SUPER Controversial Thread!!! (Not for the faint of heart) — Page 7

I'm tired of the 9-11 families. Yes what has happened to you is tragic, but you are not the only one who has lost someone tragically. Israel unfortunately deals with it on a weekly basis. It's time to move on.

---

you make good points, ff. i didn't mean all public schools sucked, per se, but rather that they have a tougher time getting things done because of government interaction, i.e. standerized testing. when i was in public school, they would teach to the test, and it wasn't really about learning but about making sure we all did well on the test so the school would be reconized and get money. in private school, be didn't have to take these b.s. tests, and therefore i feel like a i learned more. i think the whole system needs to be re-evaluated. your comments on bisexuality were comfortting in that they supported what i always secretly thought was true, so it's cool that other people (professors of psychology nonetheless) think so too.

new controversial thought: people only bash techno and disco because they can't dance.

It is one thing to read and learn certain values from the Bible. To live one's life by the STRICT interpretation of it and infer meanings that aren't stated is something else. People forget the Bible has been translated and retranslated from many languages. As with any translation, words and meanings change, because nothing is ever translated perfectly. So be careful should the words "the Bible says...." creep into your conversation. The Bible may not have said that at all.

The Bible is not exactly the word of God. Way back when, powerful, political men sat and voted which bookms went into the Bible. If they had qualms against something it said, or just plain were in a bitter mood, they would vote against including certain books or gospels in the Bible. Many books missed making it in the Bible by a few votes. Revelations made it into the bible by a VERY slim margin.

And, one must never forget that thorugh the years, priests and cardinals and all sorts of powerful white men have trnaslated the Bible and edited it, making it better conform to thier beliefs and views. i do beleive that the Bible is, more or less, the word of God, but it is extremely difficult, if not impossible, to find the word of God in it today, with all the changes humans have made to it.

As for people who say "But the Bible says...."

I always say:

"Which Bible does this come from?"
Lest we forget there are many. The Catholic Bible has 13 more books than the Protestant Bible.

And, more importnatly, "What is the context of the quotation?"
More often than not they have no idea. And, out of context, any quotation can be translated any number of ways. And either they have no idea what the context the quotation that they are using to support their argument is, or they do know the contect, and also know that in context the quotation actually doesn't support their arguments.


And then therer are those who use LEviticus to say the Bible says homosexuality is a sin. First of all, it is in the Old Testament, more sepcifically, LEVITICUS. MANY of the Levitical laws are no longer used by anyone. Heck, Leviticus also says that eating shrimp will send you straight to hell, but you don't see any Constitutional Ammendments to ban shrimp from our restuarants, do you?

---

Updated On: 3/2/05 at 11:53 PM

very cool post priest- you say what i feel but in a more eloquent manner. props, snaps, and all that jazz (highland park residents represent!)

No offense but that whole "agnostic" belief drives me mad. The world doesn't have to prove anything to anyone. If there was proof it wouldn't be called faith. Faith is believing without proof because you feel you know what is (or is not) there.

---

None taken. But I just want something to happen. To restart my faith in God, or show me that there isn't.

---

bythesword, right on about faith.

Hey, broadwaymonkey, props to you for being open-minded and WANTING it.

And I understand your feelings...especially since you said you went or go to a Catholic Church. I can't say I agree with much of the Catholic's practices and some of their beliefs, but that's just me.

Anyway, don't give up! Keep in the Word and talk to God and your faith will be rekindled, I promise.

If you ever want to discuss or have any questions, I'm here, and I'll be praying for you!

Oh, and I wouldn't count on the world to prove anything to you. There is a fine fine line between God and the World when it comes to who you worship, who you look to for answers, and who you live for. Turn to God...he has all the answers. He obviously wants you to come to Him...otherwise, we wouldn't be having this convesation!:)

I'm a Catholic and I've had nothing but wonderful experiences with my faith, and I went to Catholic schools for my entire life, including my college. It's all about personal experience and remembering that one parish doesn't reflect all parishes.

---

Bythesword, I sincerly apologize if I offended. I did not mean to stereotype or generalize. I know many Catholics who are as you described.

Again, that's where the 'faith' part comes in. But would you honestly rather risk dying and going south because you denied God?

I thought of something else as proof to God's existance(if the air you breathe is not enough):

The Old Testament is FILLED with prophesies, many conserning the coming Mesiah, many conserning the Israelites and the future of the Promised Land, as well as other prophesies. Now take the great state of Texas and cover every square inch if it with quarters, paint ONE of the red, and send a blind man out to pick ONE quarter. The probability of all of these hundreds of prophesies being fulfilled was the same as the probability of that blind man picking the red quarter. And yet, every single one of them was fulfilled in the New Testament. More prophesies were made in the New Testament that have since been fulfilled or are being fulfilled as we speak.

Now if there wasn't a God behind that, then you've found one intuitive blind man.