If Christianity is true,we should certainly see good examples of it around us. For example, the 2nd commandment and also Jesus words. “love thy neighbor as thyself”. How many people do we even see TRYING to do this,let alone accomplish it? I am curious to know what peoples idea of a Christian is…Thanks. Confusion
What is a true Jew?
What is a true Hindi?
What is a true Sikh?
What is a true Buddhist?
What is a true liberal?
stupid thread is stupid
[quote]Aggv wrote:
What is a true Jew?
What is a true Hindi?
What is a true Sikh?
What is a true Buddhist?
What is a true liberal?
stupid thread is stupid[/quote]
All good little brother. I’m not that smart
You might get different answers from people of different denominations
[quote]confusion wrote:
If Christianity is true,we should certainly see good examples of it around us. For example, the 2nd commandment and also Jesus words. “love thy neighbor as thyself”. How many people do we even see TRYING to do this,let alone accomplish it? I am curious to know what peoples idea of a true Christian is…Thanks. Concision [/quote]
Have you changed your name? If so, it’s a good change.
Far better to be concise than to be confused.
[quote]Varqanir wrote:
[quote]confusion wrote:
If Christianity is true,we should certainly see good examples of it around us. For example, the 2nd commandment and also Jesus words. “love thy neighbor as thyself”. How many people do we even see TRYING to do this,let alone accomplish it? I am curious to know what peoples idea of a true Christian is…Thanks. Concision [/quote]
Have you changed your name? If so, it’s a good change.
Far better to be concise than to be confused.[/quote]
True. But I’d be lying. Lol. No hard feelings from before. Confusion
[quote]pabergin wrote:
You might get different answers from people of different denominations[/quote]
Indeed.
01-28-2015, 07:57 AM
confusion
Level
Join date: Jun 2005
Posts: 775
pushharder wrote:
What I’ve been getting at, especially with SM, Varq,and now this Confused feller, is that the Bible stories so many take issue with due to their perceived impossibilities are very basically and simply told. And briefly.
To dismiss them because all you really know about them is what your third grade Sunday School teacher taught you is a grave disservice. Yeah, it allows you to be a taunting sumbitch (not directing that at anyone in particular) like the proverbial schoolyard bully that makes all the other kids laugh but you don’t really understand that which you make fun of and when that happens your intellect contracts, or at least it never is allowed to expand. And we don’t want that, do we?
I am all for having an intelligent discussion and don’t mean to come across the way you are saying. Pick a topic in the new testament and I will discuss honestly and intelligently with.you
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[quote] confusion wrote:
I am all for having an intelligent discussion and don’t mean to come across the way you are saying. Pick a topic in the new testament and I will discuss honestly and intelligently with.you
[/quote]
So what’s your interest in all this?
I am interested to know what Christians believe and why.
Okay. Well, I’m probably not the best person to answer your questions because for one thing, I don’t hold to any dogmatic belief system and I don’t profess to have certainty about most things. I was trying to tell you what Christians believe - and they all have many different interpretations.
[quote]confusion wrote:
“love thy neighbor as thyself”. How many people do we even see TRYING to do this [/quote]
Well, in one respect, the answer is a whole bunch, to the tune of 300+ billion fucking dollars a year.
http://nccs.urban.org/nccs/statistics/Charitable-Giving-in-America-Some-Facts-and-Figures.cfm
Just because the news only talks about the bad shit going on doesn’t mean that good stuff doesn’t happen.
[quote]countingbeans wrote:
[quote]confusion wrote:
“love thy neighbor as thyself”. How many people do we even see TRYING to do this [/quote]
Well, in one respect, the answer is a whole bunch, to the tune of 300+ billion fucking dollars a year.
http://nccs.urban.org/nccs/statistics/Charitable-Giving-in-America-Some-Facts-and-Figures.cfm
Just because the news only talks about the bad shit going on doesn’t mean that good stuff doesn’t happen. [/quote]
not bad,hey? That’s a lot of money. If money=love that makes it even better.
[quote]confusion wrote:
“love thy neighbor as thyself”. How many people do we even see TRYING to do this,let alone accomplish it? [/quote]
As a Catholic, this is exactly what it means to be a follower of Christ. The greatest commandment “love thy neighbor.” You TRY to live like Christ. When you fail, acknowledge it and make the necessary change to better follow him.
[quote]confusion wrote:
I am curious to know what peoples idea of a Christian is.[/quote]
A deluded follower of mythology.
Unfortunately, there isn’t a simple answer to that question. Christians in the Bible were followers of Jesus who became known as Christians. These first century Christians were the original, true Christians. Unfortunately, the Bible states that a great apostasy would occur and false teachings and beliefs based on pagan religions would enter into the Christian congregation. Jesus said that this would occur and illustrated this with the wheat and the weeds illustration. At Matthew 13;24-30&36-42 Jesus said that he would plant wheat (his followers who became Christians) and while men were sleeping (after the apostles fell asleep in death), Satan would plant weeds that would quickly overtake the wheat Jesus planted and become the dominant type of Christian. Jesus said he would not stop this and would only take action during a time he calls “the conclusion of the system of things.” The action he would take during “the conclusion of the system of things” would be to separate the wheat from the weeds and to put them into two groups - false Christians represented by weeds and true Christians represented by wheat. The weeds would eventually be permanently destroyed at Armageddon and the wheat would be the ones who survive Armageddon.
When did the weeds begin to be planted? False teachings started to make their way into the Christian congregation in the first century. The following scriptures are warnings showing this (Matthew 7:15;2 Thessalonians 2:3;2 Peter 2:3;1 Timothy 4:1; 2 Timothy 4:3,4). However, Jesus said that the weeds would be planted “while mean were sleeping.” The men were the apostles. While they were alive they were able to stop the weeds from being planted but Paul said at Act 20:29,30 that after his death “oppressive wolves” would enter in the congregation and “speak twisted things.” The last apostle, John, died at the end of the first century. After his death and at the beginning of the second century, it’s a historical fact that the Christians decided to try to make more converts by appealing to the educated Romans who were heavily influenced by Greek philosophy. They did this by combining Greek philosophy with Christian beliefs. For example, Jesus was compared to Perseus; and Mary’s conception to that of Perseus’ mother, Danae, who was said to be also a virgin. Another example is the term soul. The Hebrew word for soul nephesh and the Greek word psykhe are used in the Bible to refer to mortal, living creatures both human and animal (Genesis 1:24,2:7,1 Corinthians 15:45)but these second century Christians linked the soul to the belief popularized by Plato which is that the soul is separate from the body, immortal and invisible. Adopting pagan religious celebrations and festivals of both the Greeks and Romans and making them Christian holidays also started back in the first century and continues down to our day with just about all of the holidays celebrated by Christians. This type of hybrid Christianity (weeds) started in the second century after the apostles died (men where sleeping) and became the dominant type of Christianity for centuries. All of the major Christian religions whether Catholic or Protestant are based off of this type of Christianity. The Bible makes it clear that God rejects religions that are a mixture of Christian and pagan beliefs(John 4:23, 24, Colosians 2:8, Hebrews 13:9). Jesus said in the wheat and the weeds illustration that during the conclusion of the system of things he would make the wheat clearly evident. Matthew chapter 24 and 25 and 1 Timothy 3:1-5 are two of many scriptures that show we are deep in the last days. Jesus has already separated the two groups. Unfortunately, since there are now so many beliefs and people aren’t taught the truth about the history behind where their religion came from, it’s hard to tell which one is right. However, Jesus did give one identifying mark of his true disciples.
At John 13:35 Jesus told his disciples that the love they showed among themselves would be that identifying mark. That love would transcend race, nationality and socioeconomic class. The love they showed among themselves would be international. So there would be no national divisions among spiritual brothers and sisters from the same religion where if their countries went to war they would take their countries side and kill each other which has happened with Christendom all throughout the 20 century and would still happen today. Would Jesus identify members of those religions who supported or participated in wars that killed spiritual brothers and sisters of the same faith as having love among themselves? There’s only one Christian religion who has never picked up arms and participated in the wars of the 20th century, refuses to join the military so there won’t be any chance of killing their “neighbor” or another fellow spiritual brother or sister. They feel that when God looks down at the many Christian groups offering their worship to Him he can see that they are different and truly do have international love amongst themselves. And that they have removed any and all pagan practices and beliefs that the majority of the Christian practice and believe.
[quote]mse2us wrote:
Unfortunately, there isn’t a simple answer to that question. Christians in the Bible were followers of Jesus who became known as Christians. These first century Christians were the original, true Christians. Unfortunately, the Bible states that a great apostasy would occur and false teachings and beliefs based on pagan religions would enter into the Christian congregation. Jesus said that this would occur and illustrated this with the wheat and the weeds illustration. At Matthew 13;24-30&36-42 Jesus said that he would plant wheat (his followers who became Christians) and while men were sleeping (after the apostles fell asleep in death), Satan would plant weeds that would quickly overtake the wheat Jesus planted and become the dominant type of Christian. Jesus said he would not stop this and would only take action during a time he calls “the conclusion of the system of things.” The action he would take during “the conclusion of the system of things” would be to separate the wheat from the weeds and to put them into two groups - false Christians represented by weeds and true Christians represented by wheat. The weeds would eventually be permanently destroyed at Armageddon and the wheat would be the ones who survive Armageddon.
When did the weeds begin to be planted? False teachings started to make their way into the Christian congregation in the first century. The following scriptures are warnings showing this (Matthew 7:15;2 Thessalonians 2:3;2 Peter 2:3;1 Timothy 4:1; 2 Timothy 4:3,4). However, Jesus said that the weeds would be planted “while mean were sleeping.” The men were the apostles. While they were alive they were able to stop the weeds from being planted but Paul said at Act 20:29,30 that after his death “oppressive wolves” would enter in the congregation and “speak twisted things.” The last apostle, John, died at the end of the first century. After his death and at the beginning of the second century, it’s a historical fact that the Christians decided to try to make more converts by appealing to the educated Romans who were heavily influenced by Greek philosophy. They did this by combining Greek philosophy with Christian beliefs. For example, Jesus was compared to Perseus; and Mary’s conception to that of Perseus’ mother, Danae, who was said to be also a virgin. Another example is the term soul. The Hebrew word for soul nephesh and the Greek word psykhe are used in the Bible to refer to mortal, living creatures both human and animal (Genesis 1:24,2:7,1 Corinthians 15:45)but these second century Christians linked the soul to the belief popularized by Plato which is that the soul is separate from the body, immortal and invisible. Adopting pagan religious celebrations and festivals of both the Greeks and Romans and making them Christian holidays also started back in the first century and continues down to our day with just about all of the holidays celebrated by Christians. This type of hybrid Christianity (weeds) started in the second century after the apostles died (men where sleeping) and became the dominant type of Christianity for centuries. All of the major Christian religions whether Catholic or Protestant are based off of this type of Christianity. The Bible makes it clear that God rejects religions that are a mixture of Christian and pagan beliefs(John 4:23, 24, Colosians 2:8, Hebrews 13:9). Jesus said in the wheat and the weeds illustration that during the conclusion of the system of things he would make the wheat clearly evident. Matthew chapter 24 and 25 and 1 Timothy 3:1-5 are two of many scriptures that show we are deep in the last days. Jesus has already separated the two groups. Unfortunately, since there are now so many beliefs and people aren’t taught the truth about the history behind where their religion came from, it’s hard to tell which one is right. However, Jesus did give one identifying mark of his true disciples.
At John 13:35 Jesus told his disciples that the love they showed among themselves would be that identifying mark. That love would transcend race, nationality and socioeconomic class. The love they showed among themselves would be international. So there would be no national divisions among spiritual brothers and sisters from the same religion where if their countries went to war they would take their countries side and kill each other which has happened with Christendom all throughout the 20 century and would still happen today. Would Jesus identify members of those religions who supported or participated in wars that killed spiritual brothers and sisters of the same faith as having love among themselves? There’s only one Christian religion who has never picked up arms and participated in the wars of the 20th century, refuses to join the military so there won’t be any chance of killing their “neighbor” or another fellow spiritual brother or sister. They feel that when God looks down at the many Christian groups offering their worship to Him he can see that they are different and truly do have international love amongst themselves. And that they have removed any and all pagan practices and beliefs that the majority of the Christian practice and believe.
[/quote]
Wow. Thank you for this. Confusion
I will guess and say you are a JW. you’re always welcome here. I respect that JWs know what they believe and live it without apology,nor compromise. They also take the gospel message seriously and try to help people find god. I don’t criticize someone who is trully doing their best to live for god and spreading the gospel message.confusion
[quote]Varqanir wrote:
[quote]pabergin wrote:
You might get different answers from people of different denominations[/quote]
Indeed.
It becomes awfully tongue twisterish by the end
Yep. I’m one of Jehovah’s Witnesses and yes we do try to help people see that God’s Kingdom is the only solution for mankind problems. And that God’s kingdom is a literal heavenly government that will rule over earth and get things back to God’s original purpose which is no suffering, no sickness and death.