Posted on 01/03/2002 11:19:13 AM PST by ArGee
Just like that chair you are sitting on has not collapsed. It ALWAYS held you up before, and you have 'faith', not PROOF, that it always will.
Four were killed. Only the smallest girl survived, with mere scratches.
That is good. Very good.
What do either you or I care about what other men say about G-d.
The issue is what He says about Himself.
Do you know Him? Are you willing to know Him? He is not far from you. He is standing outside your heart asking to come in.
Open your heart.
Shalom.
Well, the topic area said "Religious." If Jim Robinson has said otherwise, I missed it and apologize. In that case, this thread won't last long.
Shalom.
Would the proofs of divine biblical inspiration be what you personally desire? Or perhaps the evidence for the resurrection? Or perhaps miraculous deliverances? Or would anything besides your personal desires be enough to demand from your Creator?
Luke 16:31 - If they do not listen to Moses and the Prophets, they will not be convinced even if someone rises from the dead.
Yep. I knocked. Nobody answered.
I'm happy that you picked up on it!
How funny is it that RnMomof7 didn't get it and chose to insult me over that bit of theological play!?
Q.E.D
The basic atheist complaint your talking about is the good life complaint. Where-in we ask why the important part is which building we entered once a week and what name we invoked when asking the devine for guidance and assistance (or whether we even did that). When I read the Bible (which I still do periodically inspite of being an atheist) I see a lot of good advice on how to be a good person, most of which has absolutely nothing to do with the act of worship. The actual worship strikes me as a very small portion of the Bible. So then our question why is the most important thing how we follow a small percentage of the Bible.
On the other side there's the confusion matter. There are dozen of religions (and sects of religions) in the world, hundreds if you dig into the historical record. All of them claim to be the one true religion. All of the apparently miraculous happenings of the world could be just as easily attributed to any of the religions, none of these things ever have signatures. People of 4 different faiths can see the same thing as clear proof of the correctness of their faith. When you're looking from the inside out there is great sureness in the correctness of your visions. But when you look from the outside in all religions look equal. Some might appeal more than others, but those are largely for asthetic reasons.
Maybe that is the big gap in your parable. You have the richman himself come out and tell the seakers which door to take. But that's not how it works. God Himself has never told me which sect of which religion to follow. I've read significant portions of the Bible, the Torah, the Koran, the Eda and the Bagahivata (I'm sure that's spelled wrong but my spell checker has no clue). I've spent serious time studying Budhism, Shintoism and some of the Indian religions. I've learned the differences between the main sects of the major religions of the world. I even learned a bit about what Babylonians and Summerians worshipped. I've peaked in all the doors I could and didn't see anything that said "yep this is the door".
In the process I have learned that most of the religions in the world have the exact same lessons at the core. Lessons about honesty and honor, and how to deal with your fellow man. Most of the 10 Commandments are included, in some way, in every religion I've studied. Most of the Seven Deadly Sins are warned against, in some way, by every religion I've studied. Of course these things are also taught by many philosophies that are completely seperated from religion. Because these things are good solid advice, if those rules are followed by everyone, regardless of any person's individual reasons for following them, the world would be pretty close to perfect.
So, to bring it into the parable, our question isn't: why can't we go through this door? It's why aren't there signs on the doors saying which one to use?
If the rock worshippers are correct then what will I, as a Christian, have lost out on when I die?
On the other hand, if Christianity is correct then the rock worshipper will have lost everything when he dies.
-ksen
Let yourself in then. Someone will be by shortly...
Hey, buddy. You better not say this too loudly at the banquet in the arena or else one of those big bouncers will come and throw your butt out.
No god ever said anbything to anybody. People say that god says things to them. Bill Clinton said he never had sexual relations with that woman. People are fallible and proven liars. I don't trust people. Trot out your god and I'll believe it.
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