Search results

Isaiah 45:7 is one of my favorite passages. It is a teaching, I think, not about "free Will", but rather about where evil comes from, and what that means. The first part of the verse expresses a standard dichotomy" Light and darkness. The opposite of light is dark. In "forming" the light...

I almost forgot, this means it's not up to US to bridge the gap of our imperfect perceptions; God will meet us where we are, and He can do so perfectly having experienced the world through human eyes and brain and body. By taking this sojourn into our reality, God has, I believe, taken this...

This is perhaps the unique characteristic of Christianity: That God humiliated and willingly truncated himself in order to enter the world in a human body and perceive the world as we, his children, experience it. The God of our Lord has experienced our limited perception, and even experienced...

"I think, therefore I am" Errors in reasoning: On what basis do you contend that you think? On what facts do you assert that thinking implies being? For a detailed discussion of the inability of all mankind to understand the origins of the Universe other than as a function of a "creator" who...

It always amazes me how there are two standards for credibility: the one applied to things "everyone knows", and the one applied to such debatable items as the existence and accuracy of the accounts of religious figures. Sure, we have lots of coins and statues of Julius Ceasar, but were they...

Great topic! I too find problems with Khalid's arguments. The authorship of the Gospels is as good a place to start as any. In the Muslim tradition, do we have a signed and notarized original copy of the Koran? I am not aware of one. The original accounts from biblical times were possibly...

If our goal is to become Christ-like, then indeed, we should martyr ourselves for our enemies. Christ gave His life not for those who loved Him, but for those who hated, and despised, and at best did not even know Him. We are told that "no greater love has any man than that he lay down his...

If, indeed, you believe that there is no free will, then why would you post the argument? We could not possibly agree with you, unless we already did, or were predestined to, in either case it would be a waste of time.... On a similar note, why did nobody bring an umbrella to the "pray for...

What Bible, exactly, are you quoting? Matthew 24: 45 Who then is a faithful and wise servant, whom his lord hath made ruler over his household, to give them meat in due season? 46 Blessed is that servant, whom his lord when he cometh shall find him so doing. 47 Verily I say unto you, That he...

Why do we get hung up on the noise WE hang on a phenomenon? Jesus said," I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life..." the word Tao translates as Way, so is Jesus the Tao? "The Tao we call the Tao is not the Tao", according to the Tao... I agree with those who prefer to focus on the Person we call...

I heard a sermon once in which the following scenario was painted: Imagine you are an Olympic athlete, who has made the Olympic Team. But when you get your notice of making the team, it explains that the date and location of the games is a secret. You will be notified 24 hours before you are...

Patti, that would be CADD-D! Only helpful in situations where you need to come up with a plan to kill the witch?

If Jesus were really God, he could make this pin bigger... If Jesus is not God, then I have really wasted a lot of time! If I am to have hope, then I must believe the whole story, not just the parts of it that make sense to me. If I try to make God conform to my wisdom, then I am making God in...

There is clearly a lot to study about the Gospel of John, and historical context is often essential to fleshing out the ambiguities. I am particularly interested in the Essenes. There is evidence and speculation that Jesus was, Himself, an Essene, and used the group to "set up" his entrance...

By my count, there are now at least 246 angels dancing on the head of this pin...

My thanks to both Saltmeister and Path of One for these two insightful, superbly written essays! I will be taking them to my Jail Bible study tonight, in case the inmates have no pressing issues they wish to discuss. These are simply awesome insights! Thanks too to mee for continuing the...

So, you would answer that it IS possible to fall far enough away from the right "attitude" to allow your salvation to be forfeited? I think of Judas as having committed the sin of impatience. He betrayed Jesus (someone had to do this!) but when the enormity of what he had done struck Judas, he...

I am all for healthy debate, and I am quite focussed on looking at topics through others' eyes. Sometimes, these debates become unhealthy, falling into the category of "doubtful disputations" See Romans 14, particularly: 13 Let us not therefore judge one another any more; but judge this rather...

Many Christian sects observe the so-called "Security of the Believer", while others maintain that to die with unconfessed sin voids the ticket to Heaven. What do you think? If Salvation is Secure, and cannot be forfeited, what is our incentive to repent and turn from sin? Is it a free ticket...

OK, I guess I did not get that. This forum sometimes makes me sad. I don't like to see Christians fighting amongst themselves over who holds the "moral high ground". Many a soul has been lost to the idea that "God is on my side". God is not on my side, or on yours, or on anyone else's...