Because Jesus said so.

[Epidemic]

The Old Testament and new seem to have many differing methods and rules. The Christians of the world have had relief in the eating meat on Friday’s and working on the Sabbath because of this.

My question is where do you draw the line when picking and choosing the sins you practice. If Jesus has not specifically stated that an Old Testament rule has been modified does it still stand?

Which of the following did Jesus allow Eating pork, Meat on Fridays, Killing people for blasphemy/heresy, idolatry, infidelity, Lust, homosexuality, incest, coveting, bestiality, working on the Sabbath, (help me out here I need some more sins).

You must be repentant to attain the kingdom of heaven, so one must know what is a sin to even consider being sorry. Do all of the above just fall under one request for forgiveness. In other words if just 1 second before death you say I am sorry about all that I did that was wrong are you forgiven, even if you are not sorry about watching the next-door neighbors wife bend over and coveting your arse off? You are sorry about the pen you stole from that store but you saw nothing wrong with coveting.

A repeat offender rapist and murder of little 3-year-old girls or a cannibal like Jeffery Dahmer need only say oops sorry and they will stand next to Jesus and be forgiven?

I am confused

[to}{ic]

Advice: go ask a paster....

[Redwolf]

The bible is interpretive and as such many different conclusions can be drawn. There was once a Protestant group called the Calvanists who believed that only a select few were predetermined to go to heaven. Trouble is, no one knows who they are, so the Calvanists were praying and hoping they'd go to heaven, even though the odds were (
according to them ) slim to none that any of them would get in. And then there are those who believe that as long as you are forgiven you will get in (not necessarily ask for forgivness, unless you believe it's automatic). In my church though (Lutheran, BTW) we believe that those forgiven for their sins (everyone has sinned at least once BTW) will go to heaven, but to be forgived you must be sincere about it. Like if a 3 time rapist were to be put to death, he can say anything he wants, but he's going to the same place unless he's 100% sincere that he wants to be forgiven.

[edwelly]

Epidemic - search the Bible for your own answers - read and pray about it - you will know in your heart what is right and what is wrong... as far as being forgiven, Sin is Sin - if you are TRULY sorry I beleive you can be forgiven... saying your sorry doesn't cut it...
---edwelly

[Prexaspes]

What Ed said.

[Epidemic]

I have seen many people come up with vastly different ideas when they look deeply into their heart.

Like if a 3 time rapist were to be put to death, he can say anything he wants, but he's going to the same place unless he's 100% sincere that he wants to be forgiven.

Ahh but back to the coveting thing then. You will not ask for forgiveness if you think it not to be a sin. So did Jesus say you could covet or not, along with the other things in my list.

How is one to know if a bishop can be gay if jesus did not say so, and it is clearly written that homosexuality is a sin? And if you can be a bishop and gay then is it not ok to be gay?

Exactly which subsections, stories, tales, rules, Laws, and sins are you to follow and which are you to be truely repentent about. I can not use the pastor for guidence because they are interpereting the bible with their own biases.

[Siliconjunkie]

Each person will take something different away from the bible. The only thing you can do is use your head. Read it and decide what it means to you. Anyone else telling you the answers will always have their own biases.

[edwelly]

Epidemic - the Bible does say 'man should not lay with man' - then you have the whole Sodem and Gaumora story (sorry for the spelling on that) - there are things that I do/did that I did not ask for forgivenss since I knew what I was doing was wrong but I did them anyway.
---edwelly

[Prexaspes]

When you really want to know the answers, you'll look in a better place than the TechIMO message boards. Tech, we do. Religion, we argue.

[Redwolf]

What Prex said!