Christian Asking you go to church again....!!!
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something about giving a tenth of all you have or something...
but in any case, it must be done with full consciousness of mind and faith. no one has the right to force you to tithe.
however, the proponents of the prosperity gospel may go so far as to say those who do not tithe are cursed and those who tithe are blessed. these are the same people who believe it is right to stay wealthy, by the way. interestingly, combining these two tenets will benefit their church a lot more because if their congregation is wealthy, then the tenth they deduct from them will amount to a great sum.
traditional (non-pentecostal) churches usually simply let you give as of your own free will, while pentecostal churches will impose on you rules on tithing. of course, there are always differences in either camp.
anyway, I do have differing opinions based on the type of evangelism christians practice. in any case, no christian should be pestering non-christians to the point of annoyance. -
give to god? i rather give to NKF. at least will help real people, not some fairytale character.Originally posted by BenBenDeZhu:give to who? -
give to me, pigs got no $$ pigs need to eatOriginally posted by CyNdI)4.eVa:give to god? i rather give to NKF. at least will help real people, not some fairytale character. -
sorry. i dun eat pork.Originally posted by BenBenDeZhu:give to me, pigs got no $$ pigs need to eat -
??? i say give me $$$ to eat, i didnt say u eat porkOriginally posted by CyNdI)4.eVa:sorry. i dun eat pork.
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"Beware of the man whose god is in the skies"
--Maxims for Revolutionists, by George Bernard Shaw. -
TS why dont you go and become monk. It's because the buddha will save you. I ask you to become monk ish because I care for you.
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Tithing is biblical... and we are asked to honour the LORD with all our wealth and from teh first fruits of all our produce... Proverbs 3:9-10.Originally posted by Ariedartin:something about giving a tenth of all you have or something...
but in any case, it must be done with full consciousness of mind and faith. no one has the right to force you to tithe.
however, the proponents of the prosperity gospel may go so far as to say those who do not tithe are cursed and those who tithe are blessed. these are the same people who believe it is right to stay wealthy, by the way. interestingly, combining these two tenets will benefit their church a lot more because if their congregation is wealthy, then the tenth they deduct from them will amount to a great sum.
traditional (non-pentecostal) churches usually simply let you give as of your own free will, while pentecostal churches will impose on you rules on tithing. of course, there are always differences in either camp.
anyway, I do have differing opinions based on the type of evangelism christians practice. in any case, no christian should be pestering non-christians to the point of annoyance.
The tithe is important because it is considered the first lump of our finances, which is always sanctified to the LORD, see numbers 15:18-20, Nehemiah 10:37, Romans 11:16.
you do not give as of your own free will, it is a commandment that we tithe appropriately according to what is written in the Holy Scriptures. -
so who writes the bible that says tithing is good or watever n why did he/she/they write it that way?Originally posted by breytonhartge:Tithing is biblical... and we are asked to honour the LORD with all our wealth and from teh first fruits of all our produce... Proverbs 3:9-10.
The tithe is important because it is considered the first lump of our finances, which is always sanctified to the LORD, see numbers 15:18-20, Nehemiah 10:37, Romans 11:16.
you do not give as of your own free will, it is a commandment that we tithe appropriately according to what is written in the Holy Scriptures. -
great... so my fren from mlm say he care about me not being rich so he ask me to join mlm i should go lar?Originally posted by banzie:Have you ever wonder why Christian would ask people go church? If you believe that by believing Jesus you'll go heaven and if not you'll go to hell to suffer for eternity... then I think You'll go everyone telling everyone to go church..... just like if you found a cure for a deadly sickness you'll tell everyone who has the sickness to get the cure.... so if your fren ask you to go to church... is because your fren cares for you.... not because his church has a status quo to meet or he earn commission from it... as far as I know no christian get paid asking people to church. Sometime it could be annoying... but just like your mum naggin at you... she cares for you right?...Would you bring someone you totally hate to a very nice place so that you'll face him/her for eternity?... so next time if your fren ask you to go to church.... smile at her/him because you know that its beacuse your fren cares to bring you to a very nice place for eternity.. if not kindly reject your fren for your fren have a heart for you.... -
We, as Christians, believe that all we have comes from God. He gave us life. He gave us prosperity. He gave us the money that we now have. It all belongs to him. What we are doing is simply giving back to him what he gave us.Originally posted by CyNdI)4.eVa:WTF?! i thought Islam is bad. must give life to serve the religion. Christians are worse!!! must give money!!! CCB! -
my dad squirted some cum into my mom and created me. so technically, my parents made me. my parents give me pocket money, bought me everything that i have and gave me a good education. so my parents are my gods.Originally posted by da-cheese-freakk:We, as Christians, believe that all we have comes from God. He gave us life. He gave us prosperity. He gave us the money that we now have. It all belongs to him. What we are doing is simply giving back to him what he gave us. -
"Mother is God in the eyes of a child."Originally posted by CyNdI)4.eVa:my dad squirted some cum into my mom and created me. so technically, my parents made me. my parents give me pocket money, bought me everything that i have and gave me a good education. so my parents are my gods.
Free cookie for anyone who can source that quote! -
you have a shallow understanding of christianity.Originally posted by BenBenDeZhu:so who writes the bible that says tithing is good or watever n why did he/she/they write it that way?
God writes the bible through his choosen persons.
These people are inspired by God.
Proof for that?
Different people from very very different times of history write out things that DO NOT contridict and based on same values. This shows that the bible is written by one author: God. -
The Bible (new testament) was written a number of years after Jesus. There are numerous accounts by various writers, not all have been included in the canonized version (notably the Gospel of Thomas). Somehow those have been left out. Also, it has been translated at least once from Hebrew and Greek to modern English.Originally posted by davidche:you have a shallow understanding of christianity.
God writes the bible through his choosen persons.
These people are inspired by God.
Proof for that?
Different people from very very different times of history write out things that DO NOT contridict and based on same values. This shows that the bible is written by one author: God.
I guess you don't read Hebrew or Greek, or read the Gospel of Thomas, Q or Mary Magdalene. Yet you believe that the version you read does not contradict with previous versions. Even the English version itself have inconsistent accounts of the same event (notably the twin Genesis stories).
You say that it is written by God.
Why? -
Some information for people interested. From wiki btw.
Connections with Christianity and Tao Te Ching
Since Christian missionaries were among the first Westerners to study the Tao Te Ching, it is not surprising that they connected Taoism with Christianity. There are many parallels between the New Testament and the Tao Te Ching, for instance, "Do good to those who hate you" (Luke 6:27, tr. NASB) and "Requite injuries with good deeds" (chap. 63, tr. Waley[14]). Note that the Chinese Bible translates logos as Tao.
Two particular Tao Te Ching chapters are perceived as exemplifying Christian themes. Chapter 42 bears a resemblance to the Trinity doctrine: "The Way gave birth to unity, Unity gave birth to duality, Duality gave birth to trinity, Trinity gave birth to the myriad creatures." (tr. Mair 1990:9). In 1823, the French sinologist Jean-Pierre-Abel Rémusat suggested that Yahweh was signified by three words in Chapter 14; yi (? "calm; level; barbarian"), xi (? "rare; indiscernible; hope"), and wei (? "tiny, small; obscure").
We look for it but do not see it; we name it "subtle." We listen for it but do not hear it; we name it "rare." We grope for it but do not grasp it; we name it "serene." These three cannot be fully fathomed, Therefore, They are bound together to make unity." (chap. 14, tr. Mair 1990:74)
James Legge (1891:57-58[15]) dismissed this hypothetical yi-xi-wei and Yahweh connection as "a mere fancy or dream". According to Holmes Welch:
It is not hard to understand the readiness of early scholars to assert that the doctrine of the Trinity was revealed in the Tao Te Ching and that its fourteenth chapter contains the syllables of "Yahveh." Even today, though these errors have been recognized for more than a century, the general notion that Lao Tzu was Christ's forerunner has lost none of its romantic appeal. (1965:7)
Present day researchers, such as Damascene et al. (1999), continue to explore the similarities between Taoist and Christian teachings. -
of coz i have a shallow understanding thats y i m asking you ppl to enlighten me.Originally posted by davidche:you have a shallow understanding of christianity.
God writes the bible through his choosen persons.
These people are inspired by God.
Proof for that?
Different people from very very different times of history write out things that DO NOT contridict and based on same values. This shows that the bible is written by one author: God.
so how do God tell his chosen person what to write? -
Actually I have another question, which maybe has been asked before, but I'd just like to know - is it really necessary for a Christian to go to church or belong to a church at least? Can't Christianity be practised as a more personal religion, as in based on own interpretation and devotion rather than institutionalised as embodied by the churches?
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its possible, but not practical.Originally posted by dakkon_blackblade:Actually I have another question, which maybe has been asked before, but I'd just like to know - is it really necessary for a Christian to go to church or belong to a church at least? Can't Christianity be practised as a more personal religion, as in based on own interpretation and devotion rather than institutionalised as embodied by the churches?
besides, im more interested in religious institutes den religion itself. -
Why is it not practical? I suppose it's easy to criticise religious institutions, especially the Christian ones, but are they suppose to serve any important purpose and how well do they do in that?Originally posted by Ito_^:its possible, but not practical.
besides, im more interested in religious institutes den religion itself. -
Actually, the word "church" referred to God's people. It is not referring to a building or a place.Originally posted by dakkon_blackblade:Actually I have another question, which maybe has been asked before, but I'd just like to know - is it really necessary for a Christian to go to church or belong to a church at least? Can't Christianity be practised as a more personal religion, as in based on own interpretation and devotion rather than institutionalised as embodied by the churches?
God's people come together and worship the Lord together and have fellowship, that's why it is called "church".
Nonetheless, if one decided not to go to church becoz of personal reasons, it is really his choice. One may think that books and Internet is good to read on Christian materials, but the place to grow in faith is to be in church. -
Even in other faiths, u still go to places where u fellowship with fellow believers. Even my friend from I-Kuan-Tao go to her Fo Tang four times a week. So why should a christian not go to church?Originally posted by tweakmax:Actually, the word "church" referred to God's people. It is not referring to a building or a place.
God's people come together and worship the Lord together and have fellowship, that's why it is called "church".
Nonetheless, if one decided not to go to church becoz of personal reasons, it is really his choice. One may think that books and Internet is good to read on Christian materials, but the place to grow in faith is to be in church.
Furthermore, the church provides support such as bible study, so that if u are in doubt u can ask ur bible study leader or discuss with ur mates. So going to church definitely beats being alone. -
i think i am inspired by god. can i add to the bible? but can anyone just add to the bible? NO! this is becos the contents must be looked through and approved b4 being added. so technically, the contents of the bible is written and controlled by man. hence, the tales in the bible might be untrue.Originally posted by davidche:you have a shallow understanding of christianity.
God writes the bible through his choosen persons.
These people are inspired by God.
Proof for that?
Different people from very very different times of history write out things that DO NOT contridict and based on same values. This shows that the bible is written by one author: God. -
The scripture written by man is by will of God. Not any Tom Dick or Harry can write the scripture. Only specially choosen people who walked the hard road God gave. If anyone who reads the bible will understand what life they went through in order to gain heavenly riches which cannot be seen with Earthly eyes.
Tithes or aka offerings often gets abused.
Compare the following 2 sentences :
"You reap what you sow, you get what you give."
"Offerings are a sacred act decreed by God to Christians, for those who do not understand the meaning please refrain from giving."
One is actually sending the message that you must give to the church if you want God to bless you. It has become some sort of a transaction between 2 parties whereby blessings is proportionally equal to the amount you're giving as tithe.
The other is actually warning the people of wrong ideas towards offerings. Keeping only the right people to give and keeping away the wrong people from giving.
The above are 2 different sentences which I experienced from 2 different churches. One is obviously twisting the meaning of offerings.
The 10% which someone wrote in regards to my earlier post is a very subjective issue. Although God has decreed that 10% shall be used for his purpose, God do not need our income. He is actually not interested in our income. He is only testing our obedience to him. But he wants people who obey him cheerfully and not out of being forced. So if you do not feel like giving, yet give, God will not be happy and that defeats the purpose of the 10%. One must look at all aspects and not break the Bible's concept into pieces and re-piece them to your advantage.
At the same time, offerings can also be given in the form of donations to charity. Done quietly with zero publicity.
However there will always be some christian groups who twist the facts into their favour and argue as though they have the right facts behind them.
I'd like to highlight that we as fellow christians do not have the right to judge them. Know what is right and maintain the correct path. Do not pass judgetment on those who twist God's words. Let them answer to God themselves. For Jesus once said to pharisees who tried to make him pass judgement on a 'sinful' woman, "those who're without sin may throw the first stone."
Christ want us to lead by example and not words. -
I shall not touch on the existence of God since that is the axiom for your argument. To be fair, I agree with you on your intepretation of tithing.Originally posted by MS:The scripture written by man is by will of God. Not any Tom Dick or Harry can write the scripture. Only specially choosen people who walked the hard road God gave. If anyone who reads the bible will understand what life they went through in order to gain heavenly riches which cannot be seen with Earthly eyes.
Tithes or aka offerings often gets abused.
Compare the following 2 sentences :
"You reap what you sow, you get what you give."
"Offerings are a sacred act decreed by God to Christians, for those who do not understand the meaning please refrain from giving."
One is actually sending the message that you must give to the church if you want God to bless you. It has become some sort of a transaction between 2 parties whereby blessings is proportionally equal to the amount you're giving as tithe.
The other is actually warning the people of wrong ideas towards offerings. Keeping only the right people to give and keeping away the wrong people from giving.
The above are 2 different sentences which I experienced from 2 different churches. One is obviously twisting the meaning of offerings.
The 10% which someone wrote in regards to my earlier post is a very subjective issue. Although God has decreed that 10% shall be used for his purpose, God do not need our income. He is actually not interested in our income. He is only testing our obedience to him. But he wants people who obey him cheerfully and not out of being forced. So if you do not feel like giving, yet give, God will not be happy and that defeats the purpose of the 10%. One must look at all aspects and not break the Bible's concept into pieces and re-piece them to your advantage.
At the same time, offerings can also be given in the form of donations to charity. Done quietly with zero publicity.
However there will always be some christian groups who twist the facts into their favour and argue as though they have the right facts behind them.
I'd like to highlight that we as fellow christians do not have the right to judge them. Know what is right and maintain the correct path. Do not pass judgetment on those who twist God's words. Let them answer to God themselves. For Jesus once said to pharisees who tried to make him pass judgement on a 'sinful' woman, "those who're without sin may throw the first stone."
Christ want us to lead by example and not words.
I have a different interpretation of your second point about not doing anything knowing the fact that some people are delibrately twisting facts and exploiting people in the name of religion (all religions for that matter, not just Christianity). But of course, the difficulty lies in determining whether those people are twisting facts and exploiting, isn't it? So, the next logical step is to look at the outcome, which if there is no harm done, then most people would generally leave it as it is.
Take the example of the terrorist acts in the name of religion, this of course, prompted some people to suddenly assume that religion is evil. The true believers of the religion would then explain to the non-believers about the appropriate interpretation. Of course, this action would only occur when the outcome is known.
So, what is certain is until the issue becomes serious enough, it will always remain as it is because we have different perceptions of the facts and most of us refuse to do anything about it because it is not doing any harm (which, of course, harm is subjective).
It's the case of being pro-active vs reactive.