There is no such thing as 'Free Will'

[Quahom1]

Originally Posted by citizenzen

There's just enough time to tell us what "interfaith" means to you. Consider your answer my lullabye.

It means common respect for others, regardless of their beliefs, something I fear you have not quite grasped yet...

Good night, and sleep tight, and dream fine dreams CZ.

[citizenzen]

Originally Posted by Quahom1

Good night, and sleep tight, and dream fine dreams CZ.

Nitey-nite, ya big lug. *yawn*

[Tao_Equus]

Originally Posted by pattimax

The condemnation, my dear friends, is all yours. Enjoy your eternity in darkness.

Lmao.. definitely you get hypocrite of the day prize for that one. Classic bible thumping double-standards.

[Snoopy]

Originally Posted by pattimax

We are commanded to be the hands and feet of Christ, to feed the hungry, clothe the naked, and care for widows, orphans, and the stranger. Where it leaves them, is entirely up to each one of US. God will provide for their needs, and calls upon us to be the delivery system.

I'm genuinely trying to "play by the rules" here, as in asking questions about Christianity in this forum...

What I'm getting at is, how would you explain, for instance, the hunger, poverty and deprivation of all those people in Zimbabwe? Where is God for those people?

s.

[Snoopy]

Originally Posted by citizenzen

Now I'm going to have to quibble with you PM (and Q1).

and me perhaps. I think folk should be free to wander around but the specific faith forums are specific faith forums for a reason, aren't they?

CZ, isn't this the forum that would be the appropriate one for the intra-religious chat that you are promoting here in the Christian forum?

Comparative Studies - Interfaith forums

s.

[Snoopy]

Originally Posted by Quahom1

Now that is a loaded question. What with pattimax doing what she can to help others and my going out to try and save lives at sea...that leaves...you...

Please, it was not meant to be.

I meant...

Patti said "Life is eternal, and the choice we have to make is whether we wish to spend eternity in the light of God or in the darkness of our own "wisdom".
When I am hungry, God feeds me. When I am cold, God warms me. When I am weary, God gives me rest."

I'm not trying to be tricky; I'm just asking. I appreciate that each of us can only do so much as individuals. But my question is simply in response to what Patti said above. In other words (as I say in a previous post) - how do the people of Zimbabwe get provided with food from God? Many of course aren't, but it isn't through lack of choosing God - is it?

s.

[Snoopy]

Originally Posted by pattimax

Much applause!

Why would anyone ask a question if they are alone? (is what I meant)

(and for the record, Patti wandered off Christianity here, not me! I'm only responding to her words!)

s.

[immortalitylost]

Originally Posted by Snoopy

What does this mean?

A game of telephone is where a number of people stand in a line, then a message is passed in whispered form from one end of the line to the other, with the goal being that the message isn't changed in transit. It doesn't usually end that well.

Originally Posted by pattimax

This IS the Christianity page.

I had the wrong idea about this forum. I had no idea this was a place where Christians were not permitted to explain their faith. Rather, this is a place where you all come to congratulate each other on being so much smarter than us, while you repeatedly misrepresent us and the God you do not believe in.
The condemnation, my dear friends, is all yours. Enjoy your eternity in darkness. Take care that you don’t actually read this Bible you are so knowledgeable about. And I, too, am glad you have prepared so thoroughly for an eternity of pain and agony.

Dear me, I hope I didn't help to make you so angry. I respect your beliefs, and am perfectly happy to read when you explain them. The reason that I brought up the evangelizing, is that it seems to me that instead of non Christians mocking Christian beliefs, and calling Christians ignorant for believing what they do, Christians blatantly call others beliefs wrong, and try to actively convert nonbelievers when said nonbelievers merely come looking for insight into your beliefs. I understand that as a Christian, you feel the need to evangelize where you can. I was merely questioning if an interfaith forum would be the most suitable place for evangelizing. I did not mean that you shouldn't be here, explaining and discussing your views, and I did state that I could see why you would feel that you had no choice. I like discussing things with you and hope that continues.

What I am really trying to say is that if my post had anything to do with offending you, I am truly sorry.

Originally Posted by pattimax

John 3:17-20 says that people are condemned by their own choice. Christians believe that the death of Christ on the cross paid the penalty for the sins of all humanity, for all time (since Adam, until the end of the world). This solution to the problem of sin preserves God's demand for justice (who would want an unjust God?). It goes on to say, however, that there are those who would prefer to reject this act of mercy, in order to continue to behave badly. These people condemn themselves to darkness because in the dark their deeds will not be known.
A God who loves me so much to make a way back to the light for me is a God I can keep company with!

Are you saying here that people of other faiths are not seen by God even when they do good deeds? Or that they reject Jesus because they want to continue preforming bad deeds? Both? Just trying to clarify.

Originally Posted by citizenzen

Now if I were to guess why this is the case, I'd say it's more likely due to the fact that the percentage of Christians in this forum is higher than any other faith. So the number of discussions in this thread is higher than any other faith's thread. And if one enjoyed talking about subjects such as religion, philosophy, etc., it would seem logical (to me) to go where the discussions are taking place and engage in them rather to wait quietly in my chosen faith's thread. I'm here to talk, to exchange, to engage. What are you here for?

I do want to ask, Q1, what does interfaith mean to you? Would you be more comfortable if you only had to hear the echos of your own opinions? Why even continue the charade of calling this forum Interfaith if we're all supposed to stay in our safe little places discussing only topics that make us feel comfortable? Aren't we adult enough, intelligent enough and courageous enough to explore the world's religions openly?

I am. Are you?

Nicely said. None of us mean to undermine others beliefs (or at least we shouldn't.) This forum is a rare opportunity to glean greater understanding about concepts or faiths that we wouldn't have the opportunity to learn and discuss otherwise. It's a pretty awesome place!

And people shouldn't feel the need to quarantine themselves into their own faith specific threads. It's all about the transfer of data, and knowledge. And if you had to stay in your own section, I would be out of luck. I don't fit in completely anywhere.

See ya!

[Snoopy]

Originally Posted by immortalitylost

A game of telephone is where a number of people stand in a line, then a message is passed in whispered form from one end of the line to the other, with the goal being that the message isn't changed in transit. It doesn't usually end that well.

Got ya. Not sure why the phones are needed though.(or why it's also known as Chinese whispers). I've heard of this as a message being passed along the trenches in war. The message started off as "Send reinforcements - we're going to advance" but ends up as "Send three and four pence, we're going to a dance."

s.

[citizenzen]

Originally Posted by Snoopy

I think folk should be free to wander around but the specific faith forums are specific faith forums for a reason, aren't they?

CZ, isn't this the forum that would be the appropriate one for the intra-religious chat that you are promoting here in the Christian forum?

It might be if I was the OP and was looking for the appropriate place to put my thread. But once a thread has been started and the discussion engaged, then I don't think it becomes a closed discussion involving only members of the faith titled in the thread. That, to me is a terribly limited and far less interesting discussion and a betrayal of what Interfaith is all about.

[Snoopy]

Originally Posted by citizenzen

It might be if I was the OP and was looking for the appropriate place to put my thread. But once a thread has been started and the discussion engaged, then I don't think it becomes a closed discussion involving only members of the faith titled in the thread. That, to me is a terribly limited and far less interesting discussion and a betrayal of what Interfaith is all about.

I agree, I wasn't suggesting it be a closed discussion involving only members of the faith titled in a thread. I think it's the issue of not respecting the faith of the thread where it is couched that is of concern, a misdemeanour I know I've been guilty of. But it may also be a matter of perception; a neutral honest question may be perceived as an attack by some. What would definitely irritate me as a Christian would be a non-Christian telling me what Christianity is and isn't.

s.

[wil]

Originally Posted by Snoop

What would definitely irritate me as a Christian would be a non-Christian telling me what Christianity is and isn't.

Replace Christian with Buddhist, Taoist, Jew, Muslim, whatever and that aptly describes the our interfaith forums within our forums.

Outside thought and perspectives are welcome, but the basis is the sacred documents of that religion...

ie don't kick sand...outside of your sandbox...

inside our own sandboxes we kick away discussing our infernal, I mean internal differences.

[China Cat Sunflower]

Just wanted to say hi to Pattimax. Hi, nice to see you around again!

Chris

[Snoopy]

Originally Posted by wil

Replace Christian with Buddhist, Taoist, Jew, Muslim, whatever and that aptly describes the our interfaith forums within our forums.

I was being a good boy and sticking to Christian references

infernal

<snigger>

s.

[pattimax]

Originally Posted by Snoopy

Please, it was not meant to be.

I meant...

Patti said "Life is eternal, and the choice we have to make is whether we wish to spend eternity in the light of God or in the darkness of our own "wisdom".
When I am hungry, God feeds me. When I am cold, God warms me. When I am weary, God gives me rest."

I'm not trying to be tricky; I'm just asking. I appreciate that each of us can only do so much as individuals. But my question is simply in response to what Patti said above. In other words (as I say in a previous post) - how do the people of Zimbabwe get provided with food from God? Many of course aren't, but it isn't through lack of choosing God - is it?

s.

Not theirs, but OURS!