Dear JBL,IMO, getting a tattoo is morally neutral, there is no moral component, it is merely body art.  Having said that I would never allow any of my children to have one and would strongly advise anyone, especially females, against it.  Have you ever seen an older person with a tattoo that looked good?  What's cool when your younger looks gr…[Read more]

After reading the prophecy section here I thought of Stevie Wonder's SuperstitionVery superstitious, writings on the wall,Very superstitious, ladders bout to fall,Thirteen month old baby, broke the lookin glassSeven years of bad luck, the good things in your past.When you believe in things that you dont understand,Then you suffer,Superstition aint…[Read more]

After reading the prophecy section here I thought of Stevie Wonder's SuperstitionVery superstitious, writings on the wall,Very superstitious, ladders bout to fall,Thirteen month old baby, broke the lookin glassSeven years of bad luck, the good things in your past.When you believe in things that you dont understand,Then you suffer,Superstition aint…[Read more]

Stuart brings up an interesting point, the point of free will and choice even when doing what we see as good.  Healing prayers or magic or whatever, should only be done with the consent of the individual (exceptions can be made for those who are incapacitated or are otherwise incapable of consent).  Disregarding other's free will can be more e…[Read more]

Quote (gsilva72 @ May 10 2008,04:49)Cato: It is called subjection in the Godhead: Philippians 2:5-8 “Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, 6 who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, 7 but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men. 8…[Read more]

Quote (gsilva72 @ May 10 2008,01:52)He is both man and God. In other words deity. Hence the scripture Titus 2:13 ” looking for the blessed hope and glorious appearing of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ,” Being both man and god would be defined as demigod, would it not?Mark 10:18  “And Jesus said unto him, Why callest thou me good? there is…[Read more]

Quote (t8 @ May 08 2008,22:12)Man is a failed creation. Redemption is our only hope.Mens hearts will fail them in the last days. The inventions of man will be used against us. Never before have men had the ability to do so much evil, or evil on a great scale. This will create great fear.This takes the view that God was experimenting with humanity…[Read more]

Quote (t8 @ May 08 2008,21:36)I know with my testimony that if I were to speak all of it, most here probably wouldn't believe it and would think that I was deluded. But I have seen with my eyes, I have seen things that are not comprehensible to the natural man, and with glory so powerful that I couldn't handle any greater than what I was…[Read more]

I guess it all depends on how we define god or God.  It would be possible to have a supreme all-powerful creator or God, who then would create lesser but still immortal entities who would could be invested with some portion of cosmic or divine power, or gods.  In this sense Christianity and Islam who have their angelic orders are no different.  …[Read more]

Quote (WorshippingJesus @ May 08 2008,03:54)Hi CatoQuote (Cato @ May 08 2008,02:51)If God is the limitless, great unmanifest, all powerful creator of the universe, how does he limit himself and still be God?If God is God, and he is all powerfull, limitless, creator of the universe, how could he not be able to take on human form if he would like?…[Read more]

Quote (Colter @ May 08 2008,04:21)Some of the other problems that people have with Jesus' seemingly conflicting statements is due to the fact that Jesus was a “duel nature being”, a divine son having a human experience. At times he spoke as a man subject to the will of God and at other times as A son of God subject to the will of God, and finally…[Read more]

Quote (gsilva72 @ May 07 2008,11:45)How is Jesus not God? Jesus is not a demi god, but he is God. Hebrews 1:8, Matthew 1:23, John 1:1, 1 Timothy 3:16 all declare that Jesus is God. Also notice that the G in God with these scriptures is not a little g. In Hindu philosophy, an avatar most commonly refers to the incarnation (bodily manifestation) of…[Read more]

Quote (Not3in1 @ May 07 2008,05:36)I guess I'm just a baby yet.So are most of us, but I think we are all slowly maturing. I think some like Jesus were among those ahead of us who come back now and then to lend encouragment and help show the way.

Quote (Not3in1 @ May 07 2008,04:01)I wonder what Jesus would think and do if he happened to walk inside of a Catholic Church during high mass?Your question brings up my old signature line “They have compounded from the heathen mysteries a system beyond the comprehension of man, of which the great reformer of the vicious ethics and deism of the…[Read more]

Quote (Not3in1 @ May 06 2008,10:38)Quote (Cato @ May 05 2008,23:33)You should celebrate, spiritual independence day!Oh, my goodness!I'm going to totally do this!    Totally.   Thanks, CatoBy the way, do you attend a church?My wife just pulled me kicking and screaming to one a couple of weeks ago (its been about 35 years since I last attended an…[Read more]

Back to the question why is it hard to understand the things of God?I think it goes back to my premise that life is school, many here think it is a one course curriculum and even in that they want the answers to the exams without going to class.  I believe there are many courses and the longer we learn the more we will invariably understand.…[Read more]

I believe in free will, in so far as the choices given us.I believe that souls are individual and grow and mature at different rates.I believe God is patient enough to wait for even the most stubborn of souls to realize their errors and return freely to the Almighty.I believe that no soul will spend an eternity in self destructive separation, that…[Read more]

Hello theodorej,Self inflicted, not in that sense, though there are those who leave themselves vulnerable.  The mentally ill do not have the defenses most healthy people have.  Those who use mind altering drugs (like LSD, Mescaline, etc.) open parts of their mind they can no longer shut, what comes through, God only knows.  Those who want to, wh…[Read more]

Mandy,”The only real prison is fear, and the only real freedom is freedom from fear. “Aung San Suu Kyi The greatest shackles that revealed religions have created is the concept of hell, it takes great courage and insight to overcome this ingrained fear implanted from our childhood.  Believe as you are told or your fate is hell, it takes…[Read more]

A couple of thoughts:Possesion is an interesting topic, first off, I feel obsession (I use the term obsessed rather the posessed as this state is not one of total control, but extreme influence) is possible, having seen a case which I could explain in no other way.  It is often confused with mental illness as some symptoms are similar, also the…[Read more]