Why Do Christians Decide To Post?

[aspen]

1 Actually converse with Christian brothers and sisters. I have a chronic Illness and live in an isolated area...I don't get out much, and certainly don't have a lot of fellow encouragement.

2 To share the wonder of the gospel with others, to be able to be excited about what Jesus did and what God continues to do not only in my life by in the world around me.
3 And finally to help me discuss my faith out right! I have since managed to start a small bible study out here, and its wonderful to be able to talk about my beliefs, but that was also my hope for this board. The more I talk of my love for Jesus, hopefully the easier it will get to admit it to complete strangers! (as in, the great commission!)

These are great reasons to try and engage in conversation. I am just starting to lose hope in ever realizing it.

So, those were my hopes when joining. However, like Aspen I'm feeling a little shaken by what I've actually found here. I am truly overwhelmed by how many people, claiming to be Christian, are here only to: push their agendas, and are happy to tear verbal hunks out of people. I am shocked by how many people, claiming to be Christian deny key salvation issues, like the Trinity. I am dismayed by how many people believe their quest to be right trumps love or forgiveness, even simple kindness.
To be honest, I really haven't found any of the things I was looking for. I spend most of my time here trying to defend the things that our Savior died for, and while I don't mind a good discussion, I am weary of being labeled things like, 'ignorant' and 'stupid', even 'evil and damned.'

Yeah, I am surprised how far people go to preserve their ideas about doctrine. It is sad to me that we can't seem to have a decent discussion here.

So, I'm currently debating with myself If I should continue posting here. I do not like the way I always seem to be arguing. It doesn't matter that I'm arguing for Christ....at some point you have to walk away or you get dragged down into sin yourself.

Well, I hope to stay in contact with you - I like reading your posts.

So, anyway, that's my long winded post.
Just something I wanted to comment on; about the whole 'choose God or the Bible' thing.
Christians do not 'worship' the bible. But the bible is Gods revelation of Himself to us, and that makes it priceless! As it says; "All scripture is God breathed and therefor profitable".
How can we know God, His plan for salvation, the loving action of Jesus or any of it without the bible?? Without the Bible we would be left worshiping a God we know nothing about. How easy it would then be to make him what we want, not what He is!

There is no doubt that the Bible is an important, invaluable revelation from God, but I do not believe it is the cornerstone of Christianity. Christ would reveal himself even if the Bible was never written or assembled. Although, I am glad that we have it.

 

[Rach1370]

Aspen said:
There is no doubt that the Bible is an important, invaluable revelation from God, but I do not believe it is the cornerstone of Christianity. Christ would reveal himself even if the Bible was never written or assembled. Although, I am glad that we have it.

I think my point is that is was the Bible that God chose to reveal Himself to us through. Of course He could have done it any other way...He's God! But as it was the Bible He chose, it remains His word to us. It's not really up to us to decide its relevancy or accuracy in today's 'modern' society.
Our God remains the same, always, and if He decided the Bible was the best way for mankind to know Him, then it is perfect for that purpose. God is hardly going to make a mistake!!

 

[WhiteKnuckle]

I do think the Bible is A cornerstone for Christianity.

A as in a very important piece of the puzzle that we call Christianity. Without the word of God I.E. the Bible, people could go around making all kinds of claims about what God said to them. We'd have nothing to compare it to and we'd have complete chaos and we'd all be lost.

Without the Bible we'd be just like all the other pagans pandering after spirits for answers.

The reason I say the Bible is only A cornerstone and not THE cornerstone is because without God's revelation the Bible is just a collection of stories and events that may or may not be true. We can see this in many scholars and atheists that try to read and decipher what the Bible says and means.

We all know how we all struggle with understanding even after God has revealed things to us.

The Bible being a cornerstone makes it inseperable from God, and from Christianity. It's not possible to have one without the other. However, I do give concession to my belief that the Bible is not a necessary part for salvation. By this I mean the very minimal requirement for one to be saved is to believe in Jesus. There's many people who came to revelation of Jesus Christ without the Bible and may not have a chance to have one.

In the case mentioned above, and in all cases the word of God is written on the believers heart. Do we need the Bible to continue to observe God's laws? I don't believe so because we have love, and as the Bible says Love is the sum of the law and the prophets.

 

[aspen]

Aspen said:
There is no doubt that the Bible is an important, invaluable revelation from God, but I do not believe it is the cornerstone of Christianity. Christ would reveal himself even if the Bible was never written or assembled. Although, I am glad that we have it.

I think my point is that is was the Bible that God chose to reveal Himself to us through. Of course He could have done it any other way...He's God! But as it was the Bible He chose, it remains His word to us. It's not really up to us to decide its relevancy or accuracy in today's 'modern' society.
Our God remains the same, always, and if He decided the Bible was the best way for mankind to know Him, then it is perfect for that purpose. God is hardly going to make a mistake!!

You are right, God doesn't make mistakes. However, there was no written Bible until the Babylonian exile in 500 BC and there was no canonized NT until the 4th century AD, yet God still revealed Himself through the prophets and personal and public revelation. This takes nothing away from the importance of the Bible, but God is not confined to a book or the written word, either.

I do think the Bible is A cornerstone for Christianity.

A as in a very important piece of the puzzle that we call Christianity. Without the word of God I.E. the Bible, people could go around making all kinds of claims about what God said to them. We'd have nothing to compare it to and we'd have complete chaos and we'd all be lost.

Without the Bible we'd be just like all the other pagans pandering after spirits for answers.

The reason I say the Bible is only A cornerstone and not THE cornerstone is because without God's revelation the Bible is just a collection of stories and events that may or may not be true. We can see this in many scholars and atheists that try to read and decipher what the Bible says and means.

We all know how we all struggle with understanding even after God has revealed things to us.

The Bible being a cornerstone makes it inseperable from God, and from Christianity. It's not possible to have one without the other. However, I do give concession to my belief that the Bible is not a necessary part for salvation. By this I mean the very minimal requirement for one to be saved is to believe in Jesus. There's many people who came to revelation of Jesus Christ without the Bible and may not have a chance to have one.

In the case mentioned above, and in all cases the word of God is written on the believers heart. Do we need the Bible to continue to observe God's laws? I don't believe so because we have love, and as the Bible says Love is the sum of the law and the prophets.

I agree with you that the Bible is A cornerstone for Christianity - especially in our time - now that new public revelation is no longer happening. I agree that there would be greater confusion without it, today.

 

[Martin W.]

You are right, God doesn't make mistakes. However, there was no written Bible until the Babylonian exile in 500 BC and there was no canonized NT until the 4th century AD, yet God still revealed Himself through the prophets and personal and public revelation. This takes nothing away from the importance of the Bible, but God is not confined to a book or the written word, either.



I agree with you that the Bible is A cornerstone for Christianity - especially in our time - now that new public revelation is no longer happening. I agree that there would be greater confusion without it, today.

God spoke his words to his prophets , who spoke God's words to the people. Then the prophet (or his scribes) wrote them down until the Old Testament was complete..


Jesus came and with the 12 apostles began the christian era and some of what they did was written down giving us The New Testament.

Since then, we have been pretty much on our own with just our bibles and faith. This makes the bible very important because it is the source of everything we can know.

The bible gives us God's recorded words and actions , without it we have nothing concrete to base our faith on.

 

[Selene]

God spoke his words to his prophets , who spoke God's words to the people. Then the prophet (or his scribes) wrote them down until the Old Testament was complete..


Jesus came and with the 12 apostles began the christian era and some of what they did was written down giving us The New Testament.

Since then, we have been pretty much on our own with just our bibles and faith. This makes the bible very important because it is the source of everything we can know.

The bible gives us God's recorded words and actions , without it we have nothing concrete to base our faith on.

I agree. The Bible is very important. So important that the Hebrew people wrote it down by hand for many centuries and passed it on down the generations. That was tedious work writing the Old Testament by hand copy after copy after copy.

As to why I decide to post here....like most people here, I think conversing with our bothers and sisters is very meaningful. It helps me to understand people more. I've even met some nice people on this forum board despite the fact that they are not the same denomination as me. It is always nice to make friends.

 

[TexUs]

How can you (aspen, selene) go around "I agree" with everything said yet still maintain teachings of men and that the Bible isn't the infallible Word of God?

You remind me of politicians. You can't agree with everyone lest you look like a fool.

 

[aspen]

The bible gives us God's recorded words and actions , without it we have nothing concrete to base our faith on.

This is a troubling statement because throughout history people have demanded 'something concrete to base our faith on' and God has resisted. This need led the Hebrews to abandon God at the foot of Mt Sinai and create something concrete in the shape of a golden calf; Israel to replace God with a human king; and constant demands from people towards Jesus to prove himself. I think placing too much importance on anything concrete is dangerous because it can actually take our eyes off of God - even if the object points to God.

How can you (aspen, selene) go around "I agree" with everything said yet still maintain teachings of men and that the Bible isn't the infallible Word of God?

You remind me of politicians. You can't agree with everyone lest you look like a fool.

um.....because I resist dualistic thinking which demands that we determine a person to be right or wrong about everything. People can be right about some ideas and wrong about others or I might agree with them on one topic and disagree with them completely on another. Life is not black and white, it is dynamic.


Also, the ability to have a discussion is not contingent on disagreement - it seems like some people believe we cannot talk unless there is an argument that must be won by the good guys. This ideas is as wrong as basing freewill on the presence of evil - as if Adam and Eve need to eat the fruit so they could have the ability to choose.

 

[TexUs]

This is a troubling statement because throughout history people have demanded 'something concrete to base our faith on' and God has resisted.

What do you think Christ was? People didn't see him die on the cross? Paul didn't mention hundreds of people that saw him risen?
Can't get more concrete than seeing it happen.


And luckily for us, the Apostles wrote about it and the church affirmed the letters were accurate- so we thousands of years later can read and know it happened.

um.....because I resist dualistic thinking which demands that we determine a person to be right or wrong about everything. People can be right about some ideas and wrong about others or I might agree with them on one topic and disagree with them completely on another. Life is not black and white, it is dynamic.

You more often than not totally miss the point of topic, don't you? Either that or you understand it and just go off on some random tangent...



I wasn't saying you must say they're right or wrong about EVERYTHING ever spoken, I was saying you agree with EVERYTHING posted here (which pertains to, "Is the Bible the Word of God?"). You're saying they're right when they proclaim the Bible to be the accurate Word of God yet then you turn around and say it's human word.

 

[aspen]

What do you think Christ was? People didn't see him die on the cross? Paul didn't mention hundreds of people that saw him risen?
Can't get more concrete than seeing it happen.

And luckily for us, the Apostles wrote about it and the church affirmed the letters were accurate- so we thousands of years later can read and know it happened.




You more often than not totally miss the point of topic, don't you? Either that or you understand it and just go off on some random tangent...


I wasn't saying you must say they're right or wrong about EVERYTHING ever spoken, I was saying you agree with EVERYTHING posted here (which pertains to, "Is the Bible the Word of God?"). You're saying they're right when they proclaim the Bible to be the accurate Word of God yet then you turn around and say it's human word.

I believe the Bible is the Word of God - the fact that you reject that I believe what I just stated is the reason for your confusion.


Christ is God -which is different than a concrete sign of God - also He was given to us according to God's timing - not in response to our demands.

 

[Selene]

How can you (aspen, selene) go around "I agree" with everything said yet still maintain teachings of men and that the Bible isn't the infallible Word of God?

You remind me of politicians. You can't agree with everyone lest you look like a fool.

Aspen and I have always said that the Bible IS the word of God. We just don't take it literally as you do. Not everything in the Bible should be taken literally otherwise, one would end up running into a lot of problems.

 

[Jobeliano]

Why did I join this Christianityboard? I joined this website to communicate with Christians like me and have better knowledge. Before I found this website I still believed in rapture and seven years tribulation that my classmate tells me. Then I realized that if I join here I will probably learn more things.

 

[TexUs]

Aspen and I have always said that the Bible IS the word of God. We just don't take it literally as you do. Not everything in the Bible should be taken literally otherwise, one would end up running into a lot of problems.

And yet when it says "This is my body, and this is my blood" you take it literally.
LOL.

Hypocrite.

People can judge for themselves weather or not these statements reflect someone that believes the Bible is the Word of God.

written by human hand and therefore limited by human perspective

people are merely human and reporting heavenly ideas through human eyes.

Humans attributing intent to God

 

[aspen]

And yet when it says "This is my body, and this is my blood" you take it literally.
LOL.

Hypocrite.

And you take the Bible literally except the Eucharist - so how are you not being hypocritical - let the mental gymnastics begin!

Three of my quotes

All of these statements are true and the Bible is inspired.

 

[Selene]

And yet when it says "This is my body, and this is my blood" you take it literally.
LOL.

Hypocrite.

Hypocrite? HELLO? Did you not read my post? I DID say "Not everything in the Bible should be taken literally". What part of "not everything" did you not comprehend??? Do you know what "not everything" means????? Here, let me help you understand better. Okay....little boys and girls, what does "not everything" mean? "It means not ALL things" Very good little boys and girls! Here's some cookies for you for being very smart. LOL!!!!! :lol:

Do you not know that in the Bible, it says that the earth is being held up pillars? Do you believe that the earth is being up by pillars? (See Job 9:6 and 1 Samuel 2:8) . I do not know about you, but there are no pillars or poles holding up the earth.

 

[Selene]

And you take the Bible literally except the Eucharist - so how are you not being hypocritical - let the mental gymnastics begin!

Exactly. Look who is being a hypocrite now.

 

[Robbie]

I do web development... so I spend a lot of time in front of the computer... last night at like 2am I was working on a project and wanted some fellowship... so I signed up... a lil break from the world...