Re: "straightguy"
by
straightguy
11/16/2007, 1:41 PM
The way you present makes it sound like criticism, which does not have to be pessimistic. We constructively and caringly inform people of their wrongdoings in the eyes of someone who loves them and wants them to be a part of His family. Sure we could say "You deserve to burn in hell," and we would be correct, but that's not the most appealing approach. We are all born evil, born as sinners, but that's why Christ died for us, so we could receive mercy and grace and be able to repent of our sins. Yes, only God can save you, and no, you don't have to give large sums of money out. Tithing and generosity are different from extorting. Homosexuality, like every other sin, is a temptation. If you give in to it, you are going against God's will but He made it so that you can repent.Temptation will be confronted by every person, and everyone will triumph or fail at various points in their lives. We're not perfect, and we're all already doomed to hell, but that deosn't mean we have to give in to that fact. God a\gave us a way out if we so choose to take it.
"Do you realize that if god has a master plan that includes everything, that there can be no sin because all of our choices were already made for us by god? "
God did not make our choices; He knows what our choices will be. There's a difference.
"Do you realize that prayer is asking god to change his divine plan just for you, which is therefore hubris, the highest of all sins?"
You're not asking Him to change His master plan because His plan already accounts for you praying to Him for something.
"Have you heard the voices yourself, or are you ruining peoples lives based on something you heard from some guy, who got it from someone else, who read it from a book thats been revised millions of times, by countless people, over hundreds of years, that was only a mishmash of stories by a bunch of different authors to begin with? "
First of all, it's only one voice. Second, some would see it as saving people from eternal damnation, whereas people like you would see it as "ruining their lives." Third, the Bible was written by men who were inspired by God, and since He is perect, His Word is perfect. Fourth, the Bible's original meaning has stood the test of time, despite the various "revisions" to it. The wording is all that has been changed. Last, although it was written by many different men, they were all inspired by God and each life reflected in the Bible has a specific purpose and meaning that contributes to the Bible's main purpose of teaching us about God.