Can you explain how on a lot of occasions that you escaped injury-or worse. Or maybe an accident? T'wasn't fate my friend-it was something else. You see, sometimes God works in ways we don't understand and sort of prepares you for something....
Can you explain how on a lot of occasions that you escaped injury-or worse. Or maybe an accident? T'wasn't fate my friend-it was something else. You see, sometimes God works in ways we don't understand and sort of prepares you for something....
This is personally my biggest hang up with Christianity. Its that he is worshipped as god (which he wasnt) and all others that dont except him as their lord and savior are not granted access to "heaven". You are to tell me that an individual that has been in monkhood since childhood...and practices asceticism to the point no "sins" are committed ever...one who practices non violence to the point they sweep the ground in front of there feet as they walk as to not even harm even the smallest insects...what awaits this person after death is going to be of a lesser existence than what awaits Joe Blow...the sinful, lust full, glutinous, weak minded, material coveting, average Christian??? Because he has accepted Jesus into his heart amen brother bill and pass the collection plate. Come on meow that just does not work.
AND... as i understand it, a stillborn child who had not the capability to learn anything about god, gets a pass into heaven...
Im just so confused about all the different versions of heaven, who gets in, who doesn't. Goes to show how a book written by man can be interpreted in so many ways...Which version is the truth? is any of it actually the truth?
The interesting part is that some of it IS true. It's history.... Cant deny that. But if A is true, does that mean B is true too?
How can we be sure that a person that claims "god has spoken with me" is not just speaking to themselves in their head?
I've heard stories about people who think they've had god reach out to them...speak to them in their mind and save them from certain death. I always wonder...why could that not be yourself trying to save yourself from certain death. Seems like a reasonable motivation.
What makes you so absolutely sure of that? You say that as if you know something the rest of us don't.
No, that's not right. If Joe Blow is glutinous, coveting and lustful he won't get into Heaven. That's one difference between Catholics and most protestant denominations. Catholics don't believe you can't just "accept Jesus" and be saved no matter what else you do. Yes, you have to believe Christ is the Son of God, but you must also work to maintain Sanctifying Grace. If you sin, you must confess and atone through penance. Paul's letter in 2 Timothy 4:7 "I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith." What does he mean "fought the good fight, finished the course, kept the faith"....if all he had to do to get Heaven was accept Christ as his Savior. On that note though, you can't just go around sinning with the intention to confess, then go sin some more. Confession and atonement involves a purposeful resolve to avoid sin in the future. I'm going to bring down the wrath of all the protestants with that statement.
On the monk issue -- as I said something like 10 pages ago - Baptism of water (traditional baptism), Baptism of Blood (martyrdom), or Baptism of Desire (you don't know of the Faith, but if you did - you would believe it). If there's a monk in some far off, isolated village who has never been told of Christ, and who has never committed a sin - I would imagine he would enter Heaven upon death through his desire to serve God. I can't speak for certainty on that though - only God can judge men.
Let's deal with the baby issue - Catholics believe in what is called the Limbo of the Infants. A stillborn won't be sent to Hell - but can't enter Heaven as they were not baptized prior to death and still carry the mark of Original Sin. Limbo of the Infants is not a punishment, but it isn't Heaven. The more devout Catholics will actually still baptize stillborn infants, on the off chance there is some life left in them at birth so that they can enter Heaven.
I actually agree with your last statement - if Religion A is true, Religion B cannot be. Even among protestant denominations - what makes Methodists and Baptists different? I honestly don't know the answer to that. What makes a Methodist a Methodist and a Baptist a Baptist? Obviously there's some difference...well if Methodists teach A, and Baptists teach B -- how can both be true? Catholics believe the Eucharist is the Body and Blood of Christ, but protestants don't. Either it is or it isn't. Catholics believe it is because Christ at the Last Supper said "this is my Body"...not "this represents my Body".
So what if the aesthetic monk does know of Jesus yet does not accept him as lord and savior? What awaits him is lesser than the average catholic that sins like most of us do on a daily basis? I cannot believe this to be true.
You are right, I do not understand why your mighty god would allow for children to be molested or allow children to get cancer. Guess that 2 year old that was raped and killed last week here in OKC was being prepared for something.... Did you thank and praise your god for preparing her?
Tornado hit the house and god saved me.... why did he allow the tornado in the first place, you know the one that sucked the child from its mothers arms.
Pardon me, what is an "aesthetic monk"?
Exactly... Thinking God the tornado passed you by but destroyed the rest of them in the neighborhood is like thanking the serial killer for killing your neighbors instead. Remember all those kids that drowned during that tornado a few years ago in the basement of a school? Christians then made a big deal about finding a bible on top of some rubble during the clean up... Yeah, God intervened so his word would be discovered but sat silently as children drowned to death and while also ignoring the prayers of their parents. Oh, but he's so good!!! Because he says so!!! Nope, sorry, someone, anyone who can stop tragedy but does not is not good. Not even a deity.
But there's a simpler explanation to all of this... He. Does. Not. Exist.
Nature is awesome but it can also put your ass in check very quickly. #Pantheism
ascetic, my bad
No, then they'd both be denied Heaven (assuming the Catholic doesn't fully repent and atone -- as I said, you can't just confess with the intention of going right back to your old habits.) I don't claim to know men's hearts or their true intentions when confessing. Since I don't attend a brick and mortar church for aforementioned reasons...instead of confessing to a priest, i make an act of contrition that goes like this:
"O my God, I am heartily sorry for having offended you and I detest all my sins, because I dread the loss of Heaven and the pains of Hell. But most of all because I have offended you, my God, who are all good and deserving of all my love. I firmly resolve with the help of your grace, to confess my sins, to do penance and to amend my life. Amen."
