The way I live my life and the choices I make are rooted in love for people.
If your life is rooted in ignorance, then those around you who are blameless get hurt.
For example, if income tax is immoral, as the forefathers believed it was, then why do people get thrown in jail for not paying it?
Because people who selfishly remain ignorant do nothing to stop it.
Ignorance is not neutral. It is selfish and dangerous.
Living your life the way you choose has consequences. People get hurt, but ironically, the new-world belief system calls it love.
Another irony.
There is much wisdom in these verses:
"I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot: I would thou wert cold or hot. So then because thou art [color:#CC0000]lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth. Because thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked: I counsel thee to buy of me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich; and white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed, and that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear; and anoint thine eyes with eyesalve, that thou mayest see. As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent."[/color]
(Revelation 3:15-19)
I'll grant that the root causes of conflicts are usually more complex. But it's equally incorrect to release it from blame.
Again, the fact that you're using the word religion displays your misinformed position on this issue.
Try calling it "a belief system". Then it will be easier to realize that it is false belief systems that are utilized by powerbrokers to cause wars.
False belief systems only exist because people live lives according to their own rules; They own "way". They don't seek truth. They don't study. They simply listen and adopt the "truth" that feels best to them.
This is the most selfish and destructive thing a person can do.
This is exactly why I said in my previous post that your belief system will lead us into Armageddon. It is your belief system that is the "religion" that will facilitate the murder of more in the next few years than have ever been killed in history in a short period of time.
An incredible irony indeed.
The Bible has the solution to this problem, if people would only learn it, but they won't. They are too rebellious.
It isn't the majority of peaceful religious people who begin conflicts, it's fundamentalists of any faith. Look around the world at any point in time and you can see this happening. Why do you think the words "Islamic fundamentalist" cause so much terror in the western world today -- it's because they are willing to kill themselves and others in the name of their god.
You know nothing about what is really happening. Again, you are simply listening and adopting the "truths" that feel right to you and then parroting them.
The fact is, most terrorism today is based from CIA operation and funding. When/if you realize this, it will help you to realize the extent that people's beliefs are molded and used for destruction.
The words "Islamic fundamentalist" do not cause terror in the western world, but what little worry it does cause has been implanted by an owned/controlled media working to make you believe what benefits them.
It's a lie, Linda.
You've studied these for years and you're as knowledgeable about them as you are of Christianity? Personally I've found a lot of truths in eastern religions and continue to do so. But I have no desire to argue about which religion is right or wrong. People change their minds about these things if/when they feel ready, and according to what they feel is right for them.
I have studied them enough to find logical flaws, contradictions, and subversive information that is contrary to science, logic, and reason.
Yes, there are a lot of truths there, but again I say, any effective lie is 90% truth.
You said...
But I have no desire to argue about which religion is right or wrong.
That's because you have no real desire to know what belief system is true or not. It's work and you're tired, and it may isolate you from your friends, or family, or there is some other thing that keeps you from wanting to discover truth.
The bottom line is: You're afraid of something.
Usually, people are afraid of losing something they covet.
We've talked about this before: prophecies can be made after the fact, they can be favourably interpreted after the fact, they can be made about events that are obviously going to happen, wrong prophecies can be conveniently forgotten . . . it's a long list.
None of this applies to the Bible.
The Bible is the most copied, dated, verified, book on Earth, by far. It's simply not possible that prophecies were faked.
For example, the Isiah prophecies about the Arabah and the Dead Sea. It's impossible. The modern archeological digs. The world kingdoms that are verified by numerous historians and undisputed.
You simply are listening to new-world propaganda and not studying for yourself.
The question then is, because someone accurately predicted the future, why does that mean that their religion is the correct one?
Accurately predicting the future is an evidence of super-natural activity. The Biblical prophecies center around world events that are enormous in scope. They also spoke more about modern times than any other time in history, and they did so with perfect accuracy, to the point that we can predict what will happen in the near future, like the Chinese invasion of the U.S., for example, and many other things.
There is no Book like it. Nothing comes close.
What is astonishing is that many people choose to take their information about it second-hand, despite the astounding information it contains, and the amazing evidence it displays.
People have been predicting the future since people existed, before Christianity and now.
Christianity did not start with the incarnation of Christ. Christianity began at the (re)creation of Earth, so you are mistake in speaking about events "before Christianity".
Secondly, your statement is simply not true. People have not been predicting the future throughout history. True that some have here and there, but these are clearly not benign instances when studied with logic and reason, and the do not compare with the accurate prediction of world kingdoms, rulers, and detailed events thousands of years in advance as the Bible does.
Nothing touches it.
Nothing Linda.
For example, here are some Native American prophecies (which make interesting reading in themselves):
Some is interesting. Some not. The most interesting pertain to the Holy Spirit (the "Great Spirit") and the flood account, and many other "Christian" prophecies.
Interesting predictions indeed.
Using your logic, their religion must be correct because they also can claim that their prophecies have been fulfilled. If you're going to try to debunk them then logically you're going to have to use the same criteria on the Biblical prophecies as well.
Not so.
You're quick to make judgments without examination.
Their "religion" is a muddled mix of Christian beliefs which have much accurate truth and some spiritism, which are the "doctrines of demons".
Like most other cultures, there is a mixture of truth and lies. So it is nonsensical to say "Their religion must be right".
Let's be accurate in our statements and say, some of it is correct, and some of it isn't, just as Buddhism, and Islam, etc.
Remember, any good lie is 90% truth.
Interestingly, when I was Catholic, I did not believe that non-Catholics were evil people going to hell.
And Christians don't believe that all Catholics are going to hell either.
There is a hell, there are demons, there is evil on the world, and so -- you know -- truth is not always easy. It's not always comfortable and touchy-feely.
Truth is hard, but it's doable.
Truth is not subject to our whims.
Hell is for people who reject God. Rejecting God is as simple as refusing to know Him -- staying ignorant; It's a horrible thing to do.
Hinduism is a very open belief system, but unfortunately, it is illogical, flawed, deceptive, unscientific, and is another one of the smorgasbord of belief systems designed by fallen entities to bring you down with them.
The city where I live, Leicester, has an ethnic minority population of almost 50%. This includes many Hindus (whose religion is evil according to you), Muslims and Sikhs. We haven't encountered the race riots that some other cities have, and we take pride in our multiculturalism. If you go to work here you can expect to work with Asian and black people of different cultures and faiths. Our Diwali celebrations are the largest in the world outside of India. It is tolerance of each other that has made us a successful community. If we decided to try to convert each other to what each of us believed was the correct faith, we would lose that. I know which way of life I would choose.
You make my point well Linda.
Most people of most religions have no interest in hurting other people. Christians spread the truth they have discovered because it is empowering, liberating, verifiable as reasonable truth (scientifically), and most of all because they love people and want them to be saved from the coming judgement.
It's healthy for people to mix and mingle their walk through life that they may influence others for good. Christians have been doing that since the beginning. Christ ate with sinners and tax collectors.
Knowing the truth does not mean killing people.
But all this is moot.
You're life will end. You will die. Then what?
What is 70 years compared to eternity?
Don't you want to know the truth?
If not, why not?
If you meed God, how will you explain your apathy towards truth to Him?
This is not a game Linda. That highly-complex, symmetrical, self-reproducing body that you now possess will not continue forever. The question is, will you get another one that does, or don't you care enough to find out.
Are you simply going to rely on second-hand information, television shows, text books, commentaries, hearsay to determine what you believe?
This is not a game.
Study.
