Understanding the bible

[Annik]

A magical war between mythical creatures.......

Which is what passes for reality in G-Cs world!

Don't critically think or the Devil will get you!

[Godscreated]

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As for things like speaking in tongues, these things must conform to scriptures, this takes deep study with the Holy Spirit guiding one to the truth. These differences make up the many denominations, as long as each believe in salvation through Christ the Son of God then we must consider them Christian churches. Remember the Church is the bride of Christ, and as biblical speaking, the bride is to serve the Groom and the Groom to provide for the bride. Want a hint to speaking in tongues, it's plural.

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Christ always mentioned the Church i.e. singular. I think ideally Christianity is meant to be unified under one 'denomination'. Otherwise Christ would of had/wanted many brides and I think that sounds very suss =)

If the requirement for a church is to teach salvation through faith in Christ, then that is saying something about the individual and their requirement for 'membership'. According to this I was definitely a Christian then.

Yes in scripture the Church is always referred to in the singular. I believe that Christ would have wanted the Church to be in total agreement, However man has to always put his two cents worth in and things get messed up. Even with all the different denominations Christ still sees the Church as singular, he sees a bunch of confused people trying their best to understand.
I want argue with you on whether you were saved or not, I will say this, there has been more than one pastor come to the realization that after years of preaching they were not saved. I've seen many people that are members of a church that are not saved. Remember, Christ said there will be many that come before Me saying, Lord, Lord we've done so much in your name, and I will say, leave Me, for I know you not.

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It is the unbeliever that has a problem with the definition of Christianity, not the Christian church. Yes there's a way to determine what the scriptures say about how God works through them, allowing the Holy Spirit to guide one through scripture to reveal the truth. This however leaves the unbeliever without the ability to understand the deep meanings within the scriptures, the Holy Spirit will reveal salvation to the unbeliever, but will not work through them to understand the scriptures and the way they work in a believers life.

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I understand that the Holy Spirit is key to making everything fit. The problem is how do I know I really have it? The problem for me when a Christian in this case says 'just believe, let God work through you' is that to me it's like I have a bike without wheels and the Christian says 'just have the faith that it will work' but I can clearly see I'm going to get nowhere.

To know is simple, you will grow in your relationship with Christ, you will start to understand some of the things that were mysteries to you. You will see God working through you for others, you will understand that somethings can not be coincidental. You will see God's will for your life and so forth and so on. This does not happen all at once ,it takes quite some time, growth is no faster than the serious time one puts into it.
Some times I believe that christians should use the word trust, instead of faith. I use to tell the youth I taught, trust God will work through you, I would let them know that the work God does through them is not going to always be obvious to them, but it will be to others, so trust that God is working through you.

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Speaking in tongues takes deep study? Linda Blair did it easy. Satan FTW.

I've seen speaking and SINGING in tongues. I got dragged to a Pentacostal revival*,a mixture of theatre,humbug and mass hysteria. My dog has more depth than those cretins.

That must have been a real experience for you, I can say I believe I would find it uncomfortable, I've only seen it on TV and to me it looked fake.

[Epimethean]

That goes pretty much for all monotheistic religious ceremonies: They make me uncomfortable and look fake.

[Welsh cake]

I've said it before, I'll say it again. Ultimatums does not equal 'free will', so will you stop with that already?

NO!

Do you even understand what an ultimatum is? Like, WORSHIP GOD/JESUS AS LORD OR YOU WILL BURN FOR EVER? You know? Demands backed up with threats to be followed in case of noncompliance with your cosmic cretin's plan within the time limit? Ultimatums that cannot be circumvented and override your belief of free will? Hmm. Judging by your insightful posts, apparently not.

I would explain some wonderful things about the holy spirit, but you would need a genuine interest in the subject to actually believe it, we know you all just like playing around, this old hat for you pros.

In other words salty you can't explain jack and are making holy shit up as you go.

What a crap way of you to cover up a web of lies and self-deception. No different from me saying I could tell you some wonderful things about the cosmos but you'll never believe me. Or I could tell you the truth but then I'd have to kill you.

Oh for fuck's sake. Isn't there any single Christian out there who can DEFEND their faith and PROVIDE justification for WHY they believe in the faith that they supposedly have without resorting to childish mind games?

OK enough of that, here's the way I see things when it comes to those who eventually leave Christianity. I do believe there are those who leave and were Christians, however I can not see that they can deny God, Satan does not deny God, these that leave, reject God and His plan for mankind.

I'm not surprised you can't understand the deconversion process. We don't deny any given god's existence that hasn't just been demonstrated. We simply don't believe in a deity. We lack the belief you have. We simply reject your evidence-free claims that there is a god as "insufficient", and "has not met its burden of proof", therefore giving us no good reason to believe.

Those who leave and deny God's existence never really believed, and as you stated, actually had an experience with the Holy Spirit. When one has experienced the Holy Spirit working in their lives it is something unforgettable and undeniable.

Its all in your head kid. Difference between you and us is that we've come to realise the communion of the holey spirit was not supernatural or divine, but nothing more than a simulation in our own minds. Its all brain chemistry.

Now I'm not talking about a lightning strike kind of moment, but a peaceful experience of revelation. The scripture come alive and you see truths revealed that only Christians can understand, unbelievers can not, you understand things which happen in your life are not coincidental, they are God lead.

Yes, yes, yes. We've experienced all that, and bought the T-shirt like you so stop your incessant patronising already. We were Christians, contrary to your bullshit broad-faced assertions.

When active in the church one will find God puts one into positions that are not necessarily comfortable, so God can show one that He is working in one's life. God will show one that He can work His will through one, and that person reaps the joy of what is done. People who experience the Holy Spirit can see God and His wonders through the scriptures, and things He does in their lives

Yes, yes, we already KNOW THIS. You are treading old ground here.

Repenteth means sorrow or sadness, not regret. God was saddened by the depth of man's fall, His love was so great for man and man had left their creator. Yes He knew this great fall was coming, but like I said God's love was so great it still saddened Him, this is how terrible man had become.

A-bloo-bloo-bloo. We sinners will have to remember he's sad WHEN HE'S PUNISHING AND BURNING US IN THE FIRES OF HELL FOR ALL ETERNITY.

Your god's a dick who has the power to fix everything in the blink of an eye, yet chooses not to, because he came up with a crappy plan and to save face has to proceed with it even though he knows the majority of mankind is doomed, his creation has gone to pot, and he fails forever as a god. I can't feel sorry for such a jackass. That's like asking me to feel sorrow for the douchebag who discovers a genie in a lamp and can now wish for anything, like world peace, end to poverty, you name it, but decides to wish for nothing. What a self-absorbed loser.

[Epimethean]

From the perspective of non-believers, this silly apologetic bullshit trip might be called Dante's Digiorno: A cheesy imitation of something old fashioned, with a name that suggests that it is contemporary and cool, all the while doing what it has always done best and condemning those too smart to fall for it to an imaginary wasteland of fire.