Guy comes out of the closet and now he is a National Hero

[HuskerCradle2Grave]

No one knows if people are born gay or it's the decisions made around that person as a child or as an adult.

No human knows what happens to us when we die. I can tell you one thing though.. Your spirit will live on in heaven or burn in hell...
And Christians aren't perfect. I have bad mouth and I'm a silly bastard. I definitely have weaknesses and get tempted. The devil is punk.

 

[HuskerCradle2Grave]

"Live and let live" as long as you're in agreement with homosexuality, right? Typical liberal "tolerance."

At least liberals try to be tolerant. Cons are just dicks all the time...

 

[HuskerCradle2Grave]

It is a perversion. It is not natural and doesn't produce anything other than disease. I'm not judging them, I leave that to God.

I don't care whether you believe in Him or not, I do and He is real.

What about other animals that practice homosexuality? Are they not natural?...

 

[Clayton]

And why is that? Makes you wonder... .

It doesn't make me wonder. If God had a side he chose to advance, there wouldn't constantly be war in the middle east.

 

[ozarkram]

It doesn't make me wonder. If God had a side he chose to advance, there wouldn't constantly be war in the middle east.

Yeah it would have made it easier if he had let us all in on the timeline. And every bit of his plan. I guess I will just have to muddle through on faith. Which I am sure you will call stupidity.

 

[Clayton]

And every bit of his plan. I guess I will just have to muddle through on faith. Which I am sure you will call stupidity.

I wouldn't call faith stupid. It just shouldn't be confused for science, history or even philosophy. There is a structure to Christianity that works. I'm a firm believer in marriage and having children around 2 loving parents. I think there is a lot of science and history to back up that institution. I dont see how this changes the 3-6% of the population that is gay and the 3-6% of the population that is bi.

 

[ozarkram]

I wouldn't call faith stupid. It just shouldn't be confused for science, history or even philosophy. There is a structure to Christianity that works. I'm a firm believer in marriage and having children around 2 loving parents. I think there is a lot of science and history to back up that institution. I dont see how this changes the 3-6% of the population that is gay and the 3-6% of the population that is bi.

Why in the world would anyone confuse faith for science,history or even philosophy?

 

[Caynine29]

I wouldn't call faith stupid. It just shouldn't be confused for science, history or even philosophy. There is a structure to Christianity that works. I'm a firm believer in marriage and having children around 2 loving parents. I think there is a lot of science and history to back up that institution. I dont see how this changes the 3-6% of the population that is gay and the 3-6% of the population that is bi.

I wouldn't call faith "stupidity". It's a belief that gets a lot of people through life. It's a very powerful coping mechanism and I believe it works incredibly well for some. If that's what gets you through the day... who am I to judge?

But, not to put to fine a point on it... faith is really just a flowery way of saying "take my word on it". That simply doesn't work for me.

 

[Caynine29]

I love people that say the bible is full of stories not to be taken seriously... Lol

Keep telling yourself that so you feel better. The bible was taken pretty serious throughout our history until the 80s/90s. So since the last 25 or so years when technology has ruled, all of the sudden the bible isn't relevant..?

I don't think the Bible shouldn't be taken seriously. There are a lot of good messages to be taken from the good book. The Bible is just as relevant as it was the day it was written (although the Bible we read today is likely very different from it's original incarnation) and still carries very good life lessons.

But, it is a collection of fables, not life's playbook. A series of guidelines, at best. The Bible really carries no more weight than the Quran, or Tipitaka, unless they're just following the "wrong religion". And who knows what the "right" one (if there IS a right one) is, anyway?

Hell... the Westboro Baptist Church is a "Christian" group... and nobody believes THEM to be right... do they??

 

[Vitamike]

I wouldn't call faith "stupidity". It's a belief that gets a lot of people through life. It's a very powerful coping mechanism and I believe it works incredibly well for some. If that's what gets you through the day... who am I to judge?

But, not to put to fine a point on it... faith is really just a flowery way of saying "take my word on it". That simply doesn't work for me.

Not exactly, because many believe faith is more complex than that where faith without reason leads to superstition, while reason without faith leads to nihilism and relativism.

Just saying...

 

[757Hokie83]

Without getting into a whole diatribe about the history of religion, which from reading your posts you obviously know little about Shopson, I will remind you that this country was founded on the basis of religion, and our founding fathers were God-fearing religious men. The centuries old book that you're referring to I assume is the Bible. It seems to me that the morals of the Bible were good enough for this nation to prosper under until just recently when the liberals and "new age thinkers" such as yourself started lowering the standards of our society. Tell me Shopson, if you don't get your morals and ethics form a "centuries old book" where exactly do you get them? From watching "Desperate Housewives"? From the ****ography you watch? From the smut on TV and in the movies and media that we call entertainment today? That seems to be a major problem today IMHO. The media dictates the morals of our society, and decides what is right and what is wrong. If Hollyweird embraces it, well it must be good, right? ---like for example the homosexual movement/agenda. Heaven help anyone today that criticizes homosexuality. You're then labeled a racist, bigot, prejudice, etc.

I think you need to put down the TV guide and read the book your criticizing and get to know it a little more before making any more silly comments that obviously show your ignorance.

that's rich

 

[Chilipepper]

I was shocked Sam was on the cover of Sports Illustrated. Didn't deserve it.

 

[Retroram52]

That is right Vitamike. Faith is complex. It is defined as the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction (or evidence) of things not seen. And Hokie, perhaps being a student of History is not your forte.

And Caynine, the Bible cannot be described as a book of fables and fairly tales and be compared to the Qu'ran and other so-called religious books for one very important distinction. The Bible contains 578 predictions or prophesies many years (centuries) in andvance the appearance of Christ that were specifically about Jesus Christ and were fullfilled by His birth and Jesus' ministry through his appearance and His works in His 33 years on the planet. No other religious book can make that claim.

 

[BOSS429Mustang]

When religion is used to the betterment of society, it is a beautiful thing. However, when used to denigrate your fellow man, it is considerably more ugly.

The fact that Boss feels that 2 men loving each other is perversion and uses his religion as the reason is ugly. Gay people are born that way, created in that fashion by God, if you believe in a deity. Love is a beautiful thing. What 2 consenting adults do in their own bedroom should not impact the rest of their lives. They should have equal rights just like any heterosexual person should.

Nobody is forcing anything "down your throat" as you say, and nobody is condemning anyone for being Christian. That is a falsehood similar to the right's belief in "reverse discrimination" being the only discrimination in this day and age. Live and let live.

I will agree with you on one thing you said Shopson---religion should not be used to denigrate others, and unfortunately that is indeed what happens with some "holier than thou" people that use it for just that purpose. As I stated in an earlier post, "Everything, whether good or evil can be harmful if used improperly.

But I think you miss the point here.....at least the point I'm trying to make. Homosexuality is a sin, plain and simple. But does that mean it's a worse sin than some of the sins I have, or somebody else has? I think not. If I have a problem with embezzling money from my employer, or coveting my neighbor's wife, etc. is my sin any less than yours in the eyes of God? I don't think it is according to the Bible. It's just different. The fact is that all sin will keep you out of heaven if you don't have Christ as your mediator.

My problem with the homosexual agenda is not bigotry or prejudice as you suppose. As long as they're not hurting anybody or causing harm, I believe what people do in their private lives is their own business. It's not my job to judge people, that's the Lord's job. But God DOES give us guidelines and rules that he expects us to follow, and no matter what kind of spin you put on it, God doesn't compromise what he says to appease us. And let's be perfectly clear----the Bible condemns homosexuality in very definite terms. Whether you like it, whether you agree with it or not is irrelevant. God's word is not a smorgasbord that you can pick and choose what you like, and discard what you don't like. And admittedly some Christians do exactly that. But what must be understood is that the flaw is in their actions, not in the Bible.

Specifically, in 1 Corinthians 6:9 the Bible says that homosexuals will NOT inherit the kingdom of God. You can also check out Leviticus 18:22, 20:13, Romans 1:24-27, 6:9-10, and Genesis 1:27-31 where the Bible condemns homosexuality in even more harsh terms. But I doubt you'll look it up because I suspect you already know what it says.

So if you're going to attempt to argue your position from a religious point of view, you don't have a leg to stand on Shopson. Now I'm sure you'll do what others have attempted to do and try to support homosexual behavior by rationalizing and spinning. But do you actually think that even if you believe what you're saying, that you can manipulate God into then changing the rules he uses to judge as outlined in the Bible to accommodate your lifestyle and sinful choices? Where exactly does common sense play a part in that kind of warped logic?

So now you'll disregard religion because you can't support your argument there. So we'll move on to just common sense and logic. Removing all religion and personal beliefs aside, I will ask again the question....what purpose does homosexual activity serve? We know that heterosexual activity is for reproduction/procreation and is a natural function of biology. What function is homosexuality for? It is an UNNATURAL act that only serves to indulge a perversion of a natural function. I'll say it again----IT IS AN UNNATURAL ACT that only serves to indulge a perversion of a natural act. It serves no other purpose.

So you see Shopson, your argument is invalid on every level, and I know you can't refute what I've said....at least not without basing your argument on pure emotion and prejudice on your part---you want things how YOU want them, not on how God or nature wants them.

MY PROBLEM is with the homosexual agenda, and yes they do have an agenda when they are trying to force the schools to teach "alternate lifestyles" while at the same time the schools can't even mention God, or pray at gatherings anymore etc. My problem is that we are constantly being told that homosexuality is good and natural and some people are "born that way." My problem is that we are told that we are prejudice and spewing "hate speech" if we adhere to what the Bible says as our beliefs and not accept "your philosophy on what's right and wrong" My problem is you are trying to force me to acknowledge that your sinful unnatural behavior is OK, and to tell my kids that it's more of a sin to disagree with your lifestyle than it is to follow God's word. Stop trying to force me to accommodate your behavior. Stop trying to force me to accept your lifestyle as normal. Do what you will in your own privacy, but stop trying to get me to acknowledge it as not wrong but "only different."

In Isaiah 5:20-21 it says: "Woe to those who call evil good and good evil, who put darkness for light and light for darkness, who put bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter. Woe to those who are wise in their own eyes, and clever in their own sight."

And my undergarments are not bunched up again. But I will not acquiesce to the politically correct crowd on something I believe God has made clear to us.

 

[SJ76]

Ok let's move on to the combine. We have all said our peace... If you all think discussing Sam bradford was difficult, this will be much harder. It is what it is. Boss - I commend you my man. Keep the faith.

Retro - I'm gonna be in Scottsdale, AZ this thurs-sun to play some golf and going back the week after for a few spring training games. Where you at bro??

 

[HammerDown]

At least liberals try to be tolerant. Cons are just dicks all the time...

"I won't tolerate your intolerance."

Just wow.

 

[Vitamike]

I don't think the Bible shouldn't be taken seriously. There are a lot of good messages to be taken from the good book. The Bible is just as relevant as it was the day it was written (although the Bible we read today is likely very different from it's original incarnation) and still carries very good life lessons.

But, it is a collection of fables, not life's playbook. A series of guidelines, at best. The Bible really carries no more weight than the Quran, or Tipitaka, unless they're just following the "wrong religion". And who knows what the "right" one (if there IS a right one) is, anyway?

Hell... the Westboro Baptist Church is a "Christian" group... and nobody believes THEM to be right... do they??

For this reason alone a lot of 'believers' are becoming more spiritual as opposed to religious. Whether you choose to believe in the Divine or the Benevolent, to me faith can only be acquired, yes acquired.

Few will disagree that mankind is 'wired' for worship. Many of those lacking 'faith' are reluctant to employ such archaic rituals as worship & prayer and faith cannot be found from seeking GOD, Jesus or the Divine for that matter on merely an intellectual level. This is where prayer comes in and the Holly Ghost is called upon. You see for those of the Christian faith, it's not the Father & Son, which we've heard a lot about in this thread, rather the Father, Son and Holly Ghost. The Holly Ghost or Holly Spirit, which is featured in most religions, will guide you in your faith and provides the necessary evidence that derives from worship and prayer.

 

[BOSS429Mustang]

That is right Vitamike. Faith is complex. It is defined as the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction (or evidence) of things not seen. And Hokie, perhaps being a student of History is not your forte.

And Caynine, the Bible cannot be described as a book of fables and fairly tales and be compared to the Qu'ran and other so-called religious books for one very important distinction. The Bible contains 578 predictions or prophesies many years (centuries) in andvance the appearance of Christ that were specifically about Jesus Christ and were fullfilled by His birth and Jesus' ministry through his appearance and His works in His 33 years on the planet. No other religious book can make that claim.

Superb point Retro. People have been trying to deride the Bible for centuries, without success. From the prophesies to the accounts of history that nobody else had a record of except the Bible, until the Bible was eventually proven correct through archaeology. The Bible stands undefeated---it's prophesies have NEVER been wrong, and it has never been discredited or proven to be "fables" as some have suggested. One of my favorite verses is 1 Corinthians 1:18 "For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God."

 

[Caynine29]

That is right Vitamike. Faith is complex. It is defined as the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction (or evidence) of things not seen. And Hokie, perhaps being a student of History is not your forte.

And Caynine, the Bible cannot be described as a book of fables and fairly tales and be compared to the Qu'ran and other so-called religious books for one very important distinction. The Bible contains 578 predictions or prophesies many years (centuries) in andvance the appearance of Christ that were specifically about Jesus Christ and were fullfilled by His birth and Jesus' ministry through his appearance and His works in His 33 years on the planet. No other religious book can make that claim.

I didn't use the term "fairy tales", because that strikes me as being derogatory and just because i don't fully buy into any religion, it is not my intention to denigrate any of them, either. They are, however, fables. Which, again, isn't a bad thing at all. The world's other holy books are the same thing. They all have prophesies, they all have life lessons and they all require faith to adhere to. I mean... there are several versions of the Bible, as well. Which one is the right one? It's your faith that drives you to believe you are reading the "right" one, but, there's no actual proof that you are, or are not.

Speaking of faith... unfortunately, it really isn't any more complex than that, Retro. Faith is "the strong belief in God or in the doctrines of a religion, based on spiritual apprehension rather than proof.". By it's very definition, there is zero evidence to support faith. Once you bring solid proof into the equation, it becomes "fact". But, until then, we're basically taking their word on it.

 

[Vitamike]

I didn't use the term "fairy tales", because that strikes me as being derogatory and just because i don't fully buy into any religion, it is not my intention to denigrate any of them, either. They are, however, fables. Which, again, isn't a bad thing at all. The world's other holy books are the same thing. They all have prophesies, they all have life lessons and they all require faith to adhere to. I mean... there are several versions of the Bible, as well. Which one is the right one? It's your faith that drives you to believe you are reading the "right" one, but, there's no actual proof that you are, or are not.

Speaking of faith... unfortunately, it really isn't any more complex than that, Retro. Faith is "the strong belief in God or in the doctrines of a religion, based on spiritual apprehension rather than proof.". By it's very definition, there is zero evidence to support faith. Once you bring solid proof into the equation, it becomes "fact". But, until then, we're basically taking their word on it.

Spiritual apprehension is an actual complexity of faith.

Solid proof or fact is merely a verifiable 'knowledge' however the theory of knowledge questions what knowledge really is and just how it can be obtained or verified. It's complexities cover belief, trust and truisms; justification or given truths; truth itself or the given known.

Faith is not a flowery way of saying 'take my word on it'

It's much more complex because faith is believing the truth where we have a reason to believe not simply because someone told us it was so. We must understand it and we must embrace it.

For me and countless others, we seek the Holly Spirit as our guide to first understand so we may then embrace.