| Subject: I wanna be cremated |
Author:
Biff
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Date Posted: 10/27/04 9:42pm
In reply to:
Damoclese
's message, "1000 years a 1000 years..." on 10/27/04 12:20pm
>One thing is for sure, God doesn't seem to "talk" to
>people anymore in the way he did in the Old Testament.
>Do you agree or disagree with that statement?
I disagree, with one exception. The Bible records that God walked and talked with Adam and Eve, seemingly in a physical sense, in the Garden of Eden. Aside from that, I don't see any significant differences in the ways God communicated with people in ancient times and the ways he does so today. Just because these modern instances have not been compiled into one text and circulated around the world doesn't mean they don't happen.
>I'd say that logic attempts to mirror what nature
>does. Equating it with nature is something I
>personally wouldn't do, but nonethless, many people
>actually DO.
So then it seems we agree on something. And thus, even if it is argued that God is bound by logic, it does not mean that he is bound by nature.
>Nonetheless, some people think God is all powerful but
>is bound within logical operations. I'd find that hard
>to believe also,
Then we agree yet again.
>I think you ASSUME that God is independent of nature.
I don't assume, this is what the Christian generally believes about God.
>I suspect this particular version of God was brought
>about largely to explain nature.
Ah, so then He is different from the pagan gods.
Just as an
>example, in the Victorian age it was thought you
>shouldn't be creamated because you couldn't "rise from
>your grave" later on.
This is what I mean. That belief is not central to the Christian faith, and never has been. If, during the Victorian age, someone argued against that belief (and I'm sure some did), no educated theologian would have rationally labelled that person a non-Christian based on his argument.
If you look back through time at
>religious documents, you see things like "free will"
>cease to be an issue.
Again, free will is not central to the Christian faith. Many agree with the concept, many disagree. This one is not the line that separates Christian from non-Christian.
Christianity has changed again
>and again. What it once was it is far from now.
Christians have always believed that Jesus was the Son of God. Christians have always believed that he was crucified and resurrected. Christians have always believed He ascended to heaven. These and several other statements have always been at the core of Christianity and have not changed.
>>Historically, Islam has really only thrived in a
>>specific group of cultures.
>
>I assume you are ignoring relatively modern history,
>then.
To a degree, yes. I also said "thrived" not simply appeared or survived.
>If that be the case, Christianity had better be ready
>to cede the title, because Islam is now the fastest
>growing religion.
And that's a good example, because you must admit that the practice of Islam in western cultures can vary radically from what is seen in the Middle East. In order to grow, a world view cannot limit itself to certain set of cultural customs. This is where Christianity has evolved, and this is why you say that it is so different from what it once was. But a close examination of the core beliefs reveals that the world view is the same as it has always been.
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