"mg" <mgkel...@yahoo.com> wrote in message

news:1190733258.288210.265860@o80g2000hse.googlegroups.com...

I suspect the Buddhist is asking why there are so many different
Christian religions.

What is the essential, practical difference between your church and
the other Christian religions? What is there specifically about your
church that would cause God to bestow greater rewards on members of
your church than members of other Christian churches?

There was an apostasy of Christianity because the original Church of Jesus
Christ was so mercilessly persecuted by the Romans and the Jews. All of
Jesus's 12 Apostles were killed by mobs except John the Revelator who wro=

the last book in the NT. Actually they tried to boil him in hot oil but he
managed to somehow survive

and was exiled on the island of Patmos. The
deaths of Jesus' Apostles and the first generation of His followers led to
less inspired weaker members to run the Church who started to corrupt the
Church with false doctrine to avoid persecution. The Church may change i=

teachings but the Gospel is made up of absolute truths for as the scriptu=

say God is the same yesterday, today, and forever. So if the Church which
has its own free agency and God will not force anyone to do anything he or
she doesn't want to do but uses as Paul wrote by inspiration of the Holy
Spirit meekness and persuasion although at times rebuking sharply teaches
things contradicting the Gospel, the Priesthood will depart from the Chur=

as it did with the Catholic Church. The Catholic Church reigned through =

Dark Ages of Europe until Martin Luther exposed the Pope's corruption at =

Council of Worms following his publication of 95 Theses which were 95 poi=

of items showing what was wrong with the Catholic Church. The Catholic
Church was corrupt as hell as he was forgiving people of their sins that
they have committed in the past , present, and even future for payment of
money! This God inspired rebellion led to the Protestant Reformation. Out=

the Catholic Church we have the Protestants, the Methodists, the Baptists,
the Lutherans, all these Christian sects. However none of them held the
Priesthood authority. What is the true Church? Here's what Joseph Smith is
the definition of the true Church of Christ.

"All men are liars who say they are of the true Church without the
revelations of Jesus Christ and the Priesthood of Melchizedek, which is
after the order of the Son of God." Joseph Smith; TPJS p. 376

So none of these sectarians receive any revelation from God, no "Thus sai=

the Lord" written revelations like Joseph Smith received or Art Bulla now
receives. The Priesthood was restored in 1830 when 3 of the original
Apostles of Jesus Christ, Peter, James, and John returned and ordained
Joseph Smith the Melchizedek Priesthood. Not too much later, the Church w=

organized as it existed anciently. Once again we had the full blessings of
the Priesthood which is the Gift of the Holy Spirit, "Thus saith the Lord"
revelations, dreams, visions, ministering of angels, and the literal
gathering
of Israel in preparation of the second return of Christ..

8 Though he were a Son, yet learned he obedience by the things which he
suffered;
9 And being made perfect, he became the author of eternal salvation unto =

them that obey him;
10 Called of God an high priest after the order of Melchisedec.
Hebrew 5:8-10

JOSEPH SMITH-HISTORY
EXTRACTS FROM THE HISTORY OF JOSEPH SMITH, THE PROPHET
History of the Church, Vol. 1, Chapters 1-5
Joseph Smith tells of his ancestry, family members, and their early
abodes-An unusual excitement about religion prevails in western New York-=

determines to seek wisdom as directed by James-The Father and the Son app=

and Joseph is called to his prophetic ministry. (Verses 1-20.)
1 Owing to the many reports which have been put in circulation by
evil-disposed and designing persons, in relation to the rise and progress=

the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, all of which have been
designed by the authors thereof to militate against its character as a
Church and its progress in the world-I have been induced to write this
history, to disabuse the public mind, and put all inquirers after truth in
possession of the facts, as they have transpired, in relation both to mys=

and the Church, so far as I have such facts in my possession.
2 In this history I shall present the various events in relation to this
Church, in truth and righteousness, as they have transpired, or as they at
present exist, being now [1838] the eighth year since the organization of
the said Church.
3 aI was born in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and fi=

on the twenty-third day of December, in the town of Sharon, Windsor count=

State of Vermont . . . My father, Joseph Smith, Sen., left the State of
Vermont, and moved to Palmyra, Ontario (now Wayne) county, in the State of
New York, when I was in my tenth year, or thereabouts. In about four years
after my father's arrival in Palmyra, he moved with his family into
Manchester in the same county of Ontario-
4 His family consisting of eleven souls, namely, my father, Joseph Smit=

my mother, Lucy Smith (whose name, previous to her marriage, was Mack,
daughter of Solomon Mack); my brothers, Alvin (who died November 19th, 18=

in the 26th year of his age), Hyrum, myself, Samuel Harrison, William, Don
Carlos; and my sisters, Sophronia, Catherine, and Lucy.
5 Some time in the second year after our removal to Manchester, there w=

in the place where we lived an unusual excitement on the subject of
religion. It commenced with the Methodists, but soon became general among
all the sects in that region of country. Indeed, the whole district of
country seemed affected by it, and great multitudes united themselves to =

different religious parties, which created no small stir and division
amongst the people, some crying, "Lo, here!" and others, "Lo, there!" Some
were contending for the Methodist faith, some for the Presbyterian, and s=

for the Baptist.
6 For, notwithstanding the great love which the converts to these
different faiths expressed at the time of their conversion, and the great
zeal manifested by the respective clergy, who were active in getting up a=

promoting this extraordinary scene of religious feeling, in order to have
everybody converted, as they were pleased to call it, let them join what
sect they pleased; yet when the converts began to file off, some to one
party and some to another, it was seen that the seemingly good feelings of
both the priests and the converts were more pretended than real; for a sc=

of great confusion and bad feeling ensued-priest contending against pries=

and convert against convert; so that all their good feelings one for
another, if they ever had any, were entirely lost in a strife of words an=

contest about opinions.
7 I was at this time in my fifteenth year. My father's family was
proselyted to the Presbyterian faith, and four of them joined that church,
namely, my mother, Lucy; my brothers Hyrum and Samuel Harrison; and my
sister Sophronia.
8 During this time of great excitement my mind was called up to serious
reflection and great uneasiness; but though my feelings were deep and oft=

poignant, still I kept myself aloof from all these parties, though I
attended their several meetings as often as occasion would permit. In
process of time my mind became somewhat partial to the Methodist sect, an=

felt some desire to be united with them; but so great were the confusion =

strife among the different denominations, that it was impossible for a
person young as I was, and so unacquainted with men and things, to come to
any certain conclusion who was bright and who was wrong.
9 My mind at times was greatly excited, the cry and tumult were so great
and incessant. The Presbyterians were most decided against the Baptists a=

Methodists, and used all the powers of both reason and sophistry to prove
their errors, or, at least, to make the people think they were in error. =

the other hand, the Baptists and Methodists in their turn were equally
zealous in endeavoring to establish their own tenets and disprove all
others.
10 In the midst of this war of words and tumult of opinions, I often sa=

to myself: What is to be done? Who of all these parties are right; or, are
they all wrong together? If any one of them be aright, which is it, and h=

shall I know it?
11 While I was laboring under the extreme difficulties caused by the
contests of these parties of religionists, I was one day reading the Epis=

of James, first chapter and fifth verse, which reads: If any of you lack
wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraid=

not; and it shall be given him.
12 Never did any passage of scripture come with more power to the heart=

man than this did at this time to mine. It seemed to enter with great for=

into every feeling of my heart. I reflected on it again and again, knowing
that if any person needed wisdom from God, I did; for how to act I did not
know, and unless I could get more wisdom than I then had, I would never
know; for the teachers of religion of the different sects understood the
same passages of scripture so differently as to destroy all confidence in
settling the question by an appeal to the Bible.
13 At length I came to the conclusion that I must either remain in
darkness and confusion, or else I must do as James directs, that is, ask =

God. I at length came to the determination to "ask of God," concluding th=

if he gave wisdom to them that lacked wisdom, and would give liberally, a=

not upbraid, I might venture.
14 So, in accordance with this, my determination to ask of God, I retir=

to the woods to make the attempt. It was on the morning of a beautiful,
clear day, early in ...

read more =BB

There was an apostasy of Christianity because the original Church of Jesus
Christ was so mercilessly persecuted by the Romans and the Jews.

If God did not create life than who did? You must believe life happened by
chance which is much, much, much unlikely than winning the lottery.

prophet is Darwin.

If God did not create life than who did? You must believe life happened by
chance which is much, much, much unlikely than winning the lottery. Your
prophet is Darwin.

"raven1" <quoththera...@nevermore.com> wrote in message

If God did not create life than who did? You must believe life happened by
chance which is much, much, much unlikely than winning the lottery.