Do you agree or disagree with this statement?

[Archaeopteryx]

Who said you were a Christian? You or Christ?

I don't believe there is a Christ to make that judgment.

Being raised in a Christian home and attending a Christian church three times per week doesn't make you a Christian any more than standing in the garden makes you a tomato. Being a Christian means accepting Christ as your savior and receiving the Holy Spirit; the direct link between yourself and God. A true Christian could no more deny the existence of God than a divorced person could deny that their spouse never existed. If you had a relationship with Christ you would know He exists. If you don't believe He exists, you never had a relationship.

Of course I never really had such a relationship, but I believed that I did, just as you believe it now with regard to yourself.

 

[KWCrazy]

Of course I never really had such a relationship, but I believed that I did, just as you believe it now with regard to yourself.

Okay, so you went through the motions but never made the commitment.
So because you didn't commit yourself to the Lord, obviously the Lord cannot be real.
I understand your reasoning now.
I once believed myself to be a rich man. However, the millions never came my way so obviously there is no such thing as great wealth.
I once believed i could swim the ocean, but when I nearly drowned in a swimming pool i came to realize that the human body could not be supported by water.

 

[joshua 1 9]

That link in no way suggests that lemurs are a common ancestor for humans, where did you get that from?

We were talking about common ancestor for mammals and that means primates.

'Lemurs are the common ancestors of humans' is blatantly untrue.

The Lemur is the last common ancestor of all primates. We were talking about mammals. Humans are a mammal. That is why they use mice and things like that in their lab experiments because they are more like Humans then reptiles.

 

[KWCrazy]

We get it, he wasn't a "True Christain."

It's simple logic. How can you claim to have had a relationship with someone you say never existed?

 

[Archaeopteryx]

Okay, so you went through the motions but never made the commitment.

No, I never said that. I was committed. Committed enough to considering pursuing theology at university. Committed enough to criticise my own family for not being committed enough! But hey, why listen to what I have to say when you can just make up a fantasy about how uncommitted I was?

So because you didn't commit yourself to the Lord, obviously the Lord cannot be real.
I understand your reasoning now.

No, you don't.

I once believed myself to be a rich man. However, the millions never came my way so obviously there is no such thing as great wealth.
I once believed i could swim the ocean, but when I nearly drowned in a swimming pool i came to realize that the human body could not be supported by water.

Nice strawmen you got there. Anything worthwhile to present? Anything?

 

[Archaeopteryx]

It's simple logic. How can you claim to have had a relationship with someone you say never existed?

The same way you're doing just now. You believe you're in a relationship with a supernatural being.

 

[Oafman]

The point is that the Lemar is a common ancestor for humans.

That diagram does not show that "the Lemar is a common ancestor for humans". It shows that humans and lemurs share a common ancestor.

The regularity with which you link to things which undermine your own points is remarkable.

 

[HitchSlap]

It's simple logic. How can you claim to have had a relationship with someone you say never existed?

The same way anyone claims to have a relationship with all the other gods you don't believe exist either.

 

[HitchSlap]

Okay, so you went through the motions but never made the commitment.
So because you didn't commit yourself to the Lord, obviously the Lord cannot be real.
I understand your reasoning now.
I once believed myself to be a rich man. However, the millions never came my way so obviously there is no such thing as great wealth.
I once believed i could swim the ocean, but when I nearly drowned in a swimming pool i came to realize that the human body could not be supported by water.

Correct. Just like you're dong now.

 

[Archaeopteryx]

The same way anyone claims to have a relationship with all the other gods you don't believe exist either.

He can't seem to comprehend how someone could eventually come to the conclusion that they were mistaken in their religious beliefs. To make it crystal clear for you, @KWCrazy, I wrongly believed that I was in a relationship with a supernatural being, namely Jesus Christ.

 

[joshua 1 9]

That diagram does not show that "the Lemar is a common ancestor for humans". It shows that humans and lemurs share a common ancestor.

Yes, I know the theory, but thanks for pointing that out for the people that do not know or understand evolutionary theory.

 

[Oafman]

Yes, I know the theory, but thanks for pointing that out for the people that do not know or understand evolutionary theory.

A group of which you are quite obviously a member.

 

[amariselle]

It sounds as if all you have is a feeling.

I am not responsible for how it sounds to you, but it goes far beyond "feelings" for me. In fact, I usually don't feel anything extraordinary, beyond a calm and steady assurance. We are not to chase after experiences as Christians.

 

[amariselle]

Are you sure it's all real and not just something that's going on inside your head?
Is it all happening for Muslims as well? is Allah watching out for them? or are they just plain wrong?

To answer that we must pray for discernment, search the Scriptures and look at the "fruit" in someone's life. What are the results that their faith brings in their life? Is it for building up, or tearing down?

 

[amariselle]

How is this different from your previous answer - through faith?

It's not meant to be a different answer. Why would it be? My hope is in Jesus, not this life.

 

[Thursday]

All religions suffer from the Santa syndrome, which is:
If you stop reinforcing a belief then children will eventually stop believing it.

What children believe is irrelevant. Many of the strongest defenders of Christianity converted as adults and were former atheists. Examples include St. Augustine, GK Chesterton, CS Lewis, etc.

 

[Archaeopteryx]

It's not meant to be a different answer. Why would it be? My hope is in Jesus, not this life.

Then it brings us back to my previous question. Why faith in this and not that?

 

[Archaeopteryx]

What children believe is irrelevant. Many of the strongest defenders of Christianity converted as adults and were former atheists. Examples include St. Augustine, GK Chesterton, CS Lewis, etc.

Same for its skeptics.

 

[amariselle]

Then it brings us back to my previous question. Why faith in this and not that?

I have faith because I have searched the Scriptures, called on the name of Jesus to be saved, repented of my sins and entered into a personal relationship with Him. He has given us His Spirit to guide us in the world, as the Bible says, we will not be left on our own.

I have found no such assurance in any other faith or belief system, and yes, I have looked. I have wrestled with my faith, I have felt abandoned by God many times, but it was I who turned away from Him, not the other way around. Jesus has never failed me.

 

[Thursday]

Same for its skeptics.

True. So you also disagree with the OP's proposition.