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Posted: Wed May 18, 2005 11:46 am
by j316
Essedarius states several times that an infinite God exists in an infinite universe. That isn't possible but what I think he is trying to do is make God a disinterested aspect of the universe, basically the Greek concept. If God is infinite and the universe is infinite then God is the universe and can't be seperated from it.

That is not at all the way it is. God is a person,like us, and He created the universe. I have never really seen any proof that the universe is infinite, but I do know it is a creation so it is by definition less than God.

God is not disinterested in His creation. He is intensely and intimately involved in its existence.

I am not going to address evil, you all have covered it pretty well. I will say that County Boys first post almost brought tears to my eyes, but he is not correct about those who don't believe. In the NT it says they will basically be judged by how they live, I don't think you could call them evil in the sense that Essedarius is trying to impute. That argument is definitely a straw man.

Posted: Fri May 20, 2005 9:14 am
by CountryBoy
j316,

Not sure what other kind of evil you mean or what NT you may be reading. The NT's I've read say that we are all sinners, even the 'SAVED'. Sin is evil no matter how humanity may try to paint it. God hates sin (which is evil), the only possible way we can escape God's wrath because of our inate-evilness is by trusting His glorious Son as our Lord and Savior.

If your NT says different I'd look at a getting a real one.

Posted: Fri May 20, 2005 9:32 am
by j316
I think evil is an overused term. I said in another post that I like to reserve evil for something greater than the common sins we normally commit. I don't disagree with you in principle, it is just semantics.

Posted: Fri May 20, 2005 10:36 am
by CountryBoy
OK, I can go with that answer. People who don't believe in God or maybe not the Christian God are not evil in the sense of a Charles Manson or any other of the sensational crime stories we've all heard most of our lives.
In fact, some can certainly be less evil (in that sense) than someone who is a bonifide card-carrying born-again Christian.

I guess that's what snags a lot of people and keeps them from developing a relationship with Jesus. As they say, "Christians are typically what draw other's to Christ", and "Christians are typically what cause other's to run from Christ" (something to that effect).

That's why our behavior is so important, we know we are saved, and our salvation is not linked to our behavior or good works...BUT, the salvation of OTHERS certainly is linked to our behavior and good works.

So here's something for the mormons, Good works and good behavior do save...but not the person exhibiting it!

I guess we have the same NT :lol:

Posted: Fri May 20, 2005 5:38 pm
by Forge
CountryBoy wrote:I guess that's what snags a lot of people and keeps them from developing a relationship with Jesus. As they say, "Christians are typically what draw other's to Christ", and "Christians are typically what cause other's to run from Christ" (something to that effect).
Gandhi said something to the effect of "I like their Christ, but I don't like their Christians."