Sorry about a post right after one. But something came to mind. Martin---You remind me of someone else I met earlier in my life. He believed that the black man had no soul. The black man would either die and be worm food or go to hell. End of discussion. You had to be pure white. To call him Jewish was to call him satan. No works by people could EARN them salvation. I asked him if he was totally white. NO-- He had some Indian blood. I asked him if I had misunderstood him about pure white. He said, "No. I am hoping that God will consider my works." ?????? I asked him if he really believed that or if he was shooting me some bs. NO NO He really believed this. He told me that he believed that the black man was just like any "cloven hoofed" animal. I asked him why he didn't just kill one and eat him if he was the same as a deer. Then he got angry and told me that he felt that either I was with them or against them. I laughed and told him that I was not interested in joining his ORGANIZATION. And if he and his friends showed up burning a cross in my front yard, that I would put enough holes in his butt that people could pick him up and carry him like a six pack.
Col, you'll have to explain what "agape love" is. From the responses I get to my posts, I doubt seriously that few, if any, people on here know what that is. If you practice it, be prepared to be called a flaming bleeding heart liberal. And regarding your subsequent post, to show the inaninty of Klan thinking, if Jews are "Satan" then how can Jesus as a Jew be our Savior? I think the NT addresses that question fairly early on when the Pharisees accuse Jesus of being/acting through (a) demon(s). And Martin, it is you that has no understanding of faith. Faith has nothing to do with seeing or an actual physical presence of proof. Faith is believing WITHOUT seeing or PHYSICAL PROOF! Faith is fully volitional. It can be no other way because it must of necessity be based strictly on a conscious choice to believe or not based soley on information presented. I have faith in Jesus because he was seen crucified, dead and buried, and then alive again multiple times by as many as 500 people at a time including those that were trying to discredit Him. I have faith because a multitude of people saw Him lifted into Heaven. I have faith because I look around and my mind tells me that some greater power than man created the universe and that it just didn't appear suddenly out of nowhere. Faith is the greatest obstacle to being saved. Many people claim to be saved but they don't have the faith in God or Jesus to completely commit or turn their lives over to Him. They still insist on doing things their way, holding onto their old values, not wanting to follow His word completely. They accept His gift of forgiveness but don't make the changes in their lives necessary to complete the process. This is not being saved. What that amounts to is saying "I'm sorry" but continuing to do the same things as before. It's hollow and meaningless and a mockery of Jesus' suffering and sacrifice. Jesus said, "If you had faith the size of a mustard seed, you could say to that mountain, "Go" and it would move into the sea." He also told Thomas, "Blessed are you because you have seen but moreso those that have not seen and believed."
i know! this is what i have been saying all along, faith is volitional for you, becaues you are not rational, it is when you choose to believe in superstition because you have decided to be irrational and fool yourself. for a person who is rational, there is no faith. faith is the opposite of reason. a rational person cannot decide to believe something based on lack of evidence. a crazy person can be crazy and decide he is a zebra. a sane person cannot believe he is a zebra, no matter how hard he tries. for a rational person belief is not volitional. faith is suspension of rationality because of fear of the consequences of reality, or brainwashing or both or whatever. i cannot believe in your religion, no matter how scared i am of death.
listen closely. all of what you said does not make religion any more true, you are just pointing out that it sucks that it is not true. i agree. i wish it was true. i wish i was going to heaven. the fact that it really sucks that i am not doesnt make it true.
"My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways", declares the Lord. Isaiah 55:8 NIV
Martin--You say you have no faith. When you sit it a chair, you have faith that that chair will not fall with you. When you drive a car and meet another driver going the oppisite way, you have faith that that driver will not suddenly hit you head on. My faith is just as easy. You just have to let go of your stuborn selfish self. If you had a young daughter dying and would not pray for her, I really cry for you. You have no hope. No hope, no future. I honestly pity you. No matter how how you feel---you are in my prayers.
Brother.....If he can't understand faith, agape love is totally beyond his comprehension. You learn as you grow. And you cannot grow until you are born. I know there are some out there that will think we are talking in code, but you know what I am talking about. And if I am about to be called names, so be it. I have been called a whole lot worse in my stupid youth. Christians are not perfect but we are forgiven.
but i dont believe the chair will not collapse because of faith. i believe because of rational thought. i dont believe cars will not hit me because of faith, i believe because they usually know the rules and are and generally they are sober. trust me, if all i had was faith, and nothing else to help me believe opposing traffic wont hit me, i wouldnt drive.
