Why I'm NOT a Christian. - Or so they say...

[St. SteVen]

--- PARODY ---

Christian Apologist: The Bible is the Word of God.
Innocent bystander: Are you talking to me?
Christian Apologist: God-breathed, every word.
Innocent bystander: Do you mean our English translation?
Christian Apologist: Well, yes.
Innocent bystander: Not all English translations agree.
Christian Apologist: The Bible is 99.6% accurate.
Innocent bystander: I thought you said it was god-breathed.
Christian Apologist: That's what the Bible says.
Innocent bystander: Maybe that was the 0.4% part that was inaccurate?
Christian Apologist: Erm... no, that's not right...
Innocent bystander: I think the accuracy rating is in reference to the original language manuscripts.
Christian Apologist: Yes, yes... that's probably right.
Innocent bystander: Manuscript copies, of copies, of copies... you get the idea.
Christian Apologist: No, I mean the originals.
Innocent bystander: We don't have the originals; they are long gone.
Christian Apologist: WHAT!!!!! ?????
Innocent bystander: Do you know what textual criticism is?
Christian Apologist: I would NEVER criticize the Bible!
Innocent bystander: LOL - It means comparing manuscript copies to identify textual variants.
Christian Apologist: Textual variants! What?
Innocent bystander: That's where your 99.6% comes from.
Christian Apologist: How do you know all this?
Innocent bystander: I'm a Seminary Bible professor.
Christian Apologist: What?
Innocent bystander: I teach Pastors these things about the where the Bible came from.
Christian Apologist: Why didn't I hear these things from my Pastor?
Innocent bystander: The denominations make them sign a doctrinal agreement to prevent it.
Christian Apologist: Huh?
Innocent bystander: Right. Where does that leave you?

[

 

[RedFan]

John presents Jesus as deity.

Maybe so, but that doesn't explain the anomaly. When the Beloved Disciple wrote in the late First Century, the average Christian reading his gospel on this issue would have considered Jesus being raised by the Father as established mainstream thinking, given all the attestations in other writings to various churches.

 

[St. SteVen]

Hey, c'mon, have a little sympathy for those of us who aren't blessed with a lot of charismatic spiritual experiences. (Or for whom such experiences are noteworthy and precious because they are extremely rare.) For those of us not so blessed, the book is all we have.

You have my every sympathy.
The book is not the problem. Worship of the book instead of the "author" is the problem.

Readers tend to think that I am bashing the Bible. I'm not.
I'm bashing their misconceptions about it.

God can use anything he chooses to communicate with us. The Bible is a primary source, obviously.
I'm not trying to take that away from anyone. But we need to keep things in perspective.

Like keeping a love letter when you are in courtship before marriage and walking away from your bride.
Then decades later you realize what you lost. And all you have to show for it is a yellowed sheet of paper.

(Did like the toast graphic.)

LOL

We'll see if RDB gives it a funny rating.

[

 

[St. SteVen]

Maybe so, but that doesn't explain the anomaly. When the Beloved Disciple wrote in the late First Century, the average Christian reading his gospel on this issue would have considered Jesus being raised by the Father as established mainstream thinking, given all the attestations in other writings to various churches.

Is this the scripture in question?

John 2:19 NIV
Jesus answered them, “Destroy this temple, and I will raise it again in three days.”

[

 

[St. SteVen]

Hey, c'mon, have a little sympathy for those of us who aren't blessed with a lot of charismatic spiritual experiences. (Or for whom such experiences are noteworthy and precious because they are extremely rare.) For those of us not so blessed, the book is all we have.

(Did like the toast graphic.)

I think that too often those who are blessed by the Bible aren't acknowledging the supernatural aspect.

- You are reading and a word, or phrase stands out from the rest.
- You are reading and you notice something you didn't notice before.
- All day long as you encounter things in life, the applicable words from the Bible come into your mind.
- You let the Bible fall open to a seemingly random location and a significant verse stands out.

[

 

[RedFan]

Is this the scripture in question?

John 2:19 NIV
Jesus answered them, “Destroy this temple, and I will raise it again in three days.”

[

Yes, with a little help from John 10:18.

 

[Lambano]

- You let the Bible fall open to a seemingly random location and a significant verse stands out.

George was feeling a little beat down by the circumstances of his life, so he went to the Bible for guidance and inspiration. "I'll just let the Bible fall open to a random location and put my finger down on the page somewhere and see what God wants me to do." So, he closed his eyes, opened the Bible and put down his finger, and it was pointing to Matthew 27:5, "And he went and hanged himself". "Well, that can't be right", said George. "Let me try again." This time, he was pointing to Luke 10:37: "Go thou and do likewise". Oh, dear. One more time. John 13:27, "What thou doest, do quickly".

 

[St. SteVen]

Yes, with a little help from John 10:18.

Interesting. Thanks.
It says he had the authority, but not that he exercised that authority.
Seems that he yielded his will to the Father in both cases. (laying down/taking up)

John 10:18 NIV
No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord.
I have authority to lay it down and authority to take it up again.
This command I received from my Father.”

[

 

[St. SteVen]

Interesting. Thanks.
It says he had the authority, but not that he exercised that authority.
Seems that he yielded his will to the Father in both cases. (laying down/taking up)

John 10:18 NIV
No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord.
I have authority to lay it down and authority to take it up again.
This command I received from my Father.”

Jesus criticized his disciples for not praying with him for one hour...
But when he was resurrected, he was found laying down on the job. - LOL

[

 

[St. SteVen]

Jesus criticized his disciples for not praying with him for one hour...
But when he was resurrected, he was found laying down on the job. - LOL

Actually, he was quite busy with the Harrowing of "Hell".

[

 

[St. SteVen]

@RedFan
I read that page about Buddha's miracles. Very interesting.
Definitely gives the gospels "a run for their money". (as the saying goes)

Buddha's Miracles Manifest - Sravasti Abbey - A Buddhist Monastery

The Day of Miracles commemorates the time Buddha displayed his miraculous powers for 15 days. Many thousands of minds were transformed. Here's the story.

sravastiabbey.org

[

 

[RedFan]

Interesting. Thanks.
It says he had the authority, but not that he exercised that authority.
Seems that he yielded his will to the Father in both cases. (laying down/taking up)

John 10:18 NIV
No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord.
I have authority to lay it down and authority to take it up again.
This command I received from my Father.”

[

I just took a quick look at some Early Church Father writings on the resurrection. 1 Clement 24:1 maintains that the Father raised the Son. So does Chapter 9 of the Epistle of Polycarp to the Philippians (and Polycarp was a disciple of John). So does Chapter 45 of Justin Martyr's First Apology. So does Tertullian, in Chapter 23 of his On the Resurrection of the Flesh.

Ignatius’ Epistle to the Smyrnaeans is an interesting one. He has Christ raising Himself up in Chapter 2 and the Father raising Christ up in Chapter 7. I'll need to go to the Greek when I get a chance to dig deeper, and see whether he is portraying an equivalence or a contradiction.

 

[amadeus]

And we have been investing all this time helping you to see that claims about the book are greatly exaggerated.
And in many cases false. The facts were hidden from us. Our Pastors knew the truth. It was a massive cover-up.

By inviting him to live inside you. I knew little to nothing of the Bible at 8 years old when I invited him in.
It wasn't the Bible that I was receiving into my life; it was the God who is real. Hopefully you have done the same?

I was six years old when I met God for the first time... At the time I certainly knew nothing about the Bible.

 

[St. SteVen]

I was six years old when I met God for the first time... At the time I certainly knew nothing about the Bible.

Exactly.
Not a requirement for a relationship with God.

Matthew 19:14 NIV
Jesus said, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them,
for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.”

;

 

[amadeus]

Exactly.
Not a requirement for a relationship with God.

Matthew 19:14 NIV
Jesus said, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them,
for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.”

;

Would it at times seem to make it more difficult to start with God for one who did not start until a natural adult? But then we need to remember what Jesus said here:

Lu 12:48

But he that knew not, and did commit things worthy of stripes, shall be beaten with few stripes. For unto whomsoever much is given, of him shall be much required: and to whom men have committed much, of him they will ask the more

Our God judges fairly taking into consideration all of advantages and our disadvantages when He is looking at our hearts.

 

[Ronald David Bruno]

If all one has to confirm that Jesus is real is a book... they are in BIG trouble!

Faith comes by the Word. And it is a gift. You are the one who seems to always have doubts about the Bible.

Matthew 7:23 NIV
Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!’

Matthew was written to Christian Jews. It has a Jewish theme, a gospel to the Jews, even starts out with a genealogy.
Tha message is to the Jews, how they treated Christians- read the context. It is written to people who believe in the God of the Old Testament, but never accepted the Savior when He came. The key is on vs. 22, it's tells who He is talking about.
Many will say to Me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?
Unbelievers, people of any other religions have not done these things in the name of the God of the Bible, only the Jews. They called Him Hashem or Adonai. But they did not have a relationship with Christ.

 

[Ronald David Bruno]

Faith comes by hearing. (not reading)

WOW! If you are hearing it, someone has to be reciting or reading it .... unless you are waiting for God to audibly speak to you.
I have to stop here. BYE

 

[Ronald David Bruno]

Maybe so, but that doesn't explain the anomaly. When the Beloved Disciple wrote in the late First Century, the average Christian reading his gospel on this issue would have considered Jesus being raised by the Father as established mainstream thinking, given all the attestations in other writings to various churches.

He was raised by the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit.
John 2:19
Rom. 8:11-13
Romans 6:4
Acts 2:32

 

[St. SteVen]

He was raised by the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit.
John 2:19
Rom. 8:11-13
Romans 6;4
Acts 2;32

Oh... that's a good one. Thanks.

Romans 8:11 NIV
And if the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you,
he who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies
because of[a] his Spirit who lives in you.

[

 

[ThePuffyBlob]

Perhaps it is linked to the idea that "true" Christians don't question Christianity. ???

Believers = no questions = heaven
Unbelievers = questions = no heaven

But what about... ?
Believer = no questions = heaven

It does not compute somehow. Why? (the question)

____________________ Addendum _______________________


--- PARODY ---

Christian #1: Are you a Christian?
Christian #2: Yes, although I'm not completely comfortable with that term.
Christian #1: You aren't comfortable being a Christian?
Christian #2: No, it's the term "Christian".
Christian #1: Shouldn't you stand up for what you believe?
Christian #2: I do. I'm just not a fan of labeling.
Christian #1: Why would you be ashamed of Christ?
Christian #2: I'm not. The term "Christian" comes with a lot of baggage.
Christian #1: It seems to me that you are not a Christian at all.
Christian #2: I hear that from Christians sometimes.
Christian #1: Based on what you have said, there is no proof that you are a Christian.
Christian #2: I suppose not. Can we really know for sure?
Christian #1: Why are you avoiding the question?
Christian #2: You asked me if I am a Christian and I said "Yes..."
Christian #1: But then you backed away from it.
Christian #2: I said I wasn't comfortable with labels.
Christian #1: You are still beating around the bush.
Christian #2: Why didn't you accept my initial answer?
Christian #1: Because of everything else you said.
Christian #2: (sigh)
Christian #1: What's wrong.
Christian #2: This is why I am uncomfortable with the term.
Christian #1: What do you mean?
Christian #2: I don't want to be associated with you.

[

that is the same thing on my mind i think it is called overthinker you just ask one question and everything becomes complicated

try to admit you are not a christian to the mods and you will banned on this christian only section cause i did i was actually just saying at that time that i am a sinner i follow sin more than christ which makes me very guilty to accept that i am a christian because i do not deserve it