A Pondering of the Peculiar (2)

[PsychoSarah]

Actually, I liked it so much I made it my signature.

 

[Loudmouth]

If you were blind? And, were cured?

Does that mean you received super powers?

No. It means you simply became normal.

God designed man to be spiritually alive. Adam's sin caused the spiritual death of all. That is why Jesus told Nicodemus that they who could not determine what he was, need to be born again.

The first time you were born body and soul. Physical birth. Dichotomous.

The second time you become body, soul, and human spirit. Spiritual birth. This issue concerning the Holy Spirit is unique to the Church age only. The believers in the Torah were also born again. Moses became body, soul, and human spirit. A tricotomous being.

Its not super powers. It what man was originally designed for by God.

If we replaced God with Vishnu in your statement above, would you be convinced?

 

[GenemZ]

Boy...I like to deal in reality and part of that reality is recognizing there are people in this world that like to tell others how they should feel and what they should believe in and ignore any evidence that would state otherwise.

You're still setting up your row of straw men. I am not telling you how you should feel. I am just letting you know, that others experience something that you are not aware of. Take it, or leave it. You're not my responsibility. You are your responsibility.

And, I am very familiar with psychological defense mechanisms, which are commonly seen on these boards.

My best grades in college were always in psychology courses. During those days of my youth, I was intrigued by what I learned. But, I also soon learned, that schools of thought in psychology can be just as diverse as church denominations are.

 

[GenemZ]

If we replaced God with Vishnu in your statement above, would you be convinced?

That would be like replacing oil with water in your crankcase.

 

[GenemZ]

And their lies in that final sin
That man should think himself so high
To know completely god's every whim
And reach above to grasp the sky

But all they shall hold is empty air
The knowledge of god they shall not reach
God did not put heaven there
For those who don't practice what they preach

You inspired a poem genez. Even though I know that shall now enter the common domain, it was worth it.

You inspired a poem too...

God is like a never ending seashore..
In a world that is almost all ocean
With knowing just a single grain of sand?
But, with even that much?
He wants our devotion.

As for you?
To see me as all-knowing? In my own mind?
Means, you failed to see.
That wee grain of sand in my hand.
While squinting in your disdain, as if you're blind.

"Want to play in my sandbox?"
Those are not words you will hear from me.
For I possess only a wee small grain in my hand..
As you fail to see that the Lord's knowledge surrounds
us all...
Like the sand surrounds a deep blue sea.
​

 

[GenemZ]

2) You have probably made the mistake that I, and many other atheists, weren't once Christian. Some of us were.

If you are an atheist? That means you tried to be a Christian.

Christianity not something you can learn to be. Its something you must first become. Only, to learn what defines your experience after it has taken place.

Its a real encounter with a life changing transformation, One that you could not even think of causing. Its unique and undefinable. Only to be understood by those who also shared in the transformation.

It actually made me both mystified and wondering what the heck was happening to my inner man. I was brought up a Jew. I had no Christian indoctrination to give me an idea what was taking place. Just the same? My ignorance of what the Bible says did not stop God as claiming his ownership in my heart. Some day you might see. Even clergy after preaching for years, have become born again much to their shock. For up until regeneration, they had been only religious, not spiritual.

 

[CabVet]

If you are an atheist? That means you tried to be a Christian.

Christianity not something you can learn to be. Its something you must first become. Only, to learn what defines your experience after it has taken place.

Funny, I thought all you needed to do to be a Christian was to accept Christ. Where did I read that?

 

[GenemZ]

Funny, I thought all you needed to do to be a Christian was to accept Christ. Where did I read that?

Some people can learn what to say, but not have the substance as to why it should be said. These accept Christ in the sense as if it were an incantation. As if its something to try to get a reaction.


When you become a Christian you simply find yourself believing in Christ. You can't understand why. But, you have been made able to do so = God's grace. Its not of yourself. You just know you do believe. Its like a baby sucking for milk without not knowing why.

 

[CabVet]

Some people can learn what to say, but not have the substance as to why it should be said. These accept Christ in the sense as if it were an incantation. As if its something to try to get a reaction.

When you become a Christian you simply find yourself believing in Christ. You can't understand why. But, you have been made able to do so = God's grace. Its not of yourself. You just know you do believe. Its like a baby sucking for milk without not knowing why.

In other words, there are no ex-Christians. All of those who say they were Christians in the past but no longer believe in the Christian God were never real™ Christians to begin with, right?

 

[bhsmte]

You're still setting up your row of straw men. I am not telling you how you should feel. I am just letting you know, that others experience something that you are not aware of. Take it, or leave it. You're not my responsibility. You are your responsibility.



My best grades in college were always in psychology courses. During those days of my youth, I was intrigued by what I learned. But, I also soon learned, that schools of thought in psychology can be just as diverse as church denominations are.

Straw man? Yea right. You say I don't know what I should and then say you aren't telling me what I should feel?

Hey, rationalize all you want and believe what you want, but the pretending to be some higher level of knowledge is a bit boring and quite predictable, from a psychological standpoint.

 

[GenemZ]

In other words, there are no ex-Christians. All of those who say they were Christians in the past but no longer believe in the Christian God were never real™ Christians to begin with, right?

Not so fast. There are Christians who reject the cross and return to live as they wish. If they truly believed at one point in time, they will be saved.

 

[GenemZ]

Hey, rationalize all you want and believe what you want, but the pretending to be some higher level of knowledge is a bit boring and quite predictable, from a psychological standpoint.

If that rationale gives you a comfort zone? Then live in it. It still does not change the truth.

 

[CabVet]

Not so fast. There are Christians who reject the cross and return to live as they wish. If they truly believed at one point in time, they will be saved.

Oh nice, so I get the best of both worlds, I get to live as an atheist, but because I did truly believe for years I am still saved. Good to know.

 

[PsychoSarah]

You inspired a poem too...

God is like a never ending seashore..
In a world that is almost all ocean
With knowing just a single grain of sand?
But, with even that much?
He wants our devotion.

As for you?
To see me as all-knowing? In my own mind?
Means, you failed to see.
That wee grain of sand in my hand.
While squinting in your disdain, as if you're blind.

"Want to play in my sandbox?"
Those are not words you will hear from me.
For I possess only a wee small grain in my hand..
As you fail to see that the Lord's knowledge surrounds
us all...
Like the sand surrounds a deep blue sea.
​

I find mine catchier, but that is decent. You write that or is that from someone else? I wrote mine. I don't always write poetry, but when I do, I feel inspired.

 

[PsychoSarah]

Not so fast. There are Christians who reject the cross and return to live as they wish. If they truly believed at one point in time, they will be saved.

So any former Christians are also saved? That doesn't make a lot of sense, you would think that is closer to actually betraying god than people who never believed.

 

[bhsmte]

If that rationale gives you a comfort zone? Then live in it. It still does not change the truth.

Not looking to change the truth, but I do get comfort from discovering it.

 

[PsychoSarah]

Not looking to change the truth, but I do get comfort from discovering it.

You can't change reality in that sense, neither side can. But that doesn't mean that either side is correct. I see very little of people proposing that both sides can be wrong in most of what they state. I suppose because there really isn't much of a third party theory.

 

[CabVet]

You can't change reality in that sense, neither side can. But that doesn't mean that either side is correct. I see very little of people proposing that both sides can be wrong in most of what they state. I suppose because there really isn't much of a third party theory.

There is no second theory either. But regardless of which side is correct, there is only one side that self-corrects as new evidence is found. And that should tell you a lot about which side is more likely to be correct.

 

[PsychoSarah]

There is no second theory either. But regardless of which side is correct, there is only one side that self-corrects as new evidence is found. And that should tell you a lot about which side is more likely to be correct.

I don't know, I have seen non fundamentalists attempt to self-correct the bible a bit.

 

[AV1611VET]

Oh nice, so I get the best of both worlds, I get to live as an atheist, but because I did truly believe for years I am still saved. Good to know.

You'll suffer loss (of rewards) in Heaven too.