Well... Seeing as how i wouldnt usually post publically my problem it is very well something i cant handle on my own... so please people help me i dont know what to do about this...
Me and my boyfriend jason have been together 2 1/2 years going on three in Feb. we have had two children together and i think to myself personally thats the problem.. lol well let me tell you whats going on... you see when he and i first got together sometimes my very touch would give him an orgasm.. now.. its like hes not sexually attracted to me anymore it takes him forever to orgasm now and tonight i tried giving him oral and he didnt get orgasm so i just gave up i am wondering if its my body or something.. i had my son and then three monthes later i got preganent with my daughter and i just had her on thursday... This is the thing should i break off the relationship? i feel undesirable and it makes me feel like crap... or does anyone think that there is more to it?? or something i should do? PLEASE HELP ME I HAVE NO ONE ELSE TO TURN TO... Thanks..

FIRST OF ALL YOU NEED TO BECOME A BELEIVER IN JESUS CHRIST AND STOP ACTING LIKE A ANIMAL!!!

does he use porn
if so therfe is ur answer...u can bet ur bottom dollar no playboy, hustler or penthouse celebrates and glorifies the body of a newly delivered mother...in fact they deny womanhood, true beauty and anything to do with any woman who doesnt fit the barbie mould....but hey its the men who support it so that must be what they want...porn screws up a mans ability to respect women, to have compassion and e intimate...You will see rom the responses of porn users (both ,male and female) on here that they completely lose touch with humanity and compassion...I would look into this possibilty with hubby...good luck

my boyfriend watches porn all the time i put a block on the tv so he couldnt watch it anymore and he got all butt hurt about it... and i am a believer in jesus christ illa just because i am not married does not mean i do not believe in christ.. my father has been married 4 times and i do not intend on making the same mistake he has made his whole life.. sorry if that offends you that i am not married and have children i intend on waiting until we are both ready and we also want to have a wedding that we have both dreamt of.. because my boyfriends whole family got married in a trailor park and my father in vegas every time.. we would like it in a baptist church and not alot of people just simple yet elegant .... okay now anyone else responding to my problem would be most helpful... thank you..

Okay seksiebunny, do you want to talk a little about living as a believer in Jesus Christ?

Is your BoyFriend, live-in partner, and the father of your children a born again believer?

What say you?

Illa, Please do not be disrespectful of others. Saying Seksiebunny is acting like animal is very disrespectful and not particularly helpful. It's also easier when we all respect each other's religion or lack thereof. Otherwise, we would get sidetracked by religious issues and debate.

i do not need to "LIVE" as a believer... i believe in jesus christ i am a good person and i am a good mother and the lord knows i trust in him completely and he knows i am scared of making the same mistakes my father has.. he knows if i get married i am doing it once and thats it. my boyfriend has lived with me for 3 years going on.. and no he is not a believer he could really care less but ive made him watch the passion of the christ with me because i wanted him to as least see what i believe in.. and he cried.. he respects the fact that i have my own beliefs and that i plan on raising our children with those beliefs... he is even willing to go to church with me once i am back on my feet (just had our second child on the 21rst of june)

Then there would seem to be little need to post anything else as you will do whatever you want to do regardless of what God says. The "Passion of Christ" was so that you can ignore God, who bought and paid for you with His life, right?.

Believer in Christ, here are the final questions for you to think about. If you will not obey God, who will you obey? Just how much IS Christ's suffering and death worth to you and what would have been the outcome if Jesus has asserted HIS will over the Father's will?

God bless and good luck.

Have we all lost sight of the fact that this women is asking for help. I don't believe this forum is for any of us to judge or preach. It is people like you that use your religion to judge others that turn so many people away from church. I too am a believer but have steered away from the church and those who think that because they have devoted their life to the word of God it has given them the right to condemn those around them. That is not the word of God.

Seksiebunny, I am new to this forum and really do not want to give any real advice because I do not feel equipped to that at this time. But I will tell you that this process will be easier if you can get him to commuicate with you. You have to know what his issues are before you can work on anything. Remember, you just had a child and your emotions are far from normal. I have had 4 children and I know how that feels. It may be more about how you feel then him. Talk to him. Read the books suggested in this website. I also got the book "Fighting for your marriage" and have really discovered a lot of my own faults, not just my husbands, that contribute to our problems. It has helped me to not put all the blame on him and see where my weakness are.

We are all in this forum and on this website for a reason. We all either have or have had issues in our marriages/relationships. We cannot go back and change that has happened in the past whether it was a good choice or bad. We learn from them and move forward and hope that we do not make the same mistake twice. Sometimes we succeed and sometimes we don't, but to keep trying is the key.

Use the words of Christ to help those in need, not condemn them.

Hopeful4change - so as a beliver, are you saying that you don't believe "living for Christ" is right?

For the record, you might want to see what the Scripture does say about "judging" the actions of fellow professing believers. If being obedient to the Word of God turns you or other professing believers away from "church," then your issue is with God, not me. As far as I am concerned, you, "bunny," and everyone else can choose to live their lives however they wish. It is NOT me who will judge, it is God, and He HAS told us what He "expects" from someone who professes to have received the greatest gift He could give us.

Also for the record, I have not lost sight of the fact that this woman is asking for help. But you seem to have lost sight of the fact that she also claims to be seeking help as a believer in Jesus Christ and an adopted child of God.

IF someone is not willing to try to be obedient to God, what makes you think that they would accept any help from anyone that doesn't fit what they have already chosen as what they want, regardless of what God might have to say about it?

AS such I wish her well in her recovery attempts, but I WILL NOT "push" being obedient to God on her nor will I waste my time talking about what God has already had to say to her, to all believers.

There is a difference that you will perhaps learn between "condemning" someone and "judging" the behaviors of a fellow believer. Matthew 18:15-20 alone (and there are other passages should you every really want to investigate this area of "judging") should show you planly that SIN is to be confronted in love, not condoned, by fellow believers, with the intent and hope for restoration of fellowship.

We all make mistakes in our lives and it is God that will forgive us our sins.
The reality of her situation is that she has two children, children of God, that need her to be whole. Getting married at this point is not a good idea.
Bunny, Do you want to marry your boyfriend? I think for your children's sake you need to make your life whole and give them the best life you can. They deserve that. Choosing to have children without committment may not be the best idea, but the reality is you did and now you must make your decisions based on them and what is best for your family. Marriage certificate or not, you and your boyfriend need to work on your relationship and do what is best for all of you. Show your children what your parents did not show you. Show them what love and committment is supposed to look like. Do not live in fear of making mistakes. Get counseling, read books, and focus on your future. You all deserve that. Choose God in your life to whatever degree you feel confortable and He will always be there for you. Find comfort in that. Do not let those who choose to preach to you make you feel like your life has no merit if you do not live life according to their beliefs and their judgements.

Learn from the past and move forward in the future to achieve your goals. Those children need you whole. Do what you need to to give them the life they deserve.

I will not make this forum a religious platform. Those who have God in thier in life know it and find thier own peace in it. My religion is within my heart and is between God and myself. No one else has the right to judge me. Offer your faith to those around you with an open heart and if they want to accept that then rejoice. Pray for those that are lost and could benefit from his love.

Bunny, When I feel like life is overwhelming at times, I choose to remind myself that God will not give me more then I can handle. Keep that in mind.

Me and my boyfriend have talked about getting married and we want to just currently we have some things to work out between us on a respect level of one another.. why would i want to marry someone that i am constantly fighting with? Ive watched my dad do that with all of his wives including his current wife.. i belive in getting married once and thats it.. and i dont want to get married and fight in front of my children.. thats not a healthy enviroment for them... my aunt says if i dont get married im being selfish and that i should get married for my kids.. but she has no idea what its like to have children because she has had none. i do not want to put my children through what ive been through my whole life.. me and my boyfriend want to sort out our differences and he wants to make sure we are financially stable because thats where alot of our fighting between one another comes into play.. now if the lord knows im trying to do whats best for my children do u honestly think he would frown upon me for that? do you think he would me upset with me for making sure that i marry and stay married? I highly doubt it. I know he understands.. and i pray to him and i talk to him about my daily life.. you that are judging me should really read this book called "THE PURPOSE DRIVEN LIFE By: Rick Warren" It will change your life dramatically i guarentee it. thanks for your time.

Hopeful4change - forgiveness of sin is not an issue for believers, God has forgiven all of our sins, and that is not an issue in Seksiebunny's situation either. God also calls believers to repentance of sin in their lives as they become aware of it.

The situation is not forgiveness, but one of a surrendered life to God and attempting to live one's life in humble submission and obedience to God. That is the issue that is impacting Seksiebunny's life now in her relationship.

Understanding her desires for a permanent marriage is easy. Solving her "problem" is much more involved.





Yes they do. And they need to be raised in the "nuture and admonition of the Lord." That is part of the responsibility of a Christian parent, to model a life that is surrendered to God and living to bring honor and glory to God. It does NOT mean living a "perfect" life. It does mean putting God first in one's life, at least out of gratitude for what God did for us to be able to provide us with His forgiveness of sin.





Though I tend to agree, I don't see where Seksiebunny is considering marriage at this time. So why don't you thing her possibly getting married is not a good idea?
I'm smelling a "judgment" of sorts here and perhaps you could elaborate.





It would seem that she has already answered this question, don't you think? She has two children fathered by him and indicated in her second post that she wanted to get married "when he was ready" and when she felt ready.

She has also stated that she would like to eventually be married in a Baptist church. If that is what she wants, then it would be helpful to talk with her about some of the things that most, if not all, Baptist ministers will REQUIRE of a couple that seeks to be married in their church. One of those "things" is that both of the engaged couple are believers. Why? Because they are following the teaching of God in His Word.





She does need this and the children do need too. So how DOES a believer "make" her life whole? That is the issue that I was looking to explore with her, but she totally rejected living a life for God, preferring to live what is known as a "carnal Christian," so what would be your advice to her so that she can get "whole?"





Okay, so showing the children that living together without marriage is the "thing to do" is "okay?" Look, she HAS chosen to have children out of wedlock. That is a FACT. She has stated that she is a believer and that her boyfriend is not. So at best she is looking at an "unevenly yoked" marriage as a possibility. Those marriages CAN work, but they can also be a big strain on the marriage when differing beliefs are held, especially when it comes to how the children will be raised.

In addition to thinking that "shacking up" is the right thing to do, he has what appears to be a big problem with pornography. You may not have been around MB long enough to know this, so feel free to ask others if you don't believe me, but Porn use is just another form of Adultery. It IS addictive and it can be very difficult to "kick that habit."

No one is asking, nor would they advise, Seksiebunny to "live in fear of making mistakes." But she NEEDS to start addressing her choices. One thing that seems to be very evident is that she has been living fear of losing this man. She has been living in fear that "Physical Attractiveness" is all that a man is interested in. Those are just some of the things that are evident that she needs to be willing to discuss IF she is going to have a chance at "getting whole."

Also, part of what could be going on could be some Post Partum depression. That should be explored. Part of what could be going on is that her boyfriend is afraid that she is not ready for sex yet, probably true since her delivery date was just last week. Part of what could be going on is that he might be afraid of yet another pregnancy. There are several things that should be discussed, including whether or not her boyfriend may have just masturbated and was not "ready" for another orgasm experience.





All very good suggestions at any time.





Let me get this straight, are you saying that God takes a "back seat" to our wants and desires? What exactly do you mean by "to whatever degree you FEEL comfortable?





Hopeful4change, this is about the most disrespectful thing one professing believer can "advise" to another believer who may be "weaker" or "younger" in the faith. NO ONE has said, or will say, that Seksiebunny's life has no merit. That is diametrically opposed to what God says.

Then you go further and level a Disrespectful Judgment (aren't you one who has said believers shouldn't "judge" other believers?) that somehow I might be "preaching" to Seksiebunny to live her life according to MY beliefs and MY judgments. Let's clear the air here. It is living life according to the Word of God, to what God has said, not what ANY person says. THAT is what believers DO. If I should advise her, or anyone for that matter, to do something that is contrary to, or in direct opposition to, God's clear teaching and revealed will in His Word, then by all means CALL me on it immediately. Or is it simply a case of you don't believe that the Scriptures ARE the Word of God? Help me understand just what it is you are saying and what you believe a believer should DO in being humbly obedient to God's commands and teaching?





Repetitive and nice sounding. HOW do you propose that she accomplish this worthy goal?





We are not talking about a "forum," we are talking about a woman who is a professing believer who recognizes that her life is potentially "in trouble" and is seeking advice to help her not only "get whole," but to possibly salvage her relationship and potentially get married. Keeping God and Christ out of a discussion with a believer is not healthy for ANY believer, nor is talking about obedience to God creating a "religious platform" (whatever you mean by that). If a person IS a believer, then they already have a "religious platform" that is the indwelling Holy Spirit.





Of course your faith and your life is between God and yourself.

But your are wrong if your think that no one else can form an opinion, or "judgment" if you prefer, about your actions, my actions, or anyone else's actions, particularly between professing believers. There is a marked difference between judging "saved" or "not saved" that is reserved for God alone. That does not mean that that a believer cannot "judge," or form a biblically based opinion, that anyone is NOT saved who does NOT accept Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior because God has clearly revealed to the "test" that He uses. Furthermore, we are instructed in Scripture that believers ARE supposed to "judge" other believers with respect to things like "willful sin" that is clearly in opposition to God's clear commands. "Thou shalt not commit adultery," for example is one of those clear commands. Jesus Himself gave us "church discipline," and that involves making a "judgment" about a fellow believer who is willfully sinning.

You may not "like" it, but it IS based soundly upon God's Word as He has given it to us in the Scripture.





Precisely. That is precisely why I asked Seksiebunny about her relationship with God and her response was, "I do not need to "LIVE" as a believer."

If she sees no need to live as a believer, according to God's word and His will for her life, what is the point in trying to help her? To provide a "secular worldview" rather than "God's worldview?" How is enabling someone to refuse God "helpful" to them and how does that help to make them "whole?"





That is true, but God does not always do the giving. Sometimes we choose to do things "our way," and God let's us. Sometimes God brings troubles, and even chastisement, into the life of a "backslidden believer" in order to help them realize that they need Him as Lord of their life, or even that they are willfully sinning against Him. Sometimes "bad things happen to good people" because others are following their own fallen nature and it impacts us.

The concept behind "not giving more than I can handle" is that a believer relies on God. If someone will not turn to God, preferring to handle things on their own, God will allow them to do so, but we should always be aware that unlike God, we DO have limits as to what we can "handle" in our own power and with our own finite resources and strength.

Remember Job when you think of this. What was "given" to Job was far more than what most of us could handle, and Job could only handle it by being completely submitted to God.

Remembering God and His promises to believers is GOOD, and it is supposed to draw us TO God, not to result in our saying "I don't need God in my life and I don't have to live my life for God."

That's not "preaching," that's simple biblical truth for believers.

Well, I think it's safe to say SBunny, H4C, foreverhers, and I all believe, but believe different things. For some of us, this means that those who do not believe exactly as we do are wrong. I personally believe in Jesus Christ, the Creator, and the Holy Ghost. But, I recognize that my demonination is very different in how this belief translates in practical terms from some other denominations. We do not take the Old Testament literally. We put the New Testaments in historical context as well as hearing what the Spirit says to us through those words. I'm betting that this would make me a non-believer in ForeverHers' book. Yet, I go to church regularly and am on committees and try hard to live the life God calls me to.

The whole point is I asking we all tread lightly when bringing religion in as a motivator for change.

Greengables - I can't speak to what you may or may not believe or whether or not you are a "non-believer." I don't know you or WHAT you believe, other than what you've chosen to reveal in your post.

If you believe in your heart that Jesus Christ IS the Savior and is the Son of God, the incarnate Word, then you believe as much as many people do, including Satan and the fallen angels. They all KNOW who Jesus is, but "believing in Jesus Christ" implies MORE than just assent to who He is, it involves accepting Him as YOUR personal Lord and Savior, inviting Him into your heart in humble submission to Him. Unless you DON'T believe that, then you are a Christian.

Without knowing what denomination you refer to, I have no idea what the beliefs of that denomination might be, again, other than what limited information you have chosen to write about.




An interesting statement and one that is often made by many. The "problem" with understanding what you mean by that statement is not knowing what your mean by "literal."

Perhaps you'd be able to clarify what you mean by that word when you use it.




Why would you make such a Disrespectful Judgment without KNOWING what I would say? The New Testament HAS an historical context to it and some things apply to the time it was written, the people it was written to, some things apply to Christians everywhere and everywhen, and some things are yet awaiting fulfillment in history.

So just what DO you mean by "We put the New Testaments in historical context?"

Let's not play "guessing games" here. Lay out, please, what YOU mean when you use phrases and words that can have differing meanings when someone else hears them.

I am assuming, since you state you are a Christian, that you do believe 2 Timothy 3:16, but I'd rather hear what you DO believe about it rather than make what could be an erroneous assumption.

I'm sorry, FH. I didn't mean to be disrespectful. I don't see how making guess about what you may think of me is disrespectful. Personally, if your beliefs dictate that I'm not a Christian, I would respect that--disagree, but respect it.

The way you approached this discussion is similar to some friends of mine who are fundamentalists. Most fundamentalists find my demonination, Episcopalian, problematic. They don't usually come out and say that I'm not a Christian, but it hangs there in the wind.

When I say we don't take it literally, I mean most of my denomination does not believe in the Garden of Eden, the Flood, Moses being found in the bushes and people living 400 years. I am among those. I also believe that there are many ways to the One. This is okay in my demonination. We are rather catholic.

And until I go home and look it up in the old King James, I have no idea about Timothy. I can tell you I usually disagree with Paul. The man drives me nuts.

However, my point really wasn't whether or not you would consider me a christian. My point was that we should respect each other's beliefs and not use our own beliefs to manuever and motivate others to change.

Sorry for the threadjack, SB.

BOTTOM LINE IS----------- I BELIEVE IN THE HEAVENLY FATHER AND HIS SON JESUS CHRIST I DO NOT NEED ANYONE ELSE TO TELL ME HOW I NEED TO LIVE MY LIFE ACCORDING TO THEIR PERSONAL WAYS OF LIVING... THE HEAVENLY FATHER KNOWS I LOVE HIM AND THAT IVE MADE MY MISTAKES ALONG THE WAY BUT WHO DOESNT? WE ARE NOT MEANT TO BE PERFECT AND FIRST OFF IF THE LORD DID NOT WANT ME TO HAVE THESE TWO BEAUTIFUL CHILDREN FOR HIM I WOULDNT HAVE.. SEE MY LIFE BEFORE I GOT PREGNANT WITH MY FIRST WAS ALL DOWN HILL... I WAS LIVING WITH MY DAD, DRINKING, PARTYING AND HONESTLY STEERING FAR FROM MY BELIEFS THEN I MET MY BOYFRIEND WHOS LIFE WAS NOT MUCH BETTER THAN MINE HE HAD JUST GOT OUT OF PRISON 4 DAYS BEFORE I MET HIM.. HE TOLD ME HE WAS PLANNING ON GOING BACK TO HIS OLD WAYS... WE BOTH STARTED DATING AND WE GOT PREGNANT AFTER 6 MONTHS OF DATING AND I TOLD HIM THIS HAPPEND FOR A REASON BECAUSE THE HEAVENLY FATHER WANTED THIS TO HAPPEN TO ME.. (THATS WHAT I TOLD HIM) I ENDED UP MOVING OUT OF MY DADS THE MONTH I FOUND OUT I WAS PREGNANT AND GOT A FULL TIME JOB AND SO DID HE AND WE HAVE BEEN ON OUR OWN DOING WELL EVER SINCE.. IM NOT SAYING THINGS HAVE BEEN EASY CAUSE THEY HAVENT BEEN BUT WE WILL GET THROUGH IT LIKE WE ALWAYS HAVE.. HE IS THERE FOR ME AND I AM THERE FOR HIM... CURRENTLY HE IS WORKING 13 TO 14 HOUR DAYS TO PROVIDE FOR OUR FAMILY WORKING 6 TO 7 DAYS A WEEK AND I AM A FULL TIME AT HOME MOM.. AT THE MOMENT. I LIVE IN UTAH, IN A VERY SMALL TOWN FILLED WITH THE MORMAN RELIGION WHICH THEREFORE FOR I AM JUDGED OFTEN BUT ANYONE AND EVERYONE WHO KNOWS ME OR MY FAMILY WILL TELL YOU BY MY PREGNANCY SAVED MY LIFE AND MY BOYFRIENDS.. AND I DO NOT NEED ANYONE TELLING ME.. THAT WAS A MISTAKE AND I AM NOT LIVING MY LIFE ACCORDINGLY.. BECAUSE YOU KNOW WHAT IF IT WASNT THE LORD BLESSING OUR LIVES WITH TWO SOULS WHO SAVED OURS THEN WHO WAS IT? I PRAY ALOT AND I DO MEAN ALOT EVEN DRIVING DOWN THE ROAD TELLING THE LORD HOW MY DAY WENT OR MY FEELINGS FROM THE PRESENT DAY... THE LORD KNOWS WE ARE HAPPY AND HE KNOWS THAT I AM SORRY FOR NOT WAITING UNTIL MARRIAGE BUT HE ALSO KNOWS HE BLESSED MY LIFE TO SAVE ME FROM THE LIFE WE WERE HEADED TOWARDS.. MY BOYFRIEND DOES NOT DOWNGRADE MY BELIEFS OR THE HEAVENLY FATHER BECAUSE HE KNOWS HOW MUCH HE MEANS TO ME.. AND HE KNOWS I WILL TEACH MY CHILDREN TO HAVE THE SAME FAITH IN BELIEVING THAT THEY CAN ACCOMPLISH ANYTHING WITH FAITH.. PLEASE DONT TELL ME THAT WE ARE NOT LIVING TO "YOUR" PERSONAL BELIEFS I KNOW I AM A GOOD PERSON IN GOOD FAITH AND I DONT NEED ANYONE TELLING ME OTHERWISE... THANK U

PS. ALSO IN THE BIBLE IT SAYS, "DO NOT JUDGE THAT NOT NEEDETH TO BE JUDGED" IN OTHER WORDS YOU DO NOT HAVE THE RIGHT TO JUDGE ANYONE BUT YOURSELF...
TAKE THAT INTO YOUR HEART AND COMTEMPLATE IT <img src="/ubbt/images/graemlins/wink.gif" alt="" />

Seksibunny - It is "easy" to find a biblical passage and then take it out of both it's immediate context and the context of the entirety of Scripture in order to "justify" doing whatever someone wants to do.

"Living for God" is a Biblical directive, not a mere "opinion" of "some" believers. The Mormons you live around do NOT accept the Jesus Christ of the Bible, they believe He was a created being who became a god, just like they can. Just because they try to "judge you" according to their standards is irrelevant. The "judge" of all people, especially of Christians, is God. How do we know ANYTHING about God and what "standards" He uses to judge us?

We know from what He has chosen to reveal to us in His Word, the Scriptures.

There are many passages in the Scripture that speak to "Living according to the will of God" rather than the will of man, or our own will. But it wouldn't serve much purpose in quoting what God has said in His Scripture (the revealed Word of GOD) if someone does not believe that the Scripture IS the Word of God, would it?

So the obvious question is, as a believer, IS the Bible the inspired Word of God, HIS revelation to mankind, or isn't it?




Seksibunny - It is good that you believe in God and the Lord Jesus Christ. The question you need to ask yourself, then, is "have you surrendered your life to Him, relinquishing your will to His will?"

So before going further let me ask you a question or two.

WHY do you believe there IS a "God the Father" and why do you believe there is a "His Son Jesus Christ?" Obviously your boyfriend does not share your belief, he "tolerates" your belief. So why do YOU believe what your boyfriend does not, and what does it mean to you that Jesus Christ is your personal Lord and Savior?

Greengables, "my" beliefs have little to do with whether or not someone is a Christian. The "authority" for what "makes" someone a Christian is the Bible, the Word of God. It clearly teaches what it "takes" to BE a Christian in fact, not just in appropriating the name of "Christian" because someone wants to use that name.

For example, there are MANY groups who call themselves "Christian," but they do NOT believe either the Biblical teaching as to WHO Jesus Christ is nor that there is only ONE way that God Himself has established as the ONLY way to receive forgiveness of sin and be "saved" by God.

It is NOT the name "Christian" that makes one a Christian, it is the belief in, and acceptance of, the provision that God Himself has made available to all people.





Well let's be upfront about this. I DO consider myself to be a "fundamentalist" if you want to use labels. I believe the Bible IS the Word of God, that it is inerrant and inspired by God to reveal what HE wanted us to know. I believe that the Scriptures we have are essentially the very same documents as the original documents (the autographs) and are the "guidebook" not only for knowing who Jesus is, what God's plan for mankind has been since the beginning, but also for how we should strive to live our lives in accordance to HIS revealed commands and teaching. I believe these things because I have examined the issue and questions of the "Bible Documents" using the self-same "test" that are applied to all "ancient documents," from Plato and Aristotle, to the Biblical texts themselves. The question as to the "reliability" of the documents we have in existence today is without question, there are NO documents that are as well attested to or that show the care and accuracy with which they have been copied and "handed down" throughout the centuries.

That, and a couple of bucks, will get you "cup of coffee." The ACCURACY of the texts is not the same thing as "believing" what is in the texts. That "believing" encompasses other things, including what the Scripture has to say about itself, what Jesus (who IS the object of a Christian's faith) has to say about it, and WHO "gets to" determine what "parts" of the Bible are "believable" and which are "not believable."


It is the Bible that is authoritative, not the wishes or wants or interpretations of man, because the Bible IS the Word of God, not the word of man.

Obviously, if someone were to choose to believe that the Scriptures are NOT the Word of God, they can allow themselves to do whatever they want and to believe whatever they want.





Okay, the Bible teaches those things, among many other things too. So the question would be "on what basis do you reject the revealed word of God," preferring some "alternative" explanation or explanations?


When you say "there are many ways to the ONE" I assume you mean that the "ONE" is God Himself. Again the question is "if the Bible teaches clearly that there is only one way "to the ONE" (reconciliation with and adoption by God), what "other" ways are there are and how do those ways qualify as "Christian" (meaning believer in Jesus Christ as the only way through whom a person CAN be reconciled to God)?

Clearly there can be legitimate "differences of opinion" on some things that God has not chosen to reveal to us. But when God HAS clearly revealed HIS truth to us, there should be, it would seem, a submission of our "opinions," (wants, desires, etc.) TO God in the same manner that Jesus modeled for us. That is essentially what becoming more "Christ-like," i.e. the process of sanctification, is all about as we grow and mature in the knowledge and understanding of what GOD has said. That includes "testing" what anyone says against the Scripture to discern and determine if what is being said is consistent with the Word of God or in opposition to it.





Well, it's best not to talk in generalities here, considering that Paul was appointed as an apostle of Christ and THE apostle to the Gentiles. So what are some of the things that Paul wrote about that you "usually disagree with?"

"Driving someone 'nuts'" isn't the real issue anyway, is it? Jesus Himself drove almost the entire Jewish people of His day "Nuts," but that didn't alter the truth of what HE said or who He was and is, did it?

We ALL get "driven nuts" when we find someone who may disagree with what we want to believe or what we think is the "right belief." That's human nature, the "sin nature" that we all have. It's the old "I know best for me" sort of thing, but the actual authority is NOT any man, it is God. Without the revealed Word of God AS the "authority" for Christians, and for "Christian living," people WOULD be free to "make it up as they go along" and "anything" would be "okay."





"Respecting" someone's beliefs is not the issue. We can all "respect" someone's beliefs without agreeing that they are right. IF we come to the conclusion that their belief may be "incorrect," no matter how sincerely THEY might believe what they choose to believe, we MUST base that "conclusion of disagreement" on something with the AUTHORITY to determine what is, and what is not, "right and wrong." OPINION is insufficient, because we ALL have opinions. For Christians, the authority is the Word of God, HIS revealed will and truth in the matter. God leaves "open" for legitimate "disagreement of opinion" those things (such as pre, mid, and post rapture) that He has NOT fully revealed. God does NOT leave open for "disagreement of opinion" those things that He HAS chosen to clearly reveal to us.





It may be a little different direction, but it's not really a threadjack. Seksiebunny came on and asked for someone to hear her, and to potentially receive some help with her situation. She subsequently revealed that she is a Christian, that her boyfriend is not, and that he has a rather large problem with Porn.

In that context, for example, the Word of God is CLEAR, again assuming that a Christian believes the Scripture IS the Word of God:

"You have heard that it was said to those of old, 'You shall not commit adultery.' But I (Jesus) say to you that whoever looks at a woman to lust for her has already committed adultery with her in his heart." (Matthew 5:27, 28 NKJV)

It seems from what Seksiebunny has written that her boyfriend is "lusting" through his use of Porn. But since he is not a believer himself, the "teaching" of the Scripture on this issue would likely seem to be "foolishness" to him.

That is part of the problem that Seksiebunny is dealing with. She is in an "unevenly yoked" relationship, something that the Word of God also cautions Christians NOT to do. But that's more for a direct discussion with her, so I'll leave that as just a simple example of how this isn't a "threadjack" simply because the Word of God IS relevant to all Christians.

God bless.

Forever Hers, I've put off responding because I wanted to really consider what I'd say. I'm not sure I have anything to contribute at this point, except my thanks for the time you spent crafting your post.