Posts by brotherdan

8

Revelations 3:8...the most beautiful scripture

by Joliette in

i know your deeds.

see, i have placed before you an opened door that no one can shut.

i know you have little strength, yet you have kept my word, and have not denied my name..

brotherdan

Context, jiyuu2...context. :-)

You've gotta read WHO Jesus is talking to in Revelation, and WHO Jesus is talking to in Matthew 23.

22

Fundi vs. Fundamentalist - T/J

by Georgiegirl in

i started following thread when it was first posted, got busy, and then came back it was 12 pages long...so i'm starting a new one.. last night in my psych of religion class (which is incredibly fascinating, btw), i learned this:.

"fundamentalism" is a 20th century phenomenon.

it means that the believer has boiled down his beliefs to 5 fundamental beliefs:.

brotherdan

At brotherdan - sorry, but I will take the intelligence and knowledge of my professor against yours anyday. I find your insinuations about his honesty and deception both offensive and judgmental, although not surprising. What a rude, dismissive, and assumptive attitude. You do not know him, his background, or his experience.

Hmmm...I don't see how my post was rude, dismissive, and assumptive. I didn't talk about your professor, his background, or his experience.

I was merely saying that, just like BTS said, if you go by that definition, then you would have to classify almost ALL Christians as fundamentalists. Sorry for offending you.

152

Are you a TRUE Christian?!?

by brotherdan in

i've been thinking alot over the past few days on what makes a christian a christian, and i'm coming to some different conclusions than i ever have.... the watchtower likes to use the term "true believers" or "true christians".

i'm at a loss here lately.

you are either an atheist or you are not.

brotherdan

"True Christians have a faith in Christ that is not swayed by reason" - This guy beings the video.

This view of the Christian he was apparently talking to, I assume, is based on the thought that according to Eph 1, all of the elect were chosen before the creation of the world.

However, bringing in "reason" into the question does not make sense. If someone said that a Christian is not "swayed by reason" that person would be wrong. I believe a Christian should ONLY be one based on reason. You can QUESTION my reasons or my ability to reason, for being a Christian, but if I don't make that decision based on reason, then I have no business being a Christian.

He also goes on to mention that the only reason you put your faith in Christ is because of "human beings". This is an incredible fallacy. But I put forth this: Why do you believe in the Big Bang? Did you put your belief in that because of your own research and calculations? No, those calculations were made by...human beings. You have faith that the Big Bang happened (which I lean towards believing myself) because human beings have done the calculations and theorize that this seems to be the most correct theory. It seems to be reasonable. VERY LITTLE of what we know individually comes from DIRECT knowledge we have from our OWN calculations. The conclusions largely come from...human beings. We learn and accept as truth the things that we learn at school. It makes sense to us. But it comes from "human beings".

Also, he uses the common atheist approach to side step any REASON and use a fallacy that theists believe in God just because "he knows". He obviously is using Thomas Paine as his template. He uses the example of George and person X. But he goes on to say that he is told by George to believe in person X. He does not mention that there would be any REASON to believe in person X. For example, belief in person X would reasonably give a CAUSE for the beginning of the universe. What "caused" the Big Bang? Science cannot answer that. Creation can. GOD caused the Big Bang. According to atheists, what CAUSED the Big Bang?!? NOTHING! It was a random event. Which sounds more reasonable? An intelligent design? Or a random set of events? I think REASON stands on its own here...

To conclude, he also finishes by continuing the fallacy that "true" believers are not to question faith. This too is not true. We all should know what we believe and why we believe it and KEEP ON TESTING as to whether we are believing truth or lies.

Cheeze, you have a PM. But please respond on this post.

152

Are you a TRUE Christian?!?

by brotherdan in

i've been thinking alot over the past few days on what makes a christian a christian, and i'm coming to some different conclusions than i ever have.... the watchtower likes to use the term "true believers" or "true christians".

i'm at a loss here lately.

you are either an atheist or you are not.

brotherdan

When your car breaks down, you pray and wait. No calling the mechanic with a tow truck.
When you have a serious disease, you pray and wait. No medical interventions.

I've gotta disagree with you there. The "wait on Jehovah" tactic of the Watchtower is not biblical.

Time after time in the Bible, people pray and then they take action. That is called, "Asking for a blessing." No Christian is supposed to pray and then do nothing. You are to pray for guidance and then do what you feel is right according to what God would WANT you to do.

You will find very few Christians that will have a problem and then advocate praying and doing nothing about the actual problem.

152

Are you a TRUE Christian?!?

by brotherdan in

i've been thinking alot over the past few days on what makes a christian a christian, and i'm coming to some different conclusions than i ever have.... the watchtower likes to use the term "true believers" or "true christians".

i'm at a loss here lately.

you are either an atheist or you are not.

brotherdan

And not JUST Christians, but people of most faiths...

22

I got turned down for a bible study!

by frigginconfused in

a freind of mine went online and requested a bible study.

they showed up while she was gone and i talked to them.

i told them they could come over to talk to me and we could try to find my place in the org.

brotherdan

You have been judged by a door to door minister as unworthy of salvation.

I wouldn't say that. I think that this guy did his research and figured that he had no argument. I really think that he just may have realized that frigginconfused...was not so frigginconfused after all!

27

A serious Bible contradiction for me

by sabastious in

mark 9:.

38 teacher, said john, we saw someone driving out demons in your name and we told him to stop, because he was not one of us.. 39 do not stop him, jesus said.

for no one who does a miracle in my name can in the next moment say anything bad about me,40for whoever is not against us is for us.41 truly i tell you, anyone who gives you a cup of water in my name because you belong to the messiah will certainly not lose their reward.. .

brotherdan

Sab, do you see the difference? One is talking about someon that is supportive of Christianity, and in the other account he is talking to those that oppose the message? It is a statement to 2 different types of people.

27

A serious Bible contradiction for me

by sabastious in

mark 9:.

38 teacher, said john, we saw someone driving out demons in your name and we told him to stop, because he was not one of us.. 39 do not stop him, jesus said.

for no one who does a miracle in my name can in the next moment say anything bad about me,40for whoever is not against us is for us.41 truly i tell you, anyone who gives you a cup of water in my name because you belong to the messiah will certainly not lose their reward.. .

brotherdan

If I was a Bible-thumping preacher I'd use one verse this week and preach hellfire and brimstone...

And then next week - I'd use the other verse and preach hellfire and brimstone...

But remember - God is Love!

And you would not be preaching the Bible in any of them. :-)

22

Fundi vs. Fundamentalist - T/J

by Georgiegirl in

i started following thread when it was first posted, got busy, and then came back it was 12 pages long...so i'm starting a new one.. last night in my psych of religion class (which is incredibly fascinating, btw), i learned this:.

"fundamentalism" is a 20th century phenomenon.

it means that the believer has boiled down his beliefs to 5 fundamental beliefs:.

brotherdan

Also, we are not supposed to believe. We are supposed to know what we believe and WHY we believe it. If we have cognitive dissonance, then we need to examine as much as possible until we either:

1. Come to a conclusion that we can intellecually accept

2. Realize that we cannot know what people think that they CAN know

22

Fundi vs. Fundamentalist - T/J

by Georgiegirl in

i started following thread when it was first posted, got busy, and then came back it was 12 pages long...so i'm starting a new one.. last night in my psych of religion class (which is incredibly fascinating, btw), i learned this:.

"fundamentalism" is a 20th century phenomenon.

it means that the believer has boiled down his beliefs to 5 fundamental beliefs:.

brotherdan

1. Inerrancy of the Bible

2. Virgin birth

3. Substitionary atonement of Jesus.

4. Body Resurrection of Jesus.

5. Authenticity of Christ's miralces and a pre-millenial second coming.

How are any of these things contradicted in the Bible?

Also, just being a "premillenialist" does not make you a fundamentalist. There are MANY types of views about the future that could STILL be classified into fundamentalism. It sounds like you may have a professor that is a bit slanted in their thinking.

Anyhow, I believe that:

1. The Bible is inerrant

2. It teaches the birth of Jesus from a Virgin

3. Jesus died in substitution of our sins

4. Jesus was resurrected on the 3rd day

5. He performed miracles and will return in the future

So I guess that makes me a fundamentalist. But just having those BELIEFS is not what pop culture says a fundamentalist is. They say that a fundamentalist is one that says, "If you do not join me and my specific beliefs, then you are going to hell."

Your professor would have been more honest to use that sort of description.