On Faith and Salvation

[tolstoi]

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What I actually want to find is what different beliefs have in common.

everyone has its own preferences =)

[tolstoi]

ey Carlo Borromeo, Samokan and among others...

.just like to ask if where wud yu go during the Sinulog festivity or during the Christmas season..wud yu just join yur Christian buddies in the celebration or just stay in your room and pretend as if you are hybernating or sumthing?

[iron_golem]

And yet, I know several great writers, such as my favorite, Elmore Leonard, or even Larry McMurtry, a Pulitzer-price winning novelist, who up to this day prefer the clanging of the typewriter to the clicking of the keyboard. Why? They say, because it suits them fine.

To each his own, I suppose.

I was trying to ask you about your concept about your god to establish and justify your belief in that god . I guess I was misleading in taking in computers and typewriters.

Anyway, let's take my example: I believe in the Christian God because He is Truth. He is Love. He is the purpose of my existence and that I hope to be united with Him so that I am again complete and perfect through his abundance of grace and share in His presence forever. That's why I believe I must try to do His will because it is the only way I can be 'saved' and have eternal life.

You say you believe in God, just because you are only left with that choice for the explanation about the concept of "being". I suspect it's only for the comfort of staying away from the idea of life as a simple coincidence. But you have not tried to state what kind of god you believe in.

For me, I'm more concerned in trying my best to be worthy of eternal life than trying to search for all the answers about this life. We are certainly sure about death and taxes anyway.

[filipinoako2000200]

I would say, just believe in things you believe in.

[iron_golem]

I guess this stroy is what salvation history is all about. People (blind man) started to create for themselves their own concept about God (tree, snake) and were right in a sort of way (that there is a divine being). Here's the twist: But God did not remain silent (choose to be a silent elephant). "I am Who Am" pretty much resounded in the beleiving hearts of those blind men. So, in their blindness, they have now come to learn "Whoa! You're indeed an elephant!" All picture of trees and snakes vanish. They were just blind men, not deaf men right?

The story presumes the elephant can't do anything about the blind men. I invite you to give it more thought.

[iron_golem]

everyone has its own preferences =)

and

I would say, just believe in things you believe in.

sounds like an invitation to a do-it-yourself belief and make-your-own-god.

oh well...

the nazis preferred to to rule over other races, and believed they were the perfect race.

i won't take that as a good place to start to get a perspective on life. anyone?

[enlighten]

so long as you believe in God he will always find ways to bring you back to HIM...It may not be the time so God let you do your own free will to do whatever you want, believe in whatever you want to believe, but there will come a time when God will call you back to HIM...anyways for me there is no Christian God...For me GOD IS THE ONE AND ONLY...coz if we put a name to GOD then we are discriminating all other religions who doesn't believe in a CHRISTIAN GOD....don't telll me they cannot be save when the time comes...

[samokan]

@samokan.......does all buddhist monks practice martial arts? I like the idea of a spiritual leader who had undergone physical training..........I remembered a text about Jesus saying.........the spirit is willing but the body is weak when he saw his discipiles who were asleep when he was about to be arrested........I guess it also makes sense to practice not necessarily martial arts but any sports that makes our body strong...........

as far as i know ang tibetan ata og chinese monks nag practice, for japanese and indian monks wa sab ko kabalo. [br]Date Posted: May 25, 2006, 04:55:59 PM_________________________________________________

ey Carlo Borromeo, Samokan and among others...

.just like to ask if where wud yu go during the Sinulog festivity or during the Christmas season..wud yu just join yur Christian buddies in the celebration or just stay in your room and pretend as if you are hybernating or sumthing?

who said am not a christian? you assume too much tolstoi.. pataka lang ka yawyaw.. just because i said am not a catholic does not mean am not a christian. I don't need to tell you where i celebrate those festivities, i've got nothing to prove to you..

My belief is my own, deal with it.

[iron_golem]

For me GOD IS THE ONE AND ONLY...coz if we put a name to GOD then we are discriminating all other religions who doesn't believe in a CHRISTIAN GOD....don't telll me they cannot be save when the time comes...

I did not try to name God, I meant to say Christian God just to be clear about the Christian concept of God, it is not at all the same as the others. It's not meant to discriminate, it's to purposely define what Christians think God is:

Christianity: One God in Three Divine Persons
vs. Buddhism - not applicable because no god, no concept of salvation, not defined what eternal life is with God
vs. Hinduism - not compatible. they have many gods. the Christian God is one, and perfect. No need for other gods. Hindus believe in reincarnation..mankind can live many lives as a beetle on this time, then a dog next, and man, and then ant... The Christian God says we live only once and we must make our choice about it since after we die we either gain eternal life in heaven or in hell.
vs. Islam - close (there is only one God) but not quite. Jesus is God, to Islam he is not. Christians are saved through Jesus, in Islam they don't believe that. Can kill enemies of Allah but Christianity's God says love your enemies.

If you believe that Jesus is God, then you can tell that he might have discriminated against all religion outside Christianity.

Why is this so?
1. Jesus claimed to be God (Islam says that's not true! You are only a prophet and a man)
2. Jesus says "I and the Father are one" (Hindus say not true! There are many gods!)
3. Jesus says "I am the truth" (Buddha says seek the truth and he was not god)
4. Jesus says "I am the way" (all the others have their way)

What happened to those not believing in the Christian God? Jesus did not say leave them be. He says love your neighbor as yourself. And if you truly love your neighbor, it's your duty to care for their salvation too. That's why the truth about salvation in Jesus must be made known to them. Jesus did not say he will save all men whatever they believe, but he said "Those who believe in me shall have eternal life". And if he says "I am the truth" then you have to either take it for what it is or not at all!

So you see, it's necessary to be able to be critical. It's not what you call discrimination.

[enlighten]

ok so that's your point of view and it's mine basta in my opinion everyone has a chance for salvation so long as he believe in God and do good deeds...so like if people don't believe in a christian is there a possibility nga ma save cla....