[The Attention Seeker Jen (On Moderation)]

Originally Posted by James Hutchins

Having eaten the bible is not a disability, it is blasphemy.

And you forgot to capitalize Bible. For someone who knows so many verses, I would have thought you'd take better care. Not that I'm bothered personally, but I couldn't help but notice.

[Isabella White]

Originally Posted by JenNettles

And you forgot to capitalize Bible. For someone who knows so many verses, I would have thought you'd take better care. Not that I'm bothered personally, but I couldn't help but notice.

Miss Nettles, please! It is not your place to criticize a Godly man at . Or, are you hoping to gain yet another infraction notice?

I Timothy 2:11,12:
11 Let the woman learn in silence with all subjection.
12 But I suffer not a woman to teach, nor to usurp authority over the man, but to be in silence.

Sincerely, Isabella W.

[The Attention Seeker Jen (On Moderation)]

I was just pointing it out! C'mon! I'm not someone who shuts up easily (Being a Aquarius, I'm a social sign so, it's in my inherant nature), especially over injustice. I think Jesus would agree.

[The Attention Seeker Jen (On Moderation)]

^And yes, I do have a verse in this regard from one of my favorites.

Proverb 31:8-9 “Open your mouth for the mute, for the rights of all who are destitute. Open your mouth, judge righteously, defend the rights of the poor and needy.”

[handmaiden]

Originally Posted by JenNettles

I was just pointing it out! C'mon! I'm not someone who shuts up easily (Being a Aquarius, I'm a social sign so, it's in my inherant nature), especially over injustice. I think Jesus would agree.

I think Jesus might quote these verses. (He did tend to quote the Old Testament a lot.)

Isaiah 47:13-14

Thou art wearied in the multitude of thy counsels. Let now the astrologers, the stargazers, the monthly prognosticators, stand up, and save thee from these things that shall come upon thee.

Behold, they shall be as stubble; the fire shall burn them; they shall not deliver themselves from the power of the flame: there shall not be a coal to warm at, nor fire to sit before it.

[The Attention Seeker Jen (On Moderation)]

Originally Posted by handmaiden

I think Jesus might quote these verses. (He did tend to quote the Old Testament a lot.)

Isaiah 47:13-14

Thou art wearied in the multitude of thy counsels. Let now the astrologers, the stargazers, the monthly prognosticators, stand up, and save thee from these things that shall come upon thee.

Behold, they shall be as stubble; the fire shall burn them; they shall not deliver themselves from the power of the flame: there shall not be a coal to warm at, nor fire to sit before it.

There might be truth to this, when I was younger I had abnormal stubble that had to be surgically corrected by laser hair removal. Maybe it came with the astronomy interest?

[handmaiden]

Originally Posted by JenNettles

There might be truth to this, when I was younger I had abnormal stubble that had to be surgically corrected by laser hair removal. Maybe it came with the astronomy interest?

Some truth?!

Read this verse from Deuteronomy, chapter 4, which is a list of corruptions that The Lord commands Israel to avoid:

And lest thou lift up thine eyes unto heaven, and when thou seest the sun, and the moon, and the stars, even all the host of heaven, shouldest be driven to worship them, and serve them, which the Lord thy God hath divided unto all nations under the whole heaven.

This is God expressly forbidding His people to avoid directing their eyes up to the heavens.

And because you seem to have so little respect for the Old Testament, (which foretold Jesus, by the way) here are a couple of verses from Galatians, chapter 5:

Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies,
Envyings, murders, drunkeness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God.

I know that you think you are being clever and cute with your postings, but you are showing serious disrespect for God's authority and commands.

If your disrespect were simply against us at Landover Baptist, I could dismiss it a mere trollery. But you keep calling yourself a Christian. You don't just come across as a hypocrite, you seem joyously opposed to the words that set forth the tenants of the faith you claim to follow.


What is the point of your faith? Whom do you serve, other than your own desire for amusement?

[The Attention Seeker Jen (On Moderation)]

Originally Posted by handmaiden

I know that you think you are being clever and cute with your postings, but you are showing serious disrespect for God's authority and commands.

If your disrespect were simply against us at Landover Baptist, I could dismiss it a mere trollery. But you keep calling yourself a Christian. You don't just come across as a hypocrite, you seem joyously opposed to the words that set forth the tenants of the faith you claim to follow.


What is the point of your faith? Whom do you serve, other than your own desire for amusement?

You make clever and cute sound like bad qualities; I think they are among my greatest gifts God's given me, and I intend to use them.


I am a Christian!


I believe in God, I believe in Jesus. I believe Jesus died on the cross for our sins and was resurrected.


I'm just....not that kind.... the kind that flaunts all the rules no matter how abstract and archaic they sound, without a shred of common sense.


I came to this site thinking I could inject such sense, because I'll be completely utterly honest, I admire your passion, really, and eye-popping nature of this site. I just think it's a bit too extreme at times. None the less, I have no friends. All I do is work, eat, sleep, eat, sleep, eat, eat, you see the picture.

So, I guess, the optimist in me is hoping someday you'll come to see where I'm coming from, remove my offensive awards and fellowship with me with mutual love, respect and udnerstanding.

Afterall, tomorrow's just another sunny day.

[handmaiden]

Ms. Nettles, I will not attempt to reason with you. Your resistance to clear thought is stronger even than your resistance to reading the Holy Scriptures to which all who claim the mantle of Christian owe the basis for their declaration.

Instead, I will set forth the Word of God and let you decide if you will listen and discern, or continue to delude yourself.

Originally Posted by JenNettles

I am a Christian!

Matthew 7:21
“Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven.

I believe in God, I believe in Jesus. I believe Jesus died on the cross for our sins and was resurrected.

James 2:19
Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe, and tremble.

I'm just....not that kind.... the kind that flaunts all the rules no matter how abstract and archaic they sound, without a shred of common sense.

Revelation 3:15-16
I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot: I would thou wert cold or hot. So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth

I came to this site thinking I could inject such sense, because I'll be completely utterly honest, I admire your passion, really, and eye-popping nature of this site. I just think it's a bit too extreme at times.

So you came to this site to "inject sense". Because, of course, your idea of sense is the only one that makes sense, am I correct? All this time we have been managing without you, and now we are to turn to you as the arbitor of what God really wants for humankind? Apparently, our devotion to reading the Bible has been for naught. We should, instead, have been praying for an alternate savior whose words would carry more weight than those pronounced by Jesus.

Perhaps you would like to establish your own church, Miss Nettles. This would be the Church of Vague Notions About the Nature of God and its tenets would revolve around looking at flowers and sunsets and doing whatever feels good at any given moment of one's day.

No doubt, it would appeal to many adherents, but it would hardly bear any resemblance to actual Christianity as it has been known for the past 2000 years.

[The Attention Seeker Jen (On Moderation)]

Originally Posted by handmaiden

Ms. Nettles, I will not attempt to reason with you.

And yet you still are, so it looks like I'm not the only hypocrite apparent here.

Originally Posted by handmaiden

Perhaps you would like to establish your own church, Miss Nettles. This would be the Church of Vague Notions About the Nature of God and its tenets would revolve around looking at flowers and sunsets and doing whatever feels good at any given moment of one's day.

No doubt, it would appeal to many adherents, but it would hardly bear any resemblance to actual Christianity as it has been known for the past 2000 years.

Annnnnnd that actually sounds like a good idea? Maybe even an improvement. People in the past 2000 years have used Christianity for nothing but misery and an excuse to kill others. Not always. As I said before, I don't want Christianity to get misconstrued under the same murder brush, but you can't argue that sunsets and flowers are a bad thing, and if that's what the new Gospel According to St. Jennifer will be, let it be so!

[handmaiden]

Originally Posted by JenNettles

And yet you still are,[reasoning with me] so it looks like I'm not the only hypocrite apparent here.

Not, I, Miss Nettles. The Lord and His Word are your actual combatant, here.

Isaiah 1:18
Come now, and let us reason together, saith the Lord: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool

Annnnnnd that actually sounds like a good idea? Maybe even an improvement. People in the past 2000 years have used Christianity for nothing but misery and an excuse to kill others. Not always. As I said before, I don't want Christianity to get misconstrued under the same murder brush, but you can't argue that sunsets and flowers are a bad thing, and if that's what the new Gospel According to St. Jennifer will be, let it be so!

Regarding the worship of flowers:

Jeremiah 10:1-8
Hear ye the word which the Lord speaketh unto you, O house of Israel:
Thus saith the Lord, Learn not the way of the heathen, and be not dismayed at the signs of heaven; for the heathen are dismayed at them.
For the customs of the people are vain: for one cutteth a tree out of the forest, the work of the hands of the workman, with the axe.
They deck it with silver and with gold; they fasten it with nails and with hammers, that it move not.
They are upright as the palm tree, but speak not: they must needs be borne, because they cannot go. Be not afraid of them; for they cannot do evil, neither also is it in them to do good.
Forasmuch as there is none like unto thee, O Lord; thou art great, and thy name is great in might.
Who would not fear thee, O King of nations? for to thee doth it appertain: forasmuch as among all the wise men of the nations, and in all their kingdoms, there is none like unto thee.
But they are altogether brutish and foolish: the stock is a doctrine of vanities.

Regarding the worship of sunsets:

Deuteronomy 4: 19
And lest thou lift up thine eyes unto heaven, and when thou seest the sun, and the moon, and the stars, even all the host of heaven, shouldest be driven to worship them, and serve them, which the Lord thy God hath divided unto all nations under the whole heaven.

Regarding the "improvement" of worship of The Lord:

Psalm 119:1-6
Blessed are the undefiled in the way, who walk in the law of the Lord.
Blessed are they that keep his testimonies, and that seek him with the whole heart.
They also do no iniquity: they walk in his ways.
Thou hast commanded us to keep thy precepts diligently.
O that my ways were directed to keep thy statutes!
Then shall I not be ashamed, when I have respect unto all thy commandments.

[Alvin Moss]

Miss Nettles, you poor creature,
I have been shocked- nay- appalled by your clearly condescending and hateful comments since the first day you arrived to vex good Christians with your Devil inspired cruel though occasionally witty remarks. How far you have fallen from those heady days as a babe when Jesus had such high hopes for you. Gods gives us free will that we may make the correct decisions according to His will and thus be rewarded with Heaven some day. You have obviously been poorly guided and have smugly chosen the path to Hell. You say you are a Christian but you are not. You are of the Devil's people.

You must be a great sorrow to your father, for whom I grieve but who may have his place next to you in the Lake of Fire if he cannot come to grips with his failure in your training. I pray that he has asked Jesus to forgive him for this failing. I believe that your father has spared the rod, which is always a great error, and I believe a lovingly applied beating is what you are in need of now. I urge you to present yourself at your earliest convenience at the office of any local Pastor, explain what you have been doing and ask him for the beating you so justly deserve. Once your mind is settled, you will be able to fully come to Jesus and accept Him as your savior, thus avoiding the roasting you seem bound for.

[Basilissa]

Originally Posted by JenNettles

So, I guess, the optimist in me is hoping someday you'll come to see where I'm coming from, remove my offensive awards and fellowship with me with mutual love, respect and udnerstanding.

Why should we be open minded towards your ideas, when you're not open minded towards us, and towards what God says through the Bible? Being respectful towards other people's ideas is a two way street, you know.

[Isabella White]

Originally Posted by Basilissa

Why should we be open minded towards your ideas, when you're not open minded towards us, and towards what God says through the Bible? Being respectful towards other people's ideas is a two way street, you know.

Oh, dear Sister Basilissa: My, how I admire your attempt to continue to witness to Miss Nettles -- that poor, lost woman. One of the many things that she is ignoring is that we cannot change . The does not change to suit the whims and desires of mankind. Just because there are many important parts of the that make Miss Nettles uncomfortable, as she squirms in the conviction of her sins, this does not mean that is going to re-shape self into her idea of what He should be.

Hebrews 13:8 "Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and to day, and for ever."

And, as Miss Nettles feels that we are here to argue with her (when all we want is for her to forsake her sinful ways and to serve the , truthfully), then I'm afraid that I am at a loss as to what to suggest further, except to say that this is in the Hands of Almighty.

Originally Posted by JenNettles -- Well there's no point arguing over it, because I won't be going to Hell. Jesus loves me.

A blessed day to you, Dear,
Sincerely, Isabella W.

[The Attention Seeker Jen (On Moderation)]

Originally Posted by Alvin Moss

Miss Nettles, you poor creature,
I have been shocked- nay- appalled by your clearly condescending and hateful comments since the first day you arrived to vex good Christians with your Devil inspired cruel though occasionally witty remarks. How far you have fallen from those heady days as a babe when Jesus had such high hopes for you. Gods gives us free will that we may make the correct decisions according to His will and thus be rewarded with Heaven some day. You have obviously been poorly guided and have smugly chosen the path to Hell. You say you are a Christian but you are not. You are of the Devil's people.

You must be a great sorrow to your father, for whom I grieve but who may have his place next to you in the Lake of Fire if he cannot come to grips with his failure in your training. I pray that he has asked Jesus to forgive him for this failing. I believe that your father has spared the rod, which is always a great error, and I believe a lovingly applied beating is what you are in need of now. I urge you to present yourself at your earliest convenience at the office of any local Pastor, explain what you have been doing and ask him for the beating you so justly deserve. Once your mind is settled, you will be able to fully come to Jesus and accept Him as your savior, thus avoiding the roasting you seem bound for.

How dare you say that about my dad Alvin? So.... here's the thing. I'm a grown woman and to be beaten by my dad, or anyone when I've long since moved out on my own would be point blank absurd. This seems to be ritual adhered by a minority of people including yourselves. I would find it incredibly difficult to get beat by a pastor for my apparent sins as that isn't a usual means of communication to bestow on someone in the Presbyterian church. ...in other words, just ain't done. Sorry.


But um, glad you find me sometimes witty. Thanks I guess?

[The Attention Seeker Jen (On Moderation)]

Originally Posted by Basilissa

Why should we be open minded towards your ideas, when you're not open minded towards us, and towards what God says through the Bible? Being respectful towards other people's ideas is a two way street, you know.

Okay so back to this crossroads. So, what you are asking is for me to reexamine my faith and adhere to all aspects of the Bible even if I think it comes in stark contrast to my own values and who I identify as, as a human being? Maybe that's too huge a demand, even for me, in which case, maybe it is in my interest to throw my hands up and become an agnostic - which seems redundant at this church as you'd still think I was going to Hell.


So hypothetically speaking, if I did what you were asking, would that change the dynamic in a significant way, different from the treatment I received when I first came to your site?

[Basilissa]

Originally Posted by JenNettles

So, what you are asking is for me to reexamine my faith... even if I think it comes in stark contrast to my own values and who I identify as, as a human being?

Thank you for providing a really good definition of "being open-minded." The answer is, obviously, yes.

So hypothetically speaking, if I did what you were asking, would that change the dynamic in a significant way, different from the treatment I received when I first came to your site?

Tremendously, sweetie. if you can open your mind to what Jesus tells us through the Holy Bible, we could actually have meaningful conversations. Start by reading it, with an open mind - no preconceived notions, no "but this is what I want God to say" temper tantrums, just read it! Then, we can talk.

If you don't own a printed copy, you can start clicking on the moving icon:

[Didymus Much]

Originally Posted by JenNettles

...even if I think it comes in stark contrast to my own values...

YES, ALREADY.


If your values do not align with what the Bible says (the Bible being the definition of "Christian"), then your values are not Christian values.


If your values are not Christian values, then in what way are you Christian?

... and who I MISidentify as, as a human being?...

FTFY.

... Maybe that's too huge a demand, even for me, in which case, maybe it is in my interest to throw my hands up and become an agnostic...

Go learn what agnostic means (and no, like "Christian", it's not what everyone thinks it does) before you misidentify again.


---


Friends don't try to get friends around to their thinking based just on their "feels", especially when they flatly dismiss every piece of actual evidence raised. That's not respect, so that's not friendship.


You've offered friendship to no one here. You just went and claimed it.


Does that make it true?

[The Attention Seeker Jen (On Moderation)]

Originally Posted by Didymus Much

If your values do not align with what the Bible says (the Bible being the definition of "Christian"), then your values are not Christian values.


If your values are not Christian values, then in what way are you Christian?

TBH I don't know anymore. I've had a vague notion of what a Christian is based on my childhood indoctrination at church. It seemed to work for me so far, and never really has it been challenged until now.

Originally Posted by Didymus Much

You've offered friendship to no one here. You just went and claimed it.


Does that make it true?

You're right. Authentic friendships can't be forged when forcibly shoved down other people's throats. I've always been an in-your-face sort of gal and sometimes social nuances are lost on me, thanks to my Asperger's, down snydrone, dyslexia and late-stage ADD.

[MitzaLizalor]

Hi. I'd like to welcome you to the forum and trust that your enquiring nature leads you to an understanding of The Truth. I noticed that you appreciate the importance of a connection with God.

Originally Posted by JenNettles

the whole crux of Christianity is one's connection with God

I'm interested in how one may identify that such a connection exists, either for oneself or for someone else?

Thanks.