My Christian Theism gets Personal!

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As A child I Believed in God however over time after praying and receiving no help I started to think God hated me or something...

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Hi DC,Imagine you had a child, would you always give anything what your child wanted?When I was a child, I also had a hard life and prayed for God to make it easier.. but it never got answered. Now I think to myself, if God answered that prayer, I would never be like what I am now.
Don't think God hate you just because your prayers don't get answered. He still gives you other things what you really needed and maybe with your prayers don't come true, it gives the best result for you.The important thing is always praise the LORD for anything that happend to you.

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The problem with this is that if I'm mature enough to accept that things aren't always going to work out the way I want, I don't need God.

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So you need God only if He does your biddings?

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Why should I praise the Lord for everything that happens to me, if I can already see the good and bad things as two sides of the same coin?

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The thing is you already have "I don't need God" mind, while I have "I do need God" mind, we see things differently. I quess.. I praise the Lord for the "coin".

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So what sort of empirical significance does this belief system have?

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Maybe in this life, our System makes it more difficult for the people or believers.
(LUK 14:27) "And whosoever doth not bear his cross, and come after me, cannot be my disciple."
Besides battling with the world also with sins, while non-believers only with the world. But our System, Christ helps our soul and also it will help for our next life.
You don't believe or don't care, right? Like what I said.. we see things differently.

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After all He never at all showed me he cared for me at all....

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Never? Maybe you just didn't realize it. What about your friends? Did you have good friends who gave you comfort when you needed it.. Sometimes God works through other people. Try to look on the past, I'm sure you missed something.

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So what your saying is it God that my life better? Last I checked it was hard work that did it....

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My friend you missed my point. I said, "other things what you really need".. God still gives you air that you breathe, sunshine, happiness, good friends, etc.
Work ..yes, everybody has to work, even Adam was told to work also (Oh..no, not him again) .
But.. you can choose, work for money or work for life.
I have seen people who only work for place to stay and food, not getting any money. Some because that's what they want and feel happy and enough with that. Some because they can't work to get money.
That's one of the reasons why you should be gratefull for what you have got.
Sometimes we need to look down, not just up.

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I only Became a better person AFTER I stopped believing... was it Gods plan for me to become an Atheist/Agnostic?

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What do you mean by "Became a better person"?
I don't know God's plan for you. Like what I have said before, God works in a mysterious way.DC, I'm sorry to hear about your parents.
Always good luck on your life.

Dear Stephen,You said:

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Christians are almost impossible to save.

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What religion do you suggest?
I read your posts regarding Yeshua, isn't it the same as Jesus?

Hi Stephen,I agree religon doesn't guarantee to save us, but I believe by believing and living in Jesus does.

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I count myself as a disciple of Yeshua, often called Jesus. I refuse the label Christian ("of Christ") because it is specifically forbidden in scripture (1 Corinth 1:12).

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Do you mean because of that passage saying "I of Christ", it is forbidden to say I'm a Christian?
(1 Corinth 1:12)
"Now this I say, that every one of you saith, I am of Paul; and I of Apollos; and I of Cephas; and I of Christ."
I think what he means here is not to make group of it, because we are one in Jesus Christ.

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Actually, in one conversation with God, He told me not to even pray for Christians, because going to a Christian church was a "sin unto death."

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I know some Christian preachers tell their people that other churches are wrong or things like that.. yes, I agree maybe it is forbidden in the scripture. But I don't think that going to church is a "sin unto death".. we Christians try to know His words by going to churches. But it's still about Jesus. Is that a sin?
If a church tell their people to do things contradict to the Bible and tell to believe others besides Jesus then going to that church could be a sin to death.
Could you tell me what are sins unto death?The churches are made because of Jesus came to earth, then it could mean that Jesus made us to do "sin unto death". Can God make mistake? (Because you also said God doesn't know the outcome for sure). Are you saying that God made mistake by sending Jesus to earth.. which later made people to do sin unto death? I don't understand.Could you also tell me the requirments to be saved?
Thank you Stephen.[This message has been edited by Chris, 03-19-2004]