Man Cannot Be Suitably Moral or Good without God. Here's why:

[Meriweather]

If the Bible is not the inspired Word of God it's just a bunch of nice stories from history.

It is our ancestors and history reaching out to us, their descendants, with lessons that might prove valuable to us.

Sorry, Jane Austen doesn't have the depth of all that time and history. Nor all the experiences.

 

[Fort Fun Indiana]

It is our ancestors and history reaching out to us, their descendants, with lessons that might prove valuable to us

And when we improve upon it and learn better, we put it away, just like any other childish toy we outgrow. It should go on the shelf with alchemy texts and primitive medical texts on using leeches to cure disease.

 

[Meriweather]

But you must see the flaw in that argument… again if it was truly the word of God then it would have the ability to transcend all of that. The fact that it was all written through the filter of man makes it no different than any other writing. Take the book Siddhartha for example. A story written by man about a spiritual journey. God can be found in this writing just as potently as the Bible. Agree or no?

I have always said inspiration from God is not limited to the Bible. It could be argued there is Godly inspiration in the Constitution, Siddhartha, Budda, not to mention all the writings from the Saints. God reaches out to all.

 

[Meriweather]

I love you Meri, and i love how you post. Though I disagree heavily!

I have my point of view, and you're never going to change it, and I realize that i will never change yours.

You're a good person, regardless of how you got there.

Thank you, and right back at you. I got to where I am by seeking and finding God. I know some who say they found God via the Bible. For me it was the opposite as well. I knew Bible stories before I found God...that experience helped me to understand the Bible as it is meant to be. It is truly an amazing collection of books.

 

[Meriweather]

The most impactful things that effect how we live our lives come from interactions with others. That’s were we learn, observe and reflect on the “cause and effect” of life. Sometimes we read literature or watch movies and study other peoples experiences to learn these life lessons. This is why the Bible and church is so impactful. It merges everything and applies a focus and intent. Not a bad thing at all in it purest form. But also not the One and Only way to get there.

I believe where we agree is that there are many paths to the Way of Eternal Life. We are, after all, such unique people with different ways and perspectives. The lost shall not be left behind.

 

[Meriweather]

Well, how about if aliens were our gods?

Jesus was an alien?

 

[SweetSue92]

I believe where we agree is that there are many paths to the Way of Eternal Life. We are, after all, such unique people with different ways and perspectives. The lost shall not be left behind.

This is not a Christian teaching. I do not think you can hold to it and be Christian.

"I am the Way, the Truth and the Life. No one comes to the Father except through Me."

John 14:6

 

[Meriweather]

You're like 2 pages behind...

Each post deserves proper consideration and thought before responding (or even not responding).

 

[Meriweather]

If you can believe in the god-construct, you have to leave open the alien option.

Aliens were our gods, back from the Sumerian times. Actually they weren't "gods" they were just the Anunnaki. "Those Who From Heaven to Earth Came".

I have no real opinion on aliens. I believe in God because I did the work of seeking and therefore finding Him. And, He is no alien.

 

[Slade3200]

I have always said inspiration from God is not limited to the Bible. It could be argued there is Godly inspiration in the Constitution, Siddhartha, Budda, not to mention all the writings from the Saints. God reaches out to all.

That’s a great way of seeing it. Kuddos

 

[Feeding Crows]

What if god is an alien?

That's how I roll.

He's obviously extra-terrestrial. But what if he's not this omnipotent being, but an alien that fucks things up, just like us.

The Anunnaki.

 

[Fort Fun Indiana]

Jesus was an alien?

According to some....

Jesus from Outer Space? | Bible Interp

bibleinterp.arizona.edu

 

[Slade3200]

I believe where we agree is that there are many paths to the Way of Eternal Life. We are, after all, such unique people with different ways and perspectives. The lost shall not be left behind.

Eternal life is inherent in our existence or it isn’t. I don’t believe the way we live this life has any impact on what eternity holds for us. Our energy or soul or whatever you want to call it will either transform to another form after we die or it won’t.

 

[Meriweather]

This is not a Christian teaching. I do not think you can hold to it and be Christian.

Of course it is. Remember what Jesus said about being a good shepherd and about leaving the 99 to seek out the one that was lost. Jesus will bring the lost back to the way of Eternal Life, even if it means leaving me to do so. (I have confidence he can do both, but I would want him to leave me to find the loss when that is necessary.)

 

[Fort Fun Indiana]

Eternal life is inherent in our existence or it isn’t. I don’t believe the way we live this life has any impact on what eternity holds for us. Our energy or soul or whatever you want to call it will either transform to another form after we die or it won’t.

*or doesn't exist at all, any more than the soul of an ant or of a bacterium.

 

[Feeding Crows]

It explains a lot of shit, including your pagan gods.

 

[Vastator]

It is possible, actually, for atheists and the unreligious to be moral (yet unsaved). That is because God's law (morality) is "written on their hearts". (Hebrews 8:10). If this were not so there could be no talk of morality whatsoever.

What the Bible says is that no one seeks God apart from the Spirit.

And for the "Agnostic". I find myself quite cozy with Judeo- Christian beliefs. Yet I'm not "Christian". Why? Because the ancient sources observed, and understood human behavior. And as such.... They codified succcesful patterns of behavior for the less observant. Thus religion.

 

[Fort Fun Indiana]

I fi b d myself quite cozy with Judeo- Christian beliefs.

Like slavery? Like women as property?

"Judeo-christian values" is a con. As if the values of property ownership and "murder is bad,mmmkay" are the providence of Abrahamic religions... they aren't.

It's a con. Include all the "good" values we managed to figure out across the globe anyway, ignore all the evil horseshit.

 

[Vastator]

Like slavery? Like women as property?

"Judeo-christian values" is a con. As if the values of property ownership and "murder is bad,mmmkay" are the providence of Abrahamic religions... they aren't.

It's a con. Include all the "good" values we managed to figure out across the globe anyway, ignore all the evil horseshit.

Yes.

 

[Fort Fun Indiana]

Yes.

Right. We were dancing around the same thing.