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Subject: Re: 10 Questions that make me think Author: Psychology [ Next Thread | Previous Thread | Next Message | Previous Message ] Date Posted: 10:16:19 05/18/02 Sat In reply to: Proph 's message, "10 Questions that make me think" on 22:45:03 05/14/02 Tue I response to the one line responding to my last post..."As far as pagan stories of 3 part deities.God has been around forever, you think that no one has ever miscontrued his revelation before? Read Romans the first 3 chapters and you will get some real knowledge."...I have the following to say. This argument is one used by many to explain the very many similarities between Christianity and ancient Paganism. We tend to say, "Since God was here since the beginning, it is understandable that pagans may have taken the truth and misconstrued it...and hence the similarities." However, I believe that this idea is weak for the following reasons. And please do here me out. Let us really try to open our minds and analyze this completely without prior biases. If we agree that these pagans took the truth and corrupted/compromised it thousands of years before Christ, then we would have to say, therefore, that there was a similar form of Christianity being practiced thousands of years before Christ. How else could these pagans corrupt something if it didn't exist yet. Now, we also agree that until Christ's death, the truth as preached and practiced by all of the prophets, and biblical personalities including the people of God as described in the bible, were practicing religion as defined by the old covenant. Follow me. Do we agree that there were no followers of God praying in the name of Jesus, the son, at this time? Do we agree that there were no followers of God engaging in holy communion? Yes, we all agree about this (if you do not, please explain). So, how is it that there were Greeks, Egyptians, Persians, etc. practicing these religions which resemble todays Christianity? How is it that the concept of a 3 part God was known and preached by pagan sages, but was completely unknown to...lets say Moses or Noah??? Why is it that pagans spread the idea of communion, through there religion Mithraism, from India to Persia over 1 thousand years before the birth of Christ while Jews in Israel knew nothing about the concept? Do we ever hear David, in all of his Psalms, speak of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit? If so, please let me know. For you see, I am not afraid to be wrong. I only am concerned with what is real, what is truth. I want to investigate this issue. So, I ask for a true response that does not beat around these rather fundamental questions. Notice, I received no comment concerning my use of the references to women as being obvious signs of man's hand in the Bible. Please, let us discuss this, so that we may better understand. [ Next Thread | Previous Thread | Next Message | Previous Message ]

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[> [> Subject: Re: 10 Questions that make me think Author: Proph [ Edit | View ] Date Posted: 13:18:19 05/18/02 Sat In response to your quotes on woman I do believe that they may have been applicable to the times that Paul was living in. The bible also says that we should adapt the bible to the current times that we live in. I have no doubt that all scripture is inspired and given by God. So as we read the Bible we must understand through revelation from God that some things must be taken as a sign of the times that God was working in. I do not believe that all the scriptures concerning woman are applicable in this time because their are many annointed woman of God. I do not deny that woman was created to be servant of man, but this does denote abuse, or domestic violence in any way. It also says in the bible to treat your wife with respect and you would treat your own mother. Concerning your comments on pagans. In pagan religion there exists many Gods. Pantheism was a major belief, that spirits exist in the world and that God was alive in nature. Many sacrifices, blood rituals etc. There was not just a belief in a triune but many Gods, that was the main practice. So to see three main Gods does not denote a belief in a triune.Many pagan sages preached the idea of a great number of Gods,each serving thier own purpose, not a triune. 3 beings part of a whole. David does mention God and his holy spirit in Psalms 51:11 when he is calling on God for forgiveness of his actions with Bathsheeba. Psalms 51:11-"Do not cast me from your presence or take your Holy Spirit from" also in Psalm 139:7-"Where can I go from your spirit,where can I flee from your presence?" Jesus's communion was symbolic of the blood sacrifices that took place in the Old covenant. Where one would kill the animal to gain atonement. Christ, being the sacrifice for sin used communion to signify that it was by his blood, and his blood alone that we would be saved. This is the basis f the idea of communion. For pantheists they believe that the blood of animals contained the animals spirits, so many of them practiced drinking the actual blood of animals. This may resemble the ritual of communion, but it is not. The communion and the meaning of the communion is special and distinct. Now I also want to note that I can give many explanations, but I beg you to seek God through Christ for yourself so that God may bring light to your search. I can answer many questions, but I am not God and do not know the complete mind of God and will never know. I do know that I use to be a skeptic myself until i accepted Christ into my life and God manifested himself unto me and revealed the truth of his son to me. There are certain things that can not be explained but must be experienced. I just pray your attempts to completely understand Christianity is not whats holding you back from Jesus.I am a devout Christian and I do not completely understand it, but God teaches me more everyday and I had to take a leap of faith in ordr for God to begin to work in my life. God will only reveal himself and the answers to us if we yeild to him. Many have a problem with Christianity but like I mentioned before, it is no coincidence that most religions acknowledge Christ,or that the bible is the #1 read Book in the World. Also that many of the things this world is going through now is written in the text of the Bible. I pray that you accept Christ and search for your answers through God and Christ. because I am only a man, and I do not know the complete plan of God, so i cannot bring complete closure to your search for the truth. i can only guide you in the way of answers, through acceptance of Christ. I pray that you are touched and that God blesses you, and leads you to Christ. 1 in luv and Christ Proph [ Post a Reply to This Message ]