Posted on 01/05/2006 6:59:24 AM PST by NYer
Lighten up, Francis.
I can't help but think that my God would look upon his intentions as yet another step in bringing this man into the fold.
I really don't think my God would condemn him to hell for puchasing a baby Jesus replacement or for the purchase of the lottery ticket.
You have condemned him out of hand and quoted Biblical passages in support of it, typical of a radical christian who is convinced there is no other God than theirs and that He marches only to their drum.
My God expects me to march to his drum, but is compassionate enough to realize that I may occasionally get out of step.
My God sees into my heart and knows whether my intentions are honorable.
I suspect that the caretaker's God is capable of that also, and will judge accordingly.
Now I don my flame suit, as I suspect there are quite a few Christians on this forum that are as rabidly mad-dog as any Muslim and will not miss a chance to inform me that my beliefs are taking me straight to hell with no detours.
But I assure you that my God walks hand in hand with me and actually reaches out and supports me when I stumble, as opposed to others, those whose God is poised to trip them into the fires of hell at any opportunity, from a perceived "violation" of a scripture from the Bible.
The true hell is those that goes through life with the fear that every action is a catalyst for being sunk even deeper into the pit.
My God knows I am not perfect, but He is perfect and knows my hearts and minds intentions.
And I don't quote scripture to support it.
And yes, I am quite conflicted, since my tagline shows exactly what I think of the Muslim religion, but it is my firm belief that my God would not wish that I killed/beheaded/lied to any non-believer and my God would certainly not reward me with 72 virgins for taking a life for the simple fact that they did not "believe".
So sue me.
Your sarcasm is misplaced and escapes me, as I stated that there must be more to the story.
And it appears there is.
And so, since you have appointed yourself as the guardian of Mr. Lopez' feelings, then you let him know when Wal-mart starts carrying hand carved or resin life sized statuary.
I actually do not care, one way or the other, as it does not impact my life, other than the opportunity the matter affords to me, to interact with my fellow man over matters such as this particular mundane one.
You have a nice day.
Sit up higher in your chair, that way things won't sail so far over your grape.
I just got, The Return of the Magi Action Figures, along with a coupon for a year's free refills of Frankincense and Myrrh..
Since the caretaker stuck a significant portion of his winnings back into the church, it appears to me that the manner in which he's using his "unrighteous riches" would meet with Divine approval.
At the very least, this article is a nice counterbalance to all the lottary-winner-gone-bad stories.
Not that I'm profiling or anything, but I think we can all guess what the religion of the perps were...
These are outdoor, life sized statues.
"Moments after purchasing a Win 4 New York Lottery ticket, Lopez headed Saints John and Paul Church in Larchmont, where he has been caretaker for 26 years."
Perhaps Mr. Lopez was misquoted by the author, who appears to have some trouble with the English language herself. Did Mr. Lopez really "head" the Church after buying the lottery ticket? I would think he most likely headed *to* the Church.
how that makes me radical for not marching in lockstep to this mans vice, escapes me
Im not judging, rather exposing the other side of the coin, in light of the kudo's he has recieved on this thread.
In the end, only God knows his heart
aside, why a freeper would support what is ostensibly a tax on the poor simply astounds me.
The bible refers to the LOVE of money, which is distinguished from the NEED for money to feed oneself, one's family, and other necessities. It means that if one cares for money for the sake of money, he's in trouble. There's a big difference.
Flame alert.
Well some of us Christians arent as legalistic as others I guess.
Romans 14
Judas regretted his betrayal and gave the 30 scheckles to the temple....
Matthew 27:6 The chief priests picked up the coins and said, "It is against the law to put this into the treasury, since it is blood money."
They did however use it to buy the potters field and use it as a resting place for other, poor believers
Lest I get speared - let me clarify Im not comparing this guy with Judas - merely showing you that OT law considered differently the disposition of blood money
Now - that opens up another can of worms....is this lottery "blood money" per se...we could argue the point to no end
Only God knows his heart
let me ask you this in hopes of clarifying my point
Is it good stewardship of Gods money by this man to risk it on a game of chance?
and everything that does not come from faith is sin.
Does he gamble in faith?
Has the state provided him a stumbling block to strip him of what limited funds he has?
Snide comments never.
What we do know from the story is that at least he gives money to the Church.
Ill bet $1500 is $1490 more than most Christians give each year in tithes/offerings.
Gambling is not a sin if its not a stumbling block for "you", smoking is not a sin if its not a stumbling block for "you", alchohol is not a sin if its not a stumbling block for "you", etc...
you in "" because its not meant to be a statement directed specifically at you.
youre not too far from the truth - weve gotten car wash coupons in our offering basket
were thankful , but still wondering how to use it for the kingdom
That comparison is way over the top, Rev. The caretaker (presumably) didn't earn the dollar spent on the lottery by betraying The Almighty. Nor was the winning an award for such.
let me clarify Im not comparing this guy with Judas - merely showing you that OT law considered differently the disposition of blood money
Raising a slur and then backpedaling ? That's the tactic of a politician, not a Christian.
is this lottery "blood money" per se...we could argue the point to no end
A pointless exercise in which I choose not to engage.
Only God knows his heart
Truer words have never been recorded. And yet a knee jerk accusation has already appeared on this thread.
I recall a story form several years back where a lottery winner attempted to donate some of his winnings to the Salvation Army. And they refused the offer, which is their right.
But in this instance the church accepted the donation.
In either case, it's not my place to judge, but to appreciate the spirit of generosity.
...and imagine their dismay when they find that the sheep may be life-size, but are not "anatomically correct."
d.o.l.
Criminal Number 18F
It's a good thing you're not a Charismatic pastor. You might use one to wash the church bus, and end up with a bus that honks in foreign horns.
The main objection I have to gambling (and I'll admit I'm not sure if there's a scripture to support it) is the worldview/picture it presents - namely, that the gambler expects God's blessings to be doled out according to random chance, and not as God's response to faithfully following His commandments. In other words, the gambler puts his trust in statistics, not morals.
But that's just my opinion.
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