no, it's not Lula.  Again, you keep going back to James.  I could say the same about you when I use those other scriptures that you seem to handle with kid gloves.  You keep running away and going back to James thinking he's proving your point when he's not. 

I told you right from the get go, you have to take ALL the scriptures and reconcile them.  Put them together.  You're being evasive about Eph 2:8-9 along with the others I put up and instead run back to James.  If James was saying what you're believing then he did contradict Paul.   

It's not uncommon for a religion to take a verse, ignoring the rest, to try and prove a point to back up their belief system.  That's what you've been taught by the RCC in this instance.  They're teaching you that works are necessary when in fact, it's necessary for them to keep their church going. 

Which is the same as asking: how does anyone know how strong their faith has to be beforehand, and KFC answered, "I'm not sure we can know."

This is weird, but the more I study philosophy and people like Soren Kierkegaard the more I would have to agree with the idea that God can neither be proven or disproven. The largest reason behind it, is faith. How can you prove something that someone claims is beyond our perception/realm, and has faith in it. (Other things set aside) You can try, sure, and I would support someone in looking for answers, because I strongly feel that you have to question things or else become static and ignorant.

Also, KFC, what is your take on the fact that different people have claimed they've been revealed things by God, but those revelations sometimes contradict the others.

I don't know how I can really answer this question Lucas.  Not enough information.  I can only tell you that anyone who claims anything doesn't mean it's necessarily from God.  Anyone can make a claim.  If someone made a claim to me the first thing I would do is measure it against the word of God.  God isn't going to tell anyone something that contradicts his revealed word to us.   So do you have something more specific in mind you can share? 

For instance, if somebody "claimed" the world was going to end on Dec 14, 2012.  I would laugh.  The bible is clear.  Nobody knows the day or the hour.  Now, if somebody told me that, by looking at the countries and how they're lined up, and with the AC already in view or here, that the end was going to be in the next coming months. .. I could buy that because I know once the AC shows up the coming will be shortly after that by reading Matthew 24 and other passages put together. 

The bible was written by 40 completely diff men over a period of 1500 years.  No contradictions between them.  Everytime there seemed to be a contradiction over the years, it turned out to be a result of our own understanding, not the writers' understanding. 

That's why Christ came.  He came to prove that he was from God.  He met all the criteria that was set down in the OT and then some.  His birthright was not questioned, his miracles were unmatched, his teachings were superb, his authority was felt and recognized, and his resurrection sealed the deal especially to one doubter in the end.   So the starting point could be right there.  Even non-Christians wrote about this man and his claims. 

That's not the question I answered. 

That only proves (?) a man made claims; what is to say that Jesus wasn't merely crazy? Or anything else for that matter. In the end you rely on your faith primariliy with critical thought as well.

Comment #114

you're able to "know" but that's something only possible for those who "know" what you claim to "know"?

know how, know way.

if i had a dollar for every time any of at least a dozen nuns lectured me and my classmates about the person who wound up not only dead seconds after receiving absolution but damned as well due to something they did or thought while being hit by a runaway bus, loose crucific falling off wall, stray bullet, etc., i could produce my own televangelist broadcast and become even wealthier. specially if you toss in the people who managed to accidentally rip off their scapulars (a free ticket to heaven in most circumstances, but ya never really know, do ya?) in the process of being instantly, unexpectedly and fatally smashed, crushed, punctured or blown to bits.

Are there not four different accounts of creation?

Of good works you write:

and then say

lula posts:

KFC posts:

Then, you hold up 16th century Protestant dogma over Sacred Scripture.

this is the fear being taught by the RCC that I spoke of earlier.  It's all about fear and guilt to keep you coming.  Some stay as a result of these teachings out of fear and/or guilt, some see right thru it as bogus because that's exactly what it is.  The funny thing is, you never see Christ lecture anyone.  He creates in them a thirst but he never nags or lectures. 

 nooooo.  Where are you getting that from?  The account of Creation can be found in the book of Genesis.  The first two chapters only written by the same person. 

That's still not the question I answered.  We were talking trials and tribulations when you asked that question of me earlier.  This question you asked more recently was in relation to Lula and I discussing works to "earn" salvation.  Two diff animals.   I replied earlier to your question about how do we know if we are strong enough before a trial happens.  I said we can't really know until we go thru these trials.  We can't really know beforehand.  You don't know what a teabag is made of (how strong is it?) until you put it in hot water.  

So now I have to ask you...what are you talking about now "beforehand?"  Before you were talking trials.   Before what?

Christ did His part and we must do ours...Scripture teaches that salvation is by faith and good works. St.James says we are justified by works, not by faith alone. 

So, Yes, one must definitely do something (that is, persevere in the faith and keep from committing grevious sin) to attain salvation.

Good works (in charity) are obedience to God and His command, as well as prayer...one must be obedient if we want to attain salvation.

Ok, maybe that's my fault. Before trials or attempting to do works.

Good question.  Jesus didn't just claim.  He backed up his claims with actions.  As far as being crazy?  Yes, some thought he was.  Mostly the leaders of the Jews whose toes were being stepped on.  They thought he was very crazy and therefore had him killed.  To get rid of him was to get rid of a problem he was becoming to them.  C.S. Lewis speaks about this.  He said either Jesus was a lunatic, a liar, or he was Lord.  Either he was deceived, a deceiver or deity.  Your choice. 

I rely on my faith because God has opened my eyes to him.  I absolutely know he's alive and well.   Even so called believers do as well way down deep... even if they don't want to think along those lines.  They wish to believe there is no God so they can make themselves god giving themselves permission to do whatever.  See, if there's no God, then they are free (in their mind) to do whatever they wish to do with no accountability because they have made themselves as deity. 

His fingerprints are all over the place.  Think about the creation of a tiny baby in the womb.  Think about the process and the individual DNA,  which is a very personal road map,  that each one of us has.  It's completely diff than anyone else's.  Think about how the heartbeat starts very early on as the cells begin to divide.  This is just a fluke?  An accident? 

Every creation has to have a creator.  That's just the way it is.  You can believe it or disbelieve it.  I just happen to believe it. 

I'm kind of confused.  I thought we already hashed this out?  You asked me how do we know how strong our faith is before we go thru trials right?  And I answered we can't really know until we go thru these trials.  That's why God gives us a testing time now and again.  By the testing of our faith we can know.  The testing of our faith produces patience and perserverence.  It helps our faith grow stronger as we see God bring us thru these trials.  He makes himself known. 

You must have heard the saying that God whispers to us in our good times but shouts to us in our pain?  It's during these times of pain that we draw closer to God and can actually hear him better than we can during the good times. 

As far as the "attempting to do works" and how it relates to faith, I'm not sure what you're asking.  But faith and works work in tandem.  Because of our saving faith we wish to do good works for the God who saved us.  He saved us to do good works to glorify him. Our works are evidence of our faith.   Our works should glorify God, not ourselves.   Without works how can one know about our faith?  Faith is not something we just keep to ourselves and hide away.  Our works point to God and shows our faith in Him.  Our works justify us before man.  That's how they know we are believers.