For those who have faith in their individual God, do they see him as an interventionist deity ? If so I presume they pray to him for various things. Strength to follow his teaching ? The sick to recover ? That bullets will avoid him in battle? Wisdom to do the right thing? For their soul? (whatever that means) Peace in the world? Blessing inanimate objects such as boats ? A good harvest? That a tsunami won't arrive ? What is it they pray for and are they disappointed when so many times they are "not heard" and the disaster happens anyway ?

If it is for individual strength to conquer adversity or to strengthen their belief, does it work and does their god speak to them ?

There is a whole fields of psychosomatic medical research that shows a relationship with belief and how the mind can affect even bodily functions. The hearing of voices or the curing of a disease.

If this is the case why not worship a garden gnome? If there is sufficient belief, the the effect will be the same, as most of our ancestors did when they worshiped the sun. At least the sun gives life which seems to me a slightly more practical attitude.

I would be interested in your thoughts

Houellebecq,

Christening of children is a Roman Catholic invention that has been copied by other churches. It does nothing except in many cases give parents a false sense of security. The bible actually instructs people to be baptized when they make a conscious decision to accept and obey the Lord Jesus Christ.

While the Scriptures are silent on what age that might be we know that every person matures and grows in understanding at a different rate. Some might understand the gospel at 13 or some 25.

It is my understanding that all children belong to God. Man's greatest sin is the rejection of God's Son. They are slapping the Only One who can save them in the face.

suzeonline

Jesus declared that Abraham, Isaac and Jacob were living (not dead). He said that God is the God of the living not dead. Jesus described one poor man in paradise while a rich greedy man in torment (Luke 16:19-26).

It is obvious from these accounts that those who put their faith in Jehovah God and the coming Messiah (who existed long before He was born of a virgin) were saved from their sins. King David Himself wrote

'Hide Your face from my sins, and blot out all my iniquities.'

Your nonsense about Christianity being dreamed up is just that. History records the life, death and resurrection of Christ. It is only corrupt and deceitful hearts that try and revise that fact.

runner,

So it's only the rejection of god that sends one to hell? Does that mean anyone not exposed to god due to an upbringing in a fundamentalist Muslim country will not go to hell? What were the missionaries doing then? Apart from inventing the missionary position.

Secondly the Muslims believe in Jesus, just not that Jesus was the son of god. Is believing in Jesus enough? He's in the Qur'an so is Mary aye. I believe in Jesus, as I've spent a lot of time in Israel and seen all the sites and there is so much evidence he's been around. They reckon more evidence than of than Caeser. Those guys were real and they existed.

It's just that, if you look at the media today, and you were to read it in 2000 years, do you think our ancestors will believe the stuff written in the tabloids? That's what we're doing with the bible. Sure some of the stuff happened, but look how the Qur'an and the Bible differ in their interpretations. Which one is the Enquirer and which is the NY Times?

Houellebecq

I believe the rejection of the passover Lamb as a sacrifice for our sin is the issue. When the firstborn were killed in Egypt as a result of Pharoah's hard heart we saw all households who had blood painted above there doors being spared. This was a picture of those who would be forgiven by the shedding of Jesus innocent blood. To reject Christ is to reject salvation and to spurn God' great love to sinful man.

You mention the Muslims. The life and teachings of Mohammed are totally incompatible with that of Jesus. They teach Jesus as a prophet but not as the Son of God. A prophet has no saving power in himself or herself. Muslims need the forgiveness of Jesus just like any other person on earth. Many Muslims have actually come to faith in the living Christ over the last few decades. Many remain in hiding as conversion can and does cost them their life literally.

The writings of Paul and the gospels were certainly no the popular tabloid you refer to. The gospel was and still is offensive to sinful man. It means he must humble Himself and turn to the Only One who can save him. Many of the disciples who had previously acted cowardly at Jesus arrest died horrific deaths by holding to the testimony of Jesus resurrection. Peter was crucified upside down, others were put in boiling oil pots. They could of easily avoided these cruel deaths by denying the truth. The last thing the writers of the gospel were doing was to try and be popular. That would mean comprimising truth which is something Jesus would never of wanted.

Pass over lamb, anyone in their right mind would, have you seen the cost of a chop lately.
Heaven and hell. Heaven comes in an ice cream wrapper. And hell is when the beer runs out.
Boy has that runner got it bad, surely he can't take that as being [gospel]
I don't think it is actually healthy, being encarserated in to such dribble. Do what you like in your mind, but i detest it being spruked about as if it were for real. I like more material things, I worship the sun for rising every day, when i see that i know i have another day in heaven. A lot of good people have gone to earth, only to be turned into compost, so the longer you can stay away from that the better.
Fish in the river and some in the fridge, what more could you wish for.

Ezhil,QUOTE..''When justice is farce''...is it just-us or just-ice[or is it karma...justice is relitive[if we seek justice/from man we are bound to be disappointed/we must remember in who's realm we reside...this is satans realm/expecting justice is bound to disappoint

..'and honesty is scarce'...there is plenty of honesty...its just our expectation of plentyfull honesty..here..that means we shall get dis-apointed,all the more when it is revealed to be temporal/appriciate the honest and good[as coming from god/the vile comming from mens ignorances/fears

..'truth valued no more'...truth is relitive/mainly people fear the truth,want to believe the lie[its our greatness we fear]..that we do to the least we do/did to god..[simply speaking we cant handle the truth]..NO MESSENGER/from god/is god/nor good...only god is good..[all good comes from god/sustaining..all living/their lives]

..'cunningness everywhere''[be ye wise as serphants/but as innocent as child]

..clueless/man seeks solace elsewhere'[yet can only find peace within

..'In this kind/of a situation,..god becomes the only hope'...[we have the wrong idea of god/..we rejected god to be birthed..[sewn into skins/made incarnate...in these realms..little realising god even in the deepest hell's../yet sustains us/al..to live[the natural of nurture]the nature of natural selection..

...'Therefore it can be said that.."Faith in god is nothing/but Faithlessness in man"...the two are not comparable..[gods love is unconditional...mans is totally dependant/..on what ifs/what is/and what was..[and who spake it]