In my Wednesday night Bible study (Baptist church) we are researching this topic and we have each been assigned to find an answer to specific excuses as to why people don't want to get saved and be able to back it up with scripture. the excuse i am working on is people don't want to give up their sin. they don't want to give up things in their life that they enjoy but that are against God ie: sex before marriage, getting drunk, lying, gluttony, etc.... what would you say to someone who has this as an excuse as why not to get saved? how would you defend your opinion, and can you back it up with scripture?
2006-07-13 02:34:17 · 23 answers · asked by angelcdm228 4 in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
i don't think some of you are really understanding what i am saying. i am not trying to convert you first off- this is just a study that we are doing to understand what other people believe and to research what we believe and why. we have a lengthly list of 'reasons' people give as why they don't accept our religion and this study is just finding out why we believe what we do and how we can explain what we beleive and why- it just happens that my reason to explore is about people not giving up their sins. i understand that not everyone agrees that the things i listed are "sins" but i do. i'm not saying that i am perfect and have never done those things, and i do beleive that God will forgive but i also believe that once you are a Christian you don't want to continue in those bad or wrong choices. i know we are not perfect and we will fall but when we do we feel guilty about it and we want the forgivness from God. once again i am not trying to convert anyone just see what you think.
2006-07-13 03:31:16 · update #1
They're just obsessed in their own world... They don't want to know about the truth because they love the lives they're living now... I'm having trouble getting people to become christians... =)
Don't give up though....
God Bless You.!
The lord is my shepherd i shall not be in want,
He makes me to lie down on green pastures,
He leadth me to walk beside still waters...
Though i walk through the valley of shadow of death,
I will fear no evil.... For you are with me...
you will comfort me, you are with me...
Surely goodness and mercy will be with me all the days of my life, And i will dwell in the house of the lord forever.... Forever
2006-07-13 02:43:01 · answer #1 · answered by gracephua91 2 · 2⤊ 6⤋
I think that most of the time people don't want to "be saved" because they either a)don't believe in the same religion that you do or b)just don't care.
For sake of explanation I choose a.
Reasoning:
I was raised in a different religion than you: Catholicism, ever heard of it? Good. Well a main tenet of Catholicism is that God is forgiving of your sins as long as you are willing to admit them and repent for them. They go so far as that at confession you are allowed to tell the Priest whom you are confessing to all sorts of crimes and so long as they do not involve any immediate threat to society (terrorist activities, you're planning to murder someone , etc.) he can never tell anyone. So, why would I change my religion to "get saved" if I already am in my own opinion?
For scripture to back this up see: The Bible, by God.
Also here are some tips for life:
1) Read some books on other religions/topics like the Qur'an, Bhaghavad Gita, The Stranger (by Camus, on existentialism/absurd-ism) to name a few. If you don't learn about what you're trying to change people from then I doubt you will be successful. Also, it will give you a new perspective and possibly solidify your views and beliefs.
2) See the movie "Saved" for irony's sake.
3) Travel to another region of the world where people aren't Baptists, see what other people think of Baptists and take their views into consideration when writing new questions.
2006-07-13 09:50:06 · answer #2 · answered by mmenaquale 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋
It is impossible for me to imagine that anyone could actually believe in God and heaven and being saved and all that BS, and then make a conscious choice that they prefer a little bit of temporary pleasure to eternal paradise. A person would have to be not of sound mind. And no just God would condemn a person for choices made while not of sound mind.
The only reason, let me say that again, the only reason a person rejects salvation is that a person doesn't believe in your version of salvation. The reason some Christians refuse to believe this, and insist that atheists must really just hate God or makes themselves God or other similar nonsense is that if they pondered for a moment that there are some people who honestly do not believe in God and have no need to devote their lives to an Imaginary Friend, they might for a moment reconsider how firm their own belief is.
You don't need to believe in God to be happy, or to be an ethical person, or to have strength to get through hard times. The atheists I know happen to be just as happy, ethical, and resilient than the Christians I know, if not more so. God adds nothing to your life except fear, guilt, and a false sense of security about what happens when you die.
2006-07-13 09:57:27 · answer #3 · answered by Steven S 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋
The simplest answer is that they don't acknowledge that they NEED saving. And the easiest way to do that is to simply turn their backs on God and say that He doesn't exist. Sadly, people can rationalize any position they want, and soon they actually believe that this life is just a huge set of coincidences, and no god is needed. That's called 'self delusion', and it's about the hardest thing there is to get past. As this is a Bible study, I'll let you pull out your e-sword and search the references yourself. You now have the keywords needed. Good luck.
2006-07-13 09:46:20 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
I don't need saving because I know where I am going when I die and I'm happy with my karma. Why should I back it up with scripture when I don't believe a word of it? What is wrong with sex outside of marriage? Nothing, its fun. Getting drunk is a passing phase for most people. I bet you've told lies, everyone has. Embrace life. You can't live by the morals of some words written down by some guy that's been dead for thousands of years. I don't believe in Hell and I do like helping people, so why should I want someone to save me. I save myself and take responsibility for my own actions. Don't judge all people by your own morals. Be open minded. Thats all.
2006-07-13 09:48:48 · answer #5 · answered by gcaisle 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋
I'm very much against christianity, and quite horrified that you should think people don't turn to religion, just so they can sin some more. Personally, I (coincedentally) adhere to the ten commandments but I won't lengthily explain how.
Perhaps it'd be better to first believe in your fellow man, before you presumptiously ask him/her if maybe getting drunk is the reason they don't give a toss about god?
2006-07-13 10:08:20 · answer #6 · answered by McAtterie 6 · 1⤊ 0⤋
I do not believed that people no matter who he was don't want to be save. My question is Why people invented religion in the first place, to be save, right? They do things for God, to please Him and to get the much needed attention from the sovereign god. Yet they failed on this matter and continually falling apart becaused of wrong notion and views of God. They believed that if they do this, God will be please, or maybe mercy will fall upon them and forgive their inquity. But, mercy is optional on the part of God Attributes (Exodus 20)
There are many problem surrounding why people shy away from the salvation God is offering.
1. Religous Denominations - The origianl church that Jesus build on his name is named after so many names, and proclaim that they are the true church and a full gospel church. They put up branches all over the world, yet the church that was build by Jesus through the apostle was geographically located in many places (the church in smyrna, philadelphia, loadecea) because the chruch bears the name of Jesus. It is called the christian church not the baptist, pentecostal, catholic, etc.
2. Wrong Doctrine - Unbiblical doctrine is rampant in every church today. your church teaches "Once save is always save", the pentecostal teaches about the "assurance of salvation" The doctrine of "eternal torture in hell of the wicked" and many more, which the people is comfused and branded the God of the Christian to be a Sadist.
3. Many people do not believe in Jesus Christ - This problem is the worst of them all. We as the representative of christ in this world should posses Jesus character and virtue. That is why Paul said "Put on Jesus Christ" not just preach him. An anonymous writers once said, "There is a big difference between the christ revealed in the Bible and the christ revealed in a man." Our teacher in Evangelism once said "Sometimes Christ is caught no taught"
The scriptures says, "There is no name given under heaven by which a man must be save" (Acts 4)
If you want people to accept Jesus as their Lord and savior, you must represent Jesus and the Church he build on his name, the way God meant it to be. OBEDIENCE
2006-07-13 10:28:16 · answer #7 · answered by NIGHT_WATCH 4 · 0⤊ 1⤋
Simply put my dear, it because what YOU may consider is living in sin, is NOT what someone else may think.
You call it an 'excuse'. It's not. Personally, I do not 'excuse' myself form your beliefs, I simply do not believe them!
Back this up with scripture? Er...ok...which part from the Testamony of The Spagetti Monster's Bible would you care to hear? What? You don't recognise that as the word of Truth!? My...what a coincidence...
2006-07-13 09:47:53 · answer #8 · answered by googlywotsit 5 · 1⤊ 0⤋
If you are unwilling to accept the simplest answer; that people don't want to be "saved" because they don't believe the horse crap you're selling, then you might as well make up whatever answer you want.
Your sin hypothesis doesn't even make sense, because from your theology, all those "sins" can be forgiven anyway. From a Christian perspective, you DON'T have to give up your favorite sins to be "saved". Surely you know that salvation is by grace through faith, right?
2006-07-13 09:41:01 · answer #9 · answered by lenny 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
get saved?? what are you talking about?.. listen to yourself, i'm sorry i'm a firm believer in believing in yourself and i have nothing against other peoples beliefs. but getting saved from what? am i saved from all the crazy crap that goes on in this world? no. lol so when you think about it. you're not getting saved either. you're just putting all your time into one thing. why don't you relax for a minute.. get your head out of religion for just a moment and go to the beach. go, leave now.
2006-07-13 09:41:09 · answer #10 · answered by .:*BeAuTiFuL*:. 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Maybe it's not that they don't WANT to be saved but that they don't feel a NEED to be saved...
Just as some may feel it's redundant to have seperate catagories for Mythology & Folklore and Religion & Spirituality. To many they are the same thing...
2006-07-13 09:42:05 · answer #11 · answered by mrknositall 6 · 1⤊ 0⤋