[monkeyjos]

>This is one of the problems that have nagged at me all my
>sentient life. I seek only to contribute and not to detract
>from anyone's point of view. Please do not take my opinions as
>edicts, they are but the musings of another confused
>being.....
>All my life I have known Muslims, Hindus and Traditional
>African Believers (Animists is it?) who have been BETTER
>human-beings than a vast majority of Christians I know. Just
>as we (Christians) have our bad seeds, so do these other
>religions and beliefs. Similarly, they also have truly
>outstanding virtuous characters. While I know that man cannot
>redeem himself through deeds I sometimes wonder what will
>happen to the one who lived a good life and died but was not a
>professed believer. My belief in an all-knowing and loving God
>demands that he will be able to look at the hearts of these
>people and take them in. Many of the arguments and ideas we
>refer to in discussions such as these are based on doctrines
>prescribed by fallible men. As I myself am. So my view is to
>live life the best you can. Actually try to be a better person
>everyday of your life. There is a little voice in all of us
>that knows the difference between right and wrong. Choose
>right as often as you can. And when you do go wrong make
>amends, if only with yourself. Believe in what you will or do
>not believe at all. Only be good to all those around you. And
>if I must be damned in the end, let it not be because I did
>not love my fellow men. I can never satisfy myself that I have
>found the all-encompassing answer but I do know that I will.
>Sadly though, I will then be beyond sharing it with anyone for
>I shall be dead. So for the little time I have on this earth,
>I'll live my life as best I know how, and listen to other's
>advice along the way. Maybe like the Apostle Paul I will one
>day be able to say I have fought the good fight and finished
>my race and be content with that.

..you have an interesting observation. i was waiting for somebody to bring forth the notion that you only find the answer when you die because all the answers you get in this world are not factual and are widely inconsistent. i think religion as a whole was born by beliefs of mankind and not purely those of ONE God or else they wouldn't be so different,i think God does not care what religion you are as long as you live a life that's right by Him.Religion is just there to help you along the way. These are just my thoughts and are not based on any religious preferences.


Psychiatrists say that 1 out of 4 people are mentally ill.Check 3 friends.If they're OK, youre it.

[Deli_cious]

Of course the bible lost a lot during its many translations and especially during its acceptance as a religion during the reign of Constantine. As research has it, Constantine was pressed to accept Christianity, but made several changes to it, a few of them being:

1.by taking out most female influences involved in the beginning of christianity or maligning them)
2.by emphasising a lot on Christ's divinity and not much as a human...making Him seem larger than life, (to fit the romans ideology of a God).

I am a christian, however broad minded, and would suggest you research into the findings at Nag Hammadi and the Dead Sea scrolls. The church refuses to accept them as Christian because their acceptance means the bible has been modified to suit the male species.

[petermaumau]

You owe no one else Nothing so you need not be BROAD MINDED unto death..
The dead sea scrolls do quite the contrary to what you suggest,they infact strongly validate the accuracy of the Old Testament Of Isiah..One which ties in with Jesus christ so well...
Atleat a 1000 years older than any previously known copy..
The church Under constantine is the Roman catholic church you see today..Which has it's own funny funny doctrine ..and funny you should say that they,the Church under constntine would malighne women when they controversially and In my opinion, raise the status of Mary to a god status..against God's commandment Exodous 20:4..
I hope you are not of the opinion that Jesus Is the man who people say married Mary Magdalene and they went to Italy..If You do then there was no Cross,no resurection and no need for faith coz then you are blieveing In a Lie..On what basis do you then base Your christianity if Jesus was not he son Of God and Infact God who died for Your sins and was resurected? ..Or is christianity doing good works and all that stuff which is quite contrary to Paul's expounding On our salvation by grace not of good works
Rom 3:20 and Rom 4:4
<to fit the romans ideology of a God).>
What ideology of god did they have that could tie In with the jews who they hated..and whose land they terribly destroyed..
The romans were a cultureless people who got their religion ,art and architecture from Lands they conquered..the greek mostly and other places too...
Anyway,you are a christian, that is if you believe In the lordship and sacrifice of our Lord Jesus christ,otherwise do examine yourself and see...

[TeamManager]

@Deli cious
>Of course the bible lost a lot during its many translations
>and especially during its acceptance as a religion during the
>reign of Constantine. As research has it, Constantine was
>pressed to accept Christianity, but made several changes to
>it, a few of them being:

Looks like you have not read much concerning currently available manuscripts, some are even predate to the first century. There is no other classical literature of that time period that is as well preserved as the Bible. Looks like you are not also informed about the numerous non christian/secular material that mentions the Jesus and the early Christian.

>The church refuses to accept them as Christian
>because their acceptance means the bible has been >modified tosuit the male species.

By the way again, do you know on what basis the early christian used to select which books sould be in the Bible.
On a different note, the only thing that the Church regected were the mythological-like that were written 200-300yrs later.

QUESTION?? Are you interested in having your faith based on hard evidence? Hit my mailbox and we chat. But I still stress that your faith should be based on Jesus' saving grace in your life, knowing that He takes away Your shame and Guilt of Sin.


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
And whatsoever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, giving thanks to God.
Col. 3:17

[biwotmoi]

i was brought up in Christianity but every time i read the Bible, i come with more questions than answers. Genesis: God talks about "Lets create man in the image of "OUR" likeness'. Who else is being referred to?

Then about the forbidden fruit, He says something to the effect that, if Adam and Eve eat the fruit THEY SHALL SURELY DIE but then the devil approaches them and tells them that, no, you are not going to die when you eat the fruit. The reason why God wants you to stay away from it is because if you eat it, you shall get powers like his, you shall be like HIM. The two buy the devil's argument. Evidently, after eating the fruit, they do not DIE but develop some sort of awareness that they did not have before, that's how they come to realize that sh!t we've been naked all that time! Now this is interesting, when God comes back and finds that they did not heed to his warning, he admonishes them and kicks them out of Aden for attempting to be like HIM....thereby proving right what the devil had said would happen to them after eating the fruit. that they would not die, but get to be like God. Go read yourself and post your input.

[petermaumau]

THe Genesis account Is really straight forward but as many people <including My CRE teacher would have it is a maze..
You see Kina Eve messed Up..
God Had created us In HIs Image..
As for the US .In this case GOD is GOd the father GOd the son,GOd The HOly spirit..In their Being as GOd..as for Particular relationship,that we will know when we get there..If You think It Is weird Look at the way The Bible describes GOd when He came to eat with Abraham at His HOuse( Abraham was God's Buddy,definitely a good friend He Had <A friendship I seek) THe Bible describes God as three Men...but separately calls GOd Lord...Read GEN 18:1-21
Anyway Kina Adam got death In that they were to live for eternity but after they refused to obey God <they allowed death to come,the reason it wis with Us today,the Death that salvation does away with...
If you ask me Kina Adam messed Up,they ate the tree of Knowledge instead Of eating the tree of life which would have let them live for eternity although they would Have sinned..The Devil wanted the worst for them,and Us

ANyway believe it or not,you are created In GOd's Image..Yo note How God appears as a man...But Not really God..to really take advantage of the Godly image ,you have to be a member of christ's Kingdom whhich shall rule the earth..And yes You can only do this If you get saved..enjoy yourself

[ATLian]

>I hope you are not of the opinion that Jesus Is the man who
>people say married Mary Magdalene and they went to Italy..

There's irrefutable concrete evidence as well as tons of circumstancial evidence which confirms beyond doubt that Jesus was married. The Bible as we know it today is but a collection of 66 books out of hundreds of books that were deemed unfit by the early compilers of the Bible. e.g. for the gospels, they chose 4 out of 80 books. If the men that compiled the first Bible wanted us to view Christ as a married man, then they'd have included books that confirmed that he was indeed married, and you'd have a totally different view-point.

[TeamManager]

>There's irrefutable concrete evidence as well as tons of
>circumstancial evidence which confirms beyond doubt that Jesus
>was married. The Bible as we know it today is but a collection
>of 66 books out of hundreds of books that were deemed unfit by
>the early compilers of the Bible. e.g. for the gospels, they
>chose 4 out of 80 books. If the men that compiled the first
>Bible wanted us to view Christ as a married man, then they'd
>have included books that confirmed that he was indeed married,

>and you'd have a totally different view-point.

Please share with me some of the sources of the irrefutable concrete evidence and also the basis that was used to select which books were to make the Bible.

Tell me again, does this irrefutable concrete evidence also mention that Jesus was born of a virgin, lived a sinless life, was crufied, died, buried and resurected. Does the evidence also mention that Jesus taught with amazing authority, explained His mission on earth and His Fathers Love and righteousness.

Do you believe it all or are you just selective in what you say as 'irrefutable concrete evidence' that you believe in.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
And whatsoever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, giving thanks to God.
Col. 3:17