by brotherdan 284 Replies latest watchtower bible
God has used wicked people in the past to accomplish his will. Why could he not have used the councils that put together the modern day canon to accomplish his will?
Er, um... well if that's the case, maybe God is using the WTS to put together the modern organization to further the preaching of the Kingdom Good news...
So, how exactly does a Christian post here that Muslims, Jews and Hindus worship Satan and NOT violate Posting Guidelines #1 and #2?
You need to take your time when debating.
Actually, from your VERY first post in this thread you employed circular reasoning. You know atheists can't be content because they have turned away from from. You know they turned away because the bible tells you so. you know they can only be content by knowing god because the bible tells you so. you know ghod wants man to know him because he told us in the bible. It all comes back to a circular reference.
Poopsie, God has used wicked people in the past to accomplish his will.
But never to write or compile his holy writ. Besides, how do you know they were wicked? Are you sitting in judgement of them?
Again, you take the Holy Spirit out of the equasion and it falls flat. How can you say or even know that the Holy Spirit had no part in directing the construction of the Bible? It seems a bit presumptuous to me...
Read it this way...
Again, you take put the Holy Spirit out of into the equasion and otherwise it falls flat. How can you say or even know that the Holy Spirit had no any part in directing the construction of the Bible? It seems a bit presumptuous to me...
Brotherdan, I have no doubt of your sincerity and that you truly want all of us to join you in your beliefs. The problem is that everyone here believed in God at some point and after our own examination and applied logic we drew different conclusions. We'll never be able to convince one another, but I think we can agree that no matter what beliefs we each have when it comes to a higher power the most important thing is to do good to others and live our lives peacefully and happily. Not out of self righteousness or because someone 'up there' may be watching and judging.
The most uplifting and beautiful book I've read outside of the Bible is the Odes of Solomon. It is also very Johannine in style and is thought to have come from the same community.
Some sample passages:
"As the wind moves through a harp, and the strings speak, so the Spirit of the Lord speaks through my members, and I speak through his love...Let the singers sing the grace of the Lord Most High, and let them offer their songs. And let their heart be like the day, and their gentle voices like the majestic beauty of the Lord. And let there not be any person that is without knowledge or voice. For he gave a mouth to his creation, to open the voice of the mouth toward him and to praise him. Praise his power and declare his grace.... My heart was pruned and its flower appeared, then grace sprang up in it, and it produced fruits for the Lord. For the Most High circumcised me by his Holy Spirit, then he uncovered my inward being toward him and filled me with his love. And his circumcising became my salvation, and I ran in the Way in his peace, in the Way of truth. From the beginning until the end I received his knowledge. And I was established upon the rock of truth, where he had set me. And speaking waters touched my lips from the spring of the Lord generously. And so I drank and became intoxicated from the living water that does not die.... And like the flowing of waters, truth flows from my mouth and my lips declare his fruits. And he has caused his knowledge to abound in me, beause the mouth of the Lord is the true word, and the door of his light.... For the mouth of the Most High spoke to them, and his exposition was swift through him. For the dwelling place of the Word is man, and his truth is love.... The dove fluttered over the head of our Lord Messiah, because he was her Head. And she sang over him and her voice was heard. Then the inhabitants were afraid, and the foreigners were disturbed. The bird began to fly and .... the Lord declared his way, and spread out his grace. And those who recognized it knew his holiness.... Fill for yourselves water from the living spring of the Lord, because it has been opened for you. And come all you thirsty and take a drink, and rest beside the spring of the Lord. Because it is pleasing and sparkling, more refreshing is its water than honey, and the honeycomb of bees is not to be compared to it. Because it flowed from the lips of the Lord, and it named from the heart of the Lord.... And his Word is with us all our way, the Savior who gives life and does not reject ourselves. The Man who humbled himself, but was raised because of his own righteousness. The Son of the Most High appeared in the perfection of his Father. And light dawned from the Word that was before time in him. The Messiah in truth is one. And he was known before the foundations of the world, that he might give life to persons forever by the truth of his name (6:1-2, 7:22-26, 11:1-7, 12:2-3, 11, 24:1-4, 13-14, 30:1-5, 41:11-15).
I have often wondered what Christianity would be like if this book were in the NT instead of Revelation.
I didn't say they were worshiping Satan. They are worshiping...nothing. There IS no other god. That's why Paul did not have a problem with people eating things sacrificed to idols. They are nothing. They are mens attempts to turn away from the true God, but I don't go so far as to say that they represent the devil.
So, Jews, Muslims and Hindus don't know God and their faith is different than your faith, because your faith is in a real God, unlike theirs?
IF there is only 1 true God and they are not worshiping Him...and IF no other god exists...then can I say that groups like Hindus and Muslims don't know who they are worshiping? I guess I would have to come to that conclusion.
But then YOU have to turn it around. I know that you, LWT, are not an atheist. So are you a polytheist?
