Do You Believe In Creation

[lil' tanker]

Originally Posted by AGENT-X
If they believe in my sin sending me there it would. I guess they'd need to know my actions, but How do you know that all these people you look up to and see follow "the teachings" go to heaven? any proof?
My grandfather is a missionary and goes all over the world. He knows a woman that was about to die and wasn't right with God. She didn't believe I guess. She saw hell. She went out and in that time she saw what she said was granite figures of a woman and her children. The woman spoke and said come to me this is where you belong. Needless to say the woman was revived and is now praising God and now she knows where she will go. How can you believe that there is no life after this, I would not be able to live like that I would be so depressed. But I know that my redeemer liveth and am assured that He is able to keep that which I've committeth unto Him against that day (of judgement).

 

[lil' tanker]

Originally Posted by AGENT-X
very possible. Anyways, I have things to do today, I will check in later.
I'll pray for you. I will pray that God keeps you safe until you come back.

 

[mike22cha]

Originally Posted by AGENT-X
And that's great. I am truly happy for you. but maybe, just maybe that was the way to get you to believe in our region of the world. If you'd ben born in India maybe you'd be Hindu. What religion are you parents, I'm willing to bet the same as you. If they are not I am willing to bet someday you will mary a woman who believes the same as you. I believe a lot of this is based on the region we live in.
Yes my parents are Seventh Day Adventist, so am I
I have compared what Seventh Day Adventist teach to other denominations and I found it to be true.
If I find a woman I want to spend the rest of my life with, and she is a Christian, I don't care what denomination she is. She's going to Heaven either way, the things that divide the denominations are minor un important details.
I'll give you an example. I'll compare my denomination(Seventh Day Adventist) to Lil Tankers(Baptist) and show you how un important that is.
>Seventh Day Adventist Teachings
-Post Rapture after the Tribulation
-Follow OT Laws on meat (pork, shrimp,etc is unclean)
I don't eat pork and such, but I know that you're not going to go to hell if you do. It is more of a health issue, brought up in the Bible.
-Saturday is the Day of Rest
I don't play XBOX etc. on the Sabbath, because it is more to be a relaxing day focused on God. But I will go on the internet, talk with friends, etc. I don't think I'd go to Hell if I watched a TV show or played XBOX on Sabbath, but still somethin when I'm at home I chose not to do. When I'm at a friends house I'll do whatever.
>Baptist
-Pre Rapture before Tribulation
-Meat laws changed after Jesus came(no Biblical refernce saying anything against the Meat Laws of the OT by the way)
-Sunday is day or Rest
They got that because Jesus rose on a Sunday (another example no Biblical reference saying any thing about changing it to Sunday)
They do whatever on the day or rest, just not work. (nothing wrong with that).
These are just minor things. Either way, none of those reasons are going to prevent us from getting to Heaven.
Also the whole how you grow up makes you who you are, I find that untrue. If that is then I'd be a non sports fan, liberal tree hugger. I'm completely oppisite.

 

[ophiura]

Originally Posted by MIKE22cha
Why risk that there is nothing after we die? What do you got to lose?

Not to debate or offend - but I find this interesting. How many hold these beliefs due to the "what do you got to lose" idea...and how many because there is the the risk that there is a God who will punish you eternally...or even that you will have a great time with God in Heaven?
And how many believe that to heck with the afterlife, I believe because it is the good and right thing to do NOW. I'll admit, I live by the Golden Rule - for today and tomorrow, but not necessarily after death. I don't believe I am racking up points, so to speak, for the pass at the end. It is just the right thing to do now.
I can be motivated by it because there is such profound beauty in the world right now if you look. I just walked around my neighborhood.
It is certainly possible there is NOTHING in the afterlife, if we choose to be philosophical. Is it only the fear of eternal damnation that makes people do good things?
There is some room for interesting philosophical debate on the issue.
I also believe that God works to reach you in whatever way you listen. For me, it may have very well been the beauty and relative simplicity in the logic of science and evolution.
Once again though - MOD Ophiura talking - please be VERY careful with pronouncements that Jesus is the one and true way, etc, etc...this borders on marginal, IMO. It is YOUR BELIEF but it is not a place to judge others on it. Thanks

 

[mike22cha]

Originally Posted by ophiura
Not to debate or offend - but I find this interesting. How many hold these beliefs due to the "what do you got to lose" idea...and how many because there is the the risk that there is a God who will punish you eternally...or even that you will have a great time with God in Heaven?
I agree. I sometimes wonder if we will get judged. I know that if I was, I wouldn't deserve to get to Heaven. That fact makes me afraid. I'm a terrible sinner. But the fact that there is a hope that the Bible teaches, that Jesus took our place to be judged, and He is flawless, brings hope to me.

 

[jerthunter]

I personally think Pascal had a good point with his logic about believing in God. However there is always the issue about which God to believe in, and since most religions claim that it is wrong to believe any other religion, it becomes difficult to pick which God or which understanding of God to pick.

 

[lil' tanker]

Originally Posted by ophiura
Not to debate or offend - but I find this interesting. How many hold these beliefs due to the "what do you got to lose" idea...and how many because there is the the risk that there is a God who will punish you eternally...or even that you will have a great time with God in Heaven?
And how many believe that to heck with the afterlife, I believe because it is the good and right thing to do NOW. I'll admit, I live by the Golden Rule - for today and tomorrow, but not necessarily after death. I don't believe I am racking up points, so to speak, for the pass at the end. It is just the right thing to do now.
I can be motivated by it because there is such profound beauty in the world right now if you look. I just walked around my neighborhood.
It is certainly possible there is NOTHING in the afterlife, if we choose to be philosophical. Is it only the fear of eternal damnation that makes people do good things?
There is some room for interesting philosophical debate on the issue.
I also believe that God works to reach you in whatever way you listen. For me, it may have very well been the beauty and relative simplicity in the logic of science and evolution.
Once again though - MOD Ophiura talking - please be VERY careful with pronouncements that Jesus is the one and true way, etc, etc...this borders on marginal, IMO. It is YOUR BELIEF but it is not a place to judge others on it. Thanks

I believe that you should not do good things because your racking up points or whatever but I do believe that you should do it because it brings glory to God and that is our purpose in life. To bring glory to God is why we were created IMO. I believe that we are not good enough to get ourselves into heaven. I believe that the only thing we can do is believe that is our only hope and the only way IMO.

 

[mike22cha]

Originally Posted by Jerthunter
I personally think Pascal had a good point with his logic about believing in God. However there is always the issue about which God to believe in, and since most religions claim that it is wrong to believe any other religion becomes difficult to pick which God or which understanding of God to pick.
Most religons believe in the same God, just different things that happened after Jesus came.

 

[jerthunter]

Originally Posted by MIKE22cha
Most religons believe in the same God, just different things that happened after Jesus came.
Many people do not feel that same way, even among religions that share much of the same religious text. Plus there are MANY other religions that do not share any religious texts.

 

[ophiura]

Originally Posted by lil' tanker
I believe that you should not do good things because your racking up points or whatever but I do believe that you should do it because it brings glory to God and that is our purpose in life. To bring glory to God is why we were created IMO. I believe that we are not good enough to get ourselves into heaven. I believe that the only thing we can do is believe that is our only hope and the only way IMO.

It is an interesting premise, and again I bring this up only on the philosophical interest.
It is odd to me, that we need to bring glory to God.
People on earth who do it are considered egocentric, and it is a very undesirable, dare I say sinful, trait right there with vanity, etc. To create a whole people to do this....? Yikes!
Is that what he really needs, or is it what people need? I'm going to have to ponder this myself.
{EDIT: PLEASE understand this is not a challenge, insult, etc, this is a philosophical discussion)

 

[lil' tanker]

Originally Posted by ophiura
It is an interesting premise, and again I bring this up only on the philosophical interest.
It is odd to me, that we need to bring glory to God.
People on earth who do it are considered egocentric, and it is a very undesirable, dare I say sinful, trait right there with vanity, etc. To create a whole people to do this....? Yikes!
Is that what he really needs, or is it what people need? I'm going to have to ponder this myself.
{EDIT: PLEASE understand this is not a challenge, insult, etc, this is a philosophical discussion)
I understand. I'm not trying to say that God is an egomaniac but He is God you know. We're here IMO to bring glory to Him and live our lives the way he wanted us to.

 

[lil' tanker]

gotta go be back on later

 

[reefreak29]

Originally Posted by Jerthunter
I personally think Pascal had a good point with his logic about believing in God. However there is always the issue about which God to believe in, and since most religions claim that it is wrong to believe any other religion, it becomes difficult to pick which God or which understanding of God to pick.
thats why ive chosen not to be apart of a religion , ive always found it to be a false sense of security and all religions are biased. i choose to hold on to the word of God and not be swayed by man made rules

 

[1journeyman]

Originally Posted by reefreak29
thats why ive chosen not to be apart of a religion , ive always found it to be a false sense of security and all religions are biased. i choose to hold on to the word of God and not be swayed by man made rules
Of course the Word of God does tell us to be a part of a "church", which is where part fo the difficulty lies.

 

[mike22cha]

It doesn't matter to me which denomination you are, because none are perfect. But as long as you believe in God and accepted His gift of eternal life, then I am happy.
Got to go ride my bike around some lake(aka 9miles

).

 

[mike22cha]

Originally Posted by 1journeyman
Of course the Word of God does tell us to be a part of a "church", which is where part fo the difficulty lies.
I think that is more refering to God's church which consists of all denominations, all churches, all Christians.

 

[1journeyman]

Just to back up what Ophiura posted earlier: Folks, please remember that an open discussion is welcome, a closed diatribe is not.
You can discuss what "you believe" and why you believe it, but be very careful if you find yourself trying to tell someone else what to believe.

 

[1journeyman]

Originally Posted by MIKE22cha
I think that is more refering to God's church which consists of all denominations, all churches, all Christians.
Agreed.

 

[reefreak29]

what the bible says about judgment is that jesus will be givin the authority to judge all the earth. althuogh his judgement is already working in our lives, there is a future, final judgment when christ returns and everones life will be reviewed and evaluated. this will not be confined to non believers;christians too will face judgment. whyll there eternal destiny is secure, jesus will look at how they handled gifts, oppertunities and responsibilities, in order to determen there heavenly rewards. unfortunatly it is written at the time of judgmentGod will deliver the riteous and condemn the wicked. we should also not judge others salvation because that is Gods work not ours

 

[reefreak29]

Originally Posted by 1journeyman
Of course the Word of God does tell us to be a part of a "church", which is where part fo the difficulty lies.
i go to an e free church, and he does say to gather with other christianss he def. wants us to be part of a church. hebrew 10;25