@Frank Apisa,
Quote:I am almost certainly a LOT more knowledgeable about theology than you. If you want to kid yourself into thinking you are more knowledgeable than I in that area...fine with me. In fact, I get a laugh out of it.
Oh? I minored in world religion (largely because I thought history was a good foundation), learning everything from Christian theology to Buddhist beliefs. I also compiled my own religious text and have written a few books on Amazon. I revised said books whenever something didn't work theologically. I constantly questioned my own beliefs, refusing to settle for what some book, some expert, or some guru said. I feel like you have never questioned anything in your life. My seeking was real agnosticism, and my search led me straight to the faith I hold today. You barely understand Heaven and Hell, and how Jesus fits into all this, yet you tell me you know more of theology? You declare you "grew up" but the childish things the Bible refers to is this exact mentality.
Quote:Out of the night that covers me,
Black as the Pit from pole to pole,
I thank whatever gods may be
For my unconquerable soul.
In the fell clutch of circumstance
I have not winced nor cried aloud.
Under the bludgeonings of chance
My head is bloody, but unbowed.
Beyond this place of wrath and tears
Looms but the Horror of the shade,
And yet the menace of the years
Finds, and shall find, me unafraid.
It matters not how strait the gate,
How charged with punishments the scroll,
I am the master of my fate:
I am the captain of my soul.
Today is Christ The King Sunday, where we recognize the kingship of Christ, that God is in fact in control here. Not us.
God gave us many religions. Why? To tempt us with false faiths so he could send us to hell? Try again! Neither should God be compared to a tyrant. So what does it mean that God is in control? Just the opposite of what you'd think! Jesus compares the rulers of this world to wicked tenants. People who have been given free will but instead use it to control or oppress others. Think of Puritans burning wirches and you have a pretty good idea. People thinking they are righteous don't go around bothering other people.
It's not totally doing whatever you want either. Because to quote a childhood friend who was seriously messed up (I don't choose friends well), sometimes what you want involves things that get you arrested. He kinda did it anyway though...
We think there is a sort a reward/pumisment thing and that there's good people over here and bad people over there. But in person, they're both alike. The "religious" person paints themselves as good while they moralize others. The nonreligious person pretends they are "free" or "tolerant" yet they usher in the worst sort of government. Are you aware that the US now indeed is #1 in something? Taxes. Our taxes are set to become close to 57% for the wealthy.
This is wicked. All of it.
God wants us to love each other, and failing that, to just **** off and not try to rule over each other.
Quote:Samuel had two sons. The older one was Joel, and the younger one was Abijah. When Samuel was getting old, he let them be leaders at Beersheba. 3 But they were not like their father. They were dishonest and accepted bribes to give unfair decisions.
4 One day the nation’s leaders came to Samuel at Ramah 5 and said, “You are an old man. You set a good example for your sons, but they haven’t followed it. Now we want a king to be our leader, just like all the other nations. Choose one for us!”
6 Samuel was upset to hear the leaders say they wanted a king, so he prayed about it. 7 The Lord answered:
Samuel, do everything they want you to do. I am really the one they have rejected as their king. 8 Ever since the day I rescued my people from Egypt, they have turned from me to worship idols. Now they are turning away from you. 9 Do everything they ask, but warn them and tell them how a king will treat them.
10 Samuel told the people who were asking for a king what the Lord had said:
11 If you have a king, this is how he will treat you. He will force your sons to join his army. Some of them will ride in his chariots, some will serve in the cavalry, and others will run ahead of his own chariot. 12 Some of them will be officers in charge of a thousand soldiers, and others will be in charge of fifty. Still others will have to farm the king’s land and harvest his crops, or make weapons and parts for his chariots. 13 Your daughters will have to make perfume or do his cooking and baking.
14 The king will take your best fields, as well as your vineyards, and olive orchards and give them to his own officials. 15 He will also take a tenth of your grain and grapes and give it to his officers and officials.
16 The king will take your slaves and your best young men and your donkeys and make them do his work. 17 He will also take a tenth of your sheep and goats. You will become the king’s slaves, 18 and you will finally cry out for the Lord to save you from the king you wanted. But the Lord won’t answer your prayers.
19-20 The people would not listen to Samuel. “No!” they said. “We want to be like other nations. We want a king to rule us and lead us in battle.”
21 Samuel listened to them and then told the Lord exactly what they had said. 22 “Do what they want,” the Lord answered. “Give them a king.”
You see, the wicked have been like this since the earliest points of history. Revelation tells of the fall of all these systems, basically we get a millennium where the very worst government, where people won't **** off as I put it, but everyone snoops in private lives. This system is doomed to get worse and worse until even people like you are like "Enough!" The atheists oppose God because they think it will interfere with their fun. But serving God is actually more free than opposing him. Need proof? Read about the histort of the Nazis, Communists, and other atheist states in the 20th and 21st century. Or don't.
Here's why I know more about theology than you. Because I understand the actual purpose of religion. You clearly don't.
