The foundation of modern christianity

[The diplomat]

Originally posted by East Street Trader
I think what is being said, the diplomat, is that the Christian church believes there has only ever been one perfect human being - Jesus. All the rest of us are created imperfect. But happily that alone does not condemn us in the eyes of the Christian God.

So if you repent, try to do better, but your imperfection brings you low again, you do not have to despair.

You repent again and try hard all over again.

No doubt God is particularly pleased if there are some hardy souls who manage to abstain from sin forever. But he is soft hearted enough to rejoice each time a sinner repents - whether they manage the "abstain for ever" bit thereafter or not

Quite why the question as to whether a soul is in a state of grace at just exactly the moment the person dies is so important I do not know. That seems to reduce matters to the level of a lottery. One mght have expected that if the person had managed nearly a lifetime in a state of grace and then just some small slip right at the end God might have been more pleased than if they had lived immersed in sin for the vast majority of their life but had the luck to repent just for a little while immediately before death.

But someone more knowledgeable than I can no doubt explain that.

I agree. God is compassionate to give us second chances as often as we need.

My concern is that I have heard some christians go too far with this, and say that since we are imperfect and are probably going to sin again, and God is compassionate and will forgive us, that therefore we don't need to try to stop sinning. They'll say it is ok to sin, because God will always forgive us. And I don't think that is right.

Yes, God is good and will forgive us, but we still need to make a real, honest effort to stop sinning.

[Japher]

All Religion is a bunch of ideologies that serve no other purpose but to lie to the masses in order to make them feel better about whatever irks or scares them, and to help remove the feelings of regret. It began that way, and it still is today. Only now it has a formality, a history, and a language tied to them that gives each religion a sense of rightousness which is actually a cultural influence in nature rather than a devine guidance or law.

[gunkulator]

My understanding of LDS beliefs is that the Book of Mormon supercedes or takes precedent over the Bible when there is conflict. For this key reason, Mormons are not generally accepted as Christians outside of their own faith. Most Christians believe in Jesus as he is portrayed in the Bible. Since the Second Coming has not occurred, any other testament is heresy.

One of the good things the RC church inherited from the Jews was the tradition of Biblical scholarship. To be ordained a priest, one must spend many many years studying the Bible, commentaries on the Bible, commentaries on the commentaries, ancient languages, history, etc. Of course, one of the bad things about the RC church is that the church became very top-down because of this.

The Protestest Reformation, while also a good thing, put more emphasis on one's own personal interpretations of scripture. While this is not necessary bad, a book like the Bible is difficult to fully comprehend for the layman. There is much historical and political context that simply not common knowledge and therefore makes understanding difficult.

[Jon Miller]

Originally posted by Caligastia


Yes it does.

no it doesn't

mine doesn't for example

Jon Miller

[Caligastia]

Originally posted by Jon Miller


no it doesn't

mine doesn't for example

Jon Miller

Your church doesn't believe in the day of judgement?

[Capt Dizle]

Originally posted by Flip McWho
It is commonly accepted fact that Christainity is a fusion of pagan beliefs with a few original elements.

Just what common elements are you refering to?

[Capt Dizle]

Originally posted by Japher
All Religion is a bunch of ideologies that serve no other purpose but to lie to the masses in order to make them feel better about whatever irks or scares them, and to help remove the feelings of regret. It began that way, and it still is today. Only now it has a formality, a history, and a language tied to them that gives each religion a sense of rightousness which is actually a cultural influence in nature rather than a devine guidance or law.

I take it you don't believe that Moses parted the Red Sea then?

[Elok]

Originally posted by Japher
All Religion is a bunch of ideologies that serve no other purpose but to lie to the masses in order to make them feel better about whatever irks or scares them, and to help remove the feelings of regret. It began that way, and it still is today. Only now it has a formality, a history, and a language tied to them that gives each religion a sense of rightousness which is actually a cultural influence in nature rather than a devine guidance or law.

I command the foul spirits of German teen-angst antiestablishment Goth rock that possess thee: BEGONE! Begone, I say!! And don't come back until you have a less tired little blurb of postmodernism to bore us with, y'hear?

[Japher]

I take it you don't believe that Moses parted the Red Sea then?

Nope... and in the bible, god did

I command the foul spirits of German teen-angst antiestablishment Goth rock that possess thee: BEGONE! Begone, I say!! And don't come back until you have a less tired little blurb of postmodernism to bore us with, y'hear?

I'm not goth, nor a teen, I'm a deist.

[Alexander's Horse]

Originally posted by East Street Trader
I think what is being said, the diplomat, is that the Christian church believes there has only ever been one perfect human being - Jesus.

Nope, Mary was perfect as well

[Pax]

Was he perfect or without sin or as close to perfect/without sin as possible. I'm no authority but I was under the impression that jesus had moments of doubt and that he often prayed to god for guidance. He probably also passed gas, had bowel movements, did not have access to rightguard which would cause him to seem less than perfect.

[Alexander's Horse]

Heretic! Burn him!

[East Street Trader]

I know very little about catholicism but I rather think the obsession with Mary is one of the things which distinguishes it from other sects.

Nice to know that your cynicism does not extend to motherhood, horse.

[Elok]

Having doubts is not a sin. Giving them power over you is. Kinda like having your eye caught by a hot girl's rear is not a sin, but sitting there thinking what you'd like to do to that butt is. If the thought enters your head but you don't entertain it, it's just a temptation.

[Ancyrean]

Originally posted by Elok
Having doubts is not a sin. Giving them power over you is. Kinda like having your eye caught by a hot girl's rear is not a sin, but sitting there thinking what you'd like to do to that butt is. If the thought enters your head but you don't entertain it, it's just a temptation.

Whereas, in Islam, it's not a sin until you give in to your "temptation" or "entertainment" and actually do something to that butt .

Thinking of something or entertaining it (regardless of how trivial the difference between the two) does not make one a sinner, doing it makes. I find this approach more reasonable and sensible .