I'll live with it, as long it avoids incarceration or institutionalization.

It's an interesting dilemma. In the end, Socrates agreed with Jesus (or vice versa, don't recall relative dates).

If the God of Abraham, Jacob, Joseph and Jesus were demonstrably real, why worry about the relatively miniscule difficulties of our Earthly existence? I mean, we have something like 3 score and ten years of life alloted and after that, it's off to heaven or hell for all eternity. It seems rather silly to deny God (and eternal life) to avoid some terrestrial-temporal inconvenience.

B

A burning bush moment does not necessarily give credence to the whole story, nor does it necessarily emanate from without.

I think very few people will deny they saw a burning bush and heard a voice. Lots of people will question whether this was God. They will ask whether they themselves were projecting the idea of God onto whatever experience they were having.
If the self was doing it, the act of thinking the burning bush was an act of God, is sinful. The result is the dreadful realization that belief in God may itself be a sinful act.
To believe or not to believe? Both can be sinful. What should we do? Can we avoid the choice? If we choose, is it an act of will? If it is an act of will, is it an act of Self hence sinful? Lord save us.

__________________
1977 300d 70k--sold 08
1985 300TD 185k+
1984 307d 126k--sold 8/03
1985 409d 65k--sold 06
1984 300SD 315k--daughter's car
1979 300SD 122k--sold 2/11
1999 Fuso FG Expedition Camper
1993 GMC Sierra 6.5 TD 4x4
1982 Bluebird Wanderlodge CAT 3208--Sold 2/13

lets say you had a burning bush......

and lets say you were a democrat......

if you were a true christian would you put him out?

tom w

__________________
[SIGPIC] Diesel loving autocrossing grandpa Architect. 08 Dodge 3/4 ton with Cummins & six speed; I have had about 35 benzes. I have a 39 Studebaker Coupe Express pickup in which I have had installed a 617 turbo and a five speed manual.[SIGPIC]

..I also have a 427 Cobra replica with an aluminum chassis.

That's a trick question. A true Christian can't be a Democrat!

Lol

__________________
Matt (SD,CA)

1984 300SD.. White/Chrome Bunts..Green

1997 2500 Dodge Ram 5.9 Cummins 12 Valve 36 PSI of Boost = 400+hp & 800+tQ .. ..Greenspeed

2004 Dodge Ram 2500 4x4 Quad Cab Cummins 5.9 H.O "596hp/1225tq" 6 spd. Man. Leather Heated seats/Loaded..Flame Red....GREENSPEED

Global warming...Doing my part, Smokin da hippies..

Fight the good fight!......

I'd call this "a conflict of interest'.

__________________

Yesterday I was intrigued by the discovery of the "false sinner".
So, I decided to make this my "New Years Resolution".

__________________

According to the Bible everyone is a sinner. Even right out of the womb.

__________________
1985 CA 300D Turbo , 213K mi

Isn't that the demographic most sought by the majority of companies?

__________________
Te futueo et caballum tuum

1986 300SDL, 362K
1984 300D, 138K

On the other hand, Peter fulfilled Jesus' prophesy that he would deny the Messiah three times before the cock crowed.

Peter is the common man, so well-intentioned, yet so weak.

No kidding. I figured out early on that I didn't need to go to church every Sunday and have someone stomp on my self worth for a whole hour.

__________________
You don't need a weatherman to know which way the wind blows - Robert A. Zimmerman

Church was by every means useless for me. Sorry, I'm not a singer. I went through confirmation classes when I was 12-13 (2 years... 2 hours a week) and that, I will say was useful. I wouldn't call myself a believer nowadays but I can still be interested in the stories and philosophies.

__________________
1985 CA 300D Turbo , 213K mi

At the risk of offending non believers, let me give a time-tested Christian definition of sin.
Sin is any transgression of, or want of confomity to, the Law of God.

Note a few items in this definition:
It assumes that there is a Law given by God
Sin can be a positive transgression--doing what is forbidden.
Sin can be the failure to do something required--
Jesus broadened it a bit by equating hate with murder so that the commandment not to murder includes hatred. Likewise, the Commandment against adultery includes lust ( remember president Jimmy Carter?)

By this definition, we are all sinners--we are all less than perfect in our actions. Furthermore, according tothe Christian Bible, as a result of this sin we are all under the sentence of death, " The soul that sins shall die"

__________________
1982 300SD " Wotan" ..On the road as of Jan 8, 2007 with Historic Tags