What are your religious beliefs?

[JWG223]

"Why did God harden Pharaoh’s heart?"

Exodus 7:3-4 says, “But I will harden Pharaoh's heart, and though I multiply my miraculous signs and wonders in Egypt he will not listen to you. Then I will lay my hand on Egypt and with mighty acts of judgment I will bring out my people the Israelites.” It seems unjust for God to harden Pharaoh’s heart and then to punish Pharaoh and Egypt for what Pharaoh decided when his heart was hardened. Why would God harden Pharaoh’s heart just so He could judge Egypt more severely with additional plagues?

First, Pharaoh was not an innocent or godly man. He was a brutal dictator overseeing the terrible abuse and oppression of the Israelites, who likely numbered over 1.5 million people at that time. The Egyptian pharaohs had enslaved the Israelites for 400 years. A previous pharaoh—possibly even the pharaoh in question—ordered that male Israelite babies be killed at birth (Exodus 1:16). The pharaoh God hardened was an evil man, and the nation he ruled agreed with, or at least did not oppose, his evil actions.

Cool story, what about all the children in the cradle that died because of God's little publicity stunt? How many Israelites had they oppressed?

Second, before the first few plagues, Pharaoh hardened his own heart against letting the Israelites go. “Pharaoh's heart became hard” (Exodus 7:13, 22; 8:19). “But when Pharaoh saw that there was relief, he hardened his heart” (Exodus 8:15). “But this time also Pharaoh hardened his heart” (Exodus 8:32). Pharaoh could have spared Egypt of all the plagues if he had not hardened his own heart. God was giving Pharaoh increasingly severe warnings of the judgment that was to come. Pharaoh chose to bring judgment on himself and on his nation by hardening his own heart against God’s commands.
Pharaoh wasn't the one most impacted. The people were. Their children were. Etc.
As a result of Pharaoh’s hard-heartedness, God hardened Pharaoh’s heart even further, allowing for the last few plagues (Exodus 9:12; 10:20, 27). Pharaoh and Egypt had brought these judgments on themselves with 400 years of slavery and mass murder. Since the wages of sin is death (Romans 6:23), and Pharaoh and Egypt had horribly sinned against God, it would have been just if God had completely annihilated Egypt. Therefore, God’s hardening Pharaoh’s heart was not unjust, and His bringing additional plagues against Egypt was not unjust. The plagues, as terrible as they were, actually demonstrate God’s mercy in not completely destroying Egypt, which would have been a perfectly just penalty.

Romans 9:17-18 declares, “For the Scripture says to Pharaoh: ‘I raised you up for this very purpose, that I might display my power in you and that my name might be proclaimed in all the earth.’ Again with having to waggle his manhood around. *sigh*Therefore God has mercy on whom He wants to have mercy, and He hardens whom He wants to harden.” From a human perspective, it seems wrong for God to harden a person and then punish the person He has hardened. Biblically speaking, however, we have all sinned against God (Romans 3:23), and the just penalty for that sin is death (Romans 6:23). Therefore, God’s hardening and punishing a person is not unjust; it is actually merciful in comparison to what the person deserves.



Sargon of Akkad

Where did you get that impression that the Bible borrowed from Sargon of Akkad? Sargon (thought by many to be Nimrod), was no more than a conqueror who died and offered you nothing.
A Neo-Assyrian text from the 7th century BC purporting to be Sargon's autobiography asserts that the great king was the illegitimate son of a priestess. In the Neo-Assyrian account Sargon's birth and his early childhood are described thus:
“ My mother was a high priestess, my father I knew not. The brothers of my father loved the hills. My city is Azupiranu, which is situated on the banks of the Euphrates. My high priestess mother conceived me, in secret she bore me. She set me in a basket of rushes, with bitumen she sealed my lid. She cast me into the river which rose over me. The river bore me up and carried me to Akki, the drawer of water. Akki, the drawer of water, took me as his son and reared me. Akki, the drawer of water, appointed me as his gardener. While I was a gardener, Ishtar granted me her love, and for four and ... years I exercised kingship
Sargon lived way before Moses.

Pyramids

Here is a good theory about Pyramids: http://io9.com/5827208/a-theory-tha...in-how-the-great-pyramids-of-egypt-were-built
As far as all the other stuff, why do you concern with it. Everything has to be PROVEN to you for you to believe. However, you haven't PROVEN anything to me to cause me to disbelieve. Instead, you keep asking questions for PROOF.
Because I want you to believe. It makes you happy and it isn't hurting me one bit. Why begrudge you?
I leave you with this. Since you have so much time reading and studying how God and the Bible isn't real, why don't you fast for a few days with water only, pray, read God's word and ask Him to reveal Himself to you and see what happens when you crucify your flesh. You might be amazed.
I need to drop a pound or two, but I don't think weakening my mind or body is the best path to enlightenment.
And one last thing, because I'm through. Philip. 2:9-11 "Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name: That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father."

You can go ahead and kneel and confess NOW, because you WILL do it later! Have a good one and I'll be praying for you this week.

I just can't get on board with the program I guess.

See though? It is likely that no magic was involved in the pyramids. It took us until TODAY to find a plausible theory for them, and they are piles of rock. It will take us much longer to answer the riddles of life and where it came from, but that doesn't mean magic has been afoot.

 

[returningliberty]

Lol 7 pages in one evening and no lock, I'm impressed.
I told the OP not to preach, but everyone else is, so hey, whatever lol. Here's something for you, JWG:
So we got this big bang theory thing (yes, some holes in it, just bear with me). It corresponds Pretty Darn Well with an allegorical account of the Christian Genesis Myth. So much so the Catholic Church endorsed it. As an atheist, do you have any idea what the odds are that gravity ended up working the way it does? That electromagnetism is sooo similar? How these forces ever broke off from the superforce, Allowing our universe to spring out from a singularity?
That the universe is actually made of protons and electrons instead of antiprotons and positrons? (something that could EASILY have gone the other way, and made our whole universe impossible as we understand it).
How can you explain the first amino acids forming in a puddle of muck or in some comet, and those amino acids forming complex chains, eventually leading to life? That life on our planet would, after 3.4 billion years or so would eventually give rise to the only self aware species that could even ask these questions? The odds against all of that are Staggering, even with an infinite universe. It is so vanishingly small that we, as men of reason Must conclude that Some higher power helped the proccess along.

To the fundamentalists:
I'm not going to debate evolution, I think by now there is enough scientific evidence that everyone except evangelicals/radicals (of whatever flavor) can accept it as the best theory we have. I will say this though. Who did Cain marry? His sister? No, the bible would have said something. Lilith? Well, no, the bible doesn't acknowledge she ever existed. So, a rational person would have to conclude that people were Already Here. Just something to consider.

Bottom line: no one has all the answers, that's obvious. But to condemn someone to everlasting torture, or attack them as ignorant, based on an unprovable conclusion either way is Unreasonable.

 

[CEHollier]

The use of the word "If" implies that you will join us (assuming there is a hell), as "He will spew the luke warm out of his mouth", per your scripture. Pascal's wager never made any sense at all to me for that reason. Like I have said before, so many "Christians" think that eternal life is the crux of the matter, while their book tells them that a relationship with their Christ is. I think a lot of them will be sorely disappointed "if" "they are right".

You are correct in the crux of Christianity is a "relationship" with Jesus Christ. The purpose is to emulate his life. For all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God - Romans 3:23 His crucifixion was to pay the debt for our sin. Fear of Hell is the wrong reason to be a Christian. The scripture you quoted means either you are with me (Jesus) or not. Sitting on the fence is not total commitment or repentance. To do so is to sin (miss the mark). My "if" simply means I have a relationship with Jesus. Atheists say there is no God. To me it is settled but faith does not meet your scientific standard of scrutiny hence the "if".

 

[SGT_Kramer]

I'm not sure I'd ever want a angel to come show he's real to me... In general they arn't the nice plesent creatures in movies and usally brough gods wrath.. A strong religous background mixed with strong morals and a sense of doing what is right will make you stronger person that people will follow. Thats enough proof for me. Blind faith is a powerful thing and has changed the world more then any one person.

 

[satoups]

Wont get in this with both feet because it can take weeks to cover everything/question but what I do see is a lack of knowledge on some peoples post. As growing up I was labeled as a catholic but had wayyyy to many questions and doubts. It wasn't until my adult life that I went out to seek the answers. To make a long story short, show me one scripture/passage in the bible that is proven wrong. Many can not be proven right or wrong but doesn't me it is wrong, we are just unable to explain it.

Evolution: question, were is all the fossils and evidence of humans and animals evolving??? If humans came from the big bang theory, who feed us and nurtured us to life to sustain life.....there is soooo many holes in evolution. Science can not solve the worlds problems or mysteries!

 

[Yrdawg]

Wow

I can safely say I lived a lot of my life way outside the lines...been in more jails than I remember and done just about everything against society and nature I could think of ( and I'm still pretty far out according to a lot of Christians )...but NEVER would I have believed there were this many people who didn't at least believe there is a God.

Let me welcome all the non believers to your world.

 

[JWG223]

You are correct in the crux of Christianity is a "relationship" with Jesus Christ. The purpose is to emulate his life. For all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God - Romans 3:23 His crucifixion was to pay the debt for our sin. Fear of Hell is the wrong reason to be a Christian. The scripture you quoted means either you are with me (Jesus) or not. Sitting on the fence is not total commitment or repentance. To do so is to sin (miss the mark). My "if" simply means I have a relationship with Jesus. Atheists say there is no God. To me it is settled but faith does not meet your scientific standard of scrutiny hence the "if".

I understand, I am just tired of all the bandying of Pascal's Wager. I see now that that wasn't what you alluded to.

 

[JWG223]

Lol 7 pages in one evening and no lock, I'm impressed.
I told the OP not to preach, but everyone else is, so hey, whatever lol. Here's something for you, JWG:
So we got this big bang theory thing (yes, some holes in it, just bear with me). It corresponds Pretty Darn Well with an allegorical account of the Christian Genesis Myth. So much so the Catholic Church endorsed it. As an atheist, do you have any idea what the odds are that gravity ended up working the way it does? That electromagnetism is sooo similar? How these forces ever broke off from the superforce, Allowing our universe to spring out from a singularity?
That the universe is actually made of protons and electrons instead of antiprotons and positrons? (something that could EASILY have gone the other way, and made our whole universe impossible as we understand it).
How can you explain the first amino acids forming in a puddle of muck or in some comet, and those amino acids forming complex chains, eventually leading to life? That life on our planet would, after 3.4 billion years or so would eventually give rise to the only self aware species that could even ask these questions? The odds against all of that are Staggering, even with an infinite universe. It is so vanishingly small that we, as men of reason Must conclude that Some higher power helped the proccess along.
You keep presuming that because I do not believe in God, I believe in current scientific theories. This is not the case. I am not an "either/or" person in regard to this. How can we know aliens didn't come trans-plant us here (I don't believe that, but I can't prove they didn't)? The question of how I got here is a moot point unless it can directly be linked to a source higher than myself that I should be worshiping. It can't, and I am here.

To the fundamentalists:
I'm not going to debate evolution, I think by now there is enough scientific evidence that everyone except evangelicals/radicals (of whatever flavor) can accept it as the best theory we have. I will say this though. Who did Cain marry? His sister? No, the bible would have said something. Lilith? Well, no, the bible doesn't acknowledge she ever existed. So, a rational person would have to conclude that people were Already Here. Just something to consider.

Bottom line: no one has all the answers, that's obvious. But to condemn someone to everlasting torture, or attack them as ignorant, based on an unprovable conclusion either way is Unreasonable.

I agree with your last sentence, and likewise, I do not think Christians or other religious people are drones or gullible idiots, either. I just believe they see things differently than I do and act accordingly. So far, none of them have hurt me with their beliefs that I am aware of, and so why should I condemn them?

 

[JWG223]

I'm not sure I'd ever want a angel to come show he's real to me... In general they arn't the nice plesent creatures in movies and usally brough gods wrath.. A strong religous background mixed with strong morals and a sense of doing what is right will make you stronger person that people will follow. Thats enough proof for me. Blind faith is a powerful thing and has changed the world more then any one person.

If God is real, and the only way for me to realize this is to meet an angel, do you not think it would be worth spending the rest of my short life in the ICU (or being DOA) to know without a shadow of a doubt who the ruler of the universe is and to pledge whatever was left of my being after the encounter to Him and accept Him as my savior? I think it would be totally worth it. Hurt? Maybe. Probably. However, can you think of anything more worth being hurt/killed over?

Now don't get me wrong, I would prefer a pleasant conversation, maybe a little yelling at me, of course, but if it HAD to be one way or the other.

 

[Hitman]

Who was the other Presbyterian. Just want to know. Glad I'm not the only reformed guy around here

 

[TomTerrific]

Seriously??
This **** again??

+1

There are trivial truths and the great truths. The opposite of a trivial truth is plainly false. The opposite of a great truth is also true. Niels Bohr

 

[cheese]

I'm a little bit Taoist, a little bit Pagan, and a little bit Monotheist. I presently attend services occasionally at the Unitarian Universalist Church of Baton Rouge.

 

[Hitman]

There are trivial truths and the great truths. The opposite of a trivial truth is plainly false. The opposite of a great truth is also true. Niels Bohr

No Bohr, there is only TRUTH and it's not relative.

 

[BigNick73]

Since the religious debate has been opened up I've got a question, Why is church on Sunday? It was changed at some point but can't seem to track down a who, when, and why.

 

[thatwhichisnt]

It was usually on Saturday for the Jews, but it was changed to Sunday because that is the day the resurrection happened.

 

[Devilneck]

Catholic here.

 

[Hitman]

It was usually on Saturday for the Jews, but it was changed to Sunday because that is the day the resurrection happened.

Plus it doesn't matter which day you subscribe to.

 

[Paintball]

Plus it doesn't matter which day you subscribe to.

Because as a Christian we are to worship God every day.

For those that may care to know more: http://www.gotquestions.org/archive.html

 

[oleheat]

I will never disrespect or discredit someone else's beliefs though. It doesn't matter what's real or not, religion does a lot of good things for a lot of people.

I generally feel the same way......However, if they came around insisting that it's their duty to God to convert me or they'll have to kill me, I'd probably be up for some serious dissing if at all possible....

 

[Leonidas]

Sure you did.

+1

Mark this in the records; I agree with my-rifle.

I'm a new non-smoker. Should I start threads to be obnoxious about that. Wait......... No nevermind, I don't start troll threads: I finish them.