Jesus

[watsup1000]

Again, I can't find his posts among all the mishmash of hundreds, but Insane recently talked about "when Jesus comes back".
Here's a hint: he ain't comin' back. Every generation of Christians for 2000 years thought that they were living in "end times". Not gonna happen. It's a myth. If you are a devout Christian, so unlike your great leader Trump, then enjoy that culture of kindness and devote more time to social justice rather than to ranting about abortion and gays. I am paraphrasing Pope Francis here.

In the meantime, Humanism has the answers.

[Oerets]

I say live a good life with compassion and kindness towards all others.

Then it will not matter one way or the other if or when........

[donquixote99]

No point in discussing. All the basic religious questions give rise, from the believers, to closed-minded special pleading. Like, they have to know all the answers going in, or their very souls are in peril.

[BigElCat]

Jesus is one aspect of the Holy Trinity. He is the son of our Father, our Creator.

Christ was temporarily the physical incarnation of God. And he will be manifest again, but not on the planet earth.

The Holy Spirit is also God. The Holy Spirit can and does enter peoples' spiritual hearts at times, even to this day.

"Closed minded special pleading" is the same as 'prayers of petition'. Jesus said 'don't bother doing it'.

God already knows what you're going to ask for, even before you ask.

[BigElCat]

God's not going to ask questions. Your soul won't be saved by passing a 'question and answer' type test.

If anyone has any questions about any religion, I'd be willing to try and answer.

[Pio1980]

Matthew 7:16, "By their fruits----".
If it wasn't for living examples like Jimmy Carter, the elevation of a vicious troll to the presidency would move me that the whole thing is self-serving bullshit.
https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/ar...-lost/613999/y

[BigElCat]

Originally Posted by Pio1980

Matthew 7:16, "By their fruits----".
If it wasn't for living examples like Jimmy Carter, the elevation of a vicious troll to the presidency would move me that the whole thing is self-serving bullshit.
https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/ar...-lost/613999/y

By their fruits, they will be known.

But not saved.

For all I known, Ghandi could go to Hell, and John Wayne Gacy could go to Heaven.

It ain't up to me to judge anyone in any definitive way. There are certain people I'd like to avoid during my life, however. I make 'judgement call' decisions. .

[Pio1980]

Originally Posted by BigElCat

By their fruits, they will be known.

But not saved.

For all I known, Ghandi could go to Hell, and John Wayne Gacy could go to Heaven.

It ain't up to me to judge anyone in any definitive way. There are certain people I'd like to avoid during my life, however. I make 'judgement call' decisions. .

The doctrine of salvation looks like a con to me, of little practical value if it conveys a blanket forgiveness without practical redemption for the harm caused. A con in the sense that a sale based on a cosmic need that cannot be proven other than by taking someone's word without practical verification.
Ethical altruism as the Christian example has a meaningful demonstrable practical purpose in the here and now. Cosmic promises of pie in the sky by and by, not so much. Too many Christians in prison for violent crimes for the dogma to be proven an effective deterrent to abhorrent behavior.

[Not Insane]

Originally Posted by Pio1980

The doctrine of salvation looks like a con to me, of little practical value if it conveys a blanket forgiveness without practical redemption for the harm caused.

Yep. That's what makes Christianity unique. It's Grace, and no man made religion has that aspect. It's always based on works. But Christianity is not.

I use this example: Two boys are told by their individual fathers to clean up their room. One boy's father is a typical "man made" God. e.g. Allah. The other's is Jesus.

The first boy cleans up his room out of fear because he knows that if he doesn't, he's gonna be written out of the will. The second may choose to clean up his room or he may choose not to. But he knows he is in the will regardless. If he chooses to clean up his room he does it out of love and respect for his father, who he knows has his best interests at heart. If he doesn't, he knows he's being disobedient and it will chip away at his joy in his life if he does it too much, but he will still be in the will.

It's why the bible calls us heirs.

[BigElCat]

Originally Posted by Pio1980

The doctrine of salvation looks like a con to me, of little practical value if it conveys a blanket forgiveness without practical redemption for the harm caused. A con in the sense that a sale based on a cosmic need that cannot be proven other than by taking someone's word without practical verification.
Ethical altruism as the Christian example has a meaningful demonstrable practical purpose in the here and now. Cosmic promises of pie in the sky by and by, not so much. Too many Christians in prison for violent crimes for the dogma to be proven an effective deterrent to abhorrent behavior.

It does look like a con.

Be submissive to everything. Slavery is a fact of life, be a good slave.

But the people that wrote the con did not gain anything from it. Actually, they were tortured and killed. They wrote it so some future phony preachers could be rich ? I don't think so.