I believe that God exists. He is real and ever present. I believe he is sad when he looks down upon the earth and sees what mankind is doing. I also believe that he has a plan. His Son will return one day and end all of this madness, and take his rightful throne as King of Kings. Would anyone like to talk with me on this subject? I'm starting this new post, because some on this LBT rants and raves section don't want me to even mention God on a thread that's about abortion or the Octuplet mom or any other subject. So, I will start this thread that is only about Him and/or religion. What do you say? Is God real? Will He really return to earth one day?

OR Two, Jesus is the only way.(which is what I think you mean) Well, God says so. Not me. If you are putting your faith in Buddah or Allah or Mother Earth or anyone else except God (Jesus)to bring you into Heaven after you die, you will not make it there.(according to the Holy Scriptures) Just think.... If your child refused to acknowledge you all his life and chose someone else to be his father (Allah or Buddah, etc.) and never wanted anything to do with you, how could you not give him what he wanted after he died, which is to be without you. God will give all unbelievers exactly what they have chosen. He gives us a free will to make that choice in this life.

I was thinking about this on my drive home. See, this is the problem I've had with mainstream Christianity since I was 6 years old.

If during this last election I told my son that I could only love him and allow him to live with me if he voted for ("believed in") John McCain. And that if he believed in (voted for) anyone else, I could no longer allow him to be near me. See? Right there. I just don't believe in my heart of hearts that God operates that way. I am His child and He loves me unconditionally, just the way I love my child. My son voted for Obama. Yes, I was very disappointed but I sure as heck didn't kick him out of the house forever and ever because of it!!! He has lessons to learn. He is a flawed human being. I forgive him for that and welcome him into my home...HIS home....anytime he cares to be here. No conditions.

The Bible was interpreted, edited, re-interpreted and culled over and over again to suit the political aspirations of the CHURCH. I just do not think it can be relied upon as THE word of God. The kingdom of God is WITHIN ME.

Not me. If you are putting your faith in Buddah or Allah or Mother Earth or anyone else except God (Jesus)to bring you into Heaven after you die, you will not make it there.(according to the Holy Scriptures) Just think.... If your child refused to acknowledge you all his life and chose someone else to be his father (Allah or Buddah, etc.) and never wanted anything to do with you, how could you not give him what he wanted after he died, which is to be without you. God will give all unbelievers exactly what they have chosen. He gives us a free will to make that choice in this life.

You do know that "Allah" and "God" are synonymous don’t you? I’m not saying I have any faith in any of these religions myself, but as believer you should understand that the god referenced in the Hebrew Torah (Yahweh/Jehovah) in the New Testament (God), and the Quran (Allah) are all one in the same.

I agree, I am a Christian, but I also think it's better to believe in something, even if it's not what I believe in. I believe there is only one "true" God for me-- but I don't think that's true for everyone.

I know it's outside the norm, but frankly I don't care.

I think there's other life somewhere out there. The universe is too big for us to be alone on this planet.

Agree. Christians believe that God created the world and life on it (though the method for that creation is open for debate), and if God created one world, why not many?

I also can't say Buddha is wrong, just because it's not what I believe in.. I don't think it's anyone's place to judge someone's faith.

Agree with the statement in general and RE: Buddha, I think he was extraordinarily wise. When the Buddha was alive, he never claimed to be a diety (that was done by his followers later). There is room for a lot of Buddhist philosophy in my Christianity.

And yes, even Jesus had doubts.. depending on the translation while on the cross; "Why have you abandoned me, why have you deserted me, why have you forsaken me?"

My denomination believes that this was the time when God placed the burden of all mankind's sins upon Jesus, because he was the ultimate sacrificial lamb. We believe that these words are not so much Jesus doubting God , but reflect the despair of his human side at having, for the first time in his life, sin in his life. Other opinions may vary.

If God created other worlds besides ours, that is his perogative. But the scripture doesn't tell us anything about it. If he did create other worlds and people, whose to say they are bound by the same rules and teachings he has for us?

How do you expect to keep those who don't think God is real out of this discussion? If you only wanted to talk to those who DO believe in God already, and to no one else, perhaps you should have specified that.

Maybe: "If you believe in God and want to discuss it, lets talk" would have been a better option.

I apologize. Sorry. I didn't mean to expect to keep those who don't believe out of the discussion. I meant it for one who had posted with me elsewhere who would get angry with me if I brought God into a conversation. Sorry.

Pattygreen - I'm just curios: How much research have you done about other spiritual philosophies? Do you have any books on your bookshelf that support other faiths other than your own?

I was thinking about this on my drive home. See, this is the problem I've had with mainstream Christianity since I was 6 years old.

If during this last election I told my son that I could only love him and allow him to live with me if he voted for ("believed in") John McCain. And that if he believed in (voted for) anyone else, I could no longer allow him to be near me. See? Right there. I just don't believe in my heart of hearts that God operates that way. I am His child and He loves me unconditionally, just the way I love my child. My son voted for Obama. Yes, I was very disappointed but I sure as heck didn't kick him out of the house forever and ever because of it!!! He has lessons to learn. He is a flawed human being. I forgive him for that and welcome him into my home...HIS home....anytime he cares to be here. No conditions.

The difference is that unbelievers are NOT Gods children...... until they have chosen to be. Until then, they are merely his creation.

Here is a scenerio to better understand it.

There is a man who owns a vineyard. He hires men to work in it. He hires his own son and another man. They both slack off and don't do any work at all. The son is even worse than the hired hand. When the owner comes, he sees that they have both done no work. What does he do? He fires the hired hand, kicks him out on his butt. But what of the son? Does he throw him out? No. He may discipline him, cut his pay off, etc., but cast him away, Never. For he is his son. The son will always be his son. This is how God is with us. If you choose to be adopted by God into his family, he wants you. He loves you and will give you his inheritance. But if not, you are like the hired hand. Not his child. The difference is in how God views the sin of both. When the believer(God's child) sins, God forgives and forgets it.(oh, he will discipline the believer in this life and in the next for there are consequences for sin) But when the unbeliever (the hired hand) sins, there is no defense for him. No one to plead his case before the Father. He is not allowed to live with God, for he's not his child. All the rest of creation will live eternally without their creator in a place God named Hell.

I like my God better.

I wish you well.

Edited April 9, 200917 yr by TerriDoodle

Pattygreen - I'm just curios: How much research have you done about other spiritual philosophies? Do you have any books on your bookshelf that support other faiths other than your own?

I have read up on many different religions. I have done much research. I have alot of books on other religions. I don't like organized religion. It is the root cause of many of the worlds problems. I was brought up in the Catholic denomination of Christianity, but once I read the bible from beginning to end at age 24, I realized that those in authority in that denomination never read it. For their rules, doctrine and regulations are far from the teachings that God gave us in his book. The basic truth of Jesus being the Savior is taught in Catholicism, and that's a good thing, but most of their other doctrines don't line up with God's book. So, I looked for a christian denomination that was trying to follow as closely to the word of God as is humanly possible. No church denomination is perfect. I chose to attend an Assembly of God church. They have some quirks like other denominations, but as long as you understand that its not what's written over the door of the building, but what's in your heart that counts, for God says that the church is not the building, but that the many believers in him are the church. I then went to Berean Bible College, and became a minister of the gospel. I only went to school to learn more about Jesus, and not to be a minister, so I don't minister in a church. I teach a girls christian scouting group and have taught Sunday school and other classes.

I like my God better.

I wish you well.

Sometimes the truth isn't what you want to hear. I can't sugar coat it. Sorry. God is just. He loves all of his creation and he wants all to come to him and choose life with him eternally, but he is not going to force anyone to love him back. He could have easily created you to be a robot or a puppet, for he is God and can do anything he wants, but he chose to give you free will and allow you to use it.

I wish you well, too. God bless you.

I don't care if he forgives me for my sins or not.

Exactly how I feel about your version of god. The vengeful, spiteful, and self-adoring version you promote is a god I am not interested in knowing. Your constant, hard-sell preaching is having what I believe is the opposite effect that you desire. You are turning people away from god. While you may have good intentions, you come off as pushy and self righteous.

And yeah, yeah, yeah, I know, god commands you to share the good news...I don't think he wants you to cram it down people's throat.

.... but as long as you understand that its not what's written over the door of the building, but what's in your heart that counts, ...

Hmmm....kinda like what I've been saying all this time.

Hmmm....kinda like what I've been saying all this time.

When I say "it's not what's written over the door", I mean 'christian' denomination doors. For there are many differing denominations of christianity.(catholic, protestant, pentecostal.methodist, baptist, etc.) I'm not speaking of 'other' religions that aren't Christian.

Exactly how I feel about your version of god. The vengeful, spiteful, and self-adoring version you promote is a god I am not interested in knowing. Your constant, hard-sell preaching is having what I believe is the opposite effect that you desire. You are turning people away from god. While you may have good intentions, you come off as pushy and self righteous.

And yeah, yeah, yeah, I know, god commands you to share the good news...I don't think he wants you to cram it down people's throat.

God isn't vengeful, spiteful or selfadoring. He is very loving, caring and compassionate. He shows much grace and mercy.

Whenever people talk about biblical things, their hearts become one of two things. harder or softer. If their hearts turn harder because they have heard something biblical that God taught, and they can not accept it for some reason, they tend to turn away from God. If their hearts turn softer because of something biblical that God taught, they tend to turn toward God and want to learn more about his love for them. It all depends on the person and whether they are ready to accept what God says about salvation or not.

If I have come off as pushy and self righteous, please forgive me, for that's not how I really am. I know better than anyone else how unrighteous I truly am. As for the pushy part, I feel that I am only giving truthful replys, IMO. I don't mean to be pushy. Sorry.

When I say "it's not what's written over the door", I mean 'christian' denomination doors. For there are many differing denominations of christianity.(catholic, protestant, pentecostal.methodist, baptist, etc.) I'm not speaking of 'other' religions that aren't Christian.

Ohhhhhhhhhhhhh yeah. Sorry, I forgot. Christians are the only ones with REAL hearts.