Religion & Spirituality - 6 September 2007

I know lots of Christians and some are my colleagues, I showed them my researches and findings about Christianity and now they know the other side of the story and realized that there were many flaws and Christianity is not really what they thought it is. I did this only to let them see the whole picture since I considered them as friends.

2007-09-06 05:09:21 · 23 answers · asked by Anonymous

Christians today mainly associate nudity with sex. But some Christians are also naturists. I'm sure David and Jonathan may have their own indulgences in skinny dipping but in a friendly way, not a sexual way. Why do so many Christians today frown upon social nudity when Christians in the 1st/2nd centuries AD were baptised naked sometimes?

2007-09-06 05:09:07 · 16 answers · asked by Anonymous

Today, many Christians have been attracted by emotional music and services of Pentecostal/Charismatic churches. Also, in these churches there are people who speak in tongues, cry emotionally or have demons cast out from them.
Does the Bible sanction this behaviour? What does the Bible have to say about all this and how can Christians today avoid falling into the error of trusting their experiences and feelings?

2007-09-06 05:06:44 · 13 answers · asked by Anonymous

A *yes* or *no* will be sufficient, but should you wish to elaborate on the meaning of this event to you, that would be appreciated.

2007-09-06 05:06:02 · 13 answers · asked by Anonymous

I was baptised a Christian weeks ago. I believe in God, the atonement for sins by the Crucifixion, that God is restoring all things, that we should be shining lights in a dark world, etc.
However, I also believe that we should seek Enlightenment and self-awareness of our God-given potential as human beings. God has given each person individual talents, abilities and gifts that need to be realised.
I believe that a person's goal in life is to seek harmony and love with God and other people.
I believe that faith and reason go well together and that we should question everything, even what our teachers or religious authorities might say.
I believe that we should not force Christianity on people of other religions, but engage them in open dialogue and share with them the reasons why we live and believe the way we do.

The question is, what kind of beliefs do u classify me as having? Is there a name to summarise it - like Christian rationalist or something?

2007-09-06 05:04:08 · 24 answers · asked by Anonymous

2007-09-06 05:03:56 · 11 answers · asked by David Shamsuee 1

I never did understand this line of thinking and beleive that if you are married, no matter who marries you, be a minister, rabbi, priest or judge or other officiates you are MARRIED!

2007-09-06 05:03:35 · 25 answers · asked by flyingdove 4

2007-09-06 04:58:27 · 46 answers · asked by Anonymous

John 5: impotent man healed, but
when later found whoring with law,
is told: "go and sin(law) no more",
lest your latter end be "worse"-end

Revelation: perhaps a "worse" case scenario,
if it has "seven (other) spirits" mentioned 4 times.

IMPure religions: arrive defiled, and get worse-end
Pure religion: arrives undefiled, remains unspotted

Saved + destroyed after by grace + law: Jude 5
Saved(only) by grace(only): Revelation 22: 21

2007-09-06 04:56:37 · 11 answers · asked by Anonymous

Tell us the REAL STORY!
Here is this first from Rueters:

Russia denies Iran deal on nuclear plant
Iran said on Thursday it had agreed a timetable with Russia for the start-up of the Islamic state's first nuclear power plant, but an official in Moscow said negotiations with Tehran were still under way.

RAF Tornados intercepted eight Russian bombers as they approached UK airspace.

The Bear Tupolev-95 planes - which can carry nuclear and Cruise missiles - were detected by Nato early this morning.

Four F3 fighters were scrambled from RAF Leeming in Yorkshire and RAF Waddington in Lincolnshire.

The Russian planes diverted before entering British territory.

They headed back to their base in north Russia without incident and are still thought to be in the air, with Nato tracking their progress.

Ezekiel 38:1-7 gives 10 names as participants in the invasion of Israel that will follow the regathering of the Jews to their homeland

2007-09-06 04:56:34 · 20 answers · asked by Anonymous

this Gospel has incredible information. this Gospel has mentioned the coming of Muhammad by the mouth of Jesus?

Gospel of Barnabas
Chapter 136
When he shall go there all the devils shall shriek, and seek to hide themselves beneath the burning embers, saying one to another: "Fly, fly, for here comes Muhammad ;our enemy!" Hearing which, Satan shall smite himself upon the face with both his hands, and screaming shall say: "You are more noble than I, in my despite, and this is unjustly done!" As for the faithful, who are in seventy-two grades, those of the two last grades, who shall have had the faith without good works, the one being sad at good works, and the other delighting in evil, they shall abide in hell seventy thousand years.

i want to know more information about this hiding Gospel please. and why they hide it?

2007-09-06 04:54:52 · 11 answers · asked by Anonymous

War is peace, freedom is slavery, and ignorance is strength.

2007-09-06 04:52:34 · 15 answers · asked by Anonymous

in french if possible.

2007-09-06 04:51:19 · 3 answers · asked by pliv 1

Did anyone hear about the plane crash that killed 5 of Jehovah's people? Oh my gosh I did, how sad!!!!! Does anyone know their names and the Congregation that they went too?.......At least we have faith of the resurrection hope!!!!


Praise Jah You People!!!

2007-09-06 04:51:08 · 16 answers · asked by Anonymous

How much of your day consists of thinking of God and / or thinking about people who believe in God?

2007-09-06 04:49:28 · 21 answers · asked by Green 7

2007-09-06 04:46:22 · 3 answers · asked by Anonymous

http://news.yahoo.com/s/livescience/20070906/sc_livescience/climatechangeredrawsworldmaps

According to the above article, cartographers are having to redraw maps of the world due to the amount of changes that are occurring at a fast rate, such as a lake in Africa shrinking by 95% since the 1960's, a a small village in Alaska that has the sea encroaching on it at a rate of ten feet per year - this town will be the first American population forced to move due to temperature changes. Incidentally, the Iditarod Race (snow dogs running hundreds of miles through Alaska) had to be moved 50 miles north of its normal starting position this year - due to lack of snow in Alaska!!

But Global Warming is a myth, right?

2007-09-06 04:46:13 · 22 answers · asked by ? 5

I'll just put it this way:

Assuming Adam and Eve were given Free Will.... it was a fair throw-up whether they were going to obey or disobey god at any given moment.
The crazy thing is.... they were obeying him from the moment he made it clear that they weren't to eat the fruit RIGHT up to the point where the fruit GOT eaten.... and then for just an instance or so they weren't obeying him any more.

They did a pretty good job doing as they were told, but assuming they had free will and were immortal.... it was INEVITABLE that they would eventually eat the fruit...

God must have known that....
He knows everything, right?
The only conclusion is that he wanted them to eat it.... to disobey him.... so he could kick them out of Eden.


Only two conclusions I can think of here:
#1. God was an unforgiving, uncaring, evil bastard.
#2. God wanted them to learn of the world, live without him... and eventually forget about him..... making Athiests his "chosen children". =P

2007-09-06 04:45:54 · 15 answers · asked by Anonymous

In the Bible, God is always portrayed in the masculine sense. But can you find passages that cite Father God showing feminine/motherly characteristics?

They are there, but do you know where they are?

2007-09-06 04:45:14 · 20 answers · asked by Anonymous

2007-09-06 04:40:16 · 29 answers · asked by socmum16 ♪ 5

One of the great differences between Protestant and Catholic doctrine is in the area of Tradition. The Protestant church maintains that the Bible alone is intended by God to be the source of doctrinal truth (2 Tim. 3:16). The Catholic Church, however, says, "Sacred Tradition and Sacred Scripture make up a single sacred deposit of the Word of God . . ." (Catechism of the Catholic Church, paragraph 97. Note, all citations in this article are from this Catechism).

The Catholic Church reasons thusly:



1. "The apostles left bishops as their successors. They gave them their own position of teaching authority.'" (Paragraph 77)

2. "This living transmission, accomplished through the Holy Spirit, is called tradition..." (Par. 78)

3. "Both Scripture and Tradition must be accepted and honored with equal sentiments of devotion and reverence" (Par. 82).



Within the Catholic scope of Tradition, many doctrines have been "revealed" to the Church over the centuries. For example, there is the veneration of Mary, her immaculate conception and her bodily assumption into heaven. There is also the Apocrypha, transubstantiation, praying to saints, the confessional, penance, purgatory, and more. Protestantism as a whole differs with Catholicism in these additions.

Tradition in the Bible
The Bible speaks about tradition. Some verses speak for tradition and others speak against it. Of course, the contexts are different and carry different meanings. For example:



For Against
2 Thess. 3:6, "Now we command you, brethren, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you keep aloof from every brother who leads an unruly life and not according to the tradition which you received from us." Matt. 15:3-6, "And He answered and said to them, 'And why do you yourselves transgress the commandment of God for the sake of your tradition? 4For God said, Honor your father and mother, and, He who speaks evil of father or mother, let him be put to death 5But you say, Whoever shall say to his father or mother, Anything of mine you might have been helped by has been given to God, 6he is not to honor his father or his mother. And thus you invalidated the word of God for the sake of your tradition."
2 Thess. 2:15, "So then, brethren, stand firm and hold to the traditions which you were taught, whether by word of mouth or by letter from us." Mark 7:8-9, "Neglecting the commandment of God, you hold to the tradition of men. 9He was also saying to them, You nicely set aside the commandment of God in order to keep your tradition."
1 Cor. 11:2, "Now I praise you because you remember me in everything, and hold firmly to the traditions, just as I delivered them to you." Col. 2:8, "See to it that no one takes you captive through philosophy and empty deception, according to the tradition of men, according to the elementary principles of the world, rather than according to Christ."



In the discussions regarding Tradition between Protestants and Catholics, both sets of scriptures are often quoted in order to establish their respective positions. The Protestants often quote Matt. 15:3-6 in opposition to Sacred Tradition. In an appeal to be biblical, many Catholic apologists cite 2 Thess. 2:15 to validate their position on Sacred Tradition. Unfortunately, this amounts to using the Word of God against itself. Clearly, God's word is not contradictory. Rather, it is our understanding that is in error.

The Bible is for tradition where it supports the teachings of the apostles (2 Thess. 2:15) and is consistent with biblical revelation. Yet, it is against tradition when it "transgresses the commands of God" (Matt. 15:3). By Jesus' own words, tradition is not to transgress or contradict the commands of God. In other words, it should be in harmony with biblical teaching and not oppose it in any way.

Though the Catholic Church officially states that Sacred Tradition should not and does not contradict Scripture, Protestants see much of the teaching from this Sacred Tradition as doing just that. It isn't enough for the Catholic to say that their church is the true church, that they have the apostolic tradition, that they hold the keys to the truth, and that they have revealed doctrines consistent with biblical revelation. Likewise, it isn't enough for a Protestant to pass judgment upon Catholic doctrines simply because they are Catholic and are derived via Sacred Tradition.

Are Sacred Scripture and Sacred Tradition Really Equal?
To me, it is not enough to simply say that Sacred Tradition is equal to Scripture based upon the decree of the Catholic Magisterium. Like any spiritual teaching, I must compare it to the Bible. Jesus' own words in Matt. 15:3 lend support for myself and many non-Catholics to subject the fruit of Sacred Tradition to the pruning of God's word. In other words, do the teachings of the Catholic Church that are derived through tradition transgress the commands of God? Of course, the Catholic will say that they do not.

When Jesus was speaking to the Pharisees in Matt. 15:1-6, He reprimanded them for not understanding God's word. They were appealing to the tradition of the elders, those who had passed down oral and written tradition. Jesus, on the other hand, exposed their error by citing scripture. Please take note of what He said in Matt. 15:1-6.

"Then some Pharisees and scribes came to Jesus from Jerusalem, saying, 2'Why do Your disciples transgress the tradition of the elders? For they do not wash their hands when they eat bread.' 3And He answered and said to them, 'And why do you yourselves transgress the commandment of God for the sake of your tradition? 4'For God said, "Honor your father and mother," and, "He who speaks evil of father or mother, let him be put to death."5'But you say, "Whoever shall say to his father or mother, 'Anything of mine you might have been helped by has been given to God,' 6he is not to honor his father or his mother." And thus you invalidated the word of God for the sake of your tradition.'"

Whatever might be said about this passage, at least one thing must be observed: The tradition of the religious leaders was subject to the Word of God. Are the religious leaders of the Catholic Church exempt from subjection to the Word of God? And likewise, is their Sacred Tradition also exempt? I think not.

Where the Protestants would interpret Tradition in light of Scripture, it seems that the Catholic Church does the opposite. Consider the following, "The Second Vatican Council indicates three criteria for interpreting Scripture in accordance with the Spirit who inspired it. 1. 'Be especially attentive to the content and unity of the whole Scripture.'. . . 2. 'Read the Scripture within the living Tradition of the whole Church.' . . . 3. 'Be attentive to the analogy of faith.'" (Par. 111, 112, 13, 114).

It is number 2 that is the main concern here. What does it mean to read Scripture "within the living Tradition of the whole Church?" If Scripture is "within the living Tradition," then Tradition encompasses Scripture. In other words, it is the tradition of the Church that interprets Scripture. This is in contradiction to the Word of God spoken by Jesus in Matt. 15:1-6.

Some object and say that the Pharisees didn't have apostolic authority and succession that was ordained by the apostles as does the Catholic Church and, therefore, Matt. 15:1-6 cannot be used to nullify Sacred Tradition.

But the issue in Matt. 15:1-6 is not succession of authority but the traditions of men being used in opposition to the truth of the Word of God. Essentially, the Pharisees were seeing the Word of God "within" their sacred tradition. Jesus, in contrast to this, cited the Word of God to judge their traditions. The apostles, likewise, continuously admonished their people to check their teaching against the Scripture (Acts 17:11), thereby substantiating the position that even what they taught was subject to God's Word. After all, no doctrinal teaching should contradict biblical revelation and the Sacred Word of God was and is the final authority in all things spiritual. The Catholic Church's position and teaching as based on Sacred Tradition are no different. They must be compared to Scripture.

My desire in writing this is not to alienate Catholics nor belittle their beliefs. I believe that there are some Catholics who love the Lord and are saved. But I would like to add that I believe it is in spite of official Roman Catholic doctrine. Nevertheless, it is my opinion that the Catholic Church has added teachings that are not consistent with biblical revelation.

If you are a Catholic, I hope my words do not offend you. Rather, I hope and pray that you would consider what this site has to say and compare it with the Word of God

2007-09-06 04:38:17 · 23 answers · asked by Graham 5

If God created Adam and Eve. Adam and Eve Begat Caine and Able and Cain slew Able then who was Caine's wife?

2007-09-06 04:37:14 · 14 answers · asked by R W 2

Islamic perspective:

* We know from a hadith by prophet Muhammad what Jesus (PBUH) would actually look like. Now I will not spoil it for you but given the facts Nope He was not european looking LOL. Read the hadith and find out for yourself.
* The region from where Jesus comes from indicates he was not as Christian paintings portray him.
* We do not portray any prophet thus we would not worship images, not even prophet Muhammad.


What are you saying girl?

Simple Jesus (PBUH) ain't white! Another deception :(

2007-09-06 04:34:38 · 32 answers · asked by Just a muslim! 1

Im asking it here because it seems this is where most people are having fun.
I live in Australia & im about to start my own small business in fresh pet produce. What would be a good, cheap & effective way to market my products?

2007-09-06 04:33:43 · 6 answers · asked by Anonymous

2007-09-06 04:33:02 · 5 answers · asked by Anonymous

2007-09-06 04:30:20 · 30 answers · asked by Just a muslim! 1

be accused of negligence and abuse?

2007-09-06 04:30:12 · 21 answers · asked by Chippy v1.0.0.3b 6

If so, then how come their first amendment right (of freedom of religion) does not apply to them?

If not, then what's to stop any group from forming a religion (like how Scientology became a religion) that sanctions gay marriage, for the purpose of suing every state except Massachusetts?

2007-09-06 04:29:32 · 15 answers · asked by newtobigd78 4

Isn't half of it just letters that don't warrant consideration? Which leaves, primarily, four incomplete and inconsistent stories that cover very little of a man named Jesus's life. Sounds like a lot of wanna-be priests and theologians are who invented the religion by making things up.

2007-09-06 04:28:54 · 6 answers · asked by Anonymous

I have heard that people should not be cremated because then they will not be resurrected in the second coming. Is there any truth to this?

2007-09-06 04:28:22 · 2 answers · asked by Anonymous