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I know this is difficult for you to understand, but the natural person cannot comprehend spiritual things and the Bible is a spiritual book.
Please keep trying.

I know it is difficult to explain things of both the heart and the head to someone who does not share that experience. Although I am a former Christian.

And the part with Mark chapter 4, verse 12, just jumps out at a person. It did for me at any rate. And I encourage people to read the verses both before and after.
 
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The Golden Rule has been discovered ??

and / or invented, re-invented ??? , many times in human history.

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PS — Calling myself an Atheist / Agnostic makes it sound like I’m tone deaf to whole realms of human existence. I don’t think that’s true. I’m as much into the richness of life as anyone else, although I might experience it differently.

I might be better off calling myself a “loosey-goosey Pagan” or a “freelance Pagan.” I’m going to think it over.
 
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I know it is difficult to explain things of both the heart and the head to someone who does not share that experience. Although I am a former Christian.
It is impossible for an unsaved person to understand spiritual things: 1Cor.2:14
But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness unto him; neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.

If you were born again the Holy Spirit would teach you spiritual things. If you were ever a Christian you should be able to testify of your new birth. Please share your salvation experience when you confessed your sins, repented of your sins and were born again.
 
Please share your salvation experience when you confessed your sins, repented of your sins and were born again.
Not on your life. I’m not going to share something intensely personal in a hostile environment.

And you do realize, that when faced with a difficult verse, your go-to is to say, you have to be my brand of Christian.
 
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10 And when he was alone, those around him with the twelve asked him about the parables. 11 And he said to them, “To you has been given the secret of the kingdom of God, but for those outside everything is in parables, 12 so that
“‘they may indeed see but not perceive,
and may indeed hear but not understand,
lest they should turn and be forgiven.’”



— English Standard Version

Boldfaced added by me.

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I think the single- and double-quotes are added together at the end because the writer is referring back to something in the Old Testament.

Mark is saying that certain things are hidden from those outside the circle. And Luke and John say something different.

Why?

Because the gospel is a human document which changed over time?
 
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Not on your life. I’m not going to share something intensely personal in a hostile environment.
When people are saved, it is the single greatest event in their lives. It is more important than their wedding or the birth of a child. I agree that it is an intensely personal event, but it is also too great to keep to oneself. Please do not be offended by what I am about to say, but the Bible teaches that if a person is saved, they are saved for eternity. You continue to claim that you "used" to be a Christian. According to the Bible, this is not a possibility. I don't know what you experienced, but I doubt it was the new birth that Jesus talked about. There simply is no evidence that you used to be a Christian. Now, as an atheist, you should be able to appreciate the fact that I see no evidence of you ever being born again. I fail to see how you, as an atheist, are hesitant to share an event in your life that you now discredit. Again, I do not mean to offend you, but I am simply trying to understand.
 
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And you do realize, that when faced with a difficult verse, your go-to is to say, you have to be my brand of Christian.
It has nothing to do with "my" brand of Christianity. I explained the reason Jesus spoke in parables and you obviously did not like my reasoning. Here is a quote from the Abbot New Testament Commentary concerning Mark 4:12:

Such has been the dispensation of divine truth in all ages of the world, that the higher spiritualities of religion, though accessible to all who really seek them, are covered by a veil from the open gaze of the profane. It is so down to the present hour. Many listen to the preaching of the gospel all their lives, to whose minds any actual conception of the nature of redemption from sin, by the Son of God, never penetrates. Divine Providence seems designedly so to arrange the dispensation of truth, that, seeing, sinners may, if they choose, not see, and hearing, not hear.
 
Mark is saying that certain things are hidden from those outside the circle. And Luke and John say something different.
Actually, John does not include the parable of the sower in his Gospel. This parable is recorded in Matthew, Mark and Luke. Here is what is recorded in Matthew and Luke in reference to the parable:
Matthew 13:11 He answered and said unto them, Because it is given unto you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it is not given.
Luke 8:10 And he said, Unto you it is given to know the mysteries of the kingdom of God: but to others in parables; that seeing they might not see, and hearing they might not understand.

All three accounts clearly give the same meaning. Your claim that Mark's Gospel contains a different message in regard as to why Jesus spoke in parables is not true.
 
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Just a comment to avoid things becoming too personal since personal comments that are negative are not allowed.

It's best to avoid questioning a member's identity or salvation. You can speak about the Christian identity in general by not making it about at a member here. For example, you can say a person (this is general - not about any member) would always be a Christian if they are a real Christian, as opposed to saying Multicolored Lemur was never a Christian.


Nothing personal here, of course.;):cool:
 
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Moderator comment:
Just a comment to avoid things becoming too personal since personal comments that are negative are not allowed.

It's best to avoid questioning a member's identity or salvation. You can speak about the Christian identity in general by not making it about at a member here. For example, you can say a person (this is general - not about any member) would always be a Christian if they are a real Christian, as opposed to saying Multicolored Lemur was never a Christian.


Nothing personal here, of course.;):cool:
The only reason I specifically asked ML to related his salvation experience is because he specifically claims he was a Christian at one time. I never said he wasn’t a Christian. I said I see no evidence of him being a Christian. He may very well have accepted Jesus Christ as his Lord and Savior. If he did, then it’s my belief that he is still a Christian. I’m just trying to nail down his position. Please forgive me if asking pointed questions to pointed statements is not allowed.