Conversation with Knight about losing faith

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chrysostom

Well-known member
Hall of Fame
It's real easy to excuse ourselves of all responsibility for the damage we do to others. And in an ideal way, I suppose it's true that if others were impervious to our insults, and our selfishness, we could do them no harm.

But who is that impervious? No one that I know of.

So this parade of self-excusing that I've seen going on on this thread doesn't entirely wash with me. Because we all know that no one is that impervious to us. And so we ARE responsible to some degree for the damage we do to another's psyche with our own anger, resentment, selfishness, and stupidity. We are not entirely responsible, but we are still somewhat responsible.

Because we know better. And because we could have been better to others as a result of our knowing better.

it is true
we are responsible for what comes out of our mouth
and
it is only our salvation that depends on what we do
 

rocketman

Resident Rocket Surgeon
Hall of Fame
Thank you, you've got most of it in a nutshell, I'm glad you can see where I'm coming from. It's discouraging.

And yes, and that's exactly what Knight said to someone else in the thread yesterday, that he believes in OSAS, so someone was either still a Christian or he never was.

How telling...that you find agreement & solace in the words given by an angry godless atheist who also blames others (mainly other Christians) for his own "loss of faith". What a very convenient way of shirking personal responsibility for your own failings.

It's also a convenient way of washing one's hands, not taking any responsibility for one's behavior, and essentially shrugging off the repercussions of your actions. A classic "tough, not my problem" sort of trump card. Essentially, a lot of Christians refuse to acknowledge the possibility their behavior's capable of leading anyone astray, or even damaging the faith of another. That's...potentially quite dangerous.

I will agree that some make poor examples but, the only example we really should be watching is Christ's, no? Faith is a personal journey, it doesn't "take a village" for faith to manifest nor can the blame be shifted when a person makes the choice to divest themselves of faith. Instead of looking at anothers walk take a gander at your own because in the end God won't take your excuse that "this guy did this" or "those Christians acted like that" He will judge you based upon what you believed alone...no excuses, in the end your faith is your problem and your problem alone regardless of how others have acted and they too will give account.
 

rocketman

Resident Rocket Surgeon
Hall of Fame
It's real easy to excuse ourselves of all responsibility for the damage we do to others. And in an ideal way, I suppose it's true that if others were impervious to our insults, and our selfishness, we could do them no harm.

But who is that impervious? No one that I know of.

So this parade of self-excusing that I've seen going on on this thread doesn't entirely wash with me. Because we all know that no one is that impervious to us. And so we ARE responsible to some degree for the damage we do to another's psyche with our own anger, resentment, selfishness, and stupidity. We are not entirely responsible, but we are still somewhat responsible.

Because we know better. And because we could have been better to others as a result of our knowing better.

Great amount of words to use when excusing your own personal responsibility. I can assure you that when you stand before a Holy God your excuse that others are responsible for your condition of faith or the lack thereof won't wash. We have an entire generation of people that make excuses, it is time to put on your big boy pants and take responsibility for your own words, actions, feelings, your own faith... you are in charge of all of these things regardless of outside influence.
 

genuineoriginal

New member
Well said Chrys! and I would add on to it by saying that if you or anyone "lost Faith" because of others, a website, etc. I would say they never had faith to begin with.
The Bible speaks of people with weak faith and people with strong faith.
Which of those two are you claiming never had faith to begin with?
 

PureX

Well-known member
Great amount of words to use when excusing your own personal responsibility. I can assure you that when you stand before a Holy God your excuse that others are responsible for your condition of faith or the lack thereof won't wash. We have an entire generation of people that make excuses, it is time to put on your big boy pants and take responsibility for your own words, actions, feelings, your own faith... you are in charge of all of these things regardless of outside influence.
God couldn't care less what religion we ascribe to. Or if we ascribe to no religion at all. So my only concern for other people "losing their faith" (meaning their religious beliefs) is that I know it's a very difficult time, for them. They are feeling much fear, and strife, and confusion. And I empathize with their discomfort, and would not want to increase it with my own behavior.

Losing that other kind of faith, however: trusting in the unknown and unknowable, that's far more serious. Because that kind of a loss of faith can end a life. Fortunately, for nearly all of us, that kind of loss of faith is rare, because we tend to protect that for ourselves and within ourselves, automatically. Innately.

Sometimes, however, people confuse and conflate these two different kinds of faith, so that when their religious beliefs fall apart, they feel they're losing their faith in everything, all together. They almost always are not, but it's a very scary time, and there is some danger that they could. So we really need to be mindful of all this, with others if we are capable of such insight and empathy. (Many are not.)
 

rocketman

Resident Rocket Surgeon
Hall of Fame
The Bible speaks of people with weak faith and people with strong faith.
Which of those two are you claiming never had faith to begin with?

Mark 4:38 He himself was in the stern, asleep on the cushion, and they woke him up, and told him, “Teacher, don’t you care that we are dying?”
Mark 4:39 ¶ He awoke, and rebuked the wind, and said to the sea, “Peace! Be still!” The wind ceased, and there was a great calm.
Mark 4:40 He said to them, “Why are you so afraid? How is it that you have no faith?”

Even those that think they may have faith don't when the test comes. I agree that it is probably more of a weakness in faith than an absence but, since you are picking fly specks from the pepper, above we see Christ accusing the disciples of having "no faith".
 

musterion

Well-known member
You're a venomous, bile filled little crank who's only reason for posting here is to troll and take out your own obvious frustrations in life on others via the net. You flame out more than November the 5th, harass and stalk other posters who could outwit you while comatose and are generally a complete pratt.

Prat is misspelled.

Other than that you're a veritable ambassador of Christian charity.

:plain:

And you're a hypocrite for finger-wagging someone else with a standard you have no interest in observing yourself.
 

patrick jane

BANNED
Banned
God couldn't care less what religion we ascribe to. Or if we ascribe to no religion at all. So my only concern for other people "losing their faith" (meaning their religious beliefs) is that I know it's a very difficult time, for them. They are feeling much fear, and strife, and confusion. And I empathize with their discomfort, and would not want to increase it with my own behavior.

Losing that other kind of faith, however: trusting in the unknown and unknowable, that's far more serious. Because that kind of a loss of faith can end a life. Fortunately, for nearly all of us, that kind of loss of faith is rare, because we tend to protect that for ourselves and within ourselves, automatically. Innately.

Sometimes, however, people confuse and conflate these two different kinds of faith, so that when their religious beliefs fall apart, they feel they're losing their faith in everything, all together. They almost always are not, but it's a very scary time, and there is some danger that they could. So we really need to be mindful of all this, with others if we are capable of such insight and empathy. (Many are not.)

Many are not is right, even here. Good post and good points
 

serpentdove

BANNED
Banned
You're asking Knight to care more about your salvation than you do. :AMR: You start a gossip thread about his Christianity when admitadly you aren't a Christian yourself (Mt 7:3).
 

Arthur Brain

Well-known member
Prat is misspelled.

You can actually spell it both ways over here although the one 't' is the more common. I added the additional 't' for extra emphasis...

And you're a hypocrite for finger-wagging someone else with a standard you have no interest in observing yourself.

'Finger wagging'? I was just saying it how it is. He's a troll. I'd sooner he wasn't but he's proved it time and again. It's not like I wish him to burn in some fiery hell and gloat at the prospect or some such unlike...
 

genuineoriginal

New member
Mark 4:38 He himself was in the stern, asleep on the cushion, and they woke him up, and told him, “Teacher, don’t you care that we are dying?”
Mark 4:39 ¶ He awoke, and rebuked the wind, and said to the sea, “Peace! Be still!” The wind ceased, and there was a great calm.
Mark 4:40 He said to them, “Why are you so afraid? How is it that you have no faith?”

Even those that think they may have faith don't when the test comes. I agree that it is probably more of a weakness in faith than an absence but, since you are picking fly specks from the pepper, above we see Christ accusing the disciples of having "no faith".
By your definition, that means they are damned.

However, this example from a parable explains how a person can have faith and lose it:

Matthew 13:20-21
20 But he that received the seed into stony places, the same is he that heareth the word, and anon with joy receiveth it;
21 Yet hath he not root in himself, but dureth for a while: for when tribulation or persecution ariseth because of the word, by and by he is offended.​


When a person is weak of faith experiences tribulation or persecution that causes them to exceed the little faith they have, that person loses faith.

Here is an example that shows how to restore faith when it is lost:


Matthew 14:28-31
28 And Peter answered him and said, Lord, if it be thou, bid me come unto thee on the water.
29 And he said, Come. And when Peter was come down out of the ship, he walked on the water, to go to Jesus.
30 But when he saw the wind boisterous, he was afraid; and beginning to sink, he cried, saying, Lord, save me.
31 And immediately Jesus stretched forth his hand, and caught him, and said unto him, O thou of little faith, wherefore didst thou doubt?​

When Peter lost faith after he exceeded his little faith, he started to sink.
Only after he cried "Lord save me" did Jesus respond.
 

ok doser

lifeguard at the cement pond
You're a venomous, bile filled little crank who's only reason for posting here is to troll and take out your own obvious frustrations in life on others via the net. You flame out more than November the 5th, harass and stalk other posters who could outwit you while comatose and are generally a complete pratt.

Other than that you're a veritable ambassador of Christian charity.

:plain:


8759132035_ac16a4c70f.jpg



Over where?


he's british

explains a lot, doesn't it? :chuckle:
 

Arthur Brain

Well-known member
Over where?

The UK, not that it matters.

As far as it goes he speaks the truth, his alleged gloating aside. His is only one of the many warnings you are refusing to heed. Your blood will be on your own head, not ours.

What "truth"? If you wanna believe in a fiery hell then knock yourself out, there's all manner of Christians who don't and with good reason. There's nothing "alleged" about his gloating as any number of people who've witnessed his rancid bile could tell you, not that you'd care anyway I suspect.
 

Lon

Well-known member
Can a 'person' make you lose faith? :nono:

1) We all recognize that representatives aren't always the 'best' representatives. TOL, especially, is a 'smack' kind of place. It is ridiculous for someone who doesn't like 'smack' to come here. I suppose 'friends' is a reason, but that had to generally take time while smack was taking place.

2) Christianity isn't just about 'us.' If it were, it wouldn't be Christianity. Granite, a year ago, was right about that: We believe a "Christian" is identified more regarding his/her relationship to Savior than people associated with Him. It doesn't always happen, but we should have a greater appreciation for the difference between a faultless God, and His faulty (but found faultless) people.

3) If you lose your focus from the trophy, you lose the prize. You may quit something because of somebody, but it is the local group you quit, not the whole.
For instance, I might quit football because I don't like members of the team or coach, but I'd really have to have become jaded to hate football ever after that AND it isn't an acceptable expectation or excuse imo.
You CAN'T blame me or someone else for something so drastic. NOBODY can keep me from Christ, NOBODY. If such were the case, I wasn't playing football for the game, was I? If I am not doing something because I love the goal of it, any complaining/blaming afterwards is all about ME and no one else. That much is CERTAINLY true. -Lon
 
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