You really are NOT going to answer my question are you?
What question?
Open a bible and prove my approach wrong by actually Christian standards. I couldn’t care less what your psycho-babbling opinion is. Show me from the scriptures. You’re supposed to be a Christian.
So Tirib, how did you come about this faith?
I appreciate that question and it’s a good one. It is however, a long story and a different thread. I keep meaning to type my testimony and it never seems to happen.
Which is why I think this approach is not only wrong intellectually, but wrongheaded in approaching people outside Christianity.
I think we can all agree that in our courts a judge dispenses verdicts and sentences for breaking the law. But the difference is–and I don’t want to speak for you but I suspect that this might be what you would say, or along similar lines–is that the judge doesn’t do it to display his greatness (like say…Trump would), but because it is required by law. He could very well be completely unhappy about rendering a decision but because it was required he would have to do it anyway. We would say a great judge is one who by the quality of his decisions and reasoning shows the quality of his character and understanding of the law, not one who is self aggrandizing.
Greatness needs no self-aggrandizement. It is self evident, even to people who aren’t part of the “circle” right? For example, you could take people who never watch basketball and don’t know anything about it and show them clips of Jordan or the original Dream Team and they’d go “wow, that’s freakin amazing, those guys are great!” despite not watching the sport. Same with Pele or Messi and soccer, same way with Mayweather or Ali or Roy Jones Jr. or Sugar Ray in boxing just based on what they do in the ring and how they make people miss and hit back. Greatness is, in some sense, a fact that is independent of one’s preference or understanding of an area.
I think that what Trib wrote is wrong. Not because God couldn’t do it (creating a system implies that one is outside of or superior to that system) but because that’s not the big mission God is on in the first place as I see it.
The Good Book beseeches you to be humble in your faith, not arrogant, right? And not to appoint yourself to judge others on God’s behalf?
Not bad Aragorn:
Romans 1:
18-For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men who suppress the truth in unrighteousness, 19-because that which is known about God is evident within them; for God made it evident to them. 20-For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen, being understood through what has been made, so that they are without excuse.
The God I’m talking about IS THE most self evident fact there could ever possibly be. He is not hidden. We are suffering from self inflicted blindness in sin. We do NOT want to see Him because that would make us morally accountable to Him and we do love our sin and wickedness.
I actually first wrote THIS for somebody here. When is the last time you touched the “good book” Thunderbolt?
Well, ok, whether you did or didn’t, you’re in direct violation of these two rules, and have been since you started this thread.
Not to mince words, but I think that is complete horseshit.
It’s completely at odds with the whole concept of “the Good News” in the first place, which is to say that while there will always be those whose hearts are hardened like Pharaoh’s many people should see it as something attractive. It’s not really Good News if everybody looks at it and goes “that sounds terrible”, is it? Jesus made plenty of enemies in the Pharisees and Saducees but his message was one that many, MANY of the common folk embraced because it was, in fact, Good News and it did, in fact, sound like good news.
You don’t think like that with your kids. No good dad goes and says “if my son or daughter likes what I’m telling them I’m doing it wrong”. Their approach is to encourage, help, serve, support, provide for, and teach their kids. And yes, discipline them too, but that’s only one aspect and a parent who would approach their entire relationship with their kid from that one aspect of parenting would quickly lose their kid’s trust, love, and relationship. In fact good parents do the opposite–they take pains to let the kid know that even though they are being disciplined for doing something wrong it’s NOT because their parents hate them…it’s because lesson ____ needs to be learned. Hence the cliche phrase “this is going to hurt me more than it hurts you”.
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Humble and arrogant require biblical definitions for Christians, which you claim to be. Not groovy postmodern perversions of them popular in today’s pagan American culture.
What is this “good news” Aragorn? (yes I know about the Greek word)
Here we go. God created in man’s image again 
…and your biblical evidence is_______________________________________
I’ll be waiting. For the rest of my natural life.
We’re limited by our brains in our perception of any event/entity. As such, anything you can perceive is created in man’s image.
If you perceive the existence of anything, it’s in man’s image.
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You’re guilty of the same infraction you attack postmodernists for - stripping truth and meaning from words to make them suit your needs. There ain’t no “humble” versus “Biblically humble” - humble means humble. Arrogant means arrogant. You don’t get to situationally redefine words to excuse your conduct.
Really? There will be individual TIMES in a parent’s life with their kids that the phrase “if they don’t like what I am saying, I’m doing it wrong” applies. Notably when discipline and consequences need to happen. That is not, repeat NOT, a good criteria for defining the relationship as a whole. In fact even when it has to happen most parents will at least try to make the kids understand why it has to happen rather than just go at it.
Defining your entire relationship with those outside Christianity–by definition your long lost/estranged brothers and sisters–by that one phrase is not at all proper in my mind. I do not think we will reach agreement on this.
And that same God analogizes his relationship with humans by way of earthly parents and kids in the scripture does he not? Both old and new Testament and in multiple places if I recall. I would say that if it is good enough for God then it’s probably good enough for us. All analogies fail, but some are useful and insightful. At least, it would seem that way from passages I am sure you are familiar with.
We already reached agreement that the Bible enjoins arrogance in faith and usurping God’s authority to judge. Asked and answered.
And your conduct in this thread violates both the rules we agree exist.