General Chat (Non-Music-Related)

"You are a mere human, and know nothing more than any other person so get off your high horse."

You truly are beyond ignorant jimmy. I always wanted a high horse. I can't fault you on that though. The brain that you received from your monkey ancestors must not have evolved yet. You are wrong again. I am a "Born again" human and born again humans have something you who evolved from monkeys do not have.. All we "born again humans" have access to things that you will never understand, for every born again believer not only has access to the throne of God, and also to his wisdom. We know that we were created by God, where as you think like a monkey because you believe you came from one.

The scriptures that I had previously posted were not written by me, so tell God to get off his high horse.

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For the most part JimmyD - I'd agree with you. But there are different levels of knowing something. Ask any soldier (incl me) if they had any 'weird' experiences where they just knew not to step into that booby trap, or just knew somebody was aiming at them.

Look around in traffic and you can almost always tell if someone is looking at you and if you look at other drivers their head's turn right away. Sometimes you can feel it if someone is thinking about you. There are various ways of 'knowing' something to be true.

I believe Christianity to be true - not because I'm smarter than you or someone else - just because I do.

Merry Christmas folks!
Talbot

at one time, science and the scientists told us as fact the world was square and you would drop off the edge if you got too "close to the edge" (credit to Yes)..oh, how times have changed.. faith trumps science every time..

For the most part JimmyD - I'd agree with you. But there are different levels of knowing something. Ask any soldier (incl me) if they had any 'weird' experiences where they just knew not to step into that booby trap, or just knew somebody was aiming at them.

Look around in traffic and you can almost always tell if someone is looking at you and if you look at other drivers their head's turn right away. Sometimes you can feel it if someone is thinking about you. There are various ways of 'knowing' something to be true.

I believe Christianity to be true - not because I'm smarter than you or someone else - just because I do.

Merry Christmas folks!
Talbot

that kind of "knowing" comes and goes with me, if I get real austere (fasting and prayer) I notice a change in my awareness.. a few times when I could get myself attuned, I would know a second or two before the phone rang, some idea or dream, earlier in the day would come across later disguised in a TV commercial, while the cat is asleep you go over to it and put your mind directed at it without saying a word and it suddenly awakes and meows at you.. I know there is something more to this world and universe then just what our senses tell us, even if you don't believe in God, a person must understand Einstein said and proved, with science that energy can not die, so when a living entity dies that energy has to return to somewhere?

"immy isn't ignorant. He goes by what he knows and that's science. Just because YOU have religious experience doesn't make you "right" or "wrong." There is no empirical evidence that your religious experiences are true or not."

Now Now. Don't get stupid on me. When I said jimmy was ignorant it was indirect reference to knowing scripture and why people talk to others about religion. If you do not believe in God and then start ragging on those who do, then it should be evident to all that you are ignorant? So jimmy believes he evolved through millions of years from the dot of life through the apes to man. That is all well inand good. Someone has to believe in junk science or the school system couldn't brain wash them in other things as well.

To dive into a thread about Christianity and not believe in God is like a farmer jumping into a discussion about rocket science when he has experienced nothing in that field. Anyone who has not had a genuine Christian experience is indeed ignorant of what someone else has gone through on the journey to the foot of the cross, so to speak. .It isn't exactly the most brilliant move for one claiming to be so educated.
But for you to say that I do not know what I know concerning my experience makes you both pompous and ignorant, for you know nothing about my experience and quite evidently little about the Christian experience. If it were not so you could relate to the God experience first hand, as I can also relate to the experiences of those who know and love God. For we are of kindred spirit, and that being the spirit of Christ in us. At least that is what the Bible teaches and what the believer experiences.

Perhaps you have a problem with the word ignorant? After all it does not imply stupidity on any level. One could just as easily call me ignorant concerning some things pertaining to science. Your quoted statement also makes it evident that you are ignorant of the Christian experience. But never fear, it will all come out in the wash, and I'm pretty confident that it is on the horizon. But if all you want to do is come to a thread about Christians being persecuted to argue, have at it. I do know how you like to bitch about arguments in the music only, area but now that the "argument section" has been moved to general so that the music only guys don''t have to put up with those "off music topics", here they come a runnin ...how hypocritical of some is that?. Go Figure.
So what's the deal? What a waste of time, huh? just imaging how much more profitable your time be hawking CD's rather than complaining that few are interested in purchasing them? Not saying you don't have a right to even live in the non music discussion section, for surly you would be as welcome as any or perhaps even more so.

Understand this. The carnal man on his own would have little to argue one way or another about religion. It is the spirit that dwells within the carnal man who has a problem with God and those who believe in God and serve him. It is that spirit which rules the carnal man from within and it causes him to deny the existence of God and argue Gods existence with those who believe and know God. And they do it out of ignorance. Pretty simple isn't it?

I don't know about you guys, but I'm tickled pink to be arguing on the side of atheism on this board, while arguing on the side of religion on another. Two completely different groups of people. I would just offer that if you're going to lash out in anger at a fellow person who's drawn to the same forum as you, maybe you don't have all the answers. Maybe you need to reevaluate your belief system, and why you're so full of hate at Christmastime. Share some love. Share some joy.
Back to the topic. I'm hearing about this stuff in basically, the entire Muslim world. Too much persecution going on against Christians and Jews. Not enough reporting on it in the lamestream media. Almost none. They just cover the same non-stories, trying to start a race war, because they love the 60's so much.
We're circling the drain.

Bob,

No offense but just exactly could one possibly measure spiritual experience or even more, spiritual ententes, with scientific tools designed only to examine only that which we can see or touch? Only those who have faced him in death, unbeliever and believer both, can relate that fact. And they don't come back to tell us, yet even if it were possible, we still would not believe, for only God quickens the heart to accept him.

So it is rather like saying show me a photo or bring me a spiritual being so that I can believe. But blessed are those who believe in Christ without seeing, and that is where faith comes into the equation. That is the beginning of spiritual revelation, and only the beginning.. Those who have had a spiritual awakening find that the spiritual world is quite evident, at least to them. To those God is evident in all of the physical universe. It is like skydiving or pretty much anything else that requires a personal experience to understand. I thought the God thing was hooey until I asked God to reveal himself to me if he was real, as I didn't wish to come up short on the wrong side if he truly did exist. And he did.

How can anyone tell someone of the experience unless they have experienced it? Yet every believer knows and has a personalized story of how they ended up having a personal relationship with God.

Mike, you hit the problem point on. Democracy is the tool of mob rule. It works in small populations but not in a country as large as ours. We are supposed to be a republic. A nation that is firmly set in law that attempts to protect even the smallest minority. A nation that is based on stable law that can NOT be corrupted by the fallibility of men in general, nor the will of a few seeking control over another living being.

Our nation was founded on the belief that a higher order of authority was to be the guiding hand that steered us in a positive direction, that allowed for freedom and prosperity for everyone. The invisible fourth arm of our republic.

Unfortunately we have allowed a different fourth arm to be put forward. The agencies of our government that are allowed all the powers of congress in creating LAWS in the name of regulation and rules. The list is to long, but just for example the EPA, FDA, SEC, IRS, HSA, TSA, and on and on. The most severe consequence of this is the bypassing of constitutional law creation, approved by the people for the people and of the people. The ability of the average citizen to redress a complaint has been compromised by the Godless conspiracy of the few.

We have become a nation of sheep, BAAAHHH. I don't believe God ever intended that. Maybe that is why we have become a democracy, a nation based on mob rule. Maybe that is why our nation is not full of the promise from past generations.
Merry Christmas.

In addendum. Mark Cuban was attacked by the SEC for insider trading. The same sort of trading that is legal. If it had been a congressman and it was illegal, they would have been exempt from the rule. 2 different sets of law. Fortunately Mr Cuban had the resources to redress the charge. Congress is exempt from obamacare. Under the law a member of the senate is allowed to state even the most treasonous point of view even to the point of threatening the POTUS, without consequence. 2 different sets of law.

Corporations have become a major sore point with many. The rule of law has allowed the door to be opened to influence our leadership with big money. This includes all from Mcdonalds to the NRA to churches. Again the average citizen does not have the same ability to redress any governmental dispute. 2 sets of classes. In defense of lobbyist prone corporations, it is a defense against anarchy by rule of law... One morning the tax rate is 28 % the next it is 38 %. This only proves the need for stable law if there is to be a stable republic.

So just exactly why is religion under attack? It may be that moral values of a just man, the laws ingrained when they are presented by a higher authority... are far greater than the corruptible law of man that can surely only lead to death and destruction coming from the gates of hell. That presents a real conundrum to every hitler out there.
MERRY CHRISTMAS.

"So just exactly why is religion under attack?"

How can any person of faith believe anything other than this root being the cause?

Rev 12:12 Be glad then, O heavens, and you who are in them. But there is trouble for the earth and the sea: because the Evil One has come down to you, being very angry, having the knowledge that he has but a short time. And when the dragon saw that he was forced down to the earth, he made cruel attacks on the woman who gave birth to the male child.

This is not a battle of flesh and blood, although blood shall be shed. This is a battle between the spiritual forces which rule in the minds of men, turning one man against the other.

Billy, you should have seen mayor Parker here in Houston back pedaling after all the local pastors started "the uprising"!
Our openly gay Mayor was voted into office by the Liberal Demacrats and GLBT. Some of the same folks that she appalled with her demand for copies of their sermons. Mayor Porker er uh Parker is a bully and clearly has one agenda and that is the GLBT rights!
I shared a religious post on FB the other day regarding the downward spiral of morality and it's relation to the removal of prayer in schools and a close friend attacked me for it. He subsequently unfriended me. This friend is apparently angry at God for some reason. He is a veteran and I value his friendship of many years and won't argue the topic with him.

Love your signature, bro!

Religion under attack? That's nothing new.

But I think it's a mistake to counter-attack with politics. The situation in Houston is unique because there were civil laws broken or ignored, because the Mayor could. Our enemy never plays by the rules, and isn't bound by the truth, so it shouldn't surprise anyone.

I happened to be at the Pastor's meeting in Houston last February when they announced they would be taking her on. There were about 20 from the Reform Jewish community there who were quite uncomfortable about it because we were there to discuss Holocaust related issues, and of course gays were also targets of Hitler. Not a good "christian" witness.

I think they have every right, and even a civic duty, to oppose the kind of fascism that the Democrats seem to think they have a mandate for...but I wish they would have been a bit more sensitive about the venue to launch it.