Let's stop pretending, even amongst professed Christians, casual sex is an accepted thing.

Hold up. Yes, you're right--there are Christians who think homosexual sex and premarital sex are totally fine in the eyes of God. But what they think means nothing. All that matters is what God's Word says about the matter.

I don't care how you slice it--the Bible is crystal clear that homosexual sex and premarital sex are both sin. There is no room for misinterpretation on that. As far it being a sin to even think a lustful thought? Well, that's 100% true--Jesus himself said that thinking a lustful thought is the same thing as committing adultery. (I realize that NoFap isn't a religious forum, and I'm sure there will be people deeply offended by the fact that I'm insisting that homosexual sex and premartial sex are sins. What I'm saying is that that's what the Bible says. Every person is free to embrace or reject that on their own.)

It'd be no different than if you said, "some people think Jesus isn't the way to heaven." It makes no difference. All that matters is the truth of scripture.

And teachings about premarital sex and homosexual sex are indeed matters of doctrine.

Jesus said "no one comes to the Father except through me." That's pretty exclusive. Jesus literally said that he was the only way. Not Buddha, not Mohammed, not Krishna, not whatever pagan forest-pixies the Wiccans worship--only Jesus. From your comment, I'm going to assume you're probably not a Christian?

 

Clearly it is not our place to judge anyone else for anything, and for this we can give thanks since we are not qualified for the job and I would take no pleasure in it. I believe that it is our place to attempt to understand what it is that makes our self a "real Christian". I see that when people stray from the new testament they begin to simpy make up their own religion, and anyone who makes up their own religion is likely to do so in a manner that is convenient for them and their vices. We don't get to set the terms of our redemption, that is the privilege of the one who does the redeeming. God is greater than us and if we are to have a relationship with Him it is us who must conform to Him. Fortunately He is willing to help us do so.

The scriptures are pretty clear about sexual morality. Without judging anyone else for what they do, I can base my own life on a sound understanding of this. There are behaviors we are told are sinful, and we are also told that there is no condemnation for those in Christ. It is also said that a tree is known by its fruits.

 

Well the thing is not everybody believes that every single thing written in the Bible is word of God. There are some things that theoretically should be in the Bible yet the Church chose to not include them or, if they were included once, to take them out. People from Church are not God, they are normal people like everybody else with potential to do wrong things, either because of bad intentions or ignorance. Even if we assume that God gave rules to follow, through his son and possibly some other prophets, how does Church find out which of them is telling truth?

There might be a lot of stuff in the Bible that were included there in early days and good stuff that might have been taken out. Either because somebody figured to "improve" the teaching due to arrogance that they can judge just as good as God or simply some stuff that was just written as fantasy works or works of mad men. Ya know the world we live in? people lie. Some people are crazy or sick hallucinating shit. Just because somebody says they had a talk with a God does not make it true.

There literary is no way how to know. Only God would know. This is why it makes absolutely zero sense for me to imagine that every single thing written in the Bible is word of God, even if some of it might be. It's just irrational and illogical to assume that, but that's what blind faith is for I guess.

Some Christians think similar way as I do here. Some of them just choose to follow for example only original teaching of Jesus himself and not other prophets. And all of those beliefs hold just the same weight. Because all of this shit is subjective.

What I mean with "and/or" is that one does not have to do both. Somebody might not follow doctrine but just accept Jesus in their heart as God for example. That would make them just as legit Christian.

So you know that you are on the right path because your religion says it's the right path? This is very illogical and irrational thinking ya know? In Islam it is also said that Allah is the only right path. So by your logic why not follow Allah? You're simply blindly choosing to believe a guy, that's all. You might be wrong or you might be right. It's still all chance.

 

Here comes the old Christian vs non Christian debate. The answers will go back and forth and get really nasty before the thread has to be locked. I'd say let's agree to disagree. I haven't looked into all religions in depth but just by looking at the surface of them, they can't compare to Christianity. It's unique. Jesus is unique. His story is unique. So unique that it couldn't have been made up. I without a doubt see the Bible as the infallible Word of God. There's too much evidence to support Christianity and the story of Christ IMO as being true. Some people might call me narrow minded for thinking that Christianity and Christ is the only right life path but so what? I know it's true.

 

A full defense of the authenticity of the scriptures is beyond the scope of this thread. I say that not to cop out - but because I have never yet taken the time to compose a full defense and I would not be the best person suited to such a task. Such a defense would probably be long and include ideas from many academic genres. Believe what you want, but, should you actually want to know, I encourage you to take the time to learn more about how the biblical canon was formed and about the manuscripts we have, etc. It takes time and motivation.

Christianity without the bible is wholly subjective, and, in my opinion, any wholly subjective morality is bound to be flawed due to the flawed nature of its creator. If people create their own code of conduct it will inevitably be for their own benefit. Christianity with the bible is objective, but requires faith.

Decide for yourself what is best, we have free will. I wish you all the best in your journeys, and particularly in quitting PMO.

 

He doesn't t forgive you because he doesn't exist

 

@SuperFan don't respond. Debating is useless.

 

Clearly you haven't done much studying into how our current Bible came into being. Even if you only looked at it from a standpoint of historical translation, you wouldn't be saying this kind of stuff. You're making conclusions about the Bible based on your own conjecture, not on the actual evidence.

I'm not blindly believing in anything. I believe where there is evidence. With Christianity, the evidence is substantial and compelling.

Keep telling yourself that. In the meantime, welcome to my ignore list.

 

I'll make my own decisions, but thanks.

 

Exactly. I believe that God has given humans more than enough evidence that He exists.

 

I'm no theologian or authority, but a Christian is someone who follows the teachings of Christ. Now you may think Jesus talks to you and that he permits your vice or whatever, but to me I think it's pretty cut and dry.

For the record, I'm not a Christian, but it's pretty obvious what a Christian is. I haven't read the bible in ages, but there are passages about false believers, false churches, those who call themselves my followers but go out and sin. Calling yourself a Christian does not make it so, and I was under the impression that if you did certain things [ sins] you would not enter the kingdom of heaven. Such as the verses stating those who do [ insert acts] will not enter the kingdom of heaven.

Lying, dishonorable behavior, sexual immorality have been condemned not just by Christiaintiy, but by most major religions.

Christianity is a very odd religion for a capitalist nation to have, IMO. As capitalism is the exact opposite of what Christianity is about.

This crap about the bible having passages omitted and others added is mostly just that, crap. I'm not saying something along those lines hasn't happened, but the people coming up with this and claiming the bible was pro-homosexual are absurd and obscene liars. They then just make up whatever it is they want the bible to say. Similar to those who "interpret" it as they want or those that have visions from God letting them know how it really is.

 

Each Christian who is on this forum ( PMO addict) had chosen many years ago their own version of Christianity where sexual freedom was something good and worth of experience.

Nobody of us would be here if we had believed and done what is said in New Testament because all PMO and other sexual misuse are contrary to NT.

 

How? The Christian religion actually affirms a free market system without the elites running everything at the top of course.

 

^ To paraphrase " Money is the root of all evil". Christ advocates austerity, selflessness, charity. Capitalism is about greed and money at all costs. Using other people to make yourself rich is not what I got out of Christ's teachings. Fancy cars, huge houses, these things are obviously immoral to me, I guess others don't see it that way. Enslaving other populations or using them as cheap labor all these things are not Christian. Making yourself rich at the expense of other people, people suffering and dying so other people can have fancy cars or designer clothes is obviously very wrong.

I don't know much about the Amish, but from what I've seen they seem pretty Christian to me.

 

That's simply not true. I have never once in my christian life considered porn "good". The reason I even try to stop this horrible addiction is because my religion tells me it's not good.

It would be far more truthful to say "each Christian who is on this forum was/is a bad example of a Christian". We do things we know we're not supposed to do. It's called an addiction. The beauty of Religious life is just the opposite of what you suggest: our moral compass isn't based on whim. If it is, the person is far more likely to be Progressive than religious.

 

The free market system is a representation of a system where people are free to make choices. In the Bible it states that we live in a world where we are free to choose good or bad. In a free market system, the choices may be good or bad. Of course since humans have an innately selfish, bad nature, we tend to choose bad over good. The free market system if used in the right way and through people making good choices can be very productive. The free market system is the best system.

 

Unless it is considered a sacramental [confined to marriage], it just becomes a need.... like picking your nose. It is the loss of this sense of the sacred that has ruined the world.

 

We are talking about capitalism, correct? You quoted what I said about capitalism. The primary motivator in capitalism besides survival is greed. It's a horrible system, IMO, that promotes greed, selfishness, and evil, but that's just business. Paying people 5 cents an hour, buying up all the food and land so that you own the people and they have to work 16 hours a day for nothing so you can get so fuckin' rich, ain't freedom grand? The environment gets destroyed because profits are more important, food quality goes down the toilet, we get shitty drugs pushed on us, and yes PORN all for capitalism.

I don't think it's really a free market anyways, maybe it's corrupt capitalism that we have, but I don't like it.


P.S

I don't know if "free to do good or bad" is entirely correct. You are free to murder and rape as well but you will face consequences if caught. Also, the freedom to do bad is due to sin and corruption [ according to the Bible. Correct me if I'm wrong I'm not a theologian] and we know how that turned out. I don't know if basing the economic system on original sin is such a good idea?

 

I wrote about the beginning of our addiction. At the beginn nobody is addicted. We started to be addicts some time after playing with PMO.
Nobody forced you to experiment with PMO at the beginning, so it was your choice, free will. Explain me why did you start doing PMO?
There is some possibility:
1. You were too young to know that it was contrary to your faith. So you thought PMO is good , gives pleasure, relax, decreases stress... So you did something contrary to Christianity unconsciously and when you got to know the truth you were already addicted. But notice - if it was your case you still didn't do or believe in what is said in NT.

 

It's very strange to me. I read what you write in this discussion and can say that your views are far more Christian than these of some Christian writing here.

So why are you not a Christian?
If I had atheists views and thinking I would be an atheist believer. If I had hinduists views and thinking I would believe in god elefant or monkey or even in a holy cow....