Quote Originally Posted by geoff View Post
Sinfix-The issue of what a woman is to do with a child formed from the act of rape is a touchy one. I can't give you an answer for that, I'm not God and I can't/won't speak for how God sees that situation. We can call this one a stalemate. Yes you can have a personal relationship with just you and God, in fact He very much encourages it throughout the scriptures. As far as personal interpretation...when you actually pursue a one on one relationship with God, your eyes are opened to a different world. You serve out of love not condemnation as some churches preach. You don't see fire, brimstone, and death. Instead you see life, love, and peace. The mainstream church has lost its way, that explains all the different doctrines, beliefs, traditions, and denominations. There is but one "Church" and that is the body of Christ. It is more than four walls; it is an ideal, way of life, and a personal revelation of who God is. The deeper you go into the mind and heart of God the more you see changes in your own life. You will cease to smoke, drink, sleep around, ect not out of promise of hell but out of gratitude of love. Its almost like you stop those things because you wanna make God proud.
I respect your opinion and agree with a lot of aspects of it. I'm 100% against the "church", but im not opposed to the idea of God. If im walking down the street and i see an old lady drop her money out of her purse, i have a feeling inside that's its wrong to take it. I have a conscious towards a lot of bad things, but a lot of "sins" i feel no remorse for what so ever. When i have 3-4 beers with my dinner at applebees... not one fiber of my being feels ive done anything wrong. When i light up a cigar in my living room, same thing. I'm not married, never been married...... and outside of the usual "she looked better last night" regrets... i have no sense of wrong doing from casual relationships. That's what im talking about when i say the interpretation is different. When i imagine an all powerful God that's capable of creating worlds, i just dont see him caring about what i eat, drink or do with my genitals as long as i'm not harming or deceiving other human beings. It's not a matter of feeling shamed by activities but not caring because i dont believe in God. If i did believe in God, i dont think my life would change too much, at least not in terms of restrictions. I feel i have a good sense of right and wrong, but my idea of right and wrong differs greatly from the scripture. I dont know if there's a God or not, but even leaving the idea open that there is.... i dont feel anything i do would shame him.