Hi,
First to the skeptics who couldn't resist:
1. I warned you. Glad you're interested (don't pretend you're not);
2. Don't tell me this is "just" a triathlon forum. I emailed Dan early in the forum days about a religious/moral issue, and he invited me to post it on the forum, stating that there are many insightful people on here who like a good discussion.
Now to the professing Christians -- some of whom have posted in the recent threads -- please let me thank you for your great witness and testimony. I may not have read every post, but virtually every one that I saw was respectful and articulate, regardless of whether you had been "flamed" or not.
Have you noticed that in America, there is an "anything goes" mentality and tolerance of all... until in comes to Christians. Then, as soon as someone mentions their faith, they are suddenly an ignorant, closed-minded, bigoted individual who is "shoving" their religion down people's throats -- as one person put it -- hoping that some sucker bites on their story. I did not see any such traits in the posts by Christians on this forum (although, as d.c.Talk says in the intro to a song, "The greatest single cause of atheism in the world today is Christians who confess Jesus with their lips and then walk out the door and deny him by their lifestyle.")
There were also some very articulate posts against Christianity by people who obviously have a thorough, broad knowledge of religion, even if they don't have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. I'll admit, it's tough for me to read those posts... call it part resentment (humanly speaking) and part sadness (spiritually speaking).
Some good resources to strengthen your faith and have an answer for those who question your beliefs are The Case for Christ and the Case for Faith by Lee Strobel. Why I Believe by James Kennedy is also an excellent resource. All three proved very insightful and articulate proof for the foundations of our faith. Strobel was, in fact, a legal reporter who set about to disprove Christianity from a legal perspective, and after examining the evidence, became saved himself. See http://www.the-case-for-christ.com/
I have no financial interest in either of these authors... don't even know 'em personally. I'm not going to allow this to become an on-line debate, either, so I probably won't respond to future posts. I think my email is in my "profile" if you want to correspond directly.
God bless!
Ray
First to the skeptics who couldn't resist:
1. I warned you. Glad you're interested (don't pretend you're not);
2. Don't tell me this is "just" a triathlon forum. I emailed Dan early in the forum days about a religious/moral issue, and he invited me to post it on the forum, stating that there are many insightful people on here who like a good discussion.
Now to the professing Christians -- some of whom have posted in the recent threads -- please let me thank you for your great witness and testimony. I may not have read every post, but virtually every one that I saw was respectful and articulate, regardless of whether you had been "flamed" or not.
Have you noticed that in America, there is an "anything goes" mentality and tolerance of all... until in comes to Christians. Then, as soon as someone mentions their faith, they are suddenly an ignorant, closed-minded, bigoted individual who is "shoving" their religion down people's throats -- as one person put it -- hoping that some sucker bites on their story. I did not see any such traits in the posts by Christians on this forum (although, as d.c.Talk says in the intro to a song, "The greatest single cause of atheism in the world today is Christians who confess Jesus with their lips and then walk out the door and deny him by their lifestyle.")
There were also some very articulate posts against Christianity by people who obviously have a thorough, broad knowledge of religion, even if they don't have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. I'll admit, it's tough for me to read those posts... call it part resentment (humanly speaking) and part sadness (spiritually speaking).
Some good resources to strengthen your faith and have an answer for those who question your beliefs are The Case for Christ and the Case for Faith by Lee Strobel. Why I Believe by James Kennedy is also an excellent resource. All three proved very insightful and articulate proof for the foundations of our faith. Strobel was, in fact, a legal reporter who set about to disprove Christianity from a legal perspective, and after examining the evidence, became saved himself. See http://www.the-case-for-christ.com/
I have no financial interest in either of these authors... don't even know 'em personally. I'm not going to allow this to become an on-line debate, either, so I probably won't respond to future posts. I think my email is in my "profile" if you want to correspond directly.
God bless!
Ray