Smithbr8: I've read through all of the post in this thread, and I've noticed that you're only listening to what you want to hear.Not True Only taking the pieces of the conversation that will add to your point... Again, Not true.How is that right? It's not, but I still don't.How is that honest even? It's dishonest? How? Honestly, someone says "The sky is blue and meatballs are falling from it. You're not allowed to use the 'sky is blue' part as truth?
If you seriously believe that pretending or role playing is lying, then I'm going to tell you that borrowing something from your neighbor (even if you asked) is stealing.Yes, it is. It makes just as much sense.I agree.
Honestly, I don't know how on earth you could come up with such a ridiculous idea. Because the Bible says no lying?
No one is asking you to worship them, no one is trying to tell you to follow them, no one is telling you half of the things you've come up with. God doesn't want me to worship Him? Christianity.....
My 12 year old brother fights like this, this discussion is never going to reach a conclusion if you don't listen. How are there definite answers to something we can't comprehend? Is there a point where we should stop trying to learn more about our faith? Lawyers fight like this, and it's flawed... Very flawed. And yet, God made them.....So, it must be ok.
You can't learn if you're not listening. How? This statement is very flawed, I'm sorry. But to say that you can't learn if you don't listen- what about individuals who are deaf? Seriously. I don't think I'd ever want to argue like a 12 year old, or a lawyer, but that's just me. In order to fully understand something that you are signing your eternal being to, yea I'd like to understand every aspect of it and know every loophole before I'd sell my soul to God.
Children are allowed to pretend, and play, and build their imaginations, it's good, and even healthy for them. According to doctors, not God.
I don't expect that for playing, when you were younger, you'll get sent to hell, that's absolutely ridiculous. That's great you view that, but what about God? I used to pretend, am I going to hell?Possibly. I'm failing to see the logic in any reason you or I should. Because it's lying and bearing false witness to your neighbor, which is a sin against God.
Telling your children there is a Santa, is completely different, you're a grown person, you know better. We also say that God told Abraham to sacrifice his son, oh but he was just kidding.You may be "pretending" that there is one, but they don't understand it like that. So the kid is going to Hell for believing their parents? Did Abraham go to hell for attempted murder? They know that when they tell you, "I'm the mommy", you know they aren't. Do they? But they don't know that there is no Santa.Every single child believes in Santa from that split second? What about telling children that if they take candy from a stranger, they'll get kidnapped? Does that mean you're going to hell for lying if your child isn't kidnapped? Or are they for believing that bad man lives out there, but there's no proof of WHICH guy it is?
I've never been told there was a Santa, I didn't grow up with that, I was never told there was an Easter Bunny, or a Tooth Fairy, or a Sandman. Ok....I don't know what that would do to children, and I'm not about to try it on my children. It gives children happiness.....I feel bad for your kids if they're denied all happiness. What about watching cartoons? Do you explain that there's just a man in the costume and that none of their favorite characters exist? Would you ever take your kids to Disneyland/world? Or rip the heads off the characters?
You are probably going to only take half of what I said, and use what ever I said to your advantage, and that's fine, what I've said still stands. Did none of those things. If you only listened to half of it, then I'll know to quit trying to get you to be logical about this. Didn't listen, but read all of it. Responded to all of it, so despite my attempts to continue a mature conversation, if you wanna abandon it, then that is your decision and I understand. However DO NOT assume things about me. You know absolutely nothing about my life, nor do you understand the status of my soul. So back off.I hope that if that happens, others will save themselves the trouble, and do the same.