[quote]Originally posted by Spooky Mulder - aka - Mark C: [b] See, fish, i have no issue with God. I do have issue with the book that claims to "have the answers", which is nothing more that a book created by men with agandas, to control other men, for their own gain. I become irked when someone asks a question, and everyone stats quoting the bible as being gods word, then suddenly when posed with a curly question the claim abounds "Oh but I cannot speak for God" It seems apt to quote from "His book" when it suits. I abhor the hypocracy of those who want to quote the man made scriptures as being an absolute truth, then run away when it gets too hard. [/b][/quote]Sorry I’ve been away, but I haven’t been running. I’ve been deep into the whole family time thing. I’m going to answer this as best I can so that maybe you can see my point of view. When being asked about God, for instance “Did he claim to be God?”, “How do you know you cannot get to heaven without Jesus?” or any of the other questions that have popped up here. I try to answer with scripture. Why do I and other Christians do this? Because to us the Bible is truth, and in order to show truth we present with scripture, or truth first, and our opinions later. Now God didn’t give a reason for killing the Amalakite babies, neither does the Bible. What is does say is that there were several groups in the region, who bowed to other gods, and were leading Israel astray. Is this the only reason? I doubt it. Do I really know? No I don’t, and neither does anyone else. This part of Biblical history is speculation on our part, because we don’t have the background information. What we do know is that later on down the line God chastises Saul for killing the babies. Now in my opinion scriptures are not man made truth, but rather God inspired writings. To me the Bible is God’s letter to us. How he made us, how we rejected him and his laws, and what he had to do to redeem us. Do we always understand what God means in scripture? No sometimes I have to read, and re-read several times to get something in the Bible. Sometimes I end up with a question. But that doesn’t stop my search for answers, nor my belief that whatever it is I don’t understand, God does. Some things are just beyond our comprehension.

If you can believe, I'm actually one of the most liberal Christians you will ever meet.

If you go back and pick piece by piece what has been written by me, no where do I display intolerance just for the sake of being intolerant. I will, however, say with a 100% unbending backbone, that I am intolerant of those that are intolerant of me.

I'm not trying to convert anyone, nor will you find me on this board "preaching" to anyone. I however, take offense to spooky saying he's intolerant of me....because I chose to believe the words of the Bible. I don't affect him in anyway...so why be intolerant of me?

I like rap, my wife likes rock...should she be intolerant of me for not seeing eye to eye on music? So why should anyone (I'm looking at you Spooky), be intolerant of me, simply because I chose to be a "sheep".

Wow this is great. PDM I'm so happy you're atleast searching. I also suspect you've been reading. Why? Because I've found some more threads by you regarding the sons of God. Which is in Genesis. I know that if you seek God he will respond. I don't think it will be audible, but I do know that He will respond. Keep reading PDM, keep searching and keep looking for an answer.

Some people believe that we Christians think we have the answers to everything. Well I'm the first to admit we don't. God has done alot of wonderous things in my life. Things that if in the same situation would make a believer out of an athiest. The how we know is hard to explain, because you have to experience it for yourself. The how we got there is simply by searching for Him.

I got to a certain point in my life when I realized that I couldn't run from God anymore. When that happened I asked God to take control of my life. Not to help me get my life under control, but to take control of my life. This was the hardest thing I ever did, but my life has been better for it. When I leave control to Him my life just works. When I take it back they don't.

[/QUOTE] "God has done alot of wonderous things in my life. Things that if in the same situation would make a believer out of an athiest."

Not necessarily...beware of generalisations nothing could make some of us believe in what you believe in,that doesn't mean i dont respect what you choose to believe i just know that nothing could turn my head the way you suggest.

nothing could make some of us believe in what you believe in,that doesn't mean i dont respect what you choose to believe i just know that nothing could turn my head the way you suggest. [/QUOTE]

Nothing? Wow. I'm sorry you feel that way. I respect your decision, and I'm in awe of it. To me, it takes alot more faith to believe that there isn't a God, and that this is just an accident, than to believe in God.

Ok I want to know how far the nothing goes, because like many of you who try to understand us, I truly want to understand you. So I'm going to ask some questions.

What would it take for God to prove himself to you?

1. If Israel was given land to them promised to them 2000+ years ago in the Old Testament, would you believe?

2. If said land were to florish as a result of Israel's presense in the land, again as written in scripture 2000+ years ago, would you believe?

3. If suddenly a large majority of self proclaimed Christians were to disappear, would you believe? I mean the rapture has been talked about for 2000 years. If a large percent of the population just disappears one day it'd be hard to miss, and hard to explain away.

4.If after this dissapearance someone who everyone loved came along and brought peace to the middle east, would you believe?

5.If God suddenly appeared riding on the clouds, proclaiming Himself God, would you believe?

The first 2 have already happened. The last three have not. But in between, we have seen a push towards one world currency, one world government, a rise in Christian persecution, and the outbreak of several new wars, diseases, and natural disasters. All of this written in a book 2000+ years ago.

I can't just pass this up to coincidence, chance, luck. So again what would it take for God to prove himself? Because if you're waiting for question 5 to happen, by then it will be too late.

As i dont believe in god there is no proof that can convince me of his existence..i dont worry about it..life is for living and giving too those who are in THIS world...for me its that simple and that easy..in the same you have accepted god,i choose not to believe in it.

Hey dumb question what's 11 days to go... COME ON ENGLAND mean?

WORLD CUP...FOOTBALL!!!...lol lol

Yes, Christians have really turned on the heat in the US - persecuting everyone and everything in their path.

They already took over the Republican Party of the US, and the White House.

They already turned back the clocks on science.