Originally posted by SlapShot

If the person meets the criteria of a true christian, and then claims to be a non christian (converts to non-faith/islam/hinduism ect) is it your contention that this person is really a true christian still? (osos)

Originally posted by Silent Running

I trusted Jesus Christ. I no longer do. Does that mean I didn't "do it right," or does that mean that I do not exist?

If a person trusts Christ He will not leave that trust. My belief is that one who leaves the faith never did trust Christ.

Originally posted by Jaecp

Magical stuff,

You know, flying, walking through walls, etc etc

Huh...I had no idea birds were magical beings...

Originally posted by Jedidiah

I would say that it can't happen. Either that person did not really trust Christ, or he would not desert the faith. Jesus said that no one can take one of His out of His hand.

And we're back to sugar in porridge.

Originally posted by Jedidiah

If a person trusts Christ He will not leave that trust. My belief is that one who leaves the faith never did trust Christ.

It seems that, if your belief is correct, I do not exist.

Originally posted by MrManNo1

Huh...I had no idea birds were magical beings...

Are you being serious?

Originally posted by Jaecp

HH,

Reliability, in that we have a good idea of what was written down. Thats all that can be said. We got lots of copies. That does not make the copies of what we have any more true or false simply because we have lots of copies.

Sure there are a whole bunch of manuscrips. How many do you think there are ? How does that compare with other works of fiction, or even some really major historical works ?


Sincerely,
HH

Originally posted by Silent Running

It seems that, if your belief is correct, I do not exist.

There are two other possibilities. You did not in fact actually trust Christ. Or you are still fighting against what you know to be true. One of these is the truth I think.

Originally posted by Silent Running

And we're back to sugar in porridge.

Whatever that mean.

Originally posted by Silent Running

It seems that, if your belief is correct, I do not exist.

You mean like a phantom human. I read that somewhere and it is frightening. It's like writing your name in the guestbook with invisible ink.

Originally posted by headheart

Truth is tiny light inside us, a 'chip off the old block' if you get what I mean ? The Spirit of God (which you know I consider to be the Holy Spirit) deposits a tiny part of Himself inside every one us when we are born. Just enough light for us to be able to recognize Him in the world around us (that would include the things we all do, and say, and write, and sing etc. etc.) Sort of like a bread crumb trial which leads to the big loaf.
As you probably know I am not one of those types who says, it's all in the Bible. Something which has made me an enemy to most fundamentalists, and those who present the strictly orthodox position, but it is because I read a lot, and have found these 'bread crumbs' if you will, in many other writings and even in some fairy tales.

Reliability means to me that most of what is written amounts to a fairly good guess. By that of course I mean the gospel message. I love the way St. Paul puts it, 'it is a faithful saying, that Christ died for sinners.' In another place he refers to what I understand to be the sayings of the apostles as being an accurate record of the gospel. There is more, but this old shark is a little rusty and tired, so why not try out old Dr. Gibson after all he was my mentor.

Sincerely,
HH.

There is nothing new in these ruminations of yours nor are they particularly Christian. The Stoics of the 4th century BCE came up with the notion that all humans have a divine spark within them, which grants them inner freedom and purity. This spark was considered to be part of a divine rational order that permeates the entire universe, which Stoics called the Logos...the Logos being the universal rational mind of God. So you can see where the likes of John and Paul got their ideas from...but ‘ideas’ are all they are, mere speculation. And, poetic though they may be as pre-scientific attempts to understand the nature of the universe, they cannot be scientifically verified and are not particularly relevant in the age of modern science.

Originally posted by Tassman

...scientifically verified and are not particularly relevant in the age of modern science.

That doesn't say much for Science. Perhaps one day they will develop a way of seeing into the next world, for now they are the ones who are walking with a stick and can tell me how, but not why.

Sincerely,
HH.

Originally posted by Jedidiah

There are two other possibilities. You did not in fact actually trust Christ. Or you are still fighting against what you know to be true. One of these is the truth I think.

How do you know you really trust Christ yourself? Maybe you believe you do, but you don't.

What happens if you ever start to doubt your own trust? Is there going to be a feedback loop where your faith crashes catastrophically if it gives an inch? Sounds like glass: hard but fragile.

Originally posted by headheart

That doesn't say much for Science. Perhaps one day they will develop a way of seeing into the next world, for now they are the ones who are walking with a stick and can tell me how, but not why.

Sincerely,
HH.

What evidence do you have of a “next world” and what makes you think there is a “why”?? As with your modified Stoic notion of “the Holy Spirit depositing tiny parts of Himself inside every one of us” it is a pleasant fancy but no more than that.

Originally posted by Tassman

What evidence do you have of a “next world” and what makes you think there is a “why”?? As with your modified Stoic notion of “the Holy Spirit depositing tiny parts of Himself inside every one of us” it is a pleasant fancy but no more than that.

How can one have evidence of something that does not exist in the natural world ? One can only guess at what might or might not be there, unless one sends out some form of SOS to the Cosmic Whatzitallabout through that tuning devise you say is a 'pleasant fancy'.

Sincerely,
HH.

Originally posted by Jedidiah

Whatever that mean.

Sorry, it's a reference back to "No true Scotsman"--"No true Scotsman puts sugar in his porridge."

Originally posted by Jedidiah

There are two other possibilities. You did not in fact actually trust Christ. Or you are still fighting against what you know to be true. One of these is the truth I think.

To make such an assertion, you must presume knowledge about my state of mind--a subject that I am relatively knowledgeable about.