Quote:
Originally Posted by Dave Schwartz
God does not PUNISH. He DISCIPLINES.
There is a very strong distinction between the two.
Yes, God has been convicted of non-existence many times.
Still, there are people who swear to KNOWING he exists. (I am one of those people.)
KNOW is a pretty strong word. How can we possibly KNOW?
Because we believe that God himself has intervened in our lives at times. You who have have no belief laugh at us, yet we are the ones with the joyous lives.
Frankly, I used to laugh at such things before I was a believer. I mean that I literally laughed. But that all changed and my life is better for it.
Understand that I am not thumbing my nose at anyone. I am not superior to anyone. In fact, looking back on my life, I would say just the opposite. But God lifted me above all that.
He even taught me forgiveness. But understanding that I was required to forgive others was only the beginning. Eventually I learned that I was required to forgive myself as well.
That was an amazing discovery.
Look... I've got no idea why I have the life I have. I have certainly never done anything to merit such a life. Frankly, I am not a nice person. Never really have been.
God insulates the people around me from the "real me." (Not joking and not pretending humility.) He raises me to functional levels that simply astound me.
As far as that quote... "the life I have" --- There is certainly no jet in my driveway. My home still has a mortgage. I've got some kids with serious life issues. In other words, my life looks like many of us here; far from perfect.
Yet, I my life experience is pretty much filled with joy. I go to bad with zero worries. (I think I mentioned this in another post, but I've literally not worried in 20 years.)
You can argue about whether or not there is a God forever. Not a single mind will be changed one way or the other.
You can discuss how messed up "religion" is for just as long. It is run by men. Why wouldn't it be screwed up? LOL
Religion does not equal God.
Neither does Mr. Boxcar represent a good example of what God would want a Christian to act like.
Mr. Boxcar has no more clue about what God would want from us than a non-believer would have.
It always comes down to: WHERE IS THE LOVE?
If you're a believer and you aren't experiencing the fruits of the spirit in your life, it is PROBABLY because you lack understanding. You need to open your heart to find that.
Any time anyone wants to tell you that they have the answers, look at them and ask yourself if you see them experiencing the fruits of the spirit. That is the litmus test.
As someone rails at you in a condemning manner, just know right up front that it is highly unlikely they were sent from God.
I say, "Highly unlikely" because... well, how the heck would I know what God is doing with someone else? I only work here. LOL
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Although I agree with your post as a whole...I don't understand what you mean in the sentence of yours that I've isolated above. I, personally, have never laughed at ANY "believer"...until that believer laughed at me first. When people like Boxcar accuse me of "being stuck on stupid", then I feel justified to answer him in kind...even though I seldom do. That aside...I am quite content in allowing everyone the religious opinions that we all deserve. When you say that "YOU guys are the ones with the joyous lives"...are you implying that you have some sort of knowledge as to the kinds of lives that the REST of us are leading? Do you suppose that it's difficult for a non-Christian to go to bed as "worry-free" as YOU do?
Boxcar calls us "unbelievers"...as if one is only a "believer" if he believes in what boxcar happens to believe. He says that we "hate God"...just because we refuse to bow down to the same God-image that boxcar himself has created. Boxcar reserves his most vitriolic comments for Light, who not only is a Christian himself...but who also holds the sort of mature religious opinions that even a non-Christian can't readily disagree with.
When you say that boxcar "isn't sent by God"...I think you greatly understate your point. IMO...boxcar is doing the DEVIL'S work here. His blatant vanity and his outright hostility against the other religions can do no less than repel WAY more people than he could possibly attract to the Christian God that he professes so much "love" for. In fact...one wouldn't be wrong if he opined that...if there was no boxcar...then the Devil would have to create him anew.
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