From: rpitts@emperor.gatech.edu (Richard Pitts)
Newsgroups: talk.religion.misc
Subject: Re: Polytheism
Date: 14 Aug 92 12:25:33 GMT
Organization: CERL-EE, Georgia Institue of Technology


Thanks Paul for the insight. :-)

In article <Bsy358.CMx@nntp-sc.Intel.COM> pharvey@mipos3.intel.com (Paul Harvey) writes:
|In article <65902@hydra.gatech.EDU> 
|rpitts@emperor.gatech.edu (Richard Pitts) writes:
|>Where did the idea of 'conversion is evil' come from-could someone elaborate?
|
|What, you've never heard of it before? You think conversion is good? What do
|you think about this nasty work of conversion? If something is so good, why
|does it require salesmen? Why is a free gift give-away gimick called on?

NO I've never heard of this idea - again, give some background - that's
what I asked for.

To which free gift give-away gimick are you referring?

|>How about having direct revelation from the Creator that tells us how to
|>judge actions?
|
|Ah, did you ever stop and think that maybe, just maybe you were being misled
|by someone? What kind of God would tell you how to judge others? Who is the
|only one who can judge? I warn you that the Christian Devil is very tricky,
|He particulary enjoys tormenting those who claim to be Christians in Christ's
|name.

True, one could be misled.  The Creator God is who can tell us how to judge.

What kind of insight do you have into the Christian Devil that you know
his schemes?

|>Jesus claims to be THE way, not A way.
|
|Well, He made quite a few claims, at least that is what it says in the
|New Testament. The NT also says that Jesus said in order to be a follower, one
|must HATE mother and father, one must HATE all, in fact even oneself. Don't

I guess you have missed the discussions on how the word HATE is to be 
implies to love less, huh?

|be so trusting and dogmatic about an English translation of a text written
|in Alexandria, Egypt in Greek about a man who spoke in Aramaic. Must I warn
|you about the Christian Devel again. Always use your mind and think, never

You may attempt to warn me with your understanding for the Christian Devil, 
but what do you use as your authority or information source?

|put blind faith in any words. I assure you that that is a trap from you
|know who. Of course, you realize that the Christian Devil claims to be THE
|one way also. You expected differently?

Is your Christian Devil the same one that is recorded in the Bible as 
tempting Jesus in the wilderness experience?

|>I believe one can convert to Judaism - requires circumcision on the part
|>of the male.  In fact, I think there are some laws governing this in the OT.
|>People convert to Judaism today - even from Christianity - how I'm not sure,
|>for 'leaving Christianity' forsakes the Savior (Jesus the Christ), it they
|>truly believed that anyway.
|
|Yes, but why is it that the Jews never sought to actively convert non-Jews?
|Excluding a minor episode in Hellenistic Palistine when the center of Judaism
|had moved to Babylon.

I think this move to Babylon was several hundred years before Jesus mentioned
the activities of proselytizing, as recorded in the gospels.

|>Forcing is not the attitude to be desired - compelling or presenting reasons
|>to believe is the approach - the Holy Spirit is the one who convicts the
|>world of sin, righteousness, and judgement.  We are to go and teach.
|
|Yes, forcing is the work of the Devil. As teacher, one must be careful that

Forcing may be the work of the Devil.

|the teacher is providing learning material and not forcing material on to
|the students. Students were created by the creator, not to be programmed by
|some teacher looking for converts.
|
|>I will note that the tribal God of the Jews (founder Abram, know now as
|>Abraham) was the Creator and not just one of these other gods.  If you 
|>noticed these other Gods often had idols of wood and metal, which can't
|>do anything - Jehovah (the Creator) was different, for he said he didn't
|>want anything like this.
|
|Like the use of a wooden cross as an idol, perhaps?

If it is an idol, YES.  Is it an idol to every one that has one, NO.
In fact, I'd say the percentage is pretty low.

|>I don't think there is any Biblical basis for increasing one's chance of
|>getting into heaven based on the number of converted souls.
|
|Good for you, unfortunately, there are such believers, still today.

Agreed.

|>Jesus said of the leaders of the day that they searched far
|>and wide to make a convert, but in so doing they condemned the one they
|>found, because of their legalism, I believe.
|
|Or perhaps searching for converts is the work of the Christian Devil?

If the sole purpose is pride in the number of converts, maybe so.

|>This assumption of 'conversion = evil' needs to be substantiated before 
|>this thought has any worth.
|
|What do you mean by substantiation? What test do you propose?

I asked for background previously and so have again - that would be 
sufficient, for now.

|>Agreed, religion has often been used wrongly.
|
|Yes, it is very easy to misinterpret, and it is very easy to fall into the
|hands of the Christian Devil, isn't it?
|
|>rpitts@cerl.gatech.edu       |    
|>Atlanta, GA                --|-- 
|>                        -|-  |  -|-
|>                         |   |   |
|
|Would that be some type of icon you have there?

Not for me, if the real questions is this an idol.  It is a symbol, but
I don't worship it.

Sincerely,
Richard Pitts
-- 
rpitts@cerl.gatech.edu       |    
Atlanta, GA                --|-- 
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Newsgroups: talk.religion.misc