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Would Jesus wash Osama bin Laden's feet?
3 weeks ago · 28 comments
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Would Jesus wash Osama bin Laden's feet?
What the bumper sticker is really contending for is not co-existence but absolute equality of value for each religion.
Thus, I think that this is only a more difficult rendering of an already flawed piece of bumper-sticker philosophy.
As to the coexist symbol, it is only flawed philosophy if you believe you have the One True Faithâ„¢ and that it is exclusive. To an atheist all religions are equal in their validity, since they are all based on sincere believers experiences. Partially I think many who display this bumper sticker are wanting radical Islamists to not kill people who don't share their faith, but also to stop other faiths from discriminating against other faiths, period.
And I still contend that no one on the Christian side is trying to not co-exist -- just advocate for the position that they think is truth.
As far as your statement that "no one on the Christian side is trying to not co-exist -- just advocate for the position that they think is truth." pick up a newspaper, turn on your television. The religious right wants to do all sorts of unconstitutional things here in the USA. Bush's faith based initiatives go mainly, if not completely to Christian organizations. So I would say that Christians who are trying to push their pro-Christian ideas on other people are in fact doing their best to not Coexist. If you do not fall into that category then bless you. :-)
Honestly, unless religion became so watered down that people really didn't believe in it - like most Catholics, for example - I don't think it's even possible for religions to coexist. Other religions are anathema to fundamentalists.
Ultimately there are only two ways to look at this: a person is either for Christ or against Him. That person walks in light or darkness.
So, there are two religions in conflict: one which is based on the authoritative Word of God and one built on man's fallible ideas/opinions.
How many doors to salvation are there? Only One!
Acts 4:12 "Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved."
Remember Jesus Christ quoted from Genesis when He talked about the origin and foundation for marriage. So He took Genesis literally.
Also, Paul cited Genesis when writing about the first Adam and the last Adam (Jesus) and so he took Genesis literally. That's because Genesis was written as history. It's typical of Jewish "historical narrative"
When Jesus is obviously talking parables then we don't take it literally. Psalms, for example, says the trees "clap their hands" Now, of course they don't, but we understand what the passage means, because Psalms are poetic songs.
Remember the Bible is to be taken Literally unless it is obvious a hyperbole or a parable or a song.
I say all of this as a shot in the dark to maybe pinpoint the moment when you lost your faith. That liberal "compromise" devastated your salvation. I hope you see that as truth instead of a 'brick wall' I care about you that's all.
There are many liberal Christians with faith that is just as vibrant and alive as yours is. In fact there are millions of people who aren't Christians with faith that is just as vibrant and alive as yours is.
Maybe when you've lived your long life, and it's come to an end, you'll end up in one of their hells, though the bulk of the world's religions don't believe in hell.
One of two things has happened to you: Either you were saved and has a tremendous amount of remorse for your behavior. Or you were never saved and you just brushed it off as "who cares"
We get to a place where we are repenting, our repentance is, in itself, an evidence of the presence and ministry of the Holy Spirit. The test is not: are you sinning and feeling rejected by God? The test is whether you want to be forgiven. If you commit an unpardonable sin, you have utterly and completely rejected the ministry of the Holy Spirit, and you can't care about it - you will have a complete disdain and revulsion to the things of the gospel. If you are worried that you are beyond God's grace, if you fear God's judgment, if you desire to be saved, the Holy Spirit is still working in you and you cannot have utterly and completely rejected God or have blasphemed the Holy Spirit.
Are you lost forever? Do you care? If you do not I will give you my word that I will leave you alone. If you care about truth and seek it and fell remorse of any kind then the Holy Spirit is working in you.
It all boils down if you were ever a Christian or not. The chance is that you were never a Christian if you don't care. Read Hebrews 6:4-8
It's never too late if you care...do you?
If you feel I am a lost cause that is fine. I know where you stand, I know what you profess. You are welcome to comment here whenever you like, and I may peruse your site from time to time, but my goal is to get along with Christians, not to fight with them, so most of your posts, I won't comment on because I know it truly wouldn't matter what I said.
As to Hebrews 6:4-8 I didn't get the impression that you believed one could lose their salvation. I never believed that. I was in the once-saved-always-saved boat. I believed that anyone who appeared to fall away was never really a Christian to begin with. I truly could not understand how someone could walk away from the wonders of Christ. I felt it was impossible.
Oh, the irony of my beliefs now. ;-)
Best...