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Please see my last response to purple for an answer to this.
Are you asking why someone would sacrifice his life for a work of fiction? Or are you asking why someone would murder another over a work of fiction?
I can't speak to that as I've neither died nor killed anyone, but I assure you that many people would gladly do either, for myriad reasons. Loss of life is hardly validation of fact. Eyewitness accounts can corroborate factual events but still are not empirical evidence that those events took place.
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I am unable to watch this video at this time, because the computer I'm on doesnt have speakers hooked up. I will watch this later.
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Not a work of fiction, the question is would someone, ( or rather several different people) die for a false testimony, a testimony that they had given that they themselves knew was false. Paul said hundreds of people saw Jesus alive after His passion. Not only were some killed, some were exiled, disowned by their families, their property and possessions were taken away, forbidden to buy or sell, hunted down, etc. Christians were impaled, doused in oil, and lit on fire to light Neros garden parties. Christians were fed to wild animals. They were beaten and imprisoned. All they had to do to escape these things was to admit that they had not really seen Jesus alive. All the apostles except for Judas and John died a martyrs death. What does someone have to do to prove that they believe something is true? How do you account for the numerous Old Testament prophecies that were fulfilled in the life of Christ? Born in Bethlehem. A descendant of Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Judah, David. ( This is why the geneologies are given. He would die without one of His bones being broken He would live and die between the rebuilding of the Jewish temple, and the destruction of said temple in AD 70. See Daniel 9, which clearly states that the Christ had to be born before the destruction of the Jewish temple in AD 70. Do you think Daniel was written after AD70  His hands and feet would be pierced. Etc.
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I know of a site that answers many of these qustions much better than I can if anyone is interested in further research, but I am not sure if it would be against the rules to post the sites location. It would'nt be that I was posting solely to promote a site, but merely to add to the discussion. Moderators, please let me know.
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That link would be fine. As for the deaths of the authors, I'll just have to take your word for it that these authors were indeed around at the time of the crucifiction. It was my understanding, however, that pretty much every book in the bible wasn't committed to paper until well after his death.... but I've also not cared enough to become a scholar on the subject. My knowledge is based mostly in what I've seen on TV as it isn't a subject that holds me. I will still say this, however... people being willing to die for it is not proof of anything. It is an empirically strong indicator of extremely devout belief and conviction, but it is no where near being proof of anything. Hell, I'd bet that mac would be stick to not answering questions even if tortured.  We could probably burn him with hot pokers and he'd stick to his story that Bush's spending was bad, but Obama's is is defensible, lol.
Browns is the Browns
... there goes Joe Thomas, the best there ever was in this game.
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When you say that you believed every book of the Bible was not committed to writing until after Jesus' death, do you mean the books of the New Testament, ( not of the whole Bible). The Dead Sea scrolls, which have portions of the NT are dated at 100 BC, and the Septuigint,( Greek version of The Old Testament was probably done around 200 BC. ( My dates may be off, but they predated Christ. I think I know what you meant, but just wanted to make sure.
I am really enjoying your posts as well as the other posts. I like to hear what others have to say and what they believe, because only hearing one side is never enough. I do not believe in blind faith, but I believe that Christianity is a rational system of thought, whether you except its premises or not. Some feel it is irrational because of the miracles it describes, but if there is a God that can create this beautiful creation, why is it so hard to believe that He can raise the dead, walk on water, or multiply loaves and fishes. You would think this would be easy for the creator. So in the end, it comes down to is it rational to believe in God or not. Some here say it is irrational, but I think it is safe to say that you and I agree that the belief in God is valid
Last edited by LA Brown fan; 05/05/11 01:15 PM.
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I would guess that I'm referring to the New Testament, as I'm pretty sure that the old testament was written before Christ, correct?
And I thought that ALL of the Dead Sea Scrolls were after Christ's death????
I definitely believe in a God, but I do not believe that God walked this earth as a man named Jesus. I believe that there was almost certainly a man named Jesus, and that he was probably even a very good/great man that taught much of how we should live and did so by example, but I believe that he was a man and do not believe that he is or was any form of deity.... I guess my viewpoint would then align me more with the Jewish faith, than anything, but I'm not Jewish (or Druish).
Browns is the Browns
... there goes Joe Thomas, the best there ever was in this game.
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Thanks.  The site is: www.alwaybeready.comThis is not a link, as I don't know how to do those, you would have to type the web site in. If anyone is interested, it is a Christian apologetics site that discusses many of the issues discussed here, like "did Christianity borrow from other religions" and is the Bible history, myth, or fiction, etc.
Last edited by LA Brown fan; 05/05/11 01:29 PM.
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Browns is the Browns
... there goes Joe Thomas, the best there ever was in this game.
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Yes, the Old Testament was written before Jesus was born, which makes its prophecies regarding Christ, ( which I mentioned eariler), very astounding.
Sorry, I could be wrong about the Dead Sea scrolls, but I do know that the Septuigint predated the Life of Jesus.
Regarding Christ only being a man and not God, there are only a few possiblilities, ( unless I am missing something)
Jesus was the Son of God.
or
Jesus was not the Son of God, and He was a liar, lunatic, or evil man because He said He was.
or
The writers of the New Testament fabricated the stories of Jesus' claims, but remember, if it was the apostles who wrote the New Testament, they died for these fabrications, and as far as I can see would not have benefited in any way from this.
or
The New Testament was not written by the Apostles. This argument is difficult to defend because the record of the church fathers, some of which were actually disciples of some of the original disciples, verify the authorship of many of the New Testament books. Also, there is evidence that the Gospels were written within a generation of Jesus death, ( and resurrection.)
Again, there is no way to prove any of this infallibly. It is a matter of faith just like you said. Yet it is not blind faith as some say, it is faith based on real evidence. All we can do is weigh the evidence, ( if that's what we choose to do), and decide for ourselves whether or not we believe.
Evidences: Charlie Campbell's FACES
Fulfilled prophecies
Archaeologicad evidence.
Consistency. ( Internal Consistency of the Bible)
External verification. ( extrabiblical sources- Tacitus, Josephus, etc.)
Scientific accuracy and foresight.
These are explained on the website in the article "Amazing Evidence for the Trustworthiness of the Bible."
Thanks.
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Thank you!
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Like I said, I don't pretend to have enough of an understanding of the arguments, but from what I understand there is plenty to support that many of the claims to Jesus being the Son of God, and later the Holy Trinity of both being the Son while also being God, himself, were written in by the Roman Emperor Whatshisname. It was part of his strategy of solidifying power and bridging the beliefs of his Pagan constituents as well as embracing the rising Christian populace. Quote:
it is faith based on real evidence.
And that is entirely dependent upon what evidence is accepted; which viewpoints are disregarded, which arguments are lent more credence than others.
In any case, it is a large part of why I'm of the mind that too much emphasis is put on the messenger, and not enough on the message. How we get there doesn't matter - only that we arrive.
Browns is the Browns
... there goes Joe Thomas, the best there ever was in this game.
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I think you might mean Constantine. If he was the one who "declared" Jesus God, then He would have had to tamper heavily with the New Testament, and I think, ( I could be wrong) that the earliest NT manuscripts predate Constantine. The dates of the earliest NT manuscripts can be looked up, I just don't know them off hand.
I do like to take other views into consideration. I probably have not examined all the counter-views yet, so I am not an expert in that aspect, but I do my best to understand and weigh the views of those who are skeptical to some of the claims of Christianity. I don't do this because I doubt my faith, but because it helps me understand what I believe and why I believe it even better.
These are interesting points you are making.
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I have a question for any of you who are religious and fans of the reality show Survivor. We have Matt and Mike on Redemption Island who are both deeply religious and both feel like it will be God's will as to who wins. Mike won and felt that it was Gods will. Would Matt feel like God didn't want him to win? My question also applies to all the athletes who pray to God for a win. Do these people really think God gives a damn who wins these things? Just wondering.
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I have a question for any of you who are religious and fans of the reality show Survivor. We have Matt and Mike on Redemption Island who are both deeply religious and both feel like it will be God's will as to who wins. Mike won and felt that it was Gods will. Would Matt feel like God didn't want him to win? My quest¹on also applies to all the athletes who pray to God for a win. Do these people really think God gives a damn who wins these things? Just wondering.
I do not watch survivor, so I don't know what Redemption Island is. I can say that God does not choose sides on game shows, reality shows, or sporting events. To me, the proper prayer at a sporting event would be something like "God help me to do my best, help me to be a good sportsman, and please protect us all, ( both teams), from injury.
God would not choose sides in a game, because there are probably Christians on both teams, as well as the fact that while we enjoy them and they are entertaining, they really have no eternal value, except sometimes the atheletes are believers/ God fearing people who glorify God in what they do.
Hope that helps
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Never seen any evidence of biblical writings before 200 A.D.
NO evidence of ANY kind that ANY of the so-called "writers" of the bible were killed or even positively identified. Analysis indicates several "books" written by same author, some by more than one person. No accounts of any complete written collections until 1st-2nd century, at least.
When you say Bible and Scientific fact in the same sentence, can you keep a straight face?
Much of the bible is lifted completely from much, much older works. Holiday dates were hijacked.
Frankly it's a complete load of crap.
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How could heaven exist if people I loved were atheists and could not populate it?
What is the relationship of those two things?
What he's saying is ...
My mother is a Christian and a good woman. How can Heaven be Heaven for her when her son is burning in Hell?
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Never seen any evidence of biblical writings before 200 A.D.
NO evidence of ANY kind that ANY of the so-called "writers" of the bible were killed or even positively identified. Analysis indicates several "books" written by same author, some by more than one person. No accounts of any complete written collections until 1st-2nd century, at least.
When you say Bible and Scientific fact in the same sentence, can you keep a straight face?
Much of the bible is lifted completely from much, much older works. Holiday dates were hijacked.
Frankly it's a complete load of crap.
1. Tertullian stated that by 150 A.D., the Church in Rome had compiled a list of the New Testament books matching our list of today.
We have 32,000 quotes from before 325 AD, from Irenaeus (182-188 AD), Justin Martyr (before 150 AD), Polycarp (107 AD), Ignatius (100), Clement (96 AD) and many other second and third century fathers. All but eleven verses of the New Testament could be reconstructed through their writings alone.
The Muratonian Canon Fragment dating from 170 AD lists the same New Testament that we have.
See the Ante-Nicean Fathers, a 32 volume Encyclopedia of the writings of the Early Church, by Eerdmans Publishing. Or on the Internet see the Early Church Fathers
[url=http://biblefacts.org/history/oldtext.html]
2. Of course several books were written by the same author. Paul wrote 13 books, John wrote 5. Luke wrote 2, Peter wrote 2 and was a source for at least 2 other books.
3. A first century account would be within 68 to 70 years of Jesus earthly ministry.
4. You ask: "When you say Bible and Scientific fact in the same sentence, can you keep a straight face?" I say, Sure, the Bible taught that the earth was round, that it hung in space on nothing, that the sun and the stars moved in their circuits, that the stars were innumerable, etc. All before science did.
5. Which holiday dates did the Bible hijack? Not the church, but the Bible?
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Never seen any evidence of biblical writings before 200 A.D.
NO evidence of ANY kind that ANY of the so-called "writers" of the bible were killed or even positively identified. Analysis indicates several "books" written by same author, some by more than one person. No accounts of any complete written collections until 1st-2nd century, at least.
 You must have done a lot of research to come up with those findings.
And into the forest I go, to lose my mind and find my soul.
- John Muir
#GMSTRONG
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How could heaven exist if people I loved were atheists and could not populate it?
What is the relationship of those two things?
What he's saying is ...
My mother is a Christian and a good woman. How can Heaven be Heaven for her when her son is burning in Hell?
That's why God gave us the wonderful priviledge to pray for our loved ones, and tell them about Jesus. Yet so called, tolerant people tell Christians they shouldn't share their faith with others. God is not willing that any should perish, but that all come to repentance. For God so loved the world that He gave His only Begotten Son.
Why would you reject the free gift of God and miss out on Heaven? Jesus died so you could go there. I am sure your good Christian mother is praying for you. God bless her. There is nothing more powerful than a mothers prayer. I can say that from experience.
Last edited by LA Brown fan; 05/05/11 10:01 PM.
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Why would you reject the free gift of God and miss out on Heaven?
Because I have chosen to be a Browns fan? 
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Quote:
Quote:
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How could heaven exist if people I loved were atheists and could not populate it?
What is the relationship of those two things?
What he's saying is ...
My mother is a Christian and a good woman. How can Heaven be Heaven for her when her son is burning in Hell?
That's why God gave us the wonderful priviledge to pray for our loved ones, and tell them about Jesus. Yet so called, tolerant people tell Christians they shouldn't share their faith with others. God is not willing that any should perish, but that all come to repentance. For God so loved the world that He gave His only Begotten Son.
Why would you reject the free gift of God and miss out on Heaven? Jesus died so you could go there. I am sure your good Christian mother is praying for you. God bless her. There is nothing more powerful than a mothers prayer. I can say that from experience.
That still doesn't answer the question posed.
My mother is a good Christian woman.
I am an atheist.
Whatever your conception of Heaven is ... she will be there with the knowledge that her son will be or is burning in Hell. How then, can that be Heaven?
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Quote:
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How could heaven exist if people I loved were atheists and could not populate it?
What is the relationship of those two things?
What he's saying is ...
My mother is a Christian and a good woman. How can Heaven be Heaven for her when her son is burning in Hell?
That's why God gave us the wonderful priviledge to pray for our loved ones, and tell them about Jesus. Yet so called, tolerant people tell Christians they shouldn't share their faith with others. God is not willing that any should perish, but that all come to repentance. For God so loved the world that He gave His only Begotten Son.
Why would you reject the free gift of God and miss out on Heaven? Jesus died so you could go there. I am sure your good Christian mother is praying for you. God bless her. There is nothing more powerful than a mothers prayer. I can say that from experience.
That still doesn't answer the question posed.
My mother is a good Christian woman.
I am an atheist.
Whatever your conception of Heaven is ... she will be there with the knowledge that her son will be or is burning in Hell. How then, can that be Heaven?
With all due respect ... who are we to know what heaven is or isn't? My only guess is that it is far beyond the realm of our understanding... so why in the world would we think that we can prove whether or not something is or isn't ...
That would be like a cave man trying to disprove or prove the existence of aliens and spaceships by trying to say on a technicality that spaceships can't fly without wings that flap like the birds ... so how can they go into space They don't have wings... It's just way beyond anything that we fully understand.
While it is kind of a cop out ... human intelligence and technology has come pretty far pretty recently ... and I bet before the majority of us are gone we will still see things in a decade or two that will blow our mind. But to think that we can even fully comprehend the matters of being that was able to create life itself as we know it ... that is a stretch that is just too far for me to pretend to grasp ...
"Believe deep down in your heart that you're destined to do great things."
@pstu24
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Is God willing to prevent evil, but not able? Then he is not omnipotent.
Is he able, but not willing? Then he is malevolent.
Is he both able and willing? Then whence cometh evil?
Is he neither able nor willing? Then why call him God?
I read that awhile you seems fitting for this convo. Also Christians laugh at religions for some of their outlandish believes but come on:
The belief that a cosmic Jewish Zombie who was his own father can make you live forever if you symbolically eat his flesh and telepathically tell him you accept him as your master, so he can remove an evil force from your soul that is present in humanity because a rib-woman was convinced by a talking snake to eat from a magical tree.
But that makes perfect sense right?
Serious note though you know what got accepted and put into the bible was only a fraction of what was actually written right? There was a council that decided which gospels got in and which ones were tossed. How are we to assume they picked all the true gospels and tossed all the false ones? Especially considering that the council was made of men which are fallible.
As purp says it comes down to whether you have faith or you don't. If you have faith you can accept almost any story as true. If you have no faith you will be skeptical of every story. In the end at least in this country you can decide for the most part which religion is for you.
Go Browns!!![[Linked Image]](http://www.dawgtalkers.net/uploads/BrowniePoints/AndersonSnowPic.jpg)
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So you're saying that just because you don't want to go to Heaven, your mother shouldnt want to go either? Also, in effect you're saying that you are going to prove heaven doesn't exist by boycotting it.
It breaks God's heart when people go to Hell. He so wanted to save us from that place that He sent His Son to die in our place.
I know that this is not going to be popular, but from my study of the Bible I get the impression that the people in Hell will not be remembered. I know that sounds harsh and horrible, but that is one of the horrors of Hell. That's why God went to the utmost to give people a way to escape it.
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So you're saying that just because you don't want to go to Heaven, your mother shouldnt want to go either? Also, in effect you're saying that you are going to prove heaven doesn't exist by boycotting it.
I'm saying neither of those things. Actually, that's not even remotely close to what I'm saying. Either you have a reading comprehension problem, or you're obscuring the question because you can't answer it.
What I'm saying is that my mother, who is a good moral person, and a Christian, would be a shoo-in for Heaven.
I, however, won't be joining her there. I'll be burning in Hell with the non-believers.
So, with those terms established -- how can Heaven be a wonderful reward of a place for my mother, knowing that her beloved first born is writhing in agony down in the fires of Hell?
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I know that this is not going to be popular, but from my study of the Bible I get the impression that the people in Hell will not be remembered. I know that sounds harsh and horrible, but that is one of the horrors of Hell. That's why God went to the utmost to give people a way to escape it.
So people in Heaven have the memories of their loved ones deleted from their minds?
Sounds like a wonderful place.
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Is God willing to prevent evil, but not able? Then he is not omnipotent.
Is he able, but not willing? Then he is malevolent.
Is he both able and willing? Then whence cometh evil?
Is he neither able nor willing? Then why call him God?
I read that awhile you seems fitting for this convo. Also Christians laugh at religions for some of their outlandish believes but come on:
The belief that a cosmic Jewish Zombie who was his own father can make you live forever if you symbolically eat his flesh and telepathically tell him you accept him as your master, so he can remove an evil force from your soul that is present in humanity because a rib-woman was convinced by a talking snake to eat from a magical tree.
But that makes perfect sense right?
Serious note though you know what got accepted and put into the bible was only a fraction of what was actually written right? There was a council that decided which gospels got in and which ones were tossed. How are we to assume they picked all the true gospels and tossed all the false ones? Especially considering that the council was made of men which are fallible.
As purp says it comes down to whether you have faith or you don't. If you have faith you can accept almost any story as true. If you have no faith you will be skeptical of every story. In the end at least in this country you can decide for the most part which religion is for you.
Regarding your first set of questions, I already answered those objections. The objections as to why God allows evil in the world is because He has given us a free will to choose good or evil, and we largely have chosen evil.
You do realize what it would take for God to remove evil don't you. He would either have to destroy all evil men, or He would have to take away our free will and basically make us robots. Evil is nothing more than the result of rejecting God, so to remove evil, He would have to force us to accept Him. Would that be a better reality. God could do that, but He loves us too much to do that.
Your mockery of the Gospel calling Jesus a zombie and His own father, etc. I take it by the fact that you called Jesus a zombie that you don't believe in life after death. I guess its more rational to believe that we are nothing more than fertilizer. As far as Jesus being His own father, you are completely misunderstandng the nature of God. Of course, that is excusable, because there is nothing we can compare God to,so none of us can fully fathom His Nature. Yet if you don't believe in God, you are stuck with the dilemna that either the universe has always existed, or that everything that exists appreared from nothing on it's own. I don't know how that is any more rational then to believe in a creator.
But you may say, how did God come to exist? Isn't it the same thing to say that God always existed or the world always existed. The answer is no. We know that the world/universe exists in time and space, but we hold that God is transcendant and is not contained in time and space. In other words God is not part of this material universe, He is outside of it and above it. By definition, this is what a God would have to be. Things in the material universe are governed by cause and effect. But God is transcendant, and He doesnt require a cause yet He is the first cause.
On the Bible: The books of the Bible were selected carefully after careful investigation, and the books that were accepted were basically the same books that the church had always accepted for the most part. You do realize that counterfeit books were written. I think that's what confuses some people because some guy in the third century wrote a book, and claimed it was written by an apostle. When the book was examined, it was clearly evident that it was a spurious writing. In the same way that it's easy to tell a counterfeit bill if you know what the real thing looks like, so the church fathers were able to discern spurious writings by comparing them to writings that were time tested and known to be genuine. You don't fault a bank if it rejects counterfeit money do you.
Lastly, of course everyone has a right to choose what they believe. I fervently believe and am thankful for the religious freedom we have in this country. I believe people have the right to chose to worship God as they see fit, or to not worship Him at all, but just because that is our God given right, ( yes this right was first bestowed by God), doesnt mean that people like you and I are not allowed to share our beliefs with others. That is all that is happening here, so I don't know how your statement is even pertinent.
This thread started off as a poem. I never asked for a theological/ philosophical debate. That's just what some have chosen to turn it into, for one reason or another. Nontheless, it is a good thing, for it is good to discuss these things.
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So you're saying that just because you don't want to go to Heaven, your mother shouldnt want to go either? Also, in effect you're saying that you are going to prove heaven doesn't exist by boycotting it.
I'm saying neither of those things. Actually, that's not even remotely close to what I'm saying. Either you have a reading comprehension problem, or you're obscuring the question because you can't answer it.
What I'm saying is that my mother, who is a good moral person, and a Christian, would be a shoo-in for Heaven.
I, however, won't be joining her there. I'll be burning in Hell with the non-believers.
So, with those terms established -- how can Heaven be a wonderful reward of a place for my mother, knowing that her beloved first born is writhing in agony down in the fires of Hell?
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I know that this is not going to be popular, but from my study of the Bible I get the impression that the people in Hell will not be remembered. I know that sounds harsh and horrible, but that is one of the horrors of Hell. That's why God went to the utmost to give people a way to escape it.
So people in Heaven have the memories of their loved ones deleted from their minds?
Sounds like a wonderful place.
Your objection is completely understandable from a human viewpoint. It's not an idea that I'm comfortable with either. Sometimes the truth isn't pretty. I think the problem that we have, ( myself included), is we don't understand what an awful, terrible thing it is for us to try to create a life for ourselves that leaves God out. This is not because God is some meany that says worship me or die, it is because in the end everyone and everything is totally dependant on God. The rejection of God leads to evil, and perfect evil is a world of absolute insanity, ie Hell.
There is a hell because fallen angels and people basically say "I don't want you God". So God gives them what they want. The Bible teaches that the soul never ceases to exist, so God has to put them somewhere. Hell is awful because it is a place of separation from God.
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Yet if you don't believe in God, you are stuck with the dilemna that either the universe has always existed, or that everything that exists appreared from nothing on it's own. I don't know how that is any more rational then to believe in a creator.
I think that is why they built the Large Hadron Collider to figure out just what matter and antimatter is.
My question is - did God exist over 65 million years ago when dinosaurs ruled the earth? Why didn't they have to go to church?
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Yet if you don't believe in God, you are stuck with the dilemna that either the universe has always existed, or that everything that exists appreared from nothing on it's own. I don't know how that is any more rational then to believe in a creator.
I think that is why they built the Large Hadron Collider to figure out just what matter and antimatter is.
My question is - did God exist over 65 million years ago when dinosaurs ruled the earth? Why didn't they have to go to church?
Same reason 'gators and lizards don't.
Wise words spoken by sages
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Yet if you don't believe in God, you are stuck with the dilemna that either the universe has always existed, or that everything that exists appreared from nothing on it's own. I don't know how that is any more rational then to believe in a creator.
I think that is why they built the Large Hadron Collider to figure out just what matter and antimatter is.
My question is - did God exist over 65 million years ago when dinosaurs ruled the earth? Why didn't they have to go to church?
God has always existed. The second question has already been aptly answered by TI84
Last edited by LA Brown fan; 05/06/11 09:58 AM.
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With nobody on earth to worship him, God decided to throw a meteorite at the earth wiping the dinosaurs out (except fish and birds). He then started the seven day process to create the world we now live in. Right?
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That meteor that you are talking about is only a theory.
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That meteor that you are talking about is only a theory.
But the part about God wiping out the dinosaurs and creating the world in 7 days is legit? 
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Speaking about creating the world in 7 days ...why did God need to rest on the 7th day ?
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Heckert fixed the Browns in just three days. I'll gladly give him a day to rest.
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With nobody on earth to worship him, God decided to throw a meteorite at the earth wiping the dinosaurs out (except fish and birds). He then started the seven day process to create the world we now live in. Right?
It could be that the methods used for dating fossils are faulty, due to the influence of a world wide flood, as recorded in the Bible. Or it could be, as some think, that there was a long gap between Genesis 1:1 and 1:2. It is implied in Jeremiah I believe. Do some research on the gap theory. I personally do not believe in the gap theory, but there are Christians who do.
It has to do with the Hebrew words that were used in Genesis 1:1 and 1:2
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I don't believe any of that stuff but I try not to disrespect those that do. I should not have said anything except that it was a nice poem.
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God did not need to rest on the seventh day. The work was finished and He rested and sanctified the seventh day in order to give man a needed day of rest. Jesus said the Sabbath, ( day of rest), was made for man.
God could have created the world in 6 days, and then made a 6 day week with no Sabbath, but He wanted to give man a day of rest, when servants, animals used for farming, etc could rest. The Sabbath was for man's benefit, not Gods. Do you think its good to have at least one day off to worship God if you choose, and spend it relaxing with your family. This is one of the reasons God rested. Not because He was tired, but because He was finished creating the cosmos, and He wanted to sanctify a day when people could rest from their work
Their is also a spiritual meaning to it that has to do with Christ finishing the work of salvation, and man no longer having to do a lot of religious things to be made right with God. Christianity teaches we are not made right with God by religious rites, ceromonies, or good works, but that God accepts us based on what Jesus has done. So in a sense, Jesus is our Sabbath, because He finished the work for us.
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I don't believe any of that stuff but I try not to disrespect those that do. I should not have said anything except that it was a nice poem.
Thank you for the compliment on the poem. I do not disrespect your beliefs either. There is nothing wrong with exchanging ideas. In fact, it is very healthy. I am not trying to argue with anyone here, just trying to give people things to think about, and at the same time the responses are giving me things to think about. I know that none of us have all the answers, but the more we discuss it, the more we ask questions, or challenge one another, the more we learn. So my thanks to everyone..
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