I grew up atheist for 16 years. I had always kept an open mind towards religion, but never really felt a need to believe in it. My sister started going to a Wednesday night children's program at a church. Eventually, I was dragged into a Christmas Eve service. Scoffing, I reluctantly went, assuming that this was going to be a load of crap, but when I went, I felt something. Something that I've never felt before. I felt a sense of empowerment and a sense of calling. Jesus called upon my soul, just like he did with his disciples. he wanted me to follow him. Now, my life is being lived for Christ. He died on the cross for my sins, and the sins of everyone who believes in him. He was beaten, brutalized, struck with a whip 39 times, made to carry a cross up to the stage of his death. This I believe to be true, and I can never repay him for what he has done. I still have my struggles with Christianity, but I've found this bit of information most useful. Religion is not comprehensible in the human mind, because we cannot comprehend the idea of a perfect and supreme being, a God, but we can believe it in our heart, and that's the idea of faith. Faith is, even though everything rides against me believing in Jesus, I still believe in him because I know that it's true in my heart. I invite my fellow Brothers and sisters of the LORD to talk about how Jesus has helped you in your life. No atheists and no insults please
"New World Translation of the Holy Scriptures Rendered from the Original Languages by the New World Bible Translation Committeeâ�"Revised 1984" You can download the PDF here.
Thanks, and it still seems to contain the same contrdiction all the rest have. For example, how many people did Jesus heal on the road from Jericho?
Matthew 20: "29 Now as they were going out of Jer´i·cho a great crowd followed him. 30 And, look! two blind men sitting beside the road, when they heard that Jesus was passing by, cried out, saying: âLord, have mercy on us, Son of David!â 31 But the crowd sternly told them to keep silent; yet they cried all the louder, saying: âLord, have mercy on us, Son of David!â 32 So Jesus stopped, called them and said: âWhat do YOU want me to do for YOU?â 33 They said to him: âLord, let our eyes be opened.â 34 Moved with pity, Jesus touched their eyes, and immediately they received sight, and they followed him."
Two People in Matthew.
Mark 10: "46 And they came into Jer´i·cho. But as he and his disciples and a considerable crowd were going out of Jer´i·cho, Bar·ti·mae´us (the son of Ti·mae´us), a blind beggar, was sitting beside the road. 47 When he heard that it was Jesus the Naz·a·rene´, he started shouting and saying: âSon of David, Jesus, have mercy on me!â 48 At this many began sternly telling him to be silent; but he kept shouting that much more: âSon of David, have mercy on me!â 49 So Jesus stopped and said: âCALL him.â And they called the blind man, saying to him: âTake courage, get up, he is calling you.â 50 Throwing off his outer garment, he leaped to his feet and went to Jesus. 51 And in answer to him Jesus said: âWhat do you want me to do for you?â The blind man said to him: âRab·bo´ni, let me recover sight.â 52 And Jesus said to him: âGo, your faith has made you well.â And immediately he recovered sight, and he began to follow him on the road."
One person in Mark.
So, yeah your moms Bible still contradicts itself.
I have a question for Christians based on the ramblings of my Anglican turned atheist literature lecturer today. Is there any reference at all to Purgatory (Not Hell), in the Bible? I don't think there is, is there?
I have a question for Christians based on the ramblings of my Anglican turned atheist literature lecturer today. Is there any reference at all to Purgatory (Not Hell), in the Bible? I don't think there is, is there?
There is no reference, strictly speaking, to a place called purgatory. The Catholic faith (the only one, I think, that believes in purgatory) does, however, reference the bible in support of such a place.
The existence of purgatory is seen as necessary, as Rev 21:27 states that nothing unclean can enter heaven. Because no mortal can ever be considered unclean (even after confession, the soul is still tainted with original sin) there must be, the Catholics say, a place after death where the soul becomes cleansed.
There are also several references they use from the Old Testament.
2 Maccabees 12:43-46* "And making a gathering, (Judas Maccabeus) sent twelve thousand drachms of silver to Jerusalem for sacrifice to be offered for the sins of the dead...It is therefore a holy and wholesome thought to pray for the dead, that they may be loosed from sins"
Again, there is no direct reference, but the existence of such a place is implied. Of course, skeptics view purgatory as a Catholic invention that set up a structure to enable people to pay tithes to the Church so monks and priests could pray for the dead. There are plenty of other references to be found throughout the bible. But it's really all about interpretation - as is the case with everything in there.
*Note: The Books of Maccabees does not appear in Protestant Bibles, as the Protestants deny the canonicity of these books. So you won't find the books in, say, the St. James Bible - only in Catholic Bibles.
I have a question for Christians based on the ramblings of my Anglican turned atheist literature lecturer today. Is there any reference at all to Purgatory (Not Hell), in the Bible? I don't think there is, is there?
don't know if I count, but the LDS faith has a purgatory, it's for those who haven't been converted yet. there really is no hell in our faith, except for the outer darkness for those who basically see god and still deny him.
don't know if I count, but the LDS faith has a purgatory, it's for those who haven't been converted yet. there really is no hell in our faith, except for the outer darkness for those who basically see god and still deny him.
LDS? The Bible has numerous references to the traditional Hell if you're denying that.....
LDS? The Bible has numerous references to the traditional Hell if you're denying that.....
the traditional hell is our outer darkness, it's just we call it by that name because it is much harder than you think it is to actually do enough wrong to reach it. we make it so that eveyone at least has a shot, even those who have never heard of our religion.
I don't know about the Latter Days Saints church, but other Christian sects speak of a fiery, torment filled place.
The Book of Revelation contains the image of a "lake of fire" and "burning sulphur" where "the devil, the beast, and false prophets" will be "tormented day and night for ever and ever".
St. Paul speaks of "wrath" and "everlasting destruction" (Romans 2:7-9; 2 Thessalonians 1:9), while the general epistles use a range of terms and images including "raging fire" (Hebrews 10:27), "destruction" (2 Peter 3:7), "eternal fire" (Jude 7) and "blackest darkness" (Jude 13).
The Book of Revelation contains the image of a "lake of fire" and "burning sulphur" where "the devil, the beast, and false prophets" will be "tormented day and night for ever and ever".
like I said, it's where only the absolute worst of our society go. it's just that it's really hard to actually get there.
"blackest darkness" (Jude 13).
exactly, outer darkness (I know I only took that part, and I took into consideration the other parts, but that one supports my churches' claims).
Which has always led to another question for me. Might have mentioned a variation of it a few pages back.
Is it blasphemous to you, when you read the Bible versions of other denominations? What make you of other versions? If you let them go, then with so many versions around, how can you be sure your's is the truth?
Yes, Christainity is a great religion to beleive in it makes the most sense. This is so because there is bibles and scripture of actual accounts of people witnessing Jesus Christ performing miracles and having speches to the people. Also Christianity is one of the biggest and well-known religons.
It doesn't make any more sense than any other religion. In fact, it might make less due to the whole trinity = same thing = monotheistic? claim.
Also Christianity is one of the biggest and well-known religons.
That's nice. That doesn't make it right though.
scripture of actual accounts of people witnessing Jesus Christ performing miracles and having speches to the people.
If by actual account you mean 3rd/4th person stories which were 300 years old at the time the Bible was actually put together. There's accounts with these same credentials which claim Jesus said that he wasn't the son of God, in direct conflict to the other claims. Not to mention -every- other religion claiming the same thing, first/second hand stories of their God's miracles/acts, and saying theirs is the only true one.
This is so because there is bibles and scripture of actual accounts of people witnessing Jesus Christ performing miracles and having speches to the people.
How can you be so sure the various authors weren't fibbing? People in the past were fond of that.
It doesn't make any more sense than any other religion. In fact, it might make less due to the whole trinity = same thing = monotheistic? claim.
Excellent point. Christianity has a pretty unique feature of being logically inconsistent. They call it a 'mystery of faith' to try to get around it. But when you have a logical contradiction as one of the main tenets of your faith, there's something very wrong.
Yes, Christainity is a great religion to beleive in it makes the most sense.
Yeah because things like talking animals, a man made out of dirt, a woman made out of a rib and magic spit makes so much more sense than what any other religion claims.... >_>
This is so because there is bibles and scripture of actual accounts of people witnessing Jesus Christ performing miracles and having speches to the people.
I will take a shot in guessing you don't realize that there are no first hand accounts of Jesus, thus no witnessed accounts of miracles and speeches. The Gospels were written by authors who weren't even alive during the time Jesus was suppose to be around.
Also Christianity is one of the biggest and well-known religons.
