What is sin (or evil)?

[NotReady]

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"the only way I know to salvation is through Christ, but I'm sure God judges people fairly and He might have other methods.


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I've said this many times. This forum needs a FAQ.

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sound a lot less condescending/arrogant.


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I guess I sound arrogant to you because you want to think I do. That's such a common false charge against Christians it's not even worth defending anymore.

[PLOlover]

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Again, we're on a tangent and I would still like to hear opinions on what 'evil' means to everybody.

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I think in the new testament jesus says like you shall know evil by its fruits or something like that. could be wrong

[KipBond]

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No way you believe that, right?

[/ QUOTE ] The prime numbers thing is not a perfect analogy, because some actions are more evil than others, while numbers can't be more or less prime.

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Right, so I'd say it's a very poor analogy, then, which is what my response is addressing (how it wasn't very well thought out).

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Do you not believe in absolute morality? If so, does that mean you don't believe in right and wrong?

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Define "absolute morality". I don't think I believe in it, depending on what you mean by it.

[Taraz]

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"the only way I know to salvation is through Christ, but I'm sure God judges people fairly and He might have other methods.


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I've said this many times. This forum needs a FAQ.

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But you've also said, "Many were saved before Christ was born, it's therefore obviously possible to be saved without specifically going through the normal method given by the New Testament - but they were saved by and through Christ, and by faith in Him." So it seems like you're saying there aren't any alternate methods of gaining salvation other than through faith in Christ.

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I guess I sound arrogant to you because you want to think I do. That's such a common false charge against Christians it's not even worth defending anymore.

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It may not seem arrogant to you, but it sounds that way to most people. Claiming that you have the way to salvation and that anyone who believes differently is going to suffer eternal damnation is condescending and arrogant. If you believe you've come to some ultimate truth and that those who disagree with you simply don't want to accept this truth because they are evil/sinful is also arrogant.

You've said many times that you must repent and believe to go to heaven. You haven't been willing to allow an alternate route to heaven as far as I know.

I really don't want to bash you or anything. You are always more than willing to discuss and explain your position and I appreciate that. But even if you don't believe what you are saying is arrogant, it comes off that way to many of us.

[Taraz]

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I think in the new testament jesus says like you shall know evil by its fruits or something like that. could be wrong

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What does that mean though? Whatever I perceive to be evil is evil?

[KipBond]

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Again, we're on a tangent and I would still like to hear opinions on what 'evil' means to everybody.

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I think in the new testament jesus says like you shall know evil by its fruits or something like that. could be wrong

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I think Jesus kills a tree, because it had evil fruit, or made people become evil, or something like that. Could be wrong.

[NotReady]

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But even if you don't believe what you are saying is arrogant, it comes off that way to many of us.


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What I say about salvation is what the Bible says which I believe is God's Word. What you leave out is I say no one, including me, deserves salvation, everyone, including me, deserves hell, everyone, including me, is sinful and no one, including me, can please God apart from His grace. It sounds arrogant to you because God seems arrogant to you. Who is He anyway, thinking He has the right to tell sinners anything?

[PLOlover]

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I think in the new testament jesus says like you shall know evil by its fruits or something like that. could be wrong



What does that mean though? Whatever I perceive to be evil is evil?

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you never heard that saying? you know, judge an action by its results, people who are corrupt and evil end up involved in wicked things, etc.

[Taraz]

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What I say about salvation is what the Bible says which I believe is God's Word. What you leave out is I say no one, including me, deserves salvation, everyone, including me, deserves hell, everyone, including me, is sinful and no one, including me, can please God apart from His grace.

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I know you don't say others don't deserve salvation and you do. It's the fact that you claim that you have the recipe for success (even if you aren't sure you are completely capable of following it) and those who follow another path are damned for eternity.

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It sounds arrogant to you because God seems arrogant to you. Who is He anyway, thinking He has the right to tell sinners anything?

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No, it's arrogant because you claim to know who God is. You believe that you know God so well and that He can't allow alternate roads toward salvation. It's not that you say, "I know this one way toward salvation", you say, "I know the way toward salvation and no others suffice."

Others read the Bible and interpret it differently than you do, but you say that your interpretation is the only correct one: salvation is reserved only for those who go through Christ. You claim that others who read the Bible and reject this message are willingly turning their back on God. You claim to know that they are unfaithful and sinful because they disagree with your interpretation of God's message.

[Taraz]

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I think in the new testament jesus says like you shall know evil by its fruits or something like that. could be wrong



What does that mean though? Whatever I perceive to be evil is evil?

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you never heard that saying? you know, judge an action by its results, people who are corrupt and evil end up involved in wicked things, etc.

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I've definitely heard the saying and I know what it's trying to say. But my question is what are "wicked things"? How do you determine which actions are evil and which are not?