Questions you always wanted to ask a Christian or non believer and remarks are accepted also.

[returntosender]

Is that what Jesus did?

"Threw verses" at the scribes and Pharisees, who knew those verses inside and out?

Don't challenge me av. You're not Jesus. It didn't work did it?

 

[Robban]

Faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.

Faith is only the beginning, the root.

In this we are likened to trees, faith is the root but it must grow into a trunk which is trust.
The trunk must grow branches which is knowing or knowledge.

The branches grow fruit,and it is by their fruit that is evidence what sort of tree it is.

 

[returntosender]

Don't challenge me av. You're not Jesus. It didn't work did it?

Verses don't phase them. They come prepared.

 

[returntosender]

Verses don't phase them. They come prepared.

 

[returntosender]

New question for the non believers.
Who among you were raised in the church?

 

[Robban]

you believe that we are selected by God before birth and in That case perhaps that's what has happened to non believers, they were not selected?

Pretty simple answer, "You selected Me, therefore have I selected you."

 

[returntosender]

Pretty simple answer, "You selected Me, therefore have I selected you."

I like that. Where's that come from?

 

[Robban]

I like that. Where's that come from?

Deuteronomy 26:17-18

 

[Larniavc]

Hundreds of God. No, sir. Where do you get the 100’s from?

Throughout history people have believed in all sorts of gods. They all purport to be real. Who’s to say if any of them are real?

 

[Larniavc]

Do atheists believe there was a Jesus?

It’s certainly possible that there was a Rabbi called Jesus living in those times.

 

[Larniavc]

Do atheist's day dream?

I daydream all the time.

 

[Larniavc]

New question for the non believers.
Who among you were raised in the church?

I was raised C of E in the UK. We had prayers and hymns from the age of 5+ every day. We had a Vicar come in every week to teach us about the Bible (and cricket- he loved cricket). We went to the village church a few times a year at Easter and Xmas. That was about 40 years ago in the UK.

 

[returntosender]

Is that what Jesus did?

"Threw verses" at the scribes and Pharisees, who knew those verses inside and out?

No offense intended. They come prepared.

If you think it's a sin and you do it anyway, that in itself is sin. But I would advise you to try to resolve your uncertainty, perhaps in the first instance by seeking the input of others.

You are right of course
Thanks

 

[returntosender]

After all of this i still don't get why you wouldn't accept the 3. What is it that offends you so? Do any of you non believers have a Christian spouse?

I was raised C of E in the UK. We had prayers and hymns from the age of 5+ every day. We had a Vicar come in every week to teach us about the Bible (and cricket- he loved cricket). We went to the village church a few times a year at Easter and Xmas. That was about 40 years ago in the UK.

Did any one of those make you leave?

 

[Larniavc]

After all of this i still don't get why you wouldn't accept the 3. What is it that offends you so? Do any of you non believers have a Christian spouse?

Did any one of those make you leave?

It was more that unless I was directed to learn about the Bible I didn't have any interest in learning any more about Christianity. In a way similar to how at one of the schools I went to we had to earn how to play the recorder. I had no interest in it and would only pretend to play and read the music.

When I changed schools it did not enter my head to 'leave' recorder playing; I just did not carry on doing it. No fanfare or soul searching. Same with learning about the Bible: when it stopped being taught to us I never really though about it again.

TL;DR I didn't leave because I was only there because I had to be there.

 

[Larniavc]

After all of this i still don't get why you wouldn't accept the 3. What is it that offends you so? Do any of you non believers have a Christian spouse?

I'm not sure how to answer that. What doe you mean 'wouldn't accept the 3?' I'm not offended. My wife is also and atheist although her parents were and are heavily involved in the church in their village.

My wife had to go to Sunday school but for years and went to a C of E primary school but when her parents gave her the choice to be confirmed she declined and stopped going to church- she never believed from the outset.

 

[AV1611VET]

It was more that unless I was directed to learn about the Bible I didn't have any interest in learning any more about Christianity.

What changed your mind about learning about Christianity now?

 

[Larniavc]

What changed your mind about learning about Christianity now?

Good question.

Way back in the halcyon days of 2005 I started my life as a therapist but there was a lot of down time between patients so I would brows the web and I came across people who believe that the flood was real.

I knew the story of the Flood in broad strokes and genuinely didn't think that there were people in the world who thought it was real. I was intrigued and perplexed so I started reading Christian apologetics. This was around the time of Kitzmiller v. Dover and I was shocked to learn that Intelligent Design was a thing that folks thought was true.

So like a true firebrand I went online writing scathing attacks on ID types' positions. Then as the discussion about ID inevitably got on to Christianity I was told 'if only you would read the Bible you would understand (Jesus' sacrifice)'.

So I pulled on my big boy trousers and (over the course of about six months) I read the Bible KJV 1611 (even the lineages).

 

[AV1611VET]

So I pulled on my big boy trousers and (over the course of about six months) I read the Bible KJV 1611 (even the lineages).

Nice testimony.

We find just the opposite intriguing.

We're intrigued by the fact that some people never head of a global flood.

 

[MehGuy]

What aspects of Christianity/Christians do those who don't claim it for themselves like, if any?

If I ask myself a similar question, there is probably aspects of many other faiths that I like. I like the devotion of some Muslims. I like the whole idea of Zen koans. I recently read the Upanishads and found them fascinating; there are numerous statements that are almost mirror images of statements in the Bible.

When it comes to atheists, it's a little different since they are not a homogeneous group. What I like about many of those who are regular on this site is their commitment to rationality and the sciences. I find that to be a helpful counter to some anit-science attitudes; it keeps things honest.

All in all, I think the mix on CF is great. It keeps things from descending into mindless agreement and back patting. It keeps things interesting. Out of all the Christian forums I've visited, this is the only one I find interesting.

I like how religion can give the sufferings in some life a sense of purpose and even mysticism. As a theist I was able to pick up these frequencies well. The unpleasnt aspects of life were much more bearable.

As an atheist I'm not able to really tap into that anymore, I guess it's given me a more realistic view of suffer, but I do miss it at times.

One thing that separated me from most of my Christian peers was that I wasn't into the submissive aspect of the faith. I never really understood the purpose of worship for example or why a God would even want that. It did hinder me from having a lot of spiritual experiences my peers did. There was only one time I actually made a real effort to submit to God during worship hour at a Youth Group. It gave me spiritual feelings, but I didn't really life them... and unlike the contemplations of suffering... even after the worship the after taste lasted for a while... I'm pretty sure it's big reason I was never really able to hear from God and engage in other spiritual activities in Church.