James,
<< However, I hope you have enough generosity of spirit not to call everyone stupid who does not understand things the same way you do. >>
I did not call you or the person you quoted stupid. My comment was directed towards the concept that man is no different than animals. This idea is patently absurd, irrational, and in direct conflict with available evidence and reason.
<< We are all entitled to our own understandings >>
Absolutely! Thank God we live in America where we have the freedom to believe whatever we want and to discuss our beliefs in an open forum without fear of reprisals. Muslims in this country, for example, will claim that theirs is a religion of peace, and yet in Islamic countries, the Muslims kill Christians and Jews for rejecting the stupid teachings of the Koran and the Hadith. Muslims may be offended if I say that Allah is NOT God, Muhammad is NOT His prophet, and the Koran is NOT the Word of God, but read "Winning the War Against Radical Islam" by Dr. Robert A. Morey and decide for yourself. It is meaningless for someone to stand up and say that "Islam is a religion of peace" when their own writings, the foundational documents of their religion, prove otherwise! Dr. Morey does an excellent job of demonstrating what the Koran and the Hadith teach and what Muhammad actually did. The truth is, Islam is a racist religion of hatred and violence founded on pagan religions that worship the moon god Ilah. Yes, people are entitled to believe whatever they want to believe, but that doesn't make their beliefs true regardless of how sincerely or strongly held their beliefs may be. Amazingly enough, intelligent people often believe really stupid things because they choose to believe what they want to believe instead of being intellectually honest enough to seek the Truth. Talk to a Mormon and he will ask you how you "feel" about this and that. They use emotions to determine what they want to believe. Mormons are some of the nicest people that you would ever want to meet and by and large they have very good morals and family values, but they are in spiritual darkness because they have chosen to believe and follow a false religion.
I may sound mean and unloving knocking all of these other religions, but let's be realistic. There a lots of religions out there and they teach contradictory things. Either all of them are false, or one is true and the rest are false. Those are your only two choices! They cannot all be true! It would be aweful news if we could not determine what is true and were left to be tossed about by various teachings and ideas. The Good News is that our Wonderful Creator has revealed Himself in the Holy Scriptures and has made Himself knowable to us! He even came down in the form of a man, Jesus Christ, to reveal Himself, His character, and His plan of salvation to us. We have documented evidence of eyewitness accounts and many infallible proofs that Jesus is YHWH and that the Bible is true!
John 10:7-11
7 Then Jesus said to them again, "Most assuredly, I say to you, I am the door of the sheep.
8 "All who ever came before Me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not hear them.
9 "I am the door. If anyone enters by Me, he will be saved, and will go in and out and find pasture.
10 "The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.
11 "I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd gives His life for the sheep.
(NKJ)
All religions paint different pictures of different gods. Allah is NOT YHWH. The Hindus and the Buddhists don't worship the True and Living God. The New Age Movement does not worship the True and Living God.
John 14:6
6 Jesus said to him, "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.
(NKJ)
What is the use of discussing religious ideas if we are not seeking Truth? I have no ill-will towards you or Muslims or anyone else, but I believe that the Truth is knowable and that false religions and New Age beliefs are, for the most part, self-refuting. The Wonderful Creator God has given each of us an incredible brain with which we can study the world around us, seek Him, and know Him. God is knowable and false beliefs cannot withstand the weight of diligent scholarship and reason, if the person investigating them is intellectually honest with himself and wants to know the Truth. Jesus told us that we would know the Truth and that the Truth would set us free. What an incredible promise! I have found it to be true in my life.
<< obviously yours is based on the Christian bible and its
creation story. >>
Absolutely! Paul wrote in 2 Timothy 3:16-17:
16 All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness,
17 that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.
(NKJ)
I believe that the Bible is the infallible, inspired, and inerrant Word of the Living God. Through it, the simple are made wise. The fool has said in his heart that there is no God. The Holy Bible is the revelation of the One True God, YHWH. These sixty-six Holy Books document everything from Creation to the end of the world, and paint a panoramic picture of how God has loved wretched sinners like you and me so much that although we deserve eternal punishment and damnation, He suffered and died on the cross to pay the penalty for our sins, so that if we follow Him, we will live eternally in Heaven forever! He is an awesome God! Anyone who would want to replace the knowledge and worship of the True and Living God with some false goddess, new age religion, or imaginary god of their own creation should read Romans Chapters 1 and 2 and should reconsider. False religions abound, but there is only One True Faith, and that is the Christian faith as taught in the Holy Scriptures.
I should point out, of course, that many people call themselves Christians who are not anything of the sort. A Catholic Priest who molests little boys does not know the Living God, is not born-again, and is an unredeemed sinner on his way to hell regardless of what he professes with his lips. Even Jesus said that many would claim to be His children, but would in fact be children of the devil:
Matt 7:21-23
21 "Not everyone who says to Me, 'Lord, Lord,' shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven.
22 "Many will say to Me in that day, 'Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?'
23 "And then I will declare to them, 'I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!'
(NKJ)
Don't judge Christianity by the "Christian" next door and don't judge Islam by the "Muslim" next door. Read the primary documents of the religion and see what stands up to the light of serious scrutiny. You seem to be very intelligent and an avid reader. Paul commended the Bereans in Acts 17:11 because they didn't just believe what he was saying, but instead they searched the Scriptures daily to see if what he was saying was true. God challenges us to use our brain to determine what is true:
Isa 1:18
18 "Come now, and let us reason together," says the LORD, "Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red like crimson, they shall be as wool.
(NKJ)
I beg you to take that challenge. It will be the most rewarding thing that you have ever done in life.
<< The quote I gave said nothing about evolution. It was about energy and consciousness. >>
This is true. You did not mention evolution or man's origins, but I have found that a belief in the false religion of organic evolution (which is actually just atheistic humanism disguised as science) is often at the heart of people's rejection of the Bible as an allegorical book. I won't press the issue, but I would be open to discussing the strengths and weaknesses of the Theory of Evolution if you or anyone else is interested. Ironically, like Islam, the religion of evolution is racist at the core as evidenced by the very title of Darwin's classic book: "The Origin of Species By Means of Natural Selection or the Preservation of Favoured Races in the Struggle for Life". People are free to believe in the false religion of evolution, but that doesn't make it true. History documents that this book was a key foundation of and motivation for Hitler's attempt to exterminate the entire Jewish people as a means of preserving the Favoured Aryan Race. If you really accept the idea of the "survival of the fittest" then September 11th was simply one ethnic group competing against another ethnic group for survival. My Christian beliefs and the clear teachings of Scripture tell me that what happened on September 11th was a horrific act of evil. Evolutionists have no basis on which to make that claim.
Yes, people are free to believe anything they want, especially in this country, and no one should be attacked or harassed for their beliefs. But beliefs determine actions as was so horrifically demonstrated on September 11th. Thus, true Christians do not use violence or force to spread our beliefs, but we contend earnestly for the faith that has been given to us because there is so much at stake, both in this life, and in the one to come. We are all going to live forever. The three most important things that will matter to us in eternity will be location, location, and location. Get to know the God Who created you, repent of your sins, and beg His forgiveness. He has promised to prepare a place for all of His children to dwell with Him forever. Once this life is through, there is only one place that you will want to be. A 33-year-old professional baseball pitcher woke up dead today. Two days ago, a good friend of mine told me that his wife's routine mammogram proved to be not so routine. She is going back for further testing. Tomorrow is promised to no man.
2 Cor 5:20
20 Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were entreating through us; we beg you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God.
(NAS)
<< Neither did it address "moral awareness", "responsibilities" or "accountability".>>
I have to disagree with you here. The quote you gave said that there is no difference between men and animals, etc. "Moral awareness", "responsibilities", and "accountability" are very key differences! Dogs are not moral creatures. Bugs are not moral creatures. Trees are not moral creatures. Men are! Saying that there is no difference between men and animals is denying that which should be incredibly obvious to everyone. Your very conscience bears witness against you! You know that you have broken God's Ten Commandments and you feel the weight of that responsibility and guilt to one degree or another. Dogs don't have any capacity for such moral awareness or guilt! Neither do bugs! Neither do trees! Big, big difference! That is why I said that the quote was stupid. (See www.m-w.com: 3 : marked by or resulting from unreasoned thinking or acting : SENSELESS)
I would be more than willing to have an intellectual discussion of any of the above concepts if you wish, as again, I believe that the Truth will become evident under scrutiny and false beliefs will be self-refuting.
This thread asks the question, "Should God be replaced?" My response is a resounding "No!" YHWH created the universe and reigns supreme over it. Men reject Jesus Christ and His offer of forgiveness and salvation at their own peril.
Heb 2:1-4
1 Therefore we must give the more earnest heed to the things we have heard, lest we drift away.
2 For if the word spoken through angels proved steadfast, and every transgression and disobedience received a just reward,
3 how shall we escape if we neglect so great a salvation, which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord, and was confirmed to us by those who heard Him,
4 God also bearing witness both with signs and wonders, with various miracles, and gifts of the Holy Spirit, according to His own will?
(NKJ)
<< PS I prefer your market postings on Zeev's thread. <ggg> >>
Thank you very much for this kind remark. I am just a part-time trader struggling to learn the "trade" in the midst of a crazy market, a crazy economy, and a crazy world. I have benefited much from the turnip scraps that I have picked up from under Dr. Zeev's table and I am very grateful for his patient tutelage. I try to contribute when I can, but admittedly, I am usually on the receiving end. :o)
Have a good weekend and best wishes.
Ken
P.S. My apologies to you and the others on this thread for the length of this post. I take these issues very seriously and I fear for the eternal well-being of your souls. I pray that the Holy Spirit will open your eyes and reveal His Truth to you, which is found only in the Holy Bible. If you have rejected God's Holy Word, I beg you to reconsider. "The Case for Faith" by Lee Strobel is an excellent scholarly work written by an investigative reporter with a law degree who studied the claims of the Bible after his wife unexpectedly, and in his mind, unfortunately became a Christian. This book retraces his spiritual journey as his legal mind evaluated "the case for faith" and found it to be irrefutable. |
