by Undecided 17 Replies latest jw friends
The requirements for Christianity are pretty much the same as any other religion.
In addition to what's been mentioned above, it could take:
- Some imagination (regarding the unseen and unknown)
- Bending to social pressure because friends/family have joined and want you to
- Fear of the unknown, fear of death
it requires believing there is a being who loves you and wants you to love him back or he will murder you.
it requires believing that this being came to earth or sent his son to earth to be murdered on your behalf...so he would not have to murder you.
it requires you to believe that reality is wrong, but some set of rules and regulations that reject reality as wrong be viewed as perfect.
it requires you to allow others to think for you. [see hypnosis]
it requires you to assume your desires are completely evil, but what others want you do to based on their interpretation of hebrew myths, is good.
it requires you to bend over and take it without vasiline because nothing is to great for you to do for the sake of your god, and no sacrifice, including your own family and friends.
it requires you to trust a being who you suspect does not even exist because you have never found any way to tell for sure...
it requires you to be a sheep and allow shepherds to fleece you regularly.
First you must have faith in something you can't prove is real. Assured expectation of something you can't see. Must talk to some God you can't see or hear. Receive some holy spirit that might just be demons if you arn't careful. Give 10% of your money to God through a church. Believe in some book that was written by men you never knew and try to understand it when religions have never agreed what it says means what it says but it was written that way so some couldn't get the true meaning, except a special few that Christ chose, because narrow is the gate and few will get in.
I guess I will just roast in hell for eternity because I can't seem to understand God and why he needs so many sacrifices, including his own son
Very well said.
Accepting Jesus into my heart? What about all of those people that kill in the name of jesus?
What about anyone who molests a child but has a close relationship feeling with Jesus?
I know, I know, And Jesus said, ''many will do this in my name, blah blah blah and he will say, and yet I never knew you, get away from me you workers of lawlessness....''
so either way, YOU'RE SCREWED!
follow jesus, screwed, dont follow him, screwed...let him in your heart, but have works to back it up, but you dont need works, yes you need works...
I'm all confused again! The bible is one contradictory mess of men's writings.
FACT - If it doesn't make sense, it is not true.
If the Bible were REALLY god's word, it would simple and easy to understand.
Everyone would have a clear understanding of what is required, if anything, and what is considered bad.
It would be cut and dried and easy enough for a child to understand it.
Everyone would then have the SAME opportunity to either make the choice to follow god's word or to reject it.
This is not so today. We are so confused about what the Bible says, we can't even agree on what it says.
Look at how many christian sects there are...we can't agree on anything the bible says.
So either God wants us to screw up, or he did not authorize and inspire this conglomerate of ancient writings in the first place.
What does it require to be a Saved Christian
You mean being a christian doesnt autosave you?
Hi Ken,
I get very, very little time to post on here nowadays, but I just popped on and seen your thread, and wanted to share some of my thoughts with you:
"First you must have faith in something you can't prove is real. Assured expectation of something you can't see."
The New World Translation's translation of Hebrews 11:1 seems a bit vague to me, I prefer the King James Version's translation: 'Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.'
I think this scripture is making it clear faith isn't blind belief, but IS the evidence that God is real. In my opinion, faith refers to an experience one has which is more than enough evidence for them personally, though that evidence is subjective. As the rest of Hebrews 11 goes on to show, the spontaneous result of having received that evidence is to perform works for God, but those works aren't a requirement, just a natural reaction. (In a similar way that we have certain reactions we do naturally for someone when we love them imo)
"Must talk to some God you can't see or hear."
Based on what? Praying seems to be another natural reaction to having faith, but actually Jesus never said you had to pray to be saved, it's not ever mentioned in the bible as being something you have to do to gain salvation.
"Receive some holy spirit that might just be demons if you arn't careful"
IMHO it's a pretty safe bet that if the holy spirit convinces you there's a God, and makes you a better person, it doesn't come from a demonic source! Also, I don't see any indication that the thief on the cross next to Jesus ever received any Holy Spirit and yet...
"Give 10% of your money to God through a church."
You don't even have to go to church to be saved! Let alone give 10%! Churches should not tell you that you have to give 10% of your earnings to them!
"Believe in some book that was written by men you never knew and try to understand it when religions have never agreed what it says means what it says but it was written that way so some couldn't get the true meaning, except a special few that Christ chose, because narrow is the gate and few will get in."
When has God ever said we have to believe in the inerrancy of the bible to get saved? I only remember him saying we had to trust in his son. Though some people claim scripture is inspired based on 2 Timothy 3:16, even that text doesn't say you have to believe it is to be saved! The bible doesn't say you have to have an accurate theology either!
Zico
WELL SAID, ECLIPSE!
Saved from what!
I thought that a Saved Christian was someone who had become a Christian, seen the light, left and escaped into the real world. Just shows how different perspectives are possible.
I mean if you are a pagan and you become a Christian you are deemed to be saved. It must work both ways.
I have got into these righteous/saved/Christian versus pagan/atheist/low life unbeliever debates many times but I have developed a benign a live and let die approach now.
Trevor
Spiritually AWOL for now.
I'm down in SC right now at my daughter's home. Will be back tomorrow I guess. Will post then.
Ken P.
