Acts 17:23

Townhall.com ^ | July 2, 2007 | Harry R. Jackson, Jr.

[Czar]

"Therefore, history will repeat itself, right here in the U.S.A., along with the invasion ongoing."

And I wonder who is to blame for this sad state of affairs. You don't suppose it could be our Washington crapweasels do you?

[nicmarlo]

It surely isn’t “us”!

[Caramelgal]

I sincerely apologize to you and all others I may have offended by my angry remarks.

While a non-believer, I am not typically the stereotypical angry – anti-god, anti-religious zealot Atheist.

Even as a non-believer, I more often than not find myself sincerely defending Christians and their beliefs as there are a lot of good things in those teachings and a lot of good people practicing that faith.

After re-reading the article, I can see that, while it did hit one of my sore spots, I did over react. At the time of my post, I was in an emotional state to start with, but that is a poor excuse for lashing out. I should not have done that and I sincerely regret my comments in that they may have caused more anger and contention.

With that being said, I try to keep an open mind to everyone’s beliefs even if they are not my own. That’s not to say I accept the beliefs of the radical Muslim any more than I do some radical Christians (like the Westboro’s) or radical Jews or radical Atheist or radical whatevers. However when radicalism equals blanket irrational hatred toward others, then I reject that no matter who or where it comes from.

I’ve known some very good people of many various non-Christian faiths including some Muslims, who bear no resemblance to the radicals and in fact hate the Imams and terrorists for their actions as much as you or I do. On 9/11, a very kind beautiful young woman who I worked with who was Iranian and Muslim by her mother and father’s birth, but an American by her birth, sat and held me in her arms as we both cried together watching the Twin Towers fall live on TV and I remember her saying to me, “Why would someone do this to us?”

You see, I do have a problem when people try to rationalize the irrational behavior of other sub-humans as being “God’s” will like “Perhaps God is telling all of Europe to stop following humanistic and atheistic philosophies.”

In saying something like that, I interpret that to mean that all the victims and families of terror attacks are somehow responsible for their own deaths in that they were not following the same spiritual path as the author.

I also have a problem in bring up century old angers and resentments as justification for perpetuating more hatred today because that’s just what the terrorists do. I personally strive to rise above that.

If I were ever to believe in a supreme being, then that being would have to be one who judges us individually on our own merits and daily actions and how we treat one another in life and not what particular rituals we choose to follow, what language we speak or what race we belong to.

If I were ever to believe in a supreme being then that belief would have to allow that God has many faces and more than one name and that there is but more than one very narrow path that leads to God.

In my 46 years, I’ve known some very law abiding, compassionate, caring, self-sacrificing folks who were Christians, Jews, Muslims, Hindus, Buddhists and even some Wiccans and Atheists along the way. And I’ve also known a few, narrow minded, angry, self obsessed, materialistic, hate filled so-called Christians who go to church every Sunday, give their Tilth and can quote from the Old and New Testimate on command, but treat their employees and fellow human beings, outside their own church like complete garbage. (I worked for one of these a-holes so I know first hand the hypocrisy)

So tell me, when standing in line at the Pearly Gates, who in your opinion, gets in?

[MHGinTN]

Don’t ask us, ask the one who said, “I AM: I am The Way, I am The Truth, I am The Light. No man (or woman) comes to The Father but by Me.” Here’s a hint: if star trek transporters were a reality and only one man held the ‘go’ key, who could get you in and out of the transporter safely? Talk to Him, not us little folk. And ya know what?... He’s listening for your inquiry! You, your own personal inquiry, He’s listening for you to ask ... and it shall be opened unto you, not me or them, Y O U . Who gets in? Ask the guy with the key to the transporter, madame. He’s the ONLY one with whom you have to deal.

[ModelBreaker]

If I were ever to believe in a supreme being, then that being would have to be one who judges us individually on our own merits and daily actions and how we treat one another in life and not what particular rituals we choose to follow, what language we speak or what race we belong to. If I were ever to believe in a supreme being then that belief would have to allow that God has many faces and more than one name and that there is but more than one very narrow path that leads to God.

Thanks for the nice post. I'm just glad I've never popped off and posted :)

Just a quick response to the quoted language. Don't let this concept stand in your way because this concept assumes there is no God. If there is a God, He gets to make the rules. Your language quoted above assumes that you get to determine whether the rules are OK. Or, in other words, that you get to determine the rules. This language assumes its conclusion and wraps it up in a soundbite.

Thus, your language assumes the fundamental premise of humanism (man makes up his own rules) but clothes that assumption in an apparent willingness to consider God. But given the assumption, your language is a complete block to belief.

Whether you like God and his rules is a completely different question than whether God exists. Don't confuse them. Frankly, there are parts of Christianity that I would change if I had the power because I don't like them. One of the things I don't like is the same thing that bothers you--Jesus' statement of that "noone comes to the Father but through me," and that "all power of judgement over creation has been given to Me." I would prefer it be different.

But having studied the New Testament pretty closely and the associated history of early Christianity, I'm pretty certain that there was a man named Jesus who claimed to be the Son of God and then backed it up with endless miracles, by dying and coming back from the dead, and by granting miraculous powers to his Apostles. There's no other credible way to explain the New Testament and that history. And I'm a double blind kind of scientist.

Given that, I really have to take what He said seriously, whether I like it or not. So it's me that had to change to get right with God. Not God that has to change to get right with me.

[ModelBreaker]

I'm going to add one more thing because your posts remind me so much of myself. The scummy guy who was crucified next to Jesus acknowledged on the cross that Jesus was the Son of God. Jesus response was that he would be with Jesus in paradise that night. That's in Matthew if you are interested.

The lesson I took from that is that no matter what your path and no matter how long you put it off, it's never too late, so long as you breath. And that was a good thing for me. I came to the cross kicking and screaming after exhausting all other possibilities.

All you have to do is admit you are a sinner, ask for forgiveness, confess Jesus as the Son of God and ask him in. Life is a lot better the sooner you do that. But it's never too late. It's possible that someday you might want to remember that.

[sport]

No, I don’t think that we as a Nation will listen.

[sport]

I’m with you.

[tutstar]

read later

[sport]

You do notice that the attacks in Britian have incresed both in in intensity and frequency.

In a few months, I believe it will be between 24 and 36 months,things wil begin blowing up over here [the U.S.A.] there have already been probes here and there that the Government denies.

[sport]

You try resoning or co existing with them.

[airborne]

I think they may wait to see who gets elected in 2008.

If it’s a Dem, expect major attacks around Jan. 20, 2009.

[sport]

I agree.

[Caramelgal]

a hint: if star trek transporters were a reality and only one man held the ‘go’ key, who could get you in and out of the transporter safely?

OK. So I understand now.

The all powerful omnipotent Supreme Being of the universe is some guy named Scotty from a fictional a 1960’s TV series.

And since Scotty, AKA, James Doohan recently died and his ashes were sent into space, I guess one can say He died and ascended into Heaven? (Sorry for the sarcasm).

Thanks, but that makes as much sense as anything anyone else has ever told me about god or any religion. Your silly analogy doesn’t impress me.

He’s listening for your inquiry! You, your own personal inquiry, He’s listening for you to ask ...

And you presume that I’ve never asked before? As I child I once believed in god as sincerely and as innocently as I believed in Santa Claus.

I was willing to let go of Santa Claus but it took more time with god. I sincerely and heartfeltly prayed every morning and every night and all through out the day, well into adulthood. And I understood the difference between praying for selfish things and praying for god’s will for me, but no matter how I prayed, how much I prayed or under what church I prayed, the answer was always the same: not Yes or No or Wait, but just empty silence, my own voice just echoing back to me from across a great canyon.

Then I realized that the voice echoing back to me was not god and never would be, but it was only my own voice and my own freewill and it always would be that way and that GOD was just the Good Orderly Direction of my own freewill.

[southland]

well said. I too am a believer...

[MHGinTN]

Well, if you prayed like that as a child (and children are closer temporally to His presence than we oldsters), I have zero doubt that He will eventually reaqch you, it’s just a matter of your timing. Peace be with you, enjoy the ride at this the beginning of the eternal journey. You can freepmail me anytime you wish to ‘talk a bit more about it.’ Glad to have you at FR ... brians are such a fun thing to witness in action.

[MHGinTN]

brians??? Brians in action? Bwaahahaha, what a maroon! I meant B R A I N S. Don’t have many apparently.

[Caramelgal]

I read your post #36 and thought it was very nice of you to say that. I thought; “this is an open minded and kind person who is a very good representative of his strong Christian faith and not angry at me for my lack of belief, but sincerely wants to help me see that there might be other possibilities” and I was actually looking forward to corresponding with you further.

I like a good debate and I’m not so arrogant to think that I’ve got to win every argument or that I can’t be persuaded to change my mind.

You and I actually share some core values in that I also respect the rights of the unborn to have life. (Does that surprise you, coming from an Atheist/Agnostic and one who did not always believe so?)

Despite my very deep skepticism concerning god, I do try to keep an open mind. (I think my post #23 made it clear that I deeply regretted what came off as angry and closed minded)

Despite the fact I have never been able to make a deep and lasting spiritual connection to the same god and religion you follow, that doesn’t mean I hate you or think you are stupid. I’ve always looked to the spiritual side of life and I respect those who have found a meaningful and loving faith and practice their faith’s true principals; I just haven’t found any one particular religious path or god-centered belief that I can embrace or one that has yet to embraced me – but just because I’ve not made any connection yet, that doesn’t mean I’m completely un-open to that possibility.

Then I read your post #37 and realized that whatever spiritual path you have chosen, it is certainly not that path I would ever want to take.

You had an opportunity to open a dialogue with me, but instead, you chose to call me a “brainless moron”; an insult that I never extend toward you.

Thanks! And you have a nice day tomorrow. I hope that on this Sunday morning, you find the love, acceptance and spiritually in the church you attend and from the god you believe in; one that that you obviously think I’m too stupid to deserve.

In your post #36 you had my attention for a brief moment, then, with your next post, you completely lost me again.

I know you are not representative of all Christians, but it is people like you and unfortunately all too many that I’ve come across here and elsewhere who keep me turned off.

[MHGinTN]

Um, I am the one who made the spelling error over which the designation of ‘maroon’ was offered. I was laughing at myself in #37 and commenting that making such a stupid spelling error hints I have none of those ‘brians’ needed to prevent the spelling error. But that was a nice piece of ranting you just offered. If you care to take this discussion further, we are not so far apart as readers may suppose. I’m sure you can discuss this topic in a less ‘shoulder chipped’ attitude because, as I tried to state above, ‘brians(sp) are such a fun thing to witness in action.’