6) Honestly I didn't really turn to this one. It's like God found me and not the other way around. The emotion of God taking out the bad and putting in the good is something that you never forget or even quite understand. For me at least. It's truly a conversion that takes place.

Exactly

It's a beautiful transition

That can only happen to bad people in the first place. Otherwise you'd have no 'bad' to be taken out and replaced with 'good'.

So where does that leave the people who are naturally 'good'?

Like I said your a funny guy.

NO Sir it does not. I watch Christian groups like many watch Muslims or Islam. Detecting trends in the so-called 'culture wars' often appears with a rise in Chritian fundamentalism.

Those of the Christian community tend to be more deeply entrenched in the traditions of their faith so that change is perceived as a threat to them.

That's when a rise fundamentalism can be seen and when the stradegy to manipulate people of faith is planned and undertaken by those in power.

From my perspective, in the grass roots where power is in numbers and not wealth, being aware is the best way to plan counter-stradegies.

Too deeply entrenched in religion = not aware of being manipulated
Too deeply reliant on the world's wealthiest for one's power = denial of being manipulated.

Some must remain in the middle without dependance on traditions for faith, and without the need for a monitary hand-out to have power over self-determination.

From the middle of every continuum change emerges so that the middle continues to hold itself together.

So keep me informed.

I've been reading the posts in here for awhile. Abra, I know you love to make things more complicated than they are when it comes to Christianity, which is why I don't waste my time posting in here.

The reason I did quote to what MG1959 said, is because I know this feeling well.

I will admit to being "lost" for a very long time...only to be transformed while going through an extremely hard time in my life.
Was I bad? In some eyes maybe I was. Do I claim to be perfect now? Absolutely not! But I have a peace in me now that I've never had in my life. In fact I'm so at peace? You couldn't even rile me

Will I sit and study God's word so that I can come on Mingle and debate with all the ones who shoot me down because I "believe" something they don't? No way. I know what's "truth" for me and that's all that matters.

3. How did it get from its original Arameic to the extant Greek-language copies
4. How did it get from the lips of god to the pen of men

Hi wux

3) The first human author to write down the biblical record was Moses. He wrote in his native language, Hebrew.

Hebrew is one of a group of languages known as the Semitic languages which were spoken throughout that part of the world, then called Mesopotamia, located today mainly in Iraq. Their alphabet consisted of 22 letters, all consonants.

Almost the entire Old Testament was written in Hebrew during the thousand years of its composition. But a few chapters in the prophecies of Ezra and Daniel and one verse in Jeremiah were written in a language called Aramaic. This language became very popular in the ancient world and actually displaced many other languages. Aramaic even became the common language spoken in Israel in Jesus' time, and it was likely the language He spoke day by day. Some Aramaic words were even used by the Gospel writers in the New Testament.

The New Testament was written in Greek. This seems strange, since you might think it would be either Hebrew or Aramaic. However, Greek was the language of scholarship during the years of the composition of the New Testament from 50 to 100 AD. The fact is that many Jews could not even read Hebrew anymore, and this disturbed the Jewish leaders a lot! So, around 300 BC a translation of the Old Testament from Hebrew into Greek was undertaken, and it was completed around 200 BC. Gradually the Greek translation of the Old Testament, called the Septuagint, was widely accepted and was even used in many synagogues.

So the New Testament authors wrote in Greek. They did not, however, use really high-class or classical Greek, but a very common and everyday type of Greek. For many years some scholars ridiculed the Greek of the New Testament because many of its words were strange to those who read the writings of the great Greek classical authors such as Plato and Aristotle. But later many records were uncovered of ordinary people, and amazingly there were the same common terms used in everyday speech! The ridicule dried up accordingly.

4) Inspiration, experience and the spirit of God.

Keep in mind I'm only human but when asked questions I'll do my best to answer. I can't really answer or care to answer some of the things that get brought up cause they are really just arguments and I don't get into that but when people ask a direct question I'll try to give the answer that I believe is good or I'll say I don't know.

thanks

I'm by no means the end all be all on the topics but more of a student.

Well at least I'm a man of substance. I don't just wave off the important issues with trivial empty replies like you do.

You totally avoided the question.

So where does that leave the people who are naturally good?

Or have you been brainwashed to believe that there are no such people?

I know better than that.

That's the problem with these ancient religious fables. They make outrageous claims about people that simply have no merit.

I know these fables are false because I'm a good person and these fables claim that this is impossible to be a good person without cowering down to these bigoted religious beliefs.

Well, that's hogwash. I know better.

That's all it is sir. It's hogwash.

It's just religious propaganda and lies to support religious bigotry is all.

Either submit to our religious bigotry or you can't be a "Good" person.

A person must have been feeling pretty guilty about something to fall for that line. That's all I can figure.


It's utter nonsense.

What it is, at it's core, is an attempt by them to get us to hand over our power, that we don't even realize we have as human beings. We have been manipulated into giving it up, by being told in essence we have no power at all, because we are evil by nature. So we then let them tell us what to do, out of a need for security and safety in the afterlife, rather than risk the death that we are told is certain if we don't believe them.

It's rather ingenious really.

Abra, the question is not about whether you are a good

person or not(actually I think you are a good and wonderful

person, who is

simply and honestly rebelling against what you

think God to be ....even though it is

not the true

picture of Who God really is ) .


Actually ,There are many many many good people in this world.


But the REAL question is not about whether you or many others

are good or not.......

the real and most important question is:

do you know Jesus as your Personal Saviour.



Point is.....even GOOD people still need a Saviour,

Abra....because their spirit needs to be reconnected back to

God..in order to stand in God's presence once more.


We can't stand in God's presence otherwise...we would not be able

to stand in His presence and live.


But we CAN stand in His presence when we are born again....because

then ,our spirit is once more re-connected with God...and His Holy

Spirit now is able to take up residence in our spirit once more.


Sin...even the tiniest sin, cuts man off from God.

We can be good in many many ways, but still have sin in our

lives , which separates us from God.



God takes sin seriously, because it SEPARATES man from God.

But in order to come back into true fellowship with God, He

provided us a Saviour.

His name is Jesus.

ALL we have to do is come to Jesus with a Trusting and Willing heart...

and Believe and Receive Him into our hearts.

And mean it.

With childlike Faith.

See?


So simple.

And when we do come to Jesus and ask Him into our hearts,

Jesus's shed blood on that cross , washes away all our

sins.....thus allowing us to come into the presence of our

Heavenly Father once more.



God just wants you to come back home, Abra.

Can't you hear Him calling you?


Also..God's got a work for you to do.....He has great and mighty

things in store for you.......so stop running now....and please come home.

God is Waiting......

Now hurry up and get your butt home.

Total garbage, total total garbage. You're going to tell me that a person can do all kinds of good in their lives, never hate a soul, love and change the lives of everyone they ever touch or encounter, but because they refuse to accept Jesus as their savior, they will die and be separated from God forever, if not burn forever?

Not a chance! That is absolutely ridiculous, and not one single loving parent, much less a divine creator would do such a thing. If they did, they would be neither loving or divine at all. They'd come off as one with an ego complex, that because they didn't get exactly what they wanted, everyone must suffer.

That's not the God I have come to see, not even close.

When I see how the enemy tries to blind the eyes of people,

I just want to weep.


No Kleisto..God doesn't want you to hand over some power to

Him.....He just wants you to come to Him with a WILLING heart.

NO OTHER WAY !!!!


GOD ISN'T INTERESTED IN SLAVES OR ROBOTS, FOLLOWING AFTER HIM.

Then why is it all so legalistic?? Christianity the basis of it is about obedience, and if you don't obey, you suffer. Seems like enslavement to me.......

Obedience comes of a willing heart AFTER one comes To Jesus.

Obedience BEFORE coming to Jesus is works.....DEAD

works...amounting to nothing.


All the good works in the world won't get you to Jesus.


ACCEPTING HIM WITH A WILLING HEART IS THE ONLY WAY TO COME TO

JESUS..NO WORKS OR OBEDIENCE REQUIRED.


Again....Obedience FOLLOWS after being saved.......not before...and then

believers WANT to OBEY GOD NOW.... because of the LOVE

for God now in our born again spirit....

and not because we HAVE to be obedient now.

We WANT to OBEY Now.


Jesus says ,"Come as You Are".

That means you bring nothing to the table but your willing

trusting childlike heart....believing and receiving Jesus into

your heart with childlike faith .

THAT IS ALLL THAT IS REQUIRED.

Nothing more .....NO WORKS REQUIRED.

JUST FAITH...BELIEVING AND RECEIVING JESUS INTO YOUR HEART.

AND MEANING IT !!!!

NOT JUST LIP SERVICE ONLY.

GOD SEES THE HEART.

The whole point is STILL obedience, I don't care how you dress it up, be it that Jesus wants you to come to Him with a willing heart or whatever else, the bottom line is, if you DON'T do this, you will die. If that doesn't imply a slave basically, I don't know what does. Your choices are limited to one option or the other, there's no room for anything else.

I dont know what 'power' is when it comes to human other than a cliche ideal.

But I know that I have boundless potential, and what I have read in the bible backs that up right at the beginning with this sentence

'So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them'

God made me in HIS image, a wonderful and awesome Gods creation must be pretty wonderful and awesome herself

as he created me, I have the potential for great creation myself,,,

we die (our bodies) no matter what we do or dont do,, that is our design.


there is an opportunity to supercede that mortal end however, with a spiritual eternity,, but it is not a birthright and there requires a judgment to be made

thats not slavery, thats an inheritance that we only have to agree to accept from the grantor,,,

You don't understand, what the Bible God does, is just like what a rapist will do to get what they want from those they rape. They'll say to their victim: "Oh you're free to go if you want, but if you try, I will kill you the moment you take a single step, so if you know what's good for you, you'll give me what I want, you won't be harmed and we'll both be happy."

There is no difference between that and saying: "I will grant you eternal life, but only if you do exactly as I say. Otherwise, you die and will be burned forever without end, as I will not save you. You're free to do whatever you want, but if you wanna live, you'll do as I say, and we'll both be happy."

It is the same damn thing, it is spiritual rape.

Actually Kleisto....I think a loving kind good person

would eventually accept Jesus.


God makes Himself known to us all in soooo many ways..a good

person with a good heart would be able to eventually see

that.....and be touched by God's Goodness of sending us Jesus as

our Saviour... and would accept Him.

Not reject Him.

In the end, I seriously doubt that any good person with a good

kind heart, rejects Jesus.

That isn't the point. If any of them do, they die. How is that just if they did good all their lives? Simple, it's not, and as such is not of God.