I'm trying: a stairway to heaven?

Read the OP Ringo. The ball is in the 'try-ers' court.

Simple RR. He meant try to be perfect as your father in heaven is perfect. It's simple really: where ever you see a command-style word, insert the word 'try' in front of it.Although it won't work anywhere else in life: over the top, 30 mph, don't trespass, keep of the grass...it can work in the bible. For reasons that 250 odd posts has failed to reveal thus far...

Sorry, now I get you. We're talking about repenting to self. In that case no belief in God or existance of God is necessary.

I said repent to self: Iano (speaking to self says) "I hate this argumentitive behaviour of mine, I'm going to try harder not to do it on future"Or I can repent to God "Lord, I hate this behaviour of mine and I'm going to do better in the future"Or I can repent to you "Jar, I hate this behaviour and am going to do better in future (but you'd need an electron microscope to plot the change)"

How to absorb the 40 posts left as fast as you can say "not a bad biblical rebuttal from a heathen". Just quote this verse to Ringo

I know Ringo, I know. On the ropes, clinging on for dear life. Only 40 posts to go before the end of round 1. Phew Think I'll entitle the next one"If at first you don't succeed folks..."Later dude. Dinner is a getting ready an she don't like it a waiting

The prayer:Lord I don't love you
I don't even want to love you
But I want to want to love you...springs to mind. Infinite progression will work hereIf trying then I suppose you would get points for trying to try. Its all trying at the end of the day and some start out further away than others.What do you think as an impartial observer RR. Does trying reek of a God who has all his creation hop, hop hopping to get over the wall. "Come on little ones, just a little higher and you won't get toasted"Ugh...

I wouldn't have thought so. Confessing is admitting you did something whether good or bad. You can evidently confess you did wrong: to yourself or the person who you wronged. But saying you are sorry is apologising not confessing. And saying you will endeavor not to repeat it in future is repentance. Repent: 1 : to turn from sin and dedicate oneself to the amendment of one's life

I'm not sure what you mean by 'externally'.ps: earlier you said repentance doesn't require a profession of belief in God. I can't see how one could consider turning from sin (which is offending God) without a belief that God existsPS do you want to edit your last message so as to stop this hitting the 300 mark before we're out?This message has been edited by iano, 11-Nov-2005 06:19 PM

One could repent internally. You would be admitting you screwed up to yourself, according to your own estimation of what entails 'screwing up'. Whether 'your own estimation' is actually your own could be left hanging for the moment. I disagree. A criminal makes a statement to the police, In it may be contained a confession, apology, sorrow, repentance. Or it may contain a denial. If one directed the elements of your msg 203 to God for instance, the overall would be a statement containing the elements above. A confession is simple admittance to a particular action. For example "If we confess our sins he is..." Confess associated with an act

I read them again to see how they work internally. They all do and no external reference is necessary on any of them ...except "feeling sorry". I can't see how this can be done exclusively internally. Sorrow requires of necessity, an object, in order to work. A sorrow that is only internally focussed is simply narcisstic: "I feel sorry for me because of what I did to someone else" is not sorrow. If I consider when I feel sorrow for my actions, I find it must of necessity focus on the offended. "I wish I hadn't done that to THEM"I agree that the steps outlined adequately reflect the process of repentance. I disagree, for the reason above that in can be a completely internal affair with no reference to the offended party.AbE: One may not tell the offended party of course but one must include the offended party in this way at leastThis message has been edited by iano, 11-Nov-2005 07:19 PM

Am off home Jar. Dinner, movie, pint. In that order. Have a good weekend yourself

We're doing fine at the moment. I agree that the elements of repentance are contained in msg 203. And you agree there is an inescapable external element included in repentance.. namely (I hope you may agree) the offended party (if the behaviour includes offence against a third party)