What's new
TerraForums Venus Flytrap, Nepenthes, Drosera and more talk

Register a free account today to become a member! Once signed in, you'll be able to participate on this site by adding your own topics and posts, as well as connect with other members through your own private inbox!

Survey on Member Religious Preferences

Survey on Member Religious Preferences - Choose what best describes your beliefs

  • Far East religions i.e. Taoism, Hinduism, Confuciousism, Buddhism, etc.

    Votes: 1 3.8%
  • Islamic religions

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • Jewish religions i.e. Messianical Jew, Yiddish, Orthodox etc.

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • Christian religions organized before 1800 A.D.

    Votes: 1 3.8%
  • Christian religions organized after 1800 A.D.

    Votes: 7 26.9%
  • Pagan

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • Atheist

    Votes: 5 19.2%
  • Different religion not based on a belief of traditional God(s).

    Votes: 1 3.8%
  • I draw my beliefs from one or more religious traditions to make it my own.

    Votes: 5 19.2%
  • Don't affiliate with a religion or have any interest.

    Votes: 6 23.1%

  • Total voters
    26
  • #61
WPG, The 144,000 mentioned refers to Jews who will during the tribulation accept Christ as the risen Messiah. They will spread the gospel through out the world. If you are a Christian you won't be one of the 144,000 because this will happen during the tribulation. This is the time after Christ's return.
 
  • #62
WPG, Satan did not make this world evil, he just does everything he can to pull us away from God. The world is sinful originally because of Adam's fall, and we inherit that sin and continue to do it.

Also, God does hear the prayers of the wicked if they repent. Also see the end of Matthew 5

If you just do what you think is good and hope God picks you, you most likely won't luck out. See Matthew the end of ch. 7

Peter
 
  • #63
Hi WPG,
To back up what the last 2 guys said, its helpful to read Romans especially chapters from 3 to 8. This way its faith that will save you, not works and good deeds alone which is stressed by the JWs and Mormons. The moment one feels they have to 'please God in order to get to Heaven', this diminishes what Christ had done for us on the Cross. It what comes out of your relationship with Jesus (Good deeds, works) from spontaneity, not from duty which is is a proof of a living faith.
 
  • #64
Yes ,
Fath in Christ as the risen Lord, and a repentant heart is the start. CONSEQUINTLY the initiation of faith is given by God. After acceptance we can be led by the holy spirit to live according to the fruits of the spirit which other can see as proof of our faith. WE'RE also led to our spiritual gift. Sort of our re-birthday gift from God.
 
  • #65
hey i got those quotes from the watchtower.org i never said i believed them though. I just thought I would post it.
 
  • #66
I would submit that the translating of the earliest manuscripts of writings later assembled into the Bible is where differences in opinion can occur. My father reads ancient Greek, and has poured over those texts for decades. He can pinpoint specific areas of either translation error or at least areas where differing translations are entirely possible. Compounding that, interpreting what it says, and means, in English is enough to provide many different opinions on what it says.

I don't want to doubt the sincerity of any posters in this forum, as you are all smart people of good will, but other smart people of good will have come to very different conclusions about the Bible, while still being Christian.

Capslock
 
  • #67
Capslock,
There are several different translations of the Bible. Most translation teams go by what is consitent with the rest of Christ's teachings, and I am sure they inquire of God as to what wording to use. There are, for example, several translations for the word "love", depending on wether it is romantic, material, etc.

Peter
 
  • #68
Peter,

The Book of Mormon covers the time period 600 B.C. to 400 A.D.  The first family mentioned is the family of Lehi.  He and his family leave Jerusalem in 600 B.C. and with them took records kept on brass plates.  These records contained the traditional stories of their ancestors.  The creation, Moses, and also even contained Isaiah's Prophecies.  

The Book of Mormon is not claimed to be part of the Bible but is simply the record of the people who lived on the American Continents.  It is a record of the testimonies of those people.  Because of the record on Brass plates which contained the stories of the Creation, Moses, and Isaiah's prophecies you will see many scriptures similar to that in the Bible.  

Like you said, they couldn't be quotes from the Bible because the Bible was organized by other men elsewhere LONG after.
biggrin.gif


Take care!
 
  • #69
P.S.

People seem to be spotlighting Mormons and JW's, why? The only reason I suppose is that they both have diligent missionary programs. But they certainly aren't the only two religions with differing ideas than yours.

Why bring them up? Why is their such a focus?
 
  • #70
[b said:
Quote[/b] ]Why bring them up? Why is their such a focus?

Not because they are deemed as "wrong", but because they both claim to Christianity yet seem to disagree with many of the basic tenants thereof. If they admit that they are a fully different religion, fine. However, if they claim the Bible is an authority, then they should at least not contradict it in other writings or teachings. That is why Christians "pick" on them - they don't appreciate others grouping themselves with them if they disagree.

hope that makes sense.

As far as Bible translations, the original versions have stayed nearly identical over many centuries, with changes only in copying errors (generally unimportant words - and, the, etc.). Translations may seem to differ at first glance, but that is because they are translations. Different authors may see the original writer as having meant different things in his usage of words. Generally, however, translators agree on meanings and use only slightly different (modern, traditional, etc.) wordings or phrasings to convey them in the various languages. You would have the same thing happen if two different people tried translating the dictionary, Hegel's works, or anything else. However, since all the translations have been based on the original hebrew/greek/arimaic, the room for error is minimal.

Interesting topic! I'd love to hear more from you Odysseus on where Christianity and the Church of the Latter Day Saints differ, what your views on different subjects are, etc. Same goes for people from other beliefs
smile.gif
 
  • #71
Hey Odysseus, I have found many sources saying that they find identical passages in the KJV of the Bible and the Book of Mormon. Here are two:

Here's one

Secular Website
 
  • #72
[b said:
Quote[/b] (noah @ Mar. 30 2004,9:21)]
[b said:
Quote[/b] ]Why bring them up?  Why is their such a focus?

Not because they are deemed as "wrong", but because they both claim to Christianity yet seem to disagree with many of the basic tenants thereof. If they admit that they are a fully different religion, fine. However, if they claim the Bible is an authority, then they should at least not contradict it in other writings or teachings. That is why Christians "pick" on them - they don't appreciate others grouping themselves with them if they disagree.

hope that makes sense.

Interesting topic! I'd love to hear more from you Odysseus on where Christianity and the Church of the Latter Day Saints differ, what your views on different subjects are, etc. Same goes for people from other beliefs
smile.gif
Noah, please don't leave out the MOST important part of our Church's name.  
biggrin.gif
 It is THE CHURCH OF JESUS CHRIST OF LATTER-DAY SAINTS.  Not just the Church of Latter-Day Saints.  Peter mentioned "the Early Christian church" in a recent post.  Our church is the restoration of that EARLY Church which Christ organized through His Apostles with Peter at the head.  Our Church is a Church of Christ, only we are NOT the same Church began by Christ because the chain of authority was broken with the death of the Apostles.  We are the same but in Latter days thus the title, Latter-Day Saints.  

In modern day Christ has returned and restored that SAME Church by calling one as a Prophet also preparing and calling Apostles.  The Authority of the Priesthood has been returned to the Earth and thus we are a RESTORED Church.

Refer back to quote WolfPackGurl posted given by our Prophet Gordon B. Hinckley.  In that quote you will see that we are Christian.  We BELIEVE in Christ.  

biggrin.gif
 Thanks for finding it interesting!  PM me if you more questions as to why I consider myself 100% Christian.  It's only too bad you can't meet me in person and agree that I am no different than you!  I am Christian!  WOOHOO!
 
  • #73
Peter,

Do you believe in revelation?  If you do, do you believe it is the Word of God?  If so, then don't you think He will tell the SAME thing everytime he tells it?  Peter, I know the Book of Mormon to be a book written by men who lived on the American Continents in the period of 600 B.C. to 400 A.D.  

Are you saying that the Book of Mormon DID NOT come from the people I claim it to be?  If you disagree about it's origin, then offer me a legitimate foolproof alternative origin for the Book of Mormon. If you say that Joseph Smith wrote it than you must understand what it would have taken for him to write it. Hugh Nibley offered this challenge. It basically shows how difficult it would have been for Joseph to do it.

biggrin.gif
Respectfully I challenge you.  
smile.gif
 
  • #74
I remember a South Park movie when a lot of people died and didn't go to heaven and the answer to get into heaven was Mormons lol. So all the Mormons went to heaven.
 
  • #75
haha. I have seen that. Just so you know. Our Church has nothing to do with Southpark.
biggrin.gif
 
  • #76
lol. yes it does it's a conspiracy i tell you lol!!!
biggrin.gif
And I found proof in South Park lol!!
 
  • #77
laugh.gif
Better not start that rumor! Otherwise we'll have another website bent on destroying my faith!
biggrin.gif
Thanks for keeping it light, Wolfpackgurl!
 
  • #78
you welcome anytime!!!!
biggrin.gif
But that lil' south park popped into my head for some reason. i dunno why though. but hey if you want to see some really weird stuff, check out www.watchtower.org.
 
  • #79
Odysseus, I'm guessing Joseph Smith knew the Bible well, probably even memorized parts of it. Now, at age 23, I'm guessing he had thought about what he was going to do a lot beforehand, and had a pretty good idea of the nature of the cultures he was dealing with. If I wanted to, I don't think I'd have much trouble writing a beleivable story and throw in some scripture, making it seem realistic.
I do beleive in revelation, as it comes up several times in the Bible. Wouldn't it be possible though for Smith to have received revelation from Satan? Also, if it was revelation, why did it include KJV text? The KJV of the Bible didn't come into being by revelation. It was translated by a team of about 40 people, including Shakespeare.
We are all called to be Christ's disciples. He left the Holy Spirit to aid us on Earth. We work with the power of the Holy Spirit just as the original apostles did. The twelve disciples just those who he picked first to spread his word.

Check out this page

Peter
 
  • #80
To me, it looks like Mormonism is being subject to Joseph Smith and his teachings. Looking at the text in the book of Mormon, the text looks like a collage of texts taken from the bible and added in. Checking out the doctrine of the Mormon church strays far from the truth: http://members.aol.com/gmesa54/mormon/
 
Back
Top