Hey anybody out there?

[Barnabas]

Ok. I wouldn't say the saving grace comes during Baptism because Baptism (to me) is an event by the believer agreeing with the identification of Christ (a public acknowledgment, if you will). I don't believe that the act of Baptism itself is the ongoing work. I can be a symbol of it, but it's not necessarily the ongoing work. Especially since some people have not been Baptized. But then, do you mean water baptism, or Spirit baptism?

I don't mean that baptism (immersion) is the work, point from which the work begins. It is viewed as not only physical but also spiritual, and the point in which the Holy spirit indwells within in the believer.

if I was going to make a case for immersion baptism i would probably let read like so



βαπτίζω is a Greek word. it is translated into English as Baptizo, which is where we get the word for baptism, or baptize. is in it's original context a naval phrase for sinking a ship. It's modern equivalent for english would be to scuttle. It is the word we use for the our christian Baptism. Which is held differently by many people.

some Christians say sprinkling others say immersion, along with a lists of other ways to baptize. Also there is the form of infant baptism. The roman catholic sprinkle baptism will be our example today.

the christian baptism come directly from the Jewish Mikveh which is a ritual cleansing. During the Mikveh you were completely submerged underwater in a ritual pool.

there is never mention of sprinkling or pouring baptism in the NT. The word for sprinkle in Greek is ραντίζω or rantizo. these words are not found in the NT. So tell me is there any reason to believe that rantizo is equal to baptizo.

 

[arbygil]

I don't mean that baptism (immersion) is the work, point from which the work begins. It is viewed as not only physical but also spiritual, and the point in which the Holy spirit indwells within in the believer.

if I was going to make a case for immersion baptism i would probably let read like so



βαπτίζω is a Greek word. it is translated into English as Baptizo, which is where we get the word for baptism, or baptize. is in it's original context a naval phrase for sinking a ship. It's modern equivalent for english would be to scuttle. It is the word we use for the our christian Baptism. Which is held differently by many people.

some Christians say sprinkling others say immersion, along with a lists of other ways to baptize. Also there is the form of infant baptism. The roman catholic sprinkle baptism will be our example today.

the christian baptism come directly from the Jewish Mikveh which is a ritual cleansing. During the Mikveh you were completely submerged underwater in a ritual pool.

there is never mention of sprinkling or pouring baptism in the NT. The word for sprinkle in Greek is ραντίζω or rantizo. these words are not found in the NT. So tell me is there any reason to believe that rantizo is equal to baptizo.

I thought we were talking about the ongoing work as being something other than Baptism rather than Baptism itself, but no matter. I actually am familiar with the differences between full immersion and sprinkling - but what I'd really like to discuss is the ongoing work itself. Baptism can be a part of this, but I don't think Baptism is the start of the ongoing work of Christianity in a believer's life, regardless of full immersion or mere sprinkling. I don't think a believer can really produce the ongoing work out of his or her own flesh.

 

[Barnabas]

no, your right the believers only part is faith. We are saved by the grace of God through faith to do good works.

 

[AUM]

I love taking long walks on a small island of grass just outside of school just to meditate and to enjoy the beauties of nature and today I asked this question of God and the beliefs therein and this was my monologue:

Alright God, so many religions exist on your behalf to speak of your truth, that is, your absolute truth in everything. The kind of truth that will hold true if I say that the pen I'm holding is black, it will be black universally. I think God, that religious beliefs are part true( Judaism, Christianity, Hinduism etc etc)all relating parts of that universal truth but in different parts. God answered " Son, look at your surroundings, do you not see each tree? Do you not see the soil that holds those trees? Well, imagine that the trees represented each religion that exists today and its fruits represent each believer thereof, now imagine that the soil represents that Absolute truth that each believer is after. Well don't all the tree roots touch the soil that represents that Truth? Well if they do, all religions then are touching part of the truth but to actually take in the whole truth you need all of them in union.

This is many of my many monologues that I have with that creator, call it the Cosmos or God himself, and I do truly believe in the divinity of It. I truly believe that there is truly no good or bad, beautiful or foul, evilness, injustice. I truly believe that we are all one with the creator, and the creator is one with us. To say that we are evil is to say that the creator is evil since It is us and us are It. This creator created, as obviously this word implies, therefore we can conclude that It being the creator he created that which we perceive as good, bad, evil, unjust, beautiful and that of foul. Another conclusion that I can get from this is that It meant for people to be "good" or people to be "bad" since he wanted to experience all the possibilities of Itself in all that he created. Therefore, God is Goodness, God is Evil, God is Just, God is Unjust and God is Everywhere.

 

[midnightmelody]

long post ahead, sorry :/

I was a born-again Christian in 2004. Over the past two years though, I've been asking questions that warrant no answers: because it's based on faith. I just can't do the faith thing.

My skepticism has grown to agnosticism. Though, there are still those days I find myself apologizing to God for not believing. (Very strange.)

I have a soft spot for Jesus still.


Uberrogo is a Christian as well. In fact, I met him at a bible study years ago. He's some sort of Orthodox Christian. Not sure what denomination exactly.

Ah, this sounds like my predicament at the moment. I can't really decide what I believe, and I don't really want to be told one way or another.

It was just last year that I thought God might be calling me to be a nun. No, not that I wanted to be a nun, but that God wanted me to be a nun. I was severely depressed, because although I wanted to serve him, I didn't want to hand over my life in such a drastic way. I love stability, but detest monotony (yes, I believe there is a difference). I was afraid I'd get bored or whatever.

That being, said, I've been questioning things again. I haven't really blindly accepted Christianity since I was a young girl. I'm just a highly spiritual person, so I naturally connected with some of Christian teachings.

However, Christianity, like many other religions, is based on ideals. As lovely is that is, the more idealistic something is, the further it has to fall, and boy, has it fallen! If there is a God, I don't know what he/she/it/there's no pronoun for entities is there? is thinking about his [yeah yeah] earthly representatives.

It's mostly uncertainty. I wish I could just be super faithful (not dogmatic) or just plain atheist. This in between thing is really really taking a toll.

It's just that I've discovered that the only things that haven't fully detatched me from God/religion are my love of idealism and fear. I fear hell, or if there is one. I don't want to believe in God out of fear, though. Ugh. Internal conflict.

Sorry, for this. I hope I answered your question.

 

[Barnabas]

I love taking long walks on a small island of grass just outside of school just to meditate and to enjoy the beauties of nature and today I asked this question of God and the beliefs therein and this was my monologue:

Alright God, so many religions exist on your behalf to speak of your truth, that is, your absolute truth in everything. The kind of truth that will hold true if I say that the pen I'm holding is black, it will be black universally. I think God, that religious beliefs are part true( Judaism, Christianity, Hinduism etc etc)all relating parts of that universal truth but in different parts. God answered " Son, look at your surroundings, do you not see each tree? Do you not see the soil that holds those trees? Well, imagine that the trees represented each religion that exists today and its fruits represent each believer thereof, now imagine that the soil represents that Absolute truth that each believer is after. Well don't all the tree roots touch the soil that represents that Truth? Well if they do, all religions then are touching part of the truth but to actually take in the whole truth you need all of them in union.

This is many of my many monologues that I have with that creator, call it the Cosmos or God himself, and I do truly believe in the divinity of It. I truly believe that there is truly no good or bad, beautiful or foul, evilness, injustice. I truly believe that we are all one with the creator, and the creator is one with us. To say that we are evil is to say that the creator is evil since It is us and us are It. This creator created, as obviously this word implies, therefore we can conclude that It being the creator he created that which we perceive as good, bad, evil, unjust, beautiful and that of foul. Another conclusion that I can get from this is that It meant for people to be "good" or people to be "bad" since he wanted to experience all the possibilities of Itself in all that he created. Therefore, God is Goodness, God is Evil, God is Just, God is Unjust and God is Everywhere.

this is a interesting ideal, one that people love. Though If you were to ask me i would disagree on just about every point. Except for maybe one. In your chat with God He told you that every tree is rooted in truth and that you would have to look at all of them to find the truth. I would agree that just about all religions to some extent carry a part of the truth.

My point to make would be why look at the trees when the truth is right there under your feet.

 

[Barnabas]

Ah, this sounds like my predicament at the moment. I can't really decide what I believe, and I don't really want to be told one way or another.

It was just last year that I thought God might be calling me to be a nun. No, not that I wanted to be a nun, but that God wanted me to be a nun. I was severely depressed, because although I wanted to serve him, I didn't want to hand over my life in such a drastic way. I love stability, but detest monotony (yes, I believe there is a difference). I was afraid I'd get bored or whatever.

That being, said, I've been questioning things again. I haven't really blindly accepted Christianity since I was a young girl. I'm just a highly spiritual person, so I naturally connected with some of Christian teachings.

However, Christianity, like many other religions, is based on ideals. As lovely is that is, the more idealistic something is, the further it has to fall, and boy, has it fallen! If there is a God, I don't know what he/she/it/there's no pronoun for entities is there? is thinking about his [yeah yeah] earthly representatives.

It's mostly uncertainty. I wish I could just be super faithful (not dogmatic) or just plain atheist. This in between thing is really really taking a toll.

It's just that I've discovered that the only things that haven't fully detatched me from God/religion are my love of idealism and fear. I fear hell, or if there is one. I don't want to believe in God out of fear, though. Ugh. Internal conflict.

Sorry, for this. I hope I answered your question.

I can see that you earnestly seek God. And that you fear giving yourself up to something you couldn't possibly understand in any sense of religion and finding that you gave yourself to the wrong thing.

My only advice would to be to pray to God,just God. Not the thought of any religion or how they describe him. Just ask him what he wants for you.

I tell you that if you give your life to God in the everything, that he will not send you somewhere you would hate to be. Many can attest to this. this does not mean it won't be hard and that you'll have all the answers. But you will know.

 

[AUM]

this is a interesting ideal, one that people love. Though If you were to ask me i would disagree on just about every point. Except for maybe one. In your chat with God He told you that every tree is rooted in truth and that you would have to look at all of them to find the truth. I would agree that just about all religions to some extent carry a part of the truth.

My point to make would be why look at the trees when the truth is right there under your feet.

If my above statement holds true, then there would be no point in looking at the trees when the truth is under your feet. However, if I tell you that on top of your computer there's a cute cat standing on it, you're going to think that I am nuts. So what do I do?, I give you a bunch of illustrations and guidelines for you to have faith that there's actually a cat on top of your computer even though it is not physically visible. Human nature is to believe what can be proven and tangible and when none of these criteria are met they need a "Divine guide" to tell them that they should believe in what they've been told. So when people are born and later on in life deal with God's power, most of them need some sort of proof of a divine nature that what can't be seen exists in some other form. Therefore trees need to be planted for them to experience some part of that truth when all along they could've experience that Absolute Truth without their assistance but because trees are more visible than the soil that is covered by the grass, they chose to put their faith on one relative truth instead of looking at the other trees or experiencing truth without the assistance of that single tree.

 

[myself]

if i were to initiate a conversation with a candle stick, i think my mind would cook up some sort of dialogue.

i've always felt skepticism about hearing the voice of god.

people can make themselves believe anything.

why should i assume that my conversation with God was not just a means of talking with myself?

shit gets crazy

 

[bamf]

if i were to initiate a conversation with a candle stick, i think my mind would cook up some sort of dialogue.

i've always felt skepticism about hearing the voice of god.

people can make themselves believe anything.

why should i assume that my conversation with God was not just a means of talking with myself?

shit gets crazy

And yet at the same time, perhaps God lives inside everyone? That part of humanity is God?

Maybe in talking with ourselves, we are in fact talking with God (God being what ever the individual sees God as)

 

[midnightmelody]

Ah, that's what I tried. Lots of misery.

I always believed in God in a personal way. Someone to talk to and plan with etc

If I'm going to believe in God, it's in kind of the same sense mf seems to.

A lot of Christian teachings say that God is love, which if I could accept, I could sort of believe in a "God".

 

[Shai Gar]

I've got to do this. Sorry but ever since I first saw the topic I've been stopping myself.


Just nod if you can hear me.
Is there anyone at home?

Come on, come on down,
I hear you're feeling down.
Well I can ease your pain,
Get you on your feet again.

Relax, relax, relax
I need some information first.
Just the basic facts.
Can you show me where it hurts?

There is no pain, you are receding.
A distant ship's smoke on the horizon.
You are only coming through in waves.
Your lips move, but I can't hear what you're saying.

When I was a child, I had a fever.
My hands felt just like two balloons.
Now I've got that feeling once again.
I can't explain, you would not understand.
This is not how I am.

I have become comfortably numb.

 

[arbygil]

Hee. Gotta love Pink Floyd. One of my faves in college, yup!

 

[daydreamer]

I have a question, are there any other devoted Christians in this forum. I almost feel alone out here?

And if so what kind are you and what are your beliefs?

also do you believe that Jesus is the Christ the risen lord and your Savior?(sorry if it sounds like I'm trying to baptize you[I'm not])

I am Christian, but I honestly don't know how devoted you would call me. I even go to a Catholic school.

I don't like some of the Church's politics though

I don't believe in praying to saints, but asking saints to pray for us is good. We don't worship and pray to saints, we intercede our prayers through them.

Despite me being a Catholic, I usually don't have problems with people of other religions, unless they insult my religion I think it's stupid to fight over religion or not to like someone just because they think differently from you.

 

[Pristinegirl]

Hee. Gotta love Pink Floyd. One of my faves in college, yup!

I love Pink Floyd!

I've got to do this. Sorry but ever since I first saw the topic I've been stopping myself.

Same here!!!! I associated to Floyd too, when I first saw this thread
the first thing that came to mind was Is there anybody out there?