Disclaimer:
I realize that I run the risk of getting bumped off this site. This is actually kind of one big, long review of a lot of the people I've seen reviewing things in this area of fanfiction.net. I realize this isn't a fic or a poem....but it's got a Biblical base nonetheless. If you're really interested in seeing the theology of someone who hangs out with the tax collecters, drunks, and whores of our day...and has converted a couple of them...then read this. I don't pity nonbelievers. I don't hate them. They're just like Christians, but they lack one major ingredient...the blood of Christ. Other than that, non-Christians have the ability to be everything Christians are...sometimes more, sometimes less...here on Earth. And Christians can act just like non-Christians do...sometimes better, sometimes worse...here on Earth. I don't preach. I minister. I don't hate. I rebuke. I don't just care. I love. I'm not perfect....I'm just forgiven.
To All:
I believe in evolution to an extent, even though I don't think we came from apes. I feel like I have the philosophy that Darwin had after he converted to Christianity before he died. Let me explain. The term "evolution" means the process of change over time. It doesn't mean that we were all originally a primordial ooze, or anything else that people may tell you. That's the common interpretation of the Theory of Evolution. The term and the theory are not the same. For example. I do not believe that Humans and chimps have the same ancestors. If it's truly survival of the fittest, then why didn't one branch of that "common ancestor" die out? I'm not an expert on the subject, but to me, there seem to be just as many holes in the Theory of Evolution as there are in Christianity if not more. But like I said, I still believe in evolution. I don't think that every kind of dog we have today was in the Garden of Eden. I don't believe that every kind of cat that we have today was on Noah's ark. I think the different types of cats we have today came from one common ancestor. Same with dogs and other animals. But a Boston Terrier and a Boxer aren't two totally different species. They're two breeds of the same species. True, wolves, jackals, dingos, and other "wild dogs" may be different species, but they are all very similar, and they all belong to the dog family. I have no trouble at all in believing that over the course of a few thousand years (the earliest recorded tame dogs that actually had distinguishable breeds are the Saluki - bred in the Middle East circa 5000 B.C. - and the Norwegian elkhound - bred in Norway 5000-4000 B.C.) dogs started being bred or evolving naturally from one breed of dog. These dates are after the time period that many Christian historians and scientists assign to the period of the flood, which happened less than 400 years prior to the building and destruction of the Tower of Babel. (at least apparently, because of the placement of the Tower of Babel story in the Bible) At the time of the building of the Tower of Babel, God gave all men different tongues (laungages) and scattered them over the Earth, inhabiting all areas of the world outside the Middle East (including the Americas via the Russo-Alaskan land bridge). I admit I've gone off on a tirade here, but I'm trying to let you know that not all Christians debunk the theories of obviously intelligent men. There are a lot of ideas that can coincide with scripture without ruffling any feathers at all. And my next section will (or should) show you that I am still very much a Christian.
To Christians:
Maybe this doesn't qualify me as Darwinist or a strict Evolutionist any more than knowing ABOUT Christ makes one a Christian, but it certainly doesn't DISqualify me as a Christian. I believe that Christ came to Earth as God incarnate, that he lived a perfect life and died for my sins. I believe he's the only way to heaven, and I've told people that. Biblically, that is all I have to believe to be saved. All ANYONE has to believe. John 3:16 says "God loved the world so much that He gave His one and only Son, so that whoever believes in Him will not perish, but have eternal life." (you can look at any version of the Bible. They all say pretty much that) Now...I believe 2 Timothy 3:16 where it says that all scripture is God-breathed. But some people who believe in Jesus don't believe that. I'm not saying it's right...but I AM saying that they're still saved. John 3:16 says plain and clear that whoever believes in Jesus will have eternal life. To say that any verse in the Bible adds to what someone has to do to have eternal life is basically saying that the two verses conflict. John 3:16 says "whoever believes in him will not perish." That's it. It's done. That's the crux of the message (if you'll pardon the pun). Everything else is just advice for moral living. I'd also like to let you all know that even though a lot of branches of witchcraft still perform human sacrifices and drink blood and what not, they mostly belong to uncivilized tribes in third-world countries or they are involved in direct demon- or Satan-worship. There are a lot of cults or "religions" that can be considered as performing witchcraft that are not malicious or evil (in intent) at all. They're still wrong, but they don't think they are because they are very gentle in nature, and they think they're being beneficial to themselves and possibly to others by doing what they do. You've got to stop going at this with the mindset that we're at war with the people we're witnessing to. We're not! The angels are the ones at war! We're on missions of mercy! We can't possibly expect people to listen to us if we're constantly cramming the Bible down their throats. That's what you do to Christians who aren't living like they should. They believe in Christ, and they profess that they believe in Christ, yet they live like the world. They're the reason a lot of people don't give any validity to Christianity. Preach at them! They need the word crammed down their throat, because they've already started swallowing it. They don't need to live halfway for Christ. That's a different story. When trying to indoctrinate...I hate that term. Doctrine evil. Christ wasn't a doctrine. He was one man. Yeah, I'm a Baptist, but it's not a religion. It's just how I was raised. First and foremost, I'm a Christian...if you really have to have a label, slap me Baptist, but I don't see a difference in the basic idea of following Christ, so........anyway...where was I? Oh yeah...When trying to convert people to Christianity, for one thing, don't throw a lot of doctrine at them. Don't give them a lot of rules. Definitely don't tell them (you have to do this or you'll go to hell) right off the bat. Yes, you should mention it. Otherwise, it's deceptive. But don't tell people "Repent! Turn! Or you're gonna burn!" The core message of Christianity is the gospel of Christ. That should be the core message of missions. It's a gift. We give it. We don't...we CAN'T...make people take it. Sometimes all we can do is plant seeds.
To non-Christians:
If you want to talk to me, I'm open. I'll talk to you on your level, because it's the same level I'm on. Christians are still human. We're not perfect. If you don't want Christians to judge you by what other non-Christians do (whether you're into witchcraft, wicca, Buddhism, Islam, or whatever you believe), then don't judge the many by the actions of the few within Christianity. Some Christians act like they're perfect. The whole idea of different denominations sickens me. It's like we're splitting religions but trying to base it all on the same thing. It's fruitless, worthless, and cripples the ministry of Christ. Don't stereotype Christians as pompous bigots who only go to church to socialize. That's not what real, Christ-following Christians are about. If you want to see a little of the real deal...email me. And there's a fic you should look at. It's in Books, then The Bible. The title of the story is simply "Why...?" The author is Cyber Blastoise. This is a picture of a Christian in his (or her) weakest moment. And it's a picture of what I believe about God. That's the way a Christian who's really seeking God's will can feel like sometimes. Just talk to me. I'm only human. I'm not perfect. But maybe I can shed a little light on the truth of what the Gospel of Christ is about. My email is boof4God@partlycloudy.com. Check you later.
-XithFire
Non-Christians have the ability to be everything Christians are...sometimes more, sometimes less...here on Earth. And Christians can act just like non-Christians do...sometimes better, sometimes worse...here on Earth. I don't preach. I minister. I don't hate. I rebuke. I don't just care. I love. I'm not perfect....I'm just forgiven.
I realize that I run the risk of getting bumped off this site. This is actually kind of one big, long review of a lot of the people I've seen reviewing things in this area of fanfiction.net. I realize this isn't a fic or a poem....but it's got a Biblical base nonetheless. If you're really interested in seeing the theology of someone who hangs out with the tax collecters, drunks, and whores of our day...and has converted a couple of them...then read this. I don't pity nonbelievers. I don't hate them. They're just like Christians, but they lack one major ingredient...the blood of Christ. Other than that, non-Christians have the ability to be everything Christians are...sometimes more, sometimes less...here on Earth. And Christians can act just like non-Christians do...sometimes better, sometimes worse...here on Earth. I don't preach. I minister. I don't hate. I rebuke. I don't just care. I love. I'm not perfect....I'm just forgiven.
To All:
I believe in evolution to an extent, even though I don't think we came from apes. I feel like I have the philosophy that Darwin had after he converted to Christianity before he died. Let me explain. The term "evolution" means the process of change over time. It doesn't mean that we were all originally a primordial ooze, or anything else that people may tell you. That's the common interpretation of the Theory of Evolution. The term and the theory are not the same. For example. I do not believe that Humans and chimps have the same ancestors. If it's truly survival of the fittest, then why didn't one branch of that "common ancestor" die out? I'm not an expert on the subject, but to me, there seem to be just as many holes in the Theory of Evolution as there are in Christianity if not more. But like I said, I still believe in evolution. I don't think that every kind of dog we have today was in the Garden of Eden. I don't believe that every kind of cat that we have today was on Noah's ark. I think the different types of cats we have today came from one common ancestor. Same with dogs and other animals. But a Boston Terrier and a Boxer aren't two totally different species. They're two breeds of the same species. True, wolves, jackals, dingos, and other "wild dogs" may be different species, but they are all very similar, and they all belong to the dog family. I have no trouble at all in believing that over the course of a few thousand years (the earliest recorded tame dogs that actually had distinguishable breeds are the Saluki - bred in the Middle East circa 5000 B.C. - and the Norwegian elkhound - bred in Norway 5000-4000 B.C.) dogs started being bred or evolving naturally from one breed of dog. These dates are after the time period that many Christian historians and scientists assign to the period of the flood, which happened less than 400 years prior to the building and destruction of the Tower of Babel. (at least apparently, because of the placement of the Tower of Babel story in the Bible) At the time of the building of the Tower of Babel, God gave all men different tongues (laungages) and scattered them over the Earth, inhabiting all areas of the world outside the Middle East (including the Americas via the Russo-Alaskan land bridge). I admit I've gone off on a tirade here, but I'm trying to let you know that not all Christians debunk the theories of obviously intelligent men. There are a lot of ideas that can coincide with scripture without ruffling any feathers at all. And my next section will (or should) show you that I am still very much a Christian.
To Christians:
Maybe this doesn't qualify me as Darwinist or a strict Evolutionist any more than knowing ABOUT Christ makes one a Christian, but it certainly doesn't DISqualify me as a Christian. I believe that Christ came to Earth as God incarnate, that he lived a perfect life and died for my sins. I believe he's the only way to heaven, and I've told people that. Biblically, that is all I have to believe to be saved. All ANYONE has to believe. John 3:16 says "God loved the world so much that He gave His one and only Son, so that whoever believes in Him will not perish, but have eternal life." (you can look at any version of the Bible. They all say pretty much that) Now...I believe 2 Timothy 3:16 where it says that all scripture is God-breathed. But some people who believe in Jesus don't believe that. I'm not saying it's right...but I AM saying that they're still saved. John 3:16 says plain and clear that whoever believes in Jesus will have eternal life. To say that any verse in the Bible adds to what someone has to do to have eternal life is basically saying that the two verses conflict. John 3:16 says "whoever believes in him will not perish." That's it. It's done. That's the crux of the message (if you'll pardon the pun). Everything else is just advice for moral living. I'd also like to let you all know that even though a lot of branches of witchcraft still perform human sacrifices and drink blood and what not, they mostly belong to uncivilized tribes in third-world countries or they are involved in direct demon- or Satan-worship. There are a lot of cults or "religions" that can be considered as performing witchcraft that are not malicious or evil (in intent) at all. They're still wrong, but they don't think they are because they are very gentle in nature, and they think they're being beneficial to themselves and possibly to others by doing what they do. You've got to stop going at this with the mindset that we're at war with the people we're witnessing to. We're not! The angels are the ones at war! We're on missions of mercy! We can't possibly expect people to listen to us if we're constantly cramming the Bible down their throats. That's what you do to Christians who aren't living like they should. They believe in Christ, and they profess that they believe in Christ, yet they live like the world. They're the reason a lot of people don't give any validity to Christianity. Preach at them! They need the word crammed down their throat, because they've already started swallowing it. They don't need to live halfway for Christ. That's a different story. When trying to indoctrinate...I hate that term. Doctrine evil. Christ wasn't a doctrine. He was one man. Yeah, I'm a Baptist, but it's not a religion. It's just how I was raised. First and foremost, I'm a Christian...if you really have to have a label, slap me Baptist, but I don't see a difference in the basic idea of following Christ, so........anyway...where was I? Oh yeah...When trying to convert people to Christianity, for one thing, don't throw a lot of doctrine at them. Don't give them a lot of rules. Definitely don't tell them (you have to do this or you'll go to hell) right off the bat. Yes, you should mention it. Otherwise, it's deceptive. But don't tell people "Repent! Turn! Or you're gonna burn!" The core message of Christianity is the gospel of Christ. That should be the core message of missions. It's a gift. We give it. We don't...we CAN'T...make people take it. Sometimes all we can do is plant seeds.
To non-Christians:
If you want to talk to me, I'm open. I'll talk to you on your level, because it's the same level I'm on. Christians are still human. We're not perfect. If you don't want Christians to judge you by what other non-Christians do (whether you're into witchcraft, wicca, Buddhism, Islam, or whatever you believe), then don't judge the many by the actions of the few within Christianity. Some Christians act like they're perfect. The whole idea of different denominations sickens me. It's like we're splitting religions but trying to base it all on the same thing. It's fruitless, worthless, and cripples the ministry of Christ. Don't stereotype Christians as pompous bigots who only go to church to socialize. That's not what real, Christ-following Christians are about. If you want to see a little of the real deal...email me. And there's a fic you should look at. It's in Books, then The Bible. The title of the story is simply "Why...?" The author is Cyber Blastoise. This is a picture of a Christian in his (or her) weakest moment. And it's a picture of what I believe about God. That's the way a Christian who's really seeking God's will can feel like sometimes. Just talk to me. I'm only human. I'm not perfect. But maybe I can shed a little light on the truth of what the Gospel of Christ is about. My email is boof4God@partlycloudy.com. Check you later.
-XithFire
Non-Christians have the ability to be everything Christians are...sometimes more, sometimes less...here on Earth. And Christians can act just like non-Christians do...sometimes better, sometimes worse...here on Earth. I don't preach. I minister. I don't hate. I rebuke. I don't just care. I love. I'm not perfect....I'm just forgiven.