i want a jewish girlfriend. God, will you please send me one ? pls pls ? i'll be good

If you believe that then you couldn't have been born at the worst possible time. If this life is all there is then the toys and belongings you have now won't mean diddly on 100 years time. Think about how far technology has advanced even in the last 20 years. Remember when we had Dial-up internet? Look at what it has become now. Look at the innovation of technology. Once upon a time we would have to travel via horse carriages, then the car was invented, then boats, planes and then we became electronic via email.

Think about those 1800 years ago who had the latest and greatest things. If you had that in the here and now then you would be so far behind time you would simply get left behind. The same thing will happen in 100 years. If you aim to get the best toys and live your life to the full in this life then you will never be satisfied. That is why you don't store up treasures on Earth, where thieves break in and moths and dust destroy but store up treasures in Heaven where thieves do not break in and steal and moths and dust do not destroy.

If you've read the book of Ecclesiastes you will find that everything is meaningless, there is nothing new under the sun. Nothing will truly satisfy. You've read that book right?

The problem with drawing closer to God by doing commandments is that you are relying on your own strength. The Bible teaches us that we can never be close to God on our own power. Our natural tendency is to run away from God. God himself came down and his love for us went farther than our hate for him. You draw nearer to God by his Son Jesus Christ.

As for somebody else's salvation, you can never truly know. You can only be sure about your own. Not everybody who calls Jesus LORD will enter the Kingdom of Heaven. Not everybody who attends Church will attend the Kingdom of Heaven. Nor does it matter. The Bible revolves around Jesus Christ.

I must ask, what did you do when you did not understand something in the Bible? Did you first go to your pastor and ask them? Who did you approach? What investigation did you do where you were not satisfied with the answers that you were presented with? What answers were you given? Matthew 7:7 - “Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you."

Exactly. Christianity is basically hijacked judaism. Moreover the Old Testament ("the torah, tanakh, hebrew bible") was never intended to be a fantasy book about faith, afterlife and the like - but was it was always a matter of KNOWING G-d, a way of life, national law, morality, dietetics. the Old Testament teaches that if you are good in this life and serve G-d, then you will have a good life, good health, a family, friends and even if you do not get all that - you get all that you need in order to enjoy this life; you get peace of mind. This can of course be discussed but I believe it. And however outdated the laws of the Old Testament might seem to be, the fundamental principles were good, excellent in fact and it cannot be denied by even the most stiffnecked atheist that much of the western civilization was founded upon these very principles. The laws of the Old Testament were reasonable at that time; a small state came into existence, surrounded by hostile nations. It was an absolute priority that social order was maintained, hence the sometimes harsh punishments for certain crimes. I do not think that Christians actually read the Old Testament, and if they do, they read it from a biased point of view and insert what they have heard from Christian preachers into the Bible. And if you challenge them, you are of the devil.

Why is it so sad that Christianity, which is so obviously contaminated with pagan and superstitious notions, is the biggest religion today? Simply because it killed religion. Let me explain. The religion of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, was not of the sentimental, faith-based, mystical kind, I really insist on that; it was very much rational. Sure there are a few fables in the Old Testament as well but these might be symbolic, the essential part is that they simply saw that the world we live in is designed by a personality, and that in order to live in harmony with this power, we must behave in a noble manner; the moral law is therefore just as real and relevant as the law of gravity. This of course is food for thought and I understand why so many are skeptical, but when you dig into the mysteries of the Old Testament you can see the magic unfolding, especially when you begin to seek diligently. Christianity has turned the religion of Judaism into superstition, and that is what is sad.

For example, the Old Testament rarely talks about an afterlife. It is indeed mentioned in a very vague manner - and it is denied very clearly in countless passages.

In the book of Genesis, Adam and Eve are told that if they are to eat from the Tree of Knowledge, they are going to return to the dust from which they were formed. There is no mention here of a possible afterlife in either hell or heaven. It is clearly, any reasonable mind can see this, that if they were to eat of it, they would perish. Adam went on to live more than 900 years after that, then he died. It is understood that when he died, it was over for him. Same with Abraham, and same with all other figures. Moses died and was never allowed to enter the promised land - it was a punishment by G-d because Moses disobeyed him in the wilderness. There is nothing written that even suggests that he is heaven or hell, he died and that was it.

In Deuteronomy 28, G-d (or the author) goes to GREAT lengths to explain the disastrous consequences of disobedience to G-d. Every possible calamity is vividly described; disease, slavery, disgrace, poverty, starvation, persecution, etc. There is no threat whatsoever about any punishment in the afterlife, i.e. hell. One could think that it would be strange that G-d would devote such a long chapter to warn the Jews of all the terrible catastrophes that would come upon them, yet totally leave out the most horrible of them - an eternity in hell. But the chapter is not only about curses, but also promises of great blessing. G-d would bless the land of Israel with abundance in everything; yet there is no mention about an afterlife in an eternal paradise. Why? Simply because Moses, the greatest of all prophets (his prophecies are spectacular and the prophets that came later pretty much repeated what he said) did not believe in an afterlife.

In Exodus 20, in the commandment to honor one's father and mother, it says that they should do so in order to live LONG in the land which G-d had given them. No mention at all of heaven. Over and over again throughout the books of Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy, Moses warns the Jews about the consequences of sin, and it is always, always, about calamities in this life, and over and over again he talks about the wonderful life one can have in G-d, but he is only talking about this life.

King Solomon makes this even more clear when he in Ecclesiastes wrote that man and beast are the same; both return to the dust when they die. Ecclesiastes 3:19-20 is crystal clear; pure, cold rationality.


Even if Isaiah and the other prophets made vague claims of some glorious age it was always about this world; about a time when people would LIVE LONGER and healthier lives, but never about eternal life.

The devil also is not part of the Old Testament. There is no mention or description of any evil superpower whatsoever. There is an "accuser" in the book of Job and some vague reference in the book of Zechariah, but these verses do not speak about the devil phenomena as seen in the New Testament. These are also highly symbolic stories and we can surely conclude that the language is used so as to make a point in a poetic way. The Old Testament is ALWAYS crystal clear when it comes to important topics; there is simply no room for various interpretations. If there was a devil, some powerful lord of darkness (which is quite irrational since the OT view is that goodness=power, evil tends to weakness, decay and death) we can be sure that the Old Testament writers would make it very clear to us. A person whose mind never has been influenced by religious dogma would never come to the conclusion that the Old Testament's salvation is about heaven, and that there is any kind of devil. It is quite ridiculus how Christians believes that the book of Revelation will unfold in time, and since it contains so many accounts on how the end times will be. I mean, the devil cannot be stupid if he has taken over G-d's rule over this world, so he must know and understand that when he sees that the end times happen exactly according to the book of Revelation, and yet he will keep fighting. It is just so much irrational nonsense. How any intellectual person in all earnestness could believe this is beyond my comprehension, but I guess that indoctrination from an early age plays a part, and that the free forgiveness of sins, promise of eternal life in paradise, and the threat of eternal torture, is an effective remedy against rationality.

If there is a book that G-d would give mankind, it would talk about the most important, the most crucial issues, and not cover these subjects in riddles. Life in an eternal paradise would be the most important thing, it would render life on this earth completely valueless. We live only for a short period of time; compared to eternity an ordinary lifetime is not even a blink of an eye. Why even go to work? Why even try to fix problems in life? Yet we do, and I think most people do because they have been endowed with reason, and we know that there is nothing inherently sinful with concern for this life. G-d created this world and this life, and we should make the best of it, and we make the best of it by committing our lives to him, then we will find a purpose and know what the natural way of our individual lives may be. Then we can live long, happy, and useful lives before we, like Job, can die peacefully in our beds, satisfied with no cravings for more, with the knowledge that future generations will walk on this earth and experience all the amazing things that we did. Because it is not about us - it is about G-d and the grand purpose of love, honesty, courage, all these divine attributes that we as humans should embody to the glory of our Creator. It is a much more noble view I think and I have come to understand that selfless individuals are often much less likely to be concerned about possible rewards. Our aim in this life should not be to get as much as possible, we should just live in the present and enjoy the peace of G-d as much as we can, and leave everything else to him.

Christianity is just like the more extremist forms of Judaism - it has a superiority complex. I have often seen this in Christians. Christians who have been "saved" pride themselves because they, unlike others, have humbled themselves and chosen G-d (so they think, but yet they have no understanding whatsoever of the G-d of the Old Testament) and often they have been led into Christianity because they have been troubled by some sort of problem, often depressive thoughts or something. Then they go around pointing angry fingers and rave non-stop about morality, and tell everybody else that they are going to hell for not believing as they do. It is so utterly disgusting and I am sick of it. Not to even mention the antisemitism in the NT that says that Jews are children of the devil, and that they belong to the synagogue of satan! The physical descendants of Abraham, some of the noblest men who ever lived according to the Bible, would come to compose the congregation of darkness. That was not what G-d told Abraham in the book of Genesis, when he told him that the Jews would always be his people, a nation that would exist as long as the earth would stand. G-d did not tell Abraham that his descendants were to become evil seed and bring antichrist into the world. Yet this is what some fundamentalist Christians claim today, among all the other disgusting doctrines of men that they teach. Perhaps the most disgusting branch of Christianity is Calvinism, which teaches that all believers in Jesus are "chosen" for heaven and that the rest of humanity (99.9999%) are destined for eternal torture. But who can blame them when their spiritual manual is the most absurd twistings of Scripture ever written, so difficult to interpret that there are thousands of different branches and not even the same branch agrees on the most fundamental doctrines. That is also probably why Christian preachers either are angry, fault-finding, pessimistic moralists, driven by religious zeal, and not by love, or they are weak and timid and sentimental. Because they do not read the Old Testament and they do not understand that the gifts of G-d is glory, peace, and joy - in this life, from morning until evening.

Ok. So you think that G-d commands me to live only for material things? Then you are wrong; but a good job, a decent living, health, are blessings. Read the Old Testament. Seriously. The Old Testament is packed from beginning to end with these promises. Is it wrong to store up treasures on earth? Is it wrong for me to work 8 hours a day, so that I can give my children good education, clothes, food, and a decent start in life? Exactly what is wrong with that? Can you explain to me? One can go to one extreme and be overly materialistic; then it is greed, idolatry, and we should never have riches as our main aim, agreed. But to simply stop caring about these ordinary concerns is unnatural, pathological. Animals do it, humans do it, it is essential to build up a civilization. Is it wrong to want to see the world? To want to travel? Is it wrong to desire romance, a person to connect with? Is it wrong to strive to become a moral human being, so that you develop the qualities of kindness, gentility, and love, so that you can love others and feel a meaningful relationship with your fellow humans when you are here on earth? Is it wrong to desire good health, happiness? Why do you strive after heaven if pursuit of happiness is something bad? Should you not just ask G-d if he can send you to hell? You are extreme, and you do not even say it. G-d's peace is what is most important; service to him is what is most important; but it is a joy in that. G-d did not tell us to seek him in order to become unhappy, but to become happy and peaceful, and that is exactly what we become when we seek him. If you are not happy, under constant stress, depressed, then you are not right with G-d. Period.



Ecclesiastes is a book written by King Solomon who experienced much hardship in life. He is philosophically discussing some important topics yes, but if you read carefully you will see what he is trying to say; he is simply trying to say that going after the wind is meaningless, but it is in G-d we have joy. Absolute perfect satisfaction might be unattainable - I do not know. I have met many who consider themselves completely happy.



No, the Bible does not say that. The New Testament says that. But it is not on our power indeed, because we have no power. It is the power of G-d that is animating us with life and energy. Many times in the Old Testament is described how G-d heals his people from the sickness of sin, and he helps them to return, and makes the way straight for them. He corrects them when they do wrong and destroys their idols. He is the helper but you do not come close to G-d by some simple prayer. You do it by humbling your heart and by developing kindness and all other virtues. It is a process. Salvation is not just some blink of an eye thing. It really is not. You do not become corrupted in a day, it is often the downward progress of years, even decades.

So if G-d himself came down, he is praying to himself on the cross? Or could it be that the New Testament authors only wanted to smash in as much OT material as possible? (Psalm 22).



True that because the kingdom of heaven is within, and when you strive to improve yourself your joy increase day by day, seriously you should try it. Do not give up until you have peace of mind, and a heart of joy, that can appreciate the simple pleasures of life - a beautiful sun going down, the freshness of spring after a long hard winter, and so on. The joy from these simple, pure, pleasures increase tremendously when you grow in G-d; sinful pleasures pales in comparison to that peace.

The Bible does not revolve around Jesus Christ. The New Testament maybe, but not the Old Testament.

There is nothing even suggesting at a Messiah in the first five books of the Bible, written by the greatest prophet of all - Moses. It is only in Isaiah that very vague references to a possible messianic figure or nation or assembly of some sort comes into the picture. I do not believe in a Messiah for instance. The material is simply too weak and I believe that if G-d were to give us hope for such a figure, he would make more clear descriptions of the coming one. I don't think G-d would even give such a tremendous amount of glory to a single individual, it would, and he knows that, turn into idolatry. I instead believe that the messianic age (an era in which human beings will live longer, healthier, and more peacefully) will be ushered in by a political movement of some sort.



Well I have internet - I read like dozens of different commentators, and I try to understand the original language as well. Trust me I have analyzed the Bible pretty much.

But I must ask you, in what way has your faith improved your life here and now? What joy has it given you? Are you less irritable? Do you find yourself more compassionate, more courageous, stronger, more generous? Do you find that you go to bed at night with a light heart?

Well Ok I feel bad now. I should not debate like this. I do not intend to take away your hope of heaven; maybe there is an afterlife. Nobody knows. Moses never blatantly denied it, he perhaps did not know either. You can believe in eternal life with G-d as much as you wish; that is not what my aim is to try to destroy that hope. I am really sorry if I come across that way. I have an aversion to Christianity because of its doctrines especially because of antisemitism. But I do not believe you are such a person.

My main point is that we can find joy in G-d in this life too, and this is so precious and we must more eagerly seek it. You are dead wrong when you say that a life for G-d is full of hardship; it might seem like that outwardly but the peace and presence of G-d within covers that fully.

....

First and foremost, do not double post, do not triple post and definitely do not quadruple post.

Oh it isn't wrong to store up treasures on Earth, don't get me wrong. The problem arises when it becomes your idol, causing you to forget all about God. Yes that does happen. Life is going so well that you do not need God. Or you are too busy for God. There is nothing wrong within itself for working 8 hours a day and having a decent life, as long as you don't let life get in the way between you and God. When Jesus meets the rich man, that is the perfect example of someone who loved his material possessions to the point where he would choose that over God. You and I may or may not do these things but sooner or later we will have to make that choice, God or money?



That book has definitely opened my eyes. Let's enjoy the hear and now for sure because that is all we can do. How is a life truly summed up? A date of Birth and a date of Death. Some people's legacy live on and we remember them, other times when people die sometimes we reply "Who?" Imagine if you knew that, that is how your life is summed up by somebody else. Everything you did in life, what does it truly give you?

What do School yard bullies truly achieve when they belittle others? They themselves don't gain anything. They certainly don't end up successful in life. Once School is finished then their target is gone and now their life has no meaning.

Even if we play the latest and greatest game, it won't last. I remember when Unreal Tournament was the number one game to play. Now most people play PUBG.

Yet at the same time the book of Ecclesiastes has given me something truly worth going after. It is the moments that we remember and the moments that we must never forget. My legacy will be that I will be remembered in the minds of those around me. Even in the here and now I plan for my death, I even have a plan for my children even though I have not met their mother. My life will be all about...my death. It will be at that point where I will truly, truly shine. What about your funeral? Have you been planning how you want it to go?



I guess I need to start quoting Bible verses again.

Psalm 14:2-3
The Lord looks down from heaven
on all mankind
to see if there are any who understand,
any who seek God.
All have turned away, all have become corrupt;
there is no one who does good,
not even one.

The rest I agree with. James 4:7 says: Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.

It is a constant battle with which you will have to do for the rest of your life. You will have many blockades in the way in many forms. Christians will suffer from persecution. It is a guarantee. Yet it is through persecution that many more will come to know Jesus Christ.

At the same time, that power could never come from us. It is the power of God that is animating us with life and energy.



You should read John 5:19-27. Jesus says that the Son can do nothing by himself; he can only do what he sees his Father doing, because whatever the Father does the Son also does. He goes on to say that the Father judges no one but has entrusted all judgement to the Son, that all may honor the Son just as they honor the Father. Whoever does not honor the Son does not honor the Father, who sent him.

John 15:10 - If you keep my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commands and remain in his love.

This means that Jesus always has been the Son of God from eternity past, still is the Son of God and always will be.

Isaiah 9:6 tells us that the Son was given and the Child was born. Jesus always has been part of the trinity - God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit. This is presented not as three gods but instead, one God existing as three persons.

John 10:30 - I and the Father are one.

These three are of the same substance, same essence and continue to have an eternal relationship. Philippians 2:5-11 says when Jesus took upon Himself sinless humanity He also took on the form of a servant, giving up His heavenly glory. Because of this he had to learn obedience (Hebrews 5:8) as he was tempted by Satan, falsely accused by men, rejected by His own people and crucified.

When Jesus prays to His heavenly Father he is asking for power and wisdom. He is showing that he depended on his Father in His humanity to carry out his Father's plan of redemption. By praying to his Father he demonstrated that he ultimately submitted to his Father's will, go to the cross and pay the penalty for breaking God's law (death).

Jesus rising from the dead shows that his Father accepted his sacrifice and so winning forgiveness and eternal life for those who repent and believe. Jesus is showing that even if you were sinless, that is is absolutely vital for prayer in order to do the Father's will.

Here is my source: https://www.gotquestions.org/Jesus-pray-God.html



Have you ever watched a movie, played a game or read a book that had a big reveal at the end? Then have you ever watched that movie again, played through that game again or read through that book twice? The second time, now that you know the big reveal, you notice the little hints that you did not pick up on before.

You now know that Genesis 3:15 means when God said: he will crush your head and you will strike his heel. (The crucifixion).

Even when God tested Abraham in Genesis 22. You can see how Abraham was going to sacrifice his one and only son. Yet Abraham did not withhold his one and only son. The LORD swore by himself (there is no one greater to swear by) that he will bless Abraham and his descendants and all nations on earth will be blessed. The big switch here is that instead of Abraham's only son Isaac being sacrificed, the LORD presented the ram. It also shows how much faith, loyalty and trust one would need to have to the Father to carry out his will.



1 Peter 3:15 - "But in your hearts revere Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect,"

So I shall answer. I like to compare my life before I gave my life to the LORD and what my life is like how that I have given my life to the LORD.

Before I gave my life to the LORD I would chase after the wind, I would chase after the treasures on this earth. The promise was riches and joy but it delivered nothing but disappointment and sorrow. I even considered suicide...twice. I hit rock bottom. I felt like I was starving and had a job feeding pigs, longing to have the food that the pigs ate. One holiday, I went on a Leadership Camp where I gave my life to the LORD. I changed my life around from the inside out. No longer did I chase after the wind and ended up disappointed. I finally found something worth chasing after. The joy my newfound faith has given me is a life worth living. I have gone from the brink of suicide to a University Graduate with a full time job in the field that I want to focus on. Because I no longer chase after material possessions I don't feel the burden of needing the latest and greatest technology in order to be happy. I no longer focus on me.

When I was at University my main focus wasn't so much for me to pass, I instead made sure that all my peers know that they could come to me if they had any academic problems and I would give my time to them and do it for free. I looked for opportunities to be the Good Samaritan in such a way that pertains to my strengths. There were times when my peers came to me for help, I was especially popular around assignment and exam period. Now those same peers are on their final year of University. I can safely say that some of them would not be where they are had they not asked me. I do mean that with the utmost humility.

The point is, my focus is what I can do for other people. How can I help in any way, shape or form and do it for free? Most of the time I never receive anything in return. When I go to sleep, I rest well knowing that the difference that I have made. Once again none of this would have been possible if I had not given my life over to the LORD at the Leadership Camp many years ago. I appreciate where I am now because I remember when I was once at rock bottom. That is how my faith in the LORD has improved my life in the here and now.



Don't feel bad. Nobody can take away the hope of Heaven from those who truly embrace it.

This post was edited by CPK001 on May 27 2018 05:18am

na nana nanana, didn't read anything. fk u

I agree fully. We should not chase money and popularity but always look to G-d and my firm belief is that a life lived in obedience to him (perfect obedience might be as you say an impossibility but I think you know what I mean, there is a difference between being in constant rebellion to having a heart desiring G-d. My priority in life is to have peace of mind, to be able to fully appreciate the pure joy of life, even the simple life. Though I do desire friends and loving relationships, I try to guard my heart so as to not forget who it is that gives everything in life. My other main concern is security, and that I know can only come from G-d. I have also suffered from suicidal thoughts because I, just like you, chased after the wind, but I learned that the trick is that focus on G-d is what it is all about; it is G-d first, then other good things follow. But having said this, I do not expect to have a wonderful life from a wordly perspective, nevertheless I hope that I will be able to live in a decent manner. The trick also for me is not to worry about material concerns whatsoever, about having enough money to pay the rent, to have needless apprehensions about the future; if that crush of mine will not want me if I do not have enough money, etc, but to focus only on G-d in the perfect trust that whatever I have to get to get along, that he will provide me if I manage to keep my heart humble, to refrain from anger and hatred, and to be a positive force to those around me. Like you, I had to fight for survival but now I rely on G-d for my survival. The distant hope of Heaven was and is too far away from me; it could not give me any hope in my darkest hour (a series of traumatic events some several years ago) but it was merely a question about survival for me. I needed something that could give me peace, a sense of security and purpose, right now. If I knew that there was a life after this, the situation would be different. But to have faith in something that goes against my reason, and which is so unclear and there are so many arguments against it (as well as for it might be said) is too risky for me to just let go of any ordinary concerns about this life.



I would rest in peace I think if I had children who remembered me as a good father. I understand that we as humans pale in comparison to G-d. Even if some celebrity dies, what does that matter? Only idolatrous people permit human beings to become the centre of their lives. That is why people who are deeply religious and right with G-d do not commit suicide or fall apart if a loved one leaves them; their rock is G-d, their greatest joy and purpose in life is G-d, and it is their strength. But when we do not have G-d we must fill our lives with idols, and sometimes that can be friends, a wife, a counselor, etc.

But notice that Ecclesiastes is a book written by a man; it is Solomon's words; though inspired and knowing G-d, it is not G-d first hand speaking to us.

For me the euphoria I felt when I fell in love for the first time, the wonderful bliss pulsating in my veins when we were together; that gives so much meaning, and so much to desire to experience in this life. These moments when I walk around in nature, feeling healthy, looking at the beautiful landscapes and smelling that fresh smell of nature, or when Christmas comes and all the family are gathered together to celebrate, or the stimulation I get when I learn something new, just the feeling that I am lucky enough to experience life, to smell, see, think, and feel, and to be healthy, that gives me meaning and joy. Sometimes I just get this feeling, when G-d smiles at me, that I am living in the present, and all my senses are heightened, and my heart filled with joy for seemingly nothing. I could die as an old man having lived a life like that, die and perish, and it would still feel like my life had meaning, to having enjoyed the gift of life. But then I again I have been seriously ill in my life, and recovered, and I have been on the brink of death, and experienced shame, grief, sorrow, regret, and I certainly had my heart crushed several times, yet it is not anything that could be described in words that I pursue, just that feeling that I get every now and then, and which I felt almost daily in my childhood. People forget too easily the wonderful bliss of life; not speaking about the enjoyment of driving a fast car, or going to a party, or having sex, or earning money, but that simple joy, peace and feeling of love that you can feel when you have lived in a pure way for some time. I believe that G-d created man to be a serene creature, rather than excitable. I think that the to have the "spirit of G-d" (the body and soul working in harmony with G-d) is to feel an inner peace, a feeling of purity and almost innocence, of security, quiet confidence, that nothing else can afford but G-d; and this is more precious than anything else. Some are born with a high degree of it, but lose it when they become greedy and want the wind in addition to that, but perhaps most are born quiet wretched and they have never felt anything close to it, so they have literally no idea what it is about.



Isn't King David speaking about a certain time? There are many psalms in which David with amazing poetry describes his seeking after G-d. And then there are instances in the books of Moses which talks about seeking G-d with all your heart, soul, and strength, which the Jews did at some times in the Old Testament. But I guess we do not have to discuss this further because the Bible is contradictory on this point. Indeed there is good reason to question free will, especially when you read the Old Testament. But this is a philosophical question and it leads to nothing; only the putting away of personal responsibility. But it is of course obvious to me that some people are not so lucky, so as to receive correction and instructions. Some people go astray early in life and there is really nothing that could be done about it. Some people are sinners from early childhood, and seem to be born with an unpleasant disposition. Notice that G-d says in the Bible that he will punish the children of sinner to the third and fourth generation; and there are verses (I think in Hosea) where it says that people will go and seek G-d yet he will not be found. Other verses talks about G-d giving up people to sin and hiding his face; that people could not, were not allowed to obey G-d (this may be strange but the Bible says so), and that he abandoned them to sins many times. Having said this I do not mean that G-d actively causes people to sin, or that he is somehow the author of evil, but since G-d is all powerful, he could if he wanted to, smash the whole creation with such terrible calamities that all would turn to him, yet he does not. It is in his power to humble anyone whom he wants. We can never understand why people, addicts for example, who are in the midst of their troubles, and who swear that they will live for G-d if he helps them through addiction and "cures" them, but who finds the door of salvation shut for them (salvation for this life I mean) and dies in their sin. We can only speculate why G-d sometimes makes it too hard for people to turn away from their sins, even if they want to, but probably there is some purpoe, and some people's deaths are sacrifices for others. G-d talks about this in his redemption of the Jews many times in the Old Testament. He would give the heathen for the Jews many times. I have seen many people desperately trying to change a behavior which they know is wrong, yet they are so addicted to it and I ask myself why G-d does not make it easier for them. Let us take an example; bitterness. Some people are angry, bitter, hateful, and they suffer because of it, and even if they try to change themselves they end up feeling angry. It is easy to live a life of humility, but it is certainly not easy to return to a state of humility, once your heart has been lifted up by pride and malice. Sin is a disease which is very hard to cure and I do not mean to say that I am sinless, because I am not. I know that. Yet some people who are saved, who turn to G-d, they become almost immediately transformed and people around them can see a marvelous change in them, and they find peace and their lives are put in order. Why some people so easily and so quickly can make positive changes, and others not, even if there is an awareness and willingness on their part, is a mystery to me, but then against sin is the punishment for sin many times in the Bible. There comes a point in life when your heart, conscience, character, life cannot be healed. When it is too late.

What you said about Christian persecution is, well, just look at history. The Christian nations have been the most civilized, mightiest, highest civilizations. The Christian nations have persecuted far more than they have been persecuted. So that prophecy is not really correct. Sure I have read about Christians being persecuted in the Middle East, in Soviet Union, but these persecutions pales in comparison to the persecution of the Jews, of the Blacks, etc. If you are on the top of the pyramide it is not really fair to talk about persecution. Sure nowadays Christians are being ridiculed, but so are all religions, and almost all political movements by their opponents. Considering the fact that Christianity was the state religion of most civilized countries for centuries, I do not really see how persecution was or is a problem. To be born as a white, Christian, middle class+ person in a western nation was and still is the best prospect for an easy life. The persecution of Christians in the Roman Empire is also exaggarated to a very great degree. Compare it to the Jews who throughout two millenia were forced to live segregated in practically every country, denied the rights of full citizenship, slaughtered by the millions, starved to death by the millions, stigmatized more than any other group, and then we can talk about persecution. Having said this, I do not mean to say that the Jews were innocent; since rabbinical Judaism there was a xenophobic quality to them and they refused to assimilate into their nations; but still I can hardly see how such a brutal response was justified. The most Christian country today is USA I would say, and let me ask you what kind of persecution do they suffer there? The apostles of course believed that Christians would face the same cruel hardship as the Jews but they were wrong, instead Christianity became the head and all other religions the tail, so their civilizations. To say that all Christians face persecution is a false prophecy, and a lie.



But there are no verses in the Old Testament where G-d says that he has a son, or that the spirit of G-d is a person separate from him. Why would not G-d just tell Moses; "Hey, I am G-d, I am One, but I have a Son who is G-d too, and at some point in the future I will send him as a sacrifie for the sins of humanity". That would make sense then, and then no one would reject Jesus, at least not the Jews. I cannot just subscribe to that theology and prefer to stick to that simplicity of the OT where G-d is One. It seems to me that the NT writers cleverly took texts from the OT and made a story of it. Yet it falls apart because it simply does not make sense, because they take texts from here, and from there, out of context and quite arbitrary. G-d, when speaking in the OT, is always clear, direct, blunt when it comes to very important matters. He did not want you to be supersmart in order to understand the Bible, hence its simplicity. The Jews have never accepted Jesus as the Messiah simply because Jews study the Old Testament with scrupulous care.



But seriously why would G-d give us "little hints" when the question is about our eternal destiny? There are no "little hints" in the books of Moses but it over and over again emphasize the punishments, and the rewards, and all that is necessary for salvation by G-d. According to the NT G-d is so desirous of having everyone saved yet faith, and not knowledge, is required.



Do you not believe that what Moses was referring to, was the fact that there is an actual enmity between snakes and humans? Everyone is afraid of snakes, even small children. In the same book it is explained that Eve was the mother of all living (of all mankind) hence, that enmity would be between mankind and the snake. And the snake in the Garden of Eden is never referred to as the devil, but on the other hand an animal, an animal that is more clever than any other animal, and this is true to this day. It is even described as having feet at first, and science backs this up - you can read about it.

But well... little hints you say. Or you could just take off your Jesus-glasses and read the text for what it is.



Exactly! He told Abraham, that because Abraham was ready to sacrifice all that was dearest to him, even his own beloved son, G-d made a promise that because of this extraordinary righteousness, commitment to G-d, G-d would bless his seed, make him a nation in the land of Israel, and even if he knew that his seed would be liable to sin, G-d would remember the righteousness of Abraham and save them. Here G-d is clear and direct, as he always is. He does not tell Abraham that he will at some point in the future sacrifice something himself for the sake of humanity, but it is clearly understood that he will bless his seed and it is talking about the nation of Israel and the Jewish people. So G-d made such a request to Abraham then hid his face for thousands of years, before he sacrificed his own son, and then claim in the NT that this was a foreshadow of Abraham's sacrifice? Come on! Can you not see the absurditity? And Abraham did not even sacrifice his son because G-d hates human sacrifice and it was only a test, so the connection to Jesus fails even there.



Wonderful, congratulations and I am happy for you, and I mean that sincerely. I do not doubt that it is G-d who helped you, I just believe that your idea of him (or them) is incorrect.

This post was edited by Tjo on May 27 2018 11:29am

Imagine if these two guys used the time they spent writing such garbage on something actually productive