Protestantism

» pink101 - Buddhism vs Christianity

In response to Buddhism vs Christianity posted by paper_turtle:

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Bingo!
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-- posted by pink101

» Brother_Jones - Buddhism vs Christianity

In response to Buddhism vs Christianity posted by paper_turtle:

One doesn't have to try to be BOTH. The idea is to recognize that another faith might just contain some valuable insights which might be helpful to one's own particular faith.

Right, but it seems that today's believer is very apt to argue that one shouldn't have a particular faith.

Now, this might be a stretch for me (meaning it might be very unlikely), but suppose I was listening to a Conservative Republican, and I agreed with his proposed solution to a problem. Does this make me a Conservative Republican? Hardly. It simply means I'm willing to consider another point of view.

Well, there is a difference between consideration and advancing a position. It sure looks like you were doing the latter in the other thread, which is okay. Like I said, I was attempting to keep you honest by bringing to your attention that Jesus and Buddha are much different on most everything.

i am just an oldtimer for the Lord.

-- posted by Brother_Jones

» paper_turtle - Buddhism vs Christianity

In response to Buddhism vs Christianity posted by Brother_Jones:

I was attempting to keep you honest

I thought a Texas gentleman never impugned a woman's vritue OR her character.

peace and love,
Paper Turtle

-- posted by paper_turtle

» Migisi - Ancient World

In response to Ancient World posted by BrianTubbs:
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Whatever the reason - there is no nonbiblical secular evidence for Jesus' life and miracles. Okay.
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There were all kinds of superstitions and religious claims and/or beliefs in the ancient world.
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Thank you. True for the modern world too.

-- posted by Migisi

» Brian Tubbs - Secular Evidence

In response to Ancient World posted by Migisi:

Migisi, there IS secular evidence (see the article I referred you to - the one I wrote called "Proving Jesus") that affirms PORTIONS of the biblical record. But there are no secular biographies of Jesus - meaning no secular literary that FOCUSED on Jesus' life and miracles. And, for the reasons I gave, we shouldn't expect that there would be.

Of course...it's wrong for you or anyone to just dismiss the Bible out of hand. At the very least, a person has to accept the Bible as a collection of ancient literature. The Gospels, for example, are partial biographies of Jesus' life and miracles. Most LIBERAL - heck, even some ATHEIST - scholars admit that there's at least SOME value in the Gospels. Only the most radical and frankly irrational people dismiss them completely.

» Brian Tubbs - Bible as Literature

Let me elaborate a little bit and explain why I think it's IRRATIONAL to completely dismiss the Bible out of hand.

There is a lot of information contained in the New Testament that is more or less UNCHALLENGED by even the most liberal scholars...

1. Caesar Augustus was real and did institute a policy of taxation and census-taking in the Roman Empire

2. Herod was king of Judea at the time Jesus would have been born

3. There was a man named Jesus of Nazareth who amassed a substantial following in first century Judeo-Palestine

4. He was preceded by a preacher named John the Baptist who also had a following

5. There were rumors and claims that Jesus performed miracles

6. Jesus clashed with the Jewish leaders of his day

7. Pontius Pilate was the Roman governor at the time of Jesus' crucifixion

8. Jesus was indeed crucified

9. Jesus' followers claimed resurrection appearances after the tomb was found empty

10. The Christian religion began in the mid-1st century AD and has grown to approximately 2.1 billion adherents today

These above 10 facts are virtually UNCHALLENGED by scholars, Migisi, and you'll note that they (except for the last part of Fact Number 10) are borne out in what we know today as the Bible.

For YOU or anyone to completely reject the New Testament (or the Bible in general) just out of hand - believing that it has no credibile input into any discussion about Jesus' life...that is frankly irrational. I hope that's not what you're saying. But if it is, I will not retract my statement. It is radical, ridiculous, and (yes) totally irrational.

» Brother_Jones - Buddhism vs Christianity

In response to Buddhism vs Christianity posted by paper_turtle:

I thought a Texas gentleman never impugned a woman's vritue OR her character.

In the field of trying to interpret the lives of such giants, we can all use some help. I appreciate your point of view that you don't like to quarrel or argue. However, the honesty that I pin my hopes and dreams upon is the righteousness of Christ and not what might linger in your heart or mine after a night of soul searching. So yes, I will from time to time question a woman's honesty if I think that she has disregarded the idea of Satan in her life. Unfortunatly that has been your position over the years to deny the existence of Satan, which goes counter to the doctrine of Christ.

i am just an oldtimer for the Lord.

-- posted by Brother_Jones

» Brian Tubbs - Honesty

In response to Buddhism vs Christianity posted by Brother_Jones:

Honesty can be a loaded term here. I think, Brother Jones, what you're getting at is intellectual, doctrinal consistency and you're trying to hold PaperTurtle accountable to that. And I am more or less in agreement with what you're saying along those lines, but I'm not sure "honest" was the right term for you to use. It implied that she was being deceptive. I don't think that was your intention, but I see where some misunderstandings could develop here.

» Brian Tubbs - What is Christianity?

In casually observint this thread, I think one of the major questions lurking in the background is...What is Christianity?

PaperTurtle, your perspective on Christianity SEEMS to be similar to that of Martin Luther King, Jr. and South African Archbishop Desmond Tutu. Christianity is a belief system characterized by the life and teachings of Jesus -- and supplemented by an emotional, spiritual journey that each person must follow in his/her own personal relationship with God.

Pink will appreciate this next reference, but this appears to be where Thomas Jefferson ended up. Jefferson was a Deist for much of his life, but drifted into Unitarianism and what I sometimes call a "soft" Christianity. Jefferson, in fact, referred to himself as a "Christian." But he questioned the miracles and the resurrection of Jesus. He didn't see Jesus as the Son of God in a Trinitarian way, but recognized him as a special, divine spokesman for God.

PaperTurtle, if I'm mischaracterizing you, please forgive me. But I'm trying to fix a reference point here, because I think it speaks to the disagreement you have right now with Brother Jones.

A softer Christian - the MLK, Tutu, Jefferson kind of Christian - has no problem looking at other religions for insights into the personal journey one must take in his/her relationship with God.

HOWEVER....

Brother Jones, Wendell, and I define Christianity more narrowly. For us, to be a Christian means that you must believe in the deity as well as the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ AND you must then prayerfully hand your life over to Christ, making him the Lord and Savior of your life. (You may agree with this as well, but your emphasis appears to be more in the MLK/Tutu/Jefferson camp of Christianity).

The point is that an evangelical, Bible-believing Christian will not be comfortable looking at Buddhism, Islam, Bahai, Hinduism, etc. for insights. For the reasons that Paul gives when he warns Timothy to avoid false doctrines and false teachers.

For my own part, I will look to figures in other religious faiths for inspiration or ideas in the civil arena (Gandhi's strategy of non-violence for example) or charitable arena or what not. But not theology.

» _Boanerges_ - What is Christianity?

In response to What is Christianity? posted by BrianTubbs:

HOWEVER.... Brother Jones, Wendell, and I define Christianity more narrowly. For us, to be a Christian means that you must believe in the deity as well as the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ AND you must then prayerfully hand your life over to Christ, making him the Lord and Savior of your life.

True for me!

The point is that an evangelical, Bible-believing Christian will not be comfortable looking at Buddhism, Islam, Bahai, Hinduism, etc. for insights. For the reasons that Paul gives when he warns Timothy to avoid false doctrines and false teachers.

Im not "uncomfortable" per sey.. I simply reject those "religions" as nonsense and illogical, aside from the fact that they heave no historical evidence to support their claims....
Those who believe in those religions are doing so in vanity and vexation of spirit....

Deut:32:37-38
And he shall say, Where are their gods, their rock in whom they trusted, Which did eat the fat of their sacrifices, and drank the wine of their drink offerings? let them rise up and help you, and be your protection.

-- posted by _Boanerges_