Great new thread, post if you can ......

[winter brew]

We're all just a product of our environment. If Slick was born in the middle east to a Muslim family, he would be a Muslim.....not because he chose it or believes it's the "right" religion, but because that's all he was exposed to.
Can we blame a human for following a precific religion when that was their only option or how they were raised?

 

[Slick]

I understand what you're saying, and I agree Winterbrew. Its not about blame, its about making sure their viewpoints and beliefs, don't create a situation that is not conducive to the well being of those I have a responsibility and obligation to protect from harm.
I'm not a Muslim hater, I'm a hater of haters, and of nutcases, whatever their cause.

 

[winter brew]

I agree. What blows my mind (maybe I think too much) is how you can take a person that bleeds (for example) Christianity, they believe this is the truth and don't question it because that's what they were raised with. Now if that same person was just born in a different home, different part of the country, world etc....that same person could grow up to believe in a completely different god, athiest or worship satan. So in the overall scheme of things, WHO can be so arrogant to claim to follow the "correct" religion and say the "other" religions are wrong??
Most organized religion seems to be nothing more than a way to collect money and attain power/control over another group of people. Kind of like war. It's no wonder the worlds wars seem to boil down to religious differences.

 

[ragincajun]

well i have been RAISED to be a devout christian, at this point i am nowhere near being a devout christian but i am having a bit of a struggle right now. i know i am FAR from perfect and do all the high school kid things like go drink and what not but i try and do the better but i guess i am human and thank God for forgiveness. my parents have made me go to sunday school, vacation bible school and awana and all that left a bad taste in my mouth because i did not enjoy it at all. it was not what i wanted to do so it didnt do any good making me go. i guess what i am saying is that i am shying away from church which needs to change but i still consider myself a christian and am working on bettering myself. i know i am far from perfect and if i died today i know i would go to hell because i am nowhere near deserving of heaven but i guess ill have to put forth more effort. i am going to college next fall so that will be a challenge with the drugs and all but i know there will be partying and stuff but no drugs.

 

[opus]

well i have been raised to be a devout christian but i am having a bit of a struggle right now. i know i am FAR from perfect and do all the high school kid things like go drink and what not but i try and do the better but i guess i am human and thank God for forgiveness. my parents have made me go to sunday school, vacation bible school and awana and all that left a bad taste in my mouth because i did not enjoy it at all. it was not what i wanted to do so it didnt do any good making me go. i guess what i am saying is that i am shying away from church which needs to change but i still consider myself a christian and am working on bettering myself. i know i am far from perfect and if i died today i know i would go to hell but i guess ill have to put forth more effort. i am going to college next fall so that will be a challenge with the drugs and all but i know there will be partying and stuff but no drugs! wish me luck!

First, you are contradicting yourself. You are saying you were raised to be a devout christian, yet you believe you would go to hell if you died tonight. What is your definition of a christian?

 

[cmantle1]

well i have been raised to be a devout christian but i am having a bit of a struggle right now. i know i am FAR from perfect and do all the high school kid things like go drink and what not but i try and do the better but i guess i am human and thank God for forgiveness. my parents have made me go to sunday school, vacation bible school and awana and all that left a bad taste in my mouth because i did not enjoy it at all. it was not what i wanted to do so it didnt do any good making me go. i guess what i am saying is that i am shying away from church which needs to change but i still consider myself a christian and am working on bettering myself. i know i am far from perfect and if i died today i know i would go to hell but i guess ill have to put forth more effort. i am going to college next fall so that will be a challenge with the drugs and all but i know there will be partying and stuff but no drugs! wish me luck!

Dude have fun in college, drink, do drugs, and have sex. It will never be quite as fun or as easy. Your already goin to hell so i will see you there!!! ahahah

 

[MTm7]

I agree. What blows my mind (maybe I think too much) is how you can take a person that bleeds (for example) Christianity, they believe this is the truth and don't question it because that's what they were raised with. Now if that same person was just born in a different home, different part of the country, world etc....that same person could grow up to believe in a completely different god, athiest or worship satan. So in the overall scheme of things, WHO can be so arrogant to claim to follow the "correct" religion and say the "other" religions are wrong??
Most organized religion seems to be nothing more than a way to collect money and attain power/control over another group of people. Kind of like war. It's no wonder the worlds wars seem to boil down to religious differences.

here i thought this thread was supposed to die...hmm?? brew i dont know you personally but what i do know of you i respect alot. that being said i have to object to your whole premise, i.e., we are who we are based on who raised us and where we are raised. taken to its logical conclusion there can be no accountablility holding such a worldview as that. under that umbrella we would have to start changing the way we convict somebody. we would have to setup parameters on how a person should be raised and if his/her parents didnt follow the said law if you will then... well.... not guilty. next big question is how do we determine parameters? i mean heck we live in a pluralistic society so who is to ultimately say what is right and wrong?

now on to "who can be so arrogant...." i have a question(s)... would you consider the muslim religion to be valid in terms of the word "religion"? would you consider the extreme muslims religion to be valid in the same terms? would you consider (overall in america... those who call themselves christians) their religion to be valid in the same terms as well? i would say the extreme muslims can be so arrogant because no doubt they adhere to their dogma(religion) fiercely. now juxtapose all those religions against what the bible says true religion is.

lastly wars are not started becasue of religion. that is just used as a veil. any religion(generally speaking) has no meaning without man. there is a deeper seated issue and that being depraved man. man can and will corrupt anything.

 

[MTm7]

First, you are contradicting yourself. You are saying you were raised to be a devout christian, yet you believe you would go to hell if you died tonight. What is your definition of a christian?

good question?

 

[ragincajun]

First, you are contradicting yourself. You are saying you were raised to be a devout christian, yet you believe you would go to hell if you died tonight. What is your definition of a christian?

ya good pt. what i was trying to say was that i have been raised to be a good christian and was on the right path for a while but i have been letting myself go and i have been doin alota crap lately that i really shouldnt be doin(mainly alot of drinking) and really not doing much what God would want me to do. therefore i am not being as good example of a good christian and what i was geting at is if i died right now i wouldnt be anywhere near deserving of sticking around in heaven. thats what i was geting at. hope that helps make some sense.

 

[MTm7]

ya good pt. what i was trying to say was that i have been raised to be a good christian and was on the right path for a while but i have been letting myself go and i have been doin alota crap lately that i really shouldnt be doin(mainly alot of drinking) and really not doing much what God would want me to do. therefore i am not being as good example of a good christian and what i was geting at is if i died right now i wouldnt be anywhere near deserving of sticking around in heaven. thats what i was geting at. hope that helps make some sense.

thats the great chasm between all religions. it wouldnt matter if you were living the "model christian life"... you still wouldnt be deserving of heaven/salvation. the chasm being some sort of works salvation, i.e., you must merit it somehow. justification comes by grace(totally unmerited) through faith. nothing else! alot more i could say but i have to go.

 

[Slick]

thats the great chasm between all religions. it wouldnt matter if you were living the "model christian life"... you still wouldnt be deserving of heaven/salvation. the chasm being some sort of works salvation, i.e., you must merit it somehow. justification comes by grace(totally unmerited) through faith. nothing else! alot more i could say but i have to go.

The model christian life !! Wow, have I met some people over the years who are able to justify and rationalize actions that would shock a career criminal, but yet expect salvation to be their well deserved reward because they said the right things and voiced the correct prayers, and talked the talk.
The radical Muslims are usually quite obvious in their objectives, a great many self proclaimed Christians are far more insidious in achieving their goals, quite often, you'll find, more motivated towards selfish personal objectives.

 

[savedbygrace]

thats the great chasm between all religions. it wouldnt matter if you were living the "model christian life"... you still wouldnt be deserving of heaven/salvation. the chasm being some sort of works salvation, i.e., you must merit it somehow. justification comes by grace(totally unmerited) through faith. nothing else! alot more i could say but i have to go.

…for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, being justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God set forth as a propitiation by His blood, through faith, to demonstrate His righteousness, because in His forbearance God had passed over the sins that were previously committed, to demonstrate at the present time His righteousness, that He might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus.

Romans 3:23-26 (NKJV)

 

[MTm7]

…for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, being justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God set forth as a propitiation by His blood, through faith, to demonstrate His righteousness, because in His forbearance God had passed over the sins that were previously committed, to demonstrate at the present time His righteousness, that He might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus.

Romans 3:23-26 (NKJV)

thanks for that scripture... didnt have time to type it. sola scriptura!!

 

[MTm7]

The model christian life !! Wow, have I met some people over the years who are able to justify and rationalize actions that would shock a career criminal, but yet expect salvation to be their well deserved reward because they said the right things and voiced the correct prayers, and talked the talk.
The radical Muslims are usually quite obvious in their objectives, a great many self proclaimed Christians are far more insidious in achieving their goals, quite often, you'll find, more motivated towards selfish personal objectives.

yeah by and large "evangelical america" is more along the lines of "cheap grace". i said a prayer or made a decision now i have god over a barrell and can do and act as i please becasue im forgiven and its all grace. "what shall we say then? are we to continue in sin that grace may abound? by no means....!(roms.6 1-2) just so you know the english doesnt capture the shocking recoil like the greek does. you can tell a tree by the fruit it bears. there is such a thing as geniune and disingenuine conversions. in times past preachers and other clergy were not so quick to count there chickens so to speak. ahhh not enough time to keep going and probably no one cares.

 

[XC700116]

ya good pt. what i was trying to say was that i have been raised to be a good christian and was on the right path for a while but i have been letting myself go and i have been doin alota crap lately that i really shouldnt be doin(mainly alot of drinking) and really not doing much what God would want me to do. therefore i am not being as good example of a good christian and what i was geting at is if i died right now i wouldnt be anywhere near deserving of sticking around in heaven. thats what i was geting at. hope that helps make some sense.

Dang the way you beat yourself up I'd think you were Jewish. JK

Don't be too hard on yourself. Your probably still way ahead of most of the pack. Have fun in college, drink, party, get laid (wear a rubber), don't do drugs (too dangerous these days, I've seen some guys go way too far "just trying it once") in general your young and that's what your supposed to do. Don't get too down on yourself for having fun but keep God in your life and thoughts. Nobody is perfect just try not to be a total heathen and you'll be fine. Just remember in all the debauchery your there to learn, not just party, and don't let the ultra liberal professors brain wash you.

 

[speeddemon]

im no holy roller but i beleive !!!!!!!!!!!!!! im a good person . i treat people right and try to not cause to much havok in life . i may get in threw the back door but at least ill get in !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
mike

 

[ragincajun]

Dang the way you beat yourself up I'd think you were Jewish. JK

Don't be too hard on yourself. Your probably still way ahead of most of the pack. Have fun in college, drink, party, get laid (wear a rubber), don't do drugs (too dangerous these days, I've seen some guys go way too far "just trying it once") in general your young and that's what your supposed to do. Don't get too down on yourself for having fun but keep God in your life and thoughts. Nobody is perfect just try not to be a total heathen and you'll be fine. Just remember in all the debauchery your there to learn, not just party, and don't let the ultra liberal professors brain wash you.

well my moms side of the fam. is jewish and i dont really apprecieate that comment




ha ha jk. ya i know ill live the "college lifestyle" for sure lol. im not tryn to be hard on myself, i was just stating that im no angel but trying not to get too outa hand lol. as for the drugs...not for me...just good ole' captain! lol

 

[cmantle1]

well my moms side of the fam. is jewish and i dont really apprecieate that comment




ha ha jk. ya i know ill live the "college lifestyle" for sure lol. im not tryn to be hard on myself, i was just stating that im no angel but trying not to get too outa hand lol. as for the drugs...not for me...just good ole' captain! lol

so you gonna drink captain and beat ur ****?, or go out and capatalize on many college girl looking to, um, experiment......?

 

[ragincajun]

no just gunna go out and have some fun and socialize but try a little more to better myself in the church dept. already have a serious gf so no "experimenting" with every girl i see. im just gunna go have fun without drugs and excessive alcohol but not ruin my life like most do wasting away wondering how they will get their next high or how they were gunna buy their next 30 and being nothing but a pos living off of welfare. oh and the captain thing was sarcasm...he hasnt treated me well in my previous experiences so no more of him.

 

[hoping&wishing]

guys. ragincajun is my lil bro and i respect him alot for standin up to some of you(cmantle1). and to think i was thinkin about buyin your sled....this world puts enough pressure on young people and its not needed in a place where alot of young people seek advice. hayden(ragincajun) has a good head on his shoulders and i know he will succeed in everything he does. everyone makes bad choices including me in their live but some dont need the encouragement from the people they might look up to and call a friend. Ive seen what hayden is like every sunday and i pray everynight that something about it will catch his attention and be interesting to him. our whole family is really strong christians and we never really had a choice whether or not to go to church and the like but i have come to like it and realize what a difference it can make in a persons life. i know ill probably get criticized by posting this but putting youself out there for the sake of jesus christ our lord and savior is one thing that we as christians are called to do.