Zemirah Loc: Sojourner En Route...

Hi bahmer,

It wasn't really a Bible study, more a statement based on personal observation. The historically correct version is next.

As the ravenous wolves of selfism and man-made religion lick their chops, your support of God's spiritual truth is applauded and appreciated.

I believe you just very effectively precluded anything that could be introduced on behave of ancient paganism, although whitewashed and labeled Christianity. You cut them off at the pass.

Yes, bahmer, I too find myself surrounded by "old familiar road trudgers," defenders of cute little ole bunnies and cheeping yellow chicks, unable to relegate them to their season of nature, without erroneously tying them to the worship and honor due to Almighty God.

Those who are unable or unwilling to investigate, i.e., search out the historical origins and significance of "strange fire placed upon the altar" before God are "tickling their own ears" to their own spiritual detriment.

That's one sentence dedicated to and split between Old Testament - New Testament truths that could serve as an outline.

padremike Loc: Phenix City, Al

For those Christians that practice fasting AND abstinence, hunger reminds us how very dependant we are on God and puts us in closer touch with those who suffer with hunger. We are taught to put the money aside we would have spent on food and donate it the poor. You call that politically correct feel good?

Zemirah Loc: Sojourner En Route...

Lindajoy,

To what precisely are you objecting? I expressed my belief and concern, documenting why.
You have exercised your right to object, although as to what is very hard to distinguish.

You do not fit the criteria of sacrificing during the forty days of Lent, as you "give up nothing."

You are mistaken. I did not label the Old Testament fasts of the Jewish people at large response to national threats or emergencies as "pagan." They were appeals to God for rescue and/or mercy, even when not commanded by God.

This sentence seems most meaningful in your dialogue:



That goes without saying. You have every right to keep it so.

I answered that:



What you believe, what you observe religiously and how you observe it is in your ball park.

My objective is the lies of self-serving religious leaders of the universal church of Jesus Christ who spawn false doctrines, and in doing so, add to or take from the revealed Word of God, as they have reintroduced ancient forms of worship forbidden by God's Word.

That which was long practiced in the worship of idols before God introduced Judaism (4,000 years ago) or Christianity (2,000 years ago) to reconcile mankind to Himself through pure worship, was practiced by Abraham's ancestors, who were idolaters and polytheists (worshippers of many gods).

The history of the 40 day fasting period for the idol, Tammuz, since reintroduced as somehow Christian, and called Lent began there, and when observed as a pretense to commemorate Jesus' crucifixion, God hates it, for the Old Testament prophets condemned it over and over.

How you decorate your home or of what your dinner menu consists is immaterial to my topic and interests unless you can relate it to the apostasy of this age, with historical documentation.

Zemirah Loc: Sojourner En Route...

We must all reject false worship. Yet that is not the only point, IMHO.

A free sandwich you can obtain at the Salvation Army. You are in no danger of starvation.

Is not your first objective to: "Preach the Word (that would be the gospel of Jesus Christ); be ready in season and out of season; convict, rebuke, and exhort, with complete patience and instruction." (?) 2nd Timothy 4:2

God remains only where He is welcome and is obeyed, and leaves when nations turn away from Him in disobedience.

And when He leaves, judgment follows...

Are we not teetering on the brink?

Canuckus Deploracus Loc: North of the wall

With the Buddhists it was myself and two monks... It was a fast fron food alone that lasted three days and involved a lot of meditation (Although they also did some reading) and quite talks... It was fun, but not something that I engaged in again...

With the Muslims it was a full fast from sun up to sun down and I have engaged in it numerous times (Including Ramadan once, Which was amazing)... Never have I felt closer to God or His love than while fasting in His name...




We will have to agree to disagree here... Islam is one of the three Abrahamic religions and I fully accept Muslims as my brothers... Allah is yet another name for God... (I have come to accept that not all folk view Islam that way... Bu it does sadden me..)



The Chinese incorporated Buddha into their religion and most Buddhists in China certainly do view him as a diety.... Although not god... He ranks higher....lol



I myself assign a lesser degree of value to Paul's teachings as they came after Christ's... Jesus fasted and promoted fasting... As such it is a practice to be admired..(Although it should be done with humility)....Believers and unbelievers should both seek a greater relationship with God... All roads lead to Him...




My fasts, both those for spiritual growth and for health, have always resulted in profit... Either with a greater connection to our Lord or with the loss of a pound or two...




Excellent... I am sure that we will enjoy a multitude of discussions... I have read some of your old posts and you are a most civil and generous poster...

Blessings to you and yours...

Your friend, Kyle

padremike Loc: Phenix City, Al

You are indeed a piece of work. Are you really so dense you cannot understand fasting reminds us how totally dependent we are on God's mercy, pity and love? How many Americans have ever gone a complete day without food? Do you remember how Jesus instructed His own disciples to fast?

Your first objective is to "live the Word" before you can preach it.

Thank God He "does not" withdraw from every place where He is not welcomed and obeyed. He would have departed this world long ago. I'm sure you will agree!

Boo_Boo Loc: Jellystone

Excuse my interruption.... but in regards to Buddhist, I do not know any who worship Siddhartha Gautama, indeed they do not recognize a 'personal god.' I have many friends who are Buddhists and often visit with them and we have many good discussions. We actually have a Buddhist colony and a temple in our village. And I donated to building that temple and do not regret that decision. Full Buddhist do not fast for days, this is something that non Buddhist believe. One could say that my dietary habits closely resemble theirs, I am at (and have been for many years) at the 9 hour.... I eat my calories in a deliberate and mindful way and do not eat after 1:00 PM every day. Buddhist are not required to be vegan.... another wrongful thinking. I grow many foods and donate it to the temple.... that include cows (milk and meat), fruits, and many vegetables. Complete fasts are not encouraged.... and there are good reasons which if anyone is interested, I will explain. Honestly, we as adult humans eat way too often and way too much. Children need to eat often and lots of calories spaced through out the day, but not adults. None of their texts encourage inflicting pain or suffering on anyone or anything..... unlike other religions. I am not saying they are pacifists; Buddhist teaching has never prohibited believers from fighting in defense of a just cause.

Now then allah.... many people think that this term came into being with Muhammadn and simply refers to the G*d worshiped by Israelites. This is false! Allah, aka Hubal, was the name used for centuries before Muhammadn came on the scene. It was one of the 360 gods worshiped in the ka’aba in Mecca, and was the chief god for the Quraysh tribe, which was the tribe Muhammadn belonged to. In the pre-Islamic time, Hubal (chief god) or the allah had three daughters, Allāt, Al-‘Uzzá, and Manāt. Allāt was the goddess associated with the underworld. Al-‘Uzzá, “The Mightiest One” or “The Strong,” was a fertility goddess, and she was called upon for protection and victory before war. Manāt was the goddess of fate; the Book of Idols describes her as the most ancient of all these idols. The word Allah comes from the Aramaic compound term “al-ilah,” which means “the god.” It is a generic term. Muslims believe that allah or known in the time of Muhammadan as Hubal, is the only god, and because he is the only god (accepted by muslims) he therefore must be the same G*d as the one that the Jews and Christians worship. Faulty thinking and is only accepted because it has been made popular by effective propagandists. See: Who Is This Allah?, G. J. O. Moshay, 1994, p 138, The Moslem Doctrine of God, Samuel M. Zwemer 1905, p 24-25, Mohammed: The man and his faith, Tor Andrae, 1936, Translated by Theophil Menzel, 1960, p13-30, A Guide to the Contents of the Qur'an, Faruq Sherif, 1995, pgs. 21-22., Muslim, First Encyclopedia of Islam, E.J. Brill, 1987, Islam, p. 587-591, and The Archeology Of World Religions, Jack Finegan, 1952, p482-485, 492. I have more references if needed, but these should keep you busy for a day or so.

Canuckus Deploracus Loc: North of the wall

I can only speak for the Chinese Buddhists in my community...
The Tibetan Buddhists I have met are certainly different...

Good on you for supporting the temple....

Zemirah Loc: Sojourner En Route...

...and you, padremike,

Are you so lacking in faith as to require your stomach to be shrinking toward your backbone to remind you of our dependence on God?

et tu? - Many posters have misapplied my topic on the forty days of fasting for the ancient, pagan sungod, Tammuz to any fasting anywhere at any time, in honor of any deity at all... which is not my subject.

We are totally dependent on God for tomorrow's sun to rise:

Acts 17:28:"For in him we live, and move, and have our being; as certain also of your own poets have said, For we are also his offspring."

Job 12:10 "In whose hand is the soul of every living thing, and the breath of all mankind."

Psalm 36:9 "For with you is the fountain of life: in your light shall we see light."

I am indeed, God's creation, the work of His hands.

padremike, do you remember this?:

"At that time, John’s disciples came to Jesus and asked, “Why is it that we and the Pharisees fast so often, but Your disciples do not fast?” (Matthew 9:14)

Jesus replied, “How can the attendants of the bridegroom mourn while He is with them? But the time will come when the bridegroom will be taken away from them; then they will fast."
(Matthew 9:15)

Then Jesus, possibly looking forward 300 years to the Roman Emperor Constantine, reintroducing ancient pagan 40 day Lenten fasting as a means of observing His crucifixion, said this:

"No one sews a patch of unshrunk cloth on an old garment. For the patch will pull away from the garment, and a worse tear will result." (Matthew 9:16)

Jesus then instructed His disciples:
"When you fast, do not be somber like the hypocrites, for they disfigure their faces to show men they are fasting. Truly I tell you, they already have their reward." (Matthew 6:16)

That would exclude ashes being applied to display to the world.

At last, a proper use of fasting in Christian worship:

"And when they had ordained them elders in every church, and had prayed with fasting, they commended them to the Lord, on whom they believed." (Acts 14:23)

Boo_Boo Loc: Jellystone

As far as I know, there are two distinct culture of Buddhism in China.... Pure Land Buddhism and Chan (Zen) Buddhism which reside in your community... because there are distinct differences. And the two may be based on two separate people. The sect of Buddhism in my village is the Chan or Zen and they remind me often; Buddha promised no afterlife, no paradise or heaven, and made no claim to being anything other than an enlightened man who had simply discovered the truth of reality – all suffering comes from desire, and to be free one must free oneself from desire – and he gave ways to do that. He is not worshiped, he was the 'teacher.'

Canuckus Deploracus Loc: North of the wall

I am only familiar with the locals... There is certainly a heaven and a hell in their religion... And there are multiple buddhas (individuals who have achieved the status... As well as the original of course)...

All are prayed to and worshipped... Though more as examples than dieties...

I am hardly an expert on their religion... But do enjoy my conversations with the monks and try to visit often...

padremike Loc: Phenix City, Al

You are such a bloody damn boorish individual and I usually do not suffer fools such as you for as long as I already have. You'd argue with a fence post. Listen up, take your paper pope anywhere it leads you and I will continue to follow the ancient faith and practices of the One, Holy, Catholic, and Apostolic Church as 3/4 of Christianity has done for 2000 years and as I have faithfully done for most of my life. You can be happy, we can be happy, and we'll all meet at the Parousia for the separation of sheep and goats. Now that's fair.

Boo_Boo Loc: Jellystone

Next time you visit them ask them if heaven or hell is permanent.

Canuckus Deploracus Loc: North of the wall

I certainly will...

Boo_Boo Loc: Jellystone

Thank you.