"God Doesn't Give You More Than You Can Handle"

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Read the New Testament, pp.

Awe the New Testament. It's funny how Christians say refer to the NT when there is something in the original gospels they don't like. Except for that whole gay thing, then they quote Leviticus all day.

The NT is filled with just as much crap as the OT

There is a difference between the Old Testament and the New Testament so it is not a matter of stuff 'they don't like'.
It is a progression -- a lot of the Old Testament is a foreshadowing and foretelling of the coming of Christ.
Christ changed our relationship with God.
He bore our sins, we are no longer under the curse.
And not all Christians think homosexuality is a sin

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:God does not bring you misery, so he most certainly is not going to give you 'just enough' of it [u]
I hate that saying.
I think it is most often a perversion (for lack of a better word ) of 2 Corinthians 12:9
9 " But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me."

I agree. There us a misguided belief thatGod somehow caused or allowed people's suffering. God does not cause anyone's suffering.

Yes he does, he does evil as well:
I form the light, and create darkness: I make peace, and create evil: I the LORD do all these things. (Isaiah 45:7, KJV)

Shall a trumpet be blown in the city, and the people not be afraid? shall there be evil in a city, and the LORD hath not done it? (Amos 3:6, KJV)

Out of the mouth of the most High proceedeth not evil and good? (Lamentations 3:38)

It's quite clear the Abrahamic religions is a pestilence upon society and is no different than the other made up myths of the time.
The Greek and Norse gods also caused harm and evil for various reasons such as jealousy or just amusement. The god of the bible is no different.

Ironically Christians only believe he's there for the good stuff like sunny days and when someone survives surgeries, not realizing if he were all loving he wouldn't put people there in the first place.

A lot of what you are quoting is from the Old Testament and taken out of context.
Bottom line is this, you evidently don't believe and are trying to have an intellectual interpretation of the Bible in order to prove it is not true and just a myth.
What is your point?
You are not going to convince me it is not true and I am not going to convince you that your interpretation and understanding is wrong.
You are smart and I am smart, so please don't condescend to me because we believe differently.
There are people who have never known love, that doesn't mean it is not real, it is definitely not something you can mathematically quantify or scientifically prove, but I bet you believe in that.

[Anonymous]

It doesn't matter what they think.^^^

If it might be a sin... It is.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Read the New Testament, pp.

Mathew 5:17-19. Old Testament still applies. Also you better not be a woman because 1 Timothy 2:12 instructs you to shut your pie hole and sit there

Ah, sure, but the things I disagree with are an extended metaphor whose meaning scholars can only guess at. The things I agree with are completely unambiguous, have literal meanings, and are not subject to any interpretation whatsoever.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Read the New Testament, pp.

Awe the New Testament. It's funny how Christians say refer to the NT when there is something in the original gospels they don't like. Except for that whole gay thing, then they quote Leviticus all day.

The NT is filled with just as much crap as the OT

There is a difference between the Old Testament and the New Testament so it is not a matter of stuff 'they don't like'.
It is a progression -- a lot of the Old Testament is a foreshadowing and foretelling of the coming of Christ.
Christ changed our relationship with God.
He bore our sins, we are no longer under the curse.
And not all Christians think homosexuality is a sin

Very insulting. As if Judaism is just "Christianity Lite."

You really have a very superficial understanding of the Hebrew Scriptures if you think this, and you sound very stupid when you repeat crap like this. It's exactly why educated people find Christians so eye-rollingly condescending.

And please stop talking about "the curse." No religious context for that whatsoever.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Read the New Testament, pp.

Awe the New Testament. It's funny how Christians say refer to the NT when there is something in the original gospels they don't like. Except for that whole gay thing, then they quote Leviticus all day.

The NT is filled with just as much crap as the OT

There is a difference between the Old Testament and the New Testament so it is not a matter of stuff 'they don't like'.
It is a progression -- a lot of the Old Testament is a foreshadowing and foretelling of the coming of Christ.
Christ changed our relationship with God.
He bore our sins, we are no longer under the curse.
And not all Christians think homosexuality is a sin

Very insulting. As if Judaism is just "Christianity Lite."

You really have a very superficial understanding of the Hebrew Scriptures if you think this, and you sound very stupid when you repeat crap like this. It's exactly why educated people find Christians so eye-rollingly condescending.

And please stop talking about "the curse." No religious context for that whatsoever.

It is not Judaism Lite
It is not meant to be condescending to Judaism, I don't even know where that came from
What is condescending is your tone
It is a difference in beliefs
I believe Jesus Christ was the Messiah
As such there is layer of this belief/understanding with which Christians study and read the Old Testament
That does not make me stupid
Judaism has a different take on it
By the way the religious context of the "curse" has to do with Adam and Eve's fall in the Garden of Eden --
Geez -- why do people have to be so hateful just because people have different beliefs and understandings

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Read the New Testament, pp.

Mathew 5:17-19. Old Testament still applies. Also you better not be a woman because 1 Timothy 2:12 instructs you to shut your pie hole and sit there

Ah, sure, but the things I disagree with are an extended metaphor whose meaning scholars can only guess at. The things I agree with are completely unambiguous, have literal meanings, and are not subject to any interpretation whatsoever.

1) literal meanings -- so I guess you have studied them in their original language and the context of the times to derive this meaning

2) study in Spirit and Truth (which means it goes beyond(NOT without) but BEYOND a merely intellectual reading and understanding

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Very insulting. As if Judaism is just "Christianity Lite."

You really have a very superficial understanding of the Hebrew Scriptures if you think this, and you sound very stupid when you repeat crap like this. It's exactly why educated people find Christians so eye-rollingly condescending.

And please stop talking about "the curse." No religious context for that whatsoever.

Ancient Judaism came before Christianity.
Modern day Judaism is no ancient Judaism. In a sense both religions have the same mother and are sibling religions. The first persecutors of Christians were Jews who wanted to get rid of the sect. Paul took it to the masses and condemned the practice of converts being made to keep jewish law

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Read the New Testament, pp.

Awe the New Testament. It's funny how Christians say refer to the NT when there is something in the original gospels they don't like. Except for that whole gay thing, then they quote Leviticus all day.

The NT is filled with just as much crap as the OT

There is a difference between the Old Testament and the New Testament so it is not a matter of stuff 'they don't like'.
It is a progression -- a lot of the Old Testament is a foreshadowing and foretelling of the coming of Christ.
Christ changed our relationship with God.
He bore our sins, we are no longer under the curse.
And not all Christians think homosexuality is a sin

The next book in the series is the Koran.

[takoma]

The Torah, the Gospels, the Koran, they all exist to answer our questions about life.

Early versions of Wikipedia.

[Anonymous]

takoma wrote:The Torah, the Gospels, the Koran, they all exist to answer our questions about life.

Early versions of Wikipedia.

I prefer the stories of Shamans and witches. That belief is oldest

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Very insulting. As if Judaism is just "Christianity Lite."

You really have a very superficial understanding of the Hebrew Scriptures if you think this, and you sound very stupid when you repeat crap like this. It's exactly why educated people find Christians so eye-rollingly condescending.

And please stop talking about "the curse." No religious context for that whatsoever.

Ancient Judaism came before Christianity.
Modern day Judaism is no ancient Judaism. In a sense both religions have the same mother and are sibling religions. The first persecutors of Christians were Jews who wanted to get rid of the sect. Paul took it to the masses and condemned the practice of converts being made to keep jewish law

Any foundation or citations to this?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Very insulting. As if Judaism is just "Christianity Lite."

You really have a very superficial understanding of the Hebrew Scriptures if you think this, and you sound very stupid when you repeat crap like this. It's exactly why educated people find Christians so eye-rollingly condescending.

And please stop talking about "the curse." No religious context for that whatsoever.

Ancient Judaism came before Christianity.
Modern day Judaism is no ancient Judaism. In a sense both religions have the same mother and are sibling religions. The first persecutors of Christians were Jews who wanted to get rid of the sect. Paul took it to the masses and condemned the practice of converts being made to keep jewish law

Any foundation or citations to this?

In ancient Judaism you had animal sacrifices and priests had to prove they were of the tribe of Levi, you could even have multiple wives. Witches were killed and blasphemy gave you a death sentence
Nobody practices that religion anymore.
Peter was a jewish apostle and he preached to jews only. Saul was a jewish zealot who persecuted Christians and had a reawakening when travelling and was blind for 3 days and then took the gospel to the heathen nations. This was not the only sect that practiced converting the heathen. Paul changed the religion by removing circumsicion and the requirement to follow jewish law. Only later did the non-jews start to run the religion.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:13 There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it. (New Testament, 1 Corinthians, 1 Corinthians 10)

I think this is a biblical basis for this saying. The idea that struggles imply anything about the sufferer's own inherent strength or weakness is a misinterpretation. Instead, suffering offers a chance to rely on the grace of God. As we draw nearer to Christ, we can be strengthened in Him and borrow His strength to endure our trials with patience and love.

As to the greater discussion, my sect believes that God is NOT omnipotent in the sense of just making up a world and rules for us to follow. He loves us and wants us to be purified and refined that we may dwell with Him and learn about Him, but no unclean thing may dwell with God--we believe that isn't a rule He made up but an irrefutable law inherent in the concept of "goodness" and "God." It is a conundrum any parent can relate to. What He HAS (freedom from sin and misery and sickness and death) He can give us, but what He IS (perfect light and truth) cannot be given, but must be earned. The Garden of Eden offered no sickness or death, no mortal weakness nor temptation. It also offered no freedom to choose. If there is no evil or sin, then there can be no goodness nor righteousness. When Eve partook ofthe Tree of Knowledge, she wasn't punished because God wanted her to suffer for her choice, she was given the inherent consequence of that choice. She introduced into the world the ability to choose, and that means that along with a true understanding of good, we also get evil. The world is no longer static, but mortal. Mortality includes the natural world and all of the sickness, death and decay that are so inherent in that natural order. We are born with a propensity to live as the natural man--selfish, weak, seeking our own gratification and pleasure, but also with The Light of Christ inside each of us and we are given the ability to choose what we become. We can follow Christ and His teachings and our suffering will be sanctified as we are perfected in Him, or we can follow the weakness of men and our suffering will be for nothing.

You don't have to answer but are you Quaker?

No, I belong to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. I am glad that others found the post helpful. I am sorry to hear those who bring such animosity to this discussion. Ultimately, you either believe that there is a path to knowledge and knowing outside of sensory input or rationalization, or you do not.
1 John 4:1
"Believe not every spirit, but try the spirits if they are of God."
The difference between madness and spirituality is in the path trod by a true believer. God does not ask that we follow Him blindly. He asks that we trust and try His word. Each day is an experiment. As I excersize faith (meaning act as though a doctrine were true), I will see that it brings me inner peace and happiness and a deeper spiritual knowledge, or it brings me inner turmoil and fear and a sense of confusion. As we try His word, we either see the result, or we seek after new knowledge. I like the analogy of consuming the dross. It is HARD work to seek His path, but each step draws us more closely until him that we may know Him and in the proccess our sin and weakness is burned away and we are made pure, like unto Him.

[Anonymous]

*unto