for other Atheists out there

[Sara luvs her Tinky]

quote:
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Originally posted by Sara luvs her Tinky
my two cents..

I too agree with how Noah's mommy put it...... when you find something wonderful that changes your life you have to tell somebody.

I honestly don't understand why athiest are offended when a christian tries to witness to them... I mean I do if they are rude or too persistant.... I mean ... I believe in Heaven and Hell and my beliefs are if you are not a christian... (having asked Christ into your heart)... and TRY to live a moral life you have eternal consiquences... now .... I know God is real... when I got saved and really got on fire for God he started revealing himself to me.. and no one in the world could ever convince me that he was not real because of what I have witnessed... Now it is so wonderful how he has changed my life and how could I not tell anyone?..... Some people think when you get saved you have to life like a nun... and that is not how it is... God helps you change your life you don't have to drop everything cold turkey.. he helps you.... but you have to ask for his help.

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This is EXACTLY what I am talking about.

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I was not trying to give any personal examples but maybe they will help.
YES some christians are total hiprocrits!! But you shouldn't judge a whole religion by those people. One thing you have to understand is that we are human and will fall short and sin.. but some people act any way they want to and believe they are saved which IS NOT TRUE!!
My story is I drank and smoked and partied when I first got saved .. .. it took me about two months to quit doing all of that stuff which is what I meant by "Some people think when you get saved you have to life like a nun... and that is not how it is... God helps you change your life you don't have to drop everything cold turkey.. he helps you.... but you have to ask for his help. " I had to pray and ask God to help me... after smoking for 7 years I couldn't just up and quit and live like a nun.... all of my friends partied and it took me a while to understand that I couldn't be around people who drank and partied because it tempted me. Now that I have been saved for almost a year now... I don't drink, smoke, cuss, and he has helped me with my anger too. I am a total different person...

What I meant in the thread you quoted me from IS NOT that you can be a christian and do whatever... but God allows you time to help you change. But once you are saved you are heald accountable for what you know is right and wrong and you learn that from reading the Bible and you most definatelly are expected to live right and not judge people. Some christians just don't get it., and give false impressions. Don't let luke warm christians confuse you.... there are some really dedicated ones like me and a lot others.... I know I am not perfect but when I do something wrong I repent right away! You totally misunderstood me when you quoted me.

[Sara luvs her Tinky]

originally posted by Ann
Evolution has never been proven? I belive it has. Look at the equines for example, or any other animal species. There's clear proof of evolution so I really don't know why a lot of religious people say it's just a "theory".

I believe species evolve to adapt to their enviornment and living conditions...(just like how humans don't hunt with spears etc. anymore)... but it has not been proven that every species evolved from a single cell... Even the skulls and other bones that they found dating way back have no DNA match.... and the website I posted earler... scientist have disproven that humans could not have evolved from a single cell.

[Tanya&Fritz]

Originally posted by Sara luvs her Tinky
quote:
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My story is I drank and smoked and partied when I first got saved .. ..

No, no, I didn't misunderstand you when I quoted you.

Have you ever noticed that most addicts of any kind turn to religion? Like I said, religion IS a crutch. You are replacing one thing with another.

[Sara luvs her Tinky]

No you did misunderstand me... I grew up in church. As a teenager I made friends with the wrong crowd and they introduced me to drugs... Then one night I was laying in bed and God spoke to me and told me that I knew what I was doing was wrong and that I needed to stop and start walking up right... so I started praying that He would help me and two months later I did... with His help. I did not turn to religion for help ... God came in my bad situation and helped me out of it.

[Sara luvs her Tinky]

Yeah some people do use religion for a crutch... but if it gets them off of drugs and helping them live a better life then I think that is good for them.

[Tanya&Fritz]

Congratulations for turning your life around.

You think God helped you and I think you helped yourself.

Either way, congratulations, drugs are a scary thing

[Tanya&Fritz]

Originally posted by Sara luvs her Tinky
Yeah some people do use religion for a crutch... but if it gets them off of drugs and helping them live a better life then I think that is good for them.

EXACTLY

[Sara luvs her Tinky]

Thanks... I hope I didn't sound offensive in anything I said.... If I did ... I'm sorry.

[Tanya&Fritz]

Not at all

[NoahsMommy]

Originally posted by Ann
When it comes to the Christian Bible, it's been modified so many times that you can never know what's original and what's not.

I'm SURE that this will sound like I'm just defending my faith...but who really cares...

If you would take about an hour of your life (if you truly care) and get a few translations of the holy bible and a dictionary out. Select a passage and read it in each translation of the holy bible. You WILL find the only difference is word choice. For example:
New International Version of John 3:16:
"For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life."
New American Standard Bible of John 3:16:
"For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life. "
New King James Version of John 3:16:
"For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life."
Wycliffe New Testiment version of John 3:16:
"For God loved so the world [Forsooth God so loved the world], that he gave his one begotten Son, that each man that believeth in him perish not, but have everlasting life."
English Standard Version of John 3:16:
"For God so loved the world,[1] that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life."
New Living Translation of John 3:16:
"For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life. "

Do you see what I mean? The differences are just like you and I...we chose words differently....but the SAME information gets accross. These bibles are translated not by some common, High School educated person....but by scholars who spend thier ENTIRE lives doing this.

[NoahsMommy]

Originally posted by Tanya&Fritz
But I don't need a crutch like religion to get me through.

I'm not sure I totally understand what you mean. Can you explain?

I know what using something for a crutch means, but I find it hard to use something one cannot see or touch as something like this. Drugs, alcohol, sex, money, yes...but faith...not really.

[NoahsMommy]

YES some christians are total hiprocrits!! But you shouldn't judge a whole religion by those people.

Judging people because of their religion, is called discrimination. I doubt if anyone would discriminate against you for NOT believing in God, Jesus, Allah, etc.

Everyone here is so upset about how horrible it is to be witnessed to. Try being a religous person. It takes a lot of strength to continually know what you are suposed to be doing and DO it! To constantly know that God wants you to live up to His plans, His standards and be happy with it. We are lucky, we are given a peace about that, but we are still human.

That doesn't even compare though to the responses we get from others..."we are weak, can't deal with life without a God", "Goody-goody", "churchy", "we must live like nuns/monks", "don't know/what to have a good time". Guess what? Religous people are just the same as you! We pay bills, have kids, pets, work, volunteer, eat, drink (yes, even alcohol), have thoughts, emotions, feeling of our own..... This isn't directed at anyone in particular...I'm just sharing.

[Tanya&Fritz]

Originally posted by NoahsMommy

It takes a lot of strength to continually know what you are suposed to be doing and DO it! To constantly know that God wants you to live up to His plans, His standards and be happy with it.

What is it exactly that you feel you have to do?

[NoahsMommy]

Originally posted by Tanya&Fritz
What is it exactly that you feel you have to do?

Well...there are a lot of personal goals that I have that God has for me as well. I am going to school to get my PhD in Psychology, with a minor in religion. I will be working in a hospital setting with terminally ill children...my job will entail dealing with parents and children on the verge of a horrible event. It will be my job to counsel and offer "religious" support and advice if needed/desired.

That is just one of the commitments I feel/know God wants me to follow through on. There are many more.

This may be something that a non-religious person cannot understand. It is really hard to explain this feeling. It isn't GUILT...so no need to go there.

Another example is when I got my tattoo. I was 19 and KNEW God did NOT want me to get it. But, I did it anyway. It wasn't my parents, friends, society telling me no, it was God. I know that...again, something you'll just have to take my word for and not resort to thinking I'm just a religious wacko.

Many will say that who I think "God" is, really is my conscious. But I know that to be untrue...I am human and what I WANT to do and what God wants me to do...are generally completely different things. Again, this surly sounds like a bunch of religious crazy talk...hearing God and all that. But you wont know if you've never been in the situation...thus, there is no room for judgment on your part.

Again, "you", is addressed to anyone on this planet, not anyone specifically here.

The reason I can say all these things and anticipate your response is because I've only been a true Christian (ie: Not born into a Christian family. Some religions believe that if you are born into a family that is say, Buddhist (just an example), they believe that that child is automatically Buddhist because of their birth into the family.) for about five years. I did the same questioning you all are…asking the SAME questions. I know where you are coming from.

Anyway, hope that answered your question.

[NoahsMommy]

I guess a more simplified way of putting what I just wrote would be to obey the 10 Commandments...

Honor thy monther and father is especially hard...is means more than just being nice. It means forgiveness for anything. (other than sexual abuse)

I think this may better explain what you asked.