Superiority Complex.

[razeontherock]

Raze, am I to believe that you do not believe that one has "to believe" in order to be saved?

I'm not sure how that follows from what I posted, but the answer to what I believe (or don't) is as simple as finding what the Bible says on the subject, at least re: Spiritual things.

Pretty sure we're saved BY Grace, through Faith. So all the Grace in the world won't affect us in the slightest until we can access it by Faith.

Methinks this verbiage is foreign to your usage of the word "believe?"

Another point, which I won't bother to find and quote:

you mentioned I'm a self-professed something or other, you're just not sure what.

You've latched onto some good rays of Truth, which you'll be Blessed by following back to their Source whether you ever adopt a label or not. This isn't one of them, for many reasons including

1) Jhn 5:31 "If I bear witness of myself, my witness is not true."

2) Even in my short time on CF, there is no shortage of people stating they've been Blessed by His Grace working through me.

3) Your statement was in response to me speaking of the Spirit of Truth. That would be - not me. If I were professing myself to be something, you'd have no difficulty naming it. You can't do so because I profess myself to be nothing.

 

[ephraimanesti]

Stop the presses!

I agree with you.

MY BROTHER,

If the truth be known, i am willing to bet that we agree on a lot more issues than we disagree on.

Might i recommend your reading IN DEFENSE OF FAITH--The Judeo-Christian Idea and the Struggle for Humanity by David Brog. i am reading it through for the second time in a week and am overwhelmed by the parameters of the heritage we share in common. (Kind of takes the fun out of arguing!)

ABBA'S FOOL,
ephraim

 

[Riski]

Do religious people ever formulate thoughts of their own? or are they continually on the lookout to see what other people think and believe so they can think the same?

 

[ephraimanesti]

Do religious people ever formulate thoughts of their own? or are they continually on the lookout to see what other people think and believe so they can think the same?

MY BROTHER,

If what you imply were true, there would be no "religious people," and atheism would rule the world.

Religious people are continually on the lookout to see what God thinks and would have us believe--and, hopefully, think, act, and speak accordingly. So in that sense you are correct--we don't--or at least shouldn't--formulate thoughts of our own, but instead absorb the thoughts of He Who is all Truth and follow where that leads.

ABBA'S FOOL,
ephraim

 

[Greg1234]

Do religious people ever formulate thoughts of their own? or are they continually on the lookout to see what other people think and believe so they can think the same?

Which falls into the Darwinist perception, that a group of hominids who arose through chance, are religious people. The formulation of thought is as a result of the source of thought, force and life itself.

 

[b&wpac4]

If the truth be known, i am willing to bet that we agree on a lot more issues than we disagree on.

Of course. The differences, however, are what define the religion.

I would love to start a discussion about the similarities between our religions, but I fear it would quickly dissolve into the differences.

 

[sentipente]

There are only two things on which all men agree: that they exist and that there are rules that govern their existence. Beyond those there is no agreement.

 

[razeontherock]

Nah, we still have people questioning reality, and nobody agrees on the rules (LOL)

 

[ephraimanesti]

Of course. The differences, however, are what define the religion.

I would love to start a discussion about the similarities between our religions, but I fear it would quickly dissolve into the differences.

MY BROTHER,

That's YOUR fault. If you would just try agreeing with me unquestioningly on everything for a change, i can absolutely guarantee that there will be no differences.

So what's your problem?

ephraim

 

[hikersong]

MY BROTHER,

That's YOUR fault. If you would just try agreeing with me unquestioningly on everything for a change, i can absolutely guarantee that there will be no differences.

So what's your problem?

ephraim

Hey, Ephraim, you should bring that sense of humour out to play more often.

 

[Dragons87]

Hey, Ephraim, you should bring that sense of humour out to play more often.

Huh huh. What makes you think he was using a sense of humour?

 

[ephraimanesti]

Hey, Ephraim, you should bring that sense of humour out to play more often.

HUMOUR?

ephraim

 

[hikersong]

HUMOUR?

ephraim

That's the one!

 

[b&wpac4]

MY BROTHER,

That's YOUR fault. If you would just try agreeing with me unquestioningly on everything for a change, i can absolutely guarantee that there will be no differences.

So what's your problem?

Your plan is flawless, except for one small change.

You should agree with me.

 

[razeontherock]

 

[ephraimanesti]

Your plan is flawless, except for one small change.

You should agree with me.

MY BROTHER,

See what i mean--THERE YOU GO AGAIN!

Personally, i take great pride in my humility, and if you had the least little shred of humility yourself you would defer to me because MY humility is obviously of a higher quality than yours--not to mention vastly further reaching and significantly more all-encompassing.

i am not one to engage in name dropping, but your lack of humility has angered many people on this Thread--not myself, of course, given that i am an extremely tolerant and non-judgmental kind of saintly person--but i'm just saying . . . . you had better watch your back!

ABBA'S FOOL,
ephraim

 

[sentipente]

Nah, we still have people questioning reality, and nobody agrees on the rules (LOL)

I did not say they agree on the nature of reality or the rules. They only agree that there is reality and there are rules governing that reality.

 

[Josiah14]

Think you're really humble? Think you're really righteous? Well I know I'm a million times as humble as thou art!

--Weird Al: Amish Paradise (not quoted because it is an estimation from memory)

 

[hamashiachagape]

Just to throw it out there. For anybody who wants to tell me that the view was a "recent invention" please read chapter 54 and 55 of this CHURCH FATHERS: Contra Celsus, Book I (Origen)

It's a Christian document that was written around 250 that specifically states that Jews of that time believed it was about corporate Israel.

Well actually, if Celsus existed at all, he was anti-Jewish and anti-Christian. I'm extremely surprised that Rashi was interested at all in utilizing such a hellenistic resource.

Read this for yourself. According to Origen "Celsus next proceeds to say, that the system of doctrine, viz., Judaism, upon which Christianity depends, was barbarous in its origin." Why rely on such an anti-semitic resource? Another reason we can tell this is made up is that this is never spoken again by the rabbis for another 800 years.

 

[SithDoughnut]

Think you're really humble? Think you're really righteous? Well I know I'm a million times as humble as thou art!

--Weird Al: Amish Paradise (not quoted because it is an estimation from memory)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H6YyWi4eQCI&feature=av2n