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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
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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
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