On November 6, 2008 at 01:05, Mr. Stanley said...
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Because both the snake handling, talking in tongues, flopping
around on the floor, healing - are all very interesting
behavior, maybe? Observing those rituals is nothing more
than people working themselves into self induced trances
-- or do you believe in that stuff? If you do, I'm again
just making an observation from a non evangelical viewpoint.
Very valid point and in my opinion it is something that these people have - while not taken out of context - have disregarded other admonitions in the bible about testing God. Corinthians 10:9, “We should not test the Lord, as some of them did — and were killed by snakes.” This is not a direct reference to Mark 16:17-18 but very applicable. The healing is different. The laying of hands - human touch - has been found to make a difference is peoples recoveries. But that does even further from a non-religious level look at B.F. Skinners experiment with infants. Have you ever been around anyone that has had parents were stoic and unfeeling. The medical professions in the past 5 years has finally come to the conclusion - after much research - kicking and screaming that prayer can make a significant difference.
Yes I believe is speaking in tongues but I have never seen it actually happen. I have been in the churches where people suddenly start mumbling weird stuff and it made me very uncomfortable. The bible says “Now, brothers, if I come to you and speak in tongues, what good will I be to you, unless I bring you some revelation or knowledge or prophecy or word of instruction?" (1 Corinthians 14:6) and tongues means language other than your own but a language. Not the best translation from the Greek.
There isn't that much difference, except that those TV
preachers sitting in their guilded chairs asking for money
from all of the frightened old people is thievery. It's
very similar though, a sales job. The bigger the hair,
the closer to god! LOL
Again your correct. I was watching TV with my oldest son when he was about 6 and one of those guys was on and my son asked why is he always asking for money. The bible tells us that there will be people like that out there and we should be on our guard.
Who and what is god? Yeah I think it's pretty much a fairy
tale. Is your god better than other religions gods?
Find my other post about the uniqueness of our God.
I just resent it when certain "Christians" get defiant
and INSIST their "Word" or THEIR beliefs are the only
right beliefs.
Mt 22:36 "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment. And a second is like it, You shall love your neighbor as yourself. On these two commandments depend all the law and the prophets.” These are the essence of Christianity and we often don't live up to them but saying - and I'm extrapolating here - God is wrong, doesn't exist etc. is much like the customer that says your system is trash because he can't remember to keep charged batteries in the 1K remote.
How about animals? Do dogs go to heaven or being that
they don't have religion--where does it leave them?
They have no soul. Their not from Motown.:)
Why all the hostility?
I hope I'm not coming across as having any.
Marc
