How Great is Our God

ddt said:
Oh no, Stalin was already present, figuratively, in the Bible. Acts 4:32 - 5:11:

Voila, the Holomodor for those who refuse to share their possessions. :rolleyes:
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Actually, that was an example of why you don't lie to God. Had nothing to do with sharing wealth.
 
Given he is allowing the drivel in the OP of this thread to exist, I will assume God is not all that great.

Christopher Hitchens was rather less vague than me...
 
Robert Prey said:
Holy water is available in every Catholic Church. Holy water, miracle water -- what's the difference? Are you implying that the Catholic Church is also involved in a Water Scam????
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Obviously. Holy water is just water that has been "blessed" by the priest. The water has not changed, and has not been imbued with magical powers.
 
Roadtoad said:
Actually, that was an example of why you don't lie to God. Had nothing to do with sharing wealth.
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Yep. As Peter pointed out, they A&S had no obligation to give any of the proceeds to the apostles, much less all of it.
But they were looking to gain the respect of the Church for doing something that they were not, in fact, doing.
It's like the difference between me loudly counting 10 hundred-dollar bills into the collection plate, then sneaking 5 of them back out, or just putting $500 in the plate in the first place (ideally by check or in an envelope; see Jesus' sermon on quiet charity).
 
One of the things I found utterly galling about the church was the bizarre twists and turns practical ethics took when it came to certain individuals.

I have always been broke. I've never really had enough money to make it for reasons I won't discuss here. It doesn't mean I haven't tried, it simply means I haven't connected.

Trust me when I tell you that if you're making four or five digit offerings in the collection plate, that's known. Churches are required to keep a record of who donates what for the IRS. If you're making high dollar donations, you are getting treated better than the widders an' orfuns dropping a five or ten into the plate on Sunday. Scripture says you can't serve both God and Mammon, but you'd be hard pressed to get a pastor to admit that was what he was doing.

There is no god. Pastors and parishioners both demonstrate this daily. And nothing demonstrates it like the collection plate.
 
One of the things I found utterly galling about the church was the bizarre twists and turns practical ethics took when it came to certain individuals.

I have always been broke. I've never really had enough money to make it for reasons I won't discuss here. It doesn't mean I haven't tried, it simply means I haven't connected.

Trust me when I tell you that if you're making four or five digit offerings in the collection plate, that's known. Churches are required to keep a record of who donates what for the IRS. If you're making high dollar donations, you are getting treated better than the widders an' orfuns dropping a five or ten into the plate on Sunday. Scripture says you can't serve both God and Mammon, but you'd be hard pressed to get a pastor to admit that was what he was doing.

There is no god. Pastors and parishioners both demonstrate this daily. And nothing demonstrates it like the collection plate.
 
Roadtoad said:
Scripture says you can't serve both God and Mammon, but you'd be hard pressed to get a pastor to admit that was what he was doing.

There is no god. Pastors and parishioners both demonstrate this daily. And nothing demonstrates it like the collection plate.
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I love it when a pastor is 'called' to another church that is bigger/nicer/pays more.

;)
 
bikerdruid said:
really??
how does it kill vampires?
huh?
if it isn't magical, how does that work, eh?
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Sorry to disappoint you bikerdruid, but vampires aren't really killed by holy water. Nor are demons bothered by it despite what you may have seen in the documentary film "The Exorcist".
 
Multivac said:
Sorry to disappoint you bikerdruid, but vampires aren't really killed by holy water. Nor are demons bothered by it despite what you may have seen in the documentary film "The Exorcist".
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I've never seen either a vampire or demon survive a dousing with holy water.
 
AvalonXQ said:
Yep. As Peter pointed out, they A&S had no obligation to give any of the proceeds to the apostles, much less all of it.
But they were looking to gain the respect of the Church for doing something that they were not, in fact, doing.
It's like the difference between me loudly counting 10 hundred-dollar bills into the collection plate, then sneaking 5 of them back out, or just putting $500 in the plate in the first place (ideally by check or in an envelope; see Jesus' sermon on quiet charity).
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I thought it was the Author of Acts telling his audience that things weren't so great in the early days of the church when the church leaders executed people for not donating enough.

It says that Ananais and Saphira fell down dead at the feet of Peter, but what it fails to mention is how they died. I could infer that Peter pulled a knife and stabbed them right in front of the congregation as a warning to anyone else who might be thinking of keeping a bit aside for themselves... That would surely put the fear of God into them.

It looks to me like just another piece of Roman/Pauline/Greek anti-semitic propaganda, like all the stuff about Pilate not really wanting to kill Jesus, but being forced by a crowd of evil Jews.
 
How Great is Our God?

Well for one thing he isn't "Our" god. we don't have one so i guess he must be yours!

And he can't be that good if he's incapable of even existing except in the minds of others!

EQ
 
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