Religion & Spirituality - 23 March 2007

2007-03-23 07:48:05 · 21 answers · asked by Anonymous

2007-03-23 07:47:22 · 3 answers · asked by pwr49 1

my attention that Easter is based on a pagan holiday The first born and cherished son of a goddess was killed by a wild bore while playing with his pet rabbit...those who worshipped her were to kill their 1st born and dip an egg in their blood and place on mantel and eat ham to remember her loss on that day...now christians have the easter bunny, "dyed" easter eggs , and the traditional feast w/ham...I am aware of the true easter story of Christ's ressurection but why is it celebrated so widely by christians in a pagan fashion?

2007-03-23 07:46:38 · 5 answers · asked by backwoodscountrywoman 2

Why did God create an imperfect angel like Satan who had the potential to cause so much pain and suffering?

2007-03-23 07:46:11 · 35 answers · asked by Billybww 4

2007-03-23 07:43:11 · 15 answers · asked by Murazor 6

to pray more when you are in need or when you are fulfilled ? why ?

2007-03-23 07:39:50 · 20 answers · asked by babytalk 4

2007-03-23 07:37:44 · 30 answers · asked by ? 2

2007-03-23 07:36:58 · 18 answers · asked by : 6

hmmm?

2007-03-23 07:35:02 · 18 answers · asked by Samurai Jack 6

Thanks a lot
this questian can apply to any path are religion.

2007-03-23 07:35:00 · 7 answers · asked by Anonymous

2007-03-23 07:34:42 · 15 answers · asked by Murazor 6

And isn't a couple an object of two couples who equally lust themselves, agreeing to be together?

2007-03-23 07:33:38 · 23 answers · asked by Christ Love 1

about how long it took God to create all life thru his spirit.?
it means nothing to me at all if God made all things in a minute are a billion years
what matters is my relatianship with the holy ghost spirit of God.
Right here right now,
the past is dead and buryed and the future hasnt been born yet

2007-03-23 07:32:44 · 13 answers · asked by Anonymous

This question or rather a query for my Mormon friends. A group group you are, clean and pure from the get go. My god, you won't even touch Diet cola!

Anyway, I'm wondering if there are any areas of the United States that you know of that consider polygamy legal, or will at least "turn the other way" when you have multiple spouses?

Hypothetically, if I was a man married to a European women of slightly above average beauty, and had two children (one a genius, the other a real blah) and I met a Korean women who was threatening to expose my relationship with her to my peers unless we "committed" to each other, is there any state I could "marry" her in?

Also, if I do end up having a "marriage" ceremony, are there any notification laws that I would have to inform my real wife?

2007-03-23 07:31:57 · 16 answers · asked by Kermit renversant de corporation 3

2007-03-23 07:31:51 · 11 answers · asked by Anonymous

Explicit teaching and Implicit teaching.

Please include references.

2007-03-23 07:31:15 · 15 answers · asked by Anonymous

One of the most effective deceptions that Satan has foisted upon Christians is the idea that certain groups are more spiritually mature than less-enlightened believers. The endless game of, “I am more approved in the Lord's eyes than you,” divides the Body of Christ and gives non-believers a negative opinion of the Christian faith. Few people would ever openly say, “I'm a better Christian than you.” It is through their beliefs and deeds that they proclaim their superiority. Listed below are six common ways people use to promote spiritual elitism.




1. Members of the One True Church

The trademark of this belief is that a particular group has a stranglehold on the truth and that there is no salvation outside of its organization. The groups hold that leaders are specially anointed by God, are in many cases infallible in interpretation of holy writings and, more importantly, are above reproach. These groups believe in what they feel are superior interpretations of scripture and they are more concerned about the doctrines and traditions of man than the Word of God.

Special revelations from God are a trademark of the One True Church. In most cases, the luster of the revelation can be found to have been tarnished by failed prediction. Bible requires 100 percent accuracy rate for all predictions that are claimed to have originated from God.

One-true-churchism leads to people questioning their salvation and spending more time worrying about their actions than on studying the Word of God and enriching their personal walk with Him.

Mark 7:9: “And he said unto them, Full well ye reject the commandment of God, that ye may keep your own tradition.”




2. The Keepers of the Law

This group of people believes in keeping Torah observance. While I see no problem with people choosing to keep the levitical kosher (dietary) laws or the Sabbath, there is a fine line between personal choice and self-righteousness.

These groups maintain that Jesus never intended for the law to go away. They base this belief on Matthew 5:17 and John 14:15, which say, "Think not that I have come to destroy the law," and "If you love me, you will keep my commandments," respectively.

What they are missing, however, is that Jesus clarified what He was referring to and it had nothing to do with the 613 laws of Torah. When Jesus was cornered by the Pharisees and asked which of the commandments were the greatest, He replied:

Matthew 22:37-40: “Jesus said to him, 'You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.' This is the first and great commandment and the second is like it: 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself.' On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets." What was He referencing?

Isaiah 29:13: “Therefore the Lord said, ‘Inasmuch as these people draw near with their mouths And honor Me with their lips, But have removed their hearts far from Me, And their fear toward Me is taught by the commandment of men.’”

Jeremiah 31:33: “But this [shall be] the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel; After those days, saith the LORD, I will put my law in their inward parts, and write it in their hearts; and will be their God, and they shall be my people.”

It is impossible for the Judaic law to save anyone. The standard is too high for anyone to follow the law to perfection. The law said, “Don't do it.” Jesus said, “You’re guilty if you even think about doing something that is wrong.” Paul warned us in Galatians that we can fall from grace by trying to follow after the law.

Galatians 2:21: “I do not frustrate the grace of God: for if righteousness [come] by the law, then Christ is dead in vain.”

Galatians 5:4: “You have become estranged from Christ, you who attempt to be justified by law; you have fallen from grace.”




3. Legalists

Scripture tells us that we are to exhort fellow believers (1 Thess. 4:1). So where is the line between assisting a believer in his walk with the Lord and condemning a believer for his every thought and action?

Common sense dictates that a believer should not dress wantonly and get drunk, but common sense is not enough for the legalist crowd. That crowd feels a duty to protect people from themselves, so it creates measuring sticks in order to maintain its role as its brother's keeper.

Based on 1Thessalonians 5:22, which says to abstain from all appearance of evil, popular legalisms promoted are: no drinking, smoking, dancing, going to movies, or attending sporting events (because beer is sold). Women can't cut their hair or wear makeup, jewelry or slacks. Women's skirts or culottes must be at least below the knee in length. Men must wear trousers at all times, regardless of the weather. No eating out on Sundays. Everything must be approved by a minister. The list is endless.

While I am not advocating a free-wheeling lifestyle, I am saying that we are to walk in the Lord's light. Our deeds are like filthy rags to Him; it is what is in our hearts that matters. Legalism pits believers against one another in an unending cycle of condemnation. Additionally, it can turn people away from understanding the grace of Christ when they are made to feel that they have bigger shoes to fill than they can wear.

Matthew 23:24: “[Ye] Blind guides, who strain on a gnat and swallow a camel!”




4. KJVOnlyism

Some Christians proclaim that the 1611 King James Version (KJV) is the one and only true English version of the word of God and that all other versions were corrupted by Satan.

While Rapture Ready uses the KJV for Scripture references, it is only because this version is the mostly widely quoted. Nothing is dramatically wrong with other versions of Christian Bibles such as the New King James Version, New American Standard Version, and the Revised Standard Version. However, some versions, such as the Clear Word Bible of the Seventh Day Adventists or the New World Translation of the Jehovah's Witnesses, were specifically rewritten to accommodate private interpretations, but even these versions contains the heart of Biblical truth.

No Bible version says that Satan died for our sins. The King James Only crowd implies that positive magical qualities are attached to the KJV version, and that negative energies indwell all non-KJV Bibles. I have never found a need to go digging into the meaning of the original Hebrew and Greek. Whenever I encounter a passage that seems unclear to me, most of the time, I'm able to find some other verse that resolves the confusion.

The King James Version was written in Elizabethan English (a la Shakespeare), and can be rather difficult for people to read, especially for those new to the faith. What is more important: encouraging people to read their Bibles to learn about Jesus, or overwhelming them with language that makes understanding the text more difficult, causing them to turn to commentaries of man rather than the Word of God?

Hebrews 5:12: “For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you again the first principles of the oracles of God; and you have come to need milk and not solid food.”




5. Word of Faith Proponents

This group promotes the doctrine of “name-it-claim-it,” which says that the Lord has a storehouse full of blessings in heaven just waiting for the faithful to claim while they’re here on earth. It teaches that those in the Lord's favor are blessed with health and wealth and that those who are struggling in life are not blessed because of their inferior relationship with the Lord and their inferior faith and trust in Him.

The biggest question here is the one of universal application. Is this teaching practical and accessible to all? Is a teaching of the Lord if it only applies to affluent suburbia but not the underdeveloped nations of the world? What application does the teaching have for believers imprisoned for their faith by atheistic, Islamic and other repressive governments?

Word of Faith promotes elitism between the “haves” and the “have nots” by claiming that those who “have not” are inferior Christians of inferior faith and the Lord is treating them as such.

Matthew 6:19-20: "Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal; but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal.”

Mark 10:31: “But many who are first will be last, and the last first."




6. The Intellectuals

One of the most basic human desires is the praise of mankind. Many Christians like to impress other believers with their intellectual capabilities. Some go as far as proclaiming themselves spiritually superior to anyone who doesn’t share the same level of academic achievement.

The intellectual crowd is very harmful to the spreading of the Gospel. They motivate fellow Christians to try to master a lofty vocabulary that is often above the heads of average people. They hold the general philosophy that it is better to appear to be intelligent than it is to be understood by your audience.

The Bible repeatedly warns against trusting in the flesh for wisdom. Because Satan is a spirit being, with nearly unlimited intellectual skills, no man is able to match wits with him. Anyone who strays from the Word of God to rely on his own understanding is making a terrible mistake.

1 Corinthians 3:18-19: “Let no man deceive himself. If any man among you seemeth to be wise in this world, let him become a fool, that he may be wise. For the wisdom of this world is foolishness with God. For it is written, He taketh the wise in their own craftiness.”

Romans 1:21-22: “Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened. Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools.”




Bottom Line

Individuals who hold to an “I'm a better Christian than you” mindset can always find Scripture that will support their stance. What they need to do is examine their rationale for holding to this view. If their offering of correction is not sparked from love, then one can only conclude vanity is their only motivation.

Philippians 2:2-3: “Fulfill my joy by being like-minded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind. Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself.”


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2007-03-23 07:30:46 · 26 answers · asked by Erin 3

2007-03-23 07:30:16 · 12 answers · asked by socmum16 ♪ 5

I learned from hearsay that it was 40 days and 40 nights.

I have heard recently that that is a mis-translation and that it was written that it lasted much longer.

Does anyone know more about this?

2007-03-23 07:29:55 · 5 answers · asked by Anonymous

I have read the Bible cover to cover, gone to church for a year, prayed every night, but still I cant get myself to believe in God. Why is this?

2007-03-23 07:29:23 · 37 answers · asked by Anonymous

You will not like god when he is angry. So fall and beg and worship him. Can you do that? after all he has done for you like forgiving humans for murder, child molestation and destroying the earth, all he asks of you is to worship him and you can kill,rape and so forth without a worry. Do you understand?

2007-03-23 07:27:09 · 31 answers · asked by Anonymous

But are more concerned with the peaceful and well being of those now here on Earth?

2007-03-23 07:26:37 · 13 answers · asked by Anonymous

Would you assume he had been hallucinating? Or would you base an entire religion on it? Or both?

2007-03-23 07:25:29 · 45 answers · asked by ? 6

or do they just get laughed out of that section?

2007-03-23 07:24:13 · 11 answers · asked by Quantrill 7

Some time ago a responded to a question where I confused the term astrology with astromonoy, telling somone that there was nothing wrong with astrology its just observing God's creation.

2007-03-23 07:22:37 · 11 answers · asked by Anonymous

2007-03-23 07:22:36 · 7 answers · asked by wolf 1

I don't want any textbook answers to this question. This question is simple for furn. If you can't have fun with this question then please don't answer it. Okay here goes. According to Friedrich Wilhelm Nietzsche "woman was god's second mistake". If this is so then what would be God's first mistake? Remember I don't want textbook correct answers. I want everybody to have fun with it and be original. 10 points will go to the most unique answer. Please if you don't have a sense of humor don't answer this question.

2007-03-23 07:21:25 · 45 answers · asked by Anonymous

Hallelujah, If you tolerate those heathen religions you are conspiring with those very devils who spread the blood of your sweet Jesus across the bloody mound of Calvary. By tolerating these heathen religions you are conspiring with the very devils who destroyed our beautiful towers of the peaceful world trade center. Do you think you should tolerate these outrages and condemn your very soul to Hell fire? The Lord Jesus would not have tolerated all this needless destruction in the name of their Heathen Gods. When will we say enough is enough. Don't you know, not only your security but your very soul is at risk? God hisself destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah to spare us. God leaves this one in the hands of men of free will. A heavy burden that we must bare or condemn our very souls to Hell?

2007-03-23 07:18:16 · 2 answers · asked by Anonymous

I am not a creationist but I do believe in a god/creator/source. I cannot get past the point of how enormous and wondrous the universe is and that it had to come from somewhere. Do atheists believe it is just as easy to say it came from no where/always existed than it is to say if had a creator?

What is the predominate belief of atheists when is come to the universe's origin?

2007-03-23 07:13:43 · 44 answers · asked by Ralph 7

In the Lord Jesus Christ?
Psalm 30:7
O LORD, when you favored me, you made my mountain stand firm; but when you hid your face, I was dismayed.
Psalm 33:11
But the plans of the LORD stand firm forever, the purposes of his heart through all generations.
Psalm 40:2
He lifted me out of the slimy pit, out of the mud and mire; he set my feet on a rock and gave me a firm place to stand.
Matthew 24:13
but he who stands firm to the end will be saved.
Mark 13:13
All men will hate you because of me, but he who stands firm to the end will be saved.
Luke 21:19
By standing firm you will gain life.
1 Corinthians 10:12
So, if you think you are standing firm, be careful that you don't fall!
Galatians 5:1
[ Freedom in Christ ] It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery.

2007-03-23 07:12:28 · 20 answers · asked by Mandolyn Monkey Munch 6