I'm with you Arch. Let Captain Kirk go where no man has gone before, I like a woman that knows what she's doing.
dj On Sat, Sep 5, 2009 at 10:43 AM, archytas<[email protected]> wrote: > > Joy indeed that this kind of dross has been widely seen through, > except by Molly who obviously hasn't sat round enough camp fires to > realise the stories generated play in the same league as scripture. > These are the books to burn to keep our feet warm - no doubt in the > absence of a sufficiency of virgins Slip, though I have never had a > use for any, and would be deeply saddened if I ever did. What is this > religious concept of using young women? I'm inclined to the view life > is worth less than we have deceived ourselves into thinking, though I > don't go the whole gnostic hog. Religions are basically secret > societies. We'd be better off with decent politics. > > On 5 Sep, 15:28, Slip Disc <[email protected]> wrote: >> Why would a "Almighty God", a all powerful "Creator", of the Universe >> and all life have to communicate through ignorant human beings, in the >> form of 66 books combined into one, become a human to be tortured and >> killed for the sake of humanity most of which do not believe the >> "Stories" but merely have heard of them via the incessant >> proselytizing by those seeking to increase their membership thereby >> increasing their revenue via the biblical command to give 10% tithing >> to the organization "church" in which people supposedly receive >> blessings, none of which have ever shown themselves to be anything >> more than a fantasy belief or a false hope, while at the same time >> tragedy, suffering, disease and death prevail in the midst of the >> happiness and joy that we alone have to create for ourselves? >> >> I think the human mind is capable of thinking and believing anything >> including human sacrifice to appease God. Imagine sacrificing a >> virgin on a regular basis to appease a "God", I have better ideas for >> virgins. >> >> Why can't we just live and enjoy each waking moment in life, share the >> joy and abundance that the world has to offer. I wish you people >> would just go away and leave me alone, and take your "books" with you. >> >> Religion is "Business" and nothing more. >> >> On Sep 4, 11:38 pm, Adam <[email protected]> wrote: >> >> >> >> > There are some things that have worried and perplexed church-going >> > people for centuries. >> > For example. >> > Why does God remain silent? Why are prayers ineffective? Why does He >> > not interfere in men’s affairs? Why does He not prevent evil? Why does >> > He not punish evil doers? How does predestination work? Are people >> > saved by faith or works? >> > I am going to try to answer all these question in this article. >> > I will attempt to explain the reason for our existence as revealed by >> > the Bible. >> > I will also try to reveal the mind and purpose of God from the same >> > source and explain His two plans of salvation. >> > The Bible records that both Adam and Eve ate of the forbidden fruit >> > and they eventually died. >> > The fruit contained drugs which had several effects on them both. >> > Their knowledge was increased because their eyes were opened and they >> > realised that they were naked. They became mortal and they became >> > selfish. So the fruit contained a mind-altering drug, a slow acting >> > poison that made them mortal and it changed their DNA structure to >> > produce the “selfish gene” (a description invented by atheist Richard >> > Dawkins). This selfish gene and the mortality would be passed on to >> > all their offspring right up to the present time. >> > These changes were not a punishment imposed upon the pair by God. They >> > were the natural consequences of eating a drugged substance. God did >> > punish them by imposing pain in childbirth upon Eve and hard >> > unfruitful labour upon Adam. The punishments were designed to show >> > them that their actions had caused pain to God and had made His work >> > unfruitful. >> > God’s purpose in creating mankind was to produce a race of people >> > willingly obedient to His word. He would then give eternal life to >> > this race of people and dwell with them on the earth. >> > This purpose has been delayed because of the sin of the original pair >> > in the Garden of Eden. >> > Sin may be defined as “the failure to love God and neighbour”. The >> > proof that we love God is if we obey His commands and if we obey those >> > commands (which deal with the fair treatment of other people) then we >> > love our neighbour. The two go together. Ignorance of God is also sin >> > because we can’t love or obey what we don’t know. >> > The selfishness which is a part of every one of us is what theologians >> > have called “original sin”. Some seem to think that we all bear the >> > guilt of Adam’s sin. This is rubbish. We are not guilty of Adam’s sin >> > but we do indeed suffer the results of it. The inherent selfishness in >> > our bodies is “sinful human flesh” and it alienates us from God. We >> > are all, then, classified as “sinners” by God and are doomed to die. >> > In fact it is necessary for all of us to die to destroy the selfish >> > gene within us all. This selfish gene is what is known as ‘the devil’ >> > in scriptural terms. So Christ destroyed the devil within himself by >> > his death. >> > After the disobedience of the first human pair God could have >> > destroyed them and started again with a new pair. But he did not >> > destroy them. He allowed them to procreate and bring about the human >> > race as we see it today together with all its imperfections. >> > After the flood God gradually reduced the lifespan of all humans to a >> > maximum of 120 years but He apparently did not want everybody to die >> > solely from old age. So He introduced many and varied ways of bringing >> > about their death. Old age, epidemics and accidents were just a few >> > ways of accomplished this end. There are also earthquakes and volcanic >> > eruption and tidal waves and stillbirths, etc. This great variety of >> > ways to die ensures that no one knows just how or when he will lose >> > his life. In the light of this it is wrong to say that God has given >> > us life. It is more accurate to say that God has lent us life for a >> > relatively short time to see if we can overcome our inherent >> > selfishness and treat our neighbours fairly. God has thrown us in at >> > the deep end to see which ones of us can rise above our nature. Even >> > the most primitive people know the difference between right and wrong >> > because we all have a conscience which will either justify or condemn >> > us on the day of judgement. >> > In the Old Testament the word ‘heaven’ generally means ‘the sky’ but >> > in prophecy it often has a symbolic meaning. It means ‘the place where >> > the seat of government is located’ and the ‘earth’ means ‘the common >> > people’ or subjects of that government. Thus God, being the supreme >> > ruler of the universe, dwells in heaven somewhere, and on earth the >> > various kings and governments also inhabit their local ‘heaven’. >> > In Paul’s day the seat of government was in Rome so when he wrote that >> > the gospel had been ‘preached to every creature which is under >> > heaven’, he did not mean that it had been preached in Japan or on the >> > American continent, he meant that it had only been preached throughout >> > the Roman Empire. >> > Almost one third of the Bible is devoted to prophecy but I am not >> > going to delve into it in this article except to say that Christ has >> > promised to return to this earth and set up a kingdom here with its >> > headquarters in Jerusalem. To help with the government of this kingdom >> > certain men and women have been chosen to rule with Christ. These >> > people are called ‘saints’ and they were predestined to be called to >> > this honour since before the foundation of the earth. This is the >> > extent of predestination in the Bible. After the call was answered, >> > the saints had the free will to remain faithful to their calling or >> > not as they chose. There is no predestination for sinners. We all have >> > freewill. The saints were each given the Holy Spirit which taught them >> > all truth and given at least one supernatural gift. The Holy Spirit >> > was passed on to saints by the laying on of hands by one of the >> > apostles. The call began when Christ started teaching but then ceased >> > with the death of the last apostle because there was no one left to >> > pass on the Holy Spirit. The church quickly became corrupt as the >> > apostles predicted and there has been no true church since. The whole >> > world is now in the darkness of ignorance and will remain so until the >> > return of Christ. >> > The saints who have remained faithful unto death will be resurrected >> > immortal at the return of Christ and be rewarded with positions of >> > authority in the kingdom according to their works. Those saints who >> > have fallen away from the faith have had their names removed from the >> > book of life, the Holy Spirit has been taken away from them and they >> > will not be raised at the return of Christ. >> > It is predicted that the prophet Elijah will return to Israel to >> > preach repentance to the Jews before the return of Christ. There are >> > indications that a new generation of saints will receive the call at >> > that time. Until that happens we sinners have been left to repent of >> > our evil ways and follow the dictates of our conscience to treat our >> > neighbours fairly. If we can do this then we will receive a favourable >> > judgement at the return of Christ and our names entered into the book >> > of life. At the end of the millennium all the sinners will be >> > resurrected and those whose names are not found in the book of life >> > will be thrown into the lake of fire, which is the second death. >> > Now the saints will be saved by faith (which produces works) but >> > sinners who may have no faith will be saved (or otherwise) by works. >> > So there are two different plans for salvation for two different >> > classes of people. No one can become a saint unless they are called by >> > God. It does not depend on man’s desire or effort but on God’s mercy. >> > Now, why does God not answer prayers? It is because God doesn’t listen >> > to sinners. Neither does he communicate with them. I have witnessed a >> > whole congregation pray for the recovery of a sick woman with no >> > response from God. >> > God does not interfere or prevent sin because everybody is going to be >> > judged by Christ at his return. It does not matter whether a person >> > lives a long or short time in this life. God knows the mind of man and >> > will judge fairly. This is a time of probation and opportunity. To get >> > things in perspective, we have to look at things from God’s point of >> > view. We have no rights before God. He chooses who He wants for honour >> > or destruction. Compared with the creation of the universe the nations >> > are as a drop in the bucket. >> > Now the church-going people >> >> ... >> >> read more » > > > --~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~ You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups ""Minds Eye"" group. 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