Talking to God

[Vonhelmet]

Thats head shoulder a shouder thing is Cathlic if thats what u meen

No, I'm not talking about genuflection either.

Jesus is a part of God. I suggest you read some of Paul's letters, especially Romans and Ephesians. Hebrews is good for this stuff too.

 

[Locrian]

...
He doesn't how ever just come up and say "Hey im God, hows your day been? What are you going to be up to later? You better not be sinning"
...

He does in God the Devil and Bob, which by the way was an awesome TV series, shame it got cancelled. (damn religious right)

 

[Amleto]

We dont beleive Jesus was God
We beleve that Jesus is the Son of God and he gave his life to save us from our sins and show us what is right.
God=God
Jesus=Jesus

John 1:1
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.

John 1:14
The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only,[d] who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.

 

[Locrian]

Yeah i know that.
But from what i see most the important stuff is in the old testament and the new testament is more to teach how to spread the word of God and teach people about things.
I might be well off the mark though but its better then having man made rules all over the place(sorry to any cathlics).

Very off the mark. Christians are all about the new testament. Basically, in the old testament everything is quite violent and bloody, sacrifices and murders and the like. In the new testement its all about Jesus saying "Hey dudes! Chill! That sort of barbaric thing is for God to decide, not you"

 

[Dinomania]

Im Christian and yes i normally have goes at catholic because it has many man made rules.

The Catholics would contest that.

St Peter (one of the Apostles) was the first Pope. Jesus said that it was on Peter that he would build his Church. On Peter he also bestowed the keys to Heaven (hence all the St Peter at the Pearly Gates jokes), and gave him the power to change rules of the Church, so that whatever rules were changed by Peter on Earth, they will be changed accordingly in Heaven.

All Popes have since been successors to St Peter, the appointment of which is shrouded in mystery and black or white smoke.

I'm sceptical (let's assume I am a lapsed Methodist Christian at this point), as I can never be sure of how much say God has in the appointment of new Popes.

If the supposed bind between the Pope and Heaven is still true - I REALLY hope he *does* talk to God. I would hope they have a discussion over a cup of tea before denouncing controversial things like contraception.

 

[volospian]

He doesn't how ever just come up and say "Hey im God, hows your day been? What are you going to be up to later? You better not be sinning"

He doesn't... So all this time my neighbour is just some old guy with white hair, in a wedding dress

 

[valerian]

if a mental patient says that they would be given PRN

i am speaking to god that is

 

[Amleto]

if a mental patient says that they would be given PRN

i am speaking to god that is

 

[Tonks]

Those who say that the Trinitarian definition of God is the 'Orthodox' doctrine of God should go read some early Christian history and you will see that 'Orthodox' swung between which 'side' was in the Roman Emperors good books at any point in time during the first three centurys.

History shows that it was Arians then Trinitarians then back to Arians and so on with the Trinitarians winning out in the end and winning the title of 'Orthodox' and it only took three centuries to get there.

This of course was not won through good deeds but through political wranglings, deceit, murder and dirty tricks, hardly Christ-like.... The matter wasn't settled until the Roman Emperor Constantine stuck his stamp of approval on the Trinitarian version of God and not because Constantine was interested in getting to the 'truth' but because he wanted peace in his domain. Which side was dominant in the Italy at the time? Trinitarians so Trinitarians won out...

Go read history....

 

[Tonks]

Going back to Jehovah's Witnesses... They're not Christians, as they don't ackowledge Jesus as the son of God, which is pretty much the defining characteristic of Christianity.

I was just looking at their official web site and they do say there on numerous instances that he is the son of God.

Here’s just one quote from their web site

‘Who Jesus Said He Was
Although Jesus rarely spoke of himself as God’s Son, he did acknowledge that he was. (Mark 14:61, 62; John 3:18; 5:25, 26; 11:4) Almost invariably, however, he said that he was “the Son of man.” By identifying himself this way, he highlighted his human birth—the fact that he was truly a man. Thus he also revealed himself to be that “son of man” whom Daniel had seen in vision appearing before Almighty God—“the Ancient of Days.”—Matthew 20:28; Daniel 7:13.
Rather than proclaim himself to be God’s Son, Jesus allowed others to reach that conclusion. And even people besides his apostles did so, including John the Baptist and Jesus’ friend Martha. (John 1:29-34; 11:27) These believed that Jesus was the promised Messiah. They learned that he had lived in heaven as a mighty spirit person and that his life had been miraculously transferred by God to the womb of the virgin Mary.—Isaiah 7:14; Matthew 1:20-23.’


How can you rightly say they are not Christian when they do believe that Jesus is the son of God?

 

[Sleepy]

Not convinced about that. There's plenty of stuff that didn't make it into the Canon, but that was years ago, in the first few centuries. I don't think any of it has changed (barring newer translations) since about the 4th Century. I think you're thinking of what Treefrog cited above.

Going back to Jehovah's Witnesses... They're not Christians, as they don't ackowledge Jesus as the son of God, which is pretty much the defining characteristic of Christianity.

The bible changed form over the first 1600 years of the christian church, even today minor changes occur with differing translation. As to the cuts made by the Protestant church, from an anti protestant essay written by a catholic:

Open a Protestant Bible, and you will find there are seven complete Books awanting—that is, seven books fewer than there are in the Catholic Bible, and seven fewer than there were in every collection and catalogue of Holy Scripture from the fourth to the sixteenth century. Their names are Tobias, Baruch, Judith, Wisdom, Ecclesiasticus, I Machabees, II Machabees, together with seven chapters of the Book of Esther and 66 verses of the 3rd chapter of Daniel, commonly called 'the Song of the Three Children', (Daniel iii., 24-90, Douai version). These were deliberately cut out, and the Bible bound up without them.

 

[Jokester]

I've never heard Jesus being referred to as God, son of God yes, but never God.

Jokester

 

[Sleepy]

I was just looking at their official web site and they do say there on numerous instances that he is the son of God.

Here’s just one quote from their web site

Something to be aware of is that the JW's use their own translation of the bible. It differs from protestant and catholic ones, so when quoting scripture be aware that the differing factions don't allways agree on what you're referencing.

 

[Amleto]

How can you rightly say they are not Christian when they do believe that Jesus is the son of God?

For me, it would all depend on this:

We believe in one God the Father Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth, and of all things visible and invisible.

And in one Lord Jesus Christ, the only-begotten Son of God, begotten of the Father before all worlds, God of God, Light of Light, Very God of Very God, begotten, not made, being of one substance with the Father by whom all things were made; who for us men, and for our salvation, came down from heaven, and was incarnate by the Holy Spirit of the Virgin Mary, and was made man, and was crucified also for us under Pontius Pilate. He suffered and was buried, and the third day he rose again according to the Scriptures, and ascended into heaven, and sitteth on the right hand of the Father. And he shall come again with glory to judge both the quick and the dead, whose kingdom shall have no end.

And we believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord and Giver of Life, who proceedeth from the Father and the Son, who with the Father and the Son together is worshipped and glorified, who spoke by the prophets. And we believe one holy catholic and apostolic Church. We acknowledge one baptism for the remission of sins. And we look for the resurrection of the dead, and the life of the world to come. Amen.

nicene creed


So they (JWs) believe that Christ is the Son of God, but do they believe in the trinity - that three parts are God? I could not find an answer to that on their site.

 

[FirebarUK]

How can you rightly say they are not Christian when they do believe that Jesus is the son of God?

Because they distort the bible and refuse to recognise Jesus for who he is.
I think they believe he had a life before he became Jesus, he was in some other form. So that puts an end to that.

edit - Michael the Archangel

They believed Christ wasn't god. Yet the whole thing is, he was. He was God's form on earth as it were. Lot of stuff in John about this I think.

 

[Amleto]

Because they distort the bible and refuse to recognise Jesus for who he is.
I think they believe he had a life before he became Jesus, he was in some other form. So that puts an end to that.

Not really, since Jesus has always been 'here'. See John 1 and 2 Timothy 1:9

edit: the above is pre your edit

They believed Christ wasn't god. Yet the whole thing is, he was. He was God's form on earth as it were. Lot of stuff in John about this I think.

If this is true, then they don't agree with the nicene creed (more specifically the bit I highlighted earlier), and so I don't think they could be Christians in this case.

 

[Dingo]

Tchh, tchh, don't ask the mere mortals on this forum, ask God directly and he will undoubtably answer!!.







.......... according to the scriptures of course!!

 

[Tonks]

Something to be aware of is that the JW's use their own translation of the bible. It differs from protestant and catholic ones, so when quoting scripture be aware that the differing factions don't always agree on what you're referencing.

Show me an unbiased version of the original Hebrew and Greek scriptures. I think you will be hard pressed to do so...

All the major translations such as the NEB, KJ, GNB, NITV etc are all sponsored, endorsed and translated by religious individuals and committees who will be biased towards their own particular brand of the way they perceive Christianity, so to level that warning just solely at the JW's translation of the original languages is unwarranted unless you extend that warning to ALL translations.

In my opinion listening to people who rely on just one translation such as the KJ only crowd and insist on demanding that this version is the only correct version is a mistake. I make mention of the KJ version just as an example. Perhaps the only way to get a good understanding of the original writers intentions is get an Greek/English Interlinear a few good lexicons and go from there.

 

[Wryel]

I've never heard Jesus being referred to as God, son of God yes, but never God.

Jokester

I know what you mean, but I've seen a few churches with a sign saying 'This church believes that Jebus is God', I didn't understand it at first because I have no knowledge with these matters....

 

[Wryel]

Have you noticed that when people talk to God, we say they're praying, but when people say God talks to them, we say they're insane?

No difference in my eyes....