I know that I am a wretched sinner...

[Blackrook]

I know about myself that I am a wretched sinner, totally unworthy of God's gift of life to me, and his gift of eternal life if I believe in him.

And yet, with that knowledge that I am unworthy of any love from anyone, especially a God who is perfectly just, I am better off than he who does not have that knowledge.

I speak of the man who blissfully assumes that is all is well with the world, and he need do nothing but breathe, eat, sleep, and make love to his wife to eventually get to heaven.

And I think to describe such a man is to describe a great many people, including a great number of people who consider themselves good Christians.

For it is only through awareness of how wretched a sinner you are, that you can possibly reach the level of prostrate humility that is necessary to gain forgiveness and redemption.

I am not even including non-believers in this calculation, the people who don't even believe that sin is a relevant concept. To describe to them how far they are from the light, would be to describe the colors of the rainbow to the man born without sight -- impossible.

 

[Penelope]

I have a solution, quit sinning. Just say no to sin.

 

[ScienceRocks]

You're a brainwashed idiot that believes in the impossible.

It is good to treat other people right...That is something you fail at when you judge good people because you believe in some kind of higher power and that makes you be an asshole.

 

[fncceo]

I am a wretched sinner

Admitting it is the first step.

 

[ScienceRocks]

We only have one life....

The only ones that sin are the ones that murder, rape and judge other people to the point of suicide.

 

[Blackrook]

Matthew, I must be patient with you because it is obvious you are a man of very limited intelligence, and only a sparse knowledge of Christianity, and a very deep bias against Christianity due to your profound ignorance, which may not really be your fault, since you are rather lacking in reasoning skills.

So I will say this, your hatred of Christianity isn't based on anything real, it is only based on assumptions you make about reality which are false.

I would blame our inadequate public school system for your ignorance, but I do not know if you are, in fact, a public school graduate.

I would also blame your parents, who did not raise you correctly in an accurate understanding of how the world really works.

 

[Mac1958]

You're a brainwashed idiot that believes in the impossible.

It is good to treat other people right...That is something you fail at when you judge good people because you believe in some kind of higher power and that makes you be an asshole.

The irony from the first sentence to the second sentence is pretty spectacular.

Matthew, whether we're spiritual or not, it seems to me that the way we treat people who don't think like us is a pretty good test of our character.
.

 

[Blackrook]

You're a brainwashed idiot that believes in the impossible.

It is good to treat other people right...That is something you fail at when you judge good people because you believe in some kind of higher power and that makes you be an asshole.

The irony from the first sentence to the second sentence is pretty spectacular.

Matthew, whether we're spiritual or not, it seems to me that the way we treat people who don't think like us is a pretty good test of our character.
.

But we must have patience with Matthew. He is a man, true, but he has the mind of a child.

 

[Mudda]

I know about myself that I am a wretched sinner, totally unworthy of God's gift of life to me, and his gift of eternal life if I believe in him.

And yet, with that knowledge that I am unworthy of any love from anyone, especially a God who is perfectly just, I am better off than he who does not have that knowledge.

I speak of the man who blissfully assumes that is all is well with the world, and he need do nothing but breathe, eat, sleep, and make love to his wife to eventually get to heaven.

And I think to describe such a man is to describe a great many people, including a great number of people who consider themselves good Christians.

For it is only through awareness of how wretched a sinner you are, that you can possibly reach the level of prostrate humility that is necessary to gain forgiveness and redemption.

I am not even including non-believers in this calculation, the people who don't even believe that sin is a relevant concept. To describe to them how far they are from the light, would be to describe the colors of the rainbow to the man born without sight -- impossible.

Didn't god let his only son die nailed to wood in what looks like a diaper to pay for your sins? In other words, relax, the sin bill has already been taken care of.

 

[Blackrook]

I know about myself that I am a wretched sinner, totally unworthy of God's gift of life to me, and his gift of eternal life if I believe in him.

And yet, with that knowledge that I am unworthy of any love from anyone, especially a God who is perfectly just, I am better off than he who does not have that knowledge.

I speak of the man who blissfully assumes that is all is well with the world, and he need do nothing but breathe, eat, sleep, and make love to his wife to eventually get to heaven.

And I think to describe such a man is to describe a great many people, including a great number of people who consider themselves good Christians.

For it is only through awareness of how wretched a sinner you are, that you can possibly reach the level of prostrate humility that is necessary to gain forgiveness and redemption.

I am not even including non-believers in this calculation, the people who don't even believe that sin is a relevant concept. To describe to them how far they are from the light, would be to describe the colors of the rainbow to the man born without sight -- impossible.

Didn't god let his only son die nailed to wood in what looks like a diaper to pay for your sins? In other words, relax, the sin bill has already been taken care of.

The sin bill is paid for those who have faith.

My faith is weak. I can't even get myself motivated to attend Mass on Sunday. I never pray, not even before meals. About the only thing I do is abstain from meat on Fridays during Lent, it's weird but there is still that holdout practice of being a Catholic.

 

[Iceweasel]

I used to be religious but it was like taking a good shit to get rid of it. I no longer think of myself as a filthy stain undeserving of air that needs a daily cleansing. It's nice to just accept the fact I'm a human that needs no validation, support group or organization to manage my life or fund.

 

[Penelope]

I know about myself that I am a wretched sinner, totally unworthy of God's gift of life to me, and his gift of eternal life if I believe in him.

And yet, with that knowledge that I am unworthy of any love from anyone, especially a God who is perfectly just, I am better off than he who does not have that knowledge.

I speak of the man who blissfully assumes that is all is well with the world, and he need do nothing but breathe, eat, sleep, and make love to his wife to eventually get to heaven.

And I think to describe such a man is to describe a great many people, including a great number of people who consider themselves good Christians.

For it is only through awareness of how wretched a sinner you are, that you can possibly reach the level of prostrate humility that is necessary to gain forgiveness and redemption.

I am not even including non-believers in this calculation, the people who don't even believe that sin is a relevant concept. To describe to them how far they are from the light, would be to describe the colors of the rainbow to the man born without sight -- impossible.

Didn't god let his only son die nailed to wood in what looks like a diaper to pay for your sins? In other words, relax, the sin bill has already been taken care of.

The sin bill is paid for those who have faith.

My faith is weak. I can't even get myself motivated to attend Mass on Sunday. I never pray, not even before meals. About the only thing I do is abstain from meat on Fridays during Lent, it's weird but there is still that holdout practice of being a Catholic.

Sounds like you are way to hard on yourself. God is not taking attendance at Mass. A good Catholic is different than being a good person. I know many Catholics as I'm sure you do as well.

 

[hobelim]

My faith is weak. I can't even get myself motivated to attend Mass on Sunday. I never pray, not even before meals. About the only thing I do is abstain from meat on Fridays during Lent, it's weird but there is still that holdout practice of being a Catholic.

Obviously you do not believe in church teachings. First of all, that does not make you bad, that does not mean that you are going to hell, its not a rejection of salvation or pissing on sweet baby Jesus.

Your torment does not stem from the lack of faith in the church it stems from the lack of faith in yourself, your own lack of balls. Grow a set and be done with pretense.

God already knows that you are faking belief. God rewards honesty not deceit.

Why would anyone believe that eating or abstaining from certain food can defile or make a person holy. Stop drinking the koolaid already. It is the reason why you are lost in confusion and despair.


Whatever it is in you that is keeping you from going to mass is the part of you that you must trust.


Be true to yourself, free yourself completely from all of the contradictory and irrational nonsense that has crippled your mind since birth and your eyes will see clearly, heaven will be opened up to you, and you will find peace.


Purify your mind from all that is false and you will see God.

 

[Bruce_T_Laney]

Matthew, I must be patient with you because it is obvious you are a man of very limited intelligence, and only a sparse knowledge of Christianity, and a very deep bias against Christianity due to your profound ignorance, which may not really be your fault, since you are rather lacking in reasoning skills.

So I will say this, your hatred of Christianity isn't based on anything real, it is only based on assumptions you make about reality which are false.

I would blame our inadequate public school system for your ignorance, but I do not know if you are, in fact, a public school graduate.

I would also blame your parents, who did not raise you correctly in an accurate understanding of how the world really works.

Leave his parents out of the conversation and you are not God nor do you speak for thy Father and have no right to past any form of Judgment on Matthew.

Worry about your sins.

 

[Mudda]

I know about myself that I am a wretched sinner, totally unworthy of God's gift of life to me, and his gift of eternal life if I believe in him.

And yet, with that knowledge that I am unworthy of any love from anyone, especially a God who is perfectly just, I am better off than he who does not have that knowledge.

I speak of the man who blissfully assumes that is all is well with the world, and he need do nothing but breathe, eat, sleep, and make love to his wife to eventually get to heaven.

And I think to describe such a man is to describe a great many people, including a great number of people who consider themselves good Christians.

For it is only through awareness of how wretched a sinner you are, that you can possibly reach the level of prostrate humility that is necessary to gain forgiveness and redemption.

I am not even including non-believers in this calculation, the people who don't even believe that sin is a relevant concept. To describe to them how far they are from the light, would be to describe the colors of the rainbow to the man born without sight -- impossible.

Didn't god let his only son die nailed to wood in what looks like a diaper to pay for your sins? In other words, relax, the sin bill has already been taken care of.

The sin bill is paid for those who have faith.

My faith is weak. I can't even get myself motivated to attend Mass on Sunday. I never pray, not even before meals. About the only thing I do is abstain from meat on Fridays during Lent, it's weird but there is still that holdout practice of being a Catholic.

If you go by your bible, it doesn't say that Jesus died for the sins of those who believe he did. Anyways, even if it did say that, I can agree with that and not believe anything else in the bible, so my sins are paid for as well.

 

[Mudda]

I know about myself that I am a wretched sinner, totally unworthy of God's gift of life to me, and his gift of eternal life if I believe in him.

And yet, with that knowledge that I am unworthy of any love from anyone, especially a God who is perfectly just, I am better off than he who does not have that knowledge.

I speak of the man who blissfully assumes that is all is well with the world, and he need do nothing but breathe, eat, sleep, and make love to his wife to eventually get to heaven.

And I think to describe such a man is to describe a great many people, including a great number of people who consider themselves good Christians.

For it is only through awareness of how wretched a sinner you are, that you can possibly reach the level of prostrate humility that is necessary to gain forgiveness and redemption.

I am not even including non-believers in this calculation, the people who don't even believe that sin is a relevant concept. To describe to them how far they are from the light, would be to describe the colors of the rainbow to the man born without sight -- impossible.

Didn't god let his only son die nailed to wood in what looks like a diaper to pay for your sins? In other words, relax, the sin bill has already been taken care of.

The sin bill is paid for those who have faith.

My faith is weak. I can't even get myself motivated to attend Mass on Sunday. I never pray, not even before meals. About the only thing I do is abstain from meat on Fridays during Lent, it's weird but there is still that holdout practice of being a Catholic.

Sounds like you are way to hard on yourself. God is not taking attendance at Mass. A good Catholic is different than being a good person. I know many Catholics as I'm sure you do as well.

God might be taking attendance at Mass, as in, one dupe, two dupes, ...

 

[Meriweather]

I know about myself that I am a wretched sinner, totally unworthy of God's gift of life to me, and his gift of eternal life if I believe in him.

And yet, with that knowledge that I am unworthy of any love from anyone, especially a God who is perfectly just, I am better off than he who does not have that knowledge.

I speak of the man who blissfully assumes that is all is well with the world, and he need do nothing but breathe, eat, sleep, and make love to his wife to eventually get to heaven.

And I think to describe such a man is to describe a great many people, including a great number of people who consider themselves good Christians.

For it is only through awareness of how wretched a sinner you are, that you can possibly reach the level of prostrate humility that is necessary to gain forgiveness and redemption.

I am not even including non-believers in this calculation, the people who don't even believe that sin is a relevant concept. To describe to them how far they are from the light, would be to describe the colors of the rainbow to the man born without sight -- impossible.

You are not a wretched sinner. You are made in the image and likeness of God. Further, the image and likeness of God is pure love. We go through life with the realization that no human conveys love to the degree achievable. Still, it is the desire of each of us to love and be loved. God alone loves us to our utmost capacity. This is captured in the Christmas/Advent hymn, Emmanuel:

Emmanuel, Emmanuel
What are we that you have loved us so well?

Argue for your limitations (I am a wretched sinner) and you get to keep them. Sin means to miss the mark. We are not perfect, but neither are we wretched. We can love and be the model of God's love to all who cross our path. There is a difference between being a wretched sinner and humbly acknowledging that the love we show to another cannot fill someone to the utmost capacity. It is a start.

Do not start the day with, "I am a wretched sinner." Rather start with the thought, "What are we that you have loved us so well?"

 

[Meriweather]

Whatever it is in you that is keeping you from going to mass is the part of you that you must trust.

No, it is not.

 

[Meriweather]

God might be taking attendance at Mass, as in, one dupe, two dupes, ...

Attendance is taken at school, not at social gatherings. Mass is a social gathering where people come together to remember and to worship God together.

 

[Mudda]

God might be taking attendance at Mass, as in, one dupe, two dupes, ...

Attendance is taken at school, not at social gatherings. Mass is a social gathering where people come together to remember and to worship God together.

You have no idea what a god may or may not be doing. At least admit that.