#194949 - 11/02/10 07:17 AM
"Works"
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ghoti
Member
Registered: 04/06/02
Posts: 8469
Loc: Ishpeming, MI 75.128.229.255
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Faith is ideally supposed to inspire us to be a better person. The Bible mentions many times that faith will show itself by what you actually do, and most other religions and ethical philosophies also encourage us to exhibit mutual compassion and cooperation.
Personally, my wife and I are both very active board members of a non-profit agency that helps troubled and abused children and teens. Here's our website:
https://www.teachingfamilyhomes.com/index2.html
I also do volunteer tutoring at times, and we presently have a friend who is severely under-employed living in one of our upstairs bedrooms until he can get things together. We've done this for several other people over the last few years.
Being retired with adult children, I've got plenty of time to do these things and others would understandably be occupied with family and work.
What sort of "works" are you inspired to do by your faith or ethical philosophy?
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#194951 - 11/02/10 07:51 AM
Re: "Works"
[Re: ghoti]
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MerryA
Member
Registered: 01/10/04
Posts: 10887
Loc: Tennessee
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LOL - I thought you were starting a thread to debate the "faith" or "faith and works" required for salvation.
I volunteer not necessarily because I think my faith requires it but because there are certain issues where you need to back up your support with action. Its the liberal thing to do.  Also, I don't have a lot of money to throw at problems but I do have some time. Right now most of my energies go to my church and helping refugees acclimate to our society.
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#194952 - 11/02/10 08:16 AM
Re: "Works"
[Re: MerryA]
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ghoti
Member
Registered: 04/06/02
Posts: 8469
Loc: Ishpeming, MI 75.128.229.255
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I actually "borrowed" the idea from a post made by Starlight on another thread. I hope she doesn't mind.
This isn't meant to be a "blow your own horn" thread, but rather a chance to talk about how your personal beliefs motivate you to do things in your life. IMO no one is better than anyone else because they do more than them, and some of us are very limited in what they can do because of our disabilities.
My philosophy is to try to show kindness to others whenever possible, but of course you can't be stupidly naive about it. There definitely are human predators out there who are looking for easy victims.
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#194953 - 11/02/10 09:22 AM
Re: "Works"
[Re: ghoti]
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MerryA
Member
Registered: 01/10/04
Posts: 10887
Loc: Tennessee
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I try to do the "pay it forward" thing.
Paul and I are often told by staff at restaurants and hotels that we are "nice" - it always surprises me - are most people so hateful that simply by respecting another, a person is considered nice? What a sad commentary.
Edited by MerryA (11/02/10 09:27 AM)
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"I was curious. Since I'm not a cat, that's not dangerous."
- Greg House
76.22.172.94
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#194954 - 11/02/10 09:36 AM
Re: "Works"
[Re: MerryA]
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ævory
Member
Registered: 04/04/05
Posts: 9657
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WHAT AN ASS.
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LOL!
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#194957 - 11/02/10 11:13 AM
Re: "Works"
[Re: ævory]
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ghoti
Member
Registered: 04/06/02
Posts: 8469
Loc: Ishpeming, MI 75.128.229.255
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Before the guy who is staying with us now, we had a 25-year old female friend of my daughter here for nearly a year. When she left at the end of the summer she was in tears, since she said she knew she would never be able to repay us.
I told her that we had many blessings in our lives and there was no need to ever repay us, but that she should "pass it forward" if she was ever in a position to help someone else in need.
ETA: My daughter worked as a waitress in a mildly upscale restaurant for a while. She was always disgusted by how many people treated her and the other waitresses very poorly and made unreasonable demands. Sadly, kindness to others in public isn't all that common.
Edited by ghoti (11/02/10 11:17 AM)
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#194958 - 11/02/10 11:21 AM
Re: "Works"
[Re: ævory]
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ghoti
Member
Registered: 04/06/02
Posts: 8469
Loc: Ishpeming, MI 75.128.229.255
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Ronda, if you told us who you're talking about and were a bit more specific in your comments maybe someone could reply. If you were looking out the window watching a hot guy walk by, then a picture would be nice.
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#195002 - 11/03/10 05:49 AM
Re: "Works"
[Re: ghoti]
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ævory
Member
Registered: 04/04/05
Posts: 9657
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Faith is ideally supposed to inspire us to be a better person.
Said who? No, really, I'm not trying to be funny. Who told you that you are suppose to be inspired to better yourself thru faith?
Let's say you are an atheist...the most hardcore of atheists...and you read this here statement of yours, ghoti. I've read enough on this forum thru the years to know the insulted feeling that comes with anyone telling an atheist that they need faith to be a better person. Haven't you?
And I really am not so sure that faith originally started out that way. I think it was about survival. I think maybe the ancient people were surely losing hope that their crops could sustain them -- and this and that, so they huddled together and "boosted" their courage up to live thru it by the manufacturing of faith...of belief, of hope for a promise=rain, so their crops would grow and produce; they weren't sitting around "boasting" about the good things they'd done. Their lives were without hope because no matter what they did...no matter how hard they tried to better their own situation, or someone else's, they were getting beat down.
And think of the rain-man...that traveling rain-dancer who breezed thru towns and the folk all believed ...they huddled together to watch him and they believed in him. And GOD FORBID someone Else come along and steal that man's thunder: His ability to make it rain! What the heck was that faith about...when one man could out-perform another man and the faith transferred from one to another..?
You can talk up a storm here about what you've done or another has done. I recall Dayvd (Davyd) posting about what he'd done and the responses that followed. Do you?
MERRY...you can laugh or make less the importance of salvation (how you can, is beyond me...but)
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Salvation is free and available to whosoever Will.
It is a gift of God,.... not of work lest any man should boast...
You can't boast about the things you do on earth to make yourself look like you are going to Heaven in the eyes of others...or to make yourself look or feel good...or to convince another that you know how to live and they don't...or any other plausible reason you may have for speaking of the good you do in the world........................but you can help another find their way to the powers and the glory of God: I believe in Jesus Christ (John 3:16). I have accepted the gift of salvation (Romans 6: 23). I have confessed that Jesus is the Son of God and that He died for my sin, and on the third day, He was raised from the dead (Romans 10: 9-13).
How long do you feel good about what you do? Many people do so much in this world to help others. I don't know if they are Christians or not....but I do know that they hardly ever seem to know what is enough. That's cus we are cups that runneth over...and without the basic acceptance of Jesus Christ as the son of God and His dying for us because God loved us so much that He wanted(wants) us to come to be with Him in Heaven one day.....
it's so simple
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#195004 - 11/03/10 08:13 AM
Re: "Works"
[Re: ævory]
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ghoti
Member
Registered: 04/06/02
Posts: 8469
Loc: Ishpeming, MI 75.128.229.255
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Jesus tells you that if you don't help others in need you are doomed:
Matthew 25:41: Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels:
42: For I was an hungred, and ye gave me no meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me no drink:
43: I was a stranger, and ye took me not in: naked, and ye clothed me not: sick, and in prison, and ye visited me not.
44: Then shall they also answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, or athirst, or a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and did not minister unto thee?
45: Then shall he answer them, saying, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye did it not to one of the least of these, ye did it not to me.
46: And these shall go away into everlasting punishment: but the righteous into life eternal.
As does James:
James 2:[20] But wilt thou know, O vain man, that faith without works is dead?
[21] Was not Abraham our father justified by works, when he had offered Isaac his son upon the altar?
[22] Seest thou how faith wrought with his works, and by works was faith made perfect?
[23] And the scripture was fulfilled which saith, Abraham believed God, and it was imputed unto him for righteousness: and he was called the Friend of God.
[24] Ye see then how that by works a man is justified, and not by faith only.
[25] Likewise also was not Rahab the harlot justified by works, when she had received the messengers, and had sent them out another way?
[26] For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also.
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#195008 - 11/03/10 09:23 AM
Re: "Works"
[Re: ghoti]
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ghoti
Member
Registered: 04/06/02
Posts: 8469
Loc: Ishpeming, MI 75.128.229.255
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Off-topic question to Ronda: You probably didn't see where I posted this question to you at PQ - just curious as to whether your screen name has any connection to Brian Campbell?
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#195015 - 11/03/10 12:09 PM
Re: "Works"
[Re: ævory]
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MerryA
Member
Registered: 01/10/04
Posts: 10887
Loc: Tennessee
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MERRY...you can laugh or make less the importance of salvation (how you can, is beyond me...but)
You don't think Jesus laughed? Read the Bible some more - He went to a bunch of weddings and parties. We are to be joyful. If you are not happy in your faith, perhaps you are believing the wrong stuff.
_________________________
"I was curious. Since I'm not a cat, that's not dangerous."
- Greg House
76.22.172.94
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#195021 - 11/03/10 02:09 PM
Re: "Works"
[Re: MerryA]
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Paulwa_dup1
Member
Registered: 02/12/05
Posts: 4951
Loc: Washington
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I find it curious that people will quote as gospel words from the bible and use them to make points when in their heart they think the bible is just a dusty old book of mythology and Jesus is just a myth of a man who at best is just a man and that any other book of religion is equal or that the bible was formed from those old books they perceive to be earlier writings than the bible. God will be happy to set them straight one day soon.
In my opinion.
Paul
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#195028 - 11/03/10 03:41 PM
Re: "Works"
[Re: ghoti]
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ævory
Member
Registered: 04/04/05
Posts: 9657
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Off-topic question to Ronda: You probably didn't see where I posted this question to you at PQ - just curious as to whether your screen name has any connection to Brian Campbell?
No, ghoti, why the thought? what connection were you thinking of?
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#195029 - 11/03/10 03:42 PM
Re: "Works"
[Re: Paulwa_dup1]
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ghoti
Member
Registered: 04/06/02
Posts: 8469
Loc: Ishpeming, MI 75.128.229.255
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I find it curious that people who claim the Bible is the inerrant word of God always dodge the question when shown quotes from the Bible that contradict statements they make.
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#195030 - 11/03/10 03:43 PM
Re: "Works"
[Re: Paulwa_dup1]
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ævory
Member
Registered: 04/04/05
Posts: 9657
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I find it curious that people will quote as gospel words from the bible and use them to make points when in their heart they think the bible is just a dusty old book of mythology and Jesus is just a myth of a man who at best is just a man and that any other book of religion is equal or that the bible was formed from those old books they perceive to be earlier writings than the bible. God will be happy to set them straight one day soon.
In my opinion.
Paul
I've seen this done often. Sometimes by shakey or another and I always have to wonder why they think that is a debate tactic(?) or method of argument. It either is hypocritical or they are confused as to what they believe.
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