From: pmy@vivaldi.acc.virginia.edu (Pete Yadlowsky)
Newsgroups: talk.religion.misc
Subject: Re: Top 10 Reasons for Believing in the Deity of Jesus Christ.
Date: 10 Apr 92 14:59:18 GMT
Organization: Academic Computing, University of Virginia

In article <54092@hydra.gatech.EDU> rpitts@emperor.gatech.edu (Richard Pitts) writes:

>>Once again: does the path you choose seem right to you?

>The way I and other Christian choose is not the natural way for anyone, for
>we all have fallen short.  We have responded to what God has provided for
>us - salvation/eteranal life - through His Son, Jesus the Christ, who was

yeah, yeah. You just can't say it, can you? Try standing in front of a
mirror; use your fingers to help form the words on your lips. Perhaps
you could call a friend over to coach you in this utterance:

	"I have chosen this path because it seems right unto me."

>>>Jesus Christ, The Son of God, is the Way.

>>Well, the muslims say it ain't. The muslims say that you have veered from
>>God's way in your belief that Jesus is God's son. In the eyes of Allah,
>>you have taken a path that "seems right unto man". 

>I have already posed this question and if you want to compare Chritianity to
>the muslim faith, I ask 
>   Since muslims consider Jesus a prophet, much like Mohommed, how do they
>or you reconcile him being called the Son of God, Lord, Savior, The Annointed
>One, etc ?

Anybody can call anybody anything! What's so puzzling about that?

>>>>It seems then that the true, saving faith must be based on something so
>>>>absurd and disagreeable that nobody in their right mind could believe in it.

>>[ God's_wisdom -> world's_foolishness line returned for insufficient
>>  relevance ]

>Not seeing the relevance enhances the point.   The statement on believing 
>something that has to be absurd and the such is what I responded to.  
>For we preach Christ crucified, FOOLISHNESS to those who are seeking 
>wisdom and A STUMBLING BLOCK to those who seek a sign.

No, you're still not getting it. Your adopting this belief would imply
that it is not foolish in your eyes, unless you make a practice of
believing in things you consider foolish. It has been instantly transformed
into something "right unto (at least one) man". You've put yourself in
danger of falling into the same trap you warn against. What makes you so
sure that, in your limited human wisdom, you haven't completely missed
God's point in your taking up this way that seems right unto you?

It seems to me that the only things for a good believer to do are to spend
life silently watching, asking and listening, never exalting oneself to
proclaim to others what is right and wrong. For all you know, God is up there
rolling his eyes and sending memos to Quality Control.

>>Try to resist the Bible-reach reaction:

>Why would you want to restrict me or anyone else to not being able to use
>the Bible????  It is a source of knowledge, more than I or anyone else has.

It is a source of myth and philosophy. I would like to see you do more
thinking and less reacting, as in popping out pat answers, e.g. God's
wisdom/man's foolishness.

>Christianity is not man's way - religion: working to get to God is man's way.

Well, I can only respond "sez you". Christianity is a religion, one of the
world's many. It proposes a saviour figure as a means of getting to God, as
opposed to some other means.

>Ask Allah how much work you have to do to get to heaven.  What if you
>don't do one of these works???

I don't know. I'm not a muslim and I don't care about getting to heaven.

>I think [muslims] hold that the Old Testament is valid, it is hard to see how
>they hold the New Testament as valid and yet not see Jesus as God's Son.

Well, let's ask: Muslims?

--
Peter M. Yadlowsky              |         Laden e-mail runs
Academic Computing Center       | Bumbling, creaking through the net
University of Virginia          |         Sysadmins tremble.
pmy@Virginia.EDU                |                      - after Buson
Newsgroups: talk.religion.misc