For My Own Eyes
 

Sister, if you don't stop with all this , "I'm a backslidden heathen" mess, I am going to have to track you down and give you one of these>:snapout Enough already!

Re: For My Own Eyes
 

Oh, Rico, Rico, Rico....

Mostly I say it is jest (you know me...all sarcastic and flippant all the time). As I obviously don't consider myself to be a heathen or backslidden, or deceived or a hopeless reprobate or a rank sinner...etc. etc.

However, I am fully aware that by the standards of most of the posters here, I am all those things. We could take a poll, but I doubt anyone would want to openly vote me into hell ;)

So let's just skip the personal aspect of it, and look to the issues....

I don't believe that the Bible is inspired, the Word of God, or authoritative.

I don't believe that you have to baptized, and if you are, I don't believe that it matters how its done.

I don't attend church, I have no desire to do so, and I don't have a lot of positive thoughts about churches in general.

I don't (think) that I believe in hell. The jury is still out on this one. If there is a hell, I think it's purpose is similar to how Crakjak believes.

I don't think that homosexuality is a sin. Nor do I believe is sex outside of marriage. ( I do believe that sex outside of a committed relationship is bad. )

I don't beleive that God cares a whole lot about many of the things we are so uptight about.

I'm not sure what I think about the whole salvation or justification thing.

I don't believe that the evidence of receiving the spirit is speaking in tongues. (but I do believe that speaking in tongues is a real experience)


That is just some of the don'ts...here are the only things I can say that I do believe:

I do believe in God/Jesus

I do believe that He wants to be in relationship/communion/communication with us.

I do belive that it is through being filled with his spirit that this is possible.

I do believe that we can act in ways that hinder that relationship ("sin")


Now I am not ashamed of what I believe, what I am still questioning, or what I just flat out don't know. But I was Apostolic for 8 years, and have been on these forums for almost 5. I know what Apostolics believe. and I have a pretty good idea of where my place is with them.

But I'm OK with that. I don't expect them to tip-toe around me. I know what they believe, and I am OK with them being vocal about it. It wouldn't bother me in the least if anyone on this forum told me that they think I am decieved and on my way to an eternal hell, because I know that's what they believe.

Does it bother you more that I call myself a heathn? Or that I am flippant and seemingly unconcered about it?

Re: For My Own Eyes
 

Sister, not to be rude, but so what? So what if you are questioning pretty much everything right now? You obviously have not abandoned faith, evidenced by the part of your post I bolded. There's a big difference in not being pro something and being anti something. Catch my drift? I don't think you've walked as far away as you, or others around here, might think. I worry, not so much about what others think of you, but more about what you think of yourself.

Re: For My Own Eyes
 

OH! You think I think bad of myself!

That I revel in my heathenosity with an abandon worthy of a true reprobate. ;)

Not at all!

I am happy. Welll....not all the time, 'cause let's face it, I am still married to an Aspie who's been out of work for 15 months, and you know, like is stressful.

But beyond that, I really am. For 8 years whether or not I was going to hell consumed my every waking thought. (I constantly thought I was, though I worked super-hard to try and prevent that).

Now, I'm somewhat...well...nonchalant about the whole thing. If God wants to send me to hell, that's His call. But I would just as soon not spend my entire life obsessing about it.

I used to think it was about the destination, but I don't anymore. I think it's about the journey. I don't think faith is about knowing all the right answers. I think its about living in the midst of all the questions.

And I think that I have learned that. So words like heathen and reprobate have no sting for me. I am what I am. God is what He is. And together we are what we are.

Re: For My Own Eyes
 

See? You aren't a heathen afterall!! Mission accomplished! Now.............take all that heathen junk off your avatar and cut it with all that negative talk about being backslidded, or I'm gonna hafta come show you what for! :D

Re: For My Own Eyes
 

What's an Aspie?

Re: For My Own Eyes
 

Wouldn't want to disappoint. :)

I'm afraid you are very deceived, but as long as you keep hanging around, there is hope. :happydance

Re: For My Own Eyes
 

BTW.. Rico..I wondered why you started a thread for "your" own eyes. ;):crazywalls

Re: For My Own Eyes
 

I'm just tryin to help someone out best as I know how. :)

Re: For My Own Eyes
 

LOL, that's insider talk for Asperger's Syndrome, which is on the Autism spectrum. More info can be found here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Asperger%27s_syndrome

When all is said and done, it just means that his brain works differently than yours or mine does. I read somewhere that 85% of Aspie marriages end in divorce. When I read it, it did NOT surprise me!