Commentary: I think that answers your question, Gany. 😉

Exactly, and that's what makes us hostile to Christianity. Sanātana Dharma (eternal order aka Hinduism) and other Asian religions state that you don't need to follow a particular religion or god to succeed, karma (deed) in the present affects one's future in the current life, as well as the nature and quality of future lives - one's saṃsāra (cyclicality of all life).

then at the tower of Babel, God confounded the people's language so that they spake in diverse tongues
LMAO, see? This is what I'm talking about.

I'm glad that you understood Pepe.

Hm... the views held by a third of the world's population are no longer relevant... something doesn't quite click there.
Not every Christian read bible and follow his teachings, most of you are just ignorant.

@Aura - they are about two completely different things; one is simply a statistic about how many people in the world identify as Christian, the other one (if I remember correctly) is talking about creation/evolution worldviews. They are not at all contradictory.

@Gany it is true that not every person who calls themself a Christian reads their Bible and follows Jesus' teachings, but the statement is equally applicable to all religions and even atheism. It doesn't support your point.

Not sure what point you're making with your Babel reference.

Huh! It doesn't according to other thousands of gods and religious texts. Christianity is outdated, admit it. My point was to state that even Christians don't read the bible, so posting to non-Christians is totally proselytizing. Duh, you're so much misinformed, this is what happens when the Bible or Quran is your primary source of education. Disrespect, disregard and ignore other religions teaching.

BTW what reason do you have to deny other thousands of god and hundreds of religions? What if one of those religions is true and yours false? How would you answer their god?
That's why you should always keep your mind at least a little bit open to accept the bitter truth, don't just bash around with your religious book.

Not sure what point you're making with your Babel reference.
Languages evolved through a gradual change in human understanding over time. The tower of babel myth totally discredits human efforts. My point was that it's relevant to only a few orthodox Christians and Muslims most other people reject this theory.

Just like Aura Guardian stated:
Religions themselves debate amongst themselves who is the true religion. Is it Christianity? Islam? Judaism? Hinduism? Buddhism? Baha'i Faith (btw I think Baha'i is a really cool concept)? Therefore, just accepting one of these to be irrevocably true and inexplictly intertwined with every aspect of life is just simply inappropriate. By doing so you really don't give any of these other religions any acknowledgement. However, if you are willing to split your frames of reference you can find space to accept and respect all of them.
https://www.warzone.com/Forum/395813-verse-day?Offset=163

Edited 2/19/2020 11:39:57

Us Christians didn't just pick a religion and go with it. There is tons of evidence for the Bible. We didn't just say "ya, I will go with this religion" after looking at the choices.

We read the Bible, go to church, and follow God's commandments the best we can.

"HaHa ChRiStIaNs ArE sO sTuPiD" Wow, never heard that before, thanks, now I'll change my beliefs because of your very convincing argument.
"... karma (deed) in the present affects one's future in the current life," That's precisely what makes Christianity different from all other religions, nothing that you do will get you to heaven, only belief in Jesus.
Christianity, Judaism, and Islam all have one God. Hinduism has many gods. How can both monotheism and pantheism be true?
Btw, if Islam is true I'm safe, because the hadith says that all white people were predestined to go to heaven.

"HaHa ChRiStIaNs ArE sO sTuPiD" Wow, never heard that before, thanks, now I'll change my beliefs because of your very convincing argument.
I didn't say that, but at least you admit you're stupid. You're welcome!

That's precisely what makes Christianity different from all other religions, nothing that you do will get you to heaven, only belief in Jesus.
That's precisely what shows that Jesus was sham.

Hinduism has many gods.
Hinduism spans a wide range of beliefs such as henotheism, monotheism, polytheism, panentheism, pantheism, pandeism, monism, atheism and nontheism.
Read more here: https://www.swedishnomad.com/facts-about-hinduism/

So much hypocrisy. No appreciation of truth. I'm done.

Lol.

John 15:18-20 If the world hate you, ye know that it hated me before it hated you. If ye were of the world, the world would love his own: but because ye are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you. Remember the word that I said unto you, The servant is not greater than his lord. If they have persecuted me, they will also persecute you; if they have kept my saying, they will keep yours also.

Whenever someone says nonsense in the vein of "I like your Christ, I do not like your Christians," just know that Jesus said that they are lying.

@gany,you've been saying you're done here for a while now...

Okay, gany, I was going to send a rebuttal, but there were some simply so many logic sequences you made that make absolutely no sense to me, that I don't think I will try.
For example:
Christian don't read Bible therefore quoting Bible is proselytising.(?)
Christianity is not about ticking boxes by following rules, therefore it is a sham.(?)
Hinduism is both a religion with god(s) and atheism. (?) Not sure how you define atheism, but I'm pretty sure it means "no god".

The reason I am not "splitting my frame of reference" and being "more open" to believing more than one religion is that they are all contradictory; you can't possibly believe all (or even two of them) whole-heartedly! To try to do so would be to undermine both of them! For example, if Christianity is true, then Buddhism cannot be true, since Christianity teaches that there is a God while there is no God in Buddhism. You cannot pick more than one; it is one of them or none of them.

Hinduism, by the way (not just talking to gany here), if the Hindu monk that I talked to on a Religion and Society excursion a couple years ago is to be believed, is a form of monotheism; Hindus believe that there is one spirit/god known as the Brahma, and that there has been many manifestions of Brahma on earth (the elephant people among others). Correct me if I am very wrong.

I don't know about hypocrisy, but I'm glad you're done, gany, because now we can get back to what this thread was originally for.

I'm not going to give any more rebuttal this is just a correction.

The thing you are talking about in Hinduism is Brahman (The Cosmic Principle). In Hinduism, Brahman is the unchanging, infinite, immanent, genderless and transcendent reality which is the Divine Ground of all matter, energy, time, space, being, and everything beyond in this Universe. The nature of Brahman is described as transpersonal, personal and impersonal by different philosophical schools. Some part of it exists in all living beings. (Notice the defence in how Christianity describes god or the creator)
Brahma is different, it is just one of their theorized gods who created the universe. (Notice the difference: Christianity talks about the creation of the earth, skies, sun, moon and stars while Hinduism talks about the creation of the universe)

To give you more dread about Hinduism, Dalai Lama says:
When I say that Buddhism is a part of Hinduism, certain people criticize me. But if I were to say that Hinduism and Buddhism are totally different, it would not be in conformity with truth.

And this from Ram Swarup, a prominent Hindu philosopher:
Buddha was a Hindu. Buddhism is Hindu in its origin and development, in its art and architecture, iconography, language, beliefs, psychology, names, nomenclature, religious vows and spiritual discipline...Hinduism is not all Buddhism, but Buddhism forms part of the ethos which is essentially Hindu.

To give you more dread, Buddhism (atheist), Sikhism (monotheistic) and Jainism (polytheistic) are all part of Hinduism. Even Hinduism has hundreds of sub-religions in it.

1 Corinthians 15:35-38 But some man will say, How are the dead raised up? and with what body do they come? Thou fool, that which thou sowest is not quickened, except it die: And that which thou sowest, thou sowest not that body that shall be, but bare grain, it may chance of wheat, or of some other grain: But God giveth it a body as it hath pleased him, and to every seed his own body.
1 Corinthians 15:42-49 So also is the resurrection of the dead. It is sown in corruption; it is raised in incorruption: It is sown in dishonour; it is raised in glory: it is sown in weakness; it is raised in power: It is sown a natural body; it is raised a spiritual body. There is a natural body, and there is a spiritual body.
And so it is written, The first man Adam was made a living soul; the last Adam was made a quickening spirit. Howbeit that was not first which is spiritual, but that which is natural; and afterward that which is spiritual. The first man is of the earth, earthy: the second man is the Lord from heaven. As is the earthy, such are they also that are earthy: and as is the heavenly, such are they also that are heavenly. And as we have borne the image of the earthy, we shall also bear the image of the heavenly.

These verses are talking about the resurrection of the bodies, and the imagery with which we should view burials. The largest difference between our body now and the body to come will be the lack of blood, which the old testamentrefers to as "life." Leviticus 17:14 says "For it is the life of all flesh; the blood of it is for the life thereof: therefore I said unto the children of Israel, Ye shall eat the blood of no manner of flesh: for the life of all flesh is the blood thereof: whosoever eateth it shall be cut off."
When Jesus was resurrected and appeared unto the disciples, he as very careful with what words he chose. In Luke 24:29, Jesus says "Behold my hands and my feet, that it is I myself: handle me, and see; for a spirit hath not flesh and bones, as ye see me have." We know from 1 Corinthians that flesh and blood will not inherit the kingdom of God: 1 Corinthians 15:50 says "Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; neither doth corruption inherit incorruption."
As Christians, we know that the soul is willing, but the body is weak. We are made new creatures in Christ, but sin continues to dwell in our corruptible bodies. Paul states it very eloquently and poetically in Romans 7:19-25: "For the good that I would I do not: but the evil which I would not, that I do. Now if I do that I would not, it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me. I find then a law, that, when I would do good, evil is present with me. For I delight in the law of God after the inward man: But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members. O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death? I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord. So then with the mind I myself serve the law of God; but with the flesh the law of sin."
We are all sinners- Paul spells this out in Romans 1-3- but through Christ Jesus we are made a new creature. Knowing God is real isn't enough to get you saved; in Matthew 11:27, Jesus states "All things are delivered unto me of my Father: and no man knoweth the Son, but the Father; neither knoweth any man the Father, save the Son, and he to whomsoever the Son will reveal him." The gift of everlasting life is something that you don't have to do great works for, it isn't something awarded to you for keeping the law, nor is it something you can lose or have taken away from you. Romans 10:9-10 spells out the entire plan for salvation in only two sentences: "That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation."

Well said!! :D

Thanks gany for that correction, I couldn't remember the difference between Brahma and Brahman!

A good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth good; and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart brings forth evil. For out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks.

Luke 6:45 NKJV

This verse is telling us that if we want to be good people doing good works, we need to first have a good heart. What we say and do are mere reflections of what is going on inside us. Make sure you check your heart.

Be not afraid, O land; be glad and rejoice. Surely the LORD has done great things.
—Joel 2:21

Thoughts on Today's Verse...
This reassurance from God is given to a people facing desperate times, which were brought on by God to lead them to repent. Their land lies desolate and decimated from drought, plagues, and poor harvests. God, however, is now promising to bless them if they will return to him with all their hearts. The LORD, the covenant God of Israel, will do great things to bring his people to deliverance through their repentance and his gracious power. The land can rejoice and be glad. So should his people! So should we! Because of Jesus, we know that "the LORD has done great things" for us!

Galatians 4:1-10 Now I say, That the heir, as long as he is a child, differeth nothing from a servant, though he be lord of all; But is under tutors and governors until the time appointed of the father. Even so we, when we were children, were in bondage under the elements of the world: But when the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law, To redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons. And because ye are sons, God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts, crying, Abba, Father. Wherefore thou art no more a servant, but a son; and if a son, then an heir of God through Christ.
Howbeit then, when ye knew not God, ye did service unto them which by nature are no gods. But now, after that ye have known God, or rather are known of God, how turn ye again to the weak and beggarly elements, whereunto ye desire again to be in bondage? Ye observe days, and months, and times, and years. I am afraid of you, lest I have bestowed upon you labour in vain.

Here, Paul is speaking to the churches of Galatia, who were tempted by the Pharisees into following the old testament law, such as keeping the sabbath, keeping the feast days, getting circumcised, performing animal sacrifices, etc., after Paul had gotten the Galatians saved. As new testament believers, we are no longer under the law- the Holy Spirit guides us daily. We should have no more desire to commit sins, unless by the sin that dwelleth in us (see yesterday's verses). Even today, we still need to be watchful of anyone who tries or is trying to lump Christianity together with the Pharisee's religion.

Hebrews 12:16-17 Lest there be any fornicator, or profane person, as Esau, who for one morsel of meat sold his birthright. For ye know how that afterward, when he would have inherited the blessing, he was rejected: for he found no place of repentance, though he sought it carefully with tears.

These verses are referring to the story of Jacob and Esau, twins born to Isaac and Rebekah, as found in Genesis 25:29-34: "And Jacob sod pottage: and Esau came from the field, and he was faint: And Esau said to Jacob, Feed me, I pray thee, with that same red pottage; for I am faint: therefore was his name called Edom. And Jacob said, Sell me this day thy birthright. And Esau said, Behold, I am at the point to die: and what profit shall this birthright do to me? And Jacob said, Swear to me this day; and he sware unto him: and he sold his birthright unto Jacob. Then Jacob gave Esau bread and pottage of lentiles; and he did eat and drink, and rose up, and went his way: thus Esau despised his birthright."
Earlier in the chapter we are told that an angel of the Lord appeared unto Isaac and Rebekah, prior to their sons being born, that the elder shall serve the younger. What Jacob did in this story and afterwards, when he deceived his father Isaac, were not the right things to do, or what God had intended. Jealousy oftentimes overtakes us, and causes us to make rash decisions. God understood this sinful nature, and for that reason revealed the sin unto us in one of the ten commandments: Exodus 20:17 says "Thou shalt not covet thy neighbour's house, thou shalt not covet thy neighbour's wife, nor his manservant, nor his maidservant, nor his ox, nor his ass, nor any thing that is thy neighbour's."
The verses in Hebrews pertaining to the story of Jacob and Esau point us towards a life of chastity before marriage, and not giving into temptations for what is the equivalent of "a morsel of meat." Just as Esau was obviously not starving to death after just a few days of not eating, we also shouldn't desire to fulfill carnal lusts now, which leads us to spoiling or even forsaking God's ideals for marriage.

1 Corinthians 6:12-20 All things are lawful unto me, but all things are not expedient: all things are lawful for me, but I will not be brought under the power of any. Meats for the belly, and the belly for meats: but God shall destroy both it and them.
Now the body is not for fornication, but for the Lord; and the Lord for the body. And God hath both raised up the Lord, and will also raise up us by his own power. Know ye not that your bodies are the members of Christ? shall I then take the members of Christ, and make them the members of an harlot? God forbid. What? know ye not that he which is joined to an harlot is one body? for two, saith he, shall be one flesh.
But he that is joined unto the Lord is one spirit. Flee fornication. Every sin that a man doeth is without the body; but he that committeth fornication sinneth against his own body. What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own? For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's.

We are commanded here to use our time wisely. There are many verses about wasting time- every verse with the word "vain" or "vanity" in it deal with this issue. Titus 3:9 is one of the best verses about what God considers vain: "But avoid foolish questions, and genealogies, and contentions, and strivings about the law; for they are unprofitable and vain." Remember Hebrews 9:27: "And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment:" We only have one chance to win souls to Christ, and that is while they are still alive, here on this earth.