HSSports

I too believe that the Bible is for us to learn and to follow. The problem with being an interpretattionalist is that we as humans change but our God does not. We must interpret on a constant basis. I am not trying to argue. I think that this is theproblem with our society now. We must return to Gods views and not our own.

Rockmom

i am not saying one denomination is the way to Heaven. What I am saying is that Jesus is the only way to Heaven. If you read the same Bible I do then you can read for yourselves(see John 14:6). Then if you believe that then you must believe the whole Word. The Bible contains no errors. No religion can save you, only Jesus Christ. I hope that you are being serious and I thank you for trying to understand. If you are child of God, I hope that the Holy Spirit will lead you.

 

KJ you believe there are no Buddhists in Heaven? Muslims? Jews? Am I reading that correctly? What about people that live their lives the "right" way but have never been exposed to Jesus Christ -- is ignorance bliss? Will their lives be judged on their own merit?

Interesting discussion...sorry I am just now joining. Some points to make:

 

Are there really, truly those of you that believe that the Earth is just 6000 years old?

 

Why do people believe that God has told us everything? If He is as powerful as many (including myself) believe, then what makes us think that all there is to know is put in a book?

 

I am a science teacher. I do not teach biology, so I don't have to deal with the evolution issue. I do teach astronomy and discuss the formation of the universe as the "Big Bang" theory. We talk about the age of the Earth and the formation and evolution of stars and planets. They get it. I have yet to have a student argue with me that the Earth is only 6000 years old and that the Grand Canyon was just "made that way", as opposed to continuing to be carved out over the past million years or so by the same erosional process that is at work today.

 

I don't know how many years ago God created the earth, but I know he did because of his word. I also believe science can not tell us how old the earth is. If God can create a rock, why can't he create a 1,000,000 year old rock?

The bible tells us God created man "In Our image, after Our likeness" Does this mean God also evolved from an ape?

KJ, you happen to be a literalist in terms of the Bible. That is your desire. I happen to (as well as Trinity Alum, RockMom and others) be an interpretationalist -- believing that there is much to learn and follow, but not necessarily treating the Bible as a history book and moreso as a guide to Christian Living. Your close-minded views of our approach are a little hard to understand given the depths of your apparent Christian upbringing.

The difference is what you state above, if you consider Catholics as Christians, then there is an inherent difference if one doesn't believe the bible is in its entirety truth, from cover to cover. Where you view the bible as a "guide to Christian living" others view it as the "roadmap to Heaven". The difference for me at least is that I don't find anything in the Word as simply "suggestions" but instructions and commands.

If a man have a stubborn and rebellious son, which will not obey the voice of his father, or the voice of his mother, and that, when they have chastened him, will not hearken unto them:
Then shall his father and his mother lay hold on him, and bring him out unto the elders of his city, and unto the gate of his place;
And they shall say unto the elders of his city, This our son is stubborn and rebellious, he will not obey our voice; he is a glutton, and a drunkard.
And all the men of his city shall stone him with stones, that he die: so shalt thou put evil away from among you; and all Israel shall hear, and fear.

 

While I think this could help in some extreme cases, I just think it's going to be frowned upon in some circles. Not trying to be flippant, but it is the verses like this (and MANY others) that make it impossible for me to be anything but an interpretationalist.

The difference is what you state above, if you consider Catholics as Christians, then there is an inherent difference if one doesn't believe the bible is in its entirety truth, from cover to cover. Where you view the bible as a "guide to Christian living" others view it as the "roadmap to Heaven". The difference for me at least is that I don't find anything in the Word as simply "suggestions" but instructions and commands.

 

Time out. Catholicism is the oldest and largest Christian denomination in the world. If what we believe is so erroneous, why the continuity?

KJ you believe there are no Buddhists in Heaven? Muslims? Jews? Am I reading that correctly? What about people that live their lives the "right" way but have never been exposed to Jesus Christ -- is ignorance bliss? Will their lives be judged on their own merit?

If you don't start with the bible as "truth", then there is no common ground for argument. Christ clearly states that He is the only way to Heaven, and no man comes to the Father, except by him. If you believe that as truth, not as a suggestion, then there are No Buddhists, No Muslims, nor any Jews (at least since Christ went to the cross) in heaven. That is what is what God's word says. But to believe that is to believe that His Word is Truth.

If you don't start with the bible as "truth", then there is no common ground for argument. Christ clearly states that He is the only way to Heaven, and no man comes to the Father, except by him. If you believe that as truth, not as a suggestion, then there are No Buddhists, No Muslims, nor any Jews (at least since Christ went to the cross) in heaven. That is what is what God's word says. But to believe that is to believe that His Word is Truth.

 

Fair enough.

Time out. Catholicism is the oldest and largest Christian denomination in the world. If what we believe is so erroneous, why the continuity?

I'm not saying that Catholocism is not Christianity, I'm only stating that some churches that I've attended teach that Christianity and Catholocism are separate, at least in the realm of how the divinity of Christ is concerned. with regards to continuity,,,longevity doesn't always mean accuity.

HSSPORTS/Rockmom

I know, and I hope you agree if you believe and trust in the Lord, that there's no one in Heaven who did not ask and trust in Jesus Christ to be their Saviour. Can we agree on at least that point?

I'm not saying that Catholocism is not Christianity, I'm only stating that some churches that I've attended teach that Christianity and Catholocism are separate, at least in the realm of how the divinity of Christ is concerned. with regards to continuity,,,longevity doesn't always mean accuity.

 

OK, fair enough. But, I'm here to tell you, Catholicism IS a Christian Religion. And, I agree longevity doesn't always mean accuity, but disagreeing with one denomination and starting another doesn't make one "more" right either. (IE Church of England, etc.)

HSSPORTS/Rockmom

I know, and I hope you agree if you believe and trust in the Lord, that there's no one in Heaven who did not ask and trust in Jesus Christ to be their Saviour. Can we agree on at least that point?

 

Well, not completely. I don't believe that Jews will be turned away, for instance.

Rockmom

Why not?

HSSPORTS/Rockmom

I know, and I hope you agree if you believe and trust in the Lord, that there's no one in Heaven who did not ask and trust in Jesus Christ to be their Saviour. Can we agree on at least that point?

 

I'm not intelligent enough to speak for RockMom, but no, I won't agree completely with that point. I think there are people that will live their life the right way, will have their heart filled with the right goodness, will have strived to be the best possible person they could be -- but won't have accepted Jesus as their savior and yet will still be welcomed into Heaven.

Where does this 6000 figure come from? I personally have no clue how old this earth is?

 

Any believes that God has told us everything is wrong. He says in the Bible that he does not.

 

I personally believe that the Big Bang theory does fit well with the Bible description in Genesis 1. I believe there was a nothingness and God spoke it was. Same as the Big Bang.

 

I do think that God could easily have 1,000,000 years of the aging of the Earth in that short one day period.

 

The lineage from Adam is approximately 6000 years in the bible.:thumb: