Do you agree or disagree with this statement?

[Kylie]

I was looking for you on this list:

PROPHETS OF THE 21ST CENTURY

Um, okay...

 

[Kylie]

Reality is created in your mind alone.
So how can it be true?
Matter is mostly space, so how can it be true?
Matter does not create itself, so how can it be true?
Non-living matter does not change to living matter, so how can it be true?
Light exists either as a particle or a wave, depending on which you are looking for,
so how can it be true? Reality changes according to what you seek.

My INTERPRETATION of reality exists in my mind alone. And I never said that my interpretation was true.

You need to learn the difference between a thing and one's PERCEPTION of that thing. When you have done this, we can continue this discussion.

 

[SkyWriting]

My INTERPRETATION of reality exists in my mind alone. And I never said that my interpretation was true.You need to learn the difference between a thing and one's PERCEPTION of that thing. When you have done this, we can continue this discussion.

One's perception is one's reality. No difference.
I guess you a poor teacher for my lernin.

 

[Kylie]

I believe it is a violation of forum rules to plagiarize from this forum and post to other forums, like that trash website.

I'm not sure how the rules of this website can be said to apply to other websites. Don't they have the right to make their own rules? Or should Christian Forums rules be made to apply to all websites? It seems that many Christians believe that people of all faiths should be made to live by Christian rules, regardless of the beliefs that they hold. Is this an extension of that idea?

 

[SkyWriting]

Um, okay...

Your prophecy is not expected to be realized.

 

[Kylie]

One's perception is one's reality. No difference.
I guess you a poor teacher for my lernin.

You do realise there are things that are external to you, yes?

One may not perceive that car speeding towards you, but the reality is that it will hit you.

You really need to learn this.

 

[Kylie]

Your prophecy is not expected to be realized.

It seems that you are unfamiliar with the concept of a hypothetical situation...

 

[amariselle]

Irrelevant.

If all Human knowledge of science, literature, etc were to vanish - if we were like children growing up, with no one to teach us how things worked or our history, but living with no knowledge other than what we could figure out for ourselves, we would never develop Christianity again. We would develop flight, medicine, electricity, alloys, solar power and all sorts of other stuff again, but we would never recreate any religion that we have today.

Do you deny this?

I disagree. (Not that God would ever allow us to lose all knowledge of Him, or His word in the first place, because He wouldn't) However, in the hypothetical situation mentioned, if we ever did, He would reveal Himself to us again.

 

[amariselle]

It is a choice to examine the matter, but it's not a choice to believe. Do you see the difference? You can choose to examine whether there is a unicorn in your front yard, but you can't simply "choose to believe" that there is one.

I did choose Jesus, and I did choose to question and examine my faith as well. It's a lifelong journey actually.

Let me put it a different way then: why be obedient to Jesus? Why stand firm in one's faith?

Because I chose Jesus and this is what He commands. Do I do it perfectly, of course not. I still make mistakes, that is why I need a Saviour.

 

[Archaeopteryx]

I did choose Jesus, and I did choose to question and examine my faith as well. It's a lifelong journey actually.

But you didn't choose to believe.

Because I chose Jesus and this is what He commands. Do I do it perfectly, of course not. I still make mistakes, that is why I need a Saviour.

Why choose Jesus? Why not choose Muhammad or someone else?

 

[amariselle]

But you didn't choose to believe.

I chose to follow Jesus, I could have turned away. At low points in my faith, I have struggled very much with this, however, God hasn't left us on our own, He has given us His word and the Holy Spirit. And yes, I read the Bible, the "evidence" God has left, and I choose to believe what is written in its pages. I could choose to reject it, as many do, but I choose not to. It is a choice.

Why choose Jesus? Why not choose Muhammad or someone else?

I have explored and learned about other religions and none of them have answered my deepest questions, nor have they told me of my Saviour, a Saviour I know I desperately need.

And in none of them have I met my Saviour, as I have in the pages of the Bible and in my time spent with Him.

 

[Archaeopteryx]

I chose to follow Jesus, I could have turned away. At low points in my faith, I have struggled very much with this, however, God hasn't left us on our own, He has given us His word and the Holy Spirit. And yes, I read the Bible, the "evidence" God has left, and I choose to believe what is written in its pages. I could choose to reject it, as many do, but I choose not to. It is a choice.

That makes no sense whatsoever. If you "choose to believe" in Jesus, then you should be able to "choose to believe" in the unicorn as well. Yet you couldn't.

 

[KWCrazy]

I'm not sure how the rules of this website can be said to apply to other websites.

I put that question to the mods and if you are caught reposting information to other websites without permission from the author then it IS actionable. Beyond that, it's a pretty disgusting thing to do, since most of the posts quoted by the blithering idiots on the site are taken out of context. And no, that isn't a flame because they are, in fact, idiots.

 

[amariselle]

That makes no sense whatsoever. If you "choose to believe" in Jesus, then you should be able to "choose to believe" in the unicorn as well. Yet you couldn't.

There is no evidence for unicorns, so of course I won't believe in them.

 

[KWCrazy]

If you "choose to believe" in Jesus, then you should be able to "choose to believe" in the unicorn as well. Yet you couldn't.

One chooses to follow or chooses to reject, but one does not need to "choose to believe" the truth. You either accept that it is truth or you deny reality. God is the ultimate truth in the Universe. Rejection of Him is foolishness. In fact, the Bible says that those who claim there is no God are fools. So while belief in the Lord is important, it won't get you to Heaven. Satan and his demons also believe in God, and they tremble. You know that inner knowledge of right and wrong we call a conscience? That's not an evolved characteristic. Animals in the wild don't consider the feelings of their prey, they care about their own survival. The conscience came from the fall of man in accepting the knowledge of good and evil and thus the responsibility of choice.

Seriously; watching atheists talk about how smart they are is like watching fat old men in a drag queen contest brag that they are the fairest on the planet. The denial of reality does not equal wisdom.

 

[OldWiseGuy]

You did not answer my question.

If I change my behaviour, am I being led by some spirit, or am I doing it purely for the benefit of others?

Let me give you a real world example. If I see a person fall and hurt themselves, and I drive them to the hospital so that they can get the care they need, am I being led by a spirit, or am I doing it simply to benefit the person who was hurt?

My answer stands. People naturally change between doing good and doing evil even in a single hour. It's our nature; no spirit needed.

 

[Archaeopteryx]

There is no evidence for unicorns, so of course I won't believe in them.

Exactly the point: you can't just "choose to believe." You can't manufacture a sincere belief at will. So why do you pretend that it's different when it comes to religious matters?

 

[Archaeopteryx]

Seriously; watching atheists talk about how smart they are is like watching fat old men in a drag queen contest brag that they are the fairest on the planet. The denial of reality does not equal wisdom.

You haven't established the truth of your claims.

 

[KWCrazy]

You haven't established the truth of your claims.

You haven't recognized the truth.
The truth doesn't need to be established. It is.
You may need help recognizing it, but that won't come over a one dimensional website.
You can't feel the presence of God on a website.
You can read what Christians write, but you can't know how they feel. All you can do is interpret letters on a page into words.
You can read the hundreds of personal testimonials of those who found the Lord and what it has done for them; of people who have encountered miracles and how it impacted them; even of people who have come face to face with pure evil.
I hold a challenge to any atheist to go to any well experienced practiced clergyman and ask him face to face what personal accounts he has had with the supernatural. I do not select the person. My requirement is that they be a Christian minister with at least 20 years of service to the Lord. The reason I don't say, "Ask this person," is that experience with the supernatural isn't rare at all. It's amazingly common. However, to know the truth you have to look into their eyes as they speak; know whether their story is real or make-believe. All men of God are tested by evil. Many fail. The devout persevere.

Why would a man be tortured and killed for teaching the word of God when all they would have to do is reject the story and they could go home? The Romans tried their best to destroy the word of the risen Christ but they could not because once someone has known the Lord it's impossible to make believe He doesn't exist.

 

[amariselle]

Exactly the point: you can't just "choose to believe." You can't manufacture a sincere belief at will. So why do you pretend that it's different when it comes to religious matters?

Because unlike the hypothetical unicorn scenario, there is evidence for God. I do not need to pretend at all, and obviously there are many others who agree. We have the word of God and we have the promise of the Holy Spirit. We are also able to "see" God in His creation.

Nothing of the sort exists in the case of unicorns.