Gnostic Christianity

[otherone]

and what can be greater then love?

True that, but your love has a price.

 

[TER]

True that, but your love has a price.

And please tell me what my price is.

 

[otherone]

And please tell me what my price is.

Fealty. Your God doesn't love unconditionally.

 

[TER]

Fealty. Your God doesn't love unconditionally.

I love my child unconditionally. Do you think I love more than God?

 

[carclinic]

I find it interesting that some would favor what was allegedly written by St. Paul (who never knew Christ) over the alleged scriptures of three people who did.

Because Paul met the resurrected Christ. Duh.

 

[carclinic]

Fealty. Your God doesn't love unconditionally.

I disagree. He does. But love is a relationship. I do not think a God that loves a person who does not love Him back is going to have a very good relationship any more than a husband with an adulterer as a wife.

I just don't see how a God whom begs His people to merely come back to Him and love Him is any different than a mother who loves a child that has gone astray.

 

[onlyrp]

I don't believe those books were written by those people, so that sorta ends it...

but you don't question whether the other books were written by them other people, right?

 

[onlyrp]

People who "knew" Christ is irrelevant. For example, Pontius Pilate "knew" Christ "better" than Paul did. But I doubt you'd claim Pilate was more of an authority on Christ than Paul was. What was, and is important, to a church leadership calling is authority. Paul received his calling directly from Jesus Christ and was ordained to his place by proper priesthood authority. That made him equal, if not superior, to anyone else writing based solely on what they thought they understood about Christ's teachings.

You learned about Paul based on what Paul told you, yeah, makes perfect sense.

 

[otherone]

I disagree. He does. But love is a relationship.

'Unconditional' means no 'buts'. For your God to kill the fatted calf, the prodigal has to RETURN. That your perfect God created an imperfect child (if that is even possible), and then judges him with eternal torment as a potential outcome, is pointlessly cruel. No one asked for this.

 

[onlyrp]

'Unconditional' means no 'buts'.

it's a little sad some people need to be taught basic logic, huh?

 

[otherone]

it's a little sad some people need to be taught basic logic, huh?

It's more a definition than logic, but that isn't my concern. I have no issues with the authenticity of the Bible....it's the message that is highly suspect. If God 'actually' loved us, we never would have been born, we could have been in his presence always. But God is more interested in this game show he calls 'life', where the contestants have to navigate through a lifetime of moral challenges to return to 'Him'. It's twisted.

 

[bluesc]

So.. Is this an Atheist circlejerk thread? I can't tell..

 

[TER]

'Unconditional' means no 'buts'. For your God to kill the fatted calf, the prodigal has to RETURN. That your perfect God created an imperfect child (if that is even possible), and then judges him with eternal torment as a potential outcome, is pointlessly cruel. No one asked for this.

I have no idea what you mean that for God to kill the fatted calf that the prodigal has to return. Are you saying that had the prodigal not returned, that the Father would not have killed the fatted calf?

EVERYTHING He had was for His son, the fatted calf included. When the son decided to go back to the father (note, who went away and who needed to go back, both times the son), the father had a celebration and killed the fatted calf which was part of his son's inheritance.

You misunderstand the parable. It is clear that the father has unconditional love for the son, but for that love to be in communion and in festive celebration, IT MUST BE RECIPRICAL. Had you had any love for God, then you would understand this.

 

[TER]

It's more a definition than logic, but that isn't my concern. I have no issues with the authenticity of the Bible....it's the message that is highly suspect. If God 'actually' loved us, we never would have been born, we could have been in his presence always. But God is more interested in this game show he calls 'life', where the contestants have to navigate through a lifetime of moral challenges to return to 'Him'. It's twisted.

Do you have children?

 

[TER]

it's a little sad some people need to be taught basic logic, huh?

It's a little sad that people who know little to nothing about Christianity seem to think they can speak for it.

 

[otherone]

You misunderstand the parable. It is clear that the father has unconditional love for the son, but for that love to be in communion and in festive celebration, IT MUST BE RECIPRICAL. Had you had any love for God, then you would understand this.

No, I 'get' the parable. What I DON'T read in the parable is the part where the father, if his son does NOT return, finds him, flays off his skin, and slow-roasts him forever. What is the result if we prodigals don't return? This is your God, who loves you 'unconditionally'. The carrot is lovely, especially as compared to the stick. And there is no need to get personal, btw.

 

[otherone]

Do you have children?

Yes. Two. A son (25), and a daughter (23). Why?

 

[otherone]

So.. Is this an Atheist circlejerk thread? I can't tell..

all the basement threads are circlejerks.

 

[TER]

No, I 'get' the parable. What I DON'T read in the parable is the part where the father, if his son does NOT return, finds him, flays off his skin, and slow-roasts him forever. What is the result if we prodigals don't return? This is your God, who loves you 'unconditionally'. The carrot is lovely, especially as compared to the stick. And there is no need to get personal, btw.

No, unfortunately, you dont get the parable.

And you also don't understand the nature of God's love, which is sad more then unfortunate.

Our torment in hell will be because of our own doing, not God. Our own sins will accuse us and the separation we chose away from him will be the torment.

God will grant His love to everyone on the Final Day, and to those who have yearned for it and sought for it, it will be a comforting warmth and exceeding joy.

For those who have mocked it and shunned it and fought against it, that SAME love will be an unquenchable fire, and feeling of self torment and anguish and grinding of teeth.

You think you know so much about Christian theology, but you know very little, and still you talk as if you know something.

Please study some more instead of mocking God and fighting against him. For even though you hate Him, He loves you, even if you can't accept that love.

 

[eduardo89]

Yes. Two. A son (25), and a daughter (23). Why?

She single?

Joking. Sort of. Ignore me.