Faith Issues - Tasbeha.org Community

help! my friend has converted to Jehovah's Witnesses

mariola — Thu, 03 Jul 2008 11:01:29 +0000

she doesn't accept the fact that Jesus is God. i gave her some points form H. H. Shenouda book about Jehovah witnesses but she was not convinced by them. i don't know how to help her!

For our Justification?

Wed, 02 Jul 2008 05:15:55 +0000

Hello,

Can someone explain what St. Paul means when he says "He was delivered over to death for our sins and was raised to life for our justification.".
Romans 4:25.

THanks

WATCH OUT FOR OPRAH!!!

Fri, 04 Jul 2008 22:48:33 +0000

As many of you know, Oprah has started to make her own "religion" that is TOTALLY against the church... i know alot of people look up to her for Guidence because she does alot of good things on her show but she is also drawing people to this WRONG religion...let us pray for all these people so that they can return to God

PRAY FOR ME and GOD BLESS
Copticdeacon

Hardening of Our Hearts

Thu, 26 Jun 2008 16:05:46 +0000

Hello,

I have a question, I REALLY NEED HELP WITH:

Its to do with Exodus. Chapter 6, verse 28. Basically, God tells Moses to go and tell Pharoah to 'free my people'. Moses says something like "why me, I'm not really good at speaking"... God reassures Moses.. and then tells him "I will harden Pharoah's heart'.

Now.. wait a sec, this is SO strange. Why is God hardening the heart of Pharoah and yet at the same time asking Moses to tell pharoah to free the Israelites???

Is it that He wants the 10 plagues to fall on the Egyptians?
Is it because He wants to show that HE is Lord??

I'd like to know?? WHy Harden Pharoah's heart??????
Secondly, isn't that interferring in Man's Will?? I mean, He hardens Pharoah's heart, and that makes Pharoah stubborn, and that causes calamity on all the Egyptians. So, that leads us to the next question:

Does God then interfere in Man's Will for His Own Plan??

Then, this leads us to another question:

Does God make people's heart open and some closed?? Or is it the human will of each person to control his heart.

In fact, this last question is the MAIN question I need answered in this thread. The rest are REALLY important, but I need that asap.

Many thanks.

Miracles in Your Lives

Thu, 19 Jun 2008 22:17:27 +0000

Hi,

After the very smart thread on your favourite saints, I was thinking that it would be beneficial to write down the miracles that have happened to you, through their prayers. This is a testimony of our relationship with the Living God.

Now, for me personally, I have to admit, the weirdest things happened. In fact.. unfortunately it happened to me when I was around 16/17 that .... it probably didn't do my faith any good. Ya3ni.. it scared me to death the miraculous stuff I saw, to the extent I think it really troubled me. I feared God so much that... praying became quite hard. Of course, i'm thankful for the result.. its wonderful what happened..don't get me wrong, but the enormity and magnitude of it was so big... it just was too much to take in as young kid.

But anyway - I'd love to hear stories of what has happened to you. Although I love the saints and the Lord for His miracles, hearing other stories would also be a great comfort to me personally. If you can also write down the age when this miracle happened, that would be really cool.

Rape in the OT

godislove260 — Wed, 02 Jul 2008 13:09:29 +0000

“But if a man finds a betrothed young woman in the countryside, and the man forces her and lies with her, then only the man who lay with her shall die. 26 But you shall do nothing to the young woman; there is in the young woman no sin deserving of death, for just as when a man rises against his neighbor and kills him, even so is this matter. 27 For he found her in the countryside, and the betrothed young woman cried out, but there was no one to save her.

28 “If a man finds a young woman who is a virgin, who is not betrothed, and he seizes her and lies with her, and they are found out, 29 then the man who lay with her shall give to the young woman’s father fifty shekels of silver, and she shall be his wife because he has humbled her; he shall not be permitted to divorce her all his days.
p (Deutoronomy 22)

does this mean if he rapes her while she is betrothed then he shall die, but if she's not then they have to get married because he 'humbeld' her. But in the first case it says there is no sin upon her, so why do they call her being raped, humbling her? Does it mean she is not worth much anymore since no man will take her if she's not a virgin?

Could someone clarify please?

God Bless
Please pray for me

I want to recommend these books by our pope

mikeforjesus — Wed, 02 Jul 2008 07:55:20 +0000

http://www.mystjohn.org/books.htm

So Many Years With the Problems of People
(Part 1 Biblical Questions)

So Many Years With the Problems of People
(Part 2 Theological & Dogmatic Problems)

So Many Years With the Problems of People
(Part 3 Spiritual & General Problems)

So Many Years With the Problems of People
(Part 4 Dogmatic & Ritual Problems)

What does this mean?

mikeforjesus — Tue, 01 Jul 2008 06:27:10 +0000

"Faith is not belief without proof, but trust without reservation"

trust without reservation?

Need god in my life?? O_0

fearfulcopt — Mon, 30 Jun 2008 11:56:21 +0000

Hi, I'm 14 years old and i'm new to this site. Last night i started thinking about all the stuff going on in the world and this morning I saw an article that said some fancy machine is gonna create a black hole to swallow the earth, after that i started thinking i needed to be a little more religious than i am right now. so my question to you guys is how do i get god in my life?

i go to church every sunday
i'm deacon

but i just dont feel it? <--- O_0 did that make sense?

Non Christian Forgiveness

Sun, 29 Jun 2008 12:25:59 +0000

Hello,

I was discussing with a Christian friend the fact that as Christians we should forgive others, and that its very uncommon for non-Christians to forgive horrendous acts of violence or injustice. But, we were discussing several examples of non-Christians who in fact had forgiven (in every sense) the actions of those that really hurt them.

So, what then is the value added of God's Grace in our lives if even aetheists seem to forgive and love the same way we do??

hello

jlomloj — Sun, 29 Jun 2008 05:34:54 +0000

hello everybody, iam new here;) iam going to become Coptic in few weeks. i live in egypt since 6 years already and also i have a Coptic fiance. i actually dont want to be Coptic just or beacuse we want to merry. we are almost 5 years together and of course i knew little about Coptic Ortodox Church from him, but he never pushed me or say that i have to be Coptic...anyhow we would not be able to live together and merry if i wouldnt...i was baptised as a catholic when i was maybe 1 years old but then my mother-catholic-left us and my father beeing ateist didnt give me any education or religion. i was little against catholic church in my country which for me is not true, its just a company making money and not really beliving in God, i didnt like the priests which are hipocritic, i really didnt feel it. when i was a teenager it was very difficult for me, i was reading some bookes, more leading to a philosofy of life like buddhysm etc but inside of me i just believed in God. when i met my boyfriend i started to be interested about the Coptic religion. i went to Coptic church and i really felt it, i love the athmosphere, the bahur smell and even if of course i dont understand it, i feel it. the mess is long, but not very boring for me. when the priest talks a lesson in the end in arabic, iam lucky to understand it bc i know arabic more to listen than to speak but i can also communicate well if i need. i read a lot of books in english about this religion and now when i found this forum iam very happy bc i alreaqdy read a lot about the differences. as i was not brought as a catolic, Coptic church is for me first religion and first feel to this. i like to read about the saints and of course i like to know more and more. i have one priest, who is my very good 'friend' he is my guide into the religion.iam fasting always which actually is not big problem for me-iam already a vegeterian since iam born;)
iam going to merry soon also.and i want to make sure that i know enough to be able to understand what iam doing, and make sure that i will give enough and right education for our future children;) let me know where i should continoue. with prayers for all of you
marta

Evil Spirits, Ghost Hauntings, and Graveyards

PopeKyrillos — Thu, 26 Jun 2008 16:26:03 +0000

Hey Everyone,

So what is the Church's view exactly on Ghost Hauntings, Ghosts in Graveyards and Evil Spirits residing in places? Also, when I say Ghosts, I don't mean devils, I mean the spirits of dead people. We hear myths, legends and stories about these things but are they true? Can the spirit of a dead person lurk around a graveyard for eternity? Can it reveal itself to someone and scare him and/or hurt him?

One theory I heard was that Ghost hauntings are true in a way but not in another. This is because the Spirits of people don't lurk around certain places but rather demons do. Demons lurk around certain places do to something evil in the place or someone evil who is living or has lived there. This was the most logical theory I've heard but what is the truth??

PK

Praying...!?? hmm....

copticcross3 — Sat, 27 Jan 2007 19:15:45 +0000

soo,
Matthew 6 :5-14

5"And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by men. I tell you the truth, they have received their reward in full. 6But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you. 7And when you pray, do not keep on babbling like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words. 8Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him.
9"This, then, is how you should pray:
" 'Our Father in heaven,
hallowed be your name,
10your kingdom come,
your will be done
on earth as it is in heaven.
11Give us today our daily bread.
12Forgive us our debts,
as we also have forgiven our debtors.
13And lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from the evil one.[a]' 14For if you forgive men when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. 15But if you do not forgive men their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins.

I have had this question for a longg time, and now that i read this verse, it kinda answered it, but i wonder why people say differently.
anyways..the issue is.... Why do a longgg mass, and prayy for a longg time and tell God everything in our lives, and what we want and ect. this verse says he knows and you don't need to tell him all about it. i asked my parents why i can't just say "our father who arts in heaven" before bed and take a few minutes to repent and read the BIBLE. they feel that i should be giving at least 1 1/2 (praying and Bible together) hours to God everyday. it makes no sense to me. And why would their be an agpey if it's not necessary?? am i understanding this verse wrong?

A Provable Deity?

[Deleted User] — Sat, 21 Jun 2008 07:53:20 +0000

Hey All,

So, I've observed that lately many in the Orthodox Church are preoccupied with proving the existence of God. To certain evangelizing efforts, I assume, many are searching for ways to prove that our God exists. Here is my question, if we could indeed prove the existence of the Judeo-Christian God, would he indeed be God? That is, would God indeed by a deity if one could subject his existence to natural laws? Please share your views!

Thanks in advance,
Taio

Why can't girls make orban?

Sat, 29 Oct 2005 22:36:48 +0000

See subject title.

Re: Mark 9:1

elsi70x7 — Tue, 17 Jun 2008 14:10:24 +0000

What did Jesus mean when he said: "Assuredly, I say to you that there are some here who will not taste death till they see the kingdom of God present with power."

Does that mean there are still people living today who were alive when Christ walked the earth? I think movies like 'The Highlander' are based on this verse.

Judges 1:19

Meena_Ameen — Mon, 16 Jun 2008 21:21:36 +0000

"And the Lord was with Judah; and he drave out the inhabitants of the mountain; but could not drive out the inhabitants of the valley, because they had chariots of iron."

This verse sounds like its saying that even though the Lord was with judah he couldnt drive out the inhabitants of the valley because they had chariots of iron. Can anyone explain this verse?

Genisis issuee

copticcross3 — Fri, 13 Jun 2008 01:31:38 +0000

In Genisis, why does God say that Cain will be avenged sevenfold??
He klled ABel...so why would HE be avenged?
And then how does the whole Lamech being avenged 77 times fit in???
i know that's probably something i should know by now...but...
Also: do weeer find out what the mark on Cain is??? OR is it just a mark?

and lastly: when they say someone's age in the old testament...what system of....time are they going by? Because i did some counting and put some things together...
and i came up with 401 days is considered LEss thn 1 year....?

What did St Anthony mean?

NeedWisdom — Fri, 13 Jun 2008 08:17:52 +0000

11. He said also, 'He who wishes to live in solitude in the
desert is delivered from three conflicts: hearing, speech, and
sight; there is only one conflict for him and that is with
fornication.'

From the desert fathers.

How can a desert monk commit fornication? unless satan sends a woman to tempt him? but I think it means something else? what did he mean by fornication?

Living in the Boat... without a life jacket

Sat, 14 Jun 2008 12:54:47 +0000

Many of you on Tasbeha have likely been born and raised Coptic Orthodox, or perhaps even another jurisdiction of Orthodoxy, and have not had the experience of coming out of Protestantism into Holy Orthodoxy. I have been asked by several of you now through personal messages and when I first signed up on the forums about my journey to the Truth, and I decided I would use an illustration to describe Orthodoxy and Protestantism in terms of boats and ships, and the difficulties connected with going back and forth.

Have you ever been on a little fishing boat on a lake during a storm and a whole lot of wind? Scary, isn't it? It's a good thing you have your life jacket, right? It would only make sense that you would bring a life jacket with you on such a small boat. If the boat is small, it likely has been places and done things that bigger ships would go and do. Usually small boats (like my dad's former 15 foot fishing boat) are for small lakes and resevoirs, so that if you really want to, you can jump out and swim to where you likely want to be: the shore. It's safe, it's relatively comfortable, and there are no obligations to stay in the boat, because you can jump out and go somewhere else if you don't like it there.

Funny, though, how we don't bring life jackets with us on a cruise liner or ship. Granted, they have them provided, but work with me. You are going onto a ship that is foreign to you, trusting in safety measures that you are likely not familiar with, and to make it nerve racking, you cannot simply jump out if you don't like it. If you do ever muster up the insanity to jump out, you either have to trust your strength against the furocious ocean, or you have to put your life in the hands of a life raft or life jacket that you are not 100% confident will keep you afloat, and likely won't after some time. The long in short, you are stuck on the ship, with no where else to go, and it's unbearable to be told there is no land if you ever wish to jump.

When you have been on the ship for a while, naturally it gets a little easier to bear the challenges that come along with a life on the high seas: the nasea eventually goes away, the little noises and creaks that used to make you panic become either white noise or even comforting sounds, and the day-to-day routine of ship life becomes just another series of motions in your day.

There are times, especially at the beginning, where you wish you were just born on the ship, because then you will have known nothing else but the ship and her routines, but then you realize why you got on the ship in the first place: it was the last safe place to go. Having been born off the ship served as a blessing to you, because now that you are on the ship and know the routine and benefits of the ship, there is no way in your right mind you would even want to go back to your dingy, or yacht, or whatever else you were floating on before. You have been blessed with this so that you can be an encouragement to those who were born on the ship and sometimes take for granted the many unique blessings they received having been born on the ship.

In the ocean you are sailing on, there are about 33,000 other little life rafts, dingies, and yachts (we will call them "types" of ships) that will eventually be swallowed up by the ocean's anger, because those on those "types" are people who refused to get on the ship when it passed by them, repeatedly. Some "types" even get quite creative, and manage to built a "type" to look like a ship, only smaller, but it still remains a "type" and not a ship. Those on the "types" choose to stay in their little raft because it's small, not governed by a large crew, and does not have the type of regimented routine that is in place for the benefit of everyone on board--no, those on the "types" stay where they are because they do not truly care about themselves or anyone else, despite what they may say.

The saddest truth in all this lies in the ignorant refusal of those on the "types" to even try taking a full tour of the ship, because mediocrity is good enough for them, and they do not want to waste their time looking at the saving alternative. They would rather loosely lash all their radically different "types" together and say, "look, we're a ship, and we're the true right ship," but they only deceive themselves. Those on the "types" are afraid of what they will see (they are afraid of what they already see!), they are afraid that they will realize they were wrong (and we do not want the self-proclaimed leaders of these "types" to feel as though they are wrong...), and the greatest struggle is that the necessity for a regimented lifestyle is too much to ask of any one person, because like everything else on the "types," mediocrity is good enough for them.

Can God dwell in those who don't believe in him?

gregorytheSinner — Wed, 11 Jun 2008 16:01:39 +0000

So I was just reading about this Buddhist monk, who lit himself on fire for the sake of other Buddhists during the whole Vietnam conflict and it got me thinking.
Some of them show great discipline (like our monks) they all escape from the world and its carnal lusts (like our monks) they're main goal in life is to find "Buddha." Some of them even reach higher levels of spirtuality where they can control their physical bodies enough to not be affected by pain or hunger. So clearly these people are spiritual. The monk who burned himself, his body was later recremated, but his heart was still intact, wchih served as a sign of spirtualness to his followers.
Such abnormal manifestations dont' exactly happen bythemselves, clearly there is a higher power (God). My question is do we believe that our God performs these "miracles" through these Buddhist monks, bcause they are generally good and spirtual people, even though they don't belive in him?

Quiet Time

Tue, 27 May 2008 15:01:47 +0000

Hello,

I wanted to ask your opinions about "Quiet Time". I attended this Church meeting and the topic was called "Quiet Time". Abouna said its so important to spend time alone, meditating.

Does anyone do that? If I find myself alone, i'm just gutted, and then that qualifies for quiet time. But do any of u actually want to spend a few hours alone?

I mean, abouna said that if u do not do this, u will never enjoy the mass. Having said that, I mentioned that I happen to pray well in the mass actually. He said :" Ya Cutie pa tootie... habiibi... no no... za devil will do all he can so zat u attend za mass, but so zat u do not have ONE minute alone by yourself to contemplate.

And frankly, after nearly 1 year, i couldnt agree more with him. I do realise the importance of praying in solitude for a bit.

Does anyone else see that? What do u do to have your quiet time?

are the presidents going to heaven

holy bible — Thu, 12 Jun 2008 09:48:13 +0000

are the presidents going to heaven because they fought for their country?
or hell because they are not orthodox?

Why did God say this?

Fri, 06 Jun 2008 07:18:31 +0000

Numbers 31:17-18
17Now therefore kill every male among the little ones, and kill every woman that hath known man by lying with him.
18But all the women children, that have not known a man by lying with him, keep alive for yourselves.

----------------

Was there any reason behind this??

What is Hell?

Meena_Ameen — Sat, 07 Jun 2008 03:43:02 +0000

I wanted to start a huge discussion hopfully, since we have not had a one on tasbeha in a while. And what topic can be talked about more than hell? Heaven is kind of hard to talk about because we KNOW that no one knows what heaven is like, no one has ever seen heaven, but hell is mentioned by our Lord Jesus Christ actually WAY MORE times than heaven.

I have some really deep thoughts on hell and will try to use some biblical verses to back it up. So lets start.

Non-Christians will not go to heaven, simply because their sins have non been forgiven and you cannot enter into the kingdom of heaven unless you are cleansed of your sins. We know the only person who cleans us from sin is our Lord Jesus Christ. So if anyone says no i dont want to accept Jesus, than they literally do not want to be cleaned from their sin. SO the only other existing place in the afterlife besides heaven, is hell which was prepared for the devil and his angels.(Matthew 25:41)

MANY people say, wut if you are a good person like Ghandi. How is it possible that God put Ghandi to suffer just as much as the devil will suffer? It is mind boggling to see someone who was soooooooo loving, who preached about non violence and peace and love, to be burning side by side with the devil who teaches lust and hate and murder and rape.

The answer to this question is #1 You do not go to heaven based and anything YOU do, heaven is for those who Love Jesus. Jesus lives in heaven, and for all those who want to spend eternity with the Lord Jesus Christ are welcome into heaven. All those who Love Jesus are welcome into his home. Heaven is not neccesarily for those who are "good", it is for those who WANT A RELATIONSHIP WITH THE LORD. There are many people who are non christian who are "good", but let me ask you a question. Lets say their is someone who is a VERY NICE PERSON, who is SOOO loving, and is possibly the best person in the world, but he HATESSSSSSS JESUS, because Jesus preached about Him being the only way etc. Will this person live an everlasting life with Jesus? Regardless of how good he is, will he after death, go live with Jesus? Someone he cant stand? OFCOURSE NOT.

SO, where is Ghandi? Another man who accepted living a good life, but rejected the salvation of our Lord. Ghandi is simply in hell. BUT God is more rightous than any of us. SO what I believe is than even though Ghandi is in hell, he is not suffering as much physical as he is mentally. Because Hell is physicall and mental torture. I personally believe that Ghandi is only suffering complete mentally, he is regreting not having accepted the Lord, he is sitting in a dark room alone, for the rest of eternity, with no hope in ever seeing the Lord face EVER. But if you think about it, thats what he chose on earth. He CHOSE to be good, and he CHOSE not to accept Jesus. So in a way, out of the rightousness of God, because Ghandi was such a good person, he is not suffering much physically, but out of the CHOICE of Ghandi he is GREATLY suffering mentally, Regreting every second for the rest of eternity not having chosen to live with the Lord.

Where I got this idea from? Luke 16:23 And in Hades he lifted up his eyes, being in torments, and seeth Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom. And he cried and said, Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus, that he may dip the tip of his finger in water, and cool my tongue; for I am in anguish in this flame. But Abraham said, Son, remember that thou in thy lifetime receivedst thy good things, and Lazarus in like manner evil things: but now here he is comforted and thou art in anguish. And besides all this, between us and you there is a great gulf fixed, that they that would pass from hence to you may not be able, and that none may cross over from thence to us. And he said, I pray thee therefore, father, that thou wouldest send him to my father's house; for I have five brethren; that he may testify unto them, lest they also come into this place of torment. But Abraham saith, They have Moses and the prophets; let them hear them. And he said, Nay, father Abraham: but if one go to them from the dead, they will repent. And he said unto him, If they hear not Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded, if one rise from the dead.

Any opinions?

Cases for Divorce

Wed, 28 May 2008 11:31:00 +0000

Guys, I was having some discussion with protestants concerning Divorce. I said to them as an Orthodox Christian, the only clause for divorce is adultary. They are different. THey think also if one or the other is a non-believer then this also can be a reason for divorce.

Do we agree with this? or what can we answer to them?

Is Capital Punishment Wrong?

Tue, 27 May 2008 15:49:49 +0000

Hello,

What is the official view of the Coptic Church concerning capital punishment? (electric chair, hanging, execution etc)??

Does the Church condone this as methods of punishment? Doesnt this go against "an eye for an eye"?

I am not a Coptic

NorthernCross — Mon, 24 May 2004 23:53:57 +0000

I am not a Coptic. I hope that I am not hated.

Why is the Old Testament SOO VIOLENT and the NEW so NON VIOLENT?

Fri, 12 Oct 2007 16:44:49 +0000

Hi,
Why did the LORD command that people be killed for working on the Sabbath? Is it so bad that it deserves death? Did the jews really kill people for working on the sabbath??

Kill People for Working on the Sabbath

The LORD then gave these further instructions to Moses: 'Tell the people of Israel to keep my Sabbath day, for the Sabbath is a sign of the covenant between me and you forever. It helps you to remember that I am the LORD, who makes you holy. Yes, keep the Sabbath day, for it is holy. Anyone who desecrates it must die; anyone who works on that day will be cut off from the community. Work six days only, but the seventh day must be a day of total rest. I repeat: Because the LORD considers it a holy day, anyone who works on the Sabbath must be put to death.' (Exodus 31:12-15 NLT)

Kill Anyone who Approaches the Tabernacle

For the LORD had said to Moses, 'Exempt the tribe of Levi from the census; do not include them when you count the rest of the Israelites. You must put the Levites in charge of the Tabernacle of the Covenant, along with its furnishings and equipment. They must carry the Tabernacle and its equipment as you travel, and they must care for it and camp around it. Whenever the Tabernacle is moved, the Levites will take it down and set it up again. Anyone else who goes too near the Tabernacle will be executed.' (Numbers 1:48-51 NLT)

OK.. let's say that someone accidentally walks in the Tabernacle. Does that mean he should be put to death .Did any jew actually get killed for that!??

I'm gonna be adding more questions to this thread as time goes by.

I would really appreciate your answers.

THANKS

Do animals go to Heaven?

Severus — Tue, 29 Apr 2008 22:18:20 +0000

Hello guys.

I got into a friendly argument with a peer over this issue. My stance/understanding is that they do not, because God did not make a covenant with them, whereas He did with mankind. I also remember reading that they do not have either a soul/spirit, which disables them from going to Heaven.

What are your thoughts on this?

Severus