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Post by Karen Bean on Apr 8, 2011 11:02:52 GMT -5
Karen, the answer to your question would be yes. I think that some blindly follow because that is what they have been told. That is how they have been brought up. I personally am not one of them. I think that my God would want me to question my faith on a daily basis. The more I study, the more I find the story to be correct. I personally THINK that Jesus Christ is the son of God but I KNOW in my heart that there is a God. The Jesus part makes the most sense to me of all the other "Religions". There is no doubting that a man named Jesus Christ walked this earth and that the people believed that the stories of the bible were true. We have physical evidence all over the place of this man called "Jesus". Whether he actually arose on the 3rd day and ascended to heaven obviously has not been proven but the people of that day believed it to be so. They went to GREAT lengths to write it down and preserve it. I have often asked myself, how do I KNOW THAT I KNOW THAT I KNOW that what I believe is right? Simple answer, I don't. But I do think that I KNOW THAT I KNOW THAT I KNOW that "God" created me. I have said in my prayers more than once to "GOD", whoever you are, thank you for all that you have given me and I ask to be included in your ultimate plan. That is as plain as I can lay it out guys/girls. If I'm wrong, I still think I am a much better person for believing. I personally don't feel like I am "GIVING UP" anything by serving my God. I'm happy, not broke, have great kids and a great wife. I enjoy my sports and armwrestling. I don't feel that my life is not complete if I don't do drugs, drink every night and fail to cuss every breath. I'm a happy man. I am 100% happy with my life. I don't feel that I am "GIVING UP" anything and if I'm right, I will be rewarded one day with an eternity full of blessings. Fabulous answer...............thanks Rick! |
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Post by Simon Berriochoa on Apr 8, 2011 12:55:00 GMT -5
A bit off topic from my response Rick...   For the record I had to figure this out, if you assume a generation on average, (the amount of time it takes an infant to mature then father a child) is every 15 years then it would take 5000 years just to reach the first 4 million people on the planet, from 4 original adults... So how is it that in only 3000 years Noah and 3 other couples have put almost 7 Billion people on the planet? My math is a little rough but I am building a better spreadsheet to calculate it all the way out. I cannot believe I never did this before now. Simon, sorry. I blew right past that first sentence where you said you didn't believe we came from monkeys I guess. Trying to remember too many posts at once. I like your idea about the # of people. Remember though. Back in biblical days people would have lots of concubines. Not the 3.42 per average household like todays times. I think that it is reported that King Soloman had 700 wives and 300 concubines and he was supposed to be the wisest man alive! That alone may be your most compelling evidence that the bible could be mistaken !! Just kidding. Trying to keep the mood light !! I guess the gist of my question back to you was given the two possible divine options which seems more likely? Any man not wise enough to realize that more than one wife is a bad idea must have been hanging out with a bunch of stupid people.  In my calculation I assumed that for example Noah and his wife continued to have kids basically unendingly 1 a year for 1000 years, (the guy was already 600 so why not). What I did not calculate was the possibility that a much higher ratio of girl babies born could in-turn allow for a much higher amount of offspring, conceivably, (the sheer genetic limitations aside) there could be 5 boys born for every 95 girls and that would increase the number. No possible way to reach 7 billion in only 3000 years but more than I calculated. |
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Post by John Parton on Apr 8, 2011 13:56:20 GMT -5
Simon are you only figuring 1 child per birth or the possiblity that as with my dad, my first wife (I wasn't always a Christian  ) and my daughters last 2 children were all twins. Not to mention all of the multiple births. Maybe there are so many variables that we jsut don't think of. I want to divulge from the area of discussion for a minute to another part of this topic. I have a friend who is a Biblical scholar with an amazing knowledge of Hebrew, Greek, Aramaic and Latin. He is also an extroidinary guitar player. One day he said to me " John I just don't understand why you seem to have so much better of a grasp on the Bible that I do. I told him Paul you read about God and try and figure Him out while I just try and do what He said to do. On can read about playing the guitar all they want and not only will you never learn how to play, but will never understand the guitar until you spend time with it in your hands Some food for thought  |
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Post by John Byerley on Apr 8, 2011 13:56:07 GMT -5
just curious - most of the websites I've looked at and some research I've done in the past point to the "flood" taking place around 4990BC - giving them rabbits more like 7000 years to reproduce.  would that leave more possibility to arrive at 7 billion? i guess its a better question to ask is it possible to arrive at 1 billion - the population in 1804 was estimated to be 1 billion people worldwide - its only taken us 200 years to multiply that over 7 times. |
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Post by Dan Benoit on Apr 8, 2011 14:02:04 GMT -5
Ryan I just felt attacked when ur pullin the lol bs....thats all. I made perfect sense but its all good. I needa diet back to 98s and come put a smackdown on ya lol.
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Post by Ryan Thames on Apr 8, 2011 14:05:40 GMT -5
Ryan I just felt attacked when ur pullin the lol bs....thats all. I made perfect sense but its all good. I needa diet back to 98s and come put a smackdown on ya lol. Hey don't lol me mutha humpa. Hee hee Silly guy. Definitely not attacking you. In fact I was letting you know that I WAS NOT "attacking" you. Come on down to 198. Heck I may pull 242 at contraband if your coming. |
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Post by Ryan Thames on Apr 8, 2011 14:07:25 GMT -5
But it still didn't make sense |
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Post by Dan Benoit on Apr 8, 2011 14:31:39 GMT -5
Yes it did, if santa was real or was not real, It still makes kids behave better. Thats the only way I can explain it. Like when ur at Dinner when ur three and ur actin a foo and ur moms like that man over there is gonna kick you out. The kid listens. Im not saying that I know if he is real or not but believing will make you a better person. Do you agree on that aspect?
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Post by Ryan Thames on Apr 8, 2011 14:41:33 GMT -5
Sure that part made perfect sense. I was talking about the thought that it's good to believe... But there is nothing there. That just baffled me that's all.
Me, I want truth. And I will teach my kids truth. I will challenge my kids to challenge everything. Even that truth that I teach them. Because I am fallible.
I will not teach my kids of Santa.
I will not teach them lies.
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Post by Ryan Thames on Apr 8, 2011 14:45:33 GMT -5
Instead of teaching my kids to be good for selfish reasons like getting gifts from a fat man that sneaks in your house and eats your cookies.
I want them to be good for selfless and moral reasons.
Good deeds will only get you so far. It's the condition of the heart that matters.
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Post by John Parton on Apr 8, 2011 17:27:09 GMT -5
Da.MN... after reading this, y'all need to give me whatever your gettin high on cus I've never read more ridiculous claims in my life I used to get high the other way trust me God is much better I haven't woke up with a hangover, been in jail, spent all of my money on weed or cocaine. Yeah that was all sort of being "high". The thing is each must choose which path to follow My job as a minister is to at least try to get people to take a good look at their options, because I been down that other road sveral times and the bridge is WASHED OUT  |
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Post by Johnny Edwards on Apr 8, 2011 21:42:48 GMT -5
I have a saying I love "the absence of evidence, is not the evidence of absence". There is truly many things we don't know and science can't prove, just theories and our faith. The only real fact there is, is that we can't state too many facts.
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Post by Ryan Thames on Apr 8, 2011 22:29:14 GMT -5
I have a saying I love "the absence of evidence, is not the evidence of absence". There is truly many things we don't know and science can't prove, just theories and our faith. The only real fact there is, is that we can't state too many facts. I love that saying.... I will now steal it. |
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Post by John Byerley on Apr 9, 2011 0:46:54 GMT -5
Mike what are you even talking about? I wasn't even talking about rabbits - I was referencing PEOPLE having babies quickly as RABBITS do. And neither Simon's or my post, I assume, were intended to make or try to get YOU to believe anything. You believe WHATEVER you like, that's OK with me.
And math while MYSTERIOUS and SCARY, can at least give people an idea of how long it would take civilization to multiply from a few families into the current population. I don't think you have to be high to contemplate that question.
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Post by dixonglory on Apr 9, 2011 2:39:02 GMT -5
Da.MN... after reading this, y'all need to give me whatever your gettin high on cus I've never read more ridiculous claims in my life No..i was just kidding... i think people should search and findout God if they want him... if God want them ,He will do what is required !! if both are not interested what is there for the rest? will you ever try to teach armwrestling secrets to someone who is not interested or not keen in becoming a good awer? what will happen if you go and tell a bodybuilding champion to learn some aw technique also?? |
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) and my daughters last 2 children were all twins. Not to mention all of the multiple births. Maybe there are so many variables that we jsut don't think of. I want to divulge from the area of discussion for a minute to another part of this topic. I have a friend who is a Biblical scholar with an amazing knowledge of Hebrew, Greek, Aramaic and Latin. He is also an extroidinary guitar player. One day he said to me " John I just don't understand why you seem to have so much better of a grasp on the Bible that I do. I told him Paul you read about God and try and figure Him out while I just try and do what He said to do. On can read about playing the guitar all they want and not only will you never learn how to play, but will never understand the guitar until you spend time with it in your hands 
