Gullible Christians

[anna_hun]

Originally Posted by squirt

I've used this analogy before, but it just works so well! hubby and I took a trip to Canada, 58 days and 11,500 miles, when retelling the story, we both tell it differently, because we each remember what was important to us, does that mean that one of us or neither of us took the trip? or that one of us is wrong and the other right? the trip was real, and so are our *own* perceptions of it, the only thing that is different is what we remember

Hi5 squirt..
Exactly...Ive put in that condom thread...b4(lol)
that the bible has had so many translations and been
told by so many people
some stuff got added or lost in translations/
or false interpreted in all those years...
The books composing the New Testament were written
many years after the events they describe

[anna_hun]

for those who havent seen the other thread:

Differences in Bible translations


As Hebrew and Greek, the original languages of the Bible,
have idioms and concepts not easily translated,
there is an on going critical tension about whether
it is better to give a word for word translation
or to give a translation that gives a parallel idiom in the target language.
For instance, in the English language Catholic translation,
the New American Bible, as well as the Protestant translations of the Christian Bible, translations like the King James Version,
the New Revised Standard Version,
and the New American Standard Bible are seen as fairly literal translations
(or "word for word"),

Hebrew:Isaiah 7:14 describing an "alma"
as giving birth.
The word "alma" has always meant a young woman,
but Christian theologians came centuries later
and translated it as "virgin."
The name "Mary" comes from the Greek Μαρία, which is a shortened form of Μαριάμ. This is a transliteration of the Hebrew/Aramaic/Arabic name Maryam. During the Middle Ages Hebrew vowel systems were formed and the Hebrew vowel "a" changed (regularly) to "i" in a closed unaccented syllable, so that by the time the Jews began to use vowel points, they wrote it as Miryam.

[anna_hun]

Originally Posted by Flynn :
Squirt are you saying that Mary is not an iconic figure in every Christian Church ?


Mary,Maria,Miriam/Saints

Venerated in Roman Catholic Church, Eastern Orthodox Church, Oriental Orthodox Churches, Anglican Church, Islam, and certain Protestant denominations

Roman Catholicism

Saints of the Catholic Church.There are more than 10,000 Roman Catholic saints.
The older term for saint is martyr,

Eastern Orthodoxy

In the Eastern Orthodox Church a Saint is defined as anyone who is in Heaven, whether recognized here on earth, or not.

Anglicanism

In the Anglican Church, the title of Saint - with a capital 'S' - refers to a person who has been elevated by popular opinion as a pious and holy person.

Protestantism

In many Protestant churches, the word "Saint" is used more generally to refer to anyone who is a Christian.

This is similar in usage to Paul's numerous references in the New Testament of the Bible. In this sense, anyone who is within the Body of Christ (i.e., a professing Christian) is a 'saint' because of their relationship with Jesus. Because of this, many Protestants consider prayers to the saints to be idolatry or even necromancy.

Other religions

Judaism speaks of a class of (unidentified) individuals known as Tzadikkim. ." The Talmud says that at any time at least 36 tzaddikim are living among us; they are anonymous, but it is for their sake that the world is not destroyed. The Talmud and Kabbalah offer various ideas about the nature and role of these 36 tzaddikim. The term can also be used generically to mean any righteous or saintly person.

Some other faiths honor individuals as "saints" or equivalent as well.
There are individuals who have been described as being Hindu saints
terms :Mahatma, Paramahamsa, or Swami, or with the titles Sri or Srila.

Buddhists hold the Arhats and Arahants in special esteem.

Islam
Islam has had a central place for awaliya (Arabic: literally "friends of Allah;" singular: Wali) within its cosmology

The veneration of the awaliya ("master" or "friend of Allah"), especially at their tombs or shrines, is a very widespread practice in Islam, and is common throughout the Muslim world, including the conservative Arabian Peninsula. Saints are believed to have the power of intercession with Allah, which yields the ability to perform miracles and to give power or blessings (known as barakah).

In most Muslim countries, there are religious festivities associated with these holy figures,
Believers are nevertheless careful to distinguish between the blessings of the prophets
(particularly Moses, Jesus, and Muhammad) and those of the saints.

flynn..that mite explains some...

im protestant and we dont pray to the saints directly,
or have pictures of mary
or other saints in the house.
or pilgrim to the saints..eg

[Flynn]

Originally Posted by hortysir

Good grief.....where to begin????
If thinking that this image is of Mary brings joy to people and draws them closer, then it IS a sign from God. Because that's what signs from God do.
Who is to say that God wouldn't use a flat-top grill? 1) His ways are not our ways, and we can't presume to comprehend. 2) He chose the son of a poor carpenter from a tiny village to lead the world to Him.
There IS confusion between Christian denominations. Not because of God, but in Spite of Him (satan, anti-Christs, false prophets...you choose your title). The fallen one has always been working to draw people away from God. That's his way of gaining his own following.
I can tell you that there is one thing that all Christian faiths do agree on. And, trust me, it is the most important:
Jesus said, "I am the way, the truth, and the light. No man enters into the kingdom of Heaven except by Me".
{That was my reply TO the opening post}
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This is my reply to the fact that this thread excists:
This community forum has guidelines that prohibit member-bashing and racial and other derogatory jokes, pictures, and comments.
Only because it's directed toward Christians is it tolerated. Because, AS Christians, we are taught to be tolerant.
Had this been a thread entitled "Ignorant Jews, Don't They Know Jesus IS the Messiah?", or perhaps (and this is only for illustrative purposes) "Why do Faggots do the Things They Do?", it would've been locked within the hour.
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But, DO...please continue. You only further prove my point.......
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LYMI

It's a bit hard to reply when most of your post was deleted for member bashing.

BUT

It's a valid point, is it permissible and possible to put up a thread titled " Why do Homosexuals do the things they do ? ",and have a serious dicussion. Your other suggestion about Jews and the Messiah, well to be honest, religion is being covered else where, no need for a new thread there.

BUT

This thread is basically about gullible Christians who do not challenge the authenticity of " Messages from God ".

It is not a requirement of your membership to participate. If you don't like the topic or the posts then God gave you free will to interact with people/members who will not challenge your views.

" If it hurts don't do it "

[Flynn]

Anna

It is just truley amazing how many different religions there are and how many different ways there are to worship within each individual religion.

There are fundamentalist Muslims who are amongst the most peaceful and spiritually aware people. At the other end of the spectrum are the Muslim extremists, no need to say what they are capable of.

Point is both groups believe they are doing Gods work.

The same applies to Christian beliefs, there are at least two extreme views which conflict each other but both sides believe that their way is the only true path to enlightenment.

Someone is wrong.

[sybarite]

Originally Posted by Flynn

It's a bit hard to reply when most of your post was deleted for member bashing.

BUT

It's a valid point, is it permissible and possible to put up a thread titled " Why do Homosexuals do the things they do ? ",and have a serious dicussion. Your other suggestion about Jews and the Messiah, well to be honest, religion is being covered else where, no need for a new thread there.

BUT

This thread is basically about gullible Christians who do not challenge the authenticity of " Messages from God ".

It is not a requirement of your membership to participate. If you don't like the topic or the posts then God gave you free will to interact with people/members who will not challenge your views.
[/size]

" If it hurts don't do it "

There is a difference between challenging someones views and deliberately bashing someones faith.

[Flynn]

Where exactly did I bash anyone's faith ?

[sexysadie]

I know that we all are entitled to our opinions, so let me get that out there first of all. In following I`d just like to say that my faith is personal, it`s precious and it`s mine, nobody can ever take it away from me no matter how much it`s debated. I am aware of the flooding images being published of Mary or Jesus coming to life on a tree or the side of a buiding or in a doorway etc etc and it used to bother me, until I really thought about it, and tried to make some sense of it.... and I have....these image sitings shouldn`t bother us, instead it should comfort us somewhat to know that even if these images are not authentic, ( and who are we to say they`re not?) people all over the world are showing their faith more and more everyday by just hoping that they are. They have him in their hearts, and they want so much to have him make himself known physically to them, even in the form of a vague and foggy image....I think it`s uplifting, especially in this world we now live in. When I watch the news these days, I can`t help but cringe...war, murder, rape, guns, drugs...and it`s all so difficult to watch or read about...but when I read about or see on the news a story of another image being discovered somewhere in the world ....I am not gullible enough to sell everything I own and travel there just to be close to a place where HE chose to show himself...but I can`t help but feel a kind of comfort, because there are worse things people could be doing.

[sybarite]

Originally Posted by Flynn

Where exactly did I bash anyone's faith ?

"Religions have been controlling the MASSES with unfounded horror stories from the time that they realised there was money to be made by intimidating weak mided humans."

"For educated people in the year 2009 to believe that Mary was implanted with the sperm of God is as fanciful as telling Muslim zealots they can have sexual relations with God's daughters when they get to their heaven."


Sorry, but Christians are not weak minded, uneducated people.

[Flynn]

Originally Posted by sybarite

"Religions have been controlling the MASSES with unfounded horror stories from the time that they realised there was money to be made by intimidating weak mided humans."

"For educated people in the year 2009 to believe that Mary was implanted with the sperm of God is as fanciful as telling Muslim zealots they can have sexual relations with God's daughters when they get to their heaven."


Sorry, but Christians are not weak minded, uneducated people.

That's my opinion and it is not directly challenging your faith or anyone esle's.

The Christian movement used fear as a tool to keep it's deciples in line. Now that we, as a human race have evolved from 2000 years ago the Heaven and Hell stories just don't do it for rational thinking people.

You believe Jesus is the son of God by a miracle birth with Mary, I believe Mary is the mother of Jesus and he WAS a great prohet and he was conceived as any other mortal is conceived.

Muslims, how strange to think that God is going to give up his virginal daughters because you think you are an honourable warrior doing God's work.

So there we are Syb, we are all entitled to our views and I honestly believe that Christians would have to be a bit " Weak Minded " to believe in a literal sense that things like Noahs Arc etc. took place as described in the Bible.