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I am a Christian who doesn't go to church. I pray every night and believe that Jesus died for our sins and that God exists.
My question is that why do so many other Christians put down other ones that don't go to church? I have a relationship with God, too! Thanks. (link)
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Salvation is by grace alone. It's not about going to church or not going to church. However, you won't grow if you don't interact with other Christians AND you are taking away the pleasure and joy for other Christians to interact with you. Think of it this way: There's a roaring campfire. You are one of the logs. What happens if your log is taken out of the fire and laid aside? Not only will that log eventually go out, the fire itself has to work harder to keep going.
So going or not going to church doesn't mean you don't believe or aren't saved, but it's spiritually dangerous not to be part of a church.
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My mom is making me go to youthgroup.. and I hate it, and tomrrow SUNDAY i have to go to the youthgroup kick off to play "mud volleyball" to some it sounds OH SO fun but NOT TO ME, i do not want to dothat. I DONT WANT TO, and my mom said I dont have to go, but I know the next day the lady will callme, and yellat me and everything else. ANd I dont want to deal with this all AT ALL, itsmaking me so annoyed and frusterated.. cause its either I go and sit out all by myself while all the stupid kids play a dumb game and get yelled at for not participating or not go and get yelled at for not going.
UGH (link)
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WOW! I am a leader for the youth in my church and I've contacted kids who have felt the same way. In every case there has been something else that is causing it. It may have been a divorce situation, abuse of some kind, something -- They just wanted to run. Their mom and/or dad is trying to give them outlets and I try to help too. Some have felt angry and completely refuse to join in. Some started out angry and have had a heart change.
There is something more to this then going or not going to youthgroup. Grab hold of your anger about this long enough to really stop and look at yourself. What's going on? Why this attitude? Are there other things that spark such a reaction? It sounds like this is a symptom of a deeper problem. Find an adult who you can trust and talk it out. If you want, I'm only an email away.
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hi. i read another question on here about heaven and for the Christians out there..what does it take to be in heaven? i go to church, i try to be nice to people, and i pray daily but how do i know if im doing enough? =( (link)
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These things will NOT get you to heaven. The Bible says our good works are like filthy rags. We are saved by grace alone. The Bible says:
Gal 2:16 yet we know that a person is not justified by works of the law but through faith in Jesus Christ, so we also have believed in Christ Jesus, in order to be justified by faith in Christ and not by works of the law, because by works of the law no one will be justified.
And: Eph 2:8-9 For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast.
In other words, there are not enough good things you could possibly do too make it to heaven. Putting your faith in Jesus Christ is the ONLY way. It's called being born again. The Holy Spirit then lives in you. Only after a true heart change do good works count. Once you are born again, then you do good works because you ARE saved.
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Why do atheists have a problem with Christian's trying to spread their religon? They seem to always get so defensive and mean. It really bugs me because they can't have an open mind to what someone else says without flipping out. Like Christian religon says "help those who don't believe in God" or something, and the atheists just FLIP out. I've been open minded to many atheists I know and listen to what they say about it calmly without saying their opinions are dumb, but then when I mention my relgion, they say it's so stupid and get mad at me for talking about it.
Anyway, to sum it all up, you basically just need to read the first sentence. (link)
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We were created to be God's friend, but when sin entered in, that friendship was severed. God sent His son Jesus to purchase us back. Some accept God's grace and others don't. But even in the ones who reject God, there is still a yearning to know God. They have a problem with Christians spreading the Truth because they are fighting the Truth within themselves whether they are conscience of it or not. Hearing it sparks life in their spirit; life that they would rather kill than embrace.
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Okay, you probably already know this, but my best friend in the whole world is Mormon. She believes she's a Christian, but I know that Mormons are not. I also know a lot of her friends too. I am worried about them. I want to be able to tell them what is wrong with it, but I don't want to be like "I have been your friend for a whole year and I love you and by the way, you are going to hell." Cuz that would really suck. I recently made a comment on someone's site saying that I believed Mormonism to be non-Christian, as did the owner of the site. My friend has seen it, and now she wants to know what I am talking about. I really want to save my friend, but she is a strong mormon with a strong mormon background, and I don't know what to do... I hate thinking that someday I may never see her again if she were to get in a car accident or something.
Sites if you want to know more:
http://www.icubed.com/~rpoe/mormons.htm
http://www.concernedchristians.org/
http://www.leaderu.com/orgs/probe/docs/mormon1.html
http://mormonconspiracy.com/
http://www.mormon.org/
http://lds.org/
http://www.gracevestal.org/truth.htm
All of those sites may not be legit, or even helpful, but I really want to be able to do something about this. It is entirely possible that she doesn't know that she does not believe what other Christians believe. I have read so many books and such and it just kills me to know that she is involved with this and doesnt even know how bad it is.
I am not saying that Latter-day saints are bad, because most of them are really nice....I just know that their interpretation of Jesus is different and I wish there was a nice way to show them what I believe and help them.
Some of the main differences between mormons and christians:
belief that the trinity is 3 separate gods vs. the trinity is 3 persons in one god.
belief in salvation through works vs. salvation in believing in jesus christ
reguarding the book of mormon as more important than the bible vs. reguarding the bible as the only true book from god.
this has been bugging me for the last year and i really want to do something without jepordizing my friendship with her. she is curious now because of the comment on that other person's xanga.
also, if you know who i am talking about, please do not tell her i am going behind her back, because i am afraid she will be mad. i am simply trying to help her and her family and friends because i care so much about her that i never want to be uncertain of what will happen if she were to pass.... and i have a feeling that the person whose xanga i commented on will feel the same way, if not more of you....
(link)
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You have obviously studied enough about the mormon religion to have a grasp on what you are talking about. From reading your question, I sense your heart is right in this. What seems to be holding you back is the fear of upsetting your friend or even losing the friendship. I can tell you this, you WILL risk the friendship by confronting her, but if you really care about her, that risk is nothing in the light of eternity. There is no greater love than laying down your life for your friends. This can apply to laying down your own emotions to give your friend a chance to know the Truth. The Lord will make known to you the perfect time for you to open your mouth and will set it all up for you to walk in. And He will give you the words to say. Have faith and trust Him. Don't be discouraged if she gets offended. The Gospel is offensive to those who are perishing. But find joy that you have endured for the sake of Christ. Who knows, the truth might be what she is waiting for and she may embrace it with thanksgiving. You are the messenger, the Holy Spirit will do the rest.
I have had friends walk away from being friends with me only to find out later they are now servants for Christ and we are friends again.
So don't hang on to the seed. Sow it in the ground and wait patiently for the harvest. A seed has to germinate (die) for awhile before it breaks through, but water and cultivate it; allow others to water it too. God uses several people to bring a sinner to Himself. The one who plants feels they did nothing. The one who harvests feels they did everything. But the truth is, God used several people along the way and it all started with the one who loved enough to plant the seed.
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Okay, I am a catholic and christian. Have been for my whole life. I go to church every sunday, and pray every once in a while, not as much as I should. I do believe in Jesus Christ and have strong faith, but lately I have become obsessed with exorcism rituals, paranormal, and OBE's(out of body experience rituals) I have tried many times to have them and they actually work. Sometimes I feel like something is trying to enter my body when I do this, but before hand I come out of it like Im fighting it off.. I am scared that I could possibly one day become possesed myself. After I saw the movie The exorcism of Emily Rose it really made me intrested...so I am asking is this wrong and what can I do to stop this before I get deeper in? (link)
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This is very serious. You are in a full all out war for your soul and you can't let the evil one win.
You say you called out the name of Jesus and it didn't work. I don't know what you expected to happen, but Jesus isn't going to wave a wand and make this all go away. He has the power to do that, but you have choices to make to access that power. Here is what the Bible says about conquering spiritual warfare:
Eph 6:11-17 Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil. For we do not wrestle against flesh and
blood, but against the rulers, against the
authorities, against the cosmic powers over this
present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm. Stand therefore, having fastened on the belt of truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness, and, as shoes for your feet, having put on the readiness given by the gospel of peace. In all circumstances take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming darts of the evil one; and take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God,
The Belt of Truth is Jesus...Jesus is Truth. The breastplate of righteousness covers your heart. Cover your heart, protect it. Peace on your feet means walk in God's promises and you will have peace. In ALL circumstances take up the shield of faith....that means even this requires faith. Your faith will act as a shield against the arrows being thrown at you. The helmet of salvation protects your mind. The sword of the Spirit or the Word stabs satan, so get in the Word of God and start stabbing the evil one by speaking it.
You say you are a Christian, so I am assuming you are born again; that you found salvation through Jesus' sacrifice on the cross. And you believe He is the only way to heaven. Not by works or praying to Mary or going to church or anything else, just God's grace through Jesus. If this is you, then you have all the power you need to fight the thoughts satan is planting in your mind. Satan can't make you do anything; he can only influence you and try his darndest to get you to choose him over Jesus. Don't let him get you; choose Jesus!
When Jesus was in the desert being tempted by the devil, He fought off the voice of satan with scripture. You must get into the Word of God and read, Read, and READ. Pray for the Holy Spirit to show you. Here is a scripture verse that you can use as a weapon. Say it over and over again. The evil one can't stand the Word of God:
2 Corinthians 10:5 We destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God and take every thought captive to make it obey Christ.
Stay in contact with me if you want. I'd be glad to do what I can.
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Mademoiselle, I think you should take Christianity more seriously. Christianity is not only about worshipping God. A good Christian is accepting of everyone, including Buddhists, hence your response "A false religion." Period. And you shouldn't try and convince Atheists like me to become Christians. If you like God, that's good for you. But you have to be accepting of other people's ideas of God. I'm not a Christian anymore, but I do remember in Sunday School a proverb in our Children's Bible: "Treat others as you'd like to be treated." Why don't you try that for a change?
(link)
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hmm...Christian literally means "follower of Christ". If you remember back in Sunday school, all the bible stories; you will recall that Jesus CHRIST loved all people, but He did not condone their sin. He brought them truth...He made a way for them not to spend eternity in hell by dieing on the cross and on the third day rising again. Jesus said, and I quote, "I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life. No one comes to the Father except by Me."
I do treat others as I would like to be treated. I love the sinner and pray for their heart to turn toward the Truth. Years ago, someone loved me enough to point me toward the truth of Christ. I thank God for them. I will pray that God's mercy will fall on you.
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I have a friend, well he's actually a sisters friend, but I would also consider him my friend and I'm sure he would do the same. He's in 9th grade and I'm in 10th. One day while we were out we were on the topic of God and he said he didnt believe in God. He says he thinks Jesus existed but that he was just a normal guy. He said if God existed then he wouldn't have diabetes.
Now I want to educate him about God and help him accept him into his life. I feel it is my duty as a Christian to guide him to a better life with God, because you are supposed to help the people who don't believe. He is a really sweet boy, and I told him that I was going to teach him and he said "you can try but it won't happen" so if he said I could try I'm going to make every effort too!
My problem is I don't know how to approach it. How should I start off with this teaching and showing? I've considered asking my pastor but I decided to come here first. Thanks for any help! (link)
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Jesus commisioned us to reach the world with the Truth -- Jesus is Truth. The Bible says that TODAY is the day of salvation and the Bible also says, "Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of God." Bless you for loving Jesus so much that you are willing to step out into this opportunity He has laid before you.
You will have to address the diabetes issue because that seems to be what he is angry about. I don't know how much you know about the Bible or how philosophical you want to get, but feel free to send specific questions to my column. And if your pastor is a bible believing pastor, by all means I encourage you to talk to him.
Generally speaking though,the best way I have found to present the need for Jesus is to ask questions. Something like this: Have you ever lied? Have you ever hated someone? Have you ever taken something that wasn't yours regardless of the value? (If they are honest, they will say yes to these questions) Then you say: So you admit that you are a lying murderous thief. Well, according to the Bible.....Then you challenge them on what the Bible says about sin. When they have heard why they need a Savior, it will be easier for you to offer them the hope in Christ. A doctor doesn't offer a solution to a person's illness without first explaining what the illness is.
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Behe uses the example of the mousetrap to illustrate his idea of "irreducible complexity". He says that if any part of a mousetrap is removed, it ceases to function as a mousetrap. But his error is in the idea that the "purpose" of the changing organ must remain the same. For instance, if we remove the spring in a mousetrap, it no longer functions to catch mice, but it could still be used as a paper weight or a paper clip of some sort. So, you see, Behe thinks that things like cells are irreducibly complex because if you remove any part of it, it ceases to function in the way it functions now. He neglects to realize that it may have functioned in an entirely different way. Behe has pretty much conceded this point. For more in-depth reading on this subject, visit www.talkorigins.com. I assure you that evolution is not a theory in jeopardy and that Behe's and Dembski's arguments are not taken seriously by any biologist. They are taken seriously mostly by lay-people or people who are not in the field of biology. Notice that their books are not peer-reviewed and are found on bookshelves in places like Borders, not in Scientific journals.
Not only that, but the design argument is inherently flawed, and I noticed you ignored this point I made. If something complex must have been "designed" by something with intelligence, then it stands to reason that the intelligent thing was also designed. This means that there is an infinite regress of designers. Dembski, for instance, claims that aliens could have designed life. But who designed the aliens? And who designed the designers of the aliens? In short, if we agree that the progression has to stop somewhere and doesn't stretch into infinity, it stands to reason that ONE life form developed from something that ISN'T complex!
Also, please note that Behe's arguments AGAINST evolution are not arguments FOR design. He is committing a logical fallacy if he thinks the choices are either between evolution or design, for their could be some other naturalistic force that explains things. Not only that, but Behe and Dembski and all the other folks at the Discovery institute have not produced ONE scientific paper or any predictions that would be entailed by the theory. Their "theory" isn't even a theory in the scientific sense. It is a hypothesis that hasn't been validated at all. For an example, let's say I noticed a problem in the theory of gravity (there are many problems, actually, if you wish to look them up on Google you may find some). Now, I then say, because this is a devastating problem for the theory of gravity, magical fairies MUST cause things to fall! Notice how the magical fairies aren't validated by refuting the previous theory. The magical fairies theory needs to be established for itself.
You also said that the probability of a life-sustaining universe arising by pure chance is zero. This is simply not true. It is possible for life to arise by chance, so therefore the probability is obviously not ZERO.
Now, it is important to recognize that this is assuming that the universe arose PURELY from chance. However, very few things can be said to be purely a matter of chance. For instance, in my example of birth, I said it would be nearly impossible for someone to have existed by chance. However, when sperm are swimming towards an egg, obviously the best swimmer is more likely to reach the egg, and the best burrower is likely to get into the egg, so it isn't a matter of PURE chance. Likewise with the universe forming. There may be certain characteristics of certain things that made a life sustaining universe more likely.
However, all this talk of the origin of the universe is speculation, and wholly unfounded. We do not know enough about the origin of the universe to make any "odds" for something occuring, because we don't know if things were caused purely by chance, by some force, or by God, or by some other process. The odds are based on the assumption that things formed by pure chance...but even still they are a bit off...because we don't have a full understanding of all the variables in order to create an adequate probability measurement. Frankly, we have no reason to suppose either God exists or doesn't exist from this.
For instance, if someone got a seven or an eleven in twenty dice tosses in a row, we could assume that this was not a result of pure chance. However, we do not have access to the dice he was using, nor the table he was throwing the dice on, nor do we have any access to a theory of one person that "God made the dice do it". Now, it is POSSIBLE that God made the dice fall that way by his intention, or that the dice or the table were made in such a way to make the result of seven or eleven more common. Perhaps the dice only had threes and fours on each side. Or fives and sixes. Perhaps they were weighted. We don't know, so it could either be God or the natural explanation of the dice. It could also have been chance! We wouldn't think so, but it is possible. For instance, what if the dice tossing were a competition, where there are rounds of dice tossing. Whoever wins the first round of the dice toss plays the winner of another bracket. Obviously, if their are twenty rounds, the winner who progessed will have won TWENTY times, purely by chance...and a twenty-time winner would be GUARANTEED by the game set up.
Obviously, my dice example shows why it is wrong to make an assumption about the dice without any reason. At any rate, most people would be inclined to assume the tournament explanation or the loaded dice explanation, not the God explanation. I wonder why? Probably because we can validate and test whether dice are loaded, or the outcomes of a tournament, but can't predict or test anything about the God hypothesis.
I notice you often criticize me for believing in certain things like the universe arising from chance. I must state here that I don't believe this. I don't believe anything about how the universe formed, because there is not enough information. By supposing God created the universe, you are creating what is called a "God of gaps". You fill the gaps in our knowledge with God and stop there. However, you never know what further things we may discover about the universe, so your judgment is much too soon, just as it would be much too soon for me to assume some force created the universe in its present state without any reason to suppose what sort of force it was.
To sum up, we are not in a position to make any claims about what caused the universe to form in this way, be it from a God, from chance, or from a force.
Next, refuting evolution does not establish the idea of design. Even if evolution were wrong, there could be some OTHER naturalistic force to account for the origin of life. In fact, because the design argument implies an infinite regress, it stands to reason that, if there is to be a "first designer" that this designer was caused by something less complex. Simply pointing out complexity is not good enough, obviously.
Not only that, but the theory of evolution can and does adequately explain away the design hypothesis. It is the unifying theory of biology, constantly validated by observations in embryology, genetics, fossil records, and virually every other field of biology. The design argument is not ever validated by these fields. In fact, it cannot be validated, because it makes no specific predictions. The design hypothesis would account for ANY anomaly, so it absolutely could not be falsified through an observation of life. Evolution, however, could potentially be falsified by observing an organism with a trait not possessed by its ancestors, or by the existence of a true chimera of some sort. There are all sorts of other potential falsifications, too.
Again, you have not made a case that advocates design, but which criticizes evolution and the idea that the universe arose from pure, random chance. This does not automatically establish design. To say "It's either evolution or design" or "It's either random chance or design" is much too limiting and intellectually dishonest, for you would be needlessly eliminating countless other possibilities, and your conclusion would be based only on this neglectfulness.
Please note that my position is merely that we have no good reason to believe in God. I am not asserting that the universe formed by chance, or that I believe in some natural force without reason. I don't know how the universe formed. All I know is there is no reason to suppose God must have been the force to create the universe. With evolution, however, I am pretty certain that life did evolve only because it is supported by immense amounts of evolution. Behe's, Dembski's, and all the other "intelligent design" critiques of evolution are based on misunderstandings of the process for the most part, and are politically motivated rather than motivated by a search for unbiased truth. (link)
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You wrote: Behe uses the example of the mousetrap to illustrate his idea of "irreducible complexity". He says that if any part of a mousetrap is removed, it ceases to function as a mousetrap. But his error is in the idea that the "purpose" of the changing organ must remain the same. For instance, if we remove the spring in a mousetrap, it no longer functions to catch mice, but it could still be used as a paper weight or a paper clip of some sort. So, you see, Behe thinks that things like cells are irreducibly complex because if you remove any part of it, it ceases to function in the way it functions now. He neglects to realize that it may have functioned in an entirely different way. Behe has pretty much conceded this point. For more in-depth reading on this subject, visit www.talkorigins.com. I assure you that evolution is not a theory in jeopardy and that Behe's and Dembski's arguments are not taken seriously by any biologist. They are taken seriously mostly by lay-people or people who are not in the field of biology. Notice that their books are not peer-reviewed and are found on bookshelves in places like Borders, not in Scientific journals.
Response: You are misinformed. Recently over 400 scientist (not lay people) signed a dissent to Darwinian evolution. You seem to be several years behind on this discussion. Several States are considering changing their science standards to include the obvious flaws of the theory of evolution, as Kansas has already done. The books written by various intelligent design people are for general consumption. Scientific research and papers have also been written by these same scientist and in some case have been peer reviewed and published. Take note of the Smithsonian controversy. You are also flawed in your thinking about irreducible complexity. One of the principles is that there are too many functional parts of complex organism to allow for use in other purposes and there is no scientic means for the re-organization to take place. These questions have never been addressed by the evolutionists. There is an excellent DVD called "Unlocking The Mistery Of Life" that you would do well to view so as to understand the science behind ID. It may also give you some insight into your false notion that there are no other scientist that believe this way.
You wrote: Not only that, but the design argument is inherently flawed, and I noticed you ignored this point I made. If something complex must have been "designed" by something with intelligence, then it stands to reason that the intelligent thing was also designed. This means that there is an infinite regress of designers. Dembski, for instance, claims that aliens could have designed life. But who designed the aliens? And who designed the designers of the aliens? In short, if we agree that the progression has to stop somewhere and doesn't stretch into infinity, it stands to reason that ONE life form developed from something that ISN'T complex!
Response: I did address this in the previous correspondence but you must have missed it. First, evolution cannot answer this dilema in any fashion. Evolution cannot even answer the question of how non-life became life. The idea of aliens does not answer the question and Dembski does not try to answer the question. The answer is simply and clearing answered in understanding that the God of the Bible is an uncreated being who is the creator and first cause. This in not necessarily a point in ID theory but it is the only logical conclusion one can come to when a thorough study of the Bible, the evidence and creation are taken into account. I would refer to Josh McDowell's book "Evidence That Demands a Verdict" or Lee Strobel's book "The Case For The Creator".
You Wrote: Also, please note that Behe's arguments AGAINST evolution are not arguments FOR design. He is committing a logical fallacy if he thinks the choices are either between evolution or design, for their could be some other naturalistic force that explains things. Not only that, but Behe and Dembski and all the other folks at the Discovery institute have not produced ONE scientific paper or any predictions that would be entailed by the theory. Their "theory" isn't even a theory in the scientific sense. It is a hypothesis that hasn't been validated at all. For an example, let's say I noticed a problem in the theory of gravity (there are many problems, actually, if you wish to look them up on Google you may find some). Now, I then say, because this is a devastating problem for the theory of gravity, magical fairies MUST cause things to fall! Notice how the magical fairies aren't validated by refuting the previous theory. The magical fairies theory needs to be established for itself.
Response: You are only correct in assumming that their writing are limited to these two books mentioned. In fact, there are numerous affirmative arguments in favor or ID and the theory is more advanced than the hypoothesis of evolution. Perhaps a little more reading on your part would be in order. Magic fairies are not part of the theory by the way.
You Wrote: You also said that the probability of a life-sustaining universe arising by pure chance is zero. This is simply not true. It is possible for life to arise by chance, so therefore the probability is obviously not ZERO.
Response: And where is the evidence for your statement? It certainly does not exist in scientific literature.
You wrote: Now, it is important to recognize that this is assuming that the universe arose PURELY from chance. However, very few things can be said to be purely a matter of chance. For instance, in my example of birth, I said it would be nearly impossible for someone to have existed by chance. However, when sperm are swimming towards an egg, obviously the best swimmer is more likely to reach the egg, and the best burrower is likely to get into the egg, so it isn't a matter of PURE chance. Likewise with the universe forming. There may be certain characteristics of certain things that made a life sustaining universe more likely.
Response: And those things are? Evolutionary theory offers no solution to these questions other than "magical fairies" or just as foolish "random chance". Design demands a designer.
You wrote: However, all this talk of the origin of the universe is speculation, and wholly unfounded. We do not know enough about the origin of the universe to make any "odds" for something occuring, because we don't know if things were caused purely by chance, by some force, or by God, or by some other process. The odds are based on the assumption that things formed by pure chance...but even still they are a bit off...because we don't have a full understanding of all the variables in order to create an adequate probability measurement. Frankly, we have no reason to suppose either God exists or doesn't exist from this.
Response: This is not true. The existence of the God of the Bible is evidence in creation's complexity and in the supportability of the Bible through verification.
You wrote: For instance, if someone got a seven or an eleven in twenty dice tosses in a row, we could assume that this was not a result of pure chance. However, we do not have access to the dice he was using, nor the table he was throwing the dice on, nor do we have any access to a theory of one person that "God made the dice do it". Now, it is POSSIBLE that God made the dice fall that way by his intention, or that the dice or the table were made in such a way to make the result of seven or eleven more common. Perhaps the dice only had threes and fours on each side. Or fives and sixes. Perhaps they were weighted. We don't know, so it could either be God or the natural explanation of the dice. It could also have been chance! We wouldn't think so, but it is possible. For instance, what if the dice tossing were a competition, where there are rounds of dice tossing. Whoever wins the first round of the dice toss plays the winner of another bracket. Obviously, if their are twenty rounds, the winner who progessed will have won TWENTY times, purely by chance...and a twenty-time winner would be GUARANTEED by the game set up.
Obviously, my dice example shows why it is wrong to make an assumption about the dice without any reason. At any rate, most people would be inclined to assume the tournament explanation or the loaded dice explanation, not the God explanation. I wonder why? Probably because we can validate and test whether dice are loaded, or the outcomes of a tournament, but can't predict or test anything about the God hypothesis.
Response: This is a good case against evolution since none of the theory of macro-evolution can be tested or reproduced in the laboratory. It is not such a good argument against God existence since proof has been left. I would again refer you to the earlier mentioned books.
You wrote: I notice you often criticize me for believing in certain things like the universe arising from chance. I must state here that I don't believe this. I don't believe anything about how the universe formed, because there is not enough information. By supposing God created the universe, you are creating what is called a "God of gaps". You fill the gaps in our knowledge with God and stop there. However, you never know what further things we may discover about the universe, so your judgment is much too soon, just as it would be much too soon for me to assume some force created the universe in its present state without any reason to suppose what sort of force it was.
Response: Good point for your conclusions or lack thereof. Not a good point in regard to God since we have the evidence before us with high probabilities of likelihood. Just because you haven't studied them does not mean the proofs do not exist.
You wrote: To sum up, we are not in a position to make any claims about what caused the universe to form in this way, be it from a God, from chance, or from a force.
Next, refuting evolution does not establish the idea of design. Even if evolution were wrong, there could be some OTHER naturalistic force to account for the origin of life. In fact, because the design argument implies an infinite regress, it stands to reason that, if there is to be a "first designer" that this designer was caused by something less complex. Simply pointing out complexity is not good enough, obviously.
Response: The first cause must be more complex in order to create complexity, not less complex. Your reasoning is not logical here.
You wrote: Not only that, but the theory of evolution can and does adequately explain away the design hypothesis. It is the unifying theory of biology, constantly validated by observations in embryology, genetics, fossil records, and virually every other field of biology. The design argument is not ever validated by these fields. In fact, it cannot be validated, because it makes no specific predictions. The design hypothesis would account for ANY anomaly, so it absolutely could not be falsified through an observation of life. Evolution, however, could potentially be falsified by observing an organism with a trait not possessed by its ancestors, or by the existence of a true chimera of some sort. There are all sorts of other potential falsifications, too.
Response: These are not falsifications of evolutionary theory. The theory demand new species come from existing species. This cannot be falsified. Part of the need for evolution to be replaced is that it does not coincide with any of the fields you mention, especially the fossil records which have no transitional forms. Darwin made this a cornerstone of his argument for evolution.
You wrote: Again, you have not made a case that advocates design, but which criticizes evolution and the idea that the universe arose from pure, random chance. This does not automatically establish design. To say "It's either evolution or design" or "It's either random chance or design" is much too limiting and intellectually dishonest, for you would be needlessly eliminating countless other possibilities, and your conclusion would be based only on this neglectfulness.
Response: I didn't make that case. I simply showed you that ID answers many of the questions better than evolution and is supported by the evidence.
You wrote: Please note that my position is merely that we have no good reason to believe in God. I am not asserting that the universe formed by chance, or that I believe in some natural force without reason. I don't know how the universe formed. All I know is there is no reason to suppose God must have been the force to create the universe. With evolution, however, I am pretty certain that life did evolve only because it is supported by immense amounts of evolution. Behe's, Dembski's, and all the other "intelligent design" critiques of evolution are based on misunderstandings of the process for the most part, and are politically motivated rather than motivated by a search for unbiased truth.
Response: What could possibly be there political motivation. They are tenured professors at universities. They are heavily criticized and ostracized by their colleagues. Who would want this. The evolution insiders have the motivation of maintaining their position in the hierarchy as well and not having to believe in a god. Your statements about evolution are badly misinformed. Please present one scientific fact that supports macro-evolution.
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The following questions are not really being asked so that I can be advised about my own beliefs, but rather to (hopefully) stimulate discussion.
Anyway, my first question is this:
Many people believe that God must exist because the universe itself exists. In essence, they believe that the universe was caused by something, and that cause was God. The argument assumes three things. 1. It assumes existence is necessarily caused. 2. It assumes that existence was caused by a conscious, intelligent being.
Now, it seems to me that the idea that the cause is conscious and intelligent, and even a being, is open to question. Maybe the cause is some transcendant FORCE? The first assumption, as well, is questionable. No one is sure if we have every really observed existence being caused. We have seen things change forms, but not pop into existence. Not only that, but theories in quantum physics hold that subatomic particles often appear out of nowhere, with no cause. Many events in the subatomic realm are said to be uncaused. This seems to openly refute the first assumption.
Do you agree or disagree with this? Discuss.
The second argument I'd like to make is in regards to the other big argument for God, that being the argument of design. It basically states that because life is so complex, it couldn't have arisen from chance and it had to be designed.
My objections to this are as follows:
1. If complex life must have been designed by some intelligent force, then the designer (being intelligent) must also have been designed. The designers would have to go back into an infinite regression. This is hardly a plausible idea, because it needlessly multiplies entities without any reason for supposing their existence.
2. The theory of evolution shows how life can evolve from simpler organisms without any intentional design. This is not caused by 'random chance', but by the forces of natural selection, genetic drift, and sexual selection, among others. None of these selection mechanisms are "random". The mutations are random, but the species that survive are not chosen at random.
Is there an adequate way to defend the design theory against these arguments? How would you do so?
Another common argument (this is the last one) is that, given the Big Bang theory, the chances of this specific life-supporting universe originating have such small odds of happening that it seems absurd to say it happened by pure chance.
My objections:
1. Simply because the probability is very low for this given universe doesn't mean that it is IMPOSSIBLE for the universe to form this way by chance.
2. If we were to emphasize the chances of a universe being created that had, say, a lot of big, gaseous planets like jupiter and very few like Earth, this would also be very improbable. The point is that emphasizing life seems arbitrary. Any other possible outcome would be just as improbable.
3. Your own existence is very improbable as well. Think about it. You were composed of a specific sperm out of millions and a specific egg out of thousands. Your parents, grand-parents, and all your other ancestors for however old humans have been around were also subject to this very low probability of being born. If we factor in the chance of each of your relatives meeting and the chances of them having sex at a particular time, the chances become even lower for your own existence. Given all these variables (and there are many more), the chances of your existence are VERY improbable. Does this mean that you weren't created through sexual reproduction (a process of "random" selection among sperm and eggs) but that some being--maybe a stork?--guided you into existence?
Obviously, the fine-tuning argument fails for the reasons the stork argument fails. Do you agree or disagree? Why or why not?
Feel free to pick and choose objects of discussion. Hopefully there will be some interesting responses to give me something to think about! (link)
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You wrote: Now, it seems to me that the idea that the cause is conscious and intelligent, and even a being, is open to question. Maybe the cause is some transcendant FORCE? The first assumption, as well, is questionable. No one is sure if we have every really observed existence being caused. We have seen things change forms, but not pop into existence. Not only that, but theories in quantum physics hold that subatomic particles often appear out of nowhere, with no cause. Many events in the subatomic realm are said to be uncaused. This seems to openly refute the first assumption.Do you agree or disagree with this? Discuss.
Response: If there is a picture there is a painter, if there is a building there is a builder. Design demands a designer. Theories of something coming from nothing and of the chaotic self-organizing take a lot more faith than recognizing the complexity of creation and coming to the obvious conclusion that there is a designer.
You Wrote: The second argument I'd like to make is in regards to the other big argument for God, that being the argument of design. It basically states that because life is so complex, it couldn't have arisen from chance and it had to be designed.
My objections to this are as follows:
1. If complex life must have been designed by some intelligent force, then the designer (being intelligent) must also have been designed. The designers would have to go back into an infinite regression. This is hardly a plausible idea, because it needlessly multiplies entities without any reason for supposing their existence.
Response: There must be a "first cause" that is not designed. That first cause would need to transcend that which is designed. The complexity of life does demand a designer, thus, the theory of "irreducible complexity" propagated by Michael Behe, the biochemist at Lehigh University. There are also factors that demand a design (and therefore, a designer)inference. William Demski has written extensively about this in his book with the same title.
You Wrote: 2. The theory of evolution shows how life can evolve from simpler organisms without any intentional design. This is not caused by 'random chance', but by the forces of natural selection, genetic drift, and sexual selection, among others. None of these selection mechanisms are "random". The mutations are random, but the species that survive are not chosen at random. Is there an adequate way to defend the design theory against these arguments? How would you do so?
Response: Evolutionary theory is a theory and no more. It offers little explanation for the initiation of life. The mechanisms for change that you have mentioned are wholly inadequate to accomplish new speciation. There is no mechanism in evolutionary theory that can cause genetic information transfer that would allow the diversity seen in the natural world. Intelligent design answers these questions without necessarily identifying the designer. Creationism identifies the designer as the God of the Bible. Evolution was a viable theory 150 years ago when the complexity of micro-chemistry was unknown but is not longer viable.
You Wrote: Another common argument (this is the last one) is that, given the Big Bang theory, the chances of this specific life-supporting universe originating have such small odds of happening that it seems absurd to say it happened by pure chance.
My objections:
1. Simply because the probability is very low for this given universe doesn't mean that it is IMPOSSIBLE for the universe to form this way by chance.
Response: The probability is near zero. You seem to place more faith in impossible odds than in allowing the evidence to lead to rational conclusions. The probability of organic life arising from inorganic life is zero.
You wrote: 2. If we were to emphasize the chances of a universe being created that had, say, a lot of big, gaseous planets like jupiter and very few like Earth, this would also be very improbable. The point is that emphasizing life seems arbitrary.
Response: Any other possible outcome would be just as improbable. You make the case for design, not evolution. The earth is unique in its ability to sustain life. The likelihood of life arising on its own is irrationally impossible. The better paradigm, that fits the evidence is that the earth was specifically designed for life to be sustained.
You Wrote: 3. Your own existence is very improbable as well. Think about it. You were composed of a specific sperm out of millions and a specific egg out of thousands. Your parents, grand-parents, and all your other ancestors for however old humans have been around were also subject to this very low probability of being born. If we factor in the chance of each of your relatives meeting and the chances of them having sex at a particular time, the chances become even lower for your own existence. Given all these variables (and there are many more), the chances of your existence are VERY improbable. Does this mean that you weren't created through sexual reproduction (a process of "random" selection among sperm and eggs) but that some being--maybe a stork?--guided you into existence?
Response: God says that he gave each of us life and birth at a specific point in time and a specific place (Acts 17:26). The chances of things happening that you just mentioned are much better than the chance of evolution being true. They are still improbable but that tends toward an inference of design. There is much research and documentation on this including the books mentioned earlier. You again are making a case that strongly advocates design. Hopefully you really will think about this and not just try to play the intellectual bantering game.
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hey...well within the last year i have become christian. but lately i have been having my doubts. i have depression, and have had it for about 2 years now. i pray so much but i dont seem to be making any progress to becoming happier. i dont understand why my prayers arent getting answered. (link)
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Happiness comes from outside circumstances and is temporary. Joy comes from within and is eternal. God has not promised you will feel happier if you are a Christian and all your circumstances will suddenly change. He may change them, but what God is interested in is changing YOU – inspite of your circumstances. It's how you look at your circumstance that makes the difference. If you have truly accepted Jesus as Lord and Savior, you have the Holy Spirit living inside you – guiding and directing you. You have the power of heaven inside you right now! There is no greater thing than that. Read your bible; hang on to your faith no matter what, because you KNOW you have found truth. The enemy (satan) will try and steal it from you, but don't let him. He's a bully that is trying to get you back into his kingdom of darkness. He has lost you and he's mad about it. Think about it, if satan is that mad he must know how powerful you could be in the kingdom of God. He wouldn't waste his time trying to pull back a nobody. Jesus loves you SO much and all of heaven is rejoicing because YOU are saved. Have faith and allow the Spirit to work in you. You will grow and learn beyond what you could ever imagine! You will find joy!
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Hi. I'm a 16 year old girl and I have a huge problem. I often times wonder about God. I'm sure that I believe in him but at times I have doubts...is that normal? And also, is it true that God has a plan for everyone and some people are bound to go to hell? (link)
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Funnycide laid it out very well. I will just add that the God of the Bible has a plan for everyone, but because satan (the enemy of God) doesn't want anyone to call out to God and accept His Son Jesus as their Savior, satan casts doubt and tries to confuse people. We are all in the middle of a spiritual battle that rages around us constantly. We can't see it, but it's there. It's obvious from your question that you are experiencing this battle personally.
Seek God by reading the Bible and asking for understanding. There is a plan for your life. Don't choose to be one of the many going to hell because you believed satan's lies. Seek truth. 'k?
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Ok so my best guy friends are freshman and im a sophmore and all i can say is that i love them more then life itself. i would seriously do anything for them. well they just became freshman so they will be moving up in my youth group at church,and they will be with me more.my friend adrienne(who is also a freshman)and i are kinda like leaders in our grade. and my guys friends(the freshman) are known to sometimes talk during service and they just pretty much dont care about it. my friend adrienne and i have gotten in trouble many times because of them talkin but we love them so much we just defend them. so we are trying to decide whether or not we need to still sit with them in church , because we are scared that they might bring us down. please let me emphasize how much i love this guys the thought of telling them that i wont sit with them brings almost brings me to tears. im just really stumped i need help please (link)
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What I got from your question is that maybe you're not as concerned about what they're doing as why they are doing it. Are you concerned their spiritual life is in danger and defending them will get them to not leave? Are afraid if they did walk away they would drag you with them? If this is the case, you need to be the example (leader). If you love them that much, risk the friendship by doing the right thing. It will make you even better friends down the road. Talk to them about, sit somewhere else if you have too, but most of all, pray for their hearts to be open to listen to what's being taught.
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ok so in 3 days i leave my dad u see him and my mom are divorced and well i visit him every summer now that the summer is almost over. well i am goin back to my mom. but i am a male so it is hard for me to say goodbye to him ever since i was little sain bye killed me but as i aged and got older it got harder. i pray to god to protect my dad so i may see him again. and i ask for me to be safe while taking the plane. and then i ask y does my heart hurt so much. now it is about 3 days till i leave here. and i am not ready to leave because at the age i am now 15 my heart needs my dad. my question is well what are some versus i can look into to help me with my heartache. and if u all would pray for me to have a safe trip and to be able to handle my heartache with passion and with out guilt cause i always feel like it is my fault. i am apodted and since i didn't know my real parents and my real dad the dad i have here is the closest thing i have and withouth him i am a lone or so it feels like
thny
monn (link)
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Oh....Monn, This has got to be so hard. I'm sorry you're hurting. Your parents divorce is NOT your fault. I can't say I know what it's like to be a young person struggling with such load to bear -- I don't. But I do know the Lord wants to help you through it. Here is a link to down load various versions of the bible: http://www.esword.com Once downloaded, you only have to type in a word like comfort or encouragement and it will bring up every passage in the bible that talks about those things. I know the Word will get you through. I'll pray for you.
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What is the differnece between Catholic, Lutheren and Christian religions? I want to know about the differences befor i pick one. (link)
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Catholic, Lutheran and etc. are mainstream, religious churches. A Christian is something a person is - not an organized religion. Being a Christian means you know Jesus as your personal Lord and Savior and have a desire to walk in truth. It's not a matter of picking a religious church; it's a matter of seeking where truth is taught. The Bible is truth. Read the Bible yourself so you have an idea of what the Bible has to say.
Most of the mainstream religious churches peddle the "if it FEELS good, it must be right" or "I'm a good person, so I'll be in heaven" philosophies. It has twisted the bible with man made traditions and called it truth. The Bible is truth. And there are many things in the Bible that don't FEEL good.
Let's say your house started on fire. That doesn't FEEL good to know your house is on fire, but the truth is, it's on fire. Or you may do and say many nice, wonderful things like Mother Teresa, but even Mother Teresa needed Jesus.
What I am saying is you may find a few genuine bible believing Christians in the organized religion churches like Catholic, Lutheran and etc. You may find that some of these organized religion churches really teach biblical truth, but don't pick one based on anything except that biblical truth is taught there.
Your question sounds like you are a person longing to understand the truth so, I suggest starting at a Fellowship or Free Church. You have a better chance of these churches teaching from the Bible.
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I always feel as though when I talk to people I bore them or like burden them.. I feel as though everyone wishes I wouldnt be here or something.. I mean nobody really cares about me! Sometimes I feel really like i dont even speak the same language or something.. My life isnt going anywhere! I feel as though i am always doing things wrong and whats the point of even trying.. All the hope and wishes (i dont believe in anymore). there isnt any point.. I might be depressed I dont know but.. I cant seem to get this feeling to leave me.. How can I feel better? Is there any solution or anything? (link)
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Oh...I know how that feels. Your seeking an answer to fill an emptiness that just won't get filled no matter how hard you try. Let me tell you what's NOT the answer. The answer is NOT sucide, NOT self esteam, NOT meeting more people, NOT therapy, NOT drugs, NOT getting a pet. These things are like bandaids on a gushing severed limb....in otherwords, the are of no help. I am going to give you the answer and I urge you to step out and push through or you will be in this whirlpool until it sucks you down completely.
You want your life to go somewhere, you want victory over these feeling and thoughts, then turn to Jesus Christ. Jesus is the answer. You may be asking how I know that....well....I was right where you are, but I'm not anymore. I wanted PEOPLE to fill the emptiness. The more I desired to be filled the more I sought people. The more I sought people, the more discouraged I got. The more discouraged I got the more I felt people didn't want me around. I was looking to fill an emptiness that only Jesus can. I don't know how much you know about the Bible, if anything, but I encourage you to get a Bible and start reading in the book of John. You will learn and see the awesome love God has for you. The first step will be hard, but once you make the decision and read it, the words will become food to your spirit and you will feel the nourisment in your soul.
Ask me any question you would like about what you read. I will be glad to help you.
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Why should people become Christains? Like what iss the purpose in it? (link)
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God is a triune God. He is made up of three persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. We are made in God's image: soul, body, and spirit. When God created man (which includes woman - man with a womb) He made them perfect. He gave them a free will to make their own choices. The first man and woman (Adam and Eve) chose to sin (disobey God) and were then doomed to eternal punishment. But God loved people so much that he sent His son Jesus to die - to shed His blood to redeem people. Jesus died for all, but it is still each person's choice to accept His sacrifice. Those who do not accept Jesus will spend eternity in punishment. Those who do accept Jesus will spend eternity in heaven. There is no other way. That's it.
I am a Christian. The word Christian means "Follower of Christ". Christ means "Anointed One". Jesus is God's anointed one who God sent. In other words, God came to earth to save YOU because He loves you SOOOO much. To follow a different way is slapping God in the face and rejecting Him.
Those who are not Christian think that if someone calls them self a Christian they are claiming to be perfect. That is not true. What makes a Christian different is they are forgiven; not perfect. If the people who claim to be Christians have the blood of Jesus covering their sin, only then are they forgiven and a TRUE follower of Christ.
Having said all that, to answer your question: The purpose of being Christian is to serve the God who created you. One can only do that through the blood of Jesus. For those who desire real purpose in life, they choose to believe because only then will they see. That's called faith. You don't have to take my word for it. Get a bible and read what God has to say. Start in the book of John. As you seek truth, God will meet you and give you understanding.
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you are an amazing person...i can tell! you have brought so much hope to me! God bless you!
~*LAUREN*~
(link)
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Thank you for your kind words, Lauren! What an encouragement to know the Lord has used me to touch your life. May His blessing be upon you as well.
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does anyone think its bad to bring your bible to school or stuff like that? I mean my friend does and i want to but am scared someone might hurt me because of it! but i really LOVE god and want to like spread him with people but am scared to! thanks! (link)
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Bless you! What a pure heart the Lord must see in you. The Bible says not to be afraid because the Lord is with you - Greater is He who is in you than he who is in the world - In this world you will have trials, but take courage, I (Jesus) have overcome the world - Trust in the Lord with all your heart. On and on go the promises.
I am going to assume you are in a public school. I am not a lawyer, but the last time I looked, the teachers can't spread the Word, but YOU CAN. There will be students and teachers that will be offended. Satan may even use them to try and discourage you. But there are also Christian teachers teaching in the public schools that long for students to rise above the persecution and there are students that long to know the truth. If spreading the Word has been laid on your heart this heavy, it's time to rise up and take action.
God has not given you a spirit of fear. That's from satan. Satan will place fear on those who threaten his evil kingdom. Just remember, we are in a spiritual battle that rages all around us everyday. But we as Christians are conquerors already because of what Jesus did on the cross. And our mission is to advance God's Kingdom by spreading His Word. So rejoice and count it all joy, the evil one must find you to be a threat! He wouldn't waste his time on someone who is doing nothing to spread the truth. Pray for courage. God will give it to you freely, but you must take the step of opening your mouth and loving those who are perishing.
Jesus was persecuted and the Bible says we will be too, but we have divine protection - nothing can happen to you outside of God's control. Trust Him and move forward.
As far as how to do it: The best way I have found is to ask them questions. Something like this: Have you ever lied? Have you ever hated someone? Have you ever taken something that wasn't yours regardless of the value? (If they are honest, they will say yes to these questions) Then you say: So you admit that you are a lying murderous thief. Well, according to the Bible.....Then you challenge them on what the Bible says about sin. When they have heard why they need a Savior, it will be easier for you to offer them the hope in Christ. A doctor doesn't offer a solution to a person's illness without first explaining what the illness is.
I will pray for you and feel free to ask me anything else.
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this is a two part question.
1. i have been thinking of converting to buddism, but i dont really know enough about the religon. i was wonering if anyone can give me information on it or tell me where to get some information on buddism.
2. my mom is a really strict christian. im sure how to tell her that i want to convert.
any advice on either of these questions would be really helpful. i'll rate 5's for good answers. (link)
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I don't care about ratings. I care about you and where you will be spending eternity. Being a true Christian means knowing Jesus, the Son of God, as Lord and Savior. To "convert" means you would have to be a Christian first. Do you know Jesus as Lord and Savior of your life? If so, my questions to you are: WHY do you want to convert? Do you actually want to turn from the source of truth that Christianity offers to a false religion? The fact that you say you want to convert to a religion you know nothing about, tells me you don't necessarily want a new religion, but rather you're looking to have a relationship with God. If that's true, you will only have that relationship with God through His Son Jesus. And you will only find that by being a Christian. Think about it.
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