RE: Thinking of converting to Buddhism (Full Version)

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xc279 -> RE: Thinking of converting to Buddhism (5/26/2008 10:54:19 PM)

I'm a Christian now. I'd appreciate it if there aren't any "I told you so's". I apologize to everyone for the trouble I caused and if an admin could lock the threads I made it would be appreciated. I will create a new account and try and forget that this one ever existed. Once again, I am sorry to everyone.



StephK -> RE: Thinking of converting to Buddhism (5/26/2008 11:09:44 PM)

No "I told you so's" just Praise the Lord's. [;)]

There's no need to forget either. It was a time of seeking, searching and sifting. I just went through my own period of doubt and a sifting of everything I've been taught.



earthless -> RE: Thinking of converting to Buddhism (5/27/2008 8:07:20 AM)

quote:

ORIGINAL: xc279

I'm a Christian now.


No need for any apologies. But I do have a question that I am sure if also on the mind of everyone else that has been following our discussion - what changed/what happened in just the last few days?



xc279 -> RE: Thinking of converting to Buddhism (5/27/2008 10:12:31 AM)

Honestly, I'm not sure what happened. I visited family over the weekend (all of whom are Christians) and decided that I did not want to lose them by converting. But I'm not really sure what happened.



earthless -> RE: Thinking of converting to Buddhism (5/27/2008 10:17:09 AM)

quote:

ORIGINAL: xc279

Honestly, I'm not sure what happened. I visited family over the weekend (all of whom are Christians) and decided that I did not want to lose them by converting. But I'm not really sure what happened.


So you're saying you're a Christian because of not wanting to cause yourself family issues? Listen, I am not judging your heart, but I am questioning what is going on based off of what the Bible tells us.

Salvation stems from a true acknowledgment of sin, knowing one is a sinner and worthy of death. Knowing Jesus Christ paid for our sin on the cross and that because of Him and only Him can we be found right in God's eyes. That only because of Jesus, God's grace, can we receive the cure for our very real problem.

Otherwise what we cling to is religion and appearances.. not a real born-again experience with Jesus Christ.



xc279 -> RE: Thinking of converting to Buddhism (5/27/2008 11:58:38 AM)

No, what I'm saying is that I realized that if I kept denying God I would lose everything.



earthless -> RE: Thinking of converting to Buddhism (5/27/2008 2:58:34 PM)

quote:

ORIGINAL: xc279

No, what I'm saying is that I realized that if I kept denying God I would lose everything.


Thank you for answering - God bless you for being so honest and upfront about everything. I hope you can know this can be a place to vent for you, ask questions, etc..

Can I recommend something to you? If you have an interest/time, I recommend you check out some of the very cool and helpful apologetic resources out there. Stuff ranging from books, websites, articles, Podcasts, etc..

Look up Ravi Zacharias and Lee Strobel for starters...



xc279 -> RE: Thinking of converting to Buddhism (5/27/2008 3:06:01 PM)

I have read some of Lee Strobels books and I'm not a fan. But I'll check out the others. Sometime I want to read Evidence that Demands a Verdict by Josh McDowell.



earthless -> RE: Thinking of converting to Buddhism (5/27/2008 3:20:42 PM)

quote:

ORIGINAL: xc279

Sometime I want to read Evidence that Demands a Verdict by Josh McDowell.


It's decent and worth the read.



xc279 -> RE: Thinking of converting to Buddhism (5/27/2008 3:28:07 PM)

I have it on hold from the library. And thanks to everyone for putting up with me during my state of deep, deep, denial. One piece of evidence that helped me was that the Council of Nicea was held in 354 AD. Really, 354 years is not that long for a religion to grow, especially if it is false. The fact that it grew stronger and was very strong as early as 354 AD helps prove that it actually is true.



PolarBear -> RE: Thinking of converting to Buddhism (5/27/2008 9:56:32 PM)

XC,

Wow, praise God for that. I just pray that your faith becomes deep rooted and not only based on a desire to not lose everything.

I think I mentioned it before, but I want to re-recommend the book A World of Difference by Kenneth Samples. I just finished reading it and it is a fantastic overview of how one would logically evaluate religious truth claims. It then goes through all the features and distinctives of historic Christianity, then also of naturalism, postmodernism, pantheistic monism (which underlies Hinduism and Buddhism and a few others), and Islam. It then evaluates all of them based on a series of worldview tests.



Sammy_S -> RE: Thinking of converting to Buddhism (5/27/2008 11:16:41 PM)

XC,If what you are saying is true...Then you are still lost in your sins.It is not my intention to be harsh but it is simply true.There seems to be no shred of acknowledgement of sin in your posts.Salvation comes to be when a sinner has the faith to believe in what scripture says about him and God and repents.You seem to be saying that you are "saved" because youwere afraid to lose "everything"...



xc279 -> RE: Thinking of converting to Buddhism (5/28/2008 2:34:28 AM)

quote:

ORIGINAL: Sammy_S

XC,If what you are saying is true...Then you are still lost in your sins.It is not my intention to be harsh but it is simply true.There seems to be no shred of acknowledgement of sin in your posts.Salvation comes to be when a sinner has the faith to believe in what scripture says about him and God and repents.You seem to be saying that you are "saved" because youwere afraid to lose "everything"...


The reason I did not post that is because it is redundant. I simply said what was the catalyst, which was acknowledging that if I continued to deny God I would lose everything. Yes I acknowledge my sins and that Jesus died for them. Earthless asked me what happened and this realization is what happened. That realization convinced me to stop goofing off and denying what I knew was true.



Sammy_S -> RE: Thinking of converting to Buddhism (5/29/2008 11:33:20 PM)

XC
quote:


The reason I did not post that is because it is redundant. I simply said what was the catalyst, which was acknowledging that if I continued to deny God I would lose everything. Yes I acknowledge my sins and that Jesus died for them. Earthless asked me what happened and this realization is what happened. That realization convinced me to stop goofing off and denying what I knew was true.



If you want you can add me at kujosam_8@hotmail.com.....to chat



pmilst -> RE: Thinking of converting to Buddhism (5/31/2008 7:14:00 AM)

quote:

ORIGINAL: xc279

Hi, I was a Christian for basically all my life. I went to a Christian school until junior high at which point I moved and started going to public school. I read the Da Vinci Code which (I know it is fiction) was enough for me to start doubting. I did research on my own to try and figure out the truth. I discovered that there are no historical records of anything that Jesus did outside of the Bible. The Bible also had no proof to support it.
On a spiritual level I also had my doubts. I never asked to be created. How can a loving God send people to Hell just for not loving him? I know that the reason for this was because all have sinned and fallen short the glory of God. But if he created sin (since he created everything), he created hell, he made the laws and decided that if anyone disobeyed them and chose not to love him that they would spend eternity in hell, then why should I love him?
Can anyone shed some light on this?

XC, you find yourself in a perplexing situation, with no sure foundation in any religion. Please be assured that true christianity is not a religion, but a relationship with the Spirit of God. The only true God of heaven and earth chooses to place demands and principles of blessing and cursing upon mankind as part of his ongoing relationship with man. God is omnipotent and omniscience and chooses in his providence to allow blessing and cursing as part of His God - man relationship. I have never questioned that I am a created being, and that the Creator (God) has the right and ability to do with me what he wants to do with me, even when at times what happens in my life seems unfair. The Living God has provided a means of access/communication/fellowship to Him that is singularly available in Christ. Jesus said "I am the way, the truth, and the life, no one comes to the Father, but by me." I don't mean to sound trivial, but Christ called his disciples to an exclusive relationship to the Father by means of repentance, trust in the atoning work of Christ and the demands and rewards of discipleship and its Lordship over our life. That relationship will at times demand suffering (for some great suffering), to test the loyality of the human heart toward God. After all, He does demand Lordship, and one way to test that loyality is through suffering. But, there are multiplied blessings in this relationship--there is heaven and its ultimate bliss, there is the marvelous communication of His Divine Spirit into my human spirit. This communication with God at times can be pure delight and wonder, this communication can be challenging and purposeful; it shows that God is a communicating being wanting a direct relationship with those whom he has created. If you have not experienced this portion of Christianity, then you have not truly experienced one of the great benefits of salvation. God does not intend for hell to be a place of punishment for man, hell is reserved for the Devil and his angels, it is only with rebellion aganist God that hell becomes a human possibility. Know for sure that one day "every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the Glory of God the Father", confess Him now and have a wonderful relationship and eternal bliss, confess Him later at the Great White Throne Judgement and Hell is the permanent abode. Those are the facts whether Budda agrees or not.



xc279 -> RE: Thinking of converting to Buddhism (5/31/2008 6:07:02 PM)

quote:

ORIGINAL: pmilst

quote:

ORIGINAL: xc279

Hi, I was a Christian for basically all my life. I went to a Christian school until junior high at which point I moved and started going to public school. I read the Da Vinci Code which (I know it is fiction) was enough for me to start doubting. I did research on my own to try and figure out the truth. I discovered that there are no historical records of anything that Jesus did outside of the Bible. The Bible also had no proof to support it.
On a spiritual level I also had my doubts. I never asked to be created. How can a loving God send people to Hell just for not loving him? I know that the reason for this was because all have sinned and fallen short the glory of God. But if he created sin (since he created everything), he created hell, he made the laws and decided that if anyone disobeyed them and chose not to love him that they would spend eternity in hell, then why should I love him?
Can anyone shed some light on this?

XC, you find yourself in a perplexing situation, with no sure foundation in any religion. Please be assured that true christianity is not a religion, but a relationship with the Spirit of God. The only true God of heaven and earth chooses to place demands and principles of blessing and cursing upon mankind as part of his ongoing relationship with man. God is omnipotent and omniscience and chooses in his providence to allow blessing and cursing as part of His God - man relationship. I have never questioned that I am a created being, and that the Creator (God) has the right and ability to do with me what he wants to do with me, even when at times what happens in my life seems unfair. The Living God has provided a means of access/communication/fellowship to Him that is singularly available in Christ. Jesus said "I am the way, the truth, and the life, no one comes to the Father, but by me." I don't mean to sound trivial, but Christ called his disciples to an exclusive relationship to the Father by means of repentance, trust in the atoning work of Christ and the demands and rewards of discipleship and its Lordship over our life. That relationship will at times demand suffering (for some great suffering), to test the loyality of the human heart toward God. After all, He does demand Lordship, and one way to test that loyality is through suffering. But, there are multiplied blessings in this relationship--there is heaven and its ultimate bliss, there is the marvelous communication of His Divine Spirit into my human spirit. This communication with God at times can be pure delight and wonder, this communication can be challenging and purposeful; it shows that God is a communicating being wanting a direct relationship with those whom he has created. If you have not experienced this portion of Christianity, then you have not truly experienced one of the great benefits of salvation. God does not intend for hell to be a place of punishment for man, hell is reserved for the Devil and his angels, it is only with rebellion aganist God that hell becomes a human possibility. Know for sure that one day "every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the Glory of God the Father", confess Him now and have a wonderful relationship and eternal bliss, confess Him later at the Great White Throne Judgement and Hell is the permanent abode. Those are the facts whether Budda agrees or not.


Congradulations on never doubting at all. Most people like to find facts for themselves. I did. I am now I Christian as I said earlier on this page. and this is a piece of honest advice, don't use that arguement to try and convert someone. I'm not really sure what you mean by "whether Buddha agrees or not".



hellohellohi -> RE: Thinking of converting to Buddhism (6/6/2008 12:06:41 AM)

inasmuch as a buddhist refuses to believe untruth (without believing anything positively stated), they surely resemble a Godly person, if that could be understood as repenting from sin, that is, to refuse believing untruth. I have only read one book dealing with buddhists tho (chan buddhists).

Can a person be saved because they reach out to Jesus by the power of the Holy Spirit without actually knowing Jesus' name?

When a buddhist says, "there is a truth beyond words," are they perhaps simply failing to recognize that there is one word, a person's name, which describes this truth? The fact that buddhists may believe that "there is a profound truth beyond words" is hearsay to me (since I don't know any buddhists.) That is, a buddhist may have said it somewhere or implied it, his followers may have recorded it (ironically, in words), tried to follow its uncertain meaning, and passed the idea along when our western ears eventually heard it. However, it could have been that the original speaker, unlike us, did not know the name of Jesus and was at a loss of describing what the Holy Spirit was impressing on their hearts.

I have read one Chinese thinker, Mencius, a Confucian who appears to have influenced the Chan Buddhists, who seemed to anticipate Jesus. He said, and I can only paraphrase, if one truly righteous appeared on earth, humanity would flow to him like water running down a hill. He could have just meant some really great king, I suppose, but I doubt. He seemed to be saying that righteousness seemed quite possible but simply NEVER occurred, for, if it had, it would be undeniable to all, aside from liars. Would it be relevant for a non-Jewish prophet to declare the hope for Jesus?

Just speculation. Anyone have any thoughts?



bentzsur -> RE: Thinking of converting to Buddhism (6/8/2008 9:40:02 AM)

i will suppose to tell you what to do but know this. the buddhist tradition has overlapping principles and concepts with the bible both parts of it. one is better serve by using the word as core and then moving out from it than by simply disregarding it.



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