That very question has always bothered me, as a christian, but I have come to believe that God is just in this situation. Let me explain my thinking.

It is my understanding that children who have never had a chance to grow to know the lord go to heaven to be with him. I think that God would classify this man in the wilderness with these children. I think that he considers all of us children anyways, so it makes sense to me.

On top of this, I don't feel any of us have the right to claim anyone else is not going to heaven. While as a christian I feel that the only way to heaven is through Christ, I also think that none of us can say what is in another's heart. I think God knows far better than us how to decide who belongs where, so we should focus on good thoughts and encourage eachother to find him, rather than condemning anyone.

Dogfish, when you said "follow it to the letter", that saddened me. It saddened me because it seems that your encounters with christianity have made you think it was all about following this book, this set of rules, and it isn't. I guess it has become that way for a lot of people in a lot of churches, but I strongly believe that is not how God meant it to be. Jesus said that if you follow no other commandments, follow these: Love God, and love your fellow man. Christianity is a religion based entirely on love, and far too often in today's world it is seen, and perpetuated, as a religion of rules, condemnation and even bigotry and hate.

For me, what religion could make more sense than one that's main tenant is to love? Ok, barring a religion based on fishing or drinking beer

ahhh, i ain't so smart...i had to turn around three times this year to get my fishing license and earlier today I lost my keys....found them in the front pocket of the pants I was wearing.

"If you say that people are few to celebrate Christmas, which has Christian origins, without relating it to its religious roots, can't christians use symbolism that previously had other religious connotations? Either they are both wrong or they are both fine."

If I understand the question correctly I believe your last line is what I am arguing...the nature of the original post is hypocritical because, as I understood it, he feels borrowing religious symbolism is wrong.

Since I personally don't care where Christians get their religious symbology, I don't see how I'm trying to have it both ways. Borrow away, just don't cry foul when someone borrows from you basically...

Am I the only one that caught elvis trying to explain how the first christmas tree was given to the baby jesus by the magii? I'll bet one of them was wearing a fuzzy lil red hat...

R,O,F,L,M,A,O.

I Personally do not do any of the Bs that comes with the commercialized Christmas, or Easter. I don’t give gifts, and I don’t take them either. I don’t put up stupid little lights or trees either . I read the bible in a duck blind every year for Christmas with my boys or buy my self, and I go camping on Easter, with the bible. I don’t play the games sing the songs, and I do believe. I do however have the theology degree, and I am not perfect. Most every one makes mistakes on interpretation. Even I do and it’s always later when I notice it. That’s the great thing about God and his forgiveness.

Aix, you sound like fun

H20,

How do you get this?

"Am I the only one that caught elvis trying to explain how the first christmas tree was given to the baby jesus by the magii?"

From this?


"The first christmas tree was of course and Olive tree in the manger at Christs birth visitiation by the wisemen."

Many accounts of this by the way.

were the magii wearing fuzzy little red hats, too.....?

the christmas tree as it is known culturally in the united states evolved from....ahhh, forget it...why am I even bothering? Talking to you is like clapping with one hand...

Man, what an understatement.

Anthrax - Caught in a Mosh

H20,

"the christmas tree as it is known culturally in the united states evolved from"

It evolved from Martin luther not the Pagan evergreen ritual that you haters put forth. The US custom was to add glass ornaments nothoing more.

Look it can google. There are over 1000 sites that discuss the origins of Christmas. Anyone can google a site to make their claim and defend it on a variety of points. The Pagan solistce ritual with the evergreen tree is just one.

The bigger point is none of it means a fricken thing if you understand that this world is ruled by freewill. That freewill allows man to do whatever he chooses. It has zero effect on the claim that one is Christian, the bible or god period. It is simply mans choice. The fact that it may be a sin is irrrelevent as well as the messiah came to forgive us for sin. It has about as much effect on the validity of biblical events or god as a box of Cheerios.

Only 100 or so sites mention the legend. here is one.

http://www.christmascarnivals.com/tradition/


According to a legend, the Christmas tree is associated with the birth of Jesus Christ. It is believed that on the night of the birth of Christ, all kinds of living creatures came to Bethlehem with gifts. The olive tree came along with its fruit and the palm with its date but the fir had nothing to gift the newborn king. So an angel, taking pity on the fir, commanded a cluster of stars to shine on its beautiful boughs. Baby Jesus smiled on seeing the lighted tree, and blessed it. Consequently, the fir tree is always lighted with many decorations on it, to please little children during Christmas.

and by 'None christians' you mean 'non-christians'?

No read what I said. I said how Christmas is clebrated has zero to do with religion God or the bible. It's an choice of man. No different than if the Pope decided to make a porn video. Yet the haters try to make it out to be some hypocrisy that gives them ammunition that the bible ,religon and god are all lies and fairy tales. I think the point of his thread was why clebrate it in any fashion or even acknowledge the event in any shape or form if you do not believe?

Add it to the list that grows exponentially with each post.

Gotta love that filibuster about "free will" when realizing his narcissistic ass is being handed to him..... again.

Harley captain of the mental defectiuve leauge debate team. I've rubbed your nose in it so many times even the dog thinks you are incapable of learning.

Show me a command. I believe he just asked why. I said the typical MDL tactic to slam Christians means less than your understanding of the bible.

well on a lighter note, someone pray for my arm as i'm off to norway for some BIG cod.

" of you who claim to be Christians are in fact, making Christians look bad by the way you treat others. "

Yes this is true. Because the bible is very clear we should have nothing to do with non-believers or false believers so it's just another example of my sinful nature. You take yourself way too seriously and think way too high of yourself to think that you are fooling anyone but your buddies when you pick a fight , play dirty then cry foul when someone takes it further than you like.

they're seem to be a few 300kg critters on the northwest coast.