Is the Christian God's love unconditional?

[Woolmark]

Ok, some questions which have been playing on my mind, I am genuinely interested.

Surely his love is on the condition that you are a) a Christian and b) follow his rules?

Also, if God loves everyone as much as he does, why can't he save everyone by simply appearing to them? If I could save my children by doing this then I would in an instant, rather than turning up at the end and destroying the ones who weren't Christian.

I think belief is a choice.

I certainly questioned my parents from a very young age. There is a Child Study done of me which describes an argument as a toddler, concerning usage of the English Language. I actually remember being quite adamant about it! I certainly did not do just as I was told, at all!

My parents probably wished they could just 'transmit' ideas to me!

Also my Father, now, claims to be an atheist, my mother has shifted from being Roman Catholic, to new age beliefs, to witchcraft and back again (I hope, because the witchcraft stuff was seriously scary!).

I am not sure that belief is a choice.

Once in my life when I was at rock bottom i thought that God may be an answer. I was in dire circumstances. My sister is a Pastor and she sat and prayed with me in tears to seek comfort and redemption and at that point I opened my heart to allow the presence to fill me as I saw she was full.
And do you know what- nothing happened- not a scoobie, zilch, zero. I felt nothing as she swayed talking of god's benevolence and it just confirmed my view that it is not something you can choose to do.
It's either thrust upon you as a child or you catch it as a virus.

Interesting you are scared of witchcraft capsium.

I am a witch, I have been practicing for 30 years. I am glad I didn't live 300 year ago, otherwise your lovely church would have flames licking my feet.

I think you have to be very careful msmiggins. Ritual can be powerful stuff. How do have the self discipline not to accidentally do any harm, in a moment of high emotion?

msmiggins, the time might not have been right for you to become a Chrstian at that time.

goldigger, that seems a bit too convenient an explanation.

capsium I could ask you the same question- how in your moments in everyday life when your emotions are running high you you manage not to harm?

With prayer, I don't get anything that is not God's will. My Faith is in God, who is good.

It is against my beliefs to do harm. Not saying it is not against yours, at all, but ritual can also be quite detached.

Just going on some experiences others have shared with me, it is not something I care to try. My Grandfather also converted to Roman Catholicism after some very strange experiences, overseas, in the war.

I don't get your post at all capsium. The whole duality of good and evil is a very christian construct.
If ritual is so bad then why do the catholic church use it to such a massive extent?

Ritual? I'm not sure I'm not Catholic. I think for some it enhances / strengthens and expresses their Faith, transcends conscious understanding somehow, and you can lose yourself in it. I see so much analogy with Paganism though, which is a difficulty for me. I think it can be out of balance when there is more faith in the ritual than Faith in God.

Italiangreyhound, the mind/spirit/body thing came up because Capsium was treating them as three separate things and speaking as though only the spirit survived death.

It seemed to me that most religious people considered there to be just body and soul (possibly calling it spirit) and that the body was just a vehicle for the soul. The soul or spirit being the real you that is doing the thinking, feeling and posting on here.

So you died, your soul went to heaven and your body went into the ground. That sounds like a good arrangement on the face of it.

If there are three parts though and your body and mind are lost leaving only your spirit to go to heaven I didn't think most people would like the sound of that. If you don't take your mind with you then I would say that's not really YOU going to heaven.

Also, there seemed to be an implication that this is how you become incapable of sin in heaven. Because you don't exist as a personality with thoughts and choices.

I have no faith, simply practice.
So you don't celebrate christmas or Easter capsium?

I did mention Resurrection (glorified) bodies though Back. Separate posts, I was posting as I thought. Might not have communicated very clearly, though...

Yes I do msmiggins. I did not say I did not participate in ritual, however too much emphasis on ritual is problematic for me.

Do you not have any belief or faith concerning what your rituals do? Why do them in that case?

I know the Catholic church is heavy on rituals, but don't all religions have them? Some as simple as crossing yourself, some involving praying a certain number of times or facing a certain way. Circumcision is a ritual and so is not eating pork these days (now we've invented freezers) or killing the meat animal a certain way.

Then there's dressing a certain way. The correct hairstyle to please the lord (lots of variation on this) and hats. Headgear seems to be very important.

Some I imagine are comforting routines and some to identify yourself to a stranger of the same religion and some apparently because your god won't let you in heaven if you don't do them right.

capsium oh yes I assumed you got a new body when you got there. One that was built to last for eternity, but I think no one would mind that part too much. Personally I'd like to get a replacement now :)

But not taking your mind with you sounds not so good.

What's a glorified body? How would it be different?

I think the balance has to be right for me because I believe we are Saved by Grace and not works.

back you might be glad if your mind deteriorated, you got dementia or received a debilitating head injury for example.

Saved by Grace and not works. Empty words easily said.

Not for somebody who believes the msmiggins.

^them. Typo.

Even the lords prayer is a ritualistic, the communual chanting, the relaxed prayer state, the leading of the vicar. Everyone slouching into that comfortably numb state.