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Though in the end we don't know actually know the vowels. Yahweh is only a guess at what the vowles for YHWH were. To paraphrase one rabbi "the fact that nothing happens when you Christians go around saying Yahweh pretty much proves that you don't have it right". Though some scholars argue for...

Not all of the Bible was written late. The first texts of Jeremiah most likely date from the Exile (earlied 6th Century BC). The book of Kings (1&2 - it's one book that was later divided into two parts for convenience) in it's final likely dates from the shortly after the return (roughly 500...

But very relevant, as it tells us that Jesus is well aware how difficult living a just life is. Giving up the things that cause us to fall is often as hard as removing your eye. Still has to be done, but nowhere does he say it is easy.

Well, certain parts of the Bible are largely literal, others not so much. Jeremiah, is probably very close to the words that prophet, as it was written by his friend Baruch a royal scribe. In recent years excavations in Jerusalem (I think) turned up the seal of a royal scribe named Baruch of...

Well one needs to keep in mind that Jesus when speaking always said REPENT and believe. You can't have one without the other. And while we are not saved through works we have from James "faith without works is dead". Part of having faith making that inner change and giving every effort to live...

All four Gospels emphasise the uniqueness of Christ, of his life, death and resurrection. Though John is the only Gospel to explicitly state that Jesus is the only way to salvation this fact is strongly implied throughout all four Gospels. Acts was written by the same author as Luke and thus...

The notion of Moses changing God's mind is what is in the text and reflects a the idea that God is changeable. But if one reads the whole account there is also another reading possible. In deciding to destroy Israel God also offers that Moses alone would be the founder of a great nation. But...

The thing that annoys me the most about this kind of thing is that idiots like this make all morally conservative Christians look like Nazis. The term evangelical pretty much equals reactionary fanatic these days. And it's all a smokescreen in a lot of cases, a way of making oneself look self...

Thanks Dread, it's been a while.

One way of putting the relation between the two Testaments is that the New Testament in one sense serves as a commnetary on the old, ie. it tells you how it should be read. And you can't have one without the other. Most of what Jesus said was either direct quotations from the OT or derived from...

I'm still not sure right now. Album was big disappointment at first,as I had my hopes pinned on U2 getting back to producing innovative music. Next couple listens grew on me, but I still have reservations towards this album. City of Blinding Lights together with Love and Peace or Else are U2's...

You know what the biggest irony is? Separation of church and state is a Christian concept, derived from St. Augustine's City of God. The notion of there being separate realms of secular and religious did not exist until the Christian era.

It's something that comes with time and not a little bit of effort. I was raised in Christian household (my parents are both ministers), so I knew all the basics from a very young age. I was confirmed (officially becoming a full member of my church) at 15, but I really couldn't say I truly and...

What were your particular reasons for leaving?

Yup, a great many theoretical physicists believe in God and were convinced by the numbers.

antiram I don't think you're quite right about all Catholics believing non-Christians to be saved. There are still a fair number of Catholics the world over who think Protestants are going to hell, let alone people of other religions. You're making a blanket statement about Catholicism in the...

One thing you'll find nb is that a lot of schools of theology and seminaries hold the two stories view point. That's what you get taught at Knox College, the main seminary of the Presbyterian Church in Canada. The first account was most likely written by a priest during the exile in Babylon...

And I have also said that gay people deserve the right to secular marriage. More than once in this thread and a couple times in previous threads on this subject. Please pay attention to what people say. Martha you just assumed that you knew what I believe based on your prejudices and...

Mrs. Edge, the flawed nature of humanity is due to free will. Unless we have free will then we are automatons and our lives and devotion to God mean nothing. We would simply be puppets dancing on strings to amuse a cruel master. But free will allows that we will chose the evil as well as chose...

Martha, anyone who does evil is at that moment not in a proper relationship with Christ. They my say they are but they aren't. Unless they repent and live in Christ, calling on his name and giving themselves the title of Christian means nothing. You cannot truly belive in Christ and...

The fact that not all will be saved is pretty explicit in the NT. I'm not stating this because the idea appeals to me or that it makes me feel superior. I very much don't like the fact that all will not be saved. It saddens me and I wish it were not the case, but God gave us free will and focing...

She means sexual love aka romantic love. Love in which sexuality plays a part. Or at least that's my impression.

Read C.S. Lewis, he makes so many complicated things positively simple. He could both debate higher logic and philosophy in meetings at Oxford, and be intelligible to a person with only limited education. Brilliant man. Mere Christianity is a good book to have. I don't agree with everything in...

Discriminating against homosexuals is a sin. Hating anyone for any reason is a sin. Anyone who justifies hating gays is gonna have a nasty surprise when they meet God. Discriminating against someone else for being a sinner is pure stupidity otherwise you'd have to discriminate against yourself...

My personal belief on the matter is that salvation is through Christ alone and the Grace his life, death and resurrection imparted to all people. Yet it is the responsibilty of people to accept that grace. That is the element of free will. We are free to accept or reject God. Heaven in being...