|
Post by Palagrin on Aug 22, 2011 8:58:09 GMT
Because the other religon thread was more of a debate, I thought it would be better to have a separate thread where you could ask us Christians about our faith and the Bible and stuff. This is strictly only questions- no debating please. There are other threads for that
|
|
|
Post by Splungo on Aug 23, 2011 16:32:51 GMT
If a baby-eating lunatic sincerely worshipped God regularly, would they get into heaven?
If a kind and generous person who gave away countless small-fortunes to charities and was a really really nice person didn't believe in God, would they get into heaven?
|
|
|
Post by Palagrin on Aug 23, 2011 18:50:24 GMT
Seeing as I'm not God, I can't guarantee anything, but I'd say that if you're a Christian, then you try and sin less and become more Christ-like. Eating babies isn't doing either of those.
Again, I have no say whatsoever as to who does/doesn't get to Heaven (in fact, I don't even know the specification really)- all I know is that Jesus says "the only way to the Father is through me" which suggests redemption can only happen if you are a Christian.
Whether that means that everyone else goes to Hell or not, I don't know.
And then of course, there is the whole theological discussion as to the nature of Hell.
|
|
|
Post by Michael on Aug 23, 2011 21:28:30 GMT
Unsure if this is a debate, question or observation, you decide.
Do you pray? Because even if I was religious I don't think I would. God's given you free will so he'd not want people to be praying to him... I dunno?
|
|
liam.
Addicted!
...there is no spoon...[M:700]
Posts: 1,327
|
Post by liam. on Aug 23, 2011 21:33:05 GMT
I'll try help you out here pala If a baby-eating lunatic sincerely worshipped God regularly, would they get into heaven? That's god's judgement, we honestly don't know. ^ Know, they wouldn't, the bible explicitly states that you enter the kingdom of god via faith not works, and as that hypothetical person has no relationship with jesus, while it sucks, they don't 'get into' heaven. Yeah, I pray most nights. It's actually really good and really important. That's kinda not true, cos while theoretically that's true, if you don't pray to god you won't have a relationship with him, and you'll end up straying away from him.
|
|
|
Post by Matt on Aug 23, 2011 21:37:22 GMT
I'ma go with what I said to Rhys: You as a person cannot say whether people will get in heaven. Stop denying people entry when you've got no idea if you're in yourself, let people worry about their own faiths and you can worry about your own.
|
|
dan95
Settling In
Posts: 49
|
Post by dan95 on Aug 23, 2011 21:41:39 GMT
In the eyes of Christianity is it wrong to masturbate? Be gay ? Be Transgender? Would you consider the Devil to be a God of evil?
|
|
|
Post by Matt on Aug 23, 2011 21:57:49 GMT
@liam I love how you say you're not sure about the lunatic, but a no to the nice guy.
|
|
liam.
Addicted!
...there is no spoon...[M:700]
Posts: 1,327
|
Post by liam. on Aug 24, 2011 7:36:19 GMT
... when you've got no idea if you're in yourself... Untrue. For God so love the world that he game his only son so that who ever believes in him will not perish but have eternal life - John 3:16. Most famous bible verse in the world promises me right then and there that because i believe in Jesus and have relationship with him I'm going to heaven. In the eyes of Christianity is it wrong to masturbate? Be gay ? Be Transgender? Would you consider the Devil to be a God of evil? Masturbation is a grey area. It doesn't say anywhere it the bible that it's a sin to take a bat, but it does say in Matthew 5:28 "But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart". This means that you could masturbate and it isn't a sin, but if you fantasise it is. And let's be honest, how hard would that be. What-ever-term-you-can-think-of-that-isn't-hetro-sexuality is probably the biggest debate around religion, mostly because no ones really sure what the answer is, so it's pretty opinion based. I believe that the bible clearly states that God didn't create men to do it with men and women to do it with women, and i do think that homosexuality is a sin. But, everyone sins, and in god's eyes all sins are equal. If someone is gay, but they love god, there is no reason that they can't go to heaven, but again, only god can judge. By the way, this doesn't mean I'm anti-gay. I'm not. I don't believe that people who are gay aren't in love, and that god hates them. Not at all. Would you consider the devil to be a god of evil? Well, define a God. At the core of Christianity is the belief that there is only one true God, so the term 'a god' isn't really legit. But yeah, the devil is the king of evil, but the god of evil is a bit of a paradox really.
|
|
|
Post by Matt on Aug 24, 2011 10:01:42 GMT
... when you've got no idea if you're in yourself... Untrue. For God so love the world that he game his only son so that who ever believes in him will not perish but have eternal life - John 3:16. Most famous bible verse in the world promises me right then and there that because i believe in Jesus and have relationship with him I'm going to heaven. Now you're into the argument of the validity of the bible. "Believes in him" <- so as long as you don't deny his existence then you're good? Ah... That's probably a metaphor. "If your hand causes you to sin, cut it off. It is better for you to enter into life maimed, rather than having two hands, to go to hell, into the fire that shall never be quenched." Mark 9:43New Testament - The Man who ate babies (I'm assuming he killed them) would have had to cut off his own hand (or hands if he killed babies with) then he'd be fine then. "One of illegitimate birth shall not enter the congregation of the Lord." Deuteronomy 23:2
Were either of the men 'CONCEIVED' before marriage? As birth (for some Christian faiths) starts at conception, then even if they have relations the day before their wedding, then the child is illegitimate, I'm sure a lot of people today were born like this, I'm also sure that some are Christians who beliefs are as strong as anybody elses... Shame they're not allowed in but meh. My namesake has a very good bible verse that reflects my attitudes to some degree: "Jesus said to him, You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets."
(Matthew 22:37-40)Jesus said himself: Love God and Love your Neighbour. The first and great, and the second. Do them and you'll be fine, but don't be scared into doing something that doesn't feel right because of all this hell and damnation talk I detest. Tl;dr - Love God, Play Nice and see you around. I'll leave you with some bible verses that SHOULD NOT BE TAKEN LITERALLY. DERP. "Slaves, submit yourselves to your masters with all respect, not only to the good and gentle but also to the cruel. " 1 Peter 2:18"One day, after Moses had grown up, he went out to where his own people were and watched them at their hard labor. He saw an Egyptian beating a Hebrew, one of his own people. Looking this way and that and seeing no one, he killed the Egyptian and hid him in the sand." Exodus 2:11-12 Moses is a murderer. My Upmost Favourite: "From there Elisha went up to Bethel. As he was walking along the road, some boys came out of the town and jeered at him. “Get out of here, baldy!” they said. “Get out of here, baldy!” He turned around, looked at them and called down a curse on them in the name of the LORD. Then two bears came out of the woods and mauled forty-two of the boys." 2 Kings 2:23-24
|
|
dan95
Settling In
Posts: 49
|
Post by dan95 on Aug 24, 2011 13:20:19 GMT
Do you have to get out a Bible to find these quotes ? Thank you for your thoughtful and well written answers they have helped me to understand you faith :3 If someone of a different faith (for example Muslim) was to change to Christianity in latter life would they be excepted into Heaven? Do you as Christians believe in evolution , what is your opinions on it? What is the Christian stance on mental illness? Sorry for all the questions but I like to know stuff :3
|
|
|
Post by Pickles on Aug 24, 2011 13:43:46 GMT
Matt, I do hope that that quote in green is legit.
|
|
|
Post by Madi The Unicorn on Aug 24, 2011 14:48:24 GMT
I was raised a Christian, but that doesn't mean I believe in all this stuff (you know how it is... "finding" yourself when your a teenager and all that ) so I'll ask some questions that I'm curious to. And seeing as some people on here appear to be BIG believers, I'll just go ahead and hopefully get good answers... No waffling pleases If some of the bible is not meant to be taken literally how do you know what parts you should follow and what parts you shouldn't? Since the bible is so old, why do you believe it so much? Since times have changed surely the majority of the rules should have changed? (E.g. I remember doing my RE GCSE in year 9 on Marks Gospel, and some of the things you had to do were just silly if you applied them today... Like one everyone should know is to sell everything, have no clothes, and basically end up "on the streets" as it would be for us now... Why put yourself through that pain if God wants us to be happy?) If being gay is a sin, why is it? What is so wrong about loving someone? Since there is no hard evidence to prove some of what happened when the Bible was written how can you be sure it really wasn't just a fable that people told their children, and different accounts of the same story got written down (which could account for the changes in some of the stories and what happened)? Why do bad things happen to people if God is here for us? Why do millions of people die from starvation? Why do Tsunami's occur and kill people? Why do all these things happen if God is in control? Why do children who have never done anything wrong in their lives die? Why do those people who are so selfless, and so loving for everyone around them still die? They're better than any of us because of the hard things they endure and yet they still die? If God can help us, why doesn't he when we need him most? How do you know your religion is right? What if you die and you come to find you were wrong? Or that there isn't anything at all? What proof is there that Heaven or Hell exists? Why aren't we aware of these places? And if Hell is beneath the Earth, in the firey depths, why haven't P-waves or S-waves shown it? D:
|
|
|
Post by Baileyface on Aug 24, 2011 16:31:01 GMT
If god loved us, yet homosexuality is a sin, then why the hell did he make us like that? If I was in your situation then maybe I'd share your opinion, but I really can't. EDIT: CRAP SORRY, this is Michael EDIT: MOVED MA MASSIVE POST ACROSS TO THE TOTHER THREAD 'CAUSE IT WAS MORE SUITED (in answer to Liam and partly Matt & Dan)
|
|
|
Post by Eni on Aug 24, 2011 20:23:07 GMT
In the eyes of Christianity is it wrong to masturbate? Be gay ? Be Transgender? Would you consider the Devil to be a God of evil? No. No. No. And more no. Not according to my understanding of Christianity anyway. Your opinion on these things, as a Christian, generally all comes down to how you view the bible. People who believe these things are wrong generally take the view that the bible is completely literally and as if God spoke everyone of those words yesterday. My own opinion is that the bible is God inspired but still very much written by humans, with human biases, human mistakes etc. I think it's very important t read it as you would any other historical source, taking into account who the people where who wrote it, what country and time they were living in etc. Unsure if this is a debate, question or observation, you decide. Do you pray? Because even if I was religious I don't think I would. God's given you free will so he'd not want people to be praying to him... I dunno? I think what you're saying defines 'praying' as asking God what to do (correct me if I'm wrong) and while I'll say this is a part of pray it is one small part of something which is a much bigger thing. I think most religious people consider pray as a gift, it's definitely what I consider it. It's a fancy word for 'talking with God' basically having a friend/or a father, having a relationship with someone. In times of joy, or times of fear, or sadness, you have someone to celebrate with, someone to cry to, to take your problems to. I mean, even none religious people find diary writing helpful, imagine Anne Frank, hiding and writing to Kitty, it's not that different from prayer. Even if you're not sure someone's there, people find it really helpful to reflect, to talk to someone. Yes I ask for help with decisions when I pray, but that's a very small part of what I do. In praying I believe I'm building a relationship with God.
|
|