The God thread

NicoleJLeBoeuf · Mar 30, 2006

Puddle Jumper said:
What am I afraid of? I'm afraid of people I love never coming to the Lord. That's what I'm afraid of.

That's a sad fear to have. It puts you in a very powerless position. See, you don't have any control over "coming to the Lord" in any case but your own. Such overweening concern over other people's spiritual choices puts your peace of mind into other people's hands, and that's never a good place for it to be.

(Incidentally, this fear you describe is the same one that has prompted many self-described Christians into all sorts of ugly end-justifies-means behavior concerning how they try to make others "come to the Lord.")

It seems to me that there are Bible verses in which people who had too much concern over how others lived/prayed/worked were admonished by Jesus to focus instead on their own relationships with God. But I do not have a Bible in front of me at the moment, and I rarely have much luck with online Bible searches.

Deleted member 42 · Mar 30, 2006

NicoleJLeBoeuf said:
It seems to me that there are Bible verses in which people who had too much concern over how others lived/prayed/worked were admonished by Jesus to focus instead on their own relationships with God. But I do not have a Bible in front of me at the moment, and I rarely have much luck with online Bible searches.

That's Matthew 7:5 I expect.

Dawno · Mar 30, 2006

Regarding negative rep points, it's considered bad form here at AW to neg. rep. someone just because they disagree with you, even if they do so rather vigorously.

This is just a comment, not a big bad mod warning to anyone.

Puddle Jumper · Mar 30, 2006

Dawno said:
Regarding negative rep points, it's considered bad form here at AW to neg. rep. someone just because they disagree with you, even if they do so rather vigorously.

This is just a comment, not a big bad mod warning to anyone.

Well golly, when I complained about it I was told that if I was going to post in this forum to expect it. So have the rules changed or is it they don't apply the same to everyone?

aruna · Mar 30, 2006

KTC said:
Yes. It's the eyes...isn't it! I once played Morticia Adamms on TV. And I even played the Burning Man, once. Man...that was hot! But, I guess, when I think about it...being God was my biggest gig yet. Just too much responsibility man!

(off topic) It's great to have you back, KTC, I missed you!

NicoleJLeBoeuf · Mar 30, 2006

Medievalist said:
That's Matthew 7:5 I expect.

You keep coming to my rescue. I love that!

reph · Mar 30, 2006

Dawno said:
Regarding negative rep points, it's considered bad form here at AW to neg. rep. someone just because they disagree with you....

Mods have been known to delete negative points when they deem them undeserved. Is this still the practice?

Dawno · Mar 30, 2006

Puddle Jumper said:
Well golly, when I complained about it I was told that if I was going to post in this forum to expect it. So have the rules changed or is it they don't apply the same to everyone?

I didn't say anything about rules. I just said it was considered bad form. And yes, if you get folk riled up you can expect to get negative reps. However, I seem to recall reading something about turning the other cheek once...

Like I said above, it wasn't a mod warning it was just a comment. Please don't read anything more into it.

Pat~ · Mar 30, 2006

NicoleJLeBoeuf said:
That's a sad fear to have. It puts you in a very powerless position. See, you don't have any control over "coming to the Lord" in any case but your own. Such overweening concern over other people's spiritual choices puts your peace of mind into other people's hands, and that's never a good place for it to be.

(Incidentally, this fear you describe is the same one that has prompted many self-described Christians into all sorts of ugly end-justifies-means behavior concerning how they try to make others "come to the Lord.")

It seems to me that there are Bible verses in which people who had too much concern over how others lived/prayed/worked were admonished by Jesus to focus instead on their own relationships with God. But I do not have a Bible in front of me at the moment, and I rarely have much luck with online Bible searches.

John 6:44 is a verse that can put to rest those fears...God is the One responsible for people coming to Him.

"No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him, and I will raise him up at the last day." (Jesus)

Dawno · Mar 31, 2006

reph said:
Mods have been known to delete negative points when they deem them undeserved. Is this still the practice?

I'm not sure. I can ask.

I would also like to say for the record that I've gone back thru the thread and cannot find anywhere that Puddle Jumper has said anything about non-believers "burning in hell" nor has he even focused on the negative aspects of non-belief. He has discussed his understanding of sin and that mankind is sinful. That is also not the same thing as saying "you're going to burn in hell" Also, I note that he has emphasized the compassion of Christ and salvation not the judgement of God and damnation. Not that he denies it either, but I don't see that it's been his focus here.

So, yes, he may believe that is the non-believer's ultimate fate, but he has not said that in response to any posts. Maybe it's time to lighten up on PJ.

For some of you it might be a good time to take a time out from the thread, post some haiku or something.

MacAllister · Mar 31, 2006

Well golly, when I complained about it I was told that if I was going to post in this forum to expect it. So have the rules changed or is it they don't apply the same to everyone?

Would you like to hash that out, yet again, Puddle Jumper? In fact, you had rather detailed correspondence with more than one supermod about this, the last time it came up.

We can certainly discuss it some more.

Or perhaps you'd rather return to calling me names in my own rep comments?

I'd very much prefer you did that, in fact, rather than sniping from under cover at the members who are trying hard to engage respectfully with you-- as difficult as you make it to do so.

Not to put too fine a point on it, at some point what is merely annoying becomes a bit of an abuse of the system. You know perfectly well that you're walking a fine line with that, I believe.

Jean Marie · Mar 31, 2006

To Dawno: the comments about burning in hell are in other threads. If you'd like me to look them up, I will. Stuff to do this am, when I get back

To Mac: negative rep points--one of mine should definitely be deleted. reason being, another member was brought into it to bolster PJ's argument--yeah, what's up w/ that? common practice. I don't feel like pm'ing this, that's why, in answer to your question, Mac

The other negative rep, I leave to you to decide. I didn't scroll down to find others. I will.

ETA: I posted this out in the open so that other members would know what was going on. It is/was not my intention to bait anyone. If, however, the supermods feel what I've posted is out of line, it is their perrogative to ask me to delete it. And I will. In my absence, they have my permission to do so.

rekirts · Mar 31, 2006

Is it just me, or is it getting really hot in here?

Jean Marie · Mar 31, 2006

No, no, we're not gonna go to hell

Nope, not us! 'Cause we here at AW are gooooooood, we are, yup.

robeiae · Mar 31, 2006

rekirts said:
Is it just me, or is it getting really hot in here?

That's why I changed my outfit.

Puddle Jumper · Mar 31, 2006

Jean Marie said:
To Dawno: the comments about burning in hell are in other threads. If you'd like me to look them up, I will. Stuff to do this am, when I get back

Yes, please do, because until you can do that you're giving baseless accusations against me.

Jean Marie said:
To Mac: negative rep points--one of mine should definitely be deleted. reason being, another member was brought into it to bolster PJ's argument--yeah, what's up w/ that? common practice. I don't feel like pm'ing this, that's why, in answer to your question, Mac

The other negative rep, I leave to you to decide. I didn't scroll down to find others. I will.

If your rep points get deleted and the one made against me initially that I made that request doesn't, that would be extremely biased. For the record, I've never given any negative rep points as bad as the one I had asked to be removed and I was ridiculed for asking it be removed. Furthermore, I wouldn't give negative rep points for simply disagreeing with me. I gave them to people taking cheap shots against me that I wasn't going to debate. Finally, I have no clue what you're talking about in concerns to another member being brought into bolster my argument. I most certainly have never asked anyone to give people negative rep points.

Jean Marie said:
ETA

Jean Marie said:
: I posted this out in the open so that other members would know what was going on. It is/was not my intention to bait anyone. If, however, the supermods feel what I've posted is out of line, it is their perrogative to ask me to delete it. And I will. In my absence, they have my permission to do so.

I was lectured heavily when I brought it into a thread about someone posting negative rep points, specifically what they accused me of, in a thread.

Pat~ · Apr 1, 2006

Isn't it interesting how a thread about God eventually deteriorates into a thread about man. I'm sure the philosphers would have something really pithy to say about this...

blacbird · Apr 1, 2006

pb10220 said:
Isn't it interesting how a thread about God eventually deteriorates into a thread about man.

There's a natural reason for this.

caw.

rekirts · Apr 1, 2006

Devolution?

Pat~ · Apr 1, 2006

blacbird said:
There's a natural reason for this.

caw.

I think so.

Jean Marie · Apr 1, 2006

I just brought some stuff out into the open that was bugging me. That's all. I'm an above board individual, you want to ask me something, ask. I'll answer. I don't care for secrets, way too much of it during my growing up years.

Don't like subversiveness, either. If we can't agree w/ one another's beliefs, fine. Talk about it in the open. Debate it. Discuss it. Like human beings. W/ tolerance and respect, only. Only. Yes, it bears repeating. Numerous times, apparently.

Exchange of ideas, ideologies is how I learn and grow. First and foremost, this is a writer's forum. Rule #1 is: RESPECT YOUR FELLOW WRITERS (Jenna's Rule)

The day I cease to learn, is the day I die.

reph · Apr 1, 2006

pb10220 said:
Isn't it interesting how a thread about God eventually deteriorates into a thread about man.

I'm not surprised. When beliefs on any subject conflict, a thread can easily deteriorate into a water-balloon fight or worse.

Jean Marie · Apr 1, 2006

reph said:
I'm not surprised. When beliefs on any subject conflict, a thread can easily deteriorate into a water-balloon fight or worse.

Now there's a great idea for an emoticon

Puddle Jumper · Apr 1, 2006

Pat, I just noticed your title. Who is George Herbert?

ColoradoGuy · Apr 1, 2006

Let me lob another notion into the air, just to stir the pot a bit. I think that yearning for meaning, for explanations, is a basic human attribute. Some find this need met by atheistic rationalism, but most persons want something else: hence humankind’s many religions. To what extent do you think that religious yearnings derive from a fear of death, of being extinguished into nothingness? I think that this is basic to the instinct. Christians have their victory over death one way, ancient Egyptians had another. I am particularly interested in comments from anyone who knows more than I do about other traditions: for example Judaism (which I understand strictly speaking has no notion of an afterlife), and religious traditions that see one’s immortality as expressed in living on in his or her offspring.

Take this anywhere you like, but for myself, I am not especially interested in what the Bible says about it.

The God thread

a work in progress

Deleted member 42

Shiny!

Puddle Jumper

On a wing and a prayer

a work in progress

Fig of authority

Shiny!

Luftmensch Emeritus, A.D.D.

Shiny!

'Twas but a dream of thee

calm waters ahead

NOooooo!!!

calm waters ahead

Touch and go

Puddle Jumper

Luftmensch Emeritus, A.D.D.

NOooooo!!!

Luftmensch Emeritus, A.D.D.

calm waters ahead

Fig of authority

calm waters ahead

Puddle Jumper

I've seen worse.