The insurmountable problem for the major religions is their validity after the ages of Enlightenment, Science and Reason since they are based on belief rather than Proof. This does not discount some of their teachings- based on Pagan ethics, by the way- but modern Ethics relies on logical consequences to one's acts rather than by intention or authority. We are caught in the battle- like it or not.
On Sep 9, 7:38 pm, Adam <[email protected]> wrote: > Everything I have written in this article is based on scripture and > much of it on the writings of the apostle Paul. If you don’t recognise > Paul’s authority then we don’t really have much common ground for > discussion. > Adam. > > On Sep 7, 7:14 pm, Pat <[email protected]> wrote: > > > > > On 5 Sep, 05:38, 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? > > > He doesn't. He speaks whenever you hear a voice. > > > >Why are prayers ineffective? > > > They aren't. But, sometimes, the answer is no. > > > >Why does He > > > not interfere in men’s affairs? > > > He does. constantly. Men's affairs are not men's affairs, they're > > God's affairs. > > > >Why does He not prevent evil? > > > Evil is perceived by men given limited knowledge. God, seeing all > > with omniscience, knows better than to think of anything as evil. > > > >Why does > > > He not punish evil doers? > > > Here or elsewhere? Have a quick peek into Hell and tell me if you > > still feel that way. > > > >How does predestination work? > > > Through the mechanism of space-time. > > > >Are people > > > saved by faith or works? > > > Neither. Salvation is not required. Understanding IS. > > > > 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. > > > I would say that the fruit was the concept of choice. Once humans > > believed they had free will, they were doomed to act as if they were > > gods. Rather, they should accept that the only will IS God's and that > > we perform God's will. > > > > 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. > > > Mortality was also given out as a punishment, BTW. > > > > 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. > > > Well said. Too bad we have no faith in that anymore. > > > > This purpose has been delayed because of the sin of the original pair > > > in the Garden of Eden. > > > No, the delay is because of humanity's lack of faith IN God. For > > example, the Jews were commanded to build an ark and and ephod and a > > breastplate, etc. Since these were lost, no one has bothered to > > replace them. This is a GROSS oversight and is what is causing the > > delay of ther Messianic period. > > > > Sin may be defined as “the failure to love God and neighbour”. > > > Insofar as both of those are as a result of human vanity, yes. > > > >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. > > > Ignorance is not, of necessity, sin. However, once one has been > > exposed to the concept, then (continued) ignorance becomes willing and > > a form of vanity where one places themselves before God. > > > > 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. > > > Adam's sin was to feel that he had a choice, i.e., that he could > > actually defy God and 'choose' to act in any particular way. I assure > > you that most humans are VERY guilty of that. > > > >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. > > > If that were true, then there would be no temptation after Jesus' > > death. As that is NOT the case, Jesus' death did NOT perform that > > destruction. Besides, who would Michael battle in Armageddon if Satan > > were already destroyed? Small inconsistency there, Adam. > > > > 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. > > > A great insight there, Adam. We owe everything to God, our life, our > > sense of self and all our environment. > > > >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. > > > Right and wrong, like good and evil, are in the eyes of the beholder. > > God doesn't see them. What He does see is selfishness, which is when > > Man separates himself from God by claiming "I". > > > > 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’. > > > God, being omnipresent, dwells everywhere. > > > > 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. > > > Or, rather, that he was extending his version of the gospel to the > > gentiles. > > > > 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. > > > Nope. Predestination is extended throughout space-time. There is no > > place you can go where it isn't. > > > >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. > > > Predestination is for all. It is the Law and the law is for all. > > > >We all have > > > freewill. > > > No, you don't. you think you do, and that's something we've known, > > now, for around 100 years. But people cling to it because it makes > > them feel powerful (like mini gods). Rather, we are the agents OF God > > and we'd better start acting like it. > > > >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 Christian > > ... > > read more »- Hide quoted text - > > - Show quoted text - --~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~ You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups ""Minds Eye"" group. To post to this group, send email to [email protected] To unsubscribe from this group, send email to [email protected] For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/minds-eye?hl=en -~----------~----~----~----~------~----~------~--~---
