From: mlee@post.RoyalRoads.ca (Malcolm Lee)
Subject: Re: THE MIND OF THE BIBLE BELIEVER
Organization: Royal Roads Military College, Victoria, B.C.
Distribution: world,public
Date: Wed, 6 Jan 1993 17:13:37 GMT


In article <1993Jan6.030449.9737@netcom.com>, madhaus@netcom.com (Maddi Hausmann) writes:
|> mlee@post.RoyalRoads.ca (Malcolm Lee) writes: >
|> 
|> >But we can have eternal life and the knowledge of good and evil.
|> >Sure, when God placed the Tree of Knowledge of good and evil in the Garden, HE
|> >knew that the people would partake of it and be condemned to death as well as 
|> >all the generations that followed them.  GOD knew this!  
|> >   That is why He provided a plan for salvation through His one and only Son,
|> >Jesus Christ.  We are living in the age of grace whereby we may be saved IF we
|> >choose to follow Jesus.  There's nothing more to it than that.  
|> >    Maybe I'm being too simplistic.  I don't post too often but I am a firm
|> >believer and I just couldn't stand by silent in admidst this debate.  I don't
|> >mean to flame anyone.  After all, Jesus came into this world to save not to
|> >condemn.  And in His likeness, I would not do the same.
|> 
|> This is my major objection to Xianity.  It's a double-bind.
|> Psychologically, it offers both condemnation and salvation.
|> It tells you you're damned, but on the other hand, here's
|> the way out.  This is POISON, pure and simple.  Everything
|> we know about mental health says that this is an unhealthy
|> belief system.
|> 
|> A system offers redemption that is *external*, then it
|> can maintain control over its adherents.  And that is
|> the intention.  Good psychological health requires the
|> ability to accept oneself by oneself.
|> 
|> Read some Jung or Joseph Campbell.  Any religion that
|> externalizes a godhead is at a primative stage in
|> human development, including literal (fundamentalist
|> and evangelical) Christianity.
|> 
|> >    I welcome your response.
|> 
|> Here it is.  Read some of the books others have referred
|> to here, such as Cohen's book, and let us know if it made
|> any impact.
|> 
|> -- 
|> Maddi Hausmann                       |  The Truth is still The Truth, forsooth 
|> madhaus@netcom.com                   |  Even if believing It you refuse
|> Centigram Communications Corp        |  Complete disproof's uncouth and moot
|> San Jose California  408/428-3553    |  A Fundie's brain is dead.
|> 

I thank you for your response.
Understand that I do not speak from ignorance but rather, from experience.  I
was a very avid, non-believer for 25 years of my life.  I had everything I had
hoped to achieve in life (education and steady employment) and yet, there was
still something missing.  I cannot begin to tell you how empty my life felt.  I
had believed in all the things that we were taught would make us happy in this
world . . . money, money and more money.  But I was NOT happy.  That was somthing
wrong.

I'm not a Psych major and I can't fully explain it.  It was not until I came to
know my Lord and Saviour that I gained a sense of purpose and fulfillment in my
life.  I had friends around me but it was not the same as having the family of
Christ around me.

This is my testimony, not just my opinion.  I don't worship a religion.  I worship
the one and only God.  If my church should burn down or my pastor move away, I
still have my faith in Christ Jesus.  I am still Christian.  He gives me the
strength to continue on when my strength is gone.  I need Him and I love Him.  

I don't see how you can find fault with this.

God loves, Man kills.
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