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i know what i am told is His plan. but i also know that other people are told that He has another plan (ie, lardlad's post about comparative religion, and whether the same justifications for christianity can't be used for judaism, islam, hinduism, buddhism, etc).
if God was that hands on with his message, every TRUE bible would have glowing letters that illuminated that this was, indeed, the irrefutable Word Of God, untampered with, unexpurgated, and unavoidable. faced with that, we could still have free will and choose to ignore or obey. but there would be no uncertainty.
>if you think he couldnt transmit his teachings to his
>followers accurately
>i too believe there are MANY false teachings being pumped out
>here, but imo many of them are damn obvious
>i'm not sayigng get on ur knees and pray to a statue of a dude
>that died in 1805 or give 100K to preacher shiny suit
>i'm saying going off tones thru out the new testament and
>direct qoutes from jesus i believe we are to respect the
>authority of the govt. and not worrying ourselves with being
>revolutionaries because this is not the kingdom of God and as
>result is destined to be evil and hard to deal with
the thing is. we SEE the false teachings. we SEE people pervert god's word for their own personal benefit and to inflict pain and suffering and further evil in this world and they do so blithely, without visible repercussion. of course, that is god's prerogative to deal with them later but what of those who are led astray by false teachings in the meantime?
>another thing imo trying to determine what should be followed
>and what should not is VERY dangerous
>u are a mere human dawg
>i mean really, who are u to deem what is right and wrong?
i don't deem what's right and wrong. i pray to God to guide me in decisions major and minor. but, again, if there are a zillion 'sects' or denominations of christianity alone, not to mention all of the other religions out there, then based upon these facts alone God doesn't seem to be very hands on in dealing w/ apostacy and man's substitution of 'his' earthly will for God's divine one. and we know from documented history the many perversions and manipulations of the church to suit the will of little men. how then can ANYONE stand and declare that this one version of the bible (pick the protestant or catholic) is totally accurate and contains not a speck of addition or subtraction?
>don't let ur imperfect being decide which of Gods law are good
>enough for u to follow,etc
i try to follow them. but i recognize that there are cultural and human influences. the prohibitions about certain foods were necessary prior to refrigeration and sanitation. likewise, the jewish taboo dealing with dead bodies (which jesus violated on many occasions, making his resurrection of lazarus and the little girl even MORE incredible in context. he also violated the one about the impurity of menstruating women by healing the woman who had 'an issue of the blood' who was, in other words, hemorraghing) sprang from the limits of medicine at that time.
i would be lying to myself and equally double minded if i said i believed, absolutely, in all of these things and i didn't. i've asked folks in previous churches about this and they said pray the lord will "cure my unbelief".
thomas doubted and he was right there on the spot w/ jesus watching it happen.
i believe God is real. my faith is real. and he has delivered me and mine from so many circumstances and blessed me abundantly beyond my wildest dreams and imagination, and infinitely above what a sinner such as myself deserves.
he has created me, including my positives and my flaws, and if, ultimately, my reasoning (and i know the scripture says to 'lean not on thy own understanding) is faulty, i CAN say that i have nonetheless believed in Him and tried to do his will. and if that is not enough then so be it. but that is all that i can give.
my understanding of God and knowledge of the bible is evolving (no pun intended) and who knows, i may be somewhere else in time. my kids can already quote and explain more scripture than i could at 30 (although i am fast catching up). i actually teach children's church and another youth ministry and have led children to christ, and do not deviate from the biblical teachings in doing so. (i keep any of my doubts and misgivings to myself and give them the Word as written). and i never believe it more than when i am teaching it to them, explaining to a ten or eleven year old the meaning of romans 3:23 "all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God", or explaining the verse "if you should mark iniquities, O lord, who could stand?" and "there is no other name given among men (Jesus) by which you can be saved" and even incorporate that into my parenting.
it took the longest time to assure my now 8yr old son that his salvation was assured by his acceptance of Christ as his savior and that his misdeeds in school did not warrant his literal death, or that he was jeopardizing his soul on a daily basis, but that salvation is God's gift and that his adherence to God's word was his gift to God, and that righteousness, though as filthy rags, is a declaration of thanks for God's indescribable gift.
and i do thank you for your questions. i talk about things on here that i can not talk about in real life. folks would look at me like i got horns growing out of my head.
peace & blessings,
x.
sigless for the summer, y'all.
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