Masturbation and God

Can I come to Run 4 Fun's defense here. I'm not sure I believe everything about Christianity. I am a Christian in Transition (to make a cute rhyme). But I think that Run 4 Fun has simply been stating a Christian viewpoint all along of the question I initially asked. And for the most part he/she (pardon me, I don't know which) has done so with civility, but also with firmness about his or her beliefs.

I do not claim to know whether those beliefs are right or wrong.

The thing that is troublesome here is that the supposed "accepting liberals" on this thread are tolerant of every viewpoint except one, that of the Christian. Run 4 Fun has been continually attacked here, and has not attacked in return, but has instead tried to make his or her viewpoint more clear from the standpoint of one who associates themselves with Christianity in America.

The only anger and resentment and rudeness I see coming through the text (and not inferred by tone of voice or other such indeterminable modes of inference) is coming from the side of those who are supposedly more tolerant.

This is something that has bothered me for sometime.

Non-Christians are always whining about how intolerant Christians are of other people because of what they see through the media and perhaps some extremists that they come in contact with. Some of those extremists are, of course, VERY intolerant and they are condemnatory, which creates a bad name for Christians everywhere.

But, if you put all Christians into a category with those extremists, you too are being intolerant.

I do not know from what has been presented here on this thread whether or not Run 4 Fun is an extremist. I think it is safe to infer that he or she is fundamentalist on some level in his or her belief in the ultimate truth of the Bible. That word is the new vulgar "F" word to a lot of people in the 21st century. However, being fundamentalist does not necessarily imply that the said fundamentalist is also extremist. The two are mutually exclusive, but most often are inclusive.

In this case, I do not see Run 4 Fun harrassing anybody on this forum. He or she is simply stating a belief, which many here (myself sometime included) do not agree with. Whether or not you agree with the belief does not matter, however, if you can simply chalk it up to being someone else's viewpoint, and then cordially disagree.

well hello, i don't believe we've met :wink:

Thank you so much for that defense Danielle. You don't know how much that it means.

What you said about the culture's handling of "tolerance" is absolutely true and I'm glad you said it. God bless you girl!

PS. I am a he

I haven't specifically been arguing for my beliefs because that isn't what this thread is about. Also because other published sources do it far better than I can at this point in my life.

ummm, i thought they were your beliefs

Therefore no one else can have the same beliefs? I'm just not a professional apologist like other guys like Norman Geisler or Peter Kreeft, and many more. Is that somehow supposed to discredit my beliefs? I can still argue for them quite proficiently, just not as well as those who have studied it for so many years.

just wondering, that's all

Good post, Danielle.

Run 4 fun, ok apology accepted.
I have no problem with christians, I was one for ageeeees, and I think run 4 fun realises that expressing his beliefs like that isn't going to make everyone christian.
But he seems to have it all worked out, and thats good.

I am currently atheist/agnostic, and thats also good, because I don't want to make my mind up yet. Although I do not believe in a christian God, I am unsure whether there is a god.

Danielle, I am in no way trying to put down the christian religion. (although it is sometimes fun to wind them up)
but you have an interesting situation. If you do eventually decide to become strict fundamentalist, then you have to realise that you are wrong in your lesbianism ('all lesbians will be condemned to sodomy'), and masturbation (cant remember the quote but God killed someone for 'wasting his seed' run 4 fun feel free to correct me on this) and if you do decide to sleep with people before marriage, then that too. I think you realise this.
But there are plenty more liberal christians out there who would say that you aren't doing anything wrong.
If I were you I just wouldn't worry about it too much now. You have your whole life to decide, my dad always says that 'religion comes to you,' not the other way around.
And luckily repenting is a huge part of the catholic religion. :wink:

Well, that is why I put these questions out there. I don't think I'll ever decide to become a fundamentalist. But I am still trying to explore these questions from both sides of the spectrum.

danielle, I am a christian and I am tolerant of others...In fact I come here to get other perspectives and ideas because I know that my perception is vastly difffernt from any one elses. We all have something to learn.

My problem with other Christians is that they take the bible, a book of parables, and turn it into literal translation. Then they use it to make "sinners" out of everyone. I am not saying that I or any one else is without "sin". I hate that word by the way...it's just a scary Christian word for mistake.

The God that I serve is not vengful or scary. I don't fear Him. He will not condemn me to a lifetime of hell or even a brief time of purgatory for swearing or dishonering my mom and dad or masturbating. So many Christians try and put human characteristics in a God that is not human. Jesus was both man and divine; God is simply divine. He doesn't get angry. The bible was never meant to be a literal translation. It was meant to be parables, stories, lessons. If it was, all Christians would be reading from the "original" bible, the one written in Hebrew. We wouldn't have sullied the word of God by translating it into English. You can be sure that something has been lost in translation all these years. Not to mention, the bible wasn't cast down one day from heaven. It was written in pieces and parts and put together by men; men who have distinct perceptions and emotions regarding certain things therefor opinions and biases.

I don't think you should shun all religion, danielle, but I do think that you should take a hard look at what you believe and why. Do you believe it becasue you were told to? Or do you believe it because you know it your heart it is true. My religion is my personal relationship with God. I know with 100% certaintly that I will go to heaven when I die. I have no doubts. I don't attend church. I don't even HAVE a church. I am what you would call a "liberal" christian. But still in my heart I believe that what I believe is true. God doesn't want us to be unhappy. And he doesn't want us to be guilty about how He made us. He wants us to serve our fellow man, be a good person and try and make the world a better place. That's all. He wants us to do our best and would have created us differently if he wanted perfection.

My problem with religion is a more practical one.

For example, to stay on the topic of this thread (masturbation and God), is God married? If so, is he/she a good lay?

Either way, does God masturbate? If so (one can suppose God is big) how big is God's hand to properly do the job?

Is God's orgasm the equivalent of a Supernova?

Does he/she take a rest after that, so we can get rid of him/her for a while?

Everytime you see a rainbow, God is having gay sex.

If you can impregnate a virgin you got skills... give the supreme being His props.....

Scientists today can easily impregnate virgins. No big woop.

God is the ultimate (and first) scientist.

Look at what He created in HIS petri dish.

slappy makes me laugh.

Bella's right, just keep questioning. Don't expect to find all the answers when you are still at college.

TPQ, Thank you. Onan was a man in Genesis whose brother died. It was then Onan's duty to marry his brother's wife and have children for his brother. "9But since Onan knew that the offspring would not be his, he spilled his semen on the ground whenever he went in to see his brother's wife, so that he would not give offspring to his brother. 10 What he did was displeasing in the sight of the Lord, and he put him to death also." Genesis 38:9-10. What Onan did was at heights of selfishness. He shamed his brother and his wife because he cared just for what would help him. This is not the same as the topic that we are talking about. Good question though.

Bella, what makes you think that the Bible is just a bunch of parables? It contains parables, yes, but why do you think it is entirely composed of parables when textual analysis reveals quite the opposite. Even to say the Bible is just parables does not justify contradicting it. "The fear of God is the beginning of all wisdom." The Bible speaks of God's righteous anger far too often for you to dismiss it as "parable". To say that Jesus was human and therefore sinned is not conclusive logic. His divinity and your belief in Scripture (at least at some level) annihilates the possibility of his sinfulness.

Please justify: 1) God doesn't get angry. 2) The Bible was never meant to be a literal translation. 3) You can be sure some has been lost in translation. If it was divinely guided, then the meaning of scripture would remain intact. If it was divinely inspired, then it is pure, not distorted by the authors.

Unfortunately, sincerity of belief does not ensure that the belief id true. People all around the world sincerely belive, with no doubts and 100% certainty, many beliefs which are contradictory. Obviously they cannot all be true. I may sincerely believe that I am running the right direction home on a run that I don't know, but I then come out 7 miles from home. No matter how sincere I am, it doesn't make me right. I am sorry if that all sounds harsh, but it is hard to put the respectfulness into such hard questions. In my experience, I have found liberal Christianity to be very dangerous and unjustified.

Francis, I don't think that requires comment... :wink:

If God kills people for masturbating why aren't we all dead?

Yeah, and why does all the stuff that happened in the bible never happen anymore.
No making blind men see, no parting big rivers, no plagues, and no water into wine!!!!