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"Dog" is a three-letter word that refers to a certain species of animal. "God", by contrast, is a three-letter word that appears to have no referent, i.e., it seems not to refer to anything that exists. When analyzed or deconstructed, the four-letter word "love" turns out to partly refer to nothing that is real, and partly to refer to a bundle of cognitive states, not all of which are positive or good. So, when you say that "God is love" you are really engaging in meaningless speech. Meaningless speech is like cotton candy and the stuff of dreams. I guess it makes some people happy, at least until reality shows up.

Ga Atheist: My life experiences have given me an enormous strength I wouldn't have had I been coddled. I have studied many other faiths and I think we all share the same Creator. How we perceive God as individual believers is as varied as our fingerprints. I sense God all around me all of the time and I try to honor Him by being all He made me to be. There is no time for me to question other people's beliefs because there is so much for me to do here and so little time. I am incredibly happy almost all of the time and I look so forward to when we are all One the way I feel we are meant to be. I wish you peace and I feel sure you will find what you are looking for.

GRETCHEN:
"What should I have said to the inner-city 6 year old in my church's summer program who (after having been told a Bible story) muttered, "I hate God. He ain't never done nothin for me"?"

You could say, "Well, he won't do anything for you, and you need to rely on yourself and your family, and friends."

PATTY:
"I was adopted by a pedophile when I was nine and prayed for deliverance every day and night for years. I very nearly lost my faith, but the beautiful example set by Christians I was blessed to meet and know and love once I gained my freedom from that monster sustained me and kept me whole."

That is a horrible story and sorry that it happened to you.
This may seem harsh, but why would you want a god that would let a 9 yrs old child be molested for years?!
You prayed and it took years to end?!

So to me, that sounds like prayer doesn't work...and/or that god doesn't find child molestation that important to bother with.
What if you met wonderful Muslims, Hindus, Buddhists, or Atheists after your ordeal?

Would you be a Muslim/Hindu/Buddhist/Atheist?

My point is there are wonderful people that are religious, and wonderful people who aren't religious...Religion doesn't make you a wonderful person

Merry Saturnalia--the "original" christmas--to all!

Praise be to Mirtha--the "original" jesus (by 1,000 years)! He was born on December 25, of a virgin. His birth was witnessed by shepherds and magicians. He raised the dead and healed the sick and cast out demons. He returned to heaven at the spring equinox and before doing so had a last supper with his 12 disciples (representing the 12 signs of the zodiac), eating mizd, a piece of bread marked with a cross (an almost universal symbol of the sun). Any of that sound familiar?

Don't be afraid. Critical thinking and the willingness to admit you may have been given false/misleading information your entire life are hard to deal with. Remember, truths and what's real in our world don't need to be forced on you--they are self evident to all.

Peace

Gretchen, sometimes words aren't the best way to touch a child's heart. By setting the best example you can and being a reflection of God's pure love you can get your message across. I was adopted by a pedophile when I was nine and prayed for deliverance every day and night for years. I very nearly lost my faith, but the beautiful example set by Christians I was blessed to meet and know and love once I gained my freedom from that monster sustained me and kept me whole. Now I see that these experiences have made me stronger and more able to help others. I, too, believe God is Love.

How do you say "God is love" to a child who has just suffered a terrible blow of some kind, or who has been abused and neglected all his/her life?

What should I have said to the inner-city 6 year old in my church's summer program who (after having been told a Bible story) muttered, "I hate God. He ain't never done nothin for me"?

I think it is interesting that you chose a four year old as the go to person for your question. It exemplifies perfectly how absurd it is to compare/discuss the personal thoughts of two mythical characters as if they really exist.

CANYON SHEARER SAID:The way that Christ made it so we could get what we do not deserve, which is Heaven, is because Jesus took our punishment on the Cross at Calvary. Because Jesus took our punishment, if we'll Repent of our sins, and Trust in Christ, we are able to receive the Gift of Life.
Amen to that.It is by GODS Grace that we receive everlasting life and this is from Faith alone Christ alone.
Jesus is Lord !

I agree knowing God is love will help you learn to love yourself.I also tell my children and grandchildren, You can`t get to Heaven with hate in your heart.That in my oppinion covers it all. I dont know if that is written anywhere,but I believe it,and it works for us.C.Cook

I got so caught up in my last reply, I forgot to address the current question. I feel, from the Christian standpoint, as well as a strong dissenter in the "Self-Esteem" approach to raising Children, I feel that Christmas and Santa Claus are excellent ways to talk to children about responsibility, love, and forgiveness. As I posted above, Santa Claus demands no repentance, and gives out forgiveness like candy. Society has proven that if you do that in a relationship, you get a tailspin of destruction. I wonder if the concept of Santa Claus and parents that support him is why millions of women are in abusive relationships, continue to forgive their assailants, and don't leave?

We've all done something stupid to our significant others, friends, or acquaintances, its human nature to do stupid things. When you do something stupid, it is imperative that you
1. Stop doing something stupid
2. Ask Forgiveness

If Santa Claus were to adhere to this psychological approach, we'd have stronger young people in this nation, instead of spoiled brats who can do no wrong in their own eyes.

Yest Me, Christianity doesn't teach self-hate, and it doesn't teach that God is a pampering love. God's love is a chastising love, a perfecting love. In order to improve yourself, you must know what's wrong. If you know you have a lustful heart, you can take steps to become more holy, if you know that you're a liar at heart, you have something to do in order to fix yourself, if you are aware of a deficiency of knowledge, you can go to a secondary school. If you think you're perfect, how can you ever find a way to improve?

FWIW, Jesus never said to 'hate' yourself, "Then said Jesus unto his disciples, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me." - Mat 16:24

Because Christians should constantly be striving for self-improvement, improving in holiness, with a measurable scale, they *should* be the happiest people in the world; unfortunately the modern washed-out religion which teaches, "God loves you no matter what" has done away with the chastisement. God does love Christians no matter what, but if you're not striving for improvement, then you're probably not a Christian. Believe it or not, God does not love everyone; actually God counts a large portion of the population as His enemies. He offered them the cure for death, and they spat in His face and threw the cure on the group to trample it, and it is hard to love someone who does that.

To get off-tract temporarily, a big difference between Santa Claus and Jesus Christ is their basis of Judgment between good and evil. Santa Claus has no set standard of righteousness, and truthfully, his standards must be pretty low, 'cuz I was a ROTTEN kid, and yet I never got anything but presents.

Jesus Christ on the other hand has the most Holy of standards; easy to remember, in fact they are written on your conscience.

If Santa had the same standards as God, who would ever get anything?

1. Keep Santa Claus First in your Heart
2. Do Not Worship Presents, Money, or Yourself
3. Do Not use the Name of Claus in Vain
4. Honor the Christmas Day
5. Honor your Parents
6. Thou Shalt Not Kill
7. Thou Shalt Not Commit Adultery
8. Thou Shalt Not Steal
9. Thou Shalt Not Lie
10. Thou Shalt Not Covet

In fact, Santa Breeds Covetous Hearts. If Santa held the Transgression of Lust as high as Adultery, Hatred as high as Murder, promised that all Liars would be punished, in fact, no one would ever get ANYTHING.

Yet Jesus Christ has created the concept of Grace, here is the definition:

Justice-When you Get What you Deserve
Mercy-When you Don't Get What you Deserve
Grace-When you Get What you Don't Deserve

The way that Christ made it so we could get what we do not deserve, which is Heaven, is because Jesus took our punishment on the Cross at Calvary. Because Jesus took our punishment, if we'll Repent of our sins, and Trust in Christ, we are able to receive the Gift of Life.

Santa Claus and Jesus Christ both say that if you are good, you'll be rewarded...yet everyone has done something bad...Santa overlooks your transgression, Jesus Christ demands retribution, because Jesus Christ is real, the Living God, and He is a Just Judge. Santa Claus is a bad judge and promotes the idea that is ruining the United States, "Do Something Wrong, and We'll Overlook It."

If I had gotten from Santa Claus what I deserved, I’d have one heck of a pile of Coal in my backyard, I probably wouldn’t have to pay a heating bill this winter…Because Santa is fake, I’ve gotten nothing but presents.

If I had gotten from God what I deserved, I’d be burning in Hell right now. Because God is real, and loving, and incredible, I’ve gotten the only gift that matters, the Gift of Eternal Life.

Pastor:

God so loved the whole world that he sacrificed His only begotten son.

The great Inca chief so love himself that he sacrifiect His only begotten daughter to appease the volcano god, (Vulcan to Europeans).

Don't you expect there are people who just hate themselves for being what they are when what they are is a matter of natural consequence? Have you looked for the source of that self hate? How can one born in a given frame of mind hate one's self for being in that frame of mind? Does Christianity, Muhammadism, Judaism cause people to hate themselves just for being what they are?

God is love and God's representatives preach hate yourself for you are a sinner? Do you preach hate or love, hate and love, or, hate sin and God is love? Why not drop the hate and just preach love? Are we all sinners? Did Jesus say hate anyone or anything? Is hate itself a sin?