Register | Sign In


Understanding through Discussion


EvC Forum active members: 65 (9162 total)
5 online now:
Newest Member: popoi
Post Volume: Total: 915,817 Year: 3,074/9,624 Month: 919/1,588 Week: 102/223 Day: 13/17 Hour: 1/1


Thread  Details

Email This Thread
Newer Topic | Older Topic
  
Author Topic:   What led you to God?
joshua221 
Inactive Member


Message 1 of 300 (267441)
12-10-2005 3:28 AM


The setting was perfect for me to find a reason to love the God that I see. I thought about tribal lands, and times when life was a little more simple. When entertainment came in reading books, and the family life in agrarian landscapes. When we had time to think, and we lived for not industry.
I thought if I was put on the earth, and never learned to love God, and never understood the Lord almost forced and through fear at a camp that gave me a questioning spirit, and put my head on straight, what would my life be like? Would I enjoy it more, would I have more friends in High school, would I have these things that I want so badly at times? What if I was in a tribe in Africa, or a desolate region, and I looked at what was around me, would I believe in God, would I find a purpose, or a path?
Would then this path that I had found be what I would want it to be? Would God show himself to me using tribal religion, some sort of alternative to Christ?
I thought about how beautiful life would be with a life like that, and how precious my beliefs are to me, how good it is to believe in a messiah, and a saviour. It would be very different that way. To find God, I could not rely on the wisdom of the biblical authors whom I have embraced as truth, as godliness, instead I would rely on myself, on transendance, and through the earth, I would come to a conclusion someday, maybe quickly, or slowly, that God exists, and I have to have some sort of reason to live.
These beliefs came to me easily, and they were practically handed to me, but I thought about it, and I realized that I would believe in God, in Christ, however more indirectly, no matter what. That life would not deal me a hand that I could not somehow influence and start on a passage to truth.
So my question to you is
How did you find God?
Why haven't you?
This message has been edited by CoonDawg, 12-10-2005 01:51 AM

Replies to this message:
 Message 2 by Phat, posted 12-10-2005 3:46 AM joshua221 has replied
 Message 4 by arachnophilia, posted 12-10-2005 4:32 AM joshua221 has replied
 Message 5 by pink sasquatch, posted 12-10-2005 10:27 AM joshua221 has replied
 Message 7 by Brian, posted 12-10-2005 1:46 PM joshua221 has replied
 Message 16 by macaroniandcheese, posted 12-11-2005 3:53 AM joshua221 has not replied
 Message 22 by Hangdawg13, posted 12-11-2005 9:03 PM joshua221 has not replied
 Message 78 by Theodoric, posted 12-14-2005 4:49 AM joshua221 has replied
 Message 163 by nator, posted 01-15-2006 10:00 AM joshua221 has not replied
 Message 190 by Jon, posted 01-17-2006 4:50 AM joshua221 has not replied
 Message 228 by hitchy, posted 01-18-2006 12:09 AM joshua221 has not replied

Phat
Member
Posts: 18262
From: Denver,Colorado USA
Joined: 12-30-2003
Member Rating: 1.1


Message 2 of 300 (267447)
12-10-2005 3:46 AM
Reply to: Message 1 by joshua221
12-10-2005 3:28 AM


How can anyone avoid finding God?
Charlie--I messed around with your opening post a bit too much! I am a bit of a fussy guy in regards to opening posts!
What was I thinking? I read all of your earlier posts at EvC forum. I remember you telling us about church camp. I never understood exactly what it was that happened to you there.
Prophex writes:
How did you find God? OR
Why haven't you?
(I edited you a bit...tell me if I misinterpreted your flow.)
Personally, I interpret your topic as a sort of a testimony and a rhetorical question to EvC members at large. For those of us who believe that we know God, how did we find Him? I felt an emptiness inside...I could not describe it! It was like being in love with a girl that I had not yet met. One day at church, the blinders came off and I knew that I knew that God was real and that He really loved me!
Its not about theology classes or definitions. Its not about Greek and Hebrew studies, or the philosophy of religion. To me, it is similar to how you described it, Charlie: Looking out a window at nature and being around friends and having awareness of family---when suddenly a light goes on and God is right there!
Many people honestly say that they have had no such experience or that they tried and failed to connect to God. I respect their feelings yet I cannot understand how they feel!
This message has been edited by Phat, 12-10-2005 01:49 AM

Nature is an infinite sphere of which the center is everywhere and the circumference nowhere.
Pensées (1670)
We arrive at truth, not by reason only, but also by the heart.
Pensées (1670)
Heb 4:12-13-- For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart. Nothing in all creation is hidden from God's sight Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of him to whom we must give account.
Holy Spirit--speaking through the Apostle Paul

This message is a reply to:
 Message 1 by joshua221, posted 12-10-2005 3:28 AM joshua221 has replied

Replies to this message:
 Message 3 by coffee_addict, posted 12-10-2005 4:08 AM Phat has not replied
 Message 10 by joshua221, posted 12-10-2005 4:54 PM Phat has not replied

coffee_addict
Member (Idle past 477 days)
Posts: 3645
From: Indianapolis, IN
Joined: 03-29-2004


Message 3 of 300 (267454)
12-10-2005 4:08 AM
Reply to: Message 2 by Phat
12-10-2005 3:46 AM


Re: How can anyone avoid finding God?
Phat writes:
Many people honestly say that they have had no such experience or that they tried and failed to connect to God. I respect their feelings yet I cannot understand how they feel!
Good call. I absolutely have never had such a feeling before. I don't necessarily respect that you believe you've had that feeling, but at least I let you have it.
Peace!

This message is a reply to:
 Message 2 by Phat, posted 12-10-2005 3:46 AM Phat has not replied

arachnophilia
Member (Idle past 1344 days)
Posts: 9069
From: god's waiting room
Joined: 05-21-2004


Message 4 of 300 (267460)
12-10-2005 4:32 AM
Reply to: Message 1 by joshua221
12-10-2005 3:28 AM


question?
are we talking like personal salvation testimony here?
i guess i'd be willing to share, if that's the case.

אָרַח

This message is a reply to:
 Message 1 by joshua221, posted 12-10-2005 3:28 AM joshua221 has replied

Replies to this message:
 Message 11 by joshua221, posted 12-10-2005 5:10 PM arachnophilia has not replied

pink sasquatch
Member (Idle past 6022 days)
Posts: 1567
Joined: 06-10-2004


Message 5 of 300 (267492)
12-10-2005 10:27 AM
Reply to: Message 1 by joshua221
12-10-2005 3:28 AM


Hi prophex - Nice post.
Though part of it shocked me:
Would God show himself to me using tribal religion, some sort of alternative to Christ?
(I think the text changed a bit since your original proposal, so I couldn't find the exact line that surprised me):
It seemed you were saying that in certain circumstances, such as living in a very "primitive" cultural setting, you might have ended up worshipping someone/thing other than Christ, but that it would have been a sort of Christ-in-disguise customized specifically for you by God.
Lest you think I'm criticising you, let me tell you I think that is a beautiful idea.
But then again, I think all religon is essentially the same (and not in a demeaning/derogatory way).
I'm not trying to argue against your faith by any means, but I have a few questions:
- If you found Christ as some part of nature, or as some other deity, (especially if God presented Christ to you in that manner), are you any less a Christian than someone who goes to church every Sunday and knows His "name"?
- If God is sending Christ to different people in different ways according to His plan, what does that say for Christian missionary work? Isn't it actually going against God's plan, in a way?
- If accept that God could present Christ to you in another form, then how are you sure that you are not actually worshipping another deity who has presented Himself to you in your cultural context, that is, as Christ?
- Does it matter which God(s) you worship, if there exists one true deity (or deities) that reaches people via different religious modes?
Again, please don't think I'm trying to tear down what you've stated - I think it is quite beautiful. But I have been dying to get your input on these questions I think it has raised.

This message is a reply to:
 Message 1 by joshua221, posted 12-10-2005 3:28 AM joshua221 has replied

Replies to this message:
 Message 6 by Phat, posted 12-10-2005 12:28 PM pink sasquatch has not replied
 Message 8 by joshua221, posted 12-10-2005 4:16 PM pink sasquatch has replied

Phat
Member
Posts: 18262
From: Denver,Colorado USA
Joined: 12-30-2003
Member Rating: 1.1


Message 6 of 300 (267533)
12-10-2005 12:28 PM
Reply to: Message 5 by pink sasquatch
12-10-2005 10:27 AM


My Belief
Hi, pink sasquatch!---I noticed that you had a few questions directed at Prophex and wondered if you wanted my input on them also.
Here is my input:
- If you found Christ as some part of nature, or as some other deity, (especially if God presented Christ to you in that manner), are you any less a Christian than someone who goes to church every Sunday and knows His "name"?
In my opinion, God presents Christ to individuals and communities on the planet. A Christian does not become a Christian by birth, or indoctorination, or education. A Christian becomes a Christian through impartation, IMHO.
- If God is sending Christ to different people in different ways according to His plan, what does that say for Christian missionary work? Isn't it actually going against God's plan, in a way?
It depends on what the missionary(ies) are doing. If they are shoving tracts in peoples faces outside a Rolling Stones concert--declaring that Mick Jagger is the antichrist--they are going against Gods plan, IMHO. If, however, they are helping an old lady clean out her garage, or helping habitat for humanity build a house for someone than they are being Christ-like rather than using the name of Christ to glorify their egos or whatever.
- If accept that God could present Christ to you in another form, then how are you sure that you are not actually worshipping another deity who has presented Himself to you in your cultural context, that is, as Christ?
Empirically, we could not measure the "good" Spirit from the imitation wannabe spirits. I would simply go with this scripture in answer to that question:
NIV writes:
1 John 4:1-3-- Dear friends, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world. This is how you can recognize the Spirit of God: Every spirit that acknowledges that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God, but every spirit that does not acknowledge Jesus is not from God. This is the spirit of the antichrist, which you have heard is coming and even now is already in the world.
Now...this does not mean that standing on a pulpit hollaring about fire and brimstone means that you know Christ. To know means to behave as He did and help the needy and the simple people---not just the cool looking ones or the ones that can do something for you.
- Does it matter which God(s) you worship, if there exists one true deity (or deities) that reaches people via different religious modes?
If there is only One God and One Spirit, He will draw you unto Him...any truth seeker that is worshipping other "gods" will either be drawn towards the Holy Spirit BY the Spirit or will believe the lie....since they had no internal love of the Truth.(The living Christ=the living Truth.)

Nature is an infinite sphere of which the center is everywhere and the circumference nowhere.
Pensées (1670)
We arrive at truth, not by reason only, but also by the heart.
Pensées (1670)
Heb 4:12-13-- For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart. Nothing in all creation is hidden from God's sight Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of him to whom we must give account.
Holy Spirit--speaking through the Apostle Paul

This message is a reply to:
 Message 5 by pink sasquatch, posted 12-10-2005 10:27 AM pink sasquatch has not replied

Brian
Member (Idle past 4959 days)
Posts: 4659
From: Scotland
Joined: 10-22-2002


Message 7 of 300 (267547)
12-10-2005 1:46 PM
Reply to: Message 1 by joshua221
12-10-2005 3:28 AM


La La Land again?
The setting was perfect for me to find a reason to love the God that I see.
Ah, a perfect setting for yet another Christian self-fulfilling prophecy? Aren’t you bored inventing reasons to believe in God?
I thought about tribal lands,
Did you spare a thought for the thousands of tribal lands that have been soaked in blood by the attempted genocide of the natives by well-meaning Christians?
and times when life was a little more simple.
In what way was life more simple?
When entertainment came in reading books,
So, pre-literate societies didn’t have any entertainment?
and the family life in agrarian landscapes. When we had time to think, and we lived for not industry.
What is all this based on, some kind of dream that you had, or do you really think that this is based in some sort of historic reality?
I thought if I was put on the earth, and never learned to love God,
You don’t seem to realise how self deluding this sounds. You are entering all these situations with deeply entrenched preconceptions; of course you are going to think God is wonderful if you allocate every good feeling that you have to the fluffy little Jesus character. Next time you see pictures in the media of the thousands of starving children who die every day across the world, when you see people dying because they don’t have a few dollars to pay for simple health care, or you see babies born with terrible medical conditions that only allow them to live for a few painful days, do you still get that wonderful spiritual feeling that lovely Jesus is in control. Yes, God is such a wonderful entity when we ignore His incompetence.
and never understood the Lord almost forced and through fear at a camp that gave me a questioning spirit, and put my head on straight,
We only have your word that your head is on straight, this sounds a very subjective claim.
what would my life be like?
It certainly wouldn’t be as much of a waste of time that it is at the moment. Suffocating yourself in all this self deluding God nonsense is extremely sad, there’s so much more you could do with your time, perhaps when you grow up you might be able to shake yourself loose from the programming you have received, I certainly hope so.
Would I enjoy it more, would I have more friends in High school, would I have these things that I want so badly at times?
That depends, I believe you can do, or get anything you want, if you are prepared to work and wait for it.
What if I was in a tribe in Africa, or a desolate region, and I looked at what was around me, would I believe in God,
Well, since every African tribe that I am aware of believes in a god of some sort then you probably would believe in God, it just wouldn’t be the stupid one of the Bible.
would I find a purpose, or a path?
Well, you believe you have found a purpose and a path now, so why should it be any different? People of a certain nature can delude themselves into thinking anything is true, some people are more open to suggestion and less inquisitive than others. We have a TV show on here right now entitled “Space Cadets” and the contestants are being tricked into thinking that four of them are going to be the first civilian space tourists. The contestants have been chosen because they are open to suggestion and extremely gullible, hey are all also extremely stupid. They have been told that they are in Russia, and they have gone through a lot of different training exercises, truth is, they are still in England and the vast majority of the information in the lectures they have had is untrue. If one contestant twigs to the fact that they are being conned then the show is over. Now these contestants are as thick as two short planks, they have been told that the city of Minsk was named after a monkey cosmonaut called Minsky, and not one of them twigged! To me, these contestants are identical to many Christians, open to suggestion, extremely gullible, and thick as two short planks. So, I am sure you would still convince yourself that there is a god, regardless of your geographical location.
Would then this path that I had found be what I would want it to be? Would God show himself to me using tribal religion, some sort of alternative to Christ?
Do you know of any incidents where Christ has made Himself known to someone who hadn’t heard of Him before? Answer that and you will have answered your own question.
I thought about how beautiful life would be with a life like that, and how precious my beliefs are to me, how good it is to believe in a messiah, and a saviour.
I think you need to focus deeper on these questions you ask, you seem to ready to absorb all the hype about Jesus, you don’t really appear to have an enquiring mind at all.
Answer these please:
Is life not beautiful without there being a god?
How good is it to believe in a messiah?
What is it you wish to be saved from?
It would be very different that way. To find God, I could not rely on the wisdom of the biblical authors whom I have embraced as truth, as godliness,
Again, this is nothing more than self-fulfilling prophecy. If you had really studied the Bible you would find out how completely unreliable almost everything that these authors wrote actually is. You could begin with the FACT that no one actually knows who wrote any of the Old Testament (and very little of the NT), and that the Bible was shaped by the social and political background in which the texts were composed. Just blindly accepting that everything in the Bible is true means that a great deal of the beauty if the Bible has been lost to you.
instead I would rely on myself, on transendance, and through the earth, I would come to a conclusion someday, maybe quickly, or slowly, that God exists, and I have to have some sort of reason to live.
Only if you have nothing better to do with your time.
These beliefs came to me easily, and they were practically handed to me,
Millions, probably billions, of children have been brainwashed by well-meaning Christians. They pollute the young brain with their fantasies before the child has entered the abstract thinking stage of their development. Fortunately, a lot of these people become free thinkers as they mature, unfortunately, far too many people are happy to remain in this state of blissful, wilful ignorance.
but I thought about it, and I realized that I would believe in God, in Christ, however more indirectly, no matter what.
How do you know you would believe in Christ if you were brought up in an African village? That is if you can find an African village that hasn’t been polluted by Christianity.
That life would not deal me a hand that I could not somehow influence and start on a passage to truth.
How do you ever hope to find the Truth if you are only prepared to continue living this very narrow minded existence?
So my question to you is
How did you find God?
Why haven't you?
How would you respond to someone who has found the One true God, Allah? Have they found God?
As to why have some people not found God, well some people have found ”God’ and realised that they were simply fooling themselves.
Many people are very inquisitive and need more than faith to difficult answer questions.
Finally, why should anyone bother to seek out God when it is obvious that a great many people are fulfilled without Him/Her/It?
Oh, remember,
Jesus loves you:
and you:
and He particularly loved this guy:
Perhaps Jesus has better things to do with His time.

This message is a reply to:
 Message 1 by joshua221, posted 12-10-2005 3:28 AM joshua221 has replied

Replies to this message:
 Message 9 by joshua221, posted 12-10-2005 4:53 PM Brian has replied
 Message 12 by joshua221, posted 12-10-2005 5:16 PM Brian has replied
 Message 20 by riVeRraT, posted 12-11-2005 7:21 PM Brian has not replied
 Message 99 by Matt6:33, posted 12-15-2005 9:48 PM Brian has replied
 Message 126 by JJPgac, posted 01-13-2006 2:58 AM Brian has not replied
 Message 149 by One4Truth, posted 01-14-2006 7:03 PM Brian has replied

joshua221 
Inactive Member


Message 8 of 300 (267578)
12-10-2005 4:16 PM
Reply to: Message 5 by pink sasquatch
12-10-2005 10:27 AM


quote:
I think the text changed a bit since your original proposal, so I couldn't find the exact line that surprised me):
It seemed you were saying that in certain circumstances, such as living in a very "primitive" cultural setting, you might have ended up worshipping someone/thing other than Christ, but that it would have been a sort of Christ-in-disguise customized specifically for you by God.
Lest you think I'm criticising you, let me tell you I think that is a beautiful idea.
But then again, I think all religon is essentially the same (and not in a demeaning/derogatory way).
No, you have captured the essence of my original post, the beauty is in the different paths that our souls guide us through to one thing. God.
quote:
- If you found Christ as some part of nature, or as some other deity, (especially if God presented Christ to you in that manner), are you any less a Christian than someone who goes to church every Sunday and knows His "name"?
I believe that no matter the way that one may find God, Christ, Allah, themselves, transcendance, enlightenment, nirvana, or heaven, they are all the same in the fact that they are one essential goal of absolute truth. The person who knows his "name" has been taught, has been shown the truth, and most of these people because of how 'easy' it was for them to know of God, take advantage of it, and forget about it. The Native American on the other hand has met his maker through constant struggle in his mind and nature's voice.
quote:
- If God is sending Christ to different people in different ways according to His plan, what does that say for Christian missionary work? Isn't it actually going against God's plan, in a way?
I feel that God speaks our language, and by the time of the end of our lives everyone transcends somehow, by some means, to seek the truth that God wants us to be apart of. I don't feel that the sharing of one's path to truth is a mistake, or something to be shunned, I think that whoever hears his voice will decide for themselves someday, and any reason is incapable of tearing this invisible feeling away.
quote:
- If accept that God could present Christ to you in another form, then how are you sure that you are not actually worshipping another deity who has presented Himself to you in your cultural context, that is, as Christ?
One deity that presents itself in various ways all leading to the Enlightenment of some sort, another deity doesn't exist. The faith that I have chosen to be apart of is one that will take my life to understand, and I believe it is as beautiful as it gets.
quote:
- Does it matter which God(s) you worship, if there exists one true deity (or deities) that reaches people via different religious modes?
No.

these walls are paper thin
and everyone hears every little sound.

This message is a reply to:
 Message 5 by pink sasquatch, posted 12-10-2005 10:27 AM pink sasquatch has replied

Replies to this message:
 Message 14 by pink sasquatch, posted 12-10-2005 10:40 PM joshua221 has not replied

joshua221 
Inactive Member


Message 9 of 300 (267582)
12-10-2005 4:53 PM
Reply to: Message 7 by Brian
12-10-2005 1:46 PM


A lot of what you said had nothing to do with my intentions, and were elementary attepts at insulting people with faith.
quote:
What is all this based on, some kind of dream that you had, or do you really think that this is based in some sort of historic reality?
I met a man in a ski lodge, (dweller), he said that there is a Chinese curse to be born into a busy time, so you could not think about the 'meaning of life'.
quote:
You don’t seem to realise how self deluding this sounds. You are entering all these situations with deeply entrenched preconceptions; of course you are going to think God is wonderful if you allocate every good feeling that you have to the fluffy little Jesus character. Next time you see pictures in the media of the thousands of starving children who die every day across the world, when you see people dying because they don’t have a few dollars to pay for simple health care, or you see babies born with terrible medical conditions that only allow them to live for a few painful days, do you still get that wonderful spiritual feeling that lovely Jesus is in control. Yes, God is such a wonderful entity when we ignore His incompetence.
And these terrible unfortunate lives of the starving, exploited, and desecrated, where will they rest? Will they die, only knowing of the earth that became a hell on earth? Placed 6 feet underneath the earth, if they are lucky? To deny a God, to portray God as incompetent because of this allows their lives to be as simple as the tragic deaths of the unfortunate on TV, what of an afterlife? Victims of human nature, and we can calmly shout out at God for these deaths, these crimes. I can see that these lives were not in vain, and they will find paradise.
quote:
It certainly wouldn’t be as much of a waste of time that it is at the moment. Suffocating yourself in all this self deluding God nonsense is extremely sad, there’s so much more you could do with your time, perhaps when you grow up you might be able to shake yourself loose from the programming you have received, I certainly hope so.
The "programming" was the intent of the OP. God gives me purpose. Where is yours? In the interactions of everyday life, in the love, and the relationships with others? Tell me, where will this purpose be when you die without the existance of a creator?
quote:
So, I am sure you would still convince yourself that there is a god, regardless of your geographical location.
At the origin to the belief in God, there is no convincing, there is awakening, then comes the thoughts of justification, to show others that what I know is truth.
quote:
Is life not beautiful without there being a god?
How good is it to believe in a messiah?
What is it you wish to be saved from?
Life would not matter without a God.
To be saved from not discovering the truth.
quote:
Just blindly accepting that everything in the Bible is true means that a great deal of the beauty if the Bible has been lost to you
Am I the one who has lost the beauty, or have you? You have reasoned out the truth that has been shown to you using methods that cannot explain the methods of God. As all of the theologians who I have seen or personally discussed matters with, they tell the genesis tales as they were told by storytellers of the days, using the biblical knowledge and that of language to portray a myth similar to the Grecian myths of origins. And Moses' journeys, they lose all of their meaning, what I have accepted as truth, scholars have lost inside a world of logic, history, and reason. They forget that God is unable to be explained with the reason they have applied.
quote:
Millions, probably billions, of children have been brainwashed by well-meaning Christians. They pollute the young brain with their fantasies before the child has entered the abstract thinking stage of their development. Fortunately, a lot of these people become free thinkers as they mature, unfortunately, far too many people are happy to remain in this state of blissful, wilful ignorance.
If these that you speak of are unable to think alternatively for truth, then maybe they are lost. But the "brainwashing" is simply the sharing of a particular philosophy of the world, abuse is not of the religion, but of the religious, bring your tirade to them, not the ideas that I have accepted as truth. And why only this critique to that of Christianity? Why not to every religion, or idea about God, truth, or Origins? What is it that you reject? Are you discovering the uselessness in your reason in this area?
quote:
How do you know you would believe in Christ if you were brought up in an African village? That is if you can find an African village that hasn’t been polluted by Christianity.
I believe I have tried to explain this, but Christ is not only the Christ that has been closed off inside your head as false.
quote:
Finally, why should anyone bother to seek out God when it is obvious that a great many people are fulfilled without Him/Her/It?
Are these things that fulfill you only to be washed away with your death? What a tragic existance without meaning.
quote:
How would you respond to someone who has found the One true God, Allah? Have they found God?
Of course.

these walls are paper thin
and everyone hears every little sound.

This message is a reply to:
 Message 7 by Brian, posted 12-10-2005 1:46 PM Brian has replied

Replies to this message:
 Message 17 by coffee_addict, posted 12-11-2005 3:56 PM joshua221 has not replied
 Message 31 by Brian, posted 12-12-2005 1:02 PM joshua221 has replied

joshua221 
Inactive Member


Message 10 of 300 (267583)
12-10-2005 4:54 PM
Reply to: Message 2 by Phat
12-10-2005 3:46 AM


Thanks for the encouragement phat.

these walls are paper thin
and everyone hears every little sound.

This message is a reply to:
 Message 2 by Phat, posted 12-10-2005 3:46 AM Phat has not replied

joshua221 
Inactive Member


Message 11 of 300 (267586)
12-10-2005 5:10 PM
Reply to: Message 4 by arachnophilia
12-10-2005 4:32 AM


Re: question?
I dunno, whatever.

these walls are paper thin
and everyone hears every little sound.

This message is a reply to:
 Message 4 by arachnophilia, posted 12-10-2005 4:32 AM arachnophilia has not replied

joshua221 
Inactive Member


Message 12 of 300 (267587)
12-10-2005 5:16 PM
Reply to: Message 7 by Brian
12-10-2005 1:46 PM


You
Is that it? Is this sad picture the end for these unfortunate souls? I don't think so. If you do think so, then keep denying them their afterlife.

these walls are paper thin
and everyone hears every little sound.

This message is a reply to:
 Message 7 by Brian, posted 12-10-2005 1:46 PM Brian has replied

Replies to this message:
 Message 18 by Phat, posted 12-11-2005 4:57 PM joshua221 has not replied
 Message 32 by Brian, posted 12-12-2005 1:06 PM joshua221 has not replied

joshua221 
Inactive Member


Message 13 of 300 (267683)
12-10-2005 10:32 PM


I had to.
This book, these pages have become a part of my being, as I read it I can stand up and feel good about what I have chosen as my path. These letters are tied to my soul, and I feel so good, I feel so good to be a Christian, and it's wierd, it all comes at a time when I began to question myself, and all of the foundation beneath the very beliefs that I have begun to tell you all about, and express in debate. But the questioning is now over, and I have turned a new leaf in my faith as a follower of truth. John 3:11 refreshed me.
11This is the message you heard from the beginning: We should love one another. 12Do not be like Cain, who belonged to the evil one and murdered his brother. And why did he murder him? Because his own actions were evil and his brother's were righteous. 13Do not be surprised, my brothers, if the world hates you. 14We know that we have passed from death to life, because we love our brothers. Anyone who does not love remains in death. 15Anyone who hates his brother is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life in him.
16This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers. 17If anyone has material possessions and sees his brother in need but has no pity on him, how can the love of God be in him? 18Dear children, let us not love with words or tongue but with actions and in truth. 19This then is how we know that we belong to the truth, and how we set our hearts at rest in his presence 20whenever our hearts condemn us. For God is greater than our hearts, and he knows everything.
"I won't lose you God, I know you're manifested in this book."
This message has been edited by PORTEUS, 12-10-2005 10:33 PM

Your body may be gone, I'm gonna carry you in.
In my head, in my heart, in my soul.
And maybe we'll get lucky and we'll both live again.
Well I don't know. I don't know. I don't know. Don't think so.

Replies to this message:
 Message 15 by AdminPhat, posted 12-10-2005 10:58 PM joshua221 has not replied

pink sasquatch
Member (Idle past 6022 days)
Posts: 1567
Joined: 06-10-2004


Message 14 of 300 (267686)
12-10-2005 10:40 PM
Reply to: Message 8 by joshua221
12-10-2005 4:16 PM


Thank you.
Just wanted to thank you for your responses and the thread, PORTEUS.
It is nice to have someone so openly and personally express their faith. Too often people in the forum open a thread to "express their beliefs", and basically end up describing the pigeonhole they've place themselves in based upon which type of church they go to and which version of the Bible they use... which I find rather off-putting, almost "artificial" for lack of a better word.
Your expression was quite the opposite. I genuinely appreciate your beliefs.
the beauty is in the different paths that our souls guide us through to one thing
Absolutely.

This message is a reply to:
 Message 8 by joshua221, posted 12-10-2005 4:16 PM joshua221 has not replied

AdminPhat
Inactive Member


Message 15 of 300 (267692)
12-10-2005 10:58 PM
Reply to: Message 13 by joshua221
12-10-2005 10:32 PM


Got GOD?
Twindrix,quoting Modest Mouse writes:
Your body may be gone, I'm gonna carry you in.
In my head, in my heart, in my soul.
And maybe we'll get lucky and we'll both live again.
Well I don't know. I don't know. I don't know. Don't think so.
Hey Porteus....call me. Im in chat now, if you need the number!
PB

This message is a reply to:
 Message 13 by joshua221, posted 12-10-2005 10:32 PM joshua221 has not replied

Newer Topic | Older Topic
Jump to:


Copyright 2001-2023 by EvC Forum, All Rights Reserved

™ Version 4.2
Innovative software from Qwixotic © 2024