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To: Ancesthntr
I had my own "Damascus-road" experience, as does basically everyone who pledges his life to Jesus and is thereby born again. So I understand keenly the issue of personal choice, which, combined with His command to love one another as myself, compels me to respect others' choice on this most fundamental and personal of issues. Do not regard it as untoward when other Christians exhibit less respect; some aren't true Christians after all, and others are still immature in their practice of the faith. In their zeal they are either ignorant of, or are ignoring, Scripture's command,

"But in your hearts set apart Christ as Lord.
Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks
you to give the reason for the hope that you have.
But do this with gentleness and respect,
keeping a clear conscience..." (1 Peter 3:15-16)

As I indicated previously, ultimately it is God Himself Who takes the responsibility for revealing Himself to those who seek Him--sometimes through His representatives, and at other times directly, as He did with Paul. Indeed, my screen name indicates that very notion. Hebrews 11:6 reads:

"And without faith it is impossible to please God,
because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists
and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him."

Please pardon my presumption here, but I feel constrained to tell you that I think you yourself are, or are becoming, one of those earnest seekers and that ultimately He will lead you into the full truth of His love and provision for you, in a way that you cannot now anticipate, even as I could not thirty-eight years ago, nor could Paul.

39 posted on 12/14/2015 2:04:26 PM PST by Hebrews 11:6 (Do you REALLY believe that (1) God IS, and (2) God IS GOOD?)
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To: Hebrews 11:6

I am earnestly seeking G-d, but that G-d is the G-d of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. I can tell you for a fact that I will never become a believing Christian, or a believing anything else - I was born a Jew, and I will die believing in the faith of my Fathers and doing my (very imperfect) best to live up to its highest ideals and practices.

Again, I thank you for your kind words and thoughts - it is genuinely refreshing to NOT read something like “believe as I do, or you’re going to burn in Hell!” Not that I believe in a Hell of that sort, anyway, but I’m sure that you understand that such a sentiment coming from another person doesn’t exactly give me the warm & fuzzies.

G-d is indeed kind and just - after all, He invented those very concepts and inscribed them on our souls. I know with a certainty that every person, myself included, will be dealt with justly (though I would hope that my actions during my lifetime would also make me deserving of some of G-d’s mercy).


43 posted on 12/14/2015 2:20:10 PM PST by Ancesthntr ("The right to buy weapons is the right to be free." A. E. van Vogt)
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