Posts by Zachary Cox69

frozenstag9 said:I actually heard this story from one of my mentors once—he argued that while the text exists, the whole thing was more about being in the wrong place at the wrong time. Like, if a snake bites you just because you happened to be standing there, that’s not exactly a "test," right? And yet, the snake didn't kill him.
If we take the story at face value, then there wasn't really any "testing" of God involved—it's not like he went out looking for a snake just to see if God would pull a miracle out of a hat...
Look, I'm not a believer myself, but I really can't stand dishonesty, and I have zero patience for fanatics, regardless of which side they're preaching from!

Sorry, but I'm not following the logic. Paul didn't grab the snake; the snake grabbed him. It was venomous, sure, but it didn't kill him. So, how exactly does that count as him testing God?

Anthony Perez9

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Jesus is such a manipulator. You never actually know what He's getting at. The Bible even says the apostles thought He was the Messiah who would liberate Israel. How did He not explain that to them as their teacher, for crying out loud? 😵

He explained it plenty—they just couldn't grasp it. In their minds, the Messiah was someone to free them from the Romans, not from the Devil. They figured it out later. At first, they were brainwashed too, just like you are now. Jesus is God and Savior. You can't see that because you're blinded by lies trying to make Him something He isn't.

And He said entire cities would tumble into hell, where the fire never goes out. Is that also symbolism, an allegory, or some poetic abstraction? Is Jesus Himself just one big allegory? A story for spiritual contemplation? Probably.

Even a kid could see that we're talking about people, not actual buildings.

Here's a funny little story:

Paul gathered some brushwood and threw it on the fire when, because of the heat, a snake came out and fastened itself onto his hand. 4When the locals saw the creature hanging from his hand, they said to one another, "This man is a murderer; he escaped the sea, and Justice won't let him live." 5But he shook the snake off into the fire and nothing happened; 6but they were waiting that he would swell up and fall down dead. Since they waited a long time and saw that nothing unusual happened to him, they changed their minds and began saying he was a god.

It says a snake (maybe a water snake?) wrapped around his hand when they lit a fire on the island of Malta, but it didn't bite him. Then the superstitious locals immediately rushed to worship him because they thought he was God (people were called gods quite easily back then). But the dishonest writer of the New Testament didn't realize that there aren't any venomous snakes on Malta, if that was meant to be an allusion.

Your comment is ridiculous. Shallow to a fault. I assume those locals knew how to tell a harmless snake from a venomous one. Their reaction makes that pretty obvious.

Come on, believers—prove your faith!
(And watch out! Maybe Jesus was joking to trick you so the snake would bite and the poison would kill you! Haha, good one, Jesus!)

"And these signs will accompany those who believe: in my name they will cast out demons, they will speak in new tongues, (18) they will pick up snakes; and if they drink anything poisonous, it will not hurt them; "
(Mark 16:17-18)

It's all metaphorical. The SNAKES won't harm you. He even said regarding Herod: "Tell that snake (some translations say viper) this and that." So, you are the spiritual snake, just like the one that tricked Eve. Of course, that wasn't a literal animal, but the Devil himself. That's what has filled your head and heart. One day you'll realize Jesus is God and the Messiah, but by then, it'll be too late.

I walk on scorpions.

Look, I’ve given you authority to trample on snakes and scorpions—even over all the power of the enemy—and nothing will harm you.
(Luke 10:19)

The "power of the enemy" part is pretty straightforward. Jesus' enemy isn't some literal snake or scorpion—it's the Devil.

But Christ seemed like a fool... Just think about it—this guy believed in Noah's flood, creationism, a flat Earth, talking to the Devil, angels, cursing people to hell, and that God was born from a Virgin without a father.

Right, he just needed to believe humans crawled out of some "primordial soup." Then he would've been "normal."
And the whole Big Bang thing? Man, you really need a massive amount of faith to buy into that.

David Vaughn75 said:I mean, if even Paul wasn't out here trying to test God, why on earth would you think you could?

Go ahead, jump off a skyscraper and just assume God's gonna break your fall because He's capable of it. See how that works out for you.

Where and how exactly did Paul test God?

David Vaughn75 said:Would you seriously let a cobra or some nasty snake bite you just because you were banking on God to magically neutralize the venom?

Jesus Satan said, "If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down—because it's written that He will command His angels to protect you."

And Jesus answered, "Do not put the Lord your God to the test."
So, there’s your answer right there.

Anonymous

;]

Because Jesus Christ told them to:

And He said to them: "Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation. Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned. And these signs will accompany those who believe: in my name they will drive out demons, they will speak in new tongues, they will pick up snakes; and if they drink anything fatal, it will not hurt them. They will place their hands on the sick, and they will recover."
After he said this, the Lord Jesus was taken up into heaven and sat at the right hand of God.

So, a fake Jesus led some people to handle snakes, claiming faith in Him would protect them from venom.

That’s just how you sound when you read Jesus superficially. He called certain Pharisees a "brood of vipers"—you don't think he actually meant they were literal snakes, right? Or when He used metaphors like "whitewashed tombs" or told people, "You have the Devil as your father" (which, honestly, he'd say to you too).
Jesus speaks in imagery—think about it. He basically implies that nothing can touch you unless God allows it. Look at Paul—the Bible says he was bitten by a snake and walked away totally fine. There are always fools in every faith, just like there are in atheism. You can't escape it. Christianity isn't immune to stupidity. People like that have nothing to do with Christ.

cosmicdriver42 said:I don't get it. You spend the first half of the post saying it's junk, then you spend the second half running an ad for it...

Pitching it?
I'm saying this:
"It's just plain old superstition, nothing more.
For instance, a friend of mine bought her a necklace and bracelet set for her birthday.
Claiming they have healing powers—well, suddenly she started feeling pain in every single spot those charms were supposed to fix. In the end, once I realized what was actually going on, the whole thing went up in flames."

Joseph Bailey41 said:I bet you ended up selling it on eBay anyway.😉

But honestly, how does any of that even connect to chakras, crystals, or yoga poses? 🤷

New Age stuff is just hype.
And crystals fall right into that bucket—supposedly they have healing powers.
I didn't sell anything—that's a lie—and I'm not looking to sell to anyone.

Joseph Bailey41 said:Religion, I guess. But since we're on the subject... what's your favorite chakra? Crystals? Asana? 🍿

It's usually just superstition—nothing more.
For instance, a friend of a woman I know bought her a necklace and bracelet set for her birthday.
Supposedly they were "healing" items, but then she started feeling pain in all the exact spots the packaging claimed they would cure. In the end, once I realized what was actually going on, things went south fast.

Gold-plated magnetic pain-relief necklace - ORIGINAL ENERGETIX... marketed for health purposes... features strong magnets... 20 inch circumference... stylish and decorative... Benefits of wearing magnetic jewelry:
-improves circulation
-boosts metabolism
-stabilizes blood pressure
-strengthens the immune system
-relieves headaches and migraines
-soothes menstrual cramps
-enhances immunity
-helps with arthritis and rheumatism
-assists with pain in:
-joints
-muscles
-lower back
-neck

Scott Nguyen5 said:Believing whatever someone else tells you is the truth isn't spirituality—it's just being naive.

Real spirituality comes from within, not from following a script someone else handed you.

It’s pretty naive to assume that what we believe is entirely our own. Someone is always pulling the strings on our opinions and our faith—no one is an island.

Jacob Cooper5 said:Spirituality is basically just a guarantee for evil in this world. Why? Because nobody can actually give you a straight answer on what spirituality even is—everyone’s got their own little theories, sure, but they all seem to agree on one thing... killing and abusing minorities in the name of "spirituality."

What era are you living in?
Who’s out there killing people just because they have different spiritual views these days?

goldeneagle2 said:He definitely missed the mark. He really should've headed over to the Religion board—you know, to go head-to-head with all those various clerical-fascists who think their tribal deity is somehow bigger or tougher than everyone else's. We’re strictly the spiritual crowd here... we're only interested in lotus flowers, crystals, chakras, mantras, tantras, yantras, and... well, maybe some Asana too...

So, you're basically saying that believing in God the Christian, Muslims, Hindus, or anyone else doesn't actually count as spirituality.
So then, what exactly are we talking about?

https://www.facebook.com/permalink.p...=story_reshare

This is what real spirituality looks like—when someone actually finds the truth for themselves.

What exactly is spirituality?
There’s this one Christian sect in the USA—though where else, really? Everywhere you look, people are selling some version of "spirituality"—where they catch venomous snakes with their bare hands. If you survive, you're considered spiritual. It's a bit like how the Sufi Order operates, too.
http://rs.n1info.com/Vesti/a374471/D...avangarda.html
Or take this—people actually let themselves be crucified.
Between the whipping, the nailing to crosses, seeking "death," and barefoot pilgrimages... traditions across the world can get pretty wild and interesting.
CP
An Australian man and 29 Filipinos participated this year in a traditional wooden crucifixion on Good Friday in the Philippines, reenacting the death of Jesus.

In the town of Kapitangan, four men and one woman were "crucified," while another 25 men underwent the same process in the town of Cutud, according to international news outlets. These customs—which the Catholic Church doesn't support—are meant to "cleanse the souls" of those undergoing such painful rituals.

One guy holds the record with 23 crucifixions under his belt.

These rituals have been going on in Cutud for 54 years now, and this year, thousands of tourists flocked to the region just to watch those 25 men being "crucified." To become a "Christ"—which is what they call these people—you have to wait years, often sitting on long waiting lists. The record holder is 48-year-old Ruben Enaje, who has been crucified 23 times.

After the "crucifixion," every "Christ" is taken by doctors to have their wounds checked, while others step in to carry their crosses. Some critics argue that the whole thing has turned into little more than a tourist attraction—that the actual faith and redemption have been lost in the spectacle.
Or this. Honestly, it's no wonder so many rational people struggle to believe in God when they see stuff like this.
http://arhiva.dalje.com/foto.php?id=...41&idrf=495733

Over on the "Religion" board, under the thread "Is it better to be a believer or an atheist," a user named Flying (last post) is getting pretty vulgar—definitely ban territory.

"Maybe pray to God for a little help with your grammar.
1. He’s just a myth anyway.
2. Screw him and his whole divine existence. If he were actually real, he'd strike me down with lightning right now. 3. Honestly, don't you have anything better to do? Get a dog and name it Life.
4. No. We're talking about all children here. Which kids should we stone if they don't respect their parents? Or maybe put a knife to their throats if God commands it, regardless of whether they listen to their parents or not. Read the Bible.
5. I just follow what's written—don't kill. It doesn't mention self-defense, nor does it say that rule applies only to people.
6. Once you get married, sex becomes a chore. That’s why I never officially registered my loose, Babylonian lifestyle.