If I want to worship Jesus and pray to him and have faith that there is a GOD in Heaven that loves me, and that is faithful, graceful, and merciful. And I want to love my neighbor as myself, and I don't want to lie, cheat, or murder. I don't want to drink excessively or do drugs, and I want to live a life full of compassion, gentleness, love, and empathy. Why does that bother you? Why does it matter how I choose to live my life now? I believe that by declaring CHRIST IS MY SAVIOR and doing my best to live a holy life I will get into Heaven. WHY DOES THAT BOTHER YOU?
What do you have to lose by me living my life in a loving way? If I want to be Christ-like that is only going to make your life better becuase there is one less person in the world You have to argue and fight with and one less person to worry about shooting you on the street or kidnapping your child.
2007-11-19 07:11:11 · 20 answers · asked by maedaze810 3 in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
If I live my life with the ultimate goal of living eternity with my King in Heaven and I find out after I die I am just a pile of ashes-- What did I lose? A lifetime of love?
But, if I find out after living a "sinful" life that I go to hell- then I am going to mad at myself and wish like heck I'd have proclaimed Jesus' love for the world.
Just remember: if you don't want to believe it you dont have to. But, what's the problem with me believing?
CHRISTIANS: don't throw your pearls to the swine!
2007-11-19 07:12:58 · update #1
Im sorry if there have been fire and brimstone people in your life. I don't do that. I don't tell people what Christ is: I try to show them what Christ is! Sorry if you haven't experienced it.
2007-11-19 07:18:46 · update #2
Salient: There wasn't bigotry there at all. Those are some of the commandments. Thou shalt not lie. Ok, so, part of me having my faith and loving the Lord is following the commandments! I do my VERY best to live that life and I will do it with the Holy spirit inside of me and Praising Jesus for being able to! :-)
2007-11-19 07:24:06 · update #3
Your last line says it best.
You know even after the bride is gone and the heathens are covered in open sores these people will still be cursing GOD. Praise the LORD.
2007-11-19 07:20:53 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 3⤊ 1⤋
I'm not mad at you. I'm mad at the crumbs!
I have always been an atheist. OK, that is not completely true. I am not an atheist. I am not a believer. I am not an agnostic. I am none of these because the answer to god's existence is unimportant.
People ask what would convince me that there is a god. I'm not sure, but certainly open to any tangible evidence. I don't know what evidence would convince me because I believe (I don't know) it is impossible to prove the existence of god. I might believe perhaps if Jesus returned, turned some stones into bread and wine to feed thousands. What evidence would convince you that god does not exist? See? It's hard to answer that question!
Please don't quote me bible passages as evidence of god's existence. Remember, this is my standard of proof, not yours. However, if proof were provided that convinced me god exists, I would change absolutely nothing in my life or my behavior.
SO...why do you believe in god? I like to live a purposeful life and certainly would not do something if there was no purpose or pleasure. So if god does not exist, what would be the point in believing? Turn that around and so assuming god exists, what's the point? How do you use that knowledge in your life? Do you use that knowledge to affect positive change in the world? Is it not possible to follow the Golden Rule, do good deeds, and affect positive change in the world without believing in god? Please don't quote John 3:16 that ONLY believers enter heaven as that sounds like belief is motivated in some selfish personal reward.
I have no vested interest in god's existence. I do not see existence of heaven or hell as a reward or punishment. If you believe in god because you want to enter the pearly gates or wish to avoid the fires of hell, that seems rather selfish. Isn't the whole purpose of religious belief so you can become a better person?
For all those thumbs down, I ask you to think about your personal motivation for believing in god.
Mitzvahs come without faith too. And those mitzvahs can be quite fruitful. But claiming that good works won't get me into heaven sounds like some of you believe that I have some motivation for performing these good works -- the hope of being rewarded with admission to heaven. Nothing could be further from the truth.That seems to be the faulty premise many Christians make about non-believers.
I don't perform mitzvahs get into heaven. I perform good works because it is the right thing to do. I have no expectation and have no desire of any reward for my good works. Why is this concept so difficult for many Christians to comprehend?
2007-11-19 15:17:01 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 1⤋
I have no problem with your choices. It's the ones who accept the "personal savior" part but have no interest in the follow-through that concern me. And for that matter, there are plenty of non-drunken, non-homicidal non-believers around. They don't believe in "heaven" but they aren't getting panicked about it either. Why do THEY upset some Christians so much?
2007-11-19 15:58:08 · answer #3 · answered by skepsis 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I have read some of these answers, and they say this does not bother them, but I also have went to a question where someone is praising the Lord for their blessings, and lo and behold, who comes around and starts attacking their Faith? I am not saying all do, but most.
terry m; You have the wrong Christians in mind, the followers of the Gospel of Christ do not bomb anyone
2007-11-19 15:25:33 · answer #4 · answered by †ℱαìtℎ7♥ 7 · 1⤊ 1⤋
Your post points to the exact problem. You are insinuating that those who don't believe the same way you do are (in your own words are not "living life in a loving way", "shoot you on the street", "lie cheat or murder".
It is precisely this bigotry that you have clearly demonstrated here that is the major problem with theism.
If you could only see that the rest of us are decent people who don't believe in the same things you do I wouldn't have such a problem. But you have shown here you think everyone else is morally inferior to you.
Why do you think the rest of us "lie cheat, and murder" because we don't share your beliefs??? If this isn't bigotry what else would you call it???
2007-11-19 15:17:38 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 2⤋
I have no problem with you living a life of love and compassion. What I do have a problem with is 'Christians' who go around telling everyone they are damned because they do not believe in Jesus and are going to hell - that is neither love nor compassion.
Blessings to you
2007-11-19 15:16:00 · answer #6 · answered by bregweidd 6 · 5⤊ 1⤋
who says it bothers me? You obviously don't know me as it doesn't bother me in the least.
As long as you don't try to tell me what god to believe in I think it's great you want to live a moral and valuable life.
What happens if Zeus is the true god? You lost out and you will go to the stygian hell...
drinking while you look up pascal's wager on wikipedia...
2007-11-19 15:15:31 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 0⤋
There is no problem with good people who want to believe in strange things. But feeling that every body else has to is just over the line, and claiming that God has given a christian (GW) the right to bomb and kill people because of their religion is way over the line and get you nice people a very bad name..!!
2007-11-19 15:19:14 · answer #8 · answered by Terry M 5 · 2⤊ 1⤋
Tell it!!!! I love Jesus and am so thankful that He is my savior. If someone has a problem with it then I pray your heart will be softened and your ear be open to hear the Lord!!!
Christians who love the Lord, but do not spread the Gospel are not living according to God's word. He commands us to spread it.
2007-11-19 15:15:35 · answer #9 · answered by LJ4Bama 4 · 3⤊ 3⤋
"I want to love my neighbor as myself, and I don't want to lie, cheat, or murder. I don't want to drink excessively or do drugs, and I want to live a life full of compassion, gentleness, love, and empathy."
You need a god to do that?
"I believe in a god" = fine, whatever
"I believe in a god, therefore...." = detrimental to the individual and society.
2007-11-19 15:15:43 · answer #10 · answered by 雅威的烤面包机 6 · 1⤊ 2⤋