Wednesday, October 7, 2009

I'm Back

Sorry, I haven't been posting anything for awhile. I have been absent because I had to spend a week in the hospital.

I'm home now, so maybe I can start up the ol' blasphemy machine again and spark some more discussion.

15 comments:

The Rambling Taoist said...

Aha, god's retribution for your non-belief! :D Hope you're feeling better from whatever laid ya up.

GCT said...

I too was in the hospital not too long ago. Maybe there's something to this god-smiting thing. Either that, or Leo's imprecatory prayers are working. (Leo, it's a joke, lighten up.)

Leo said...

I wouldn't pray an imprecatory prayer against you or Robert. Those are for people who are stumbling blocks. An unbeliever doesn't qualify.

Robert Madewell said...

Ok Leo I'll bite. What's the difference between a stumbling block and an unbeliever? Are the two terms mutually exclusive?

GCT said...

I'm inclined to think Leo is having a little fun here...although I'm not entirely sure given his support for genocide.

Leo said...

If someone is around for many years on this earth it's for one of two reasons: They haven't excepted Christ yet, or they are serving the Lord in some capacity (possibly whether they know it or not.)

If someone gets saved, and then rejects the ways of Christ, and God's commandments, they are only a stumbling block for the believer, lying through their actions about the change Jesus has made in their life. They do wrong despite conviction.

God will take someone like that home early. They would still go to Heaven, but they'd have plenty of explaining to do at the Bema seat of Christ and would not enjoy the same rewards as someone who diligently served the Lord.

No point in me praying for God to remove either of you. You are the folks who actually make my job easier.

Robert Madewell said...

Well, I don't care. Whoever wants to can pray an imprecatory hate prayer for me if they want to. Because, imprecatory prayer has exactly the same efficacy as intercessory prayer. Which also seems to have about the same efficacy as doing nothing at all.

My brother said he'd pray for me while I was in the hospital. I wanted to make a point. So, I told him to do something with his kids or something for his wonderful wife instead (when he wanted to pray for me). Doing that would make me happy too and he wouldn't be worrying about me and stuff that's not really that big of a problem anyways.

Seems that promising to pray for someone is just a non-answer. The person offering prayer is just trying to comfort someone without actually doing something. I find that hugs and visits and phone calls are much more comforting and encouraging to me then an obligatory I'll pray for you.

My brother lives 4 blocks from the hospital I was staying at. He didn't call me once (I called him though) while I was there and didn't ask about visiting times or even attempt to see me (that I know of). Same goes for my father and mother. Yet, they all promised to pray for me. Prayer promises mean nothing (whether or not the person actually prays), it's just an excuse to avoid actually giving someone real support and encouragement. Especially, if the prayer promise was the only help that was given.

Robert Madewell said...

Leo said, "If someone gets saved, and then rejects the ways of Christ, and God's commandments, they are only a stumbling block for the believer, lying through their actions about the change Jesus has made in their life. They do wrong despite conviction."

Leo, that does describe me. I was "saved". I went through the conviction (guilty feelings) and prayed for Jesus to come into my heart and to save me. I was a very staunch fundamentalist for a very long time. I didn't do anything without "going to God" first in prayer.

I have rejected the ways of Christ and "God's Commandments". I don't think I am lying about my apostacy, but for a long while I still went to church when I no longer believed, because I was afraid to admit that I no longer believed that God was real.

"God will take someone like that home early. They would still go to Heaven, but they'd have plenty of explaining to do at the Bema seat of Christ and would not enjoy the same rewards as someone who diligently served the Lord."

Thank goodness! I was afraid that I'd go straight to hail. That's OK because I have a lot of questions to ask when I get to the Bema Seat (I hadn't heard that term in a long while).

Leo said...

Obviously, I can't know your heart, and only you and God know if you honestly accepted Jesus as your Savior, or whether you did it out of some obligation, emotional blackmail, or pressure from family and friends.

However, I would say this: If you truly were saved, and still feel that conviction in your heart, but just deny it and do wrong anyway, then your life will be shortened. The very fact you are alive today either says you're on borrowed time, or that you never truly got saved.

I'm glad you've heard about the Bema seat before. It is one of the most misunderstood issues among Christians, which is why some are lackadaisical about living their testimony.

Robert Madewell said...

"However, I would say this: If you truly were saved, and still feel that conviction in your heart, but just deny it and do wrong anyway, then your life will be shortened."

I'm curious. Do you have scripture references supporting that claim? Also, it is possibly a testable claim. Do backsliden christians die younger than more devout? Are there statistics that support this? I am of the opinion that, no, backsliden christian live on average just as long as the holey ones.

GCT said...

"The very fact you are alive today either says you're on borrowed time, or that you never truly got saved."

We're all on "borrowed time," since we're human and humans don't live forever.

GCT said...

"I am of the opinion that, no, backsliden christian live on average just as long as the holey ones."

Unless their killed by believers for being apostate.

fuuuuck said...

Do backsliden christians die younger than more devout? Are there statistics that support this? I am of the opinion that, no, backsliden christian live on average just as long as the holey ones.

If you do that study, don't forget that correlation does not imply causation ;)

Unrepentant said...

Two thumbs down for your Christian relatives. I always say that Christians are the same as other people, as good and as bad, but sometimes i think they're worse.

Atheists understand that relatives and friends are ALL we have, so we care for our loved ones properly. We are not hoping for a sky daddy to do it for us; after all, we're not planning on seeing them again, in heaven.

Grace said...

Robert, so glad you are home, and on the mend. And, very sorry to hear about your so-called "Christian" relatives.

How sad. :(