Christian Alliance

[Sir Crocodile]

My local church was having a yard sale yesterday where people donated things and the church got the profits. I bought a Bible for fifty cents. It's the New Catholic Edition, but it's always nice to flip through a Bible that you don't use regularly. One thing I noticed was a book called "1 Paralipomeneon" and another one called "2 Paralipomeneon." After some digging around I found that Paralipomeneon is Greek for Chronicles.

The Bible itself is from 1951, and since then I guess the Catholic Church has updated the names.

Also, I bought two really old books for fifty cents each: Dante's Inferno and Dante's Purgatory & Paradise. I'm estimating they're from the late 1920's / early 1930's. They're falling apart, so I'm going to try to find someone who can fix them for me.

 

[chosen_one386]

Wow...I haven't been here in a while... I wonder if anyone missed me... >_>

May I re-join?

 

[Pikawho?]

I don't know if you were ever cut from the club in the first place. :/ Welcome back, though. :3

That's cool, SC. Did you get them to learn more about the Catholic religion?

Takata-Nui, I believe Catholics believe that when you take communion in church, the bread and wine becomes Jesus' body/blood when you take of it. I think that's why he's saying that that proves that he's Catholic. We Protestants don't believe that so that's why it makes an ok assessment for him to say that.

If any of you Catholics want to correct me, be my guess. I'm only going by what I think I heard.

 

[Dawn's Paul]

I believe Catholics believe that when you take communion in church, the bread and wine becomes Jesus' body/blood when you take of it.

Eh, I'm Methodist-Wesleyan, and we believe in the same as above... I don't think only catholcs believe in that.

Then again, I'm in East Asia. Wonder if that's why.

 

[Kal-El]

I'm with a non-denomination Church and we believe that.

I believe there is power in it, but it's not seen too often.

 

[Takuta-Nui]

I thought that was what he was trying to say, but really, simply quoting - especially on the Internet - isn't liable to mean anything further. Can't expect everybody to read the paragraphs between the lines.

Here's a topic, guys: What's your opinion on the possibility of extra-terrestrial intelligence, and if we were to make contact with such intelligence, what would your reaction be?

I ask this because it's obviously a controversial subject, and I also read recently that the Vatican astronomers have theorized that if they do exist, then it is perfectly possible that they have some other way of being with God - Jesus Christ might have been unnecessary on their world. It certainly is food for thought.

 

[arcanumghost]

Sorry guys, I believe it's a sacred practice, but it's still just bread and grape juice/wine... set aside for a sacred purpose. I feel the same way about holy water. I'm not saying it couldn't happen, I just don't think anyone on earth has the faith that Jesus Christ had when he changed water to wine or healed.

I don't believe anything about whether or not extra-terrestrials exist. If there is life out there, God definitely had a hand in its' creation. If we made contact with extra-terrestrials, it would change the world drastically and I'm not sure if I'd want to meet them...

 

[chosen_one386]

I'm with arcanumghost on this one. If their are alien lifeforms out there, so be it. God created them and he obviously has a plan for them. But...maybe he doesn't want us to communicate with them. Maybe that's why we haven't heard from any...Of course, we could not have heard from them if they didn't exist.

 

[crobatman]

Ooh, there are two topics to discuss.

My belief on the Lord's Supper is that it is just symbolic. That does not mean it is not important. Christ commanded it as an ordinance like Baptism. The Lord's Supper really is just to show humility of the believer. Our church does the ordinance with only member's, other denominations let anyone take the bread and juice.

About Extra-terrestrials, I don't see how they can exist. God created life only on Earth. I believe existence of Aliens would have a biblical problem. Christ died for us, the descendants of Adam and Eve. How could Vulcans or Klingons be saved? They are not blood relatives of Jesus, and so Christ’s shed blood cannot pay for their sin. ET life is a concept that is not to be mixed with the Bible. (Its an evolutionary concept, but we do not want to start debating that now.)

If we met one, I would be reminded of Satan's deception though. Which, I don't know if Satan would try that. The way he is doing things now work good enough.

check out this cartoon:

God gave us all that we need to know.

 

[Sir Crocodile]

I agree with the general belief here... Alien life is mentioned nowhere in the Bible, and as such has no place in our faith life. I personally don't think that there are aliens, because the Universe was pretty much made for us. However, it's entirely possible that God made other intelligent life. But who knows? I would recommend not worrying about it.

In secular news, I got Platinum today... Fun game, I must say.

 

[crobatman]

Yeah, well I guess he did make other intelligences. like Angels, but they are spiritual.

 

[arcanumghost]

Nice, that's a cool cartoon crobatman, and although I didn't really think much about it before, I don't think they exist. The bible does say that God created earth and man and doesn't say anything about the rest of the universe. It's cool for sci-fi movies, but I don't think God made them. However, if he did and didn't tell us, I would understand that too, probably for the best

 

[Shigeru-kun]

On the bread and wine: I don't think it turns into blood and flesh. I'm NOT SAYING IT COULDN'T, however...isn't blood forbidden to drink? Even if it's God's blood, I don't think we're suppose to digest it. Blood is life after all.

That said, does it really matter either way? Correct me if I'm wrong guys, but aren't we suppose to partake to remember Jesus? What does that have to do with our digestive system? So lets say it doesn't...does that stop you from remembering what the bread and wine stands for? Just saying...^^;


On the aliens: I doubt they exist, but could they? Well...the Big Guy created humans, angels, animals, and possibly things we aren't aware of yet. Exactly why couldn't He create aliens?

Also crobatman, you asked how they could be saved? Well...how couldn't they? God saved us, didn't He? Also, what about animals? It's debatable, but I personally think they'll be in heaven too. So how does that all work out? Did God have to do anything special for them to get there? I mean...we don't know!

What goes on in the animal kingdom is for God and animals to know and what goes on in heaven is for God and the angels to know. If God did create aliens, I think He would have a way to save and take care of them.

That said though, again, I really don't think they exist. Either people are messing with their own heads, lying, or just seeing military equipment.

 

[Dawn's Paul]

Come on. Extra-terrestials are either:
1. God's creation. Don't mess with THE Creator.
2. Satan's created illusions. Don't mess with that either.
3. Things Russians put there. Better not mess with that either - unless you're the US of A.

 

[crobatman]

Well, i believe animals will be in heaven or the new earth. I was talking about intelligent aliens from other planets. It is a problem. Adam's sin affected all of creation. Of all the worlds in the universe, it was the earth that God Himself visited, taking on the additional nature of a human being, dying on a cross, and rising from the dead in order to redeem all who would trust in Him.
I do not see any evidence biblically or scientifically on aliens. I guess you just have to accept that they do exist if you want to believe in them. Many secular beliefs have replaced the belief in God with the belief in Aliens. Think of the SETI project...

 

[Takuta-Nui]

The argument that there can be no ETI because the Bible does not mention it is, in my eyes, weak.

By that logic, atoms should not exist. They aren't in the Bible. Neither should superconductors or guns.

Just because the Bible didn't mention it doesn't mean it doesn't exist. God never chatted to Abraham about polar bears, but my goodness, what's that in the zoo?

I don't mean to be offensive - I just want to point out how that argument is flawed.

In turn, let me propose my argument for how ETI doesn't necessarily have to conflict with God's Creation. First off, if they do exist, then it's self-explanatory that God had a hand in their creation, but that's not enough. The reason God may have not revealed their existence to us could be that we weren't ready.

Consider: The Old Testament was considered God's law until Jesus Christ came along and overthrew many of those beliefs and said, "this is my law," replacing them with many revolutionary ideas for that time.

What's stopping God from doing that again? He has a Plan for us, you say: perhaps he's simply taking us through the steps one at a time.

When we enter school, do we receive a plan of all the education we will receive from grade 1 to 12? No, because that's too much for us to handle all at one time.

God is our Teacher - that's what you say - so I think this analogy is very relevant. Perhaps the Second Coming will simply be the third step in God's Plan, with a Third Coming promised and so on.

What do you think?

 

[Sir Crocodile]

The argument that there can be no ETI because the Bible does not mention it is, in my eyes, weak.

By that logic, atoms should not exist. They aren't in the Bible. Neither should superconductors or guns.

Just because the Bible didn't mention it doesn't mean it doesn't exist. God never chatted to Abraham about polar bears, but my goodness, what's that in the zoo?

I don't mean to be offensive - I just want to point out how that argument is flawed.

I undetstand what you mean, but I'm not using that as my reasoning. I'm saying that from what God has told us, we can understand that the Universe was created for us. I take this to mean that we are the only planet with secular life on it. Could Michael and Gabriel have vacation planets in the Andromeda Galaxy? Sure. But I personally think that we are the only planet with mortals on it.

I could be wrong. I could very well be wrong, because this isn't an issue of faith. Nowhere does God say "I'm going to go make Gorknocks" or "There are no alien life forms." It's something that can go either way and is not a matter of faith.

 

[ArceusOwner]

OHHHHH EM GEEEEEEE hey everybody remember me?!?!?!?!? ARCEUSOWNER!!!!!!! i had a really busy summer, im gonna try to get on AMAP!!!!!!! but im gonna have a REALLY BUZY fall to

 

[Willow's Tara]

Hey guys, I got some questions for you which arised when I was writing my story, A world Unknown.

Now recently in my story, four people died in an explosion trying to save lives. Hilda and Trent Celeriac, Meredith Bryce and Ava Harrison. Now preivously these four used to be evil, besides Meredith the other three were immortals and have a century of evil to thier names, almost two centuries for the Celeriacs. And Meredith was an assassin for about twenty years before she retired in 08, all four were on the road to redemption and the path of good until they died. Now the questions in the story, did they go to hell or did they go to Heaven? Were their good deeds enough to do it. Hilda and Trent have been good for maybe 5 months now, could be more. Ava and her husband (Who is deceased and was evil but turned good, had less time to do it unlike Ava) were about the same time to be good. Meredith has only started seeing the error of her ways maybe about 3 or so months ago.

Now keeping how long they were alive for as evil and then turned good, would the four still be granted access in heaven? Following the daughter in law of Hilda/Trent quote: "Maybe there is no hell, maybe there's just Heaven or shades of gray, surely a forgiving and divine being wouldn't sentenced the reforming people to hell" (BTW her quote not mine, Tanya, the character who said it isn't Christian and trying to comfort her wife who lost her parents in the explosion).
So could Ava, Meredith, Hilda and Trent have done enough good just to go to Heaven?

It's actually a question I wondered myself when I was writing the chapter, it's an issue that will be raised alot in the story, my own character even questions if they went to Heaven (Hmm, trying to figure out if it was the Amber character or Tanya that said the quote).

 

[Kanto Trio]

Speaking of aliens I remember hearing once from a speaker who was talking about Revelations that UFOs are actually the angels that fell away from God. Now I do not agree with this since I do not think there is any biblical evidence for this but I just want to see what people think about it.

P.S.: Dawn's Paul, which part of East Asia are you from? Are you ethnically Asian?