I am atheist. I am looking to acquire faith in God. Any help or advice would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.

sciam87 · 7 days

Check this out, it's a faith based organization, however, they are fully http://biologos.org/ "believe that the methods of science are an important and reliable means to investigate and describe the world God has made. In this, we stand with a long tradition of Christians for whom Christian faith and science are mutually hospitable."

a great book to read would be Tim Keller's The Reason for God

dialogueasadiagram · 7 days

(1) Leo Tolstoy's War and Peace (2) Dostoevsky's The Idiot

bradleyjax · 1 month

Good looking girl + a good story line = pretty good

jjmosshead · 3 months

I believe the entire bible comes from God, who inspired human authors to write exactly what he wanted them to write, and there are no contradictions, the problem is that some people think that God out of his great love will over look sin, but he won’t, because he is holy and just. Out of all people Paul doesn’t contradict God’s character. If you read the Bible you’ll find that God doesn’t oppose slavery, but gives humanitarian laws on how to do it right (if you were to read the five books of Moses), for example we find that God says to let the slave go after seven years, however the slave also can voluntary choose to stay.

God’s love is shown in the death of his son – Jesus Christ – for sins of humanity, God hates sin, and homosexuality is a sin, if you refer to the booklet I previously posted a link to, Albert Mohler, explains those passages based on scholarly work. Furthermore, Greeks and others practiced homosexuality long time before Jesus, people knew what it was, when it comes to language, Mohler explains that too.

Your interpretation of the Bible is wrong, it’s because your approach is to justify sin, and not to become, as God wants us to be, which is holy. Furthermore, I been trying to end this conversation for really long time, because I understand that I am not able to change your mind, and in fact that isn’t my goal, am simple speaking what all Bible believing Christians should believe.

I’m most definitely sure you won’t like my response, and desire to repeat your self, but I have read everything you already said, so you don’t have to, we simple disagree and lets leave it at that. All debates must come to an end sometimes. I think as Christians a good way of ending this debate would be to simple pray for one another that God would show us the right way to understanding his word and what he says, and approach bible with prayer.

jjmosshead · 3 months

I stand by what I've already said. I believe the entire bible comes from God, who inspired human authors to write exactly what he wanted them to write. There are no contradictions in Paul’s writings, there are however confusing parts that can be answered with faithful reading of the bible. God plainly says that homosexuality, adultery, and fornication is a sexual sin. And marriage is for a man and a woman. The truth is, when someone wants to justify sin they will go as far as needed, and misinterpret what is clearly written black on white.

I’m sorry but I honestly don’t have time to argue, it is time consuming, and am not siting around doing nothing, no offense. The following is a booklet by a significant bible scholar who addresses the issue of homosexuality, I have read it, and absolutely agree with, and I would advice you to do the same.

http://www.sbts.edu/resources/files/2010/09/homosexuality-and-the-bible.pdf

jjmosshead · 3 months

I stand by what I've already said, I believe I already addressed most of the things, and I don’t whish to repeat myself, because I have a feeling that this conversation can go on forever.

I believe God is love, however, God is also just, which means all sin will be punished, unless one accepts Jesus and turns away from sin, it is through Jesus that we see God’s love. God is also holy, which means no sinner can be in his presence, and is on his way to hell, unless he repents and turns away from sin, before it’s too late. Bible on numerous occasions, clearly speaks of homosexuality as a sin, in both OT and NT, bible also teaches that it isn’t love but lust, and idolatry because it is an act of worship of love and nature.

Some things, such as this issue, I have no doubt about, however, there are other things that I don’t fully know, and I’m ok with that, I don’t claim to know much. I’m thankful to God for teaching me, through my family (I’m a pastor’s kid), and through other bible believing men of God. I don’t foolishly except everything I hear but I look to the bible for answers, and if I need help, I try to find a reliable scholarly book on the subject, though I am open to postmodern theology and I consider it, I don’t agree with it, so I prefer reformed theology, which is quite conservative.

jjmosshead · 3 months

To me, as a bible believing Christian, “scripture” is the perfect word of God. I believe in a sovereign, perfect, and just – God, who communicates himself through number of things, including the bible, which was put together by people, however, it was put together by God’s inspiration, which means it is perfect the way it is, and everything in is true, authoritative, powerful, from God himself, who inspired human authors to write exactly what he wanted them to write, and inspired them to put those books together the way he wanted. When the biblical canon was chosen, in the reformation, the books that qualified was the books that were Christ centered, because the main point of the whole bible is Jesus Christ, God himself coming to rescue the sinful humanity. Who didn’t come to cancel the OT law, but to fulfill it. Since God is outside the time, then that isn’t a problem for him, however, archeological findings and study of history proves that biblical text is the same text that was initially written (Dead sea scrolls).

Apostle Paul makes it clear if what he is saying is from God, or it is his own opinion, he is very careful that we wouldn’t make a mistake of thinking that something he said from himself is from God. And if I’m not mistaking we find that only once, and from careful reading of that text, everything is clear and explained - what his opinion is, and why he says what he says. It is a common and groundless misconception to say that Paul was endorsing slavery, from careful reading of the bible and learning it’s historical context, we’ll understand that slavery was a common practice of the time, and it also wasn’t anything like the issue with African American slavery. Now Paul isn’t saying it’s a good thing, but he is saying that if you are a slave and now you are a Christian, than act like a Christian would, be submissive so that through your example your master would also become a believer. And to Christian masters he says to treat their slaves like brothers, like someone part of the family. Neither does the bible reduces women, according to the bible, men and women have different roles, which compliment each other, but that’s totally different debate that I don’t want to go into.

Now I don’t think that either one of us will change his mind on this issue. And though we went from the question of homosexuality to legitimacy of the bible, I want to change the topic to what I think might be at the root of the problem. Do you even believe in God? Because I’m not sure, if your agnostic or not. You speak of “character of God” what do you think God’s character is?

jjmosshead · 3 months

I'm sorry but with all the respect, I absolutely do not agree with you point of view, I believe it is unbiblical, and what I would call as cherry picking and attempting to justify what bible clearly calls sin. There is no point of me responding to your last comment because you didn’t respond to my comment but in length restated your previous comment. If you care please read and consider what I’ve said about the authorship of the scripture.

jjmosshead · 3 months

That would be one way of looking at it, and if that’s the way then, bible holds no authority, then there is no law and you can do whatever you like. However, I do not believe that, I believe the following, but in order to save me time, I will use other resources with which I do agree, and I believe every Christian should as well, and if they don’t than they have walked away from the teaching of the bible and are in sin, like it or not there is really no nicer way of saying that.

The Bible is “God-breathed” (cf. 2 Tim. 3:16) and gets its true, authoritative, powerful, holy character from God himself, who inspired human authors to write exactly what he wanted them to write. Instead of merely dictating words to them, God worked through their unique personalities and circumstances. Scripture is therefore both fully human and fully divine. It is both the testimony of men to God’s revelation, and divine revelation itself. “No prophecy of Scripture comes from someone’s own interpretation. For no prophecy was ever produced by the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit” (2 Pet. 1:20–21). Because the Bible is God’s Word in human words, it can be trusted as the definitive revelation from the mouth of God himself. Bible is entirely truthful and reliable in all that it affirms in its original manuscripts. Another way of saying this is that the Bible does not affirm anything that is contrary to fact. Because God is the ultimate author of the Bible, and because God is always perfectly truthful, it follows that his Word is completely truthful as well: He is the “God who never lies” (Titus 1:2). It would be contrary to his character to affirm anything false. God is all-knowing, always truthful and good, and all-powerful, so he always knows and tells the truth and is able to communicate and preserve his Word. “O Lord God, you are God, and your words are true, and you have promised this good thing to your servant” (2 Sam. 7:28). “Every word of God proves true” (Prov. 30:5; cf. Ps. 12:6; 119:42; John 17:17).

jjmosshead · 3 months

Bible is very clear that all of it is the word of God. Only on one occasion does Saint Paul says "this is from me," and that wasn't about homosexuality. "All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness (2 Timothy 3:16)." All Scripture meaning all. Now the problem is no longer homosexuality, but the authority of the scripture, is it the perfect word of God or is it something people made up? You can't cherry pick, you must choose one or the other, you ether follow the bible for what it is or don't follow it at all, because what's the point? God says, when "you are neither cold nor hot. Would that you were either cold or hot! So, because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of my mouth (Revelation 3:15-16)."

jjmosshead · 3 months

I’m 21 and I go to church, I have friends who are homosexuals, I do not hate homosexuals, in fact it’s offending when I’m labeled as homophobe or bigot. Bible is very clear that homosexuality is a sin (Romans 1, 1 Corinthians 6:9), and if Christians don’t understand that, they must not be reading their bibles. Furthermore homosexuality is just as big of a sin as adultery or fornication. There is no in between you ether go with what bible says or you don’t. You can’t just be following the parts you like, and ignore the parts that speak of what sin is, in fact the main reason why there is a bible it is for us to know what sin is (Romans 7).

Stoffmeister · 3 months

I don’t live in fear, I’m not afraid to die. / One dies and it's all over. One dies and finds it all out or ceases asking. -Leo Tolstoy

Brazzk · 3 months

Ray Bradbury's Fahrenheit 451, is a good and easy read.

fairvanity · 3 months

My favorite of Dostoevsky is The Idiot. For Tolstoy, I think that War and Peace is the better than Anna Karenina. I've only read Nabokov's Lolita, so quite unsure of the rest of his work.

fairvanity · 3 months

I've read The Brother Karamazov and I think its pretty good, though not his best. I would strongly recommend reading some Tolstoy.

fairvanity · 3 months

The best is Leo Tolstoy's War and Peace. Then Dostoevsky's The Idiot.

YakBoy42 · 3 months

Yea that's a good point, it's likely more complex than that, why Haggard did what he did. Agree or disagree I think Driscoll wishes well.

YakBoy42 · 3 months

If I’m not mistaking the initial point Driscoll makes is, if man (or a woman) doesn’t have a satisfying sex life with their spouse they end up seeking other partners, which sounds about right.

YakBoy42 · 3 months

I wouldn't know, because I never heard such statements.

YakBoy42 · 3 months

The point of the book is exactly the opposite, for men not to be chauvinists (in fact that's the word used in the book) and take responsibility. You might not agree with a lot of it, however, it is far from being sexist.

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