Recent content by Clete

It isn't interpretations that "aren't mine" that are disallowed per se. It's irrational interpretations that literally ANY theological position whatsoever could survive. Understand the difference? If the things you say are valid, there's nothing YOU could say that would falsify ANYONE'S doctrine...

It seems that no matter how short my responses are, you are able to post mile long posts in response to them. No. None of those fit. All of those are examples of how the government ought not commit one UNJUST action in order to accomplish an act of justice. The ends don't justify the means. No...

Absolutely, that why we're here! This is the most intellectually stimulating discussion I've had on TOL is a very long time! I'm loving it! Completely awesome post! Don't let the brevity of my response imply otherwise! In the context of criminal justice, tell me the difference between a moral...

@soulquestion, Are you now or have you ever been a member of... Edgar Cayce’s Association for Research and Enlightenment They have a webinar that seems right up your alley! Jesus the Pattern: Resurrecting the Christ Spirit Within

Okay, so I had quite a lot written in response to this that I just deleted because I was getting too frustrated and it was getting off target anyway. I truly do not understand why I can't seem to find the words needed to make you see the point here. It's clearly a paradigm issue. Once you see...

The why is implied in the question, JR. You ask, "Does justice require....?" If the answer is yes, then it's because justice requires it. I know, I know, that's circular as stated, but only on its face. It's really a "by definition" argument. Do we have to go into what it is that makes...

soulquestion, How many of the following 16 points would you endorse? Preexistence of souls: Human souls existed with God before entering physical bodies. Separation from God: Souls became separated from their original spiritual relationship with God through the misuse of free will...

Yes. I'd say it was quite good. And Gemini wasn't wrong when it said that Open Theists believe the stuff about knowing all present facts, etc. A great many open theists do indeed believe that. In fact, those of us who had the benefit of Bob's teaching are the only one's I know of that teach it...

Okay, so do you always answer questions by NOT answering them? Look, you are very clearly not a Christian and so I have a serious question that I would genuinely like to have an answer to... Why do you pretend? What is the pay off for you to pretend? Why do you care at all about what the...

If we can eventually achieve righteousness through our own efforts, why did Jesus Christ have to die?

That's right! As I said to him in that same post... "You instinctively bring the bible into it because you desire for your beliefs to have the Bible's credibility. A thief in an expensive suit is still a thief." He wants to have the credibility that adherence to the bible offers without...

I see. I was misreading it. I don't even know what the term "future knowledge" would mean. Outside the context of the doctrine of foreknowledge. Within that context, it seems "future knowledge" would be effectively synonymous with "foreknowledge" in which case, why bother using it? Outside that...

Seems to me like he definitely implied that he does not believe that Jesus is God and merely believes that his existence prior to being Jesus was just his previous "reincarnation". He clearly is not a Christian. I don't have any idea why he cares to make it look like he is one.

No. 'God knowing what He knows' is a tautology. I don't see any need to preserve the sentence at all. Just drop it. God's knowledge differs from ours primarily in its scope, accuracy and the intelligence with which He processes information, rather than in the fundamental nature of knowing...

Genesis 18:20 And the Lord said, “Because the outcry against Sodom and Gomorrah is great, and because their sin is very grave, 21 I will go down now and see whether they have done altogether according to the outcry against it that has come to Me; and if not, I will know.”