Originally posted by AThousandYoung
As a Christian you HAVE to...what happened to free will? Shouldn't it be the other way around? You are a Christian BECAUSE you believe the Bible?

All of us have free will. It's a long story but I used my free will to determine which religion to adhere to (of course belief in God begins this journey). In all my years of 'study' and grace, I freely chose Jesus Christ (who is a prophet among Muslims). This is counter-intuitive because Christianity is really 'hard' to follow. Believing in the Bible is just one aspect of my faith. To reiterate: I used my freewill to believe.

Originally posted by Charlie93
All of us have free will. It's a long story but I used my free will to determine which religion to adhere to (of course belief in God begins this journey). In all my years of 'study' and grace, I freely chose Jesus Christ (who is a prophet among Muslims). This is counter-intuitive because Christianity is really 'hard' to follow. Believing in the Bible is just one aspect of my faith. To reiterate: I used my freewill to believe.

So maybe you can explain to us why you would willingly delude yourself into believing something that you knew to be false.
(If you did not know it to be false then you did not 'choose' to believe it, as you already believed it.).
If you cannot explain to us your reasons, then although you used your free will, it was either a random selection or you were influenced by something other than your own reason (hence not free will).

Originally posted by twhitehead
So maybe you can explain to us why you would willingly delude yourself into believing something that you knew to be false.
(If you did not know it to be false then you did not 'choose' to believe it, as you already believed it.).
If you cannot explain to us your reasons, then although you used your free will, it was either a random selection or you were influenced by something other than your own reason (hence not free will).

I mentioned that I studied this matter for many years, and in that many years I realized that Christianity is true. I believe it to be true (don't misrepresent me by telling us that I believed something that I knew to be false). Do you really want me to enumerate my reasons for believing? This forum will not be enough for that.

Originally posted by serigado
Why do you chose one over the other? You don't chose Islam because of personal taste? It's not about whose religion you like most. Do you think you were born in say... Saudi Arabia you would ever be a Christian? Most likely you would be defending the Islam colors the same way. So, your beliefs are relative. If something is relative, you can't be sure of it and it doesn't make sense.

I respect all people regardless of religion. God understands what we do here. As a Christian, I don't condemn people just because they belong to another religion. If a person does good to his fellow, that is good, regardless of beliefs; on the other hand, if a Christian or Muslim does something bad, he will be punished accordingly. He can't say I'm excused because I'm so and so... If you believe truth is relative so be it; but for me truth is absolute. When we reach the afterlife, then we'll be sure, but on this side of heaven, we can't be sure, that's why we need faith.
Now you might condemn me for believing in faith. I never went to Saudi Arabia, but I have faith in the mapmaker and I'm sure that country exists. Let's just wait after death to be sure. If all this is not true, then there'll be no problems likewise, we become like animals, when they die they die... no soul. We go back to nothingness, nil, zip, zero.... I guess you know what I mean.

Originally posted by Charlie93
I mentioned that I studied this matter for many years, and in that many years I realized that Christianity is true. I believe it to be true (don't misrepresent me by telling us that I believed something that I knew to be false). Do you really want me to enumerate my reasons for believing? This forum will not be enough for that.

So you are admitting that your claim that you chose it with your free will is false and in fact most of your post that I was replying to is utter lies.

Originally posted by chappy1
Christianity is right because it provides atonement where Islam doesn't. God is perfectly holy, perfectly just, and perfectly merciful. He can't be perfectly holy if he allows sin into heaven and he can't be perfectly just if he doesn't punish sin and he can't be perfectly merciful if he doesn't allow for a chance to be forgiven.

To be forgiven is to escape punishment. Therefore you are contradicting yourself. Either sin must be punished or not. Which is it?

Originally posted by Charlie93
If all this is not true, then there'll be no problems likewise, we become like animals, when they die they die... no soul. We go back to nothingness, nil, zip, zero.... I guess you know what I mean.

There will be no problems for the then non-existent you, but the problems you leave behind and the problems you create now in your delusional state will still remain.
I am tired of people claiming that their beliefs are harmless if it turns out that God does not exist. That is so obviously false, yet people still continue to reiterate it over and over. I guess it is a form of self comfort.

Originally posted by chappy1
No, only one.

Just be careful, is all I'm sayin'. Every prayer to Jesus is making Shiva madder and madder.

Originally posted by twhitehead
So you are admitting that your claim that you chose it with your free will is false and in fact most of your post that I was replying to is utter lies.
Originally posted by twhitehead
There will be no problems for the then non-existent you, but the problems you leave behind and the problems you create now in your delusional state will sti ...[text shortened]... , yet people still continue to reiterate it over and over. I guess it is a form of self comfort.

It seems there is no right answer here. All replies I give are just discredited, taken out of context!
Any right-minded person retains his/her free will! I guess this discussion is going nowhere, so this is my last on the subject. :'(

Originally posted by serigado
There's a lot more evidence that the Qu'ran is the exact word of God

Sure there is...

Originally posted by twhitehead
To be forgiven is to escape punishment. Therefore you are contradicting yourself. Either sin must be punished or not. Which is it?

It is not a contradiction. Sin must be punished and it has through Jesus's sacrifice for us. Through faith we are forgiven. He is our substitute.

Originally posted by David C
Just be careful, is all I'm sayin'. Every prayer to Jesus is making Shiva madder and madder.

Ha! Good one!

Originally posted by chappy1
Christianity is right because it provides atonement where Islam doesn't. God is perfectly holy, perfectly just, and perfectly merciful. He can't be perfectly holy if he allows sin into heaven and he can't be perfectly just if he doesn't punish sin and he can't be perfectly merciful if he doesn't allow for a chance to be forgiven. Through Jesus we are forg ...[text shortened]... be wrong. Actually the number is much higher than that........and they're wrong too.

No response huh Serigado? This was in response of your question.

Originally posted by chappy1
Christianity is right because it provides atonement where Islam doesn't. God is perfectly holy, perfectly just, and perfectly merciful. He can't be perfectly holy if he allows sin into heaven and he can't be perfectly just if he doesn't punish sin and he can't be perfectly merciful if he doesn't allow for a chance to be forgiven. Through Jesus we are forg ...[text shortened]... be wrong. Actually the number is much higher than that........and they're wrong too.

oh... now you have fallen into it... where can I start...

Christianity is right because it provides atonement where Islam doesn't.
??? Does it? Only to Christians.

God is perfectly holy, perfectly just, and perfectly merciful.
In your viewpoint only. So is Allah.

.... after this you started to diverge to the same blablabla without logic every Christian uses. Can't you see it doesn't make sense?
I truly start to think people who already fall into the auto-compensating extreme of faith can't use logic and reason to full capacity.

You are offering your biased view point of religion to criticize and compare another religion diminishing to something it is not. The reasons you decline Islam are as good as the reasons muslims deny Christianity. You must really come out and up of your mentality to get a real grasp of what's going on.

Do you see you are justifying your belief in the Christian god using dogma from the religion itself? That's circular: you must believe in the sayings of the religion for it to make sense. So it doesn't make sense!!!
Muslims to the same to justify their Submission...

And we're getting nowhere... I guess my pursuit is damned from the beginning.

Originally posted by Charlie93
I mentioned that I studied this matter for many years, and in that many years I realized that Christianity is true. I believe it to be true (don't misrepresent me by telling us that I believed something that I knew to be false). Do you really want me to enumerate my reasons for believing? This forum will not be enough for that.

But that is exactly the point here. WHAT are the reasons for believing? You can begin with the 2-3 most significant ones.
Why is Christianity true? If you reached it and you are sure, then the other 5 billion people on earth are wrong and it's your duty to argument them into the truth. Unless you are afraid of losing the sweet spot you convinced yourself to believe in.