Temptation, Temptation, Temptation, is purely the Devels work. This just shows how powerful that the Devel can be, and those little girls with dresses showing him their panties. I'm a Monk and A Holy Man of God, and I cannot control my sexual urges when I see little girls lifting up their dresses, and those white shinny panties, it just drives me crazy. I know it's just Satan tempting me, but I just love to look up little girls dresses.

youngdragon21's reply to anonymous:

How can you possibly say that you're a "Holy Man of God" and next say that you can't control your sexual urges when it comes to little girls? Hypocrite! Yes, temptation is a tool used by the Devil, but you can also control your urges. Strength of mind will help you; but obviously you don't have that yet. In my opinion, you are just as bad as that Anglican priest. What you have already said in your heart, it will be something that will come to pass whether you "didn't mean it/accident" or even purposely. The heart is the seat of motivation. You have already committed a sin in God's eyes. Praying for forgiveness and making a promise to God would be a good way to make that journey to becoming a "Holy Man of God".
By the way, 'Devel' is actually spelled d-e-v-i-l. You spelled it wrong. youngdragon21 out.
P.S.
No offense.

Dear youngdragon21,

It is my opinion that anonymous was typing sarcastically to represent an observed, and historical view of women and temptation. This view is well represented in the Afghanistan film Osama.

I am also convinced that the Anglican priest would have prayed for forgiveness and made a promise to God. If that is the way to become a 'Holy Person' (whatever that may be) and this is the outcome, perhaps this is what Holy People do? Or maybe there is no cause and effect here? Perhaps, the dependency people have on god, and the lack of god, sets them up for a fall if temptation comes?

Alas, as god is immeasurable by definition, and remarkably absent (for an omnipotent being this is remarkable), therefore unavailable for comment at this time. I guess we’ll have to depend on faith and just assume everything is the way we want it to be.

Yours subjectively
Willem

I don’t believe that there is a devil, but there are far too many people who do.

These people who believe that there is the devil, for the most part, also believe that we have a free will to choose follow him.

The ‘devil’ may throw all that temptation at us as he sees fit. Then with our free will, we PURPOSELY choose to succumb to a temptation. No matter how rash a decision seems we all weigh the pros (good/right) and cons (bad/wrong) for any choice.

While there are some grey areas, most of the situations we find our selves in are black and white. Human weakness cannot be used as an excuse when we have knowingly MADE the wrong decision. The devil didn’t make you do it. You did it, knowingly with no coercion. That’s not weakness. It’s just a deliberate act.

I find certain behaviors in any adult humans inexcusable-adultery, diddling with children, embezzlement and things of that nature. I find it repugnant when not just a Christian but a Professional Christian commits one of these offenses. Christians blatantly tout that they are on a higher plain of morality than all those ‘others’ out there. They set the bar and I expect them to be above it-no ifs, ands, or bars about it.

Side note.

Can anyone tell me how to tell if someone is a ‘good’ Christian? I mean, if everybody who says they are a Christian aren’t necessarily so, how does one go about finding the real Christians?

Are they like milk? Can you sniff them to judge if they are spoiled?

If they ‘dress’ the same, wear the same face, and talk the same talk, where is the mark that sets the good from the bad? Is it their underwear?

How many licks does it take to get to the center of a good Christian?

I’m sorry for the sarcasm but people can say they are Christian, in public project the most convincing Christian façade, and then privately be the most consummate hedonist.

If they’re caught with their pants down, they pull the Bible out their ass, flip to an appropriate passage, squeeze out a few tears, and they are forgiven.

For a deterrent, after each transgression, it should be harder for redemption. Not: “Oops, I screwed up again. I’m soooo sorry; I’m only a weak human. Boo, Hoo, Hoo. I repent! I repent!”

If you steal car and ask for forgiveness, you need to give the car back. There are far too many people, knowingly, driving around in stolen cars.

I too feel it's horrible when Christians - or anyone - engage in such awful behavior. As for more needed than contrition for forgiveness, orthodox Christianity has taught from the beginning that penance is necessary for forgiveness. See, e.g., this quote from St. Cyprian: "Do full penance, prove the sorrow of a soul that sorrows and laments. Let neither the imprudent error nor the vain stupidity of some move you, who, although they were involved in so grave a crime were struck by such blindness of soul that they neither realized their sins nor lamented them." See also Matthew 5:21-24 for another early quote.

So, yes, more is needed than a few tears and little Bible reading.

I think belief in a devil takes away personal responsibility to some extent. The idea that an evil being is doing his best to make you do bad things creates something of an excuse for wrongdoing.

The devil tempted me and I fell for that temptation Oops. Please forgive me.

Excellent yet another christian rock spider bits the dust.I wonder where jesus was.That all seeing eye of god.Must enjoy this or he would have done something about it.
God created the universe.?Yet can not protect the innocent.
Makes you think ,does it not not.
Crims love rock spiders.Some they love to death.

Read all about it at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Satan
Just another character stolen by the jews.
I was christian for 17 years.Christians believe in satan just as much as they believe in jesus.They also think that they have power over this enemy.when in actual fact they are worshiping it.
I believe that we as humans have an enemy.and this enemy (energy)or other is very smart.
The true conman type.Who created all religions faiths and creeds.
some call him lucifer some call him jesus.I call it filthy pathetic excuse for a god.
I believe that this entity created all religions so as to be worship.
I job well done.When you come to think about it.What should I be christian muslem Jew baptist Catholic etc etc.
i have seen beings that seem to be transparent flying entities.
My current position.
science is my salvation.Man is GOD.
Believe only in yourself then all things will be possible.
Man will rule the universe and we will have no gods before us.
If you are a christian reading this answer this question.
what sort of person would agree with tormenting someone forever and ever.For example are there any among us that would torment lets say hittler forever and ever.??
Consider this also Who has lifted his name above every other name including yahway.Who is the bright and morning star.

I Jesus have sent mine angel to testify unto you these things in the churches. I am the root and the offspring of David, and the bright and morning star. (KJV)
Etymology
Lucifer
O.E. Lucifer "Satan," also "morning star," from L. Lucifer "morning star," lit. "light-bringing," from lux (gen. lucis) + ferre "carry" (see infer). Belief that it was the proper name of Satan began with its used in Bible to translate Gk. Phosphoros, which translates Heb. Helel ben Shahar in Isaiah xiv.12 -- "How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning!" [K.J.V.]
Etymology
phosphorous
1629, "the morning star," from L. Phosphorus "morning star," from Gk. Phosphoros "morning star," lit. "torchbearer," from phos "light" + phoros "bearer," from pherein "to carry" (see infer). Meaning "substance or organism that shines of itself" is attested from 1645.

This note is to Shannon, as I read your note I was saddened and agree that there are many masquarading Christians roaming about preying on those that reach out to them. I am a Christian and I have seen many of them and in one case been the prey. Take heart, I have also seen many true Christians that live exemplary lives. How do you tell the difference? Watch how they live, not just in church. What do they laugh at? How do they spend their free time? What kind of movies do they watch? How do they treat their family? Even a phoney can't keep up a lie forever. I believe in God, not people, God is the same from beginning to end. People are weak only God can strenghten them. God enables us to resist evil by our faith in him. We all have weaknesses, all are capable of succuming to temptation. What separates us from sin is God. If we believe in him and pray for stength he will supply it. The thing is though that each day it begins again, each day we pray for strength and just like the manna in the desert, God gives us one more day of strength. The only way to enjoy this kind of faith is to seak a Bible preaching church and the test is seeing how the church body handles crises, if they run off at the mouth and confusion reigns you are in the wrong church. A real Christian church immediately falls on their knees in prayer as a body. Pray and God will lead you to a church where you can grow in faith. My church is such a church. I have a loving family in Christ like I have never had before. I pray that you too will find such a church and such a relationship with God. Many blessings and much love. Rhea

"His successor, Bishop Nathan Kyamanywa, has said he would defrock the priest if he were found guilty of the charges."

Yep defrock him and throw is arse in jail so they can toss his salad.

Rhea,

I’m sure the day before Dennis “B.T.K” Rader was apprehended, the members of the Christ Lutheran Church in Wichita though that their church was a veritable bastion of only good, saintly Christians, too.

I don’t believe that you can truly ‘know’ anyone whether he or she is god-fearing or godless. Sure you can ‘test’ someone’s behavior. Do they practice what they preach?

Trust should be precious but if someone plays the Christian ‘get-out-of-hell-free’ card, other Christians generally take it at face value. This is dangerous and pisses me off, too, because the day before Mr. Rader was arrested he, by many, would have been considered more virtuous than I. Merely, on the fact that he was/is a Christian and I am an atheist.

There are 80,000 cases of report child sexual abuse in the United States each year. That is 5 cases in each state, everyday, 365 days a year. These are just the reported cases.

There is no godly reason for child molestation. I have not been molested but I have been surrounded by it. It takes decades to separate yourself from your abuse to become a survivor over a victim. It is not a testimony to a loving god who makes truly unworldly 8 year olds pay for the sins of the adult decision-making of Adam and Eve.

My cousin enjoyed Sunday school. She rode the church bus that would pass through her neighbor each and every Sunday for years. She knew because her religious teachers told her that the devil was crafty. If ever given a chance, he would gleefully take your soul. Well, at 11 years old, she got tired of the unanswered prayer she sent to god to keep her brother off of her and father from verbally abusing her, so she went to her backyard behind the garage and ask in the exchanged for her soul could the devil please stop the violence against her. It didn’t work. The abuse continued. This is when she became an atheist.

I had a much more peaceful path to atheism. I have no need for a god. Zero. I have an insatiable need to know for this physical world and when someone put a god-did-it-end-of-story place card in as an explanation for something, I find it un-intellectual, insufficient for an answer and a waste of everyone’s precious time.

There are so many sanctimonious hypocrites, it makes me sick. Who-ever is without sin, throw the first stone.