[I want to accept Christ into my heart!!!!]

...I surrender.

You guys may have thought that the debate in the "correct vs. incorrect information" thread was a big joke, but I really spent a lot of time thinking about the information in there and just all of the facts that were staring me in the face.  And I've concluded that...I've been deceiving myself all along.  Jesus is right here, right in front of me.

Part of me sees this as an end to my sarcasm and rebellion, and part of me sees this as the start of my new life, my second birth.  The more I say it out loud, the more I keep smiling.

I want to accept Christ into my heart!!!!

How do I do this?

~with much humility,
~AAAA

[Some new questions...]

Okay...I'll respond to your answers to my questions.

1) Still not satisfied.  One of my close friends and my boyfriend have each lost a younger sibling.  The pain these families have gone through is horrific.  I want to know why God made these children die, instead of taking a rapist's life.

2) Animals don't have souls?  You obviously have never met my horse, Sadie.  Her soul is a thousand times more pure than any human's.  It is difficult to describe/explain to people who don't know her.

3) Explanation accepted.  Thank you.  (That was a thank you to the people who responded - NOT to BEP, who blatantly ignored my question, most likely because he did not know the answer).

4) Explanation not quite understood, but accepted.

5) I've heard God's "call" and haven't responded.  Does that mean something's wrong with me?  Does it mean God doesn't love me enough to convert me?  Why was I chosen to be a non-believer?

6) But by giving us free will, isn't he giving us the opportunity to fail and go to hell?  And isn't that not loving us?

7) Still not getting an answer to this.  Ollie - I didn't understand your answer.  Why doesn't God just kill off Satan?  If he's omnipotent, doesn't he have the power to?

8 ) I meant...why do bad things happen to good people; for example, why do children die and leave their parents and siblings to suffer with grief?  The families I know who have lost children have done nothing to deserve their situations.  And yet rapists and murderers sometimes slip by the system unpunished.  I don't get it.

9) I think I figured out this one by myself.  BEP either doesn't know the answers or is too busy getting high off of his dictatorship power to bother with someone's genuine questioning.  How rude and un-Christianlike of him.

Some new questions...

10) Does submission mean that my husband can beat me or boss me around?  Where is the line drawn between abuse and "acceptable" submission?  If submission is supposed to exist, doesn't this mean Jesus loves women less than he loves men because he gives men control over women?  Why isn't the submission reversed?  

11) If women aren't allowed to speak in church, is this because God thinks they are stupid?  Does He think that they do not love Him enough to speak of Him?  Why are women considered inferior?

12) If I accept Christ, and then murder your daughter, do I still go to heaven?  Would you forgive me immediately?  What if God had told me to do it?  Would you accept that it is all part of God's plan?  

13) How much are Christians allowed to sin?  If they accept Christ, and then tear little animals to shreds, are they still Christians?  

14) What if someone was a Christian and was gay?  Isn't that the same as any one of you being a Christian and telling a little white lie?  Because isn't all sin equal?

15) Are there no scales of evil in God's mind?

16) Why doesn't God ever reveal himself to us beyond a reasonable doubt?

17) Does God hate gays?  If he doesn't, why do Christians hate gays?  Aren't they supposed to act like God?

That's it for tonight...thank you to the KIND people who respond to my questions.  

love,
~AAAA

In the interest of furthering my education and continuing to learn over the summer, I was hoping y'all might be able to answer some questions for me.

1) Why do children die?  And I want a REAL answer to that one.

2) Why don't animals go to heaven?  Any heaven without animals would surely be hell for me, and I can't understand why creatures with such pure souls would not be allowed to go to heaven.

3) I've been looking through some things, and I came across something confusing.  In Acts 26:23, it is said that Jesus would be the first to come back from the dead.  However, this has been done before - Jesus brought Lazarus back to life.  Elisha and God also did the same thing.  I think I might be missing some piece here - help?

4) Why is the Old Testament no longer relevant?  Why do we get to pick and choose what parts are relevant?

5) Why is it necessary to try and convert people to Christianity, when God already knows who will convert and who won't?  

6) If God loved us, why did he give us free will?

7) Why does Satan exist?  Why does evil exist? (I want a REAL answer to this one, too!)

Why do terrible things happen to good people and not to others?  Does God dislike these people?

And finally...9) Why won't BEP answer questions when people ask him?

Thanks guys.

much love,
~AAAA

AAAA- how many children do you have and did you ever have to help them make a transition in life similar to  this?

Sorry, His_child.  Guess I missed your question...I'll answer it now.

I don't have any children right now, as I am only 19 and still in college.  However, I can speak from my experience as a child and how my parents helped me through similar transitions.

I just completed my freshman year of college at a university in the south (900 miles from my home).  Right in the Bible Belt of America, it was quite a culture shock to me.  However, my parents helped me by keeping in constant contact with me, sending me packages in the mail, and visiting once or twice throughout the year.  I had very bad roommate issues and other complications but things eventually got better and I'm now grateful I had the experience - it helped make me more independent.

I guess the key to important transitions like college or public school is just to keep talking to your kids and help them whenever you can.  Don't make decisions or solve problems FOR them, but help them talk their way through it.  

Again, good luck!

with love,
~AAAA

I can't say I'm surprised, but I sure am (insert word here that conveys message of disappointment, disgust, and a general *sigh* of "what is this world coming to?").

First of all - why did you have to criticize your vet for wearing jewelry?  Christians wear cross necklaces all the time.  Out of curiosity, if you had a choice between a competent vet who wore a pentagram and an incompetent vet who was a Christian, which would you choose?  I think the health of your pet is more important than your vet's religion.  (Also - please don't insult techs.  They deserve a lot more respect than a lot of people give them.)

What I can't understand after reading this thread is why you all want to spend so much time on blatant hatred???  Why must you insult and mock and generally spew bitter hatred in order to bring people to your religion (which is supposedly loving)?  Wouldn't a simple "Jesus loves you/me/everyone" shirt do??  Why do you have to portray your religion as hateful and angry?  Because that's what all these sayings are implying.  

If a bunch of kids are playing in a park, and one child walks up to another and screams "I HATE PEOPLE WHO WEAR RED SHIRTS - YOU WILL BURN IN ETERNITY FOR WEARING THAT HORRIBLE COLOUR, YOU SICK, DISGUSTING PERSON!", will the child wearing the red shirt say, "Oh hey - these kids are great!   I think I'll join their group!"?  The answer is NO.  This kid will instantly be repelled by the other person's hatred and insults and walk away.  

Ever heard the saying "You get more bees with honey than with vinegar"?

Y'all are using vinegar.  You're not going to catch any bees, guys.  You're just going to push them further and further away.

But if you all wish to continue with your hateful t-shirt messages and horrible words, go ahead.  If you think that will bring people to Christ, I think you need to think again.

much love,
~AAAA

AAA tell ya what, how about you not implying i am a lier and signing 'Love' in the same post. That kind of phoniness is a pain. A question if ya care to answer do you consider yourself to be a conservative or liberal.

Yes my facts are correct and i was only speaking of the school in my home town thought that was clear. Yup spirit guide and the person "leading the exersize was the principle of the grammar school. He is now a teacher in the same grammar school.

I do not blame the PS for my lack of language skills my sister went to the  very same schools and she is an  acomplished public school teacher.

Whoa - pull the claws back in, Reba!  I was only checking facts.  I know sometimes that things get retold in the retelling.  I'm guilty of it as well.  It doesn't make anyone a liar.  Calm down, please.

Did I insult your language skills?  No.  Please don't imply that I did.  

You got your point across - you didn't mean to insult all public schools, just point out the errors in yours.  However, I would like to note again that yours is an extreme (and an unfortunate extreme).

I'm liberal on some things and conservative on others.  I don't much care for labels anyhow.

love, (yes, I'm STILL going to sign my posts that way and NO, I'm not "phony")
~AAAA

Simple - if you want something to take over your mind, you let it.  People with significant intelligence and/or willpower will have no problems.

It's just like hypnosis - it won't work if you aren't suggestible.

love,
~AAAA

Hischild,

 Please go to the school hangout in the hallway. Or go to the 'mall' and listen. The school in our little town is bad, very bad. I worked there for a few years know the teachers etc. I am so pleased my grandchildren are not there. (The school is a crossed the street it is K - 12) The gay and lesbian club is doing great. The bible club is battled against. Two of the teachers in the grammar school are witches. (Kati is a witch I was the aid in her classroom). I was reading a textbook for the high school. It said the greatest thing to happen in this century was the N.O.W. organization? The Constitution was in the back and for each paragraph the text writers had added their in interpretation of its meaning. A militant lesbian heads the maintenance department. There was a ‘in-service day’  we were at a meeting we were asked to lay on the floor rest our eyes and allow our spirit guide to take us to a peaceful place. I happen to live in one of the places that the weirdoes like… they gather here for solaces convergences etc  this school hopefully is a an extreme.  Please go to the school hang in the hallways at lunch  get the textbooks they will be using and read them. You will be asking your child to learn please know ,don’t assume, what you are asking your  God given gift to become part of.  

Yeah - that's definitely an extreme.  Are you sure you have all the facts right?  My public school was nothing like that.  We had a BLGA but it was for students to find peers like them and to work against harassment.  Our bible study club never received any complaints and there was even a group who prayed by the flagpole on certain days.  No one complained or bothered them.  

The interpretation of the Constitution is so that the students can understand what is written.  AND there's no law that says your student has to read it.

Spirit guide?  That sounds a little weird.  Are you sure they weren't just doing yoga?  Did they use those exact words?

If homeschooling works for you, then go for it.  But don't assume all public schools are "evil".  

~love,
AAAAmember

Just an update...

A few days ago, my roommate's boyfriend and his friends were in my room (I had locked the door but my roommate let them in, against my wishes) and harassing me.  After dragging me around the room for a while by my ankles (not fun), I kept insisting that they leave.  One of them dragged me outside and smashed an ice cream cone in my face.  Yup.

I went to my RA, who called her RD, who called the campus police, who questioned me and filed a report, and then gave the three of them campus appearance tickets (court, kind of) for simple assault on a female, tresspassing, secondary tresspassing, disorderly conduct, harassment, sexual harassment, and burglary.  I spent the night in the RD's room and was moved to a new dorm the next morning.  My information is not going to be made available on the public registry, so they can't come and find me.  I had the option to have the one who assaulted me arrested by the city police (he would've spent the night in jail and had a criminal record) but I decided to be kind (my friends say I should've had him arrested).

And these three boys are Christians who go to church.  

These are dangerous people - and now I have to remember that whenever I step outside my dorm.

Just thought I'd let everyone know.

Whoa - am I seeing things, or is my name actually on a list of posters that people like?!?!?!


Wow!

~AAAA  

I have read through all of your posts - wow, such a huge response! - and it would take me forever to respond to all of them, so I'll try to reply in general.

Whitehorse, thanks for your concern.  I am also a little concerned for my roommate...she has tried to talk to him multiple times regarding this issue but he just cries and says that she's "taking my side".  This weekend he even gave her an ultimatium - either she sides with him, or sides with me.  He got QUITE angry because after our 8am classes, she eats breakfast with me (he's welcome to join our table, which has usually been the case) instead of leaving me to go sit a table alone with him.  He told her that I should've either left the table and gone somewhere else once he arrived, or she should've left the table to go sit with him.  And the worst part - I didn't even say anything to him!!!  I ate my breakfast in silence and didn't even look at him - I only talked with my roommate asked me a question.  

So yes, it concerns me that he feels so threatened by me that he gave his girlfriend an ultimatum.  To me, that's abuse.  Your boyfriend (or significant other) should NEVER dictate who your friends are, who you can talk to, etc. etc.  That is mental abuse.  I'm also a little confused...I know that I could never be in love with someone who treated me nicely but was so bitterly cruel to another person (who has done nothing).  A good quote - "A guy who is sweet to you but rude to the waitress is NOT a good guy."  It's so true.

Yes, my roommate is a Christian as well.  She seems to have a better grasp of the basic idea of Christianity but she still sat there and nodded her head when her boyfriend said that "You don't have to be nice just because you're a Christian.  ALL you have to do is believe in Jesus."

It still confuses me as to how someone like him could, on a technicality, get into heaven.  It also irritates me that he is getting FULL tuition on a special scholarship for all 4 years...and the scholarship is based on academics, leadership, and *CHARACTER*.  

As for those of you who advised me to go to his room when my roommate wasn't there and talk to him...no way.  I would be physically afraid to go in there by myself, especially if HIS roommate was there.  He's free to come and go into our room as he d*mn well pleases (my attempts to make him leave are useless - he totally ignores me), but it's well understood that should I ever set foot in his room, I'd be sorry.  I've been yelled at to get out before (despite my roommate's protests to let me stay because I wasn't doing anything!), and when I didn't leave immediately, I was dragged roughly off the couch by my ankles and shoved out, with the door slammed behind me.  Doesn't matter that my ROOMMATE was the one who invited me to come over - I didn't just invite myself in.  Not something I care to repeat.  

Bottom line - I don't want to get him angry.  I refuse to confront him out of the subject because if I did...I don't want to know what would happen.  I often lock the door to my room during the day so he won't just come in, looking for my roommate.  I don't like him being here when I'm alone.

For those of you who think that he "likes me" - think again.  Calling someone a slut, whore, b*tch, liar...harassing them constantly, calling them a "psycho", messing with their stuff while they're not there, talking badly about them behind their backs, saying that they "hate my presence", and spreading lies about a person...that's not "liking someone".  There's a difference between a guy joking around with a girl because he likes her, and a guy making a girl's life a living hell...to the point where she considers transferring college or applies for a room change.  

Thanks for all of your help.

~AAAA

I'm just as lost as y'all are about why he hates me so much - it has absolutely nothing to do with religion.  He makes fun of the way I talk (I'm from the north, this school is in the south), my intelligence, my appearance, my social skills, my relationships, my everything.  He has called me everything from a liar to a whore to a b*tch, has placed giant insects on my desk, in my face and in my hair, has messed with my cell phone while I was at class one day and changed it to spanish, has turned my posters upside down and re-hung them, and has generally made my life a living hell.  Even my roommate is confused - when she asks him why he's so cruel he can't give her a reason, and when she asks him to be nice he *cries* and accuses her of taking my side...he's told her multiple times that I'm hurting their relationship!!!

It's gotten so bad that I recently applied for a room change but unfortunately I found out today that all of the dorms are full...with waiting lists. So I'm stuck.  My roommate's not the problem - she's awesome, but her boyfriend is a JERK.  He's made me so miserable that I've even thought of transferring schools.  He's made me cry more times than I can count.

Sound like the model Christian to you?

A4C - nice sarcasm, but it wasn't called for.

~AAAA

Forrest -

Well if that's true, then there's no way this kid's going to heaven.  He's making my life a living hell.  

~AAAA

Hi all.

Just a little question for everyone.

I was in my dorm room with my roommate and her boyfriend the other day (her boyfriend has been harassing me CONSTANTLY about everything - he's terribly cruel) so finally I got exasperated and told him that he was obligated to be nice.  The conversation went something like this (no exaggeration, I swear):

me: ____, you HAVE to be nice to me.
him: No, I don't HAVE to be nice to you.
me: Yes you do.  It has to do with what you do every Sunday.
him: I go to church.  What does being Christian have to do with this?
me: You're a Christian - you supposed to be nice to people and be a good person.
him: Nope.  All I have to do is accept Jesus.  I can be as mean to you as I like.  I just have to account for it when I die.  
me: So when you account for it, do you get in trouble?
him: Nope.  I just account for it and go straight to heaven.  You, on the other hand, go to hell.

And my roommate just sat there and nodded!!!  They were serious!!!  They basically said that ALL they have to do is believe in Jesus and BAM - straight one-way ticket to heaven!  Regardless of your character and morals!

Now...I KNOW the whole speech about "AAAA - being a good person won't get you into heaven.  You have to accept Jesus."  But I at least thought that accepting Jesus meant that you had to at least be a nice person as well.

Is this true?  Can my roommate's boyfriend harass me daily and make my life a living hell but once he gets to heaven, he says a little "oops - sorry!" and then goes right to heaven?

~AAAA

Tibby - learn how to spell.

And I'm not banned. So ha.

~AAAA