A challenge to our dear Christian friends.

[MHz]

That meat has caused a speech defect, ah..okay,,, so you ate defeet of de hare,....there you go, you should have kept her alive so she could lay those eggs for you next week.
You really might wand to consider staying inside from now on, those excursions out into the darkness do not seem to be working very well for you.

 

[look3467]

Dear AJ,

Your condition seems to be deteriorating.

Even your cohort, or "similitude" as you are fond of noting, is concerned about your fixations. Given our friend in RED DEER is perhaps only a notch up on the scale of living in the real world, perhaps you and MHz could seek a private corner to discuss a return to sanity and an escape from this increasingly worrying decline into RELIGIOUS PSYCHOSIS.

There are places you and MHz could get together at. Hope the straight-jackets aren't too tight.

Gotta love ya my friend, sorry you can't seem to find the spiritual end of the spectrum to justify that there is one spiritual God.

You might have read enough about God and might have come close, but you never got it.

Again and again you are given opportunities, by your participation on this forum to really come to get that which you don't have, which you could off had, had you a little bit of faith in God.

I for one don't expect any religious requirements from you in order for you to have faith in God, for that is something between you and Him.

I do try to present God to the world as I try to bring into subjection the desires of the flesh to conform with His attributes.

Mainly love and forgiveness.

If I love God, then the world means nothing.
If I love my neighbor, then mankind means everything.

Peace>>>AJ

 

[look3467]

The Divinity of Jesus is made a convenient cover for absurdity.

John Adams

The Divinity of Jesus has blinded the eyes that sees, and gave sight to the eyes of those who are blind.

Act 28:27 For the heart of this people is waxed gross, and their ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes have they closed; lest they should see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their heart, and should be converted, and I should heal them.

There is no other way!

Peace>>>AJ

 

[Scott Free]

The Divinity of Jesus has blinded the eyes that sees, and gave sight to the eyes of those who are blind.

Act 28:27 For the heart of this people is waxed gross, and their ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes have they closed; lest they should see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their heart, and should be converted, and I should heal them.

There is no other way!

Peace>>>AJ

That isn't an argument unless your talking to someone that already believes.

Why not try something like this:

Jesus can not come into your heart unless you make the first move. Trust is the foundation of faith and if you take the first step you will know what we are talking about. Try this: for the next week ask Jesus to come into your heart. If he really is just a man it can do no harm and if he does decide to choose you, you will discover a whole new world. It can't hurt anything right? This is the best proof I can offer you because god is not predictable. You can't put him in a test tube and make him do tricks. Faith is very much a personal experience. It isn't universal nor predictable. It is magic, it is the lord god and he does as he pleases not as you want. So try it unless your scared. If your scared ask yourself then why you chose to disbelieve, because to be scared of such a silly thing means you really do believe.

I have seen this take out more than a few skeptics.

 

[look3467]

That isn't an argument unless your talking to someone that already believes.

Why not try something like this:

Jesus can not come into your heart unless you make the first move. Trust is the foundation of faith and if you take the first step you will know what we are talking about. Try this: for the next week ask Jesus to come into your heart. If he really is just a man it can do no harm and if he does decide to choose you, you will discover a whole new world. It can't hurt anything right? This is the best proof I can offer you because god is not predictable. You can't put him in a test tube and make him do tricks. Faith is very much a personal experience. It isn't universal nor predictable. It is magic, it is the lord god and he does as he pleases not as you want. So try it unless your scared. If your scared ask yourself then why you chose to disbelieve, because to be scared of such a silly thing means you really do believe.

I have seen this take out more than a few skeptics.

That is the traditional way which is tested true, but not in every case.

I do appreciate your input.


Reaching the heart of an unbeliever has to first go through the mind, and the mind is of all things earthly.

If I can show by my actions, or reflect Godly attributes by my actions in earthly means, then there might be some hope of some minds making a consideration to its validity.


Peace>>>AJ

 

[Dexter Sinister]

I have seen this take out more than a few skeptics.

Wouldn't work on me. I tried that once, on the advice of a bishop no less, when I was struggling with my apostasy, and he confidently assured me that "the Holy Spirit will burn a hole through you." That's exactly what he said, though I presume he meant it metaphorically, I would not be in favour of literally having holes burned through me. When nothing happened, it was explained as my fault, essentially for doubting that anything would happen. Hope and effort aren't enough apparently, you have to believe before you can believe, a logical conundrum that utterly defeats my comprehension. So I decided to embrace my apostasy, and in the long term it's been extraordinarily liberating.

 

[Scott Free]

Wouldn't work on me. I tried that once, on the advice of a bishop no less, when I was struggling with my apostasy, and he confidently assured me that "the Holy Spirit will burn a hole through you." That's exactly what he said, though I presume he meant it metaphorically, I would not be in favour of literally having holes burned through me. When nothing happened, it was explained as my fault, essentially for doubting that anything would happen. Hope and effort aren't enough apparently, you have to believe before you can believe, a logical conundrum that utterly defeats my comprehension. So I decided to embrace my apostasy, and in the long term it's been extraordinarily liberating.

I've seen it not work too. ;-)

It's a knowledgeable religionists last kick at the can. His response too is the typical ego defense.

If he had done a proper base line he would have seen you were too stable to fall for that. Properly done he should have fostered a friendship until some calamity befell you then made his challenge. I'm not saying that would have worked on you but the odds could have been greatly increased. For this trick to work you really need people that are psychologically unstable.

I know this sounds really terrible and I agree - enter my apostasy. It's funny but since I have lost my religion I have become more moral not less. Thinking your chosen really is a sickness IMO. Now I just feel like everyone else. It's much better; less savage.

 

[Dexter Sinister]

...he should have fostered a friendship until some calamity befell you then made his challenge. .

I don\'t think that would work either, or at least not anymore. I've had my share of calamities--a failed marriage that almost destroyed me, premature/accidental deaths of people I loved, stuff like that--but it never occurred to me to seek solace in religion, they happened after my apostasy. If they'd happened before... well , who knows? I sure don't.

But most days, I think I'm right.

 

[Scott Free]

I don\'t think that would work either, or at least not anymore. I've had my share of calamities--a failed marriage that almost destroyed me, premature/accidental deaths of people I loved, stuff like that--but it never occurred to me to seek solace in religion, they happened after my apostasy. If they'd happened before... well , who knows? I sure don't.

But most days, I think I'm right.

I never meant to imply that it would work on you. I was just explaining one of the "dirty tricks" I learned as a religionist and the best way to set someone up.

 

[mrgrumpy]

Wouldn't work on me. I tried that once, on the advice of a bishop no less, when I was struggling with my apostasy, and he confidently assured me that "the Holy Spirit will burn a hole through you." That's exactly what he said, though I presume he meant it metaphorically, I would not be in favour of literally having holes burned through me. When nothing happened, it was explained as my fault, essentially for doubting that anything would happen. Hope and effort aren't enough apparently, you have to believe before you can believe, a logical conundrum that utterly defeats my comprehension. So I decided to embrace my apostasy, and in the long term it's been extraordinarily liberating.

A bishop no less! I always get a kick out of our local bishop where I live especially at Easter/ Christmas - there he is marching down the nave with his staff, and I'm thinkin' hes thinkin -"I am the shepard and you are the sheep and soon you will be fleeced because I need a new Cadillac and a month in Provence". Sometimes it was all I could do to not burst out laughing!

 

[mrgrumpy]

Speakin of Catholics I see they are getting a lot of press lately - They are going to use church donations to train an Exorcist for every Diocese.
WELCOME BACK TO THE DARK AGES.

And they have a new list of deadly sins out, too - one of them being the sin of acquiring excess wealth...isn't that hoot - The Vatican wants to help you divest some of yer money!

 

[MHz]

Wouldn't work on me. I tried that once, on the advice of a bishop no less, when I was struggling with my apostasy, and he confidently assured me that "the Holy Spirit will burn a hole through you." That's exactly what he said, though I presume he meant it metaphorically, I would not be in favour of literally having holes burned through me. When nothing happened, it was explained as my fault, essentially for doubting that anything would happen. Hope and effort aren't enough apparently, you have to believe before you can believe, a logical conundrum that utterly defeats my comprehension. So I decided to embrace my apostasy, and in the long term it's been extraordinarily liberating.

Wow, Sounds like he should have been praying like the temple Jews were, making a big show of it in public. Occasionally when struggling with some verse or passage, or running out of new arguments for some point in a web-forum, I do pray for help. Whether it makes a difference or not I always start with the Lord's prayer then ask for the help I'm looking for, like help in understanding some thing He has written. The next day when I go back to that 'same problem' more often than not something turns up that wasn't there before, at other times it's nothing more than having the will to turn the page and keep reading.
Any sort of meditation might get the same result but with prayer you start out addressing the one who is meant to hear the prayer.

With prayer, mileage will vary, if you go for winning lottery numbers you are wasting your time.

 

[mrgrumpy]

"... like help in understanding some thing He has written. "

So, what's he written?

 

[MHz]

A bishop no less! I always get a kick out of our local bishop where I live especially at Easter/ Christmas - there he is marching down the nave with his staff, and I'm thinkin' hes thinkin -"I am the shepard and you are the sheep and soon you will be fleeced because I need a new Cadillac and a month in Provence". Sometimes it was all I could do to not burst out laughing!

And the whole congregation watched him kick you and said nothing? No wonder you left.

 

[mrgrumpy]

Now, now I can understand yer being a bit peavish after yesterday, likely you were up mumbling prayers all night...goin' to church this morning?..I hear the weather in RED DEER is lovely.

 

[MHz]

"... like help in understanding some thing He has written. "

So, what's he written?

Everything you deny He's written. The same book you tried to toss away but it really only fell to the floor and you keep tripping over it wherever you go. In all honesty, how many times a day does the word 'God' enter your thoughts, that doesn't have to be in a positive way.

 

[mrgrumpy]

There you go again...just can't keep in touch with REALITY.

I asked you what he has written and yer dodgin'...chapter and verse please...remember your Invisible Friend is watching.

 

[MHz]

Now, now I can understand yer being a bit peavish after yesterday, likely you were up mumbling prayers all night...goin' to church this morning?..I hear the weather in RED DEER is lovely.

If more snow is lovely, then yes it is. I actually said that very word when I first looked out the window, "Lovely, just fuking lovely." When I pray I don't mumble, even when praying for somebody terribly ill I don't say more than, "Keep (insert name here) safe." I automatically assume He knows what is best for them.

 

[MHz]

There you go again...just can't keep in touch with REALITY.

I asked you what he has written and yer dodgin'...chapter and verse please...remember your Invisible Friend is watching.

Ge:1:1- Re:22:21
That would be my divisible friend, you either get the jest of the message or you don't, you either look for understanding or you don't, those being two easy to understand examples.
I didn't look at your time-stamps for today's posts, how long you been in Church today so far?

 

[mrgrumpy]

Yer weather report is nice but we're still patiently WAITING for the chapter and verses he has written.