America's New Religiosity: God Bless America, But Don't You Dare Tell Us To Repent!

Alpha & Omega Ministries ^ | n/d | Dr. James White

[BibChr]

I'm a sinner; all of my family are sinners. But I can assurdly say our sin deserves in no way this attack by madmen. You are wrong. This nation, as a whole is good.

I am wrong? What did I say that was wrong? Are you thinking I wrote the essay above?

"This nation, as a whole is good"? By what definition? Are you telling me that abortion isn't legal, that it hasn't been legal for the last TWENTY-EIGHT years, that it doesn't claim FOUR THOUSAND American lives EVERY DAY? Are you telling me that homosexuality ISN'T given a protected status in America? Are you telling me that materialism, covetousness, ungodliness, lying, and immorality AREN'T ruling influences in American art and culture? Are you telling me that those who take Jesus seriously AREN'T disenfranchised and ridiculed in American art and culture?

What are you telling me? Anything other than an emotional response?

However, as to this --

Sure there is evil here, but we need to fight the good fight to overcome evil, not "take our punishment."

--what did I ever say that would make you think I'd disagree with that statement?

Dan

[ladyinred]

We what??????!!!!!!!

[ladyinred]

Well, thanks, now I understand where you are coming from.

[atlaw]

Judging by the posts over the last eleven days, including this one, we now have the following collection of miscreants to blame for the events of September 11: Atheists, Methodists, Jehovah's Witnesses, the ACLU, Bill Clinton, Mormons, Unitarians, Muslims (of course), Democrats, the New York Times, the New World Order, Secular Humanists, Jane Fonda, Tom Hayden, Freudians, Darwinists, Abortionists, Leftists, Marxists, everybody from Berkley, the IRS, ABC News, Greenpeace, Christian Scientists, Hillary Clinton, the hapless folk who live in what one keenly observent poster called the "Socialist Republic of New York," Al Gore, Hollywood, Welfare Mothers, the Rev. Al Sharpton (what blame game would be complete without him), Roman Catholics, Homosexuals, the Eastern Orthodox Church, Jews, Scientologists, everybody from San Francisco, Ted Kennedy, Jimmy Carter, Liberals in general, Socialists, Communists, Environmentalists, Tree Huggers, Rosicrucians, Buddhists, Hindus, Episcopalians, Jesse Jackson, Quakers, Confucians, Taoists, Shintos, just about everybody from Massachusets, Gary Condit, Multiculturalists, Moral Relativists, Bill Maher, the Media Establisment, Congregationilists, and just for the heck of it I'll throw in the Amish. Did I leave anybody out? Oh yeah. Those lunatics on the planes. Remember them?

[ladyinred]

Amen, there is nothing new under the sun.

I find that very comforting somehow.

[MoJo2001]

Actually, I find hypocrisy in watching the same members of Congress that absolutely want God removed from every institution in America up there last week singing "God Bless America". Is it hypocrisy or is it God shining through to some of these folks?? I would like to believe it's the latter, but call me skeptical.

[atlaw]

Oh yeah. I forgot all about the Congress. Throw them in there too.

[atlaw]

Amen.

[woollyone]

BibChr, Good post!

baa

[AmericanCheeseFood]

Yeah I have a personal hotline to Jesus as does others . It's called prayer .

The Church is all believers who have recieved Christ Jesus and have a personal relationship with God through Christ Jesus . A church would be a place of gathering where people are fed, edified and saved etc .

Religion however is crap .

Cheese .

[AmericanCheeseFood]

Click on the link I left intitled Allah of Islam VS. Trinity of Christianity . This is in answer to your reply to someone who explained the Trinity in simple, paraphrased though true, Biblical facts .

[AmericanCheeseFood]

You're skeptical and rightfully so .

Cheese .

[BMCDA]

You seem to be going around in circles.
It wasn't my intention to do that. I just wanted to point out that the reasons for your beliefs are similar to the reasons of those who believe other things but as far as I can see you acknowledged that.
I accept your beliefs and the reasons you hold them. As I can see you are so convinced of the teachings/holy book of your religion that you think they can win a direct comparison with the teachings, holy books, etc. of other religions.
Of course it's your good right to think so but I can tell you that this is not going to work and not just because this has been done over and over again with no satisfactorily result but because religious teachings/holy books are always subject to interpretation. Therefore if you're skilled enough you can make them mean whatever you want them to mean.
In science that's of course an other issue and it's done all the time because that's the way science works but concerning religions that's always a futile venture.

They certainly are and to be honest I think you have just demonstrated that yourself by going straight past my reason and saying the same thing again....ie:"what makes you so sure?"
I'm sorry I did this. You already gave me your reasons why you believe and as I said above I accept them. There's only one problem: most people told me they believe what they believe because it's true and it teaches the Truth (whatever that may be). You on the other hand use your religion and beliefs as theories and models are used in science. A scientist never claims a theory or a model to be true but that they describe reality the best (and if they don't they are discarded). Thus, if I see that right, you hold your beliefs not because they're true but because you think they're the best that exist. If that helps you I've no problem with that I just found it to be very unusual.

Do you believe you are immune to this?
No, I don't believe I am immune to this, I'm a human after all but I'm aware that it can happen. Therefore I try to question everything I think I'm really convinced of. And I don't see that doubts are strong held convictions. So I just want to make clear, before any misconceptions arise, that I am "not convinced that any god(s) exist" and not "convinced that god(s) don't exist" (and no, it's not the same). I hope you realize that "not being convinced" cannot be a strong held conviction.

And just to make it clear I never intended to offend anyone or take away his beliefs but I only tried to show where I see problems and flaws in this concept.

Regards

[BMCDA]

Well, being a politician and hypocrisy go hand in hand. IMO there is always a point in a politician's career where he has to be a hypocrite in order to be reelected. That's the system.

[Conservative til I die]

Yes, prayer is a personal hotline to Jesus. However, there is a little something more to it than "Jesus n' me." Jesus Himself would disagree with your opinion that "religion is crap." Jesus Himself was an observant and devout Jew. He also left a Church behind, with leaders, the most important of them being St. Peter. Now, its my personal belief that His Church is the Catholic Church, with the Pope as the leader. Some Protestants will say no such thing happened, some will say that the Catholic Church was the Church until it allegedly became corrupted, but the vast majority of the Protestant Churches do have an organized, religious structure, with rituals, hierarchy, and customs.

In the non-Gospel sections of the New Testament, hierarchal positions are mentioned, such as bishop.

I assume, that if you think religion is crap, that you ignore almost all the rituals involved. So does this mean that you do not engage in the act of Communion or any other sacraments??? Communion is the most sacred and important rite in Christianity.

I'm not sure of your beef with religion. All religion is is an organized system of beliefs focusing on certain unchangeable truths. You can't just make up your Christian beliefs as you go, which is one of the dangers of doing it on your own.

[BibChr]

Did I leave anybody out?

Yeah.

Smart asses.

Dan

[BibChr]

Actually, I find hypocrisy in watching the same members of Congress that absolutely want God removed from every institution in America up there last week singing "God Bless America".

Oh, MoJo, you know it's just because those rules don't apply to them! They're for the peons!

Dan

[atlaw]

Touche.

[AmericanCheeseFood]

Again religion is crap .

A man could do communion, go to a church every day of service, be Baptised, pray etc . and still not enter the kingdom of Heaven .

Cheese .