I second that.....

I wonder if Jesus preached to those tax collectors and prostitutes he used to have dinner with........

Excuse me?!? You may not know or understand, but to claim that No one does, is to claim to know all..........and you don't.

I have experienced it more times than I can count on one hand. It is probably the only truth in a world full of lies.............

P.S.
Everyone "lies" to themselves until they are capable of seeing the truth........but being aware of that fact is the first step.........maybe instead of judging whether I do, you should take a hard look at yourself.

Is God the balance or is he the good?? You can't both be the balance and the good.

And you are wrong, the opposite of evil............is TRUTH!

That would imply that I believe this being has the power to forgive me of sin, when imo, you can only sin against yourself........and therefore only you can grant yourself forgiveness.

Thank you, Miles...........I have studied, and have found that "God" speaks directly to my heart. I do not need a book of scriptures, though I have learned and may continue to learn from it, it is not my cornerstone.

Exactly the same................you aren't going to change my mind.

I know what unconditional love is.............and what it is not.

Of course you "could" get pregnant........there are women who get pregnant while still on birth control, as everyone's body is different.

If you are truly worried about it, you shouldn't be having unprotected sex............should you??

Nothing is 100%, but if I'm on birth control, he wears a condom then IF a baby is conceived I would assume it was meant to be.........(though many would claim that it is ALWAYS meant to be, I suppose)

If my child became a prostitute I would see it as her choice. I would wonder if it were due to a lack of money and out of necessity. I would wonder if she simply looked at it as a job.........I would not judge her, nor would I not be in her life anymore because she chose such a thing.

If one or both of my children became child molesters, I would want to find them help as I believe it to be a psychological disorder, not necessarily a simple matter of choosing evil over good, but something that is deep seated that causes them to get sexually excited at the thought of another child. I would not judge them, or hate them, of kick them out of my life..........I would be concerned for them and try to keep them away from children.

IF they became murderers I would wonder why?? What happened that made them feel that killing another was their only way out of something. I would not judge them for it, and would be by their side until I no longer could be.

People who make these kinds of choices do so for reasons far beyond a desire to sin.

What is sin?? Who decides what sin is, and if God created everything, he created sin then, no?? If he created sin, then he is capable of being in the presence of sin. As a matter of fact, one who creates can not create something that they do not identify with. So then, if you follow that logic, GOD KNOWS AND HAS SIN!

Then if u were to follow that logic, "God" is not all powerful, all knowing, creator of everything, and in control of everything..........if he were there would be NO war.

See, if my children decide to go off and seek their fortunes (since you want to make "God" out to be our father) I would let them go. I would not blame them, nor would I put conditions on whether they were to return. They are ADULTS with their own lives to live. I do not expect worship and obedience from grown children who have a "free will".

No offense, but it is complete hogwash to claim that God created all, and is all powerful and all knowing, but yet is at war with his own creation...........

Sounds more like, he may be a scientist and his "experiment" went haywire..........by getting a mind of it's own, and that he is trying to gain control again.

If the "God" "gave" the "devil" power over the earth........and then went to war with him over the inhabitants of it............then why did he give it to him in the first place??

The earth is exactly as it should be. Everything is exactly as it should be. Harmony and balance exists, we simply choose not to see it/experience it.

It is our own minds/hearts that are in turmoil, and it isn't because a lack of belief in some distant God, but because we have lost touch with our true selves............but
anyhoo.

Ok, BUT, IF and I mean "IF" God (of the Bible) is all powerful, all knowing, and created everything..............then that means he created hell, yes??

For what purpose?? And how does not believing that he is God, and not handing over our souls to him mean that we are jumping off a cliff?? You must believe in me, become my devoted servant, or else all is lost?? No thinking for yourself, no life of your own, I gave you life.

You know what that sounds like?? It sounds like a mother who is frustrated with her child because her child has gained a mind of his own, and in order to control his behavior she plays the, "I brought you into this world, I can send you out." card. But really, it is an empty threat, she is simply angry because she has little or no control, and is using manipulation to get her way.........or just venting.

Btw, the Bible claims that God gave us our souls and that all things will return to God, so how will our souls go to hell, unless he sends them there, and what choice do we have in the matter IF our souls go back to him or not??? And if he owns our souls, then your point about FREE WILL is a moot one.

If you are opening up as you are able......I would venture that it isn't "by choice" that you were closed off, then??

Let me explain my views on this subject. The heart is an organ, lol.........but the heart of a person is the core of their being. When you close it off and wall it up, you shut out all possiblities of growth and love, true love.......you can still feel lust as that is a product of the body, but anyhoo.

I am not scared of rejection, and I realize that my choices are my own. I am able to put my "heart" out there because I am who I am and either people will love me or they won't. They may be able to hurt me, but pain in life is unavoidable so I might as well accept it, delve into it, learn what I can from it Cuz when something causes pain there is always a reason........and I want to know why. Usually it is because something within yourself needs attention and once you give it adequate attention and allow it to heal it will no longer cause you pain. Another note on pain, it comes from within not without.

Just like it doesn't hurt my feelings if stranger says I hate you, the same affect can be had when someone I love says it, so long as I love myself and know what I am about. Them claiming to hate me is more of a reflection of what they have going on, than on me.

We are mirrors, we see in others what we have within ourselves..........if something hurts it is probably because someone has showed us something about ourselves that we do not want to see......

Ok, enough of my ramblings.

Carry on.

Hmm, I believe it is mankind that uses fear as a manipulation tool, not "God".

Nope. No one, and I mean NO ONE, has the ability to make me close off myself.

Every choice I have made in life, was made by me. I have learned from it, and grown, and am moving on.

I have learned that some people are not capable of handling trust, so I do not give it to them. I have learned that some people do not want the responsiblity of being in a relationship though they want the "good" parts of one, so I do not force them into a relationship with me.

I have learned more about myself, and in essence more about others............

I expect nothing for what I offer, as I take responsiblity for my own choice to offer it.

IMO, closing yourself/heart off is allowing the past/and those in your past control and I refuse to allow anyone other than myself that control.

If I were to use the Bible to make a point of truth.........

I would argue that outside of "man" there is no "good" or "evil". We were "made to know" good and evil, as in made to know what pain is. Pain doesn't exist outside of the body. If you want to mention mental/spiritual pain, they only exist when there is a lack of harmony or a lack of understanding.

In essence you can't know one without the other......the only way to live in "peace" imo is to cater to neither.

(I know I'm not explaing this correctly.)

If I may, I do have the "Holy Spirit" talked about in the book of Acts. I have not always been what I am now. I used to believe the Bible was fact, but what I read and what I have been taught does not always align with the spirit within my heart.

I have read the whole Bible, more than once probably, because I was seeking the truth, and thought I would find it there.....and I found some truths there, but also fallacies (imo). I love the Bible, and have learned a great deal from it, I just do not see it as the Word of God.

I do not believe that the true "Word of God" can be recorded in a book limited by whatever language it is written in. I also do not believe that "God" can have one name, or be described as describing him puts "him" into categories; and therefore limits "him".

God to me is everything, all in all. Good and "bad". I do no believe in "good" and "evil" and no longer understand how someone who believes in an all powerful, all knowing, creator God could? If "God" is the creator of EVERYTHING, then he created both good and evil. He both makes dead and alive (Old Testament not exact quote). He is the tempest in the wind, yet the calm in the sea.

If he is all in all, he is you and me, and everything that exists. He is not separate from me, but rather part of the deepest recesses of my soul.

I do not need forgiveness from him, because he knows me, knows my heart, is part of what I am and understands. He does not judge me, but I judge myself. (I John 3:20) I believe that it is our own judgement and lack of understanding that seperates us from "God", but that is me.

No offence, but I would never take a book to all exclusions of others.........

Something I have wondered about, is how can someone use a Biblical scripture to prove anything.

Such as, Jesus is the only way to Heaven, then quote Jesus from the Bible where he says so...........??

That, imo, would be like quoting a commercial to prove that a specific product was the best..........

I see "God" in the wind, the sea, the stars at night, the grass and the birds. Everything is in harmony.........when our minds and hearts are in harmony. I do no need to read a book to know the truth, as the truth is within myself and is verified by the things around me.

I was an Apostolic Pentecostle Christian for most of my life........I have only begun my own journey over the past five years or so...and only let go of "Christianity" in the past two. It was a hard step for me, but the "God" I know, that resides in my spirit is not separated from truth, and therefore I do not need a mediator, what I know of Christ, the true Christ, is that he resides in my heart......and has many labels, and titles, and none covers the whole of what "he" is.

It depends on what you mean.

I would move, but I move a lot anyway, and moved halfway across the US last year with my Boyfriend so he could go back "home".

A new country?? I would consider it an adventure, but only after my kids are grown or older and wanted to go.

The country is wonderful and I'd love it so long as I wasn't three hours from a decent sized city to do my shopping.

Wow, I didn't expect so many in here to share similar views with mine.

To me life never truly "starts" or "ends" but simply changes, and there is no "life" more important or better than another, just different with a different role so to speak.

Death is not the end, nor is it evil.......just as life is not the beginning but a continuation. As was said, the sperm is alive and the egg is alive, they combine to make something DIFFERENT. Without said sperm and egg the embryo, fetus, baby, toddler, child, adolescent, young adult, adult would not have been possible. If considered this way, the life of said sperm is just as important........in the cycle. Do we cry when sperm dies?? No, because with things we are less "attached" to we accept the cycle.....It is only because we "cling" to "life" and do not understand "death" that we view the human death as being a negative thing.......

BUT anyhoo.

Life never begins and never ends, but always exists in one form or another. Human form is not greater or more important than another, they each have their purpose. When I am clear headed and not controlled by my attachments I accept this, and though I may miss the passing of life from one form to one I am less attached to(a friend, a parent, a dog) I realize that they are a part of me, and I them.........and that nothing is truly lost.

I didn't read this whole thread.......but I have read the whole Bible.......and it has some pearls in it, but by no means would I consider it fact.........

ONE, did u ever consider the other gospels and how much a like they are??? Have you ever read biographies by completely different authors that were so much alike in what they choose to focus on. Take note that if EVERY good work of Jesus were recorded all the books in the world couldn't contain them...... John 21:25, of course you're opinion of John may taint ur view of whether the rest of the New Testament would agree. But just imagine, ALL the gospels claim that he went on to do many miracles...........so tell me why the other gospels all focus on the same exact miracles????

I mean, if you seen many miracles a day, and decided to write a book of what you witnessed (how about what happened before the "apostles" were even made "apostles"??? Were they going off of what they were told happened???) Would you choose the EXACT or very SIMILAR ones?? NOT likely, and your writing style should definitely be different..... Unless you were copying from something/someone else, rather than your own eye witness account.

Anyhoo, if I believed the Christian way, or that the Bible was indeed fact.......I would question why everything else "agrees" so well, when they were supposedly written by completely different people.

NOTE: The Bible is/was a compilation of works gathered together by scribes of the time that seemed to corroborate what they wanted taught............. They decided what was included and was was not.........

Some claim, that though this may be true, their hands/minds were guided by Christ/God himself...........but I've learned in my short little life to never trust someone who claims that God himself told them they should/should not do something.....and claims that because of this, they are infallible.

Hope this helps with ur confusion.

And what exactly is wrong with being a "nancy" boy??

OP, Great to see ur smiling face.........wait u are smiling right??