with rods; once I was stoned; three times I was shipwrecked; a night and a day I have been in the deep; in journeys often, in perils of waters, in perils of robbers, in perils of my own countrymen, in perils of the Gentiles, in perils in the city, in perils in the wilderness, in perils in the sea, in perils among false brethren; in weariness and toil, in sleeplessness often, in hunger and thirst, in fastings often, in cold and nakedness—"(2 Corinthians 11:22-27 NKJV)
And yet, Paul was still able to say: "And my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus." (Philippians 4:19 NKJV)
Eventually, Paul died for his faith.
And you think you went through hard times?
You may have gone through hard times, but I am sure your life was no where near as difficult as Paul's.
And the amazing thing is that he didn't go through any of this because he wanted to make a name for himself or get rich and popular. He went through this because he shared the gospel!
Listen, it's not about comfort. It's about truth and principle. We go through hard times now, because they prepare us for what's up ahead.
So for those who think we rely on Christianity because we think it is a crutch for comfort, you are sorely mistaken; and Paul's life, along with every other life that was martyred for the faith by rotten hypocrites, proves that you claim is utterly false!
You see, there is something more to Christianity than the both of you realize, G8 and voodoo. And when, if you ever, come to understand it, you will be willing to give up everything for it, even your life! And you won't regret one moment of it...
Listen, it's not about comfort. It's about truth and principle. We go through hard times now, because they prepare us for what's up ahead. The world hates us, because though we live in it, we are not of it. Thus, we should not expect to prosper in it. Instead, we should be looking to what the Lord has prepared for us in Heaven...
My experience with Jesus Christ is very real! And it isn't my role in life to try to convince you that it is just what I say it is. I can only tell you what Jesus says it is. I can't make you receive it. That's something that is between you and God.
So G8, and anyone else for that matter, if you would like to learn the ways of Jesus Christ, I would like to share them with you. Not because I want to indoctrinate you into the faith, but because I love you!
I don't want to debate with you. If you want to do that, then you will have to find someone else, because that's not what I am about. I've wasted far too much time doing that.
I just simply want to share Jesus as best as I know how. If you want to learn from what He has taught me, then see my blog. If you want to go deeper than that, then send me an email and we can discuss it further...
I'm not here to put atheists down, or to insult people from other religions.
I am just simply here to share Jesus Christ...-
[No, you didn't fully entrust your life to him. If you did, you would not have turned your back on Him.]
Translation: Your brainwashing wasn't complete.
[And when, if you ever, come to understand it, you will be willing to give up everything for it, even your life!]
I hope to never abandon my common sense and reason. If you're willing to give up everything for your faith, why not take a leap of faith off a skyscraper so you can be closer to Jesus?
[My experience with Jesus Christ is very real!]
Then the evidence of Jesus Christ being the son of a God (and the evidence that suggests that there IS such a god) should be very real.
[That's something that is between you and God.]
That's something that is between me and nobody else, so why talk about it?
[Not because I want to indoctrinate you into the faith, but because I love you!]
Same shit, different smell. -
@chrisesty
DO NOT TELL me what I did or did not do. You do NOT know me nor my life and the things that I have went through and the things that I am going through.
To say I did not put my trust fully in him is your OPINION, NOT a fact. Your opinion and $4 will get you a gallon of gas and nothing more. What you have stated is nothing more than belief and opinion. I despise anyone who tells me what I think. No one knows me but ME.
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Voodoo,
It is evident that you are filled with hatred. I reached my hand out to you in friendship, and you just spit on me...
You even went so far as to suggest that I should kill myself. And yet, you are calling me irrational?
I'm sorry to tell you this, but you are the one who is not being rational; nor are you being civil. And if you think the Lord won't humble you for this, you are sorely mistaken.
G8, my offer still stands. If you would like to talk about this more, then send me an email. But I am going to remove myself from this thread. For, I did not come here to be verbally abused and insulted; nor to be told that I should kill myself.-
You started the insults with me when you said what you did about me. If you think I am going to sit on my ass and let someone insult me by telling me what I think, do or do not do without defending myself then you are sadly mistaken.
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[It is evident that you are filled with hatred.]
The only thing I hate is willful ignorance. Everything else is just "dislike."
[You even went so far as to suggest that I should kill myself. And yet, you are calling me irrational?]
I respond to irrational garbage with ludicrous suggestions. And if you had gone through with it, score 1 for the average intelligence of the gene pool. -
haha that's funny.
The Lord for you is a viscous god (small G) that wants to whip the unbelievers and bless the believers
I know what God is and the God I know loves the supposed unbelievers.
When you solve the following riddle with your heart mind and soul, you will be free from the nonsense you have been programmed with.
"Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dum agreed to have a fight."
God is Love and there is not a molecule in this creation ;or beyond where that love doesn't exist.
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G8,
If you fully entrusted your life to God you wouldn't have ended up where you are right now. It's not an issue of me trying to tell you who you are. It is an issue of me stating that you did not have the kind of faith that you think you had in Jesus Christ.
You keep talking about the hard stuff that you went through. Did you even read the quote that I shared with you from Paul, or did you skip over that?
How is it that he continued to believe in Jesus Christ even after going through some very hard stuff, and yet, you gave up on Him because you went through hard stuff?
Did you think the Christian life would be easy? Did you expect that all of your problems would be eliminated by being a Christian?
That is not what Christianity is about. It's not about comfort. It's about truth and principle.
My offer still stands...
But I am done with this thread.-
There you go again. Telling me what I did and did not do. You don't know what the hell I have done and not done. This is all according to your belief, a belief that con NOT be proven to be fact. No religion can be proven to be fact, at best non-fiction. What Paul went through is a story and nothing more until proven to be a fact. Religion is based on faith and belief that it's true. It's a crap shoot.
Until you have been told you have cancer for the third time, do not criticize me for my change in direction and belief. -
I was diagnosed, with cancer three times too, but I shall praise the Lord, because he is Great!
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ThomasCSlater:
s/because he is Great!/because that is what I believe./
If you don't understand what I'm saying, learn regular expressions.
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Faith alone will not save you. No factor alone can save you. Like cooking, you need lots of other ingredients. Faith is just one factor.-
@Richman, why would you slander someone on this site? You obviously have some issues.
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It's interesting, Jesus walked the earth teaching Faith and Love and this thread shows how powerful the deception of this world is upon humans.
During the judgment time of the man of lawlessness, personal faith is only what will save a person into the egoless new earth. -
hell!!! why does the question of faith invariably gets directed towards existence of "Christ". Stop preaching your OWN PERSONAL religious belief here. The purpose of religions is (or at least was)not to create religious fanatics criticizing other believers/ non-believers. The purpose could be to give you hope when things are going wrong and trust Him.
And am sure no matter what we find out after our time here, if there is God, he's gonna love the right non-believers much more than bizarre believers who repeat whats written in the scriptures without drawing their conclusions and interpretations.-
No, the purpose of religion was to control the lower- and middle- classes and keep us fighting amongst each other over trivial issues (race, gender, religion, sexuality) so they can keep running off with all the money.
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But I LIKE fighting over trivial issues! It's the one thing that keeps me getting out of bed every morning!
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For those who do not believe in God, no explanation is possible. For those who believe in God, no explanation is necessary!-
@onchong
I agree
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Well faith is what one needs to keep one going thro trying times.
deepasubbaraman.blogspot.com/2008/04/very-cute-email-recd-on-faith.html -
Some see a difference between Paul (salvation is by faith alone) and James (salvation is by faith plus works). In reality, Paul and James did not disagree at all.
James is emphasizing the point that genuine faith in Christ will produce a changed life and good works (James 2:20-26). James is not saying that justification is by faith plus works, but rather that a person who is truly justified by faith will have good works in his life. If a person claims to be a believer, but has no good works in his life – then he likely does not have genuine faith in Christ (James 2:14, 17, 20, 26).
Paul says the same thing in his writings. The good fruit believers should have in their lives is listed in Galatians 5:22-23. Immediately after telling us that we are saved by faith, not works (Ephesians 2:8-9), Paul informs us that we were created to do good works (Ephesians 2:10). They approach the same subject from different perspectives. Paul simply emphasized that justification is by faith alone while James put emphasis on the fact that faith in Christ produces good works.-
Apostle Paul never teaches "faith alone" and James does not teach "genuine faith" , these terms are foreign to the text And interpretation.
Both apostles believe in the same kind of faith here is the key,
Paul explains works of the Law from the first covenant peoples does not justify whereas James explains faith in our God is only valid when made active in works of Charity (good works).
The explanation which is false is the one which seeks to describe the two Apostles are talking on different faith or different types of faith, when they do not, but faith working through love" (Rom. 3:28, Jas. 2:24, 26, Gal. 5:6). -
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duplicate post
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Save me from what exactly?
All the talk of an all-mighty god, the hereafter etc means nothing to an atheist. -
Some time ago I said that I would provide an in depth answer to this question.
Here it is: www.thebiblepost.com/salvation -
Wow you got everybody going on this one! -
faith is one of the factor that can help to save us,, but not faith alone.. we will be save us if only we will spread the word of GOd, follow his words and let HIM be the center of your life. obeying him is the most important, i know its very hard to do,, but if we want to be save, then we will do it.. Amen! -
If you claim to have faith but refuse to do His work, then it's not real and it will not save you.
Luke 6:46-49
"Why do you call me 'Lord, Lord,' and not do what I tell you? Everyone who comes to me and hears my words and does them, I will show you what he is like: he is like a man building a house, who dug deep and laid the foundation on the rock. And when a flood arose, the stream broke against that house and could not shake it, because it had been well built. But the one who hears and does not do them is like a man who built a house on the ground without a foundation. When the stream broke against it, immediately it fell, and the ruin of that house was great." -
don't fully understand your question. Faith in what? in God? In the gospel? in the priest? I believe faith is the essence of overcoming. My blog details how my faith helped me overcome so much so yes, a resounding yes but only if it's faith in the truth.
www.cultofdeception.blogspot.com
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