God/Jesus Loves You

[DBruleU]

Originally Posted by TailgateNut

How much money has "the Church" recently spent to buy themselves out of deviant behavior lawsuits? Does $66million sound about right? That could have been used to help millions of starving children!

What church is this?

[Spider]

Catholic church

[DBruleU]

Originally Posted by §Pide®

Catholic church

Good thing I don't belong to that then.

I don't agree with much the catholic church does. Especially the Pope's new decree that the only way to be saved is through the catholic church. As if the church has anything to do with saving someone.

Protestants aren't right according to him.

[Spider]

Originally Posted by DBruleU

Good thing I don't belong to that then.

I don't agree with much the catholic church does. Especially the Pope's new decree that the only way to be saved is through the catholic church. As if the church has anything to do with saving someone.

Protestants aren't right according to him.

so many difference between the different sects of religion .... you are going to hell unless you believe us , no we have the true path to heaven , No we do .....pretty confusing .......

[DBruleU]

Originally Posted by §Pide®

so many difference between the different sects of religion .... you are going to hell unless you believe us , no we have the true path to heaven , No we do .....pretty confusing .......

I agree. It has been made confusing. Everything has been distorted unfortunately.

Why not just trust Jesus when He said the only way to heaven is through Him, and God the Father. You can't get yourself there alone on any acts, it's simply through faith in Him.

[Bronco Bob]

Originally Posted by DBruleU

I agree. It has been made confusing. Everything has been distorted unfortunately.

Why not just trust Jesus when He said the only way to heaven is through Him, and God the Father. You can't get yourself there alone on any acts, it's simply through faith in Him.

Why not trust Bhudda or Vishna or Mohammed or Xenu instead?

[alkemical]

Originally Posted by Bronco Bob

Why not trust Bhudda or Vishna or Mohammed or Xenu instead?

I like jesus, buddha & krisna. I'm not a devotte of any - but i've been helped personally by types of all three groups when i really needed.

[Stormontheplains]

Originally Posted by TailgateNut

How much money has "the Church" recently spent to buy themselves out of deviant behavior lawsuits? Does $66million sound about right? That could have been used to help millions of starving children!

Wrong church, I am methodist. But you didn't answer the question of what you do for the misfortunet.

[Taco John]

Originally Posted by DBruleU

[/B]

Do you even know what that scripture means? Like usual, things are taken so far out of context.

That has nothing to do with self-defense, or "running" away like you like to put it. It simply means, to follow Christ, and to be a Christian, we are to deny any of our own ambitions, needs, pleasures, and follow with Him and trust Him completely with our lives. If we live our lives just fulfilling our earthly desires, and do nothing for Christ, we have wasted our lives, and gained nothing for eternal life.

Again though, if you guys would put down your hatred for Christianity, and take the time to read what I posted earlier, you'd find your answers to your arguments right there.

Yeah, I know exactly what that scripture means. I've been a part of Bible study since I was an adolescent. In fact, I didn't take it out of context at all. Nor have I taken out of context the fact that Jesus ran from his attackers. It's the truth.

Being a Christian isn't about protecting yourself. It's about giving up the self, and serving others. Christ was the ultimate pacifist.

I take issue with your charactarization that I have any sort of hatred for Christianity. I find true Christianity the most noble cause in the world. I will admit, though, that I have a distaste for your distortion of it. Nothing you have presented is scriptural in any way, whereas, on the other hand, everything I've said has been backed up by scriptures, none of which I've taken out of context as you say.

[RkyMtnThunder]

Originally Posted by Stormontheplains

How much money do Atheist organizations send to third world countries for hunger? How many houses in south America have they built? I could go on and on. The religion that you gentleman hate, I have never seen. There has been nothing but good come from every church I have been a member of. Our church has spent hundred of thousands feeding, building, and educating the poor from different countries.

While religious groups are well known for charitable activities, it is misinformed to imply that charitable efforts are spearheaded by religious groups alone.

www.charitynavigator.org is a watchdog website that tracks all sorts of charitable groups.

You will see many religious groups listed here. You will also see many secular based organizations as well. Neither religious or secular charity organizations are immune from fraud - so this website was created to help people like ourselves get more information about a given group prior to donating.

Its doubtful any secular group would go out of their way to demonstrate their 'atheism', as they arent also using the charity as a platform to evangelize their beliefs to the people they are helping. They just dont evangelize at all during their charitable activities/events.

[orangeatheist]

Originally Posted by RkyMtnThunder

Its doubtful any secular group would go out of their way to demonstrate their 'atheism', as they arent also using the charity as a platform to evangelize their beliefs to the people they are helping. They just dont evangelize at all during their charitable activities/events.

Gee, I wonder if Clavi would find that ironic?

Can you imagine an atheist group getting together to open a soup kitchen and then, while the patrons are filling their bellies, going amongst the unfortunate to hand out copies of Richard Dawkin's The God Delusion and pointing out the fact that no Heavenly Fathers, Sons or Holy Spooks were in the kitchen helping to bust suds or cut up potatoes?

EDIT TO ADD:
Interesting to note from that link, the "10 Charities Worth Watching." These ten are singled out because they operate on less than $2 million a year and have earned a 4-star rating from this watchdog group. Note the following:

#1 - Asha for Education: "...is a secular organization dedicated to change in India by focusing on basic education..."

#2 - Louisville Zoo Foundation - "...dedicated itself to the pursuits of education, conservation, scientific study and recreation."

#3 - Animal Welfare Institute - "...a non-profit charitable organization founded...to reduce the sum total of pain and fear inflicted on animals by humans."

#4 - Mesothelioma Applied Research Foundation - "The Meso Foundation is the non-profit collaboration of patients and families, physicians, advocates, and researchers dedicated to eradicating the life-ending and vicious effects of mesothelioma."

#5 - The Disabled American Veterans Charitable Service Trust - "...accepts gifts through workplace giving campaigns, including the Combined Federal Campaign and United Way, employee matching gift programs, and similar special giving arrangements, and provides a variety of direct services for America’s disabled veterans."

#6 - Children for Children - "...promotes hands on youth volunteering and giving programs which teach and instill the value of community involvement and civic engagement in children from all backgrounds..."

#7 - Enviornment Northeast - "...accepts funding from sources that allow us to maintain our independence as an impartial source of information and a credible advocate."

#8 - National Ataxia Foundation - "...the Foundation first began direct funding of ataxia research through the NAF Research "Seed-Money" Program. Since that time, the Foundation has established two additional research programs including the NAF Young Investigator Award and the NAF Fellowship Award. These three NAF research programs continue to fund promising ataxia research studies throughout the world."

#9 - American Skin Association - "...a volunteer-led health organization dedicated - through research, education and advocacy - to saving lives and alleviating human suffering caused by the full spectrum of skin disorders and cancer...Through its national grants and awards program, the ASA has given more than $5 million in recognition and support of research to promising physician/scientists and leading figures in the field, and to research centers at major institutions throughout the country."

#10 - Dogs for the Deaf - "...founded in 1977 by the late Roy G. Kabat, a long-time Hollywood and circus animal trainer who raised animals for motion pictures and television shows...mission is to rescue and professionally train dogs to assist people and enhance their lives, maintaining a lifelong commitment to all dogs we rescue and all teams we serve."

A lot of good being done out there, not necessarily in the name of any one god or pantheon of gods.

[Stormontheplains]

Originally Posted by orangeatheist

Gee, I wonder if Clavi would find that ironic?

Can you imagine an atheist group getting together to open a soup kitchen and then, while the patrons are filling their bellies, going amongst the unfortunate to hand out copies of Richard Dawkin's The God Delusion and pointing out the fact that no Heavenly Fathers, Sons or Holy Spooks were in the kitchen helping to bust suds or cut up potatoes?

No I cant see an atheist group doing that, and Yes if they did, I can see them spreading thier agenda. I haven't met a atheist yet that didn't let me know they were atheist and proud.

[RkyMtnThunder]

Originally Posted by Stormontheplains

No I cant see an atheist group doing that, and Yes if they did, I can see them spreading thier agenda. I haven't met a atheist yet that didn't let me know they were atheist and proud.

No offense, but that is kind of a silly statement.


......

If people feel strongly about something, they dont tend to be shy about it. Regardless if that is in support or opposition of the concept of higher power or not

and in the same light - there are also people that tend to keep things to themselves and have no desire to change other people's minds or argue their cases.

So what you are talking about is a personality type.

I can almost gurantee you that you have met atheists that didnt rub it in your face...likely without realizing their beliefs (or lack thereof)

Probably come across them every day

[alkemical]

Originally Posted by orangeatheist

Gee, I wonder if Clavi would find that ironic?

Can you imagine an atheist group getting together to open a soup kitchen and then, while the patrons are filling their bellies, going amongst the unfortunate to hand out copies of Richard Dawkin's The God Delusion and pointing out the fact that no Heavenly Fathers, Sons or Holy Spooks were in the kitchen helping to bust suds or cut up potatoes?

Why not? The churches do it.

I know when i was homeless the only ones it seemed making an effort to actually "help" were alot of theist groups. I know i filled my belly many a time when needed at "my sweet lord", which was run by the Krishna's (and also funded from the george harrison foundation).

Or the Churches in Ballard (Seattle) that fed us on mondays & thursdays. I don't like some of the zeal of some of the practicioners (It's always sunny in god's house, etc) - but they did work to feed us.

But one thing with those groups was - they didn't make 'practice' a requirement to eat. That was much appreciated and really broke my disdain for classifying religious types. Even though i wasn't "one of them", they took care of me when i needed it most.

Believe in God or not - They made the world a better place through non-judgement.

[alkemical]

Originally Posted by RkyMtnThunder

No offense, but that is kind of a silly statement.


......

If people feel strongly about something, they dont tend to be shy about it. Regardless if that is in support or opposition of the concept of higher power or not

and in the same light - there are also people that tend to keep things to themselves and have no desire to change other people's minds or argue their cases.

So what you are talking about is a personality type.

I can almost gurantee you that you have met atheists that didnt rub it in your face...likely without realizing their beliefs (or lack thereof)

Probably come across them every day

I agree - pride is a different animal all together.

[orangeatheist]

I'm not saying religious charities are bad. I'm just saying atheists don't hide behind theirs with an agenda to get more people to abandon their beliefs.

[alkemical]

Originally Posted by orangeatheist

I'm not saying religious charities are bad. I'm just saying atheists don't hide behind theirs with an agenda to get more people to abandon their beliefs.

All athiests and ALL religious charities??

[Bob]

Originally Posted by TailgateNut

How much money has "the Church" recently spent to buy themselves out of deviant behavior lawsuits? Does $66million sound about right? That could have been used to help millions of starving children!

And your statement implies what? That the Catholic church has had a problem with preists and molestation? Yup, sure -- and I dont think to many active Catholics are saying that child molestation is a good thing?

Just becuase you may not feel comfortable with those of faith -- there is evil in almost every corner of society, large insain jumps by insuation, panting broader good groups as some how evil may refelct a disintest in truth? Not sure.

It is a fact that those that go to churches give more $ on average to various charitable causes (on a percentage basis) than those who dont attend church -- I am not sure all of all the reasons are for this fact, but it is true. There are many folks who attend no church that give alot, but there is a false assumption lead by a left-leaning media that the left are always generous, the right are alway stingy. It is another example of the parties and thier puppets wanting to cram people into boxes of thier own making.

[orangeatheist]

Originally Posted by claviculasolomonis

All athiests

I can't answer that. I'm just not aware of any atheist charity that dishes out anti-Chick tracks with a bowl of soup. Are you?

[alkemical]

Originally Posted by orangeatheist

I can't answer that. I'm just not aware of any atheist charity that dishes out anti-Chick tracks with a bowl of soup. Are you?

Nope, when i was homeless in seattle i didn't run into any charities that were athiest...... Not to mention my post above regards to the churches/temples in seattle that didn't require any form of worship to eat.

[Bob]

Originally Posted by §Pide®

so many difference between the different sects of religion .... you are going to hell unless you believe us , no we have the true path to heaven , No we do .....pretty confusing .......

Most churches that I have been exposed to do not promote "the my faith or to hell with you." stance.

The New Testament would be a good place to start, and using that a guide for decison making and church shopping.

[BroncoInferno]

Originally Posted by claviculasolomonis

Nope, when i was homeless in seattle i didn't run into any charities that were athiest

I think there is a good reason for that. Atheism only means one thing...lack of belief in a god or gods. That singular belief is not much of a foundation on which to start an entire organization. That said, there are many atheists who devote their time to charitable causes, but it simply isn't under any banner of "atheism."

[Taco John]

Originally Posted by TailgateNut

How much money has "the Church" recently spent to buy themselves out of deviant behavior lawsuits? Does $66million sound about right? That could have been used to help millions of starving children!

I think that you are painting Christianity with a pretty broad and unfair brush, friend. While it's true that the Catholic church seems to be suffering a systemic problem, the phenomenon of Christianity is much larger than the original co-opters of Christ's message. Obviously, my use of the word "co-opt" reveals my own personal bias. Bias aside, I think it's unfair to paint the entire religion, especially its adherents with the transgressions of miscreant individuals who have tarnished the religion. I feel the same way about muslim terrorists. Just as there are Christians who claim the religion even if they don't particularly live it, so goes it for any religion or religious sect...

[Bob]

Originally Posted by Bronco Bob

Why not trust Bhudda or Vishna or Mohammed or Xenu instead?

A legit question. One thought is to consider those faiths that let you get out without a death sentence, and do not force conversion at the edge of a sword...

It may come down to having an open mind to conider options, but a closed enough one, to hold onto something...

[BroncoInferno]

Originally Posted by Bob

The New Testament would be a good place to start, and using that a guide for decison making and church shopping.

Should I look for one where the women wear veils and don't speak since that is what Paul states is the proper decorum for women in the church?