Question for the Geester

Originally posted by divegeester
Do you believe that everything in the bible is literal?

Would it makes sense that everything pertaining to judgement be taken figuratively? So the worm and the fire are just metaphors for a cessation of existence?

Originally posted by FMF
Suppressing the truth? You could be referring to my decades of being a Christian. Liberating myself from the dogma and superstitions you still hold to be true was most certainly not a process of suppression but was instead a process of realization.

When you say 'liberating' are you saying you felt 'oppressed' as a Christian? The spirit of God leads believers in all the truth. The Bible warns that we should not quench the spirit of God. Would you ever consider the possibility that maybe you became disillusioned with Christianity because you were quenching the spirit of God in your life? And in that way could you not possibly have been suppressing the truth?

Originally posted by Fetchmyjunk
When you say 'liberating' are you saying you felt 'oppressed' as a Christian?

No. Not at all. I've told you this before. You asked me about it, and I told you. Do you not remember?

Originally posted by Fetchmyjunk
And in that way could you not possibly have been suppressing the truth?

When?

Originally posted by FMF
No. Not at all. I've told you this before. You asked me about it, and I told you. Do you not remember?

I recall asking you about other stuff. Not about oppression. So was I was wrong in assuming that 'liberation' is for the oppressed?

Originally posted by FMF
When?

Am I correct in assuming that as a Christian you never felt the presence of the spirit of God, i.e conviction of sin?

Originally posted by Fetchmyjunk
I recall asking you about other stuff. Not about oppression. So was I was wrong in assuming that 'liberation' is for the oppressed?

I didn't feel oppressed when I was a Christian. Not at all. As I have made clear to you in things I've said to you before [do you really not retain anything in your memory from talking one on one with people?]

So, no, I didn't feel oppressed when I was a Christian. But the philosophical empowerment after realizing that I was no longer a Christian was very satisfying.

Originally posted by Fetchmyjunk
Am I correct in assuming that as a Christian you never felt the presence of the spirit of God, i.e conviction of sin?

What on earth are you one about? I was a Christian.

Originally posted by FMF
I didn't feel oppressed when I was a Christian. Not at all. As I have made clear to you in things I've said to you before [do you really not retain anything in your memory from talking one on one with people?]

So, no, I didn't feel oppressed when I was a Christian. But the philosophical empowerment after realizing that I was no longer a Christian was very satisfying.

How can you feel 'liberated' if you were not oppressed?

Originally posted by FMF
What on earth are you one about? I was a Christian.

Going to a garage doesn't make you a car, neither does going to Church make you a Christian.

Anyone can claim to be a Christian, that doesn't mean that they really are. I asked you a question that you dodged. Did you ever feel convicted of sin when you 'were a Christian'?

Originally posted by Fetchmyjunk
How can you feel 'liberated' if you were not oppressed?

For the reason I just gave you.

Originally posted by Fetchmyjunk
Going to a garage doesn't make you a car, neither does going to Church make you a Christian.

Anyone can claim to be a Christian, that doesn't mean that they really are. I asked you a question that you dodged. Did you ever feel convicted of sin when you 'were a Christian'?

Of course I believed what I felt was the presence of the spirit of God and that I was a "sinner". What a daft question. I was a Christian.

Originally posted by FMF
Of course I believed what I felt was the presence of the spirit of God and that I was a "sinner". What a daft question. I was a Christian.

What do you now believe caused you to genuinely 'feel the presence of the spirit of God' and made you believe you were a 'sinner' at that time? How did you come to realize that what you felt before was not 'genuine'?

Originally posted by Fetchmyjunk
[1]What do you now believe caused you to genuinely 'feel the presence of the spirit of God' and made you believe you were a 'sinner' at that time? [2] How did you come to realize that what you felt before was not 'genuine'?

[1] Religious faith based on the Bible, [2] loss of belief in what Christains claim about God and Jesus after a lengthy process of reflection and deliberation, gradually culminating in a realisation that I was no longer a believer.

Originally posted by Fetchmyjunk
Anyone can claim to be a Christian, that doesn't mean that they really are. I asked you a question that you dodged. Did you ever feel convicted of sin when you 'were a Christian'?

[1] What have dodged? I must have said that I believed in "sin" and believed that I was a "sinner" when i was a Christian two dozen times on this forum. Dodged what?

[2] You need to realize that I really don't give two hoots whether you believe whether I was ever a Christian or not.