Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: version B 2.10.2 9/5/84; site qantel.UUCP Path: utzoo!linus!philabs!cmcl2!seismo!harvard!wjh12!genrad!decvax!decwrl!amd!dual!qantel!ken From: ken@qantel.UUCP (Ken Nichols@ex6193) Newsgroups: net.religion Subject: Re: Coexistence Message-ID: <247@qantel.UUCP> Date: Thu, 18-Oct-84 13:49:56 EDT Article-I.D.: qantel.247 Posted: Thu Oct 18 13:49:56 1984 Date-Received: Sat, 20-Oct-84 07:55:55 EDT References: <3947@decwrl.UUCP> Organization: MDS Qantel, Hayward, CA Lines: 85 (+-+-+-+-+) David writes, > For the last several weeks, I have been reading David Brunson in this > newsgroup. Today I ran into Ken Nichols. These, and to a lesser extent other > people over the past year or so, are having a really dramatic effect on my > feelings about Christianity. This made me think that this would be a favorable reply. Oh well. > I am finally seeing Christianity as I have always imagined, based on my > understanding of what it teaches, that it would be: completely intolerant. What is this 'it'. Christianity is not what I consider a good thing to judge. The system of Christianity in history (ie. Catholic Church) has tainted the way christians and God should be viewed. God is completely intolerant to sin. That is the only intolerance that I profess. > Irrational. In man's eyes perhaps. It is perfect in God's eyes. > Completely uncaring about people on earth (it's the "immortal > soul" that really matters). Untrue! God cares about us here on the earth. He sent His only son to die for us in order to give us the chance to live eternally with Him forever AND to commune with Him on this earth now. Sounds like He cares a lot to me. > Highly political. Man has made christianity a highly political thing. God wants it to be a highly personal thing. > Judgemental. God judges man justly for his rebelion against his maker. > Incompatible with > even the faintest vestiges of a civilized existence. I don't quite understand this. However, since the world throughout history has been in the domain of Satan, he has used men to create what man may call civilization. What it is is a system that purposefully draws man away from God, and if he does find God, ridicules him, calling him a wimp. So in this way, civilization is not compatible with God's system. God calls man to come out of this system while still living in it (very hard to explain). Man is born at war with God, but Christ was sent as a peace offering to satisfy God's just anger. We must accept the offering that Christ gave to obtain peace with God. This acceptance usually results in the man becoming at war (allegoricaly) with other men, sorry to say. > Historically it's been that, of course (whenever it's had polotical power), > but it hadn't seemed so bad recently. When the Catholic church used their religion as a government, it was wrong. I do not beleive the Catholic church teaches the right doctrine that will lead a man to heaven, but I won't get in to that. Therefore, the Catholic church is not tainting my religion at all. > I had thought that my analyses must be faulty, or my understanding of > Christian teachings incorrect. This newsgroup, which I have been involved in > for something less (I think) than a year, has been my first long-term, > intense, exposure to the modern class of Christian. It's been a real > eye-opener. I used to think some sort of "detente" or peaceful coexistence > was possible -- in fact I didn't realize that we were irreconcilable > enemies. It's good to know who your enemies are. > > -- David Dyer-Bennet > -- ...decwrl!dec-rhea!dec-mrvax!ddb It is true that God is considered the enemy by most men. I, however, am not your enemy. I desire that all should come to know the truth about God that I have received and beleive. I will not hate you for not beleiving in my God, but I will not be pleased if you speak unjustly of Him. That is why I had to respond to Tim's article as harshly as I did. Not because I hate Tim or anyone else, but because of what he unjustly said about God. "...holding forth the Ken Nichols word of life" Phil. 2:16 ...!ucbvax!dual!qantel!ken --------