Satan and control

[Ken Carman]

Quote by: robby 1957 I do believe God exists ?? .. well, now were getting somewhere :) .. Step 2 .. who is this God that you say that you believe in and what does He/She require of you and me .. what does he/she say about himself/herself ?? what does this "God" say about our condition ?? PS: what did I say that gives you some indication that I would want to "control" anyone ??

I think you're responding to me. Not sure.

"Control?"

Well, let's see... "screw" the different dictionary defs, I have to accept yours? Oh, and how about calling everyone "stupid" and insisting all they have to do is read the bible (An attempt to humiliate people into doing what you want, perhaps? I include with that the condescending "duding" of others. BTW, I have "read the bible:" King James NT 3x, Catholic 1x, Old once... kind of hard to get through when they get down to how many nails and such are in the Ark of the Covenant.) "You had better hope you're right" is an implied threat, by the way. I grew up, partial, in a town with a missionary college hanging over it. Occasionally zealous student would grab others: physically, and demand to know if they were "born again." Part of this little routine was cornering them with threats of Hell just like that one. Another poster was spot on here. Yes, we'd better be "right" if any of the different faiths that have existed over the span of human history, or lack of faith. So what?

Having looked at most of your posts here my only true response is it might be best if you back off a little. It's your choice. I personally don't care. Besides, it can be fun shaking people back like they used to attempt to do in my old hometown. There are a lot of people here who think they know "the truth" so you're going to spend a lot of time saying "screw this" or "you had better..." Personally? I don't know "the truth." Maybe I have a piece of it. Ish probably has a few. Rainbow too. I actually have more fun learning from the different perspectives and respecting other's rights to have their own opinions. But go ahead. Enjoy, as much as you can.


Who is "this God?" Why I'm not sure. I do enjoy contemplating and learning. So far through various versions of the bible, studying the work of biblical scholars, reading the Koran, the Book of Mormon... (That's a toughie. Hard to get through Nephi's brothers who "rebelleth" against him over, and over, and over...) ...the Egyptian Book of the Dead and a few others I feel closer to understanding God. But will I ever, totally, understand? No, I don't think so. Frankly, if the after life is some place where you learned the ultimate truths in an instant and then spent the rest of eternity... I'd consider that as boring as, well... Hell.

Now as far as Satan and control? Well, if Satan exists then he certainly would do all he could: pushing people around, attempting to get them to either shut up or agree with him.

[nerdvincent]

*To Robby*
How do you know christianity is the right religion?

[grandpa]

Quote by: robby 1957 blasphemy against the Holy Ghost is the life log rejection of Jesus Christ . . . He is the solution to the cause of spiritual death (sin) your 'sins' were forgiven at the cross of Christ ..

How do you know?

Grandpa h.

[Maryjane]

atheist = lost (forgiven, but spiritually dead)

Ah yes, the poor lost atheist.(or anyone else that doesn't believe in your god) They have no sense of direction. They are misguided. They won't get the golden opportunity to worship god for all eternity after their death. Forever separated from god's love. They get to swim in that lake of fire instead. Yet...they are forgiven!
Gotcha...Like I said...heard it a million times. Not afraid since I've already been to hell and back.


You do know that people can be spiritual without being religious? Your religion doesn't have the choke hold on spirituality.

Authentic spirituality involves an emotional response, what I will call the spiritual response, which can include feelings of significance, unity, awe, joy, acceptance, and consolation. Such feelings are intrinsically rewarding and so are sought out in their own right, but they also help us in dealing with difficult situations involving death, loss, and disappointment. The spiritual response thus helps meet our affective needs for both celebration and reconciliation. As Richard Dawkins puts it in his book Unweaving the Rainbow, we have an "appetite for wonder," an appetite for evoking the positive emotional states that are linked to our deepest existential questions. But what might evoke these states? Spirituality often involves a cognitive context, a set of beliefs about oneself and the world which can both inspire the spiritual response and provide an interpretation of it. Our ideas about what ultimately exists, who we fundamentally are, and our place in the greater scheme of things form the cognitive context for spirituality. By contemplating such beliefs we are temporarily drawn out of the mundane into the realization of life’s deeper significance, and this realization generates emotional effects. But equally, the spiritual response thus generated is itself interpreted in the light of our basic beliefs; namely, it is taken to reflect the ultimate truth of our situation as we conceive it. The cognitive context of spirituality and the spiritual response are therefore linked tightly in reciprocal evocation and validation. A third essential component of spirituality is what is ordinarily called spiritual practice. Since the intellectual appreciation of fundamental beliefs alone may not suffice to evoke a particularly deep experience, various non-cognitive techniques can help to access the spiritual response. Activities such as dance, singing, chant, meditation, and participation in various rituals and ceremonies all can play a role in moving us from the head to the heart. And it is in the heart, or gut, after all, where we find the most powerful intrinsic rewards of spirituality, as profound as its cognitive context might be.

Spirituality without Faith

PS: it doesn't do maryjane to discuss Satan if she/he? dosen't believe Satan exists .. does it ???

PS...It doesn't do what? Maryjane will debate any topic she chooses, even ones she does not believe in. (like newborns being forgiven for sins) The only one that controls Maryjane...is Maryjane. Gotta love free will.

[robby 1957]

who cares about club .. we're talkin idology right .. those who believe and those who don't .. Jesus put it this way . . . the sheep and the goats .. the wheat and the chaff .. those on his left and those on his right .. the choice (as always) is yours . . . .

oh, I'm sure you're as 'spiritual' (on a human level) as they come and even then some .. I'm just telling you that (according to Jesus) you'll never have what takes you to heaven .. God's Spirit . . . other than that, you have yourself a spiritual blast (on a human level) .. :) ohmmmmmmmmmmmm.

[Maryjane]

I was raised southern baptist and read the book a few times. Don't need you (or anyone else) to tell me what jesus said, my reading comprehension is just fine, but thank you just the same.

Did you come here to preach or debate?

[robby 1957]

look .. it all comes down to faith .. whether you believe in God or not .. the issue is: where are you going to land .. if you run, it dosen't matter how fast and hard you run if it's in the wrong direction .. it dosen't matter how high you climb if your ladder is parked against the wrong wall . . . Jesus said "I am THE way, THE truth and THE life . . . I could type till my fingers are blue . . . If God hasn't called you .. you'll never reach him . . . God says that you'll find him when you search for him with your whole heart .. If you have a biblical question, I'll try to help .. but I don't 'drag' anyone . . . take care . . . Robby



http://www.realanswers.net/radio/m3u/30080101.m3u . . . . this might 'wet your appitite' ??

[robby 1957]

Dang girl . . . take a chill pill . . . sooo sensitive

PS: It dose'nt matter how much you've read and 'know what the bible says' .. if you walk away without a relationship with the author of the bible . . . . you've missed it.

[Maryjane]

It's a debate site Robby...If we wanted a sermon, we'd go to church.

[robby 1957]

sorry maryjane . . . but I 'am' the church . . . ps: no one 'reads the book' a few times as an atheist . . . if you're bitter about religion .. that's ok .. I understand . . . so was Jesus



Also . . . if you don't want to get 'preached at' . . . why are you in this forum catagory . . . Philosophy & Religion ~ Belief systems and religious traditions . . . hmmmm ??

[Maryjane]

There is nothing to be bitter about. Since you are new here, I'll give you some advice... you might want to start debating soon or you are going to be shown the door.
Read the rules...

[robby 1957]

No threats, personal insults or attacks ..
Respect other opinions ..
No spam ..
No disrespectful or unnecessary use of profanity ..
Provide the source of quoted material and do not copy entire articles ..
No inappropriate images ..
No inaccurate thread titles ..
do NOT upset Maryjane ..
No disrupting threads ..
Comply with moderating team .. requests and intentions
Do not register more than one account per person ..
Moderating issues and site policies may be addressed via private message only . . . . . .

. . . ok .. the ball is in your court .. which one of these rules am I violating ????



Also . . . if you don't want to get 'preached at' . . . why are you in this forum catagory . . . Philosophy & Religion ~ Belief systems and religious traditions . . . hmmmm ??

PS: i think that we are having a wonderful debate

ok . . . I apologize for using the word "stupid" earlier .. I should have said un-informed .. are you still mad at me ????


I'll leave you with this thought . . . There IS a God .. He is perfect and we are not (especially me) . . . The Son (Jesus) is the radiance of God's glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word. After he had provided purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty in heaven

cheers . . . RC

[nerdvincent]

Cool down Robby. What MJ is trying to say is that you do what mods call spamming: you make a kind of sermon, and you give a link to an evengelical radio. Debating about philosophy and religion don't mean making statement or preaching, but making logical reasoning on religion and philosophy. We give you advices, follow them if you want but don't come and cry if a mod step in.
Now, back on the topic.

[Matt W]

Indeed. Stay on-topic from now on, please.

DO NOT RESPOND IN THIS THREAD TO THE PRECEDING MESSAGE. Please contact a member of the staff privately if you have any questions.

[nerdvincent]

Quote by: robby 1957 I'll leave you with this thought . . . There IS a God .. He is perfect and we are not (especially me) . . . The Son (Jesus) is the radiance of God's glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word. After he had provided purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty in heaven cheers . . . RC

What a wonderful logical reasoning, worthy of a debate. Now please answer me:
-How do you know there is a God?
-How do you know christianity is "the" religion, and not hindouism or ol' shamanism?
-How do you know Bible is right? It has been disproven many times.
-How do you know Jesus is the son of God, supposing God exist? It's easy to say a guy made miracle in a book. Harry Potter did.

And so on...

[Ken Carman]

Quote by: Maryjane Ah yes, the poor lost atheist.(or anyone else that doesn't believe in your god) They have no sense of direction.

Yeah, I've heard that a lot too. Odd, though, the most committed atheists remind me of the most fundamentalistic Christians. Indeed, perhaps "fundamentalistic atheist" could work quite well. They certainly don't feel "lost." They certainly have direction. And they wanted to do all they can do make sure others agree with them. I fine with all but the last. I suppose both believers and non have their fanatics. And this, of course, goes to part of the topic... control. This probably says more about the nature of humanity that belief or non-belief. But if I had to say who has the most, and the most frequent over the edge, edge... believers. That's unfortunate. They probably drive more away than they'll ever convert... and maybe God is pounding his "Head" somewhere muttering...

"Idiots!!!!!!!!!"

Without intent, if they believe in him, they seem to serve Satan.