Note: this sermon was submitted by ULC Minister John Partin in response to two previous guest sermons about Pride month, which can be found here and here. All ULC Ministers are invited to contribute their own sermons for consideration/publication. To submit your writing, please email sermons@ulc.org.
There have been two recent sermons published in this forum (titled One Christian's Take on Pride Month, by ULC minister Stephen Baker, and In Defense of Pride: A Biblical Response, by ULC minister Troy Jacobs). They are both extremist positions, either totally dumping all over homosexuality and Pride month with Scripture verses condemning them, or saying that being gay and exhibitionist during Pride month "aren't sins at all and only those who are saying that they are sins are the real sinners", to paraphrase.
I have zero interest in reproducing any portions of their sermons and self-justifying arguments here, where each side tries to turn black into white and wrong into right. They can do that for themselves, if they want it done.
I also dislike long sermons and so will try to spare you from that, hopefully.
This matter boils down to a very basic truth: if following the teachings and example of Jesus is the criterion for being a Christian, and Jesus didn't take a strong position either way on the issue of homosexuality, then truly following Christ means accepting a middle road on such matters.
Jesus never denied anyone's sin that was brought before him, but nor did he storm all over the person in condemnation. He merely said: "Go and sin no more." As our example, if that is truly what he is to us or any individual here, we should also be telling sinners to "Go and sin no more", instead of telling them that they aren't sinners at all and lying to them just so that we will be politically correct.
There are those who would compromise faith teachings with watered down "Christianity" in order to please people. People of faith have lived through some truly terrible times, such as the millions of believers who were forced to hide their views under the control of the former Soviet Union. They did not endure all that they did so that people could compromise the Faith, as is happening today.
With that said, you can't just smear a few nice Bible verses and fake "love" on an actually hateful worldly sermon and call it an example of the loving teachings and practices of Christ.
Love has never meant approving of everything that other people do, but correcting them, in love, and warning them about the spiritually burning buildings and other dangers that they are walking into.
For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine, but wanting to have their ears tickled, they will accumulate to themselves teachers in accordance to their own desires. --- 2 Timothy 4:3
For am I now seeking the favor of men, or of God? Or am I striving to please men? If I were still trying to please men, I would not be a bond servant of Christ. --- Galatians 1:10
Woe to you when all men speak well of you, for that is how their ancestors treated the false prophets. --- Luke 6:26
Whosoever shall confess me before men, him will I confess also before my Father which is in heaven. But whosoever shall deny me before men, him will I also deny before my Father which is in heaven. --- Matthew 10:32-33
We must take the middle path of Christ and Christianity of love toward sinners, as shown by the Good Samaritan in the parable, and choose neither hateful condemnation nor unquestioning approval.
41 comments
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Michael Holland
All people matter!
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Rev. MichaelRS
Unfortunately that position leaves out the teachings of Revelations 3:15-16 and many more, referring to lukewarm our middle of the road Christians
"I know your works you are neither hot or cold would that you either be hot or cold but because you are neither hot nor cold I will spit you out of my mouth."
Here's a link to explain what that passage means ( sometimes these links work sometimes they don't. If the link doesn't work simply search "End of the matter, lukewarm Christians.")
https://endofthematter.com/2021/05/what-does-it-mean-to-be-a-lukewarm-christian-rev-315-16/
And if that is not enough one simply need Google search "What does the Bible say about lukewarm Christians?" and they will get this result with all of the scripture they could possibly ever want on the subject....
https://www.openbible.info/topics/lukewarm_christians
As for Jesus not mentioning this or that particular issue, there are many such he did not mention. Do we take from that that if Jesus did not mention them they are no longer issues? If he did not list every possible sin does that mean that that thing or those things are no longer sin?
But how should the Christian deal with that? You deal with it with that with compassion and forgiveness and welcoming somebody back into the fold who repents, HOWEVER, nowhere are Christians charged with tolerating it and wallowing in it themselves.
https://www.openbible.info/topics/confronting_sins
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John D. Partin
Rev. MichaelRS, I meant the course above the two worldly extremes of dumping and storming all over homosexuality or else accepting it and saying that "it isn't a sin", which is a lie from the pit of Hell, but not the middle of the road or lukewarm version of "Christianity", which I detest as much as you do, and only hot and strong Christianity.
I agree that Jesus' not specifically mentioning a sin, such as homosexuality, doesn't mean that he was okay with it or didn't think that it is a sin, which is the fallacious argument from silence, because he knew that his hearers all knew that those sins were sins and so he didn't have to belabor the obvious with them and there are many things that he didn't mention, but still knew that they were sins.
I don't know how we can be less lukewarm and stronger Christians than by following the example of Jesus Christ toward sinners and telling them to go and sin no more and lovingly inviting them to repent and come back to God. Thank you for your comment and chance to correct this misunderstanding about my meaning.
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Canadian Yankee
The last line says it all.
We must take the middle path of Christ and Christianity of love toward sinners, as shown by the Good Samaritan in the parable, and choose neither hateful condemnation nor unquestioning approval.
There is no middle path there. It condemns these people as sinners. Personnally I don't see anything to celebrate or denegrate, they are what they are and what they are in not my business.
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John D. Partin
Canadian Yankee, pedophiles are also what they are and "born that way", as are rapists and many other sinners. So, do you really think that none of those things should be called wrong, too, and if they should be called wrong, why shouldn't homosexuals, even if they are what they are and "born that way", also be called wrong, when we don't refuse to do that for other people?
Their sin is our business because it brings down our society and doesn't just involve them.
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Canadian Yankee
Stupidity is really hard to argue with so I won't even try to change your bigoted mind. To compare a pedophile with two people of the same sex uniting in a consentual relationship, is insane.
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John D. Partin
But two men or two women consenting to sex with each other are consenting to something that they wouldn't be consenting to, without the corruption of the natural order, just as a man and a woman consenting to adulterous sex with each other, in betrayal of their loving spouses, wouldn't be doing so without that corruption.
That isn't stupidity, but honesty and morality, no matter what it seems like to you and other people her.
This also applies to group sex or polygamy or polyandry or sex with prostitutes or premarital sex, all examples of consensual sex, but consent doesn't excuse everything and isn't the only important or relevant consideration, except to people who care about nothing other than what they want. There is also the very important consideration of the right to consent to something, which these things don't morally or spiritually bestow on people.
It isn't bigotry to say that there is still a moral order and the way that God wants us to live and the world to work, even in this world today where "there is no law beyond just whatever anyone wants to do" and "everything is right", because without that moral order, we have only the madness of anything goes and Sodom and Gomorrah that there is now!!
And it isn't bigotry to see that this rejection of any morality beyond just whatever anyone wants to do won't be content with just all of this consensual sex or go only as far as you and other people want it to go and think that it will "harmlessly" go, but will go into the non-consensual things that you don't want, such as rape, bestiality, child molestation, sex trafficking, child prostitution and pornography, and all other things that some people want, since that is the reality of what has happened and is happening.
If you should have whatever you want, why shouldn't they have whatever they want, too, if there is no morality beyond whatever anyone wants? If you deny them what they want, they will call you "bigoted" and give you a taste of that back on you and will march and protest for their "rights and full equality", too!! Freedom isn't just doing whatever you or anyone wants to do, which is all of this madness and confusion, but doing what we should do, by the higher standard of God's will and not only our own wills.
Sex should be between a man and a woman in marriage, since beyond that is the insane world that we have!!
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Brien
Love towards sinners, see I'm having trouble with that one. Again, I will attempt to reach out. You are using a fictional being to judge others. Instead of just owning it, you take the cowards path. Your hate is your own. Stop lying, stop with the make believe. Admit your hate. It is already on display.
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John D. Partin
It isn't hate to say that people are doing and have always done some wrong things, and wrong is another word for sin. Did your parents hate you when they corrected any of your behavior as a child and punished you for it or were they loving you and trying to keep you from doing wrong things and developing bad habits? You know that they were showing you love.
Do even you or any atheists or non-believers in here or in the world think that absolutely nothing whatsoever is wrong, which your own mistaken calling my love "hate" disproves, and not protest against it, which you are doing right now? So, does your calling some things wrong make you a hateful person? If it doesn't do that for you, how could it, consistently, do that for me or anyone else?
It isn't judging other people to say that they are doing some wrong things or, again, you are being "judgmental" when you do the same thing. The same Jesus who said "Judge not that you be not judged" also said "By their fruits you will know them" and so knowing people by their fruits couldn't possibly be the same as judging them or he contradicted himself, which he didn't do.
Judging is another word for guessing and there isn't any need to guess about something that is just obvious and right in front of us, anymore than we need to guess about its being a sunny day or its raining or snowing.
You can't prove that God is "imaginary", while on the other hand, there is an infinite amount of evidence that God exists, such as the synchronization, calibration, coordination, and maintenance of the universe, which a mindless universe can't do for itself. So, you can't prove, either, that "we are hiding behind it for expressing our own hate", or you are also "expressing your hate" by calling anything wrong. Stop lying and admit your "hate" and just own your "hate", too, or stop saying that Christians are "hateful" or "hiding behind God to express their hate".
I know that you would prefer a double standard (one for Christians and a different one for you and other non-Christians), but we will stick with a single standard for everyone.
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Brien
Wow, the simple fact of you denying your hate by trying to talk to me as a child is quite funny. It is your hate to tell someone that how they live, love, or what to believe in. Your beliefs are very hateful, based on fear and used to frighten children. I honestly don't care about your toxic opinions. I would never allow them near me or my family. You cannot have a belief about understanding and love that is based on fear, murder, and genocide. I do not cherry pick my own judgements, and I own up to all of them. Not so for your beliefs. Your beliefs say that the mythical being makes judgements, yet it is a human being that spits out the bigotry. Your belief says the mythical being condemns, yet again it is a human that uses it as a weapon. Look, of you wish to try and step up to me with your toxicity, you need to check yourself. Peace ✌️
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John D. Partin
Just talking to you about the correction that you and all other children had from their parents, sometimes, isn't still talking to you as a child today and so your equation of the two is illogical and unreasonable. Your continuing to see "only hate" in any corrections of people proves that it is you who are toxic and hateful, and merely transferring your own toxicity on to me and other people.
Your not even being able to see and admit to your own toxicity and hatred makes it impossible for you to really see that in anyone else, just as the actually toxic and hateful Pharisees couldn't see the truth about Jesus, but merely accused him of what was going on within themselves, as you are trying to do to me and which all your denials of that confirm even more.
As with all other bigots against Christianity and Christians, you view them through your distorting glasses and indoctrination against them, and so are incapable of viewing them correctly through those lenses and hate.
Christianity isn't based on fear, murder, and genocide, but on love and telling people the truth, which isn't usually what they want to hear or receive from people. Some people who have falsely called themselves "Christians" have based their actions and thinking on fear, murder, and genocides, and as do all other bigots, you condemn the entire group for its worst examples and are incapable of viewing the group objectively and separating the good from the evil, and, instead, condemn the whole group.
You again haven't offered any evidence of God's being "mythical" and expect people to just take your word for it, while I have offered you evidence of God's existence, in the complexity and synchronizing of the universe, which a mindless universe can't do for itself. Put up or shut up and show us your evidence that God is "mythical".
Step up to me about and with your own toxicity before telling me or anyone else to do that for and cater to your whims. Further words to you now would be a big waste of my time because you are bigoted against Christianity and so not open to being fair and reasonable or receiving the truth, and the mind of a bigot is like the pupil of an eye: the more light that you shine upon it, the smaller it gets.
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John D. Partin
Your only seeing "hate and toxicity" in any corrections of other people's "thinking" and actions is proof of your own hate and toxicity toward Christians and Christianity and your equation of telling you about your parents correcting you as a child and "still calling you a child" today is proof of that very immaturity that you are denying about yourself because only a child equates those two things.
Pedophilia and rape and bestiality and other sicknesses are how some people are living and what they are into doing, but according to you, none of those things can be protested against or corrected without those who are correcting them and protesting against their actions being "hateful and toxic", instead of being against immorality and for loving correction of people who need it.
Even you don't believe that there are just no actions of people that ever need correcting, as your objections to my being against homosexuality (and violating your own principle of "never correcting people") prove. You don't believe that all of those sick people should do whatever they want and have nothing ever said or done against it, but, inconsistently, say here that I shouldn't say anything against sicknesses that you excuse and approve of.
You do, then, cherry pick your beliefs and what sicknesses you will excuse and approve of and which you won't excuse and approve of. It isn't bigotry to say that anything is wrong or else you are a bigot, too, for calling some things wrong.
You can't offer any proof that God is mythical, but expect everyone to just take your word for it without any proof, while I have offered you the evidence of the complexity and synchronization, calibration, coordination, and maintenance of the universe for God's existence, which the mindless universe can't do for itself.
The truth of moral right and wrong isn't a weapon to be used against other people, as you suggested, and shouldn't stop being spoken because of how you characterize it. If you wish to own up to your toxicity and hate, instead of wanting people to cater to you and always agree with you and toxicity and hate only "being in others and never yourself", then own up to it and stop operating on a double standard. When are you ever going to be honest with yourself about yourself and admit to the hate and toxicity that other people clearly see in you in your hatred of Christianity?!!
Christianity isn't based on fear, murder, and genocide, but on love and the truth. Love has never meant approving of everything that other people do, since that is just flattery, going along with evil and immorality, and licentiousness. You aren't a "loving" person, either, if love means approving of everything because you don't approve of everything, either, which you condemn me for not doing, and operate on a double standard.
Those who have falsely called themselves "Christians", while practicing hate against other people were deceiving themselves and not following Christ's teachings and practices and example. So, why do you indiscriminately lump those false "Christians" into the rest of Christianity to condemn all of it, except for your bigotry against Christianity, instead of separating them and not blaming Christianity for them, as fairness and reason demand?!!
This is all for now because you are bigoted against Christianity and the mind of a bigot is like the pupil of an eye: the more light that you shine upon it, the smaller it gets. So, I'll leave that with you.
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Ealdormon Piparskeggr Robinson
I am not a Christian, but follow what my mom and dad taught us about treating other people.
They are due courtesy, a friendly manner and tolerance just because they were born, unless and until their actual words and deeds earn them better, worse or indifference.
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Rev. Dr. Father JJ
who cares what some transsexual hippy 2000 years ago is supposed to have said? it's all fiction, all make believe and all nonsense. the only thing dumber than believing in some hippy dude who performed magic tricks is quoting the book that tells about the hippy dude. in other words, tautological stupidity.
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John D. Partin
Who cares (apart from you) what some very inept Good Times character impersonator says about anything today?!! You are all fiction and make believe and nonsense, and ridiculous "thinking" that you can put down Someone Who changed the marking of time into B.C. and A.D. and changed the world and billions of people's lives by his coming and preaching and sacrifice for all of us, while you haven't changed or affected any lives at all, including your own!!
Jesus is infinitely less fictional, make believe, and nonsense than someone who hasn't changed anything at all in the world and, to quote Charles G. Finney in The Circus of Dr. Lao, "for all the good or evil that your living might have caused might just as well never have lived at all".
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John D. Partin
The exact quote from The Circus of Dr. Lao is: When you die, you will be buried and forgotten, and that is all. And for all the good or evil, creation or destruction, your living might have accomplished, you might just as well never have lived at all.
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James Mounts
"Hate the sin, love the sinner." Is it time for "tough love?"
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Janis Carol Sommers
What is a sin? Who is the Sinner? The middle path of Jesus Christ loves everyone regardless of behavior. Is non-heterosexuality a sin? Is parading with your parts hanging out a sin? What is it that draws the line and defínes sin? For me, any sin is only the harmful stuff we do to ourselves and we are the only one's who know when our moral fiber is breached. I can not like what you do, and judge you for it, but then, who is the sinner? I am.
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Lionheart
Sin is a human construct created by religionists until proven otherwise.
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John D. Partin
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John D. Partin
You don't really believe that sin is a human construct because you, the same as everyone else, know that there are some things that are wrong and nobody had to construct an artificial concept for you to do that, since it is instinctive and natural and reasonable to do so for all people.
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Lionheart
Of course sin is a human construct. Only the blind, and those chained to religion, will see it otherwise. You won’t understand this, John, that’s why you are insistent on replying, and will no-doubt reply again. 😜
Oh what joy it is to be truly free! I just love it.
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John D. Partin
Then why do you still, the same as everyone else, think that some things are wrong, if, supposedly, you have "rejected all merely human constructs, such as sin", but actually go on believing what you "don't believe anymore and have rejected"?!!
Why do you say that "Christianity is wrong", which is still calling something "wrong" and doing what you say that you "don't do or believe anymore" and affirming that there is "wrong" while, supposedly, "denying" it at the same time? Why do you contradict yourself by doing that?!!
That is like saying that you "don't smoke or drink", while constantly lighting up cigarettes all day or taking drinks from your whiskey flask or going into bars or liquor stores or continuing to do anything else that you say that you "never do". Your "not accepting or believing in or following human constructs, such as sin" is constantly contradicted by your, in fact, still thinking that some things are wrong or sins.
You have the self-deluded "freedom" that all other worldly people have: of those who are stuck in their sins and still talking about "how free" they are, of alcoholics and drug addicts who "think"that they "don't have any problem with drinking or drugs, but have it under control", and "show their freedom" by constantly rattling the chains around their ankles and wrists!! Go on, the same as them, deluding yourself and telling us "how free you are", as we go on seeing the truth about you.
There is only true freedom from sin, which is slavery for you and billions of other people in the world, in Christ, and you are kept from seeing that and blinded by the "god" of this world (Satan), who doesn't want you seeing that and wants you to keep laughing at it, so that you will stay under his control and power!!
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Lionheart
You still don’t get it, John, and sadly, never will. Your god, and your satan, are also human constructs.
You are so blinded, you even replied to yourself. 🤷🏼
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John D. Partin
If course, this will be beyond your very limited "ability to comprehend", but I was posing a further question to you and not replying to myself, and since you are deliberately "misunderstanding" me and being evasive, as usual with you. God and Satan being, according to you "human constructs", don't reasonably explain the existence and functioning of the universe or malignancy in the world that is far greater than man, but logic is wasted on you, and you still don't get it and, sadly, never will, and merely transfer your inability to understand, blindness, and lack of comprehension on to other people.
"Human constructs" aren't capable of doing the things that you are asking and expecting them to do.
You still aren't answering the question of why if, according to you, people don't need God, they are so miserable when they reject Him, in all of the examples that I have mentioned to you. But we all know that you aren't honest enough to ever answer it because it would destroy your little world and blow your atheism out of the water, which you won't ever risk having happen to you!!!
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Lionheart
What makes you think everyone is miserable by not believing in a god?
I reject your God, and I’m not miserable, I couldn’t be happier, so that’s one off your list 😜
I heard of a Christian the other day committing suicide. One of your flock, John. I guess he was miserable, or certainly not very happy. 🤷🏼
And very clearly, looking at your vitriolic responses to others, you aren’t very happy either. Try cheering up, and try not to be so miserable in your responses. You should be happy….right? 🤭
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John D. Partin
I didn't say everyone who doesn't believe in God is conscious of how miserable they truly are because there are many people, such as yourself, who are too accustomed to their misery to be able to realize how truly miserable they are.
People can get used to anything (living in prison, being addicted to drugs or alcoholic, selling their bodies in prostitution for money, being even Hitler or a Nazi or Stalin, etc ), but just being used to something isn't the same thing at all as actually being happy in it, as their ever experiencing genuine happiness and joy, to compare it to what they are just used to and settling for now, would quickly show them.
Even the atheist, despite himself, still needs the Lord and the joy of the Lord, but can't admit that to himself out of pride and to save face and not be considered or consider himself "weak", because a need that you deny yourself and that everyone has, however much they lie to themselves about it, is still a need.
Your just being used to your life, as it is, makes you no different than these other people who are used to all kinds of actually miserable situations, but don't think or have any hope that there is anything better and so, knowing only their very limited experience of life and not knowing true joy, have no frame of reference for really knowing what happiness is.
Your ego and sense of identity are all wrapped up in your view of "happiness", which you can't rise above or see anything greater than without denying your ego and sense of identity and admitting that there is wisdom greater than your and other worldly "wisdom", which you would almost rather die or chop off an arm than do and not keep yourself at the center of your universe!!!
The joy of the Saints Francis of Assisi and even of Maximilian Kolbe in a Nazi death camp puts all so-called "happiness" in the world to shame, since your and the world's "happiness" depends on everything going your way and no or not too many problems, whereas they and other Saints were happy and joyful, no matter what their circumstances were!!
That is, quite obviously, a superior form of happiness to anything found among worldly people. Not all Christians attain to that level of joy and happiness, for the same reason that some people calling themselves "Christians" still do terrible things: because they remain human beings and so don't do everything right all of the time and can be depressed and suicidal, if they don't take advantage of the power beyond themselves that is available to them.
But none of those Saints who have relied on that power, even if they occasionally felt sad and depressed, too, have committed suicide or harmed themselves in other ways. And compare the rates of suicides and depression of those who have surrendered themselves totally to the Lord to those who have rejected God and even you, if you were at all honest, would see that there is just no contest and Christianity is, by far, the happiest and most joyful way to live and think.
This brings me back to my original question: why, if rejecting God is "right" and people don't need God, is there so much more suicides and misery among God-rejecting people than among God loving people?!! You still haven't answered that question. So, what's the answer?
Your characterizing my responses as "vitriolic" and saying that "I'm not happy" and "try cheering up and not to be so miserable", considering that you don't even really know what true happiness is for yourself is just more evidence of your evasiveness and transference on to other people what is actually going on with yourself.
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Lionheart
🤣 🎣
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John D. Partin
How, if you say that people are happy without God and don't need Him, do you explain so much alcoholism, drug addiction, suicide, serial killings, sex trafficking, sex perversions and confusion and misery in their desperate search for any kind of "love" and "happiness", and other problems among those who have rejected God, when, according to you, they should always be the happiest people on Earth?!!
Why this Grand Canyon size gulf between what you say they should be without God and what they actually are in all of those cases, if the need for God isn't hard-wired into people?
Friedrich Nietzsche was driven insane by his rejection of God and atheism. Howard Hughes had billions of dollars and lived without God and so, by your standards, should have been the happiest man in the world, but was actually the most miserable man and tormented by his demons and died worse than a skid row bum, with needles broken off in his arms from his drug use and wearing Kleenex boxes for "shoes" and afraid of germs and people!!
There are many other examples of people whom this world alone doesn't and didn't satisfy and who denied themselves the only thing that would actually satisfy them: God. Yet, despite all of the evidence of these people, you keep on saying that we don't need God, which is incredibly unintelligent and unrealistic and unobservant for you to say.
"You have made us for Yourself, Oh Lord, and our hearts are restless, until they rest in You" --- St. Augustine
You won't answer this question, either, except with some smart alecky comments, as you always do, because you know that if you honestly answered it, you couldn't come up with a reasonable and satisfactory answer and would have to admit that you are wrong about people's not needing God, which you will never do.
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John D. Partin
Janis Carol Sommers, Jesus loves everyone, but not what everyone does or says or thinks, since then we would have to say that Jesus loves what the Nazis and Communists did, loves what rapists, serial killers, pedophiles, and all other sick people do or have done, which is blasphemous and ridiculous to say!! Sin is also harmful stuff that we do to other people.
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Bishop William Dusenberry, DD
Because the Christian God, only had one son, and neither the father, nor the son — ever married (or had sex with a woman) it’s a safe hypothesis that both were (are) gay — or at least, are bi.
There’s an old country song, that goes something like this.
In the Christian Heaven, there are no gays;
That’s why the Christian God created them in this Earth;
So, if and whenever the Christian God wants to have a little fun;
He visits the Earth in the guise of a nun
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Michael Holland
Opinions of the godless! The Bible tells us to love without conditions! No one should judge unless you think you are god, which you are not!
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Lionheart
Your Bible also tells you to accept slavery, and stoning people to death according to your genocidal god, which he condoned. I’m not judging, just pointing out some of the very silly things written in it by species of homo-erectus, some of which didn’t know where the sun went at night.
You might just find the Harry Potter books could suit you. Great plots, and nothing quite as gruesome, and horrific as the Bible. And there was no insistence of removing foreskins from the young male populace. Just stating a fact, I’m not judging. 🤷🏼
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Michael Holland
Truth sounds like hate to those who hate truth! There is no concrete evidence that Christ exists, I live as if he does but do not condemn those that dont because according to the book everyone calls gods word says that "God is the only one to judge lest you will be judged"!
Stop arguing, there is no winner!
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Lionheart
I understand, Michael, but until there is demonstrable evidence that any of the worlds gods are real, I will assume they aren’t. There is only truth in factual evidence, hence the reason there are so many gods, and religions. If you have a need to believe in something with no evidence to support your belief I’m totally ok with that. There are billions on earth with that same need as yourself.
Thanks for your comment. 🤗
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Michael Holland
I believe if you are good, good comes to you!
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Lionheart
It’s very nice to have that thought, but in reality, I doubt there’s any evidence to support that view.
As an example, my mind goes to those many thousands in that huge tsunami in Asia, back in 2004, that lost their lives. I wonder how many of them were good people? 🤔. Possibly most of them. 🤷🏼
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Krystina S.
Acceptance is what Jesus taught and showed. "He who is without sin, let him cast the first stone." The talk about "sinfulness" is different than the talk about what is wrong, or harmful, or bad. I posit that much "sinfulness" isn't wrong, or harmful, or bad. And some "righteousness IS wrong, or harmful, or bad. Such as SELF "righteousness." The two (actually one) Commandment as taught by Jesus is to LOVE. (God and Others, technically.) So that is what we must do, though it be difficult. We must LOVE. This doesn't mean that people who do harm to others ought not to be punished... but that we ourselves have no right to judge others (look to the LOG in your own eyes first, Jesus implored) when we are all made different.
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Gavin Butt
faith has to progress with the future if it is to last i believe otherwise it will be lost to all
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David George Promis
What an antiquated and horrible concept! Love is what Jesus taught…fear and hate is what religions teach. “Middle of the road” is on par with the saying “Love the sinner hate the sin!” It’s conceited, controlling and actually narcissistic. STOP THE LABEL SHAMING. Love not judgement 🥰
First article I ever read in which Jesus and Bible have been not misinterpreted!!