The Tension of Faith

There's no need Faith. I am a member of an actual recognized Christian Church that already has lots of members and is one of the major Protestant churches; the one that brought us the Book of Common Prayer and the Authorized King James bible.And remember, it's easy to look up all my posts (and your posts too) here at EvC so people can see who it really is that continuously misrepresents what is written in the Bible. It's not I who misrepresents what is actually written in the Bible stories.

And all of the evidence shows that no one has a clue what God thinks.But wait, there's more.All of the evidence shows that past teachers from the Buddha to Jesus to John Locke have presented lesson on how to live ones life. And that is what matters.

You created God. Well Ganesha is the enabler so that is a good person to pray to. Ask Ganesha to help enable you to do what needs doing.Phat, it doesn't matter what God you pray too; what matters in how you pray.Edited by jar, : fix sub-title

The only way you can worship is by what you do. But of course Ganesha counts as God.But GOD, if GOD exists, could not care less about what name you use.Ganesha is every bit as valid as Jehovah or Allah or Coyote.It ain't what you say it is what you do.

Many times. That is where I find the evidence that no one has a clue what God thinks.It is a lesson repeated many time throughout the Bible. A great example is the Exodus folk tale. There the message from God is supposed to be "Let my people go!" yet when Pharaoh say, "No problem, they are free to go!" the God character decides that is not enough so the God character changes Pharaoh's mind.Right from the very beginning of the Bible we see similar examples. The God in Genesis 1 is entirely different than the God in Genesis 2&3. Later the God says "Yo, go take your kid up and sacrifice him" but then seems to change his mind and spares the kid with little more than a "Just kidding." as an excuse.The God character decides to wipe out all life on earth but then afterwards decides that was dumb and says he will never do it with a flood again. She doesn't say "I will never wipe out all life" but just "I won't try to wipe out all life with a flood again."The various characterizations of God found in the Bible show that the god is whatever the author of the story wants to fill in the plot of that particular story.There is a lesson but it is the lesson common to most such religious creations and that is that humans should try to do what is right and help their neighbors.If you will agree that what God wants is to feed the hungry, clothe the naked, shelter the homeless, protect the weak and forgive the sins of others then I would agree that sounds like a great plan. But that is certainly not clear based on all of the stories about God found in the Bible.

What utter and complete nonsense and misrepresentation. Christianity is not being supplanted by paganism and it is only the fringe Christian Cult of Ignorance that has a problem with enforcing equal protection under the law.No one was deprived of the Christian beliefs as nutty as they were. You and others are still free to believe any damn fool thing you want.What you are not free to do is to try to make your nutjob interpretations of God's Law supersede civil law.

Utter nonsense. Christians who break the law will be treated just like anyone who breaks the law.Sorry but reality says your position is simply not true or factual. Christians have no special privilege to break the law and even Jesus himself pointed that out.Have you ever read the Bible Faith? Are any "Biblical Christians" even capable of honestly reading the Bible?Edited by jar, : you position ---> your position

I'm pointing out that it is not Christians who are the issue. The vast majority of Christians have no issue with same sex marriage, with abortion, with equal rights, with granting equal protection and the right to do process to anyone within the jurisdiction of the United States of America.No one is being told they have to worship Caesar, no one is being fed to the lions, no Christian is being denied the right to hold even stupid beliefs.Christians are not being punished for their beliefs.

What is sad about much of Christianity today is that it seems to have totally missed everything Jesus life, according to the stories, was about.He hung out with publicans and prostitutes and sinners.He fed thousands without asking them to believe anything.He made the beer run at the wedding party without ever taking credit for it.He said that we should obey the laws, even if they go against God's laws.The said the it was what we do for others not what we do for Jesus that was important.He said "Don't think you are special because you ain't!"Time and time again, the Bible emphasizes that even just common courtesy is more important than so God's Law!No one is being forced to marry someone of the same sex.No one is being forced to even approve of same sex marriage.No one is being forced to get an abortion.No one is even being forced to approve of an abortion.No one is being forced to change their beliefs in any way.Yet the Christian Cult of Ignorance loves to play at being martyrs.

The situation is somewhat more complex then even your description.First, the four existing Gospels do not present the same story; the unknown author of John is a reaction to Jesus the Messenger and tries to create Jesus the Deity. Paul was an Organizer and he was creating Pauline Christianity. We have glimpses of other competing positions but simply not much original material to work with.But Jesus was never a Christian and the evolution of Christianity continued just as evolution of living things continues.Unfortunately most Christians are never taught anything about the actual formation of Christianity but at most simply given a copy of the Bylaws of their Chapter of Club Christian and they glance at the pictures then put it away.

There cannot be legalized murder, that is simply a stupid assertion Faith.Abortion is not murder, thank God!No one has been forced to bake a wedding cake. But if you do bake wedding cakes then you cannot discriminate and break the law.No one was ostracized as a hater; they were shown to be law breakers. In the United States of America no one has been punished for being a Christian.Once again reality shows you are simply wrong. Your selective memory has arisen once again.We have discussed this in detain many times.One great example we have discussed in the past is from 2 Kings 5 involving going with his master into the Temple of Rimmon and bowing down to Rimmon. Yet another is Jesus tell folk that if their ass is in a crack on the Sabbath don't wait until the next day to pull it out.This is a common pattern from you Faith; to selectively forget all the instances where what you assert are shown to be incorrect.

And yet another vague, unsupported assertion from you it seems.Please provide the link to where I denied something that has been "proved beyond a doubt."

Reality Faith shows that civil rights were the result of the Enlightenment movement not Christianity or any other religion. Again, reality shows you are once again misrepresenting the truth.First, marriage is a civil contract and not something religious by nature.Second, not all Chapters of Club Christian consider a wedding between homosexuals as morally repugnant.Third, a wedding cake is simply a cake just like a birthday cake is just a cake.Fourth, finding a task repugnant is not a justification from breaking a law.Fifth, no one is being forced to marry another of the same sex or approve of a same sex marriage or have a same sex marriage performed in their Chapter of Club Christian.Sorry Faith but those are reality.

Reality still says you are wrong.In the US (you do live in the US?) marriage is a CIVIL contract just as it was for the Jews like Jesus.Marriage in the US is a civil contract.Marriage in the US is a civil contract.Faith, that is the fact and reality. No Faith, God made them male and female and both male and female and changing from male to female and at time male and other times female ...That is simply yet another example of where the Bible stories are factually wrong.The problem is that fundamental Christians are simply wrong and not honest about reality.

Again Faith, that is NOT what Jesus taught.Gay marriage has never been forced on anyone in the US and making that claim is simply another misrepresentation of fact, truth and reality.