Spider, how many people lost their lives, fighting in the "Name of God"
against people that fought back in the "Name of God"?
And when all is said and done they all fought in the name of the same
God, because there is only one.

Abra does not tell us that his way is the only way. He states the way
that is right for him and leaves us to ponder its wisdom.

It has been said many times by some that we who follow faith and not
the-word-as-they-see-it are condemed.

God so loves his children... I have heard this many times.

I believe it. I can not be condemed by the closed door for I am in the
world and the world is a part of the realm of god. The closed door
shuts out the light and those that bar the door can not see the greater
world outside the house they guard so vehemently with the word as they
see it.

As it has been in the past so it is now. When a new day dawns those
that guard are slow to see the sun in its reality chosing to cling
instead to the precepts of the past as a merchant clings to his bags of
gold.

It has been said 'Thou shalt worship no god before me.'

Yet so many worship the son and miss the glory of the father.

Well said AB

invisible,

Matthew 7:21
--------------------------------------------------------------
Not everyone who says to Me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of
heaven, but he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven will
enter.
--------------------------------------------------------------

The ONLY true Christians are the ones who do as God commanded. What was
it that Jesus commanded?

Matthew 22:37-40
--------------------------------------------------------------
And He said to him, " '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 foremost commandment. The second is like it, 'YOU SHALL LOVE
YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF.' On these two commandments depend the whole
Law and the Prophets."
--------------------------------------------------------------

By loving God and loving your neighbor, you are doing what God
commanded. Strong words, when necesary, are justified. Jesus taught
that physical violence is only allowed when lives are in danger. Those
Christians who were involved in the crusades and inquisition were not
always obeying God's laws. The crusades were started by the Moors
invading Europe, so some (certainly not all) of the crusades were
justified under the lessons taught by Jesus.

AdventureBegins,

Jesus IS God.

The word of Christ came from god.

Jesus was a man.

He was born of woman.

Spider wrote:
“You claim to have a direct connection to God, but when Christians say
the same thing, you call us ‘dangerous’.”

I don’t claim to speak on behave of god.

All of my views are my own. I’ll ‘share’ an understanding of my
relationship with god with anyone who is interested in hearing it. I
don’t push it onto anyone.

I might also add that whenever I discuss things like evolution I’m not
even thinking in terms of religion. To me evolution is a scientific
fact and has nothing at all to do with religious ‘faith’.

It’s also my own personal opinion that the Bible was written entirely by
man and was not inspired by God. That’s my own personal view and
belief. I offer it as such. If other people don’t wish to agree with
me, it’s not a problem for me. It does seem to be a problem for them.
But there’s not much I can do about that.

Spider wrote:
“Jesus IS God”

I too believe that Jesus was god.

I just view god differently than you do.

To me god is not an external egotistical entity that sits on a throne in
heaving passing judgments on everyone.

To me, we are all god, and in this way, so was Jesus.

I believe that Jesus actually became enlightened in the far east by the
Eastern Mystics. When he returned to the western world he tried to
preach what he had learned. When he said that he was god the people
misunderstood him because they were locked into thinking of God as an
external entity in the sky.

I believe that the very disciples of Jesus misunderstood him, and that
Jesus even said as much.

I believe that Christianity has grossly distorted what Jesus taught.
They seem to have miss the story about tolerance and brotherly love, and
have instead focused on some insane idea that he was offering free
tickets to get into heaven.

Spider>

Anyone that keeps gods laws is under grace.

If I am to follow the teachings of the disciples I can do any manner of
evil in the world till I am close to death and but ask for salvation and
get it.

I think not.

I will hold gods laws to my heart as best the son of a man can hold
them.

I will not accept that another must atone for my 'sins'. They are mine
to attone for and no others. To accept his sacrafice as my salvation is
to place his blood on my hands and not in my viens.

My truth can not be seen by someone who has hardened their heart by
placing a book in it and not harkening unto the words that formed the
book. I give you peace and you give me law.

As did the lawgivers that came before.

In your travels I hope peace finds you.

AdventureBegins,

I don't get it...I don't think I said anything about the law.
Christians live under Grace. I am very happy that I am protected by
Grace, because I know the law would find me lacking.

If you a practicing christian knows you are lacking in the law how then
can you correct my way by that same law?

Would not this fall under the heading of hypocrite?

(I am not calling you a hyporcrite I am asking a question)

AdventureBegins,

Could you show me where I did that? I'm not finding it in this thread.

Spider I could give you an example.

However you know what you have said to me. I will not choke the threads
with it.

I have forgiven you for rebuking me without reason.

Once forgivin it is as if nothing has happened between us.
Therefor for me to bring it up would make a lie of the my forgivness.

AdventureBegins,

Let me explain, so that I don't appear to be a hypocrite. The Law is
the schoolmaster to Christians. From the Law, we learn of God's likes
and dislikes. We learn what we can do to please God. The most
important lesson we learn is that no matter how good we are, we are
never good enough. When we accept Jesus as our savior, we are no longer
under the Law. That means we won't suffer the penalty for violating the
law. We still obey the law to our best ability, but not because we fear
punishment. We obey the law because we love God and want to please him.

I am my only judge.

God excepts me as I am. It is up to me to refrain from those things you
believe to be sin and I believe to be not good for me to do.

I need no salvation.

AdventureBegins,

Okay man. I was just explaining to you why I might have mentioned the
law in the past.

i dont belive that jesus was just a man... he sits at the right hand of
our father... he came and died for all of u!! and i know he deserves far
more respect than calling him just a man!!!

I totally agree heather thank you and abba says that he does not run
down christian what that about the post of two choices it a fact if you
do not accept I not even going there he will find out the truth
eventually

The sun is the light that shines on me. The son that shines in my eyes
is my own Son shine. The light that I follow in the darkness are the
rays of love from family and friends. And when I am in the depth of
despair, I have but to reach out, take a hand and there I will find a
reason to continue, to give back.

I have found that in my life, I held two very heavey burdens on my
shoulders. The first took time for me to unload, because I was so young
and had so much to learn, both in knowledge and in living.

I dropped the first burden in my 20's. It was with the admission that I
was an atheist, that I finally, truely understood for the first time,
the experience that wonderman speaks of in finding Jesus. It was dawn
for the first time in my life. I was reborn and ready to experience
this existance and all it offered without hinderance of mind or
limitations of doctrine.

The only thing that still bound me, that became my heaviest burden of
all, was that, which religious society forbid. It was that limitation
that blinded truth, that persecuted, that thing that became a social
moral whose only basis was religion.
That darkness from which lies only could eminate. A closet whose only
grace in the eyes of a demeaning public was the darkness.

Coming Out of that darkness gave me the only thing my life ever lacked,
truth, finally freedom to be.

My light comes from the Sun.