From: rpitts@emperor.gatech.edu (Richard Pitts)
Newsgroups: talk.religion.misc
Subject: Re: Top 10 Reasons for Believing in the Deity of Jesus Christ.
Date: 13 Apr 92 12:58:38 GMT
Organization: CERL-EE, Georgia Institue of Technology

Richard,

    Thanks for the response to my replies.  

In article <1992Apr12.193615.10592@wam.umd.edu> you write:
>57910
>Richard Pitts writes:
[...]
>I guess what you guys believe, then, is a function of the belief system you
>grew up under.  Human beings that like to argue about these types of things,
>I assert, should really take more responsibility for determining WHY they
>believe the things they do.  Aside from spinning like a dervish around the
>non-reason, "because it's TRUE!!!" that is.

    Since you are so convienced that I don't understand that other's
do not believe the way Christian's believe, could you tell me what 
gives you such confidence to that the way you believe is correct?

    Do you adhere to any religous order?  Which?

> 
>My point here is that I can't see what value spirituality has if it is built
>upon "belief."  Certain things are facts, and these things take place whether
>or not one believes in them.  If one doesn't believe in the tennents of
>Christianity, then THEY AREN'T TRUE.  (You've demonstrated dozens of times
>that this point goes right over your head -- so I expect a certain kneejerk
>reaction from you at this point.  As an example, take the assertions of Islam
>about Jesus.  You don't believe them, and they aren't true to you.  Get it?
>It works both ways!)  One doesn't require a belief in, say, the process of
>digestion for it to take place.  Digestion is a fact.  I would say that valid
>spirituality might be along those lines, but I don't think it's appropriate
>to discuss with you the possible forms of said spirituality.  I don't sense
>that you're into spirituality, I sense that you're into being "right."  These
>are very different things.
 
What do your base your belief system on?  I have been given information
via Christianity and the Bible, which tells me how we got to this point
in history - how the world was created, how sin entered the world, how
God provides us salvation and eternal life.  This is the light I have
been given - I am responsible for that.  

A benefit of spirituality, as you put it, is that you can have a 
relationship with God - where there is no barrier between you and God.  We
all have fallen short of what God wants, but through what Jesus did for
us, we can have this relationship by placing our trust in him and the work
he did to pay for our sins - we are transformed out of God's wrath 
into his kingdom, which includes eternal life.

Sure I can think and dream up theories on how the world evolved or whatever, 
but in your mind what differences does it make, if I follow the Creator God 
and His Son, Jesus the Christ?  If you want to compare various religions
with Christianity, let us do that.  If you want to compare Christianity to
a no god world view you can do that, too.

>> It is hard for me to tell - Is this your view or is it the Muslim view (that
>> there is no contradition?)
> 
>I don't speak for Islam.  Neither do you speak for Christianity, but I sense
>that it might be quite some time before you realize it.

I am not THE speaker for Christianity, but if you want, you can gladly point
out where I misrepresent Christianity.


Sincerely,
Richard Pitts
-- 
rpitts@cerl.gatech.edu       |    
Atlanta, GA                --|-- 
                        -|-  |  -|-
                         |   |   |