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#Post#: 5692--------------------------------------------------
Where am I now?
By: Mike Date: July 21, 2015, 11:10 am
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Saturday evening Christine and I went to a presentation, in our
local Anglican Church, by the Rev. Richard Coles (the gay Vicar
of 'Pop to Pulpit' fame).
I came away with the faith that I once held having been
challenged to the core (yet again) and I spent the next day
writing down a summary of what, over the years, has led me away.
It took two pages to complete (even in summarised form) and I
wouldn’t want to too deeply disturb LW by publishing it.
But I will quote a small part so that you all know what not to
expect of me, and so that you understand my ‘Personal Text’
……”Please do not disturb”
One might well consider the development of the Protestant
denominational ‘explosion’ since the Reformation to be even less
auspicious than the development of ‘Christianity’ during its
initial 400 years.
Or, if you believe in a sovereign God, you might consider that
not a single branch of Reformation ‘Protestantism’ could have
survived the dark oppression of the middle ages, and that
Catholicism was God’s way of ensuring that “even the gates of
hades would not prevail against his church”.
Or, as I have done, you might join the ranks of Deists who
“combine the rejection of revelation and authority as a source
of religious knowledge with the conclusion that reason and
observation of the natural world are sufficient to determine the
existence of a single Creator God of the entire universe,
stretching across all areas, and embracing all ‘God based’
concepts, between the Mediterranean and its far eastern
antipodes. Deism holding that God does not intervene with the
process of the natural world but rather allows it to function
according to the laws of nature; such conviction having gained
prominence among intellectuals during the Age of Enlightenment
who, raised as Christians, believed in one God, but became
disenchanted with organized religion and notions such as the
Trinity, a virgin birth, biblical inerrancy, healing by prayer,
and the supernatural interpretation of events as being miracles”
(extracted from Wikipedia)
#Post#: 5694--------------------------------------------------
Re: Where am I now?
By: Helen Date: July 21, 2015, 11:39 am
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Lovely to have you here Mike..'warts an all'. :)
I love that you are always brave enough to "just be you"..no
frills, 'what you see is what you get.' Those are my kind of
people.
If you want to feel more comfortable..Why dont you start a "
Mike's Place" thread, of something like that? Then you will be
free to write what you feel, and get your thoughts out where you
can see them.
Mike. One thing I do know for sure. Is that with the last 6-8
months and more, of challenges to your faith etc etc I can say
without doubt God loves you very much, He knows your faith , the
strong part and the weak parts. He is just allowing everything
that is not relevant to be challenged and washed away. I know
for sure...that whatever is left, after this testing is
over...will be pure gold.
( and that pretty much goes for each one of us. Heb 12 :-" And
this word, "Yet once more," signifieth the removing of those
things that are shaken, as of things that are made, that those
things which cannot be shaken may remain."
)
#Post#: 5695--------------------------------------------------
Re: Where am I now?
By: Mike Date: July 21, 2015, 11:46 am
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[quote author=Helen link=topic=445.msg5694#msg5694
date=1437496798]
Why dont you start a " Mike's Place" thread, of something like
that? Then you will be free to write what you feel, and get
your thoughts out where you can see them.
[/quote]
If anybody really wants the 'full monty' of how I got to where I
am, you only have to ask and I'll pop it into a PM.
#Post#: 5699--------------------------------------------------
Re: Where am I now?
By: James Date: July 21, 2015, 1:56 pm
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Wow
! What a blessing, I have been away of and on for the past week
as all sorts of things have conspiresd to stop me from having
time to get to this site, and when I do , here you are!!!
So good to see you back again Mike, you make us think while
encouraging us to not settle for where we are but to ever be
moving forward albeit ever so slow, into the God that we see and
fear.
Bless you bro'.
#Post#: 5708--------------------------------------------------
Re: Where am I now?
By: Amadeus Date: July 21, 2015, 9:13 pm
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[font=courier]It is really good to see you posting again, Mike.
In this also, let us give God the glory.[/font]
#Post#: 5713--------------------------------------------------
Re: Where am I now?
By: Mike Date: July 22, 2015, 12:23 am
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[quote author=Amadeus link=topic=445.msg5708#msg5708
date=1437531195]
[font=courier]It is really good to see you posting again, Mike.
In this also, let us give God the glory.[/font]
[/quote]
Thanks John.
However I doubt you will see many posts from me, unless it's
secular stuff and 'funnies'.
#Post#: 5718--------------------------------------------------
Re: Where am I now?
By: Helen Date: July 22, 2015, 8:24 am
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Quote Mike[quote]Thanks John.
However I doubt you will see many posts from me, unless it's
secular stuff and 'funnies'.
[/quote]
And that is just fine, very fine...we are all friends here...and
we need the secular and we need funnies too. We have too few of
both and need both on here... :D
#Post#: 5725--------------------------------------------------
Re: Where am I now?
By: James Date: July 22, 2015, 1:30 pm
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Have re-read the opening post Mike and find it most odd and a
little confusing, or might it be you are confused. No time to
write more now but I will return to this subject soon.
More later... someone used to say that, can not remember who.
#Post#: 5728--------------------------------------------------
Re: Where am I now?
By: Mike Date: July 22, 2015, 5:18 pm
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[quote author=James link=topic=445.msg5725#msg5725
date=1437589848]
Have re-read the opening post Mike and find it most odd and a
little confusing, or might it be you are confused. No time to
write more now but I will return to this subject soon.
More later... someone used to say that, can not remember who.
[/quote]
It was twinc.....but please remember my personal text "Please do
not disturb".
Do you want the 'full monty' by PM ......from which my OP was
extracted?
It might help your "confusion"......my faith has changed so
radically.
#Post#: 5733--------------------------------------------------
Re: Where am I now?
By: James Date: July 23, 2015, 3:03 am
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Mike quote --with the conclusion that reason and observation of
the natural world are sufficient to determine the existence of a
single Creator God of the entire universe, stretching across all
areas, and embracing all ‘God based’ concepts, between the
Mediterranean and its far eastern antipodes.
[color=blue]I can understand how one may look at creation and
see the glory of God. Where I think the confusion is in drawing
the conclusion that the God of creation does in fact embrace all
areas of concepts of God. This is where you, and I mean you
Mike, move from what you say you believe to doing the same as
those that you say you no longer believe. You expound your
concept of God being seen in creation and start to tell us that
there is a truth to be understood and that truth is that your
god is universal in all beliefs.
That to me Mike is just the same as you starting to write your
own bible, makes you no different to those who penned the
scriptures that you now say you do not believe, you are putting
a man's point of view something you say that is not relevant in
knowing God.
I believe Mike that you are sincere and that you are sincerely
wrong, but you are free to believe since the Lord sees your
confusion and knows all his children, I am sure like the
prodigals father he watches for us all as we make our way home.
[/color]
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