Extreme Confusion

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Would God forgive those who sinned because of they way that they had been brought up, or because they had never been told about God?

Would God forgive those who did not believe in him because they have never encountered him, if they are part of a jungle tribe?

How come different cultures all seem to have received different messages about specific Gods?

Would God forgive Muslims and Jews if they were wrong? Would God forgive us if we were wrong?

The problem is a lot of religions have good chances of being the right one. How can you know which religion is correct? Sure, God answers our prayers, but he seems to answer the prayers of other religions to.

I think that perhaps God has sent different messengers to different cultures, or perhaps he is just tolerating the incorrect religions because it is not their fault that they are wrong. Actually, I haven’t got the faintest idea. What answers do you have for these perplexing questions?
 
That's a good question. I have heard it from friends and relatives. Books have been written about this. I guess the best dialogue I've heard on this, was a tape series called "to every man an answer".

Well to answer part of your question I'll takle the "what about those that have not heard of Christ" .

You see God has written his laws on everyones heart. Some call it a conscience. The tribesman in the deepest darkest Africa can come to Christ in this way: If he looks around and sees Gods handiwork and realizes that he is not a very good man. He then looks into the heavens and says "Creator God forgive me. I know I am not a good person. Please remember me when I die.

Now we Chriatians know that Jesus created, creation. This man has asked Jesus for forgiveness. This man will be saved.

We must all live up to the light that God shines on us. The false religions are darkness and there is no light in them. But while a person is in this darkness, somewhere and somehow God will shine the light of truth. Now that person, must either step towards the light or away from it. If he steps towards the light God gives him more light, and so it goes.
 
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I have to go back and check where I just read this , but an answer was given along the lines that God will judge through a man's knowledge of Him, whether it be through looking at nature, hearing the actual message or whatever.

I took that to mean that if you can look at God's creation and acknowledge an intelligent designer and build upon that, then that much knowledge has been granted you and will, more or less, be the yardstick God uses to measure you against.

Wow, that was a long sentence!!! :D
 
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Matt 5:45
45 That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust.
(KJV)

This may answer you question about other religions getting their prayers answered. We also have to understand this.
2 Cor 11:13-15
13 For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into the apostles of Christ.
14 And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light.
15 Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also be transformed as the ministers of righteousness; whose end shall be according to their works.
(KJV)

So how do we know for sure if we are following the truth? Well, God promises that if you seek, you will find. The Bible can be demonstrated to be the most unique book of all time. If ever God was going to reveal himself it would be in this book. It can be demonstrated to be the most accurate book of antiquity. It can be demonstrated to hold an accurate account of history. It can be shown to be the most critiqued book of all the ages and still found to be marvelouly correct. Because the Bible is 66 books it can be used as a refference to prove itself and not be called "circular reasoning". Test it and see.
 
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I think these others are correct, but do not feel any religion is correct.
You are right, there are many who worship many different things and feel they are right in what they do. However, those who know Jesus personally and walk with Him will live on....
Those people who choose to put things before God, will not. Simple. He said so. I can worship anything and influence many to follow the ways I think, but God himslef has never failed to disprove every foriegn God, or idol in people's heart. Many just won't accpet it because they don't want to give up their live, for true Life.
It doesn't make sense to me. Itis as if they want a written contract to be sure they get what they pay for. The only thing is, God has one. Those who don't listen and know Him will certainly get what they pay for.
 
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Jim1

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Dear futuresoldier,


Here are some passages to consider:


Matthew 7:12 Therefore all things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them: for this is the law and the prophets. 13 Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat: 14 Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it. … 21 Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven. 22 Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? 23 And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity. 24 Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock: 25 And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell not: for it was founded upon a rock. 26 And every one that heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them not, shall be likened unto a foolish man, which built his house upon the sand: 27 And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell: and great was the fall of it.

Luke 12:42 And the Lord said, Who then is that faithful and wise steward, whom his lord shall make ruler over his household, to give them their portion of meat in due season? 43 Blessed is that servant, whom his lord when he cometh shall find so doing. 44 Of a truth I say unto you, that he will make him ruler over all that he hath. 45 But and if that servant say in his heart, My lord delayeth his coming; and shall begin to beat the menservants and maidens, and to eat and drink, and to be drunken; 46 The lord of that servant will come in a day when he looketh not for him, and at an hour when he is not aware, and will cut him in sunder, and will appoint him his portion with the unbelievers. 47 And that servant, which knew his lord's will, and prepared not himself, neither did according to his will, shall be beaten with many stripes. 48 But he that knew not, and did commit things worthy of stripes, shall be beaten with few stripes. For unto whomsoever much is given, of him shall be much required: and to whom men have committed much, of him they will ask the more.

Romans 2:5 But after thy hardness and impenitent heart treasurest up unto thyself wrath against the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God; 6 Who will render to every man according to his deeds: 7 To them who by patient continuance in well doing seek for glory and honour and immortality, eternal life: 8 But unto them that are contentious, and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, indignation and wrath, 9 Tribulation and anguish, upon every soul of man that doeth evil, of the Jew first, and also of the Gentile; 10 But glory, honour, and peace, to every man that worketh good, to the Jew first, and also to the Gentile: 11 For there is no respect of persons with God. 12 For as many as have sinned without law shall also perish without law: and as many as have sinned in the law shall be judged by the law; 13 (For not the hearers of the law are just before God, but the doers of the law shall be justified. 14 For when the Gentiles, which have not the law, do by nature the things contained in the law, these, having not the law, are a law unto themselves: 15 Which shew the work of the law written in their hearts, their conscience also bearing witness, and their thoughts the mean while accusing or else excusing one another;) 16 In the day when god shall judge the secrets of men by Jesus Christ according to my gospel.

Romans 14:5 One man esteemeth one day above another: another esteemeth every day alike. Let every man be fully persuaded in his own mind. 6 He that regardeth the day, regardeth it unto the Lord; and he that regardeth not the day, to the Lord he doth not regard it. He that eateth, eateth to the Lord, for he giveth God thanks; and he that eateth not, to the Lord he eateth not, and giveth God thanks. … 10 But why dost thou judge thy brother? or why dost thou set at nought thy brother? For we shall all stand before the judgment seat of Christ. 11 For it is written, as I live, saith the Lord, every knee shall bow to me, and every tongue shall confess to God. 12 So then every one of us shall give account of himself to God. … 14 I know, and am persuaded by the Lord Jesus, that there is nothing unclean of itself: but to him that esteemeth any thing to be unclean, to him it is unclean. … 22 Hast thou faith? have it to thyself before God. Happy is he that condemneth not himself in that thing which he alloweth. 23 And he that doubteth is damned if he eat, because he eateth not of faith: for whatsoever is not of faith is sin.

1 Corinthians 4:3 But with me it is a very small thing that I should be judged of you, or of man's judgment: yea, I judge not mine own self. 4 For I know nothing by myself; yet am I not hereby justified: but he that judgeth me is the Lord. 5 Therefore judge nothing before the time, until the Lord come, who both will bring to light the hidden things of darkness, and will make manifest the counsels of the hearts: and then shall every man have praise of God.
It seems to me from these passages that on judgment day, we will remember with perfect clarity every thought, word and deed, and it is we who shall confess the truth about ourselves; our own thoughts will judge us. There will be no secrets. Our own thoughts will judge us based on what we have done within the context of what we have known. I think that people who have never heard of Christ but who nevertheless do God’s will as much as they know it to be, and who would follow Christ if given the opportunity, will fair better on judgment day than people who profess to be in complete agreement with Christianity, professing to be Christ’s, but who do not actually do God’s will. If I say one thing (profess to be Christ’s) and do another (do not do God’s will), I run the risk of being a hypocrite. The Bible is very clear on what happens to hypocrites.


Sincerely,
Jim
 
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TheBear

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Jim1,

In computer terms, when someone does not type in normal font size, but instead, types in large font, especially for most or all of their post, that is what is known as 'yelling'. It sticks out like a sore thumb, and is not very polite.

It is akin to a verbal conversation where the normal volume is 1, but someone feels that the only way to get their point across is to multiply the volume by 4, and start yelling.

The point is, your posts will be able to be read and understood just fine in normal font. :)

John
 
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Jim1

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Dear John,


John:

In computer terms, when someone does not type in normal font size, but instead, types in large font, especially for most or all of their post, that is what is known as 'yelling'. It sticks out like a sore thumb, and is not very polite.


Jim:

I don’t understand why larger-than-usual font is considered to be impolite by some people. Should we conclude that the publishers of the Large Print Bible are rude?

Your conclusion that larger-than-usual font is impolite assumes that such font necessarily carries an attitude by the writer associated with yelling. I assure you that when I posted with larger-than-usual font, no such attitude existed in my mind. I just thought that it looked nice. I had just learned how to use the vb codes to alter the text, and I was having some fun. I just thought that the colors, the larger size and the different font styles looked nice. That’s all. I wasn’t “yelling;” I was just being different. Is that a bad thing?

Why does this bother you so? Whereas you get the sense from my posts in which I use larger-than-usual font that I’m yelling, I get the sense from your repeated complaints about my use of fonts that differ from the norm that you don’t like me being different. Is that what this is about? Do you equate being different with being rude?

In the “New-Heaven-And-New-Earth” thread, your first complaint appeared in the second post on the fifth page (01/24/02, 01:12am), in which you said that “the extra large, color brilliant, bold text” was giving you “headaches.” In the very next post, I said, “PS (to John): Sorry about the bright colors. I just learned how to alter the text, and I’m having some fun.” In that post (fifth page, third post) and in the very next post (fifth page, fourth post, dated 01/24/02, 01:17pm), I used small size font with a dark green color. I changed specifically to accommodate you. In the sixth post on that fifth page (dated 01/24/02, 04:05pm), I used extra-large font to emphasize certain phrases so that the point I was making to Hervey would not be missed. In all subsequent posts in that thread, I used either the usual-size or a smaller-than-usual size font with dark color, occasionally using uppercase letters instead of lowercase letters to emphasize a word or phrase. I had made this change specifically to accommodate you.

Then, in this thread, in the sixth post on the first page (dated 01/27/02, 03:06pm), I used a smaller-than-usual-size font with dark-blue color (the same as I'm using in this post). In the very next post, you again complained, saying, “Why are you always yelling?” In light of the changes I had made specifically to accommodate you, this second complaint took me by surprise. It was at this point that I began to view your complaint less as a legitimate complaint and more as a heckle, as it no longer had any legitimate basis; I was no longer using extra-large font with bright color, as you had requested.

So, at this point, I don’t know what you’re talking about, and apparently neither does Christsoldier, as indicated in the last post on the first page of this thread.


Sincerely,
Jim
 
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TheBear

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Jim,

It is not my conclusion. It is computer etiquete. Why do you go out of your way to make sure that you take the extra step of clicking on font size when you post? Ask any moderator. It is considered rude to type in such a way for most or all of your message. Don't play coy. Again, why do you take the extra step to click on the size option, Jim? Answer the question, Jim. Why?

Like I said, your message will be recieved just fine in normal print.

Never mind, Jim. Do what you want. You obviously think that typing in extra large print is the only way to get your point across. You are probably the same way with verbal conversations. I'll just scroll past your yelling.

John
 
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Bear,

I really don't think Jim is trying to be rude. And I'm still viewing his stuff in smaller, italicised font. I don't know what's up.

But, I do think Jim answered your question with the reply he was playing with the vb text option.

Don't we all play with new stuff like it's a toy? :D
 
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TheBear

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Christsoldier,

It goes beyond just seeing what all the buttons do. This font manipulation is a recurring pattern with Jim. He knows exactly what he's doing. I merely pointed out to him that there is no need for it, and that his posts can be read and understood just fine without constant emphasis through font manipulation. I am not worried about it in the least. I'll just scroll past such posts in the future.

I'm done with this issue.

John
 
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Jim1

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Dear John,


John:

Why do you go out of your way to make sure that you take the extra step of clicking on font size when you post?
… It is considered rude to type in such a way for most or all of your message. Don't play coy. Again, why do you take the extra step to click on the size option, Jim? Answer the question, Jim. Why?


Jim:

Why are you so upset with me? This has to be about something else.

Didn’t you read my post to you? Since your first complaint to me, there has been only one post where I used the size option to make the print larger than usual (dated 01/24/02, 04:05pm, in the “New-Heaven-And-New-Earth” thread).

Since that post, I have posted eight times in that thread without using the size option to make the print larger than usual; and this is the fourth post in this thread where I haven’t used the size option to make the print larger than usual.

I do use colors, but I've kept them dark since your first complaint to me, as you requested; and I do use font styles other than the default font style; and I do intermittently use UPPERCASE lettering to emphasize a word or phrase. Is this what’s bothering you?


Sincerely,
Jim
 
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MizDoulos

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Hi, all:

I may be wrong, but my understanding is that yelling, in computer language, is typing in all capital letters. Using large fonts is not yelling, just an emphasis of the idea.

Getting back to the issue at hand . . .

Pat
 
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