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Originally posted by historybuff:
I have found myself completely inadiquit to bebate on these topics, I know what I believe and why...I never seem to be able to express what I know to be truth and for that I am sorry. But I pray that one day you will know the Truth. not a truth but the Truth. God has a huge exciting plan for your life and he loves you so much! I hope one day you find him.

Why just God? Why can't someone find Allah and be alright?

and, Lou, you're just an idiot not worth my time to respond to.

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Originally posted by Lou09:
Yes. Our God is real. The bible says it. THere aremany historicl facts that detail what really happened. sorry that ur an atheist bud, but uh ur wrong. Years from now...well the end of time to be exact we will all go thru trials and tribulations. and those of us that are christians will go to heaven and those who dont believe that Jesus is the Son of God will finbd themselves inHell. Our God is an awesome God. Sorry that you arent exprieiencing his wonders but if ud open up...then ya would.

Read the post on biblical inerrancy.

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Yes. Our God is real. The bible says it.

This is assuming the Bible is true. Where's the proof of that? Oh, wait, the Bible says it's true. Duh, I forgot about that.

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sorry that ur an atheist bud, but uh ur wrong.

If you're talking to me (which I hope you aren't), I'm not an atheist.

And even if you aren't talking to me, who are you to say that atheists are wrong? Perhaps it's the Christians who are wrong, and the Hindus are right. Or something else entirely.

You don't know what the "Truth" is any more than I do.

By the way, I don't want God. I don't want eternal life. I don't want Paradise. Yes, you read that right. I've said it before and I'll say it again: when I die, I want to die forever.

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Yes. Our God is real. The bible says it.

God is real because the bible says he's real but God played a part in the writing of the bible? That's circular logic. Try again.

Yes. Our God is real. The bible says it. THere aremany historicl facts that detail what really happened. sorry that ur an atheist bud, but uh ur wrong. Years from now...well the end of time to be exact we will all go thru trials and tribulations. and those of us that are christians will go to heaven and those who dont believe that Jesus is the Son of God will finbd themselves inHell. Our God is an awesome God. Sorry that you arent exprieiencing his wonders but if ud open up...then ya would.

I have found myself completely inadiquit to bebate on these topics, I know what I believe and why...I never seem to be able to express what I know to be truth and for that I am sorry. But I pray that one day you will know the Truth. not a truth but the Truth. God has a huge exciting plan for your life and he loves you so much! I hope one day you find him.

Well I think that there can be moments, epiphanies if you will. I sort of had mine while reading an article on physics when a bunch of stuff that I knew clicked with the information I was reading and formed together into an idea that fit, and made the universe make some sort of sense. I didn't think it was divine intervention, just a strong realization. Because it wasn't divine, I've gone back over this epiphany, picked it apart, and reconsidered what I thought and what I know. The result is a belief system that's more or less of my own creation, based in fact, and incredibly difficult to attack. There's something to be said for realizations, but immediately assuming it was the doing of some spiritual being is just...backward and naive.

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The one thing that gets me is when some Christians talk about the moment they "realized Christ/God" or when "The Holy Spirit entered me". Then they refuse to listen to other people who explain the same feelings, but DIDN'T assume that it was some Christian explaination.

That's why I don't really believe in the whole "getting saved" thing. If you believe in God, I think it has to do with how you're brought up and when you try to believe in something else or not believe at all (like I did a few years back) then some people convert to something else or become atheist or agnostic and others realize that it's impossible for them to doubt God (like me).

But as for a single moment when you realize God exists - Hell no, I don't think that's possible.

The different religions are just the way to intrepret the feelings described by DrS and History. Religions are created to make a group of people feel like they are part of something. When they feel like they are part of something, they assume it is religion. Or else like DrS said, relise that they are a small part of the universe.

I can't tell if I'm making sense of not. Ah, well. . .

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Originally posted by historybuff:
I am sure you have felt those things... But I know thier is a difference between what I am talking about and what you are.

You know, because she's psychic. You couldn't possibly both be experiancing some sort of emotion that people share when you think about your place in the universe, be it under a Christian God or under the glory of a secular universe. Common feelings of awe, insignifigance, intrigue, and wonder? That's simply ludicrous. </sarcasm>

The one thing that gets me is when some Christians talk about the moment they "realized Christ/God" or when "The Holy Spirit entered me". Then they refuse to listen to other people who explain the same feelings, but DIDN'T assume that it was some Christian explaination.

What evedience to you have that whatever you felt was Christ, God, or some other divine influence, and not simply your own mind reveling in the wonder of the universe as you understand it?

My bet: None whatsoever.

I am sure you have felt those things... But I know thier is a difference between what I am talking about and what you are.
God loves you. And even if you don't believe in him he believes in you.

That last post didn't really make a whole lot of sense. Sorry, I am very tired. There's a message in there somewhere, you just have to dig a little bit...

History, I have feelings of hope all the time... I feel fulfilled a lot after I have done something good for someone else... I stand in awe and wonder at much of Nature's beauty and when I stand outside and lay on the ground and look up at the stars, I realize how small, and insignificant we are in comparison to the universe... and all of that has absolutely nothing to do with christianity of jesus... I'm assuming that you meant 'decisions' and, well, many christians today make the decision not to help their bretheren, and not to help in their community... Because remember: "Hands that help are far better then lips that pray." -Robert G. Ingersoll

IT isn't an air-fairy feeling... it is a feeling of hope... of fulfillment. of knowing the unknown - complete wonder,but most of all graditute.... sometimes there are other feeling. but you are right Christianity is not about feeling, like life it is about disitions... feeling come and go,but our comitent stands strong.

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You feel different when you have accepted Jesus.

Accepting Jesus Christ isnt a feeling. THere isnt some airy-fairy feeling when you accept. IF there is, that doesnt mean that you are Chrisitan.
Feelings change, as your willingness to follow Christ should not.

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Well okay those are your beliefs.

You don't have to be accepting of everyone. Nobody is open-minded. People try to be, but we aren't always.

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Originally posted by EarthGoddess:

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I'm sorry that you don't feel that, but obviously, you really haven't TRIED to feel it.

Yes I did. From age 3 to age 12, Jesus was my life. But Jesus and I just didn't click. Now my love is reserved for various celtic gods, lucifer, and a little black wolf.

Well okay those are your beliefs.

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You feel different when you have accepted Jesus.

I didn't.

Sorry, I'm into creating my OWN life purpose.

Christiansoldier, I felt that way once in my life, when I was very little and very overwhelmed by life. That's what made me become a Christian. However, since then, I have not felt it again, even though I was a devout Christian.

I am no longer a Christian, but not because I felt God or Jesus abandoned me. I looked deeper into my faith than Sunday School teaches you, and I found out some things that radically changed the way I looked at Christianity.

But it still plagues me to this day why some people seem to be so close to their religion, while others aren't, even though both believe--or try to believe--just as hard.

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I'm sorry that you don't feel that, but obviously, you really haven't TRIED to feel it.

Yes I did. From age 3 to age 12, Jesus was my life. But Jesus and I just didn't click. Now my love is reserved for various celtic gods, lucifer, and a little black wolf.