Quote:
Originally posted by Cloudbringer:
SC... I'm not sure, but you sound mighty sarcastic here. Apologies in advance if this wasn't meant that way.
It is not bizarre at all, but I think one needs to have a relationship with God to fully comprehend this. We are sinners, all of us. We are enjoined by God to NOT sin and so as good Christians we attempt to not sin. We are not perfect and thus we will do it. God has promised us forgiveness if we ask for it.. not just flippantly saying 'hey, sorry, forgive me' but if we truly REPENT the sin and want forgiveness for what we have done, intending to NOT do it anymore. True repentance means you are sorry for what you have done (or not done) and plan not to repeat the offense. Doesn't mean we don't, but if we attempt to be good, faithful Christians, we try every day to be better at not sinning.
Guess the key here is the honest intent, the true repentance. And that, my dear Cheetah is only felt in the sincere relationship with God, and if one has that relationship, forgiveness is attainable.
I may have misunderstood your post but it seemed a sarcastic insinuation that we Christians just offhand say we are forgiven and boom! run off and do the same thing again with no thought for right and wrong. Not so, if the Christian in question is devout and sincere. (And yes, there are always those who blow smoke and aren't sincere.. I acknowledge that)
Cloudy
|
Cloudy, sorry, no, I was not being sarcastic about Christian beliefs per se, I was responding to what Liliara wrote, as follows:
'I do not gloat over those that the Lord will squell baecause they use his name to kill and maim innocent people. But as a human with a human spirit, I cannot help but feel a satisfaction with today's events. I shall pray tonight for forgiveness, but I'm afraid that you, my friend, have no one to ask forgiveness of, seeing that you are an atheist. Worry not though, I shall pray for you, as I pray for myself. In the meantime.... HOW YA LIKE US NOW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
This doesn't seem to me to quite the same thing as you describe above!
Here is someone who has started a thread called HOW YA LIKE US NOW!!! gloating if ever I saw it, and says quite happily that she knows that 'the satisfaction with today's events' that she feels is wrong, but that she will pray tonight for forgiveness. So if I decide to steal something from my friend today, that is ok, as long as I have it in my mind, whilst I'm doing it, that I will pray tonight for forgiveness? Hence my sarcasm - because if that is the way you're going to use forgiveness (which is a beautiful and soul enhancing concept) - then you can just go out and commit any old crime secure in the knowledge. I'm not saying for a moment that that is the way all Christians view divine forgiveness. Just that it is the way that Liliara seems to be viewing it.
However, I do believe the confessional, just to take an example, has been used in the way that Liliara seems to be using it by many and amany, both in the past and now. Sin today, confess, and tomorrow you can go and sin again.
However, please believe that I am NOT saying for one moment that all Christians treat it that way!!!
To go back to Liliara's post, I find her total unconcern with cause and effect nauseating, as I've said already. Her constant assumption (shared by others on this board) that the terrorists attacks came out of no-where, for no reason, is childish and ridiculous. Being simplistic in response to what is happening is not the answer.
And gloating won't get us anywhere. We've taken the first step into something that may evolve into a horror the like of which the world has never yet seen. Gloating is hardly a appropriate response.
------------------
Most Ecstatic and Exotic Mistress of the Illuminati