What does Jesus want from us?

Originally posted by Ghost of a Duke
Not sure an emoticon is a reliable indicator of stability. A chap, quite insane, could easily post a smiley by accident while trying to sweep the brain eating spiders from his keyboard.

It's happened to me,...twice.

Darn it....I knew I should have done 🙂🙂, thus proving how sane and rational I am.

-Removed-

I'm not sure why you accuse me of being dishonest. Even in that first post there is doubt. Issues of the identity of Christ and Christianity, along with doubt have 'plagued' me for more than 10 years. If anything, I have been consistently honest with that. Also, I said that I 'considered' myself a Christian, which to me indicates some doubt as well.

Or do you have an issue if someone IS a Christian, then maybe loses all faith....but after some time, acquires faith again? Do you have a problem with someone having a problematic spiritual journey?

If I were to be sincere with you for a moment.....I feel that you are fortunate if you have been a Christian for 25 years and have never had enough doubt to waver from your beliefs.......I have not been so fortunate.

Having doubts about my beliefs, and having trouble committing to a specific religion does NOT make me a liar.

-Removed-

You're amazing Dive. 4 posts up you 'tried' to be a Christian, and give some advice.....which could lead us to be friends?

Then, 2 posts later you call me a liar?

Now this? You have shown yourself to be an irrational and hypocritical poster. You have also stated that you are willing to discard the entire New Testament because of the writings about Hell.

No, I don't believe that the Bible is a load of bulls***. Yes, I may have stated that in past postings (admission), but it was out of frustration. Are you happy now? Does it make you feel all cuddly and warm inside to get me to admit to a rather embarrassing post from my past?

Does my admission change what I said above? No. And thank you for the regret I have for being sincere with you, I will try to remember how you treated that for future posts.

Originally posted by chaney3
No, I don't believe that the Bible is a load of bulls***. Yes, I may have stated that in past postings (admission), but it was out of frustration.

Frustration might explain something that you blurted out at some point, but you were asked about your strident belief " that the Bible is a load of bulls*** " repeatedly for several weeks after that and you never cleared it up or explained it. You just got abusive when people mentioned it. You also contradicted yourself repeatedly about whether or not you were - or ever had been - a Christian, and you never cleared it up or explained it either. If you're going to offer "admissions", you should just offer them clearly, rather than bury them inside posts where you are lashing out at people who have called you out for your obvious lack of integrity.

Originally posted by FMF
Frustration might explain something that you blurted out at some point, but you were asked about your strident belief " that the Bible is a load of bulls*** " repeatedly for several weeks after that and you never cleared it up or explained it. You just got abusive when people mentioned it. You also contradicted yourself repeatedly about whether or not you were - ...[text shortened]... where you are lashing out at people who have called you out for your obvious lack of integrity.

Hey FMF. I was wondering when you were gonna chime in. Not to discuss this boring Jesus stuff, but to wait until a juicy argument developed between myself and Dive.

Or will you comment on the OP? Maybe for someone new in the forum you can explain again how you were a Christian, but lost your faith and now an atheist? Because that would be much more interesting than exhausting the discussion I was having with Dive, which I thought was over.

Originally posted by chaney3
Hey FMF. I was wondering when you were gonna chime in. Not to discuss this boring Jesus stuff, but to wait until a juicy argument developed between myself and Dive.

I chimed in because I thought your personal remarks about divegeester revealed, yet again, your lack of integrity. If you are going to 'admit' that you lied in the past or claimed things that you - in fact - didn't or don't believe, don't bury them them in the innards of 'attack posts'. Just admit the past indiscretions with honesty and grace. I don't think your behaviour or the things you say are "juicy" at all.

Originally posted by chaney3
Or will you comment on the OP? Maybe for someone new in the forum you can explain again how you were a Christian, but lost your faith and now an atheist?

But I'm not an atheist, as you well know. You have asked me about it before, and I've answered it point blank and honestly before. You ignored it. You asked me about it again. I answered again. And yet, here you are now, asking me the same thing again.

Welcome to a chaney3 'conversation', everyone.

Originally posted by FMF
I chimed in because I thought your personal remarks about divegeester revealed, yet again, your lack of integrity. If you are going to 'admit' that you lied in the past or claimed things that you - in fact - don't believe, don't bury them them in the innards of 'attack posts'. Admit the past indiscretions with honesty and grace. I don't think your behaviour or the things you say are "juicy" at all.

I really don't think Dive needed you to chime in to defend him regarding my personal remarks. He was doing just fine on his own.

Care to make a comment about Jesus? Because at one point He meant something to you, and now He doesn't. That would be an interesting discussion.

Originally posted by FMF
But I'm not an atheist, as you well know. You have asked me about it before, and I've answered it point blank and honestly before. You ignored it. You asked me about it again. I answered again. And yet, here you are now, asking me the same thing again.

Welcome to a chaney3 'conversation', everyone.

Did you not see the reference "for someone new in the forum"? You are good at highlighting and choosing sentences, but did you read it? Maybe somebody else would benefit.

Originally posted by chaney3
I Care to make a comment about Jesus? Because at one point He meant something to you, and now He doesn't. That would be an interesting discussion.

I think Jesus was a radical Jewish rabbi who, during his lifetime, preached to Jews about Judaism ~ as did numerous other rabbis at that time. Many of these preachers claimed to be the Messiah ~ supposedly curing the sick, casting out demons, gathering followers, challenging the priestly authorities.

They all represented a threat to the political order of the times, and pretty much all of them - as far as I know - ended up getting executed for sedition by the Romans, as did Jesus.

I don't think Jesus "wants" anything from you or anything from me. I think he died 2,000 years ago. While I can understand the cult of personality that grew around him after his death ~ mostly thanks to efforts of a man called Paul ~ and recognize the popularity of the religion constructed upon it, I have no reason to believe in Jesus' divinity.

Nor do I have any reason to believe that Christians' claims about what he supposedly "wants from us" [and other supernatural aspects related to him] have any validity at all.