/christian/ - Christian Discussion and Fellowship

>Why is god the being that is god instead of another being?

I want to believe that you were smoking something when you wrote this instead of writting the most retarded, nonsensical thing possible.

> when I can convert when I'm older and the opportunity cost is less.

One doesn't convert at will. One accepts or not the Truth. Since you show signs of knowing what is the Truth, and still act against it, you just add insult to the injury, and no getting older is going to change anything. Your logic seems to be "well if you were mediocre teenager retards like me you wouldn't be here! So why should I, a mediocre teenager retard, be here?". Do you really think that you are "far" from death, you fool? You will die, and you will lose everything you hold dear, and your sin will profit nothing, in the contrary, it is a way of death. So you better start changing it now.

Overall, your "thought process" is what we expect from this world: retards who have never had a though about metaphysics, or theology,or religion, considering themselves "skeptics". You are not skeptic, you are just a fool. Go read the Fathers of the Church.

>Why is this rock this rock, and not another rock?

Hi OP, these are great questions and I’m happy you’re answering the calling that has come to you. It’s OK to feel nervous about taking the plunge, but the feelings you are having lead me to believe that you’re already destined for the promised land.

> God is God because he created all things and set the unbreakable varibles of existence. If you look at the absolute laws of the universe - math, gravity, planetary orbits, these are not things that happened by accident.

> Alternatively, think of it this way. If someone programs a video game, does he not deserve to be called the programmer? Did he not set the varibles, design the characters, map the controller function? Has he not the right to alter the code and bring about change? God is the programmer of all creation

> Is it right that NPCs in a video game have to behave differently (e.g. jump through hurdles) in a game than the programmer does in his life?

> The birds don’t live in anxiety about what they look like or sit around complaining about trivial things. They don’t worry about what color they are or what to eat. They exist as they are meant to without panic over their existence. This is how many should exist, but sin has corrupted us.

> The bird with a broken wing was a prophetic sign, which is why you remember it so well. YOU are that bird - the world has robbed you of your spiritual freedom (broken your wing) to exist in peace and, hungry and broken you’re at the mercy of the evils and anxieties of the world. You’re hungry for spiritual truth, for spiritual foods that will give you the strength to endure this age. You, like that bird, are in danger and - just as that bird in it’s desparation would let you pick it up, so too must you trust the one who has come to something that you have previously fleed from to pick you up (Jesus Christ) and heal you.

> I, personally, wasted my youth with drugs, promiscuous sex, violent video games, pornography, excessive drinking, and crime. I lost my whole 20’s - an entire decade where I accomplished nothing. I could have been a hedge fund manager by now, could have had a house and a car and wife with children. Instead I have a bankruptcy, a barely-scratched pile of student loan debt, several arrests, a tiny 1 BR apartment, take the bus to work, and am just now at 33 barely getting to where I wanted to/should have/ could have been at 22. I would give anything to have my youth back and have spent it with studies, learning, and family. I didn’t have God then OP and didn’t follow the laws he set up to help and protect me. But you have this chance - please don’t squander it in sin as I did, I hate myself every day for doing so and would give anything to go back and live life righteously.

> The lengths Jesus is going to right now to call you to the faith should not be resisted. It MIGHT mean you may not have as much time as you think to “convert later” and MIGHT mean that, if you deny the call, you will taste an early death and an spend eternity in hell. DON’T take that chance!!!

God bless you OP. I will be praying for you

>>820094

If youre still around OP I would first like to apologize for the obvious poor quality of the answers here. One thing that you should understand when learning philosophy/theology is that it still is and always has been a work in progress. Not one person has ever had all the answers – definitely not anyone on this board. Maybe Jesus did, but obviously it can sometimes be difficult for us to understand what he meant. Fortunately you don't need to understand 100% of the universal truth to be saved, that would be impossible. You only need to accept a few key things.

I do understand what you mean in your first question, because I have thought about the same thing. Obviously understanding the nature of God is impossible – its called a "Mystery" by the Orthodox church for a reason – but here is what I would say: God is the ultimate "perfect" being. Like Aquinas said, only a completely "perfect" being could be God, there could be no other way. Even in a billion different other universes, God would have to be exactly the same each time, if that makes sense.

I would even imagine that maybe God is not a conscious being in the same sense that we are, but perhaps a fundamental truth of the universe, like gravity, or even something else totally beyond our notions of "consciousness" or "being". Even in mainstream philosophy, the theory of consciousness is something that has really only started to be tackled in the last few decades, and is far from solved.

>I can convert when I'm older and the opportunity cost is less.

Obviously, people are weak, and many of them are thinking the same thing as you. There is also the simple fact that religion is something that is falling further out of popularity with younger generations, and simply that it is something that can take a long time for people to understand, and by the time that they have come to accept it they are already old.

No matter what, if you are feeling called to faith please dont let a few mean spirits and philosophical shortcomings stop you. probably asking for help here may have been the worst thing you could have done PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE go and read the Bible and the philosophers and contemplate them on your own. There may perhaps be a few truly smart people on this board who could help, but anything we could say to you would pale in comparison to the wisdom of the canon and the revelation of prayer and self-reflection.

see you around hopefully, anon

>>820094

>Why is god the being that is god instead of another being?

Chances are, you're thinking of a "lesser" God. Though God will never be fully described nor comprehended, try to think of Him more as the principle towards all things are oriented. Atoms are oriented to form a molecule, molecules properly ordered form cells, and those form organs, then animals, then ecosystems, etc., etc…. then God.

Or another way to think about it: God is the perfect creator, He's creating all this universe, like a writer comes up with characters and scenarios that exist inside his head. The world is in a way inside God's mind. And just as a good character does not always do what the writer imposes (otherwise the story would feel contrived) God's creations have the freedom to form themselves. (This is a bit in line with the concept of GADU and creation existing in his mind, if you want to search more about it).

Now, understanding is great, but do not neglect the rest. That's gnosticism, a heresy -though I'd argue one of the most inoffensive heresies, since gnostics look for knowledge and usually realize how obvious it is one cannot reach salvation just by knowing.

>Why did Jesus tell us not to worry and have anxiety, using 'god providing for the birds' as an example, when birds starve to death and die all the time?

This anon >>820097 addressed that question really well, I'd say. Learn to live with what is given. Aim high not to get high rewards, but because it's the right thing to do, the right way to live. Be thankful for what you have and understand the world doesn't owe you anything.

>I'm always anxious about 'losing time' to 'sin' while I'm young and it's fun. I've always got the thought in the back of my mind that I'll meme myself into being 'pure' while young and it will be too late to get up to shenanigans, when I can convert when I'm older and the opportunity cost is less.

I've just turned 24. I wish I could have turned to God's order sooner. I'd have already finished my studies and I'd be looking for a decently paying job. But hey, at least I have God now, so I'm grateful anyway. In any case, if you feel anxious about it, don't force it. Do it gradually if you have to. On the other hand, if you do feel anxious about not being with God, then do force it and aim for a state that's comfortable, that feels right. Chances are you'll change your aim to go higher before you reach your first intended goal. In any case, avoid blind fanaticism; it won't get you anywhere and it'll make you bounce back harder. The most hardcore atheist are previous fanatics who didn't understand the beliefs they said they had, and now oppose those beliefs with the same blind fanaticism.

>>820094

>-Why is god the being that is god instead of another being?

Dont get confused by the labels, there is only one creator, all other beings both living and spiritual come from the creator, and would not exist without him.

>-Why did Jesus tell us not to worry and have anxiety, using 'god providing for the birds' as an example, when birds starve to death and die all the time?

Because he used nature as evidence to point out that God has provided all that we need to live a good life.

>-I'm always anxious about 'losing time' to 'sin' while I'm young and it's fun. I've always got the thought in the back of my mind that I'll meme myself into being 'pure' while young and it will be too late to get up to shenanigans, when I can convert when I'm older and the opportunity cost is less.

Nobody knows when they expire, therefor we should live every day as if it was our last one. As such we should make every day one worthy of Gods approval by being the best person we can be at all times.

No need to excuse yourself for not knowing, by asking for input from others you clearly show the will for self-improvement. By doing as such you have exceed those who do not self-improvement at all, and nobody can condemn you for trying to become a better person.

>>820094

Life and death are complimentary to eachother. Neither should be feared for they are both in your benefit, as are many things in this life.

If a thing exists, it is so for it is necessary. You cannot seperate the unpleasant from what is necessary, for all things necessary are required for all things that are pleasant. Just like the wing of a bird cannot be made of metal, for that wich is strong is also heavy. Therefor suffer and enjoy your senses, for a man made of stone knows neither pain nor pleasure.