Dabo Sweeney testifyin’
- Thread starter Chickenman Testa
- Start date
You know thru all the years, it was a forgone conclusion (in my mind) that I'd go first. My wife, it seemed, was never sick a day since I knew her. I poke a lot of fun here, and enjoy ruffling some fanboy feathers.......but do me a favor and let your wife know what she means to you. There is no pain like knowing something is broke and you can never fix it. We took each other for granted, I'm sure people who have been married 37 years and known each other for 47 years do that. I could never imagine a world with her not in it. It's pure hell.
I do love the NIttany Lions though (in a much different way) and 11-2 will allow me to smile a bit now and then.
I guess it comes down to "is Jesus a liar or not?" But remember you live and die with the decision.
Agree completely, but my prior experience tells me that the hard-core religious types don't care if the "non-believers" are dumb or ignorant. In their minds folks in either category will burn regardless.
But what if your religion doesn't even have a Jesus? Do Bhuddists die because of their "choice?" If the Hindus are right do all Christians burn eternally?
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Either God is God Almighty, and Jesus Christ is his son or not. Either the Bible is the word of God for us today or not. By definition, there can only be one God Almighty.
The decision to believe and obey is yours alone. Your eternity rests with you.
I can attest that after you accept God, His Holy Spirit is given to you and He testifies God's truth to you. Yes, it is super natural. Be blessed.
Wow. Some truly medieval thinking there - Crusades level stuff.
Again, this is where the hardcore, Bible beaters go off the rails, IMO - proclaiming that the ENTIRE WORLD HAS ONLY ONE RELIGION and if you aren't a believer you're screwed. What a truly wonderful belief system - embrace (and obey, for good measure) OUR religion. Period, end of story, no alternatives. Because our god is best, our book is best, etc.
I really find it hard to believe that people still think like this in the year 2023.
Be careful of stereotypes, my friend. Many people consider me a "hard-core religious type" -- I've taken a lot of grief for this on the politics board! -- but I would never presume to know or judge who is burning in Hell and who is not.
I've known some people who called themselves atheists but in my opinion were of high character.
I've known some people who professed to be Christian but in my opinion acted anything but. Talking the talk is easy. Walking the walk: not so much.
I think the roads that end up leading people to God can be very different. There is a line in Scripture that applies here: Ask and you will receive; seek and you will find.
The people I worry about are the ones who think they know everything...and therefore never bother asking...or seeking. There's a lot of that going around these days.
But getting back to Dabo, which is where this all started, I don't know, I've always had a bit of a soft spot for the guy, and that quote of his in the OP is a stitch: God's Name, Image, and Likeness. Haha! Love it!
The fact is, Dabo's cornball religiosity is neither popular nor fashionable these days. But I think it's sincere on his part, and I respect him for that. As Walt noted above, if he won a national championship at Penn State, a lot of fans might suddenly get religion.
Clemson's loss to Tennessee, however, does to bring to mind the cautionary statement of a high school basketball coach to one of his players who made the sign of the cross before free throws: The problem with that, son, is if you miss, it makes God look bad...
The types that do this, to me, fall into the hardcore category
See, IMHO, you can be a person of high character whether or not you practice religion
I myself have seen this over and over and over in my life
I don't disagree, TBH. But you know this how? Aren't other people entitled to their opinions?
On this comment: "I've known some people who professed to be Christian but in my opinion acted anything but. Talking the talk is easy. Walking the walk: not so much."
The line is "Christians aren't perfect, just forgiven." Just because you are a Christian doesn't make you infallible. In fact, the opposite is often true. People are driven to religion due to weaknesses like booze, drugs, sex, gambling, etc. That isn't an excuse. Religion teaches us to do the best we can. If you are truly repentive and are doing everything you can to improve, you are still loved. Again, that isn't a free pass to beat someone up every weekend and then repent on Monday.
People are certainly entitled to their opinions, without a doubt. When that opinion infringes on my religious freedom in the form of a "repent and see the light, join us or you're doomed" lecture is where I have a problem.
Not sure what exactly you're asking me when you say "you know this how?" I will say that it seems quite narrow minded to believe that there is only one true religion, especially when less than a third of the world's population ascribes to it.
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That's fine...but it is your opinion. I actually share that opinion. I think that most of the world's major religions all share 99% of the same teachings. Most of these are centered around avoiding vices and how to engage with one another. I really don't think God will send you to "hell" because you drop F-bombs.
I am always mindful to not confuse the message with the messenger. Lots of people have hijacked religion for their own good.
One of the problems I've seen is people will hammer a specific issue relative to a larger religion, like Roman Catholics. But nobody discusses what they do at a local level. For example, my local church does a lot relative to helping older, handicapped, poor or shut ins. This fall there was a major program to rake leaves and insulate homes. They have programs for people addicted, going through a divorce or transitioning from losing a spouse. So I can understand people being annoyed by Dabo, understand that there is a TON of stuff that the local churches do that you'll never hear about
Regardless all of that, millions of people have found ways to navigate through life, successfully, through religious teachings. I think that is great.
I agree with everything you said Obli. IMO, like everything in life, religion/faith are best taken in moderation and I completely agree that millions, if not billions, of people around the world are better for it.
Sounds like your local church does many wonderful things for the community, which is awesome. As a society we could use more positivity like that all day, every day.
I am glad we found common ground.
I feel like I am spiritual but I don't follow any one religion. I feel religion has been hijacked and used. But if you study them, they all have wonderful common elements about how to navigate life. At the time of the emergence of most of the major world's religions, communication was limited. So I look at Christianity, Muslim, Judaism, and more as "channels". By channels I mean like Best Buy has stores, store drive-throughs, home delivery, etc. They had to have multiple channels, at the time, to reach all of the people in the world.
Then I look at the bible as a parable. For example, I think Adam and Eve is the story of why we are put on earth. Paradise is only paradise in comparison to those things that are not paradise. Paradise is like eating nothing but sugar. Pretty soon, it is just what is expected. All good is only good because of the reality of bad in comparison. So God explains that paradise isn't satisfying. It is the struggle and achievement without paradise that makes one happy. And we are put on earth to measure how we manage the journey and that is the ticket to eternal life.
Just my opinion, of course!
But overall, whatever works for you. I have a local guy, who did time for drugs and is a raging recovering alcoholic who drives his bike to church every morning at 6 am to keep him on the straight and narrow: rain, shine, snow. He lost his driver's license. He is roman catholic but the meetings are at the local presbyterian church. How can anyone not love the value this church is providing?
Having said all of that, I am a defender of religion. I can be accused of being over protective. But it does but me that these awful preachers get a ton of media attention but nobody goes to the local church to cover all of the community support they provide....perhaps because that has become "expected" and isn't news.
If I am wrong, there is no heaven or hell. What if you are wrong? We both can not be right.
See my additions/responses above.
It truly baffles me that someone can have such a narrow-minded view of the world. It really does. But you are entitled to your opinion. I, for one, wish for you perhaps a little less blind faith and a little more understanding and tolerance for those who have different beliefs than yours.
Well said and I agree with one big qualifier: forgiveness is not automatic. You don't get it by virtue of claiming to be Christian. Rather, you have to acknowledge the sin and ask to be forgiven for it.
Except a bunch of people on your side of the equation have put me in the "hard-core category" even though I don't do this judging thing...and never have.
No doubt in my mind: an individual person can be "high-character" and not practice religion. The question is whether a nation and society can be the equivalent of "high-character" (or even in the end survive) if its institutions and Ruling Class have contempt for religion.
We're on the road to finding out the answer to that. Early indications are not promising...
that's right...my wife says apologies come in two parts: "sorry" and "it will never happen again." In the end, only you know if you are truly repentive.
Romans 1 has many answers, but I assume, by your statement, that you wouldn't believe it anyhow. But that's what faith is all about. No sense in us debating whether God is real or not. College taught me that we are all an accident. But there are all kinds of atheists on record as responding to the question "if someone could prove the existence of God to you, or that Jesus is who He claimed to be, would you follow Him?" Their answer was no, with the reasoning that they would have to change the way they live!
In monotheistic religions) the creator and ruler of the universe and source of all moral authority; the supreme being is deh8bed as God. By definition, there isvonly one Supreme ruler. I don't judge people on their choice to believe or not.
Honest answer--religion is about believing something that helps you in life. If you're wrong--then it still provided you comfort. I'm not religious but I understand why people are.
The difference in America, compared to many nations, is that we as an overall society aren't condemning all religions. We're turning on Christianity. In many nations, you can't be an openly practicing Christian. There must be a sound reason for that, but I'm not discerning enough to figure it out.
Despite what some here may think, or have assumed, I am not an atheist. Nor, obviously, do I actively practice religion. I do believe that I am a moral person. When my time on this rock is done, if there is a "supreme being" to meet, I will be able to look he/she in the eye and confidently say I've done far more good than bad in my life. If that is good enough, fine; if not, so be it.
In this thread I agree with Obli that all the world's major religions are more alike than different, that churches on a microscopic level do amazing amounts of good things for their communities and that countless people around the world benefit greatly from religion in their lives. I am not against anyone having religion in their life, be it Christianity, Judaism, etc. What surprises me is when a person practices their religion so fanatically that they cannot even acknowledge the existence of others. That type of narrow-minded thinking can be dangerous, IMO.
What I strongly disagree with is anyone who attempts to impose their religion on anyone else. Don't knock on my door, tell me what book I have to read, etc. You do you, I'll do me and every person on the planet can do them.
Peace out y'all, on this topic. On an unrelated note, it's hard not to be happy with PSU football finishing the season ranked #7 by the AP and good luck to the rasslers as they prepare to stomp the state of Meatchicken next weekend.
In this thread I agree with Obli that all the world's major religions are more alike than different, that churches on a microscopic level do amazing amounts of good things for their communities and that countless people around the world benefit greatly from religion in their lives. I am not against anyone having religion in their life, be it Christianity, Judaism, etc. What surprises me is when a person practices their religion so fanatically that they cannot even acknowledge the existence of others. That type of narrow-minded thinking can be dangerous, IMO.
What I strongly disagree with is anyone who attempts to impose their religion on anyone else. Don't knock on my door, tell me what book I have to read, etc. You do you, I'll do me and every person on the planet can do them.
Peace out y'all, on this topic. On an unrelated note, it's hard not to be happy with PSU football finishing the season ranked #7 by the AP and good luck to the rasslers as they prepare to stomp the state of Meatchicken next weekend.
All good thoughts that I can agree with. But I would like to point out that one must take precautions to NOT assume everyone who is "of faith" is an overzealous nut.
Agree x 100. My life experience is that most people keep their religious lives fairly private with only a very small number feeling the need to "show others the light." That small group is often quite vocal, again, in my experience.
Um, what was that about money-changers in the temple??? LendingTree is your sponsor, heretic.
Well, it seems that many in this nation have been brought to prayer because of a Buffalo Bill football player dying on the field, and it's been made very public. Yet, there was no uproar when a high school coach was fired for praying with his players! What a two faced society we have become. It's like that old saying, there aren't many atheists in foxholes.
Mary, you know the verse "You shall seek me and find me when you search for me with all your heart?" The Lord has never rewarded half hearted seeking, or selfish seeking. Those who don't believe have depended on their own understanding, so have never seriously sought the Lord.
Over 100 adults are saved in my church every week, not because they were seeking but because a friend invited them. Once there, the gospel is preached, God is praised, people are convicted, they repent, they accept Christ and are saved. In a village of 3800 people, we get 1800+ every Sunday. We are building a new sanctuary of 1270 seats.
Our experience is that people are saved because a friend that they like invites them to church.
On Wednesday night, we get 400+ children and teenagers to youth services. People who live among dead churches never see how God is working in other parts of America.
