Is there a Christian message without the element of fear/perceived threat?

by nvrgnbk 133 Replies latest jw friends

  • XJW4EVR
    XJW4EVR
    Good people

    Changeling, I reject this premise based on the Bible, which says:

    "None is righteous, no, not one;
    no one understands;
    no one seeks for God.
    All have turned aside; together they have become worthless;
    no one does good,
    not even one
    ."
    "Their throat is an open grave;
    they use their tongues to deceive."
    "The venom of asps is under their lips."
    "Their mouth is full of curses and bitterness."
    "Their feet are swift to shed blood;
    in their paths are ruin and misery,
    and the way of peace they have not known."
    "There is no fear of God before their eyes."
  • caliber
    caliber

    I only encourage belief in God I try not make personal judgements( I got enough of that at the KH. )

    I simply want to love you not judge you . Anyway this is clearly God's work not mine

    Caliber ( may all go well with you )

    i som

  • changeling
    changeling

    I'm not asking for your judgement, not your opinion, caliber. I want to know what your god will do, according to your beliefs.

    changeling :)

  • BurnTheShips
    BurnTheShips
    If I do not repent and start believing in and worshiping your god, what will happen to me?

    Changeling,

    Only God knows. Only he can perfectly know what factors are involved in an individual's decision: intellectual, psychological, and emotional. A life experience may have made so it is impossible for a person to consent. A person may be "invincibly ignorant" in this life be it intrinsically or by external circumstance. I believe that God will not fault someone for that which it is not possible for them to do. We are all of the same stock, we all have a common origin in God and those that do our best to choose good with what we know and are capable of will have a common destination in God.

    BTS

  • changeling
    changeling

    Tell me please, If I'm not ignorant, if I've had every opportnity to believe and rejected it, what does the faith you subscribe to say will happen to me?

    chamgeling :)

  • DanTheMan
    DanTheMan

    My nephew attended a CIY (Christ in Youth) camp about a month ago. Three "worship" sessions per day (!)

    Here's a blurb from the "About" section on their website:

    We believe that the Bible is the fully inspired Word of God. Faith in Jesus and obedience to His teachings are essential for salvation. Jesus is fully God, was born of a virgin, lived a sinless life, died a death of atonement on a cross, was bodily resurrected, and is coming again in judgment of all men. Heaven and Hell are literal, as taught in the Bible. CIY is committed to these truths as well as to restoration of New Testament teaching, principles, and practices.

    "essential for salvation"..."coming again in judgment"..."Heaven and Hell are literal"

    I know that some on this board who claim to be Christian are uncomfortable with the flavor of Christianity expressed above, but as for me, I'm so nauseated by the fearmongering Christianity that I experienced first-hand as a JW and that I've seen in other churches that are prominent where I live that even if I could find something appealing in Christianity, I could never ever call myself a Christian.

  • ozziepost
    ozziepost
    I'm so nauseated by the fearmongering Christianity that I experienced first-hand as a JW and that I've seen in other churches that are prominent where I live that even if I could find something appealing in Christianity, I could never ever call myself a Christian.

    Fair enough, but are you sure you experienced Christianity as a JW?

  • sweetstuff
    sweetstuff
    Bible, King James Version


    Judges


    Judg.1

    [1] Now after the death of Joshua it came to pass, that the children of Israel asked the LORD, saying, Who shall go up for us against the Canaanites first, to fight against them?
    [2] And the LORD said, Judah shall go up: behold, I have delivered the land into his hand.
    [3] And Judah said unto Simeon his brother, Come up with me into my lot, that we may fight against the Canaanites; and I likewise will go with thee into thy lot. So Simeon went with him.
    [4] And Judah went up; and the LORD delivered the Canaanites and the Perizzites into their hand: and they slew of them in Bezek ten thousand men.
    [5] And they found Adoni-bezek in Bezek: and they fought against him, and they slew the Canaanites and the Perizzites.
    [6] But Adoni-bezek fled; and they pursued after him, and caught him, and cut off his thumbs and his great toes.
    [7] And Adoni-bezek said, Threescore and ten kings, having their thumbs and their great toes cut off, gathered their meat under my table: as I have done, so God hath requited me. And they brought him to Jerusalem, and there he died.
    [8] Now the children of Judah had fought against Jerusalem, and had taken it, and smitten it with the edge of the sword, and set the city on fire.
    [9] And afterward the children of Judah went down to fight against the Canaanites, that dwelt in the mountain, and in the south, and in the valley.
    [10] And Judah went against the Canaanites that dwelt in Hebron: (now the name of Hebron before was Kirjath-arba:) and they slew Sheshai, and Ahiman, and Talmai.
    [11] And from thence he went against the inhabitants of Debir: and the name of Debir before was Kirjath-sepher:
    [12] And Caleb said, He that smiteth Kirjath-sepher, and taketh it, to him will I give Achsah my daughter to wife.
    [13] And Othniel the son of Kenaz, Caleb's younger brother, took it: and he gave him Achsah his daughter to wife.
    [14] And it came to pass, when she came to him, that she moved him to ask of her father a field: and she lighted from off her ass; and Caleb said unto her, What wilt thou?
    [15] And she said unto him, Give me a blessing: for thou hast given me a south land; give me also springs of water. And Caleb gave her the upper springs and the nether springs.
    [16] And the children of the Kenite, Moses' father in law, went up out of the city of palm trees with the children of Judah into the wilderness of Judah, which lieth in the south of Arad; and they went and dwelt among the people.
    [17] And Judah went with Simeon his brother, and they slew the Canaanites that inhabited Zephath, and utterly destroyed it. And the name of the city was called Hormah.
    [18] Also Judah took Gaza with the coast thereof, and Askelon with the coast thereof, and Ekron with the coast thereof.
    [19] And the LORD was with Judah; and he drave out the inhabitants of the mountain; but could not drive out the inhabitants of the valley, because they had chariots of iron.

    And this is why I don't believe in the god of the bible and christianity, the bible is chock full of little beauties like this. Why should I worship or be afraid of a "god" who cannot defeat iron chariots. LOL

    Alot of christians bring up Jesus's gospels as a defense to critic of the bible or their faith, and while I agree that there are words of wisdom in Jesus words they seem to forget that before Christ came, there is a whole testament of a very different god than Jesus preached about. Maybe he's bi polar or something. Or a really crappy author, after all, its his written word right?

  • BurnTheShips
    BurnTheShips
    Tell me please, If I'm not ignorant, if I've had every opportnity to believe and rejected it, what does the faith you subscribe to say will happen to me?

    I believe that if you reject God with full knowledge and assent of your will, then you will be without God in eternity, just as you willed. You will get what you choose.

    BTS

  • caliber
    caliber
    But the LORD said to Samuel: "Do not judge from his appearance or from his lofty stature, because I have rejected him. Not as man sees does Godsee, because man sees the appearance but the LORD looks into the heart."

    I shall never again presume to speak for God.(in judgement) or to say I read hearts !

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