The Nature of Faith

[Stu]

Quote (Nick Hassan @ Jan. 10 2008,09:51)

Hi tow, Fantasy island? Well most of the world is caught up in fantasy. But we offer more rather helpful truth from the God given source-the bible.

Here is fundamentalism revealed. The material world is a fantasy, and the religious fantasy is real.

Stuart

[NickHassan]

Hi tow,
Does it matter how it got here?
God indeed did sent the manna, the food of angels.
I guess you did not get excited when the dead sea scrolls were found.

[NickHassan]

Quote (Stu @ Jan. 10 2008,11:48)

Quote (Nick Hassan @ Jan. 10 2008,09:51) Hi tow, Fantasy island? Well most of the world is caught up in fantasy. But we offer more rather helpful truth from the God given source-the bible. Here is fundamentalism revealed.  The material world is a fantasy, and the religious fantasy is real.   Stuart

Hi Stu,
If your world is not real then you cannot be reborn into the kingdom of heaven.
Life here is real but awfully short.
zoe=real life

[Stu]

Quote (Nick Hassan @ Jan. 10 2008,11:51)

Quote (Stu @ Jan. 10 2008,11:48) Quote (Nick Hassan @ Jan. 10 2008,09:51) Hi tow, Fantasy island? Well most of the world is caught up in fantasy. But we offer more rather helpful truth from the God given source-the bible. Here is fundamentalism revealed.  The material world is a fantasy, and the religious fantasy is real.   Stuart Hi Stu, If your world is not real then you cannot be reborn into the kingdom of heaven. Life here is real but awfully short. zoe=real life

I have rejected the myth of being reborn as an insult to my heritage, and as for the kingdom of god well the people in white coats have been told not to collect those believers because there are just too many of them.

You are right that life is very short and those of us who are almost certain that it ends at death are pretty tired of being told what is good for us by those who are trying to collect the required points to get into heaven.

However, of you are right that life does not end at death I hope St. Peter breaks to you gently the news that god only ever wanted to be left in peace and he rather favours the Amish and no one else. You might wish then you had not put all your eggs in one basket!

Stuart

[NickHassan]

Hi Stu,
You are deluded if you think heaven is the inheritance of men.
Again you are deceived if you think any efforts can buy the inheritance.
But we do preach the good news here so if it does irritate your ears why stay?

[Stu]

Hi Nick

Quote

You are deluded if you think heaven is the inheritance of men.

Well at this point I leave you to your own delusion. I do not maintain that there is any such thing at all.

Quote

Again you are deceived if you think any efforts can buy the inheritance.

See above.

Quote

But we do preach the good news here so if it does irritate your ears why stay?

Because so much of that ‘good news’ is lies for the gullible, and I think there is no excuse for justifying belief using stuff that can be demonstrated wrong (as opposed to stuff which scripture is two-faced about).

Stuart

[acertainchap]

Quote (Stu @ Jan. 10 2008,12:11)

Because so much of that ‘good news’ is lies for the gullible, and I think there is no excuse for justifying belief using stuff that can be demonstrated wrong (as opposed to stuff which scripture is two-faced about). Stuart

You have to be more clear. What “stuff” can be demonstrated, wrong?

[Stu]

Quote (acertainchap @ Jan. 10 2008,12:15)

Quote (Stu @ Jan. 10 2008,12:11) Because so much of that ‘good news’ is lies for the gullible, and I think there is no excuse for justifying belief using stuff that can be demonstrated wrong (as opposed to stuff which scripture is two-faced about). Stuart You have to be more clear. What “stuff” can be demonstrated, wrong?

It depends on what the 'good news' is. Let's generalise and say that Jesus told us that it (the OT) is 'good for teaching'. So it is good news that there was a flood that never happened, that humans originated with two created people which is wrong on archeological and genetic grounds, that you can see 'all the kingdoms' from a high place, that Jesus is visible descending on a cloud 'to all people' (the world is not flat!).

Do I need to go on?
The non-existent solid firmament?
The absurd lifespans of humans?
The value of the constant pi?

Stuart

[NickHassan]

Hi Stu,
Still no spiritual vision huh?

[acertainchap]

Quote (Stu @ Jan. 10 2008,11:48)

Here is fundamentalism revealed.  The material world is a fantasy, and the religious fantasy is real.   Stuart

The material world and spiritual world is real. Christianity is still here so it's real.

[Stu]

Quote (Nick Hassan @ Jan. 10 2008,12:43)

Hi Stu, Still no spiritual vision huh?

What optometrist do you go to Nick?

Your bluff that there are things that you can see that I cannot is pathetic. It is a shame that 1500 years of the history of Western Europe was subjected to that same myth by power-hungry clergy. It stopped us discovering cures for diseases, amongst other things.

Stuart

[NickHassan]

Hi Stu,
I agree that to try to bluff you is a stupid idea.
And I do not.
We share with you the gospel but you prefer philosophising
to your hearts content.

[Stu]

Quote (Nick Hassan @ Jan. 10 2008,12:59)

Hi Stu, I agree that to try to bluff you is a stupid idea. And I do not. We share with you the gospel but you prefer philosophising to your hearts content.

Others have shared Harry Potter with you, but I don't see you seriously considering it as a guide to how to live. Perhaps is it the magic or the fiction that stops you. Maybe that's what stops me following your book.

Stuart

[NickHassan]

Hi stu,
Who knows.
You are your own master.
Refusal to hear the message is the most popular option.
But why sit about in such a place as this when your views would be idolised elsewhere?

[Towshab]

Stu,

Blame it on the booksellers and libraries. They are the ones deciding what goes in the fiction section.

[Towshab]

Quote (Nick Hassan @ Jan. 09 2008,20:05)

Hi stu, Who knows. You are your own master. Refusal to hear the message is the most popular option. But why sit about in such a place as this when your views would be idolised elsewhere?

Maybe he is not like Jesus demanding followers?

[Stu]

Quote (Towshab @ Jan. 10 2008,13:07)

Quote (Nick Hassan @ Jan. 09 2008,20:05) Hi stu, Who knows. You are your own master. Refusal to hear the message is the most popular option. But why sit about in such a place as this when your views would be idolised elsewhere? Maybe he is not like Jesus demanding followers?

I certainly would not suggest that you hate your own family.

Stuart

[acertainchap]

The Nature of Faith…

Romans 1:16-17

16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes, for the Jew first and also for the Gentile. 17 For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith; as it is written, “The just shall live by faith.”

1 Corinthians 13:2  

2 If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but have not love, I am nothing.

1 Corinthians 13:13

13 And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.

[Not3in1]

The nature of faith is based on God's Word as recorded in the Bible (both OT and NT).

What do you do when you see this base as faulty? What happens to your faith when you find out that the base contains the truth but everyone that reads it receives various truths (and some that are contradictory to other's truths)? Can the basis for faith be trusted? If not, is it possible for faith to remain?

My faith is gasping for air….

[Towshab]

Nah, the nature of faith does not have to be based on a book. Is G-d a book? When it boils down to it, all religions are the same in one aspect: people believing in a higher power than themselves. Since this higher power does not come out and make Himself known, men stumble around and write down their own beliefs about Him. Then people who agree (mostly anyway) with this viewpoint believe along with them.

When you accepted Christianity as your form of religion, you likely did so because it made sense to you. Yet if you were in another culture with different upbringing, another religion would make sense to you.

In the end, all religions are basically mankind's view of a G-d who really is not all that known. The things they write about their view of G-d is what they want their G-d to be like.

[Author]

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