ellauri062.html on line 940: believers.org.au/luther.htm">Biblebelievers´ Luther
ellauri065.html on line 496: taqiyya: Muslim scholars teach that Muslims should generally be truthful to each other, unless the purpose of lying is to "smooth over differences" or "gain the upper-hand over an enemy." There are several forms of lying to non-believers that are permitted under certain circumstances, the best known being taqiyya (the Shia name). These circumstances are typically those that advance the cause of Islam - in some cases by gaining the trust of non-believers in order to draw out their vulnerability and defeat them.
ellauri093.html on line 193: Terminology which sometimes confuses Brethren and non-Brethren alike is the distinction between the Open assemblies, usually called "Chapels", and the Closed assemblies (non-Exclusive), called "Gospel Halls." Contrary to common misconceptions, those traditionally known as the "Closed Brethren" are not a part of the Exclusive Brethren, but are rather a very conservative subset of the Open Brethren. The Gospel Halls regard reception to the assembly as a serious matter. One is not received to the Lord's Supper but to the fellowship of the assembly. This is important because the Lord's Supper is for believers, not unbelievers.
ellauri093.html on line 217: One of the most defining elements of the Brethren is the rejection of the concept of clergy. Their view is that all Christians are ordained by God to serve and therefore all are ministers, in keeping with the doctrine of the priesthood of all believers. The Brethren embrace the most extensive form of that idea, in that there is no ordained or unordained person or group employed to function as minister(s) or pastors. Brethren assemblies are led by the local church eiders (fig. 1) within any fellowship.
ellauri093.html on line 321: The term "Eider" is based on the same Scriptures that are used to identify "Bishops" and "Overseers" in other Christian circles, and some Exclusive Brethren claim that the system of recognition of eiders by the assembly means that the Open Brethren cannot claim full adherence to the doctrine of the priesthood of all believers.[27] Open Brethren consider, however, that this reveals a mistaken understanding of the priesthood of all believers which, in the Assemblies, has to do with the ability to directly offer worship to God and His Christ at the Lord's Supper, whether silently or audibly, without any human mediator being necessary—which is in accordance with 1 Timothy 2:5, where it is stated that Christ Jesus Himself is the sole Mediator between God and men ("men" being used here generically of mankind, and not referring simply and solely to "males").
ellauri095.html on line 176: Another 1997 study from pro-homosexual researchers who were trying defend homosexuals, examined data of AIDS deaths between 1987 to 1992 in Toronto, and found that the life expectancy for the homosexual men was 8 to 20 years lower than heterosexuals. See also Atheism and life expectancy. Religious people live on average four years longer than their agnostic and atheist peers, new research has found. Actually, the atheists´ life expectancy is way lower than true believers´ (estimated at about one infinity). Source: Conservopedia.
ellauri100.html on line 493: We are interested in measuring happiness on this site because many studies have found that religious people are happier than non-believers, and some have found that politcally conservative people are slightly happier than are political liberals, even after controlling statistically for religiosity. A recent Gallup survey found that religiosity was associated with better mental health for Republicans, but it didn’t make a difference for Democrats. We want to investigate these complex relationships among happiness, morality, religion, and ideology.
ellauri106.html on line 392: "I'm exactly the opposite of religious, I'm anti-religious. I find religious people hideous. I hate the religious lies. It's all a big lie. … I have such a huge dislike. It's not a neurotic thing, but the miserable record of religion. I don't even want to talk about it, it's not interesting to talk about the sheep referred to as believers."
ellauri106.html on line 403: Religion was a lie that he had recognized early in life, and he found all religions offensive, considered their superstitious folderol meaningless, childish, couldn´t stand the complete unadultness — the baby talk and the righteousness and the sheep, the avid believers. No hocus-pocus about death and God or obsolete fantasies of heaven for him. There was only our bodies, born to live and die on terms decided by the bodies that had lived and died before us. If he could be said to have located a philosophical niche for himself that was it - he'd come upon it early and intuitively, and however elemental, that was the whole of it. Should he ever write an autobiography, he'd call it The Life and Death of a Male Body.
ellauri108.html on line 434: However, God's miraculous intervention in a moment of crisis is not promised. If it were, believers would not need to exercise faith. The lesson here is that Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego trusted God and were determined to be faithful without any guarantee of deliverance. They had no assurance they would survive the flames, but they stood firm anyway.
ellauri112.html on line 874: “In regard to the external form of the ordinance, whether or not believers are to take into their hands and divide among themselves, or each is to eat what is given to him; whether they are to return the cup to the deacon or hand it to their neighbour; whether the bread is to be leavened or unleavened, and the wine to be red or white, is of no consequence. These things are indifferent, and left free to the Church...”
ellauri119.html on line 440: Love encompasses the Islamic view of life as universal brotherhood that applies to all who hold faith. Amongst the 99 names of God (Allah), there is the name Al-Wadud, or "the Loving One," which is found in Surah [Quran 11:90] as well as Surah [Quran 85:14]. God is also referenced at the beginning of every chapter in the Qur'an as Ar-Rahman and Ar-Rahim, or the "Most Compassionate" and the "Most Merciful", indicating that nobody is more loving, compassionate and benevolent than God. The Qur'an refers to God as being "full of loving kindness." The Qur'an exhorts Muslim believers to treat all people, viz. those who have not persecuted them, with birr or "deep kindness" as stated in Surah [Quran 6:8-9]. Birr is also used by the Qur'an in describing the love and kindness that children must show to their parents. Ishq, or divine love, is the emphasis of Sufism in the Islamic tradition. Practitioners of Sufism believe that love is a projection of the essence of God to the universe. God desires to recognize beauty, and as if one looks at a mirror to see oneself, God "looks" at himself within the dynamics of nature. Since everything is a reflection of God, the school of Sufism practices to see the beauty inside the apparently ugly sufist. Sufism is often referred to as the religion of love. God in Sufism is referred to in three main terms, which are the Lover, Loved, and Beloved, with the last of these terms being often seen in Sufi poetry.
ellauri143.html on line 63: The state BJP, it is alleged, has given a new inference to the couplet which has a religious overtone. The inference they provided goes like this — “What is the use of education when one who defies god and his believers?”
ellauri155.html on line 783: Calvin even demonstrated his commitment to this truth in his placement of his teaching on predestination in The Institutes. In the final edition, he moved his section on predestination from the beginning of his work to a place following his teaching on redemption, in effect suggesting “that predestination is a doctrine best understood by believers after they come to know the redemptive work of Jesus Christ applied by the Holy Spirit.”
ellauri156.html on line 325: First, the root of David's sin is not low self-esteem; it is arrogance. (Since when is low self-esteem a sin? Well I bet it is for American believers. Think of Bill James' Will to Believe.) I am getting quite weary of hearing that the root of all evils is low self-esteem. I wonder why we see nothing of this in the Bible. David's problem is just the opposite. He has become puffed up and arrogant because of his success and status as Israel's king. He has come to see himself as different/better than the rest of the Israelites. They need to go to war; he does not. They need to sleep in the open field; he needs to get his rest in his own bed, in his palace. They can have a wife; he can have whatever woman he wants.
ellauri156.html on line 345: We may weary of taking up our cross and begin to take up ourselves or our same-sex significant other as our highest cause. We may back off in the area of separation, having become weary of being laughed at for our Christian principles. We may keep quiet, rather than bear witness to our faith, lest we be rejected by our peers. We may hold off from rebuking a fellow-believer, who is falling into sin, because the last time we tried it was very messy. We may get fed up with getting whacked every time we admonish fellow non-believers. When we retreat from the battle, a plunge is not far away.
ellauri159.html on line 703: Hospitality simply means going out of your way to cater for putative angels, e.g by hosting meals, etc.). While not as seemingly glorious as other knightly traits like strength, honor, and gallantry, hospitality ranks as one of the key traits of knighthood. We need to do the same for others, particularly for those in the family of believers (Galatians 6:10). LOL this was clearly written by a family member.
ellauri159.html on line 707: Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up. Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers.
ellauri164.html on line 552: Two lessons: 1. The failings of good men may be culpable in God's sight and displeasing to him out of all proportion to the degree of blameworthiness they present to our eye. So far is it from being true (as many seem to think) that believers' sins are no sins at all, and need give no concern, that, on the contrary, the Lord dislikes the stain of sin most when it is seen in his dear children. The case of Moses is not singular. Sins which the Lord overlooks in other men he will occasionally put some mark of special displeasure upon, when they are committed by one who is eminent for holiness and honourable service. It is, no doubt, a just instinct which leads all right-thinking people to be blind to the failings of good men who have been signally useful in their day. But if the good men become indulgent to their own faults they are likely to be rudely awakened to a sense of their error. The better a man is, his sins may be the more dishonouring to God. A spot hardly visible on the coat of a labouring man, may be glaringly offensive on the shining raiment of a throned king.
ellauri171.html on line 784: Many Christians are born into poverty, having no choice in the matter. For example, faithful believers who love God and do all His commandments live in the poorer countries of the world. In fact, God has called many poor into His church. James the apostle asked, “Has God not chosen the poor of this world to be rich in faith and heirs of the kingdom which He promised to those who love Him?” (James 2:5).
ellauri171.html on line 796: Until that day, God is continually searching the hearts of His people to know what is in them. He allows some Christians to be poor, even while other believers have wealth. What a Christian does in each circumstance is important to God. In the book of Revelation, the glorified Jesus Christ said to one of His churches, "I know your… poverty, but you are rich” (Revelation 2:9). That is, these Christians were poor in the wealth of this world, but were rich in faith toward God.
ellauri172.html on line 806: Paha ateisti Roth tapatti ainoan sikiönsä Margaretilla eikä saanut Bloomin kanssa aikaan muuta kuin lihavia riitoja. Antiteistikin se oli, "I'm exactly the opposite of religious, I'm anti-religious. I find religious people hideous. I hate the religious lies. It's all a big lie. I give a shit about the sheep referred to as believers. When I write, I'm alone. It's filled with fear and loneliness and anxiety—and I never needed religion to save me." Jumala kosti sille, ei tullut Noobelia. Kikkailevaa Philippiä sattui leukaan.
ellauri184.html on line 736: Mary was most certainly a widow at this point in her life and also an older woman. Though she had other sons, Jesus chose John to provide care for Mary after His death. Why? Because Jesus’ brothers did not become believers until after His resurrection (John 7:5). Further, Jesus’ brothers were not present at His crucifixion. They had other errands just then. Jesus was entrusting Mary to John, who was a believer and was present, rather than entrusting her to His brothers, who were not believers and who were not even interested enough to be present at his crucifixion.
ellauri184.html on line 742: There is no contextual proof within Scripture itself that would point to Jesus broadening Mary’s role as “mother” of all Christians. In fact, Catholic teaching can only point to early church leaders as proof that Jesus meant to establish Mary’s “motherhood” to all believers in Christ or that Mary was a cooperative participant in salvation. John just took Mary into his home to care for her. The Bible does not say “from that time on Mary became the stepmother of all believers.”
ellauri185.html on line 802: Ever since Adam, the very first human being, died, God has assigned his highest-ranking angel–Michael–to escort human souls to heaven, say believers. Musta enkeli vei päivänsankarin.
ellauri192.html on line 621: Rhoda (whose name means “Rose” in Greek) is only mentioned one time in the Bible, in Acts 12, but she played an important role and gave modern believers a powerful example.
ellauri192.html on line 629: When Peter arrived and knocked on the door, the servant girl Rhoda came to answer. She heard Peter’s voice and knew it was he, but in her excitement and joy she forgot to actually open the door. Leaving Peter standing in the night, she rushed to tell everyone else about the miracle outside (Acts 12:14). They did not believe her, though, thinking she was out of her mind (Acts 12:15). When Rhoda was insistent, the believers decided it must be Peter’s “angel”—his guardian angel, perhaps, or his ghost—rather than the answer to their prayers!
ellauri217.html on line 707: The purpose of the meeting, according to Acts, was to resolve a disagreement in Antioch, which had wider implications than just circumcision, since circumcision is the "everlasting" sign of the Abrahamic covenant (Genesis 17:9–14). Some of the Pharisees who had become believers insisted that it was "needful to circumcise them, and to command [them] to keep the law of Moses" (KJV).
ellauri217.html on line 719: In Jerusalem, before Paul gets arrested for operating on Timothy´s dick, the elders proceed to notify Paul of what seems to have been a common concern among Jewish believers, that he was teaching Diaspora Jewish converts to Christianity "to forsake Moses, telling them not to circumcise their children nor walk funnily according to our customs." The alders here express concern that Paul was not fully teaching the decision of the Jerusalem Council's letter to Gentiles, particularly in regard to non-strangled kosher meat, which contrasts with Paul's advice to Gentiles in Corinth, to "eat whatever is sold in the meat markets" (1 Corinthians 10:25).
ellauri219.html on line 583: At Princeton, Rawls was influenced by Norman Malcolm, Ludwig Wittgenstein's dumb student. During his last two years at Princeton, he "became deeply concerned with theology and its doctrines." He considered attending a seminary to study for the Episcopal priesthood and wrote an "intensely religious senior thesis (BI)." In his 181-page long thesis titled "Meaning of Sin and Faith," Rawls attacked Pelagianism because it "would render the Cross of Christ to no effect." His argument was partly drawn from Karl Marx's book On the Jewish Question, which criticized the idea that natural inequality in ability could be a just determiner of the distribution of wealth in society. Even after Rawls became an atheist, many of the anti-Pelagian arguments he used were repeated in A Theory of Justice. Pelagianism is a heretical Christian theological position that holds that the original sin did not taint human nature and that humans by divine grace have free will to achieve human perfection. Pelagius (c. 355 – c. 420 AD), an ascetic and philosopher from the British Isles, taught that God could not command believers to do the impossible, and therefore it must be possible to satisfy all divine commandments. He also taught that it was unjust to punish one person for the sins of another; therefore, infants are born blameless. Pelagius accepted no excuse for sinful behavior and taught that all Christians, regardless of their station in life, should live unimpeachable, sinless lives, or else... Se oli tollanen humanisti, mitä Hippo aivan erityisesti inhosi. Vittu eihän sitten mitään kirkkoa ja pappeja edes tarvittaisi. Jeesus jäisi työttömäxi, Jahve eläkkeelle.
ellauri300.html on line 638: Titus’ background is not explained, other than the fact he was Gentile and apparently never circumcised (Paul had checked, Galatians 2:4). This is an interesting point, since Timothy was half-Greek, and not circumcised either! Still, Paul chose to circumcise Timothy to honor the Jews in an area that the two of them were ministering in (Acts 16:1-5). Paul repeatedly mentions in his letters that circumcision is not necessary under the new covenant (though great fun), and even tells Titus to silence Christians who try to promote it (Titus 1:10-14). So, Paul’s choice to circumcise Timothy would suggest that he had a pragmatic thorn in his side. He did not require his disciples to be circumcised, but if the situation called for working among Jews and it made things easier, he would gladly do it. Whether Titus ever ministered to Jewish believers is not stated, and both he and Titus worked at churches in Gentile areas (Timothy in Ephesus, Titus in Crete, and Corinth and Dalmatia).
ellauri375.html on line 387: No, Jesus' death on the cross was not for the purpose of having fun. According to Christian belief, Jesus' crucifixion was a sacrifice meant to atone for humanity's sins and to offer salvation to believers. It's a deeply solemn and significant event in Christian theology, not one associated with enjoyment or pleasure.
ellauri375.html on line 431: Mystery of God's Will: Ultimately, the reasons behind God's actions and the existence of evil are often viewed as beyond human understanding. Many religious believers accept that God's ways are mysterious and that humans may not fully comprehend the divine purpose behind suffering and evil in the world.
ellauri375.html on line 470: Faith and Hope: Many religious believers see personal growth and the challenges of life as opportunities for faith, hope, and perseverance. Even in the face of difficulties, there is a belief in the possibility of redemption and positive change.
ellauri375.html on line 487: Not exactly. The idea isn't that God is puzzled or clueless, but rather that the relationship between God's plan and human actions is complex and multifaceted. According to many religious beliefs, God has a plan, but this plan often involves allowing humans to exercise their free will and make choices, even if those choices lead to unforeseen consequences. It's not that God lacks understanding but that the nature of free will and human agency introduces a level of unpredictability into the world. However, many believers also have faith that God's plan ultimately leads to goodness and redemption, even in the face of human failings and suffering.
ellauri375.html on line 507: Faith and Trust: For many believers, faith involves trusting in God's wisdom and goodness even when faced with uncertainties. Despite not fully understanding God's plan, they believe that God's intentions are ultimately loving and just.
ellauri375.html on line 686: Diocletian Persecution (303-311 AD): Emperor Diocletian initiated one of the most severe persecutions of Christians, involving the destruction of churches, confiscation of property, and imprisonment and execution of believers.
xxx/ellauri044.html on line 1211: Sathya Sai Baba's materialisations of vibhuti (holy ash) and other small objects such as rings, necklaces, and watches were a source of controversy for the agnostics and non believers. Some have analyzed them as being mere sleights of hand, while his followers have considered them as signs of his divinity. Ali Baba förbii enemmän kuin 40 rosvoa.
xxx/ellauri086.html on line 244: Basically, says Paul to Romans, dont do anything that looks bad to putative believers. Personally I would not get a tattoo because my wife, children, and grandchildren might be a little surprised to see me wearing one.
xxx/ellauri103.html on line 281: I reviewed a novel recently that I had regretfully to give a thumbs-down, though it was terribly well intended; its heart was in the right place. But in relating the Chinese immigrant experience in America, the author put forward characters that were mostly Chinese. That is, that’s sort of all they were: Chinese. Which isn’t enough. They ought to be specifically American Chinese immigrants, believers in the American Dream. That would have fattened them out.
xxx/ellauri114.html on line 375: Isaiah’s descriptive language calls up images of hell itself and has led more than one commentator to suggest Edom as the location of the Lake of Fire, where the unbelievers of all ages will spend eternity in torment.
xxx/ellauri169.html on line 269: Witness Lee (Chinese: 李常受; pinyin: Lǐ Chángshòu; 1905 – June 9, 1997) was a Chinese Christian preacher and hymnist belonging to the Christian group known as the local churches (or Local Church) in Taiwan and the United States. He was also the founder of Living Stream Ministry. Lee was born in 1905 in the city of Yantai, Shandong, China, to a Southern Baptist family. He became a Christian in 1925 after hearing the preaching of an evangelist named Peace Wang and later joined the Christian work started by Watchman Nee. Like Nee, Lee emphasized what he considered the believers' subjective experience and enjoyment of Christ as life for the building up of the church, not as an organization, but as the Body of Christ.
xxx/ellauri170.html on line 698: P.S. Richard* likes to live in relative anonymity in his own dreamtime and hence only his first name is used here. He is not accepting coffee invitations from believers. FAQ Richard*!
xxx/ellauri186.html on line 726: portent for you, if ye are to be believers.
xxx/ellauri187.html on line 83: Corbett’s chapters alternate between poet and sculptor until the pair converge, when the ambitious yet unremarkable Rilke, again in search of a master, travels to Paris to write his monograph on Rodin. Even at this early stage, he was one of many Rodin’s true believers.
xxx/ellauri199.html on line 240: As believers, there are things we shouldn’t participate in. In 2 Corinthians 6:14, the Word states, “Do not be yoked together with unbelievers. For what do righteousness and wickedness have in common? Or what fellowship can light have with darkness?” Whether this be Christian girls “dating” guys who claim to follow Christ and vice versa, or kids surrounding themselves with “friends” that continuously bring them down or turn them from God, it is all so hurtful to see.
xxx/ellauri224.html on line 363: We should never think selfless virtue can be reached by treading on others. The cold splinter at the heart of the true artist must be harsher in its quarrel with the self than it is in its rhetorical engagement with other people. For believers, this is the virtue of humility; I am not sure what the rest of us can call it. What we can agree on is the constant examination of conscience, and, when we fall short, a conscious decision to do better.
xxx/ellauri229.html on line 136: (2.) Time will not be wasted in choosing what portions to read. Often believers are at a loss to determine towards which part of the mountains of spices they should bend their steps. Here the question will be solved at once in a very simple manner.
xxx/ellauri261.html on line 590: In the madman passage, the madman is described as running through a marketplace shouting, "I seek God! I seek God!" He arouses some amusement; no one takes him seriously. "Maybe he took an ocean voyage? Lost his way like a little child? Maybe he´s afraid of us (non-believers) and is hiding?" – much laughter. Frustrated, the madman smashes his lantern on the ground, crying out that "God is dead, and we have killed him, you and I!".
xxx/ellauri307.html on line 419: The above illustrates how a fallacy in reasoning can persist and maim the minds of believers for thousands of years. First we make ourselves more important than ants, second we attribute meaning to chance third we accept suffering caused by ignorance and malice as the will of a higher being.
50