ghaynes1 Loc: Strawberry Plains, TN

Don't waste your emotions feeling sad for me. I'm not sad. Pray for others. Not me. They will benefit from your prayers. Not me. Not sure which "God" you believe in. Millions of people on this planet have their own version of "God." You have yours. They have theirs. Millions have never heard of or read the Bible.

Have a great week.

Randyhartford Loc: Lawrence, Kansas

Some day even YOU will believe, because everything in the Bible will come to pass. Either you will be saved and go to Heaven, or you will reject God and spend eternity in Hell. One or the other.
BTW there are dozens of authors that wrote the Bible (at least 50) over a period of several thousand years. With all those different authors, over all those years, there is not a single contradiction throughout the entire Bible. All the more reason to believe it was ALL inspired by one “person” - God.

“In the beginning the Word already existed. The Word was with God, and the Word was God.”
‭‭John‬ ‭1:1‬ ‭NLT‬‬
https://www.bible.com/116/jhn.1.1.nlt

You have a great week too, Greg. I’m going to, but if I don’t, I’ve got someone to help me get through it and His name is Jesus.

ghaynes1 Loc: Strawberry Plains, TN

So will the millions that don't believe in your "God" and have never heard of or read the Bible.

Big TC Loc: Raytown, MO.

I try not to judge other people. You may another believe which is just fine. I guess you can say I was shocked. Me and my dimwit thoughts. Please forgive me.

ghaynes1 Loc: Strawberry Plains, TN

What are you shocked about? I haven't said what I do or don't believe in other than I don't believe in prayer or praying. Others have concluded what they think I do or don't believe in. That's their opinion. Religion is a very personal subject for people. I don't tell people what to believe or think. I also don't conclude what their afterlife might be.

Big TC Loc: Raytown, MO.

I wrote a big reply to you but it got lost. So here's the short & sweet. Please forgive my dimwit of a response. Pretty please with sugar on it. 😮😪🤧

ghaynes1 Loc: Strawberry Plains, TN

Okay. Whatever makes you happy.

Mauwehu Loc: Norwalk Ct

My wife had to go to Lancaster Pa one day on business. I decided to go with her and that we would take a few days of leisure after her days meeting was over. While she was in her meeting I went out on the street and asked The Lord what He would like me to do. I heard “proclaim the love of Christ”
Who, what, where, I asked. Of course I heard nothing. I walked around the corner and there was an “old school” pastor yelling “choose Jesus today or if you die you’ll go to hell.” Everyone was avoiding this guy and as I walked toward him he approached me and asked—hey brother do you want to receive Jesus?
I answered—-“I am your brother and a believer but although true that’s the same message that kept me away from God for 50 years.”
“What should I be saying he asked?”.....
That’s when I understood who the message I received was for so I answered “you should be proclaiming the love of Christ and The Lord gave me the rest “you can’t preach obedience and get to grace, you need to preach love and grace to get to obedience. He immediately started to cry. I believe that The Lord had told him that before.
The Easter message is a message of love.

Smokypig Loc: Cheyenne, wyoming

On a different note, I learned why that bunny has been hiding those eggs. He doesn't want anyone to find out what he has been doing with them chickens...

Mauwehu Loc: Norwalk Ct

Now that makes sense.....
Bunens or chicknies?

Randyhartford Loc: Lawrence, Kansas

The following two verses will hopefully help you understand why I do what I do. I know you “don’t tell people what to believe”, or “conclude what their afterlife might be”. The difference in you and I is, as a Christian, Jesus has commanded me to do just what I’m doing and has even let me know, in advance, what the two possible results of my obedience WILL be.

“And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature. He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned.”
‭‭Mark‬ ‭16:15-16‬ ‭KJV‬‬
https://www.bible.com/1/mrk.16.15-16.
These are Jesus’ words; not mine.
Just sayin’ .....

ghaynes1 Loc: Strawberry Plains, TN

Understandable and well-stated. I guess I better tell all the people that call me a Christian and a great guy to knock it off. But I said I wasn't going to talk religion anymore so I better stop typing.

Randyhartford Loc: Lawrence, Kansas

I think you are a great guy.
Any person who does not pray or believe in prayer, can’t claim to be a Christian. By definition, a Christian is one who is Christ-like, or who is trying to be. Even He prayed to His Father. That doesn’t mean that you can’t be; just at this point there are things that must change. Just sayin’.

Randyhartford Loc: Lawrence, Kansas

I’m sure you realize that being a “great guy” does not make you a Christian, any more than having people call you a Christian. Only you and God can say for sure. What do YOU say? Do YOU think you are a Christian??

There’s only one way to be saved; the Bible says you must:
1. Believe
2. Confess
3. Repent
As simple as 1 2 3.

FixorFish Loc: SW Oregon

I find this thread to be quite entertaining, as usual when the subject of "believing" is brought up. Literally BILLIONS of people on this planet don't believe in Jesus Christ.....are each and every one of them "doomed", in your eyes ?
If so, as a minister's son that had "a Christian upbringing" to the max, even achieved my "God and Country Award" in Boy Scouts, I simply have to question so very many anomalous aspects of the "modern-day Christian".
Firstly, any bigotry towards "non-believers" is totally a non-Christian thing.....WWJD, huh ?
Secondly, and extremely annoying to a guy who was a certified and classified (1-A-O) Conscientious Objector in 1972, when drafted, is the overwhelming number of AR-15 (and similar) owners that CLAIM to be "Christian"......NO YOU ARE NOT A 'TRUE CHRISTIAN !!! The sixth Commandment must necessarily be ignored to own such a weapon.
A "true Christian" doesn't pick and choose which of the Commandments to adhere to....all 10 or nothing......period.
And Randy, to say in one of your posts that there ARE NO CONTRADICTIONS in the many times "edited" Christian Bible is simply ludicrous and false. If I wanted to and had the time, I can point out at least a couple of dozen or more contradictions, both between the words of the Old Testament and the New Testament on virtually the same subject and even within each. Christ's whole mission and message was to offer alternative behaviors and correct what He perceived as "wrong-headed" in the Jewish faith he had been brought up in....He was put to death for those ideas.

I have no delusions of an "afterlife".....ashes to ashes, dust to dust...so be it.
I can...and do, pick and choose PARTS of the Christian "Holy Bible" to strive for, in my daily life. Many, many good lessons to be learned, but to say that each and every "author" of the many books of the Bible are the "word of God", given (spoken ?) to them personally, is a bridge too far to perceive. Case in point.....Paul (who supposedly lived 80+ years AFTER Christ's death) wrote his letters to Corinth and Thessalonia and couldn't stop himself from making absurd (un-Christ-like) statements regarding homosexuality and women's "place" in society. Certainly wasn't as "liberal" and non-judgemental as Jesus apparently was, in his pronouncements, to be sure.
While I own several bibles, only the "Red Letter" and the Jefferson get opened much, if at all, these days.

I guess the main reason that I cannot join the "believers" is the hypocrisy of so many that claim to be believers on Sunday and not-so-much Monday-Saturday...ie: business practices and unsavory behavior come Monday morning. I would never claim to be something one day and ignore my faith's beliefs the other six. (And I am well aware that there are a good many of you who do not .... good on 'ya, and thanks for the effort, it must be frustrating sometimes, I'm sure)

And ghaynes....it wasn't JUST another day.....all the tackle shops in the valley were closed, had to wait until this morning to go get the flouro, split rings and snap-swivels that I needed..... yesterday.