The Road to Perdition: Like many of you, I spent most of my life believing that "Religion" was a mythology that bred bigots who held society back from being all that it could be.

amvaap

Like many of you, I spent most of my life believing that "Religion" was a mythology that bred bigots who held society back from being all that it could be. Politically, I was liberal, but like most liberals, I choose to be called "progressive" because I had no counter argument strong enough to counter the conservative mantra which made the word liberal actually sound vile. I also thought science and evolution explained everything and that "Religion" or creation had no place in education. To me a secular, humanist, people friendly society, led by science, could be the answer to all our problems. The only thing standing in the way was Religion, political conservatives, plus this group or that group that ruined it for the rest of us. I thought of myself and most others as being not such bad guys and it was only a small group of really bad people who were the cause of all the problems. Over the years as liberal inroads were made in society and liberal cultural victories were won like God being banned from the classroom, the theory of evolution being declared ultimate t***h, a******n on demand and without parental notification being legalized, same sex marriage becoming the law of the land, I expected to see a renaissance in America. Instead, I watched as America sank further and further into an abyss of violence, confusion and h**e. My first reaction was to of course blame those I viewed as enemies of progress, but as I watched, it began to become evident to me that the course of events and the actual pace and direction of those events were unfolding as if it were predetermined almost planned. I asked myself what ONE singular thing or power could I point to that could crystallize for me what the cause of this condition could be.. To my surprise, I could only think of one answer....SIN..The nature of man is indeed a fallen nature and man is incapable of not being sinful. Sin is the a******l condition of mankind and doing good is actually foreign to us..Mankind needs to repent and if we are fortunate, perhaps the real power of the universe will show us mercy because we are currently headed for judgement..

Grugore

amvaap wrote:

Like many of you, I spent most of my life believing that "Religion" was a mythology that bred bigots who held society back from being all that it could be. Politically, I was liberal, but like most liberals, I choose to be called "progressive" because I had no counter argument strong enough to counter the conservative mantra which made the word liberal actually sound vile. I also thought science and evolution explained everything and that "Religion" or creation had no place in education. To me a secular, humanist, people friendly society, led by science, could be the answer to all our problems. The only thing standing in the way was Religion, political conservatives, plus this group or that group that ruined it for the rest of us. I thought of myself and most others as being not such bad guys and it was only a small group of really bad people who were the cause of all the problems. Over the years as liberal inroads were made in society and liberal cultural victories were won like God being banned from the classroom, the theory of evolution being declared ultimate t***h, a******n on demand and without parental notification being legalized, same sex marriage becoming the law of the land, I expected to see a renaissance in America. Instead, I watched as America sank further and further into an abyss of violence, confusion and h**e. My first reaction was to of course blame those I viewed as enemies of progress, but as I watched, it began to become evident to me that the course of events and the actual pace and direction of those events were unfolding as if it were predetermined almost planned. I asked myself what ONE singular thing or power could I point to that could crystallize for me what the cause of this condition could be.. To my surprise, I could only think of one answer....SIN..The nature of man is indeed a fallen nature and man is incapable of not being sinful. Sin is the a******l condition of mankind and doing good is actually foreign to us..Mankind needs to repent and if we are fortunate, perhaps the real power of the universe will show us mercy because we are currently headed for judgement..

Like many of you, I spent most of my life believin... (show quote)

Well said! I'm so glad that you were rescued. Welcome, and keep up the good fight. If God is for us, who can be against us? The answer is no one.

MajorAhrens Loc: Myrtle Beach

amvaap wrote:

Like many of you, I spent most of my life believing that "Religion" was a mythology that bred bigots who held society back from being all that it could be. Politically, I was liberal, but like most liberals, I choose to be called "progressive" because I had no counter argument strong enough to counter the conservative mantra which made the word liberal actually sound vile. I also thought science and evolution explained everything and that "Religion" or creation had no place in education. To me a secular, humanist, people friendly society, led by science, could be the answer to all our problems. The only thing standing in the way was Religion, political conservatives, plus this group or that group that ruined it for the rest of us. I thought of myself and most others as being not such bad guys and it was only a small group of really bad people who were the cause of all the problems. Over the years as liberal inroads were made in society and liberal cultural victories were won like God being banned from the classroom, the theory of evolution being declared ultimate t***h, a******n on demand and without parental notification being legalized, same sex marriage becoming the law of the land, I expected to see a renaissance in America. Instead, I watched as America sank further and further into an abyss of violence, confusion and h**e. My first reaction was to of course blame those I viewed as enemies of progress, but as I watched, it began to become evident to me that the course of events and the actual pace and direction of those events were unfolding as if it were predetermined almost planned. I asked myself what ONE singular thing or power could I point to that could crystallize for me what the cause of this condition could be.. To my surprise, I could only think of one answer....SIN..The nature of man is indeed a fallen nature and man is incapable of not being sinful. Sin is the a******l condition of mankind and doing good is actually foreign to us..Mankind needs to repent and if we are fortunate, perhaps the real power of the universe will show us mercy because we are currently headed for judgement..

Like many of you, I spent most of my life believin... (show quote)

Thank you for sharing that. We are all sinners and need forgiveness. JESUS is true and just to forgive. We need only pray and believe on HIS NAME. GOD BLESS YOU

mwdegutis Loc: Illinois

amvaap wrote:

Like many of you, I spent most of my life believing that "Religion" was a mythology that bred bigots who held society back from being all that it could be. Politically, I was liberal, but like most liberals, I choose to be called "progressive" because I had no counter argument strong enough to counter the conservative mantra which made the word liberal actually sound vile. I also thought science and evolution explained everything and that "Religion" or creation had no place in education. To me a secular, humanist, people friendly society, led by science, could be the answer to all our problems. The only thing standing in the way was Religion, political conservatives, plus this group or that group that ruined it for the rest of us. I thought of myself and most others as being not such bad guys and it was only a small group of really bad people who were the cause of all the problems. Over the years as liberal inroads were made in society and liberal cultural victories were won like God being banned from the classroom, the theory of evolution being declared ultimate t***h, a******n on demand and without parental notification being legalized, same sex marriage becoming the law of the land, I expected to see a renaissance in America. Instead, I watched as America sank further and further into an abyss of violence, confusion and h**e. My first reaction was to of course blame those I viewed as enemies of progress, but as I watched, it began to become evident to me that the course of events and the actual pace and direction of those events were unfolding as if it were predetermined almost planned. I asked myself what ONE singular thing or power could I point to that could crystallize for me what the cause of this condition could be.. To my surprise, I could only think of one answer....SIN..The nature of man is indeed a fallen nature and man is incapable of not being sinful. Sin is the a******l condition of mankind and doing good is actually foreign to us..Mankind needs to repent and if we are fortunate, perhaps the real power of the universe will show us mercy because we are currently headed for judgement..

Like many of you, I spent most of my life believin... (show quote)

To continue your post

The real power of the universe is the one who overcame sin for usJesus Christ. He did this by taking up the cross, dying for our sins past, present, and future and rising from the dead to save us from sin and death. By doing this Jesus offers us a free gift that can grant peace of mind, freedom, and eternal life. So what does one do to receive this free gift and have a personal relationship with Jesus?

Five simple steps:

1. Admit you are a sinner Romans 3:23 For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of Gods glorious standard.
2. Understand that as a sinner, you will die Romans 6:23 For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord.
3. Believe that Jesus died on the cross and was raised from the dead to save you from sin and death Romans 10:9-11; 13 If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is by believing in your heart that you are made right with God, and it is by confessing with your mouth that you are saved. As the Scriptures tell us, Anyone who trusts in him will never be disgraced.For Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.
4. Receive, in faith through Jesus, his free gift of salvation Romans 5:1 Therefore, since we have been made right in Gods sight by faith, we have peace with God because of what Jesus Christ our Lord has done for us.
5. Repent by turning from your old life of sin and dedicating yourself to doing what is right through a new life in Jesus.

Does this mean youll stop sinning? No. Were all fallen and sinful by nature. But if you have truly followed these steps with all of your heart and have dedicated yourself to doing what is right through a new life in Jesus, from this point forward you will gradually change. Being human, you will stumble but you can be rest-assured and have peace of mind that when you ask youll already be forgiven by what Jesus did on the cross for you. Knowing this and with the Holy Spirits guidance, you can confidently and constantly move forward in your relationship with Jesus, have freedom and peace of mind, become more Christ-like every day, and have eternal life.

I, like millions and millions of other true followers of Jesus, can personally attest to this.

MajorAhrens Loc: Myrtle Beach

mwdegutis wrote:

To continue your post

The real power of the universe is the one who overcame sin for usJesus Christ. He did this by taking up the cross, dying for our sins past, present, and future and rising from the dead to save us from sin and death. By doing this Jesus offers us a free gift that can grant peace of mind, freedom, and eternal life. So what does one do to receive this free gift and have a personal relationship with Jesus?

Five simple steps:

1. Admit you are a sinner Romans 3:23 For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of Gods glorious standard.
2. Understand that as a sinner, you will die Romans 6:23 For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord.
3. Believe that Jesus died on the cross and was raised from the dead to save you from sin and death Romans 10:9-11; 13 If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is by believing in your heart that you are made right with God, and it is by confessing with your mouth that you are saved. As the Scriptures tell us, Anyone who trusts in him will never be disgraced.For Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.
4. Receive, in faith through Jesus, his free gift of salvation Romans 5:1 Therefore, since we have been made right in Gods sight by faith, we have peace with God because of what Jesus Christ our Lord has done for us.
5. Repent by turning from your old life of sin and dedicating yourself to doing what is right through a new life in Jesus.

Does this mean youll stop sinning? No. Were all fallen and sinful by nature. But if you have truly followed these steps with all of your heart and have dedicated yourself to doing what is right through a new life in Jesus, from this point forward you will gradually change. Being human, you will stumble but you can be rest-assured and have peace of mind that when you ask youll already be forgiven by what Jesus did on the cross for you. Knowing this and with the Holy Spirits guidance, you can confidently and constantly move forward in your relationship with Jesus, have freedom and peace of mind, become more Christ-like every day, and have eternal life.

I, like millions and millions of other true followers of Jesus, can personally attest to this.

To continue your post br br The real power of t... (show quote)

AMEN and PRAISE JESUS!! I can't and don't won't to go a day without. JESUS!

no propaganda please Loc: moon orbiting the third rock from the sun

[quote=amvaap]Like many of you, I spent most of my life believing that "Religion" was a mythology that bred bigots who held society back from being all that it could be. Politically, I was liberal, but like most liberals, I choose to be called "progressive" because I had no counter argument strong enough to counter the conservative mantra which made the word liberal actually sound vile. I also thought science and evolution explained everything and that "Religion" or creation had no place in education. To me a secular, humanist, people friendly society, led by science, could be the answer to all our problems. The only thing standing in the way was Religion, political conservatives, plus this group or that group that ruined it for the rest of us. I thought of myself and most others as being not such bad guys and it was only a small group of really bad people who were the cause of all the problems. Over the years as liberal inroads were made in society and liberal cultural victories were won like God being banned from the classroom, the theory of evolution being declared ultimate t***h, a******n on demand and without parental notification being legalized, same sex marriage becoming the law of the land, I expected to see a renaissance in America. Instead, I watched as America sank further and further into an abyss of violence, confusion and h**e. My first reaction was to of course blame those I viewed as enemies of progress, but as I watched, it began to become evident to me that the course of events and the actual pace and direction of those events were unfolding as if it were predetermined almost planned. I asked myself what ONE singular thing or power could I point to that could crystallize for me what the cause of this condition could be.. To my surprise, I could only think of one answer....SIN..The nature of man is indeed a fallen nature and man is incapable of not being sinful. Sin is the a******l condition of mankind and doing good is actually foreign to us..Mankind needs to repent and if we are fortunate, perhaps the real power of the universe will show us mercy because we are currently headed for judgement..[/quote

Welcome to OPP. I too went through a period when religion was almost a swear word. As a kid I knew few really religious people, and those who claimed to be religious were not among the nicer, kinder people on the planet. It was not until I met the woman that I ultimately married and her wonderful family that I realized the difference between psudo-religious people who used religion as an excuse to be nasty, but did not believe in the Bible or attempt to obey the Ten commandments and the real, loving Christians.. It was a few years later that I met some of the truly evil people on the planet, when I started to help victims of child molesters repair the emotional damage done to the children who were victims of those predators.]True Christians are GOOD people, but the pseudo Christians are not. I would prefer to have non believers as friends than the false Christians who mutilate the word of God for their own use.

Grugore

[quote=no propaganda please]

amvaap wrote:

Like many of you, I spent most of my life believing that "Religion" was a mythology that bred bigots who held society back from being all that it could be. Politically, I was liberal, but like most liberals, I choose to be called "progressive" because I had no counter argument strong enough to counter the conservative mantra which made the word liberal actually sound vile. I also thought science and evolution explained everything and that "Religion" or creation had no place in education. To me a secular, humanist, people friendly society, led by science, could be the answer to all our problems. The only thing standing in the way was Religion, political conservatives, plus this group or that group that ruined it for the rest of us. I thought of myself and most others as being not such bad guys and it was only a small group of really bad people who were the cause of all the problems. Over the years as liberal inroads were made in society and liberal cultural victories were won like God being banned from the classroom, the theory of evolution being declared ultimate t***h, a******n on demand and without parental notification being legalized, same sex marriage becoming the law of the land, I expected to see a renaissance in America. Instead, I watched as America sank further and further into an abyss of violence, confusion and h**e. My first reaction was to of course blame those I viewed as enemies of progress, but as I watched, it began to become evident to me that the course of events and the actual pace and direction of those events were unfolding as if it were predetermined almost planned. I asked myself what ONE singular thing or power could I point to that could crystallize for me what the cause of this condition could be.. To my surprise, I could only think of one answer....SIN..The nature of man is indeed a fallen nature and man is incapable of not being sinful. Sin is the a******l condition of mankind and doing good is actually foreign to us..Mankind needs to repent and if we are fortunate, perhaps the real power of the universe will show us mercy because we are currently headed for judgement..[/quote

Welcome to OPP. I too went through a period when religion was almost a swear word. As a kid I knew few really religious people, and those who claimed to be religious were not among the nicer, kinder people on the planet. It was not until I met the woman that I ultimately married and her wonderful family that I realized the difference between psudo-religious people who used religion as an excuse to be nasty, but did not believe in the Bible or attempt to obey the Ten commandments and the real, loving Christians.. It was a few years later that I met some of the truly evil people on the planet, when I started to help victims of child molesters repair the emotional damage done to the children who were victims of those predators.]True Christians are GOOD people, but the pseudo Christians are not. I would prefer to have non believers as friends than the false Christians who mutilate the word of God for their own use.

Like many of you, I spent most of my life believin... (show quote)

Better a non believer than an apostate. A non believer can be converted. Apostasy is r*******n against God. I know which I prefer to deal with.