What do we do now, God?

Originally posted by jaywill
"Be careful what you eat" was in essence the next Divine instruction. That is man was to eat of [b] tree of life rather than the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. [snip] In failing to take into his human vessel the divine life of God Himself as indicated in the tree of life, man became a vanity of a being lost and not knowing his way or purpose.[/b]

Ok, so I rate this as one of the most intelligent responses to my question. What you're saying is: "if we had eaten the correct fruit, then we'd know what to do now; but since Adam was such a curious fellow and ate the wrong fruit, well now we're like the proverbial bunch of lost sheep, waiting for our shepherd to tell us what to do and where to go". Do I understand correctly? So the Bible is really no guide on the subject of a full earth then, since we long ago chose the wrong path?

Originally posted by FreakyKBH
... I finally realized why my very existence is such an offense.
Please enlighten us! I'm curious.

the first order of business is to secure your own air mask first
Not so for Roman Catholics, I understand - but I have no references. RCs would be obliged to spread the word of God, and to help people obtain forgiveness and redemption, though they may not themselves reach that state.

your best bet for finding and fleshing out the truth is not on the Spirituality forum of an internet chess site
I disagree. One would hope to be able to discuss intelligently and logically, avoiding the passionate ignorance (from both sides) often found, for example, on television or in other mass media.

Originally posted by fergalish
Originally posted by Zahlanzi
[b]"true believer"
this notion leaves room for interpretation. if the bible would say that dogs fly all the time, would you be a true believer if you believed that? even if you know that dogs have no wings and mostly no way to generate anti gravity fields.
A true believer would just ignore the evidence. Here's w ...[text shortened]... holics should questions their church's abhorrence for birth control.[/b]

what i tried to suggest with the 8000 meter glass is that the catholics are not considering the earth is full there is still plenty of space in antarctica and sahara. also they are not considering that the earth is about to get full so they don't slow down on the filling.

it would be useful to see what the actual passage in the bible is. i think it's "be fruitful and multiply and rule the earth". it doesn't say to stop sometime in the future and it certainly doesn't say what that time is. that is the problem with some fundamentalists. they are afraid to think for themselves for fear god might smite them.

which is very odd considering some catholics believe a child rapist murderer could be getting into heaven if he repents enough but others will get into hell for wearing a condom or believing evolution happened

Originally posted by fergalish
Ok, so I rate this as one of the most intelligent responses to my question. What you're saying is: "if we had eaten the correct fruit, then we'd know what to do now; but since Adam was such a curious fellow and ate the wrong fruit, well now we're like the proverbial bunch of lost sheep, waiting for our shepherd to tell us what to do and where to go". Do ...[text shortened]... eally no guide on the subject of a full earth then, since we long ago chose the wrong path?

i don't get it. he is thinking that eating from the tree of knowledge doesn't grant us knowledge?

what a total ripoff. the dude that sold the tree of knowledge to god is a crafty bastard

Originally posted by fergalish
Originally posted by FreakyKBH
... I finally realized why my very existence is such an offense.
Please enlighten us! I'm curious.

the first order of business is to secure your own air mask first
Not so for Roman Catholics, I understand - but I have no references. RCs would be obliged to spread the word of God, and to help people ob ...[text shortened]... ate ignorance (from both sides) often found, for example, on television or in other mass media.[/b]

Please enlighten us! I'm curious.
It's basic math, really: absolute perfection in contrast with absence of the same. No affinity, no camaraderie.

Not so for Roman Catholics, I understand - but I have no references. RCs would be obliged to spread the word of God, and to help people obtain forgiveness and redemption, though they may not themselves reach that state.
Sorry: can't help you there.

I disagree. One would hope to be able to discuss intelligently and logically, avoiding the passionate ignorance (from both sides) often found, for example, on television or in other mass media.
Experience says otherwise, but I'm game if you are.

Originally posted by Zahlanzi
which is very odd considering some catholics believe a child rapist murderer could be getting into heaven if he repents enough but others will get into hell for wearing a condom or believing evolution happened

I am curious. Do you know any Catholics that believe that?
I must point out a number of things:
1. Many theists (whether Catholic, Protestant, Muslim or other) do not believe that going to heaven or hell is directly related to the amount of sin you have committed. How one reconciles this with the concept of a just God is obviously an enormous problem - and an attempt to address it is a large part of Christian theology.
2. Telling people that wearing condoms is sinful is not equivalent to telling them (or believing) that they will go to hell for doing so. I would think that most Catholics would believe that if you go to confession after wearing a condom then you can be forgiven - note that that is not equivalent to saying wearing condoms is OK.
3. The Catholic Church has no policy against evolution and in fact largely endorses it.

Originally posted by twhitehead
I am curious. Do you know any Catholics that believe that?
I must point out a number of things:
1. Many theists (whether Catholic, Protestant, Muslim or other) do not believe that going to heaven or hell is directly related to the amount of sin you have committed. How one reconciles this with the concept of a just God is obviously an enormous problem - ...[text shortened]... is OK.
3. The Catholic Church has no policy against evolution and in fact largely endorses it.

if you repent, your sins get absolved. catholicism 101

1. yes it is hard to quantify. but the doods that don't put on condoms because they are afraid of god believe that any sin might be the one tipping the scale in the free ticket to hell. so they abstain of doing anything that might do that. easy sins like putting on a condom is very easily avoided.

2. i think confession works a lot less if you sin as much as you want and then go to confession only to have a fresh start to sin some more.

3. some. some don't

Originally posted by fergalish
Ok, so I rate this as one of the most intelligent responses to my question. What you're saying is: "if we had eaten the correct fruit, then we'd know what to do now; but since Adam was such a curious fellow and ate the wrong fruit, well now we're like the proverbial bunch of lost sheep, waiting for our shepherd to tell us what to do and where to go". Do ...[text shortened]... eally no guide on the subject of a full earth then, since we long ago chose the wrong path?

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Ok, so I rate this as one of the most intelligent responses to my question. What you're saying is: "if we had eaten the correct fruit, then we'd know what to do now;
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What we are is more important than what we do. God created man to be united with Himself. Whatever man does out of this total union is pleasing to God and man.

To find out what man was suppose to be you must study the Person of Jesus Christ, because it is in Him that God is well pleased.


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but since Adam was such a curious fellow and ate the wrong fruit, well now we're like the proverbial bunch of lost sheep, waiting for our shepherd to tell us what to do and where to go".
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The second Man has come whom the Bible calls "the last Adam" or "the second man". We need to pay more attention to what the second man has accimplished rather than lament what the first man failed at.

I would suggest to you this. Read the last two chapters of the Bible a few times this week. Don't worry that you do not understand everything. But read where it all ends for the world and mankind.

Then having the conclusion firmly fixed in your mind, go back to Genesis and read through the Bible. Constantly remind yourself - "This (Rev. 21 and 22) this is where everything is going. This is the destination. This is the purpose. This is what God was and has always been after. This is His eternal purpose.

You go through the Bible keeping your eyes on what everythin is for. All things one way or another are used by God to arrive at that destination. The New Jerusalem in Revelation 21 and 22 is the eternal purpose of God and all things in the Bible directly or indirectly are FOR the accomplishing of that goal.

This will keep your eyes on the plan, the climax of the eternal purpose of God as you go through the divine revelation.


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Do I understand correctly? So the Bible is really no guide on the subject of a full earth then, since we long ago chose the wrong path?
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I suggest to you this website to assist your understanding of the divine revelation

www.godseconomy.org

God's Economy means God's Plan or God's household management - how God administrates His household. This website will tell you many things about the eternal purpose for which God created man.

And do not scoff. Read prayerfully with an open heart.