Is there anyone struggling with their religion?

[squeekness]

That's why I like to read Christianity Today. They talk about Africa, but then they also show all the good work the missionaries do and it makes me feel better. They do more than spread the Gospel, they set up hospitals and schools and help all those folks with AIDS. You gotta respect that.

 

[Honey Vibe]

Aleister Crowely was not in any way shape or form a devil worshiper. His spiritual philosophy was called Thelema, and was an evolved version of the teachings and practices of the Freemasons, The Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn, Hinduism, Christian Mystics, Jewish Mystics, and other such spiritual philosophies and orders. He certainly believed in The Devil, but he hardly worshiped him.

*wikies*

 

[The Chairman]

That's why I like to read Christianity Today. They talk about Africa, but then they also show all the good work the missionaries do and it makes me feel better. They do more than spread the Gospel, they set up hospitals and schools and help all those folks with AIDS. You gotta respect that.

I do. They're taking a big risk by going into such a dangerous area, and they do nothing but good, God Bless Them.

 

[squeekness]

I find that reading helps me in low moments. I love my Yancey books but mostly I just read Matthew and the Beatitudes and I feel better. Jesus always had such nice things to say about helping and loving other people.

 

[The Chairman]

I find that reading helps me in low moments. I love my Yancey books but mostly I just read Matthew and the Beatitudes and I feel better. Jesus always had such nice things to say about helping and loving other people.

I'm reading The Bible right now. I just got into Deutoronmy. I find it a bit slow and hard to follow, but I'm enjoying it. Though God does some more wrathful than he's made out to be at times. I guess because there was no real way to repent for your sins since Jesus had not yet arrived.

 

[Honey Vibe]

I find that reading helps me in low moments. I love my Yancey books but mostly I just read Matthew and the Beatitudes and I feel better. Jesus always had such nice things to say about helping and loving other people.

QFT.

 

[squeekness]

I am working on the Psalms right now. I have a great three part commentary by James Montgomery Boice that is really helpful. I've never been much for poetry, but the commentaries have given me a new appreciation for those psalms. They are all like little prayers themselves.

 

[Honey Vibe]

I'm reading The Bible right now. I just got into Deutoronmy. I find it a bit slow and hard to follow, but I'm enjoying it. Though God does some more wrathful than he's made out to be at times. I guess because there was no real way to repent for your sins since Jesus had not yet arrived.

Deuteronomy is an ancient book of law. Seriously, spirituality and political law were not separate disciplines at this time, thus all criminal law begins with "The Lord God said". Moreover, human life was more transient at this time; you could be here one day, and dead of malaria the next. The brutality of law reflected the brutality nature seemed to deal to human life, despite its value.

Deuteronomy is better engaged for its historical culture merits, than as the holy word of God.

 

[The Chairman]

Deuteronomy is an ancient book of law. Seriously, spirituality and political law were not separate disciplines at this time, thus all criminal law begins with "The Lord God said". Moreover, human life was more transient at this time; you could be here one day, and dead of malaria the next. The brutality of law reflected the brutality nature seemed to deal to human life, despite its value.

Deuteronomy is better engaged for its historical culture merits, than as the holy word of God.

It makes sense to me now, I think.

Overall, I'm glad I finally got around to reading it. I probably won't finish until next year, though.

 

[squeekness]

Deuteronomy is an ancient book of law. Seriously, spirituality and political law were not separate disciplines at this time, thus all criminal law begins with "The Lord God said". Moreover, human life was more transient at this time; you could be here one day, and dead of malaria the next. The brutality of law reflected the brutality nature seemed to deal to human life, despite its value.

Deuteronomy is better engaged for its historical culture merits, than as the holy word of God.

That's pretty much what I read it for, for the history. Many of those laws are outdated and at times, offensive to me. I take a lot of OT stuff with a grain of salt.

 

[The Chairman]

That's pretty much what I read it for, for the history. Many of those laws are outdated and at times, offensive to me. I take a lot of OT stuff with a grain of salt.

Me too, especially the part about homosexuality. I also don't take the thing Jesus said in the NT about how thinking about sex constitutes as lust literally, either. Thought and action are two separate things. I think he may have meant it metaphorically, and that he may have said "it is as if", but I can't believe that thinking about it merely consitutes it as lust. Thought if anything is a good way to stifle yourself from committing the action.

Maybe I'm trying to reassure myself that there's nothing wrong with me liking the woman in my avvy. : )

 

[squeekness]

Me too, especially the part about homosexuality. I also don't take the thing Jesus said in the NT about how thinking about sex constitutes as lust literally, either. Thought and action are two separate things. I think he may have meant it metaphorically, and that he may have said "it is as if", but I can't believe that thinking about it merely consitutes it as lust. Thought if anything is a good way to stifle yourself from committing the action.

Maybe I'm trying to reassure myself that there's nothing wrong with me liking the woman in my avvy. : )

I take it as if you dwell on that lust enough, you might commit the sin. Kinda hard to do that when you have a crush on a celeb, or like me, who has a crush on a fictional character that doesn't exist. It doesn't mean I love my husband any less. I think it's just cautionary against adultery or the worship of sex.

 

[The Chairman]

I take it as if you dwell on that lust enough, you might commit the sin. Kinda hard to do that when you have a crush on a celeb, or like me, who has a crush on a fictional character that doesn't exist. It doesn't mean I love my husband any less. I think it's just cautionary against adultery or the worship of sex.

I could never bring myself to actually commit the sin. I know my boundaries. The average male does think about sex every 8 seconds, though.

Spoiler

1, 2, 3...

 

[squeekness]

I could never bring myself to actually commit the sin. I know my boundaries. The average male does think about sex every 8 seconds, though.

Spoiler

1, 2, 3...

LOL, we're all still animals if we like it or not. In a normal population, there are more females than males. The fact that old cultures had multiple wives made sense then, but not now. It's still hard to fight that "spread my seed" impulse.

 

[The Chairman]

LOL, we're all still animals if we like it or not. In a normal population, there are more females than males. The fact that old cultures had multiple wives made sense then, but not now. It's still hard to fight that "spread my seed" impulse.

I'm glad that the women I place my sexual thoughts upon are ones I can never realistically be with.

I also remember that I'm 16. I like to think God created our pubescent years as a time in which we make mistakes and got all the less than approvable stuff out of the way so as we get older, we look back on them and learn from them.

 

[squeekness]

I'm glad that the women I place my sexual thoughts upon are ones I can never realistically be with.

I also remember that I'm 16. I like to think God created our pubescent years as a time in which we make mistakes and got all the less than approvable stuff out of the way so as we get older, we look back on them and learn from them.

LOL, you guys are all so young. Yes, puberty is a time of struggle and trial. We all just hope that we can acquire enough guidance and wisdom early to miss making the really big mistakes. I haven't yet decided if it helps or hurts growing up religious. I've heard of religious raised kids who went nuts theoment they got out under their parent's thumbs, and I've also heard rowdy kids say they wished they had a firmer hand at home. Tough to say. I just like to think that if you sat in church and heard "thou shalt not steal" enough times, you might actually think it wise not to shoplift for kicks.

 

[unstoppable]

I'm glad that the women I place my sexual thoughts upon are ones I can never realistically be with.

I also remember that I'm 16. I like to think God created our pubescent years as a time in which we make mistakes and got all the less than approvable stuff out of the way so as we get older, we look back on them and learn from them.

I'd take a bullet for a statement like that

 

[The Chairman]

LOL, you guys are all so young. Yes, puberty is a time of struggle and trial. We all just hope that we can acquire enough guidance and wisdom early to miss making the really big mistakes. I haven't yet decided if it helps or hurts growing up religious. I've heard of religious raised kids who went nuts theoment they got out under their parent's thumbs, and I've also heard rowdy kids say they wished they had a firmer hand at home. Tough to say. I just like to think that if you sat in church and heard "thou shalt not steal" enough times, you might actually think it wise not to shoplift for kicks.

I was raised in a religious household, but not strictly. My father is adament that I go out and have fun before the burden of adulthood sets in.

I have wisdom and knowledge. I know not to steal, kill or committ adultery. We all make mistakes (I don't know if I can pull off abstinence t: ), but we learn from them, and we always have the chance for forgiveness.

 

[The Chairman]

I'd take a bullet for a statement like that

Lol, is that good or bad?

 

[unstoppable]

LOL, you guys are all so young. Yes, puberty is a time of struggle and trial. We all just hope that we can acquire enough guidance and wisdom early to miss making the really big mistakes. I haven't yet decided if it helps or hurts growing up religious. I've heard of religious raised kids who went nuts theoment they got out under their parent's thumbs, and I've also heard rowdy kids say they wished they had a firmer hand at home. Tough to say. I just like to think that if you sat in church and heard "thou shalt not steal" enough times, you might actually think it wise not to shoplift for kicks.

I believe that breaking the commandments is ok if it's accidental or someone's life's indanger

 

[unstoppable]

Lol, is that good or bad?

I agreed with everything and that statement and I'm also turning 16 in september so I'm glad someone of my age on the Hype agrees with me

 

[squeekness]

I was raised in a religious household, but not strictly. My father is adament that I go out and have fun before the burden of adulthood sets in.

I have wisdom and knowledge. I know not to steal, kill or committ adultery. We all make mistakes (I don't know if I can pull off abstinence t: ), but we learn from them, and we always have the chance for forgiveness.

I think the thing with breaking abstinence, is not to run around, you know? If you are going to go all the way, it shouldn't just be meaningless fluff. This might just be me as a girl talking, but I think sex is a serious thing and shouldn't be trivial. To just toss it away is disrespectful to this gift we get from God. It should only be done with someone we really care about.

 

[squeekness]

I believe that breaking the commandments is ok if it's accidental or someone's life's indanger

Me, too. I don't think I know wanyone who hasn't broken one or two along the way.

 

[The Chairman]

I think the thing with breaking abstinence, is not to run around, you know? If you are going to go all the way, it shouldn't just be meaningless fluff. This might just be me as a girl talking, but I think sex is a serious thing and shouldn't be trivial. To just toss it away is disrespectful to this gift we get from God. It should only be done with someone we really care about.

Agreed. I don't believe in that you have to be married to have sex, though. As long as you're in a committed relationship, it's okay.

 

[Superhobo]

I'm reading The Bible right now. I just got into Deutoronmy. I find it a bit slow and hard to follow, but I'm enjoying it. Though God does some more wrathful than he's made out to be at times. I guess because there was no real way to repent for your sins since Jesus had not yet arrived.

Animal sacrifice, baby.