POLL: Earth God Alignments - Yahweh, Allah, Jehovah, etc...

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Whoa, Sprite, you're putting words into my mouth! I spent 2 years as a missionary striving for conversion! I just don't believe that SP (or any board, for that matter) is a place for proseletyzing -- I like to discuss and answer questions here, not preach, but I am a proponent for conversion in other venues.

I just didn't want people to say later "I know a Mormon on my boards who doesn't believe in conversion!" I have to look out for my soul here, as conversion is a cornerstone of my religion

 

Have to agree with Depaara. As a Christian, it'd really be rather terrible if I *didn't* want to convert anyone, since their alternative (as I see it) is being condemned to the pits of hell. That should make people feel all warm and fuzzy inside, but hey, the truth isn't always pretty.

 

I'm Roman Catholic and I don't feel I need to convert anyone. I believe that anyone who TRULY follows the teachings of his faith will get his just reward. This my be contrary to our teachings but some Catholic theologians have proposed the idea. I think Karl rahner was one of them. That coincides with my belief that there is only one way to do things, including getting to heaven.

Well, let's get back to the topic. Someone will just have to start a new thread.

 

The topic question is very dangerous. We should not talk about God without authority and we should never say things about God that we can't prove. The only things we can say about God are things that he has told us Himself.

My opinion. (I am not a Christian)

 

Just a technical remark: God decides the saving. No human has anything to say in the matter.

 

Chevalier, only Calvinists believe that, most Protestants believe salvation is a matter of personal commitment.

Sorry Capstone and Depaara. I edited my post to make my meaning clearer. I know you have a solemn duty to expand your ranks, and didn't mean to imply you were shirking it. But there's a time and a place for everything and I think you agree with me that this ain't it. That's all I meant.

[ March 14, 2003, 18:33: Message edited by: Sprite ]

 

By no means would I want to shove my beliefs down an unwilling throat. But as I mentioned in the other religion thread, I have no issues against sharing anywhere, anytime, including here at SP. Naturally I'm more general and laid-back about it, but even when talking to faceless entities on a gaming site I like to let people know where I'm coming from and why. Sometimes a connection is made in the oddest places, and far be it from me to pass up such an opportunity.

I guess a Bible quote would be appropriate here: "Be ready always to give an answer concerning the hope that lies within you..."

 

Nay, Calvinists believe God decides beforehand. Personal commitment is not decision - it's, shall we say, working for your salvation. So that has influence, but is not a decisive voice. Judgement lies with God. God decides if that was enough. Catholics believe that will never be enough and grace is always necessary.

 

Where do we put the crusades who in the name of the lord went to prey on eastern cultures?
Or the missionaries forcing their way into South america to preacher for cultures who already lived in harmony with nature? Not to mention mowing down native indians, which in a plain sense meant more room for the lords followers.

[ March 15, 2003, 16:20: Message edited by: Nobleman ]

 

Nobleman - just another reason why it's unrealistic to apply alignment to real life .

 

chevalier: Not quite true, according to any doctrine (including Calvinist) that I've heard. Even under John Calvin, who believed once saved, always saved, and that by the predestination of God, humans do have one thing to say in their salvation. "Yes."

If God only chooses some to be saved, as you say, then he must make that choice on some basis. And so far as I know, any Christian doctrine will say it is based either on works (which I don't agree with) or on faith (you must believe) or a mixture of the two. So in some measure it still depends on you.

 

No, I don't say God chooses people to be saved. As I said, I'm Roman Catholic. God judges people after they have died and then decides whether they deserve salvation or not. Humans have nothing to say there. They don't decide. They work for the salvation of their own and perhaps of other people indirectly, but they don't decide. Thus a Catholic can't say the Protestant won't be saved and vice versa, because they do not decide, they are not the judges in the matter. Living according to the tenets of faith is not deciding. It's still working, deserving. Decisive voice lies with God. "Judge not lest thou be judged" - simply.

 

Somebody on this topic wrote something about Gods change of alignment after the OT...
Check out this link for a reply I wrote.
It might make somethings clear...

http://www.sorcerers.net/cgi-bin/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic;f=20;t=000164;p=3

Btw, I agree with Mathetais... God IS pure good... Evil does not exist within Him, and it never will...

[ March 16, 2003, 21:41: Message edited by: Felgash Toradûn ]

 

Then who created evil?

 

Ah, but perhaps evil is only the absence of good.

Or maybe the other way around. But now I think I'm beginning to confuse myself.

 

Satan + human weakness to follow him.

 

Am I the only one who noticed Blackhawks lack of knowledge?

Christians, jews an muslims actually worship the same god...

 

we are weak when we rely upon another, therefor human strength is a more appropriate term.
He lost control over us, God is the weak one

 

Fabius Maximus - Christainity, Judaism and Islam are all decendants of Zoeasterism. So in that sense, the religions are very simular in the base structure of the supernatural.

However, each religion's prophets influenced the faith and conception of the nature and attributes of "god". As are result, the gods in these different religions act quite differently.

Remember that a "religion" is a living, breathing creature. Not every line and every sentence of the Koran, Bible, Torah, etc... are followed - only some are emphasised as being more important.

How "god" is conceived is quite different in Christainity than in Judaism and Islam. The conception is also quite different between different versions of the protestant religions.

Abstractly, all religions follow the same god - true. Allah, Jehovah, Brahma, as well as the abstract views of the "god" in Scientology and Buddism can be considered the same. However, they act quite differently.

 

Zoroastrism? I´ve got a very good friend from Iran who is a zoroastrist, it is based upon a God, which is just a form of energy, without (in his words) the power "we" associate to the Christian god, else he would save us from evil, etc etc, maybe he doesnt even know we exist.

But zoroastrism is the oldest monotheism to date, IIRC even being the main religion of ancient persia till the muslims took over..