Actually, Ina's response was one of compassion and she attempted to invoke some sober understanding on the part of all of the participants of this thread. That's a heck of a lot more than I or anyone else can say for your very obvious stirring of the pot with your also very obvious limited vocabulary. Bravo Ina! Encore! P.S. I saw three or four "likes" on her statement but your 3 word limited response achieved 0.
Having read through this thread I feel a sense of sadness, that it expresses so much hatred from the malevolent side of human nature. In my opinion it's one of the the most hypocritical most inhumane threads, on a what professes to be a forum with Christian ideals? While I am not a Christian I do have similar humanist values. The comments here are in the main full of hatred, resentment, and judgement's based on in most cases false information. To my mind the thread is completely lacking in the Christian values of love, forgiveness and compassion. A more appropriate thread title would be "Enough of Hypocrisy"
Proverbs 6:16-19 outlines seven things the Lord hates: pride, lying, murder, evil plots, those who love evil, false witness, and troublemakers. Notice that this passage does not include just things that God hates; it includes people as well. @Bobby Cole is right....where Obama is concerned there has been enough. Obama has done so much to try and destroy our America that most of us are fed up with him and hate the evil in him that is trying to destroy our Nation! I've heard many times that some of you who don't believe in God or the Bible hate Scripture too. But the above Scripture is on topic here as God is not just a God of love, compassion, etc. He also is a God of wrath, etc. and He hates the above things and people who continue in those evil things! As God's children, Christians are to love and hate the same things God loves and hates...what we are not to do is to think we can be God and take our own revenge, wrath, etc. against those who are doing evil. That is God's job and He will repay those who continue to do and be evil in His eyes. Christians are not God and while they do their best to live as God instructs them to in the Bible, they are also human beings who feel anger and rage at evil and injustice just as every other human being does. There's alot of evil and injustice in the world today and most human beings are fed up with it...and voicing it. Don't think Christians don't have a right to voice it too. Because they do.
The problem with religion, in particular the monotheistic religions, is that many preach about their beliefs as though they had a personal hotline to their god and have all the answers. This hubris and lack of humility is what people like me judge them on. Christianity is just one of many of the religions which existed in the Roman Empire. Constantine the Great, who actually worshipped sol invictus, happened to win a major battle, Milvan Bridge, which made him Emperor. All of this became jumbled up with Christianity and led to its adoption, so pure chance. Away from history, I feel I would have much more respect for the majority of Christians if they lived their lives in accordance with the putative teaching of Jesus. As many seem as imperfect as the rest of us, it appears an unattractive religion. Along with all the passages of the bible which demonstrate an approval of evil such as incest, slaughter of enemies, adultery, I cannot say I find it an appealing book. For that minority of people who actually live by decent principles I have nothing but praise Well, that should prove to be controversial!
Those that have a personal relationship with God and Jesus do have a personal hotline with their Creator and Savior Harry. But they don't think they have all the answers, they just know who does and they turn to their Creator and Savior for those answers that are written in the Bible and also spoken by the Holy Spirit. No where in the Bible is there an approval of evil...but only a very patient God who does not want to see any of those He has created destroyed eternally. He has given us all more mercy, grace, and forgiveness than any of us deserve but that time is rapidly coming to an end and those who think Jesus brought nothing but love and peace to this earth are really going to be surprised when He comes back bringing the wrath of God to put an end to the evil and unrighteousness that human kind thought they could fill the earth with because of God's mercy and grace!
Well, you are completely entitled to your beliefs, but mine are totally different. The majority of religious people I have met seem to be driven by the belief they have 'saved' themselves and are going to heaven. Many seem to believe no matter how badly they behave they will be forgiven. Interminable European wars, where both sides claimed god on their side and the large number of instances of the terrible behaviour of those who claim to be Christians has soured a majority of the people here to it as a religion. On UK television there was a shocking story - true- of an Irish Christian who had committed adultery with another member of his church and then managed to persuade her to help him gas their respective partners and make it appear a double suicide. Throughout he believed he had God's blessing and even now thinks he will be forgiven for his 'errors'! Personally I believe life develop/will develop into something like a god but certainly not omniscient, omnipotent or omnipresent. The idea of the Christian god seems as primitive to me as the polytheistic religions probably do to you.
Harry, no Christian believes they have saved themselves! We can do nothing to change what we have done in the past or now or in the future. This also does not give Christians free license to keep on sinning! It is because God sent His only Son Jesus Christ who sacrificed His life on the Cross for our sins and Jesus stands in our place before God that we who believe in and accept this gift that God offered us...can be assured of our salvation and eternal life. There is not anything we can do but have faith and belief that what God says is true and what Jesus did by shedding His blood...washes us clean from our sins. Jesus is our redemption before His Father. And when we accept, repent, and by faith believe this the Holy Spirit of God comes to live within us and begins to "perfect" us as children of God. This is an on going process until Christ returns and finishes perfecting us. We are still human beings who now have the Spirit of God leading and guiding us on earth and sharing widom and discernment with us too. Our human or carnal nature still fails us at times and that is when we know without Christ's sacrifice we are doomed! There are many who pretend to be Christians who are not....and there are many who call themselves Christian who never were. Christians are human beings and sinners who know they need a Savior...and who believe Jesus Christ is that Savior.
Again, your beliefs, Babs. I can only comment on the Christians I have met who generally try to convert me, as the majority opinion seems to be I am quite a nice guy. I find Christianity absolutely implausible personally, particularly as the four gospels are not even in agreement on the details of Jesus' life up to the crucifixion. Also, as I have implied, I have been less than impressed by the hypocritical attitudes of many of the Christians I have met. My beliefs have been informed by science and what I have learnt in other fields. Should god make a personal appearance somewhere and prove his credentials I would be prepared to revise my ideas. However I would never be prepared to worship him /her/it, this is something I find embarrassingly primitive about religion. I like feeding Canada Geese and I am probably far more able than they are in most ways, but I would never expect them to worship me; this is part of being more advanced than they are.
Maybe it's just me but any time I see a black man surrounded by hooded men and having a noose around his neck, it bespeaks of racism. Ken, suppose I take that picture, do a Face in Hole of it and replace the black man's face with the face of your grandson. Would you think that was acceptable? I considered doing that but I decided it would be cruel. I could, though. God is watching this, you know. I wonder how He feels when He sees the putrid hatred in the hearts of His beloved children?
I wonder what God thought, when Ken said in reference to hanging the president: "Hanging is a bit over the top. I would prefer something slower."
How about we take the face of what we think satan look likes and put him in that noose. Many thing that Obama is the evil of satan and quite honestly I would not have any problem hangin satan or prefering something slower and more painful for him! Don't think for one second that satan or the ones that are his on this earth (and there are many) would hesitate for a moment to put that rope over your neck and do even worse!
But it's not satan. It's a real flesh and blood human being. If you cut him, does he not bleed? Do not his children love him as much as yours or mine?