Any serious Christians left?

Arella Mae wrote:

echi wrote:

Arella,

Do you think you have any ideas about why you might feel like something is either good or bad? I mean, like, without going in a circle?

Huh? Echi, do you have a specific question here you might be trying to ask? Are you asking me if my religious beliefs are what tell me something is good or bad?

No. But since you brought it up. . .

So, in some cases yes, it's just a matter of it's that simple of being good or bad and I make a decision and in other cases it's more complex.

And yes, I realize that some may think that I am not looking fully into these issues (gambling and same sex marriage) but I have. I even engaged in a thread on A2K to try to understand homosexuality better.

That's what he's asking about! In what way do you look fully into the issues?

Discussing the process we all use will help us find some common ground and perhaps open some new doors to information we weren't aware of before.

Thanks for the thoughtful response about the things that aren't simply black and white.

What about the things that are simply black and white? What makes them simple black and white issues that don't require the same study process?

Do you ever question the premise of how things became simply black and white issues for you and do the same type of research and discussion devoted to more complicated issues to reconfirm your presumptions?

For instance, many times I find that my feelings about things are based on how I was raised and things I heard my parents say, but once I do some research on the subject for my own education, I sometimes change my stand.

Just posting in this thread has given me a lot of things to think about regarding assumptions being made. Many a time I wrote up a response to someone and realized while writing that I would be a hypocrit if I argued against it and would be doing exactly the same thing. I end up erasing and not posting a lot of things I write because of that rethinking process that composing gives me.

When something comes up on the ballot I try to get all the information I can on it.

Like the statistics you said you had but lied about?

As for the simple black and white issues? Well, for me if the Bible says it is wrong then it is wrong because I believe the Bible to be the Word of God and God is the ultimate authority.

Arella Mae wrote:

As for the simple black and white issues? Well, for me if the Bible says it is wrong then it is wrong because I believe the Bible to be the Word of God and God is the ultimate authority.

(You said in other threads that you haven't actually had the chance to vote on same-sex marriages so I won't address that one.)

Let me see if I'm understanding what you've written over the last few posts.

You are saying that the gambling issue is one of those simple black and white issues in which you turn to the bible for instructions on whether it is right or wrong so you'll know how to vote.

If I have understood correctly, that leads me to the next questions...

Do you determine whether the issue is right or wrong for you and your fellow believers and vote accordingly? Or, do you vote according to god's word in the bible without consideration as to whether it is right or wrong for others who don't believe in the bible and god's word?

If I haven't understood correctly, could you restate it all in a couple of paragraphs and specifically address gambling and any considerations that may or may not include non-believers?

Anyone want to talk the christian bible? For ..against..whatever? Is this against the law yet?

Arella Mae- I think that we can boil down this entire tome of a thread into a few questions for you:

In deciding how to vote, which is primary, to you, the U.S. Constitution or the Bible?

Do you believe in separation of church and state, or would you rather that the U.S. be run according to the teachings of the New Testament?

If so, how is your line of thinking appreciably different from that of the Taliban, except for the fact that they adhere to a different set of rules based on their religion?

I think that if you are honest in your answers, we don't have to go around in circles in reference to this subject.

Arella Mae- I think that we can boil down this entire tome of a thread into a few questions for you:

In deciding how to vote, which is primary, to you, the U.S. Constitution or the Bible?

Do you believe in separation of church and state, or would you rather that the U.S. be run according to the teachings of the New Testament?

If so, how is your line of thinking appreciably different from that of the Taliban, except for the fact that they adhere to a different set of rules based on their religion?

I think that if you are honest in your answers, we don't have to go around in circles in reference to this subject.

Your comment about the Taliban puzzled me a bit. The reason? Because the Taliban will murder and maim without batting an eye. At least from what I have seen and read. I do not see the same radical enforcement of beliefs from Christians. At least in this day and age.

.....Taliban will murder and maim without batting an eye. At least from what I have seen and read. I do not see the same radical enforcement of beliefs from Christians.

Arella Mae- I think that we can boil down this entire tome of a thread into a few questions for you:

In deciding how to vote, which is primary, to you, the U.S. Constitution or the Bible?

Do you believe in separation of church and state, or would you rather that the U.S. be run according to the teachings of the New Testament?

If so, how is your line of thinking appreciably different from that of the Taliban, except for the fact that they adhere to a different set of rules based on their religion?

I think that if you are honest in your answers, we don't have to go around in circles in reference to this subject.

Anyone want to talk the christian bible? For ..against..whatever? Is this against the law yet?