Can We Really Exercise Free Will?

[Magenta]

Your pretense to seeking only dialogue around Scripture is also shown by the fact that you ignore my responses to your Scripture questions only to focus on your deceptions, derailments, and denigrating derogatory comments. That seems more to have been your intention all along. @Bible_Highlighter

 

[Bible_Highlighter]

I have answered you on this verse a number of times already, why do you hammer away at it while continuing to ignore questions I have put to you? That is no way to have respectful dialogue, not that I for moment any longer believe your assertions about your intentions following your deplorable behaviour which shows you have zero desire to take any responsibility for the nasty stuff you have introduced and defend and went on at length about. Brief it has not been. Nevertheless I did try to find the KJ concordance for the word might but could not find one. But it does seem to me that if one has a desire for truth then they pursue it. Do all pursuits of truth end with belief in God?

Jesus said the greatest among you serves.
If you are truly a follow of Christ and desire to be the greatest by being a servant:
Give me the post number on where you specifically address these words or just quickly explain it again.



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[Bible_Highlighter]

You are no different than these other heretics who constantly misrepresent themselves and others while shamelessly attempting to maintain your good guy persona. You continue to lie but believe you have been seeking respectful and kind dialogue. You are delusional.

Please give me a response to what that passage said in Matthew 15.
Please explain how you would not have taken Jesus' words in an overly literal way like you did with me.



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[Magenta]

Jesus said the greatest among you serves.
If you are truly a follow of Christ and desire to be the greatest by being a servant:
Give me the post number on where you specifically address these words or just quickly explain it again.
..

Respectful and kind dialogue does not mean you get to demand answers of me while you refuse to answer my questions. Do your own work.

 

[Magenta]

Please give me a response to what that passage said in Matthew 15.
Please explain how you would not have taken Jesus' words in an overly literal way like you did with me....

Overly literal? Wooden? Your desire to insult does not lend any credence to your pretense of wanting respectful and kind dialogue. In fact it just shows that you are dishonest and delusional.

 

[Bible_Highlighter]

@Bible_Highlighter they will not engage with scripture on any deeper level, the point is to control the flow of the conversation with constant superficial rebuttal, trip up the person and then follow up with ad hominem.

Yes, this appears to be their tactics, for sure.
This problem seems to be less frequent or an issue when not talking with Non-Calvinists or Anti-Free Will Proponents on other Bible issues that are controversial or important. I have talked with Calvinists since 2010/2011. Why does it always come down to personal attacks as being a problem or major issue with Calvinists? Are they not aware that Calvinist authors write books to their own people encouraging them to stop this kind of bad behavior? Of course, I will be labeled a heretic and dishonest, etc., etc.

It's like they are a mindless pitchfork mob. There is no reasoning with them.
Granted, I know there are a few that do escape this evil system or belief.

I personally think there is a reason the scripture states to "mark and avoid."

Perhaps. I would have to study that passage some more to see specifically what kind of believer this is referring to.
But you may be correct here.



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[Magenta]

If it were you in this scene instead of the Canaanite woman, you would have later rebuked Jesus for going back on what He originally said, “I am not sent but unto the lost sheep of the house of Israel,” and for telling her, “It is not meet to take the children’s bread, and to cast it to dogs.” Instead of humbling yourself as she did, you would have accused Him of contradicting His own words. You would have used these words to trap Him, get the help you needed and then turn on Him because He did not stick to His original wording that He gave you..

Projecting your sick male fantasies on to me does not help your case either.

It does seem to be a favorite tactic of yours, though.

 

[Bible_Highlighter]

Please move on.
There is nothing wrong with Magenta using her art to bring God's word to the table, just as there is nothing wrong with using God's word in a new worship song.
She uses her work both [1]to support posts that she believes are correct, and also [2]to correct posts that she believes are in error. And, in both cases, they use the very word of God to do so!
I believe that your real problem with her using the panels can be found by looking at your side note where you say: “My words are being twisted into something I never meant, simply because my biblical points cannot be refuted.”
This is not true! Her panels do refute your point by showing that God says just the opposite. It's a lot more effective than a poorly contrived comic strip.

So, why don't you try reading the message on the panel rather than being an art critic.

To be honest, metaphorically speaking, these images almost burn my eyes just looking at them. They are spiritually disturbing to my soul. The verses are often placed in a font that is not easy to read, and the artwork pulls attention away from the Scripture instead of helping someone focus on it.

My concern is not with Scripture being posted. I value Scripture. The issue is the style of artwork being attached to it. A number of the images portray women with inappropriate seductive expressions or very artificial smiles. One particular image even depicted a female angel with a halo, which is not a biblical concept. Others use mystical scenery, glowing fantasy effects, or jewelry that resembles New Age or occult symbolism. This creates a magical fairy realm atmosphere rather than something grounded in Scripture.

I am also not alone in noticing this. Another poster has expressed discomfort with her artwork as well. I believe many people in our culture have become desensitized to fantasy magic imagery and to unbiblical ideas like female angels with halos because these things are common in entertainment and media. When someone becomes used to these cultural influences, they may not see any problem when such concepts are mixed with Scripture.

However, Scripture teaches us to abstain from all appearance of evil according to 1 Thessalonians 5:22. Scripture also says, Let all things be done unto edifying in 1 Corinthians 14:26. When the artwork is visually distracting, unbiblical, or carries worldly spiritual symbolism, it does not edify. It shifts the focus away from the Word itself and introduces elements that the Bible never presents.

If the verses were placed over a waterfall, a mountain, or a simple nature scene, I would have no issue at all. But attaching God’s Word to artwork that includes seductive facial expressions, fantasy magic themes, halos, or occult looking jewelry does not reflect the holiness or purity that Scripture calls us to uphold.



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[Magenta]

fantasy magic imagery

More of your sick male projections. There are no fairies or witches in my Scripture panels.
You see what you want to. It is symptomatic of your own spiritual sickness, and the same
problem you bring to reading the Bible. You see what you want, not what is there.

 

[Magenta]

Ephesians 3 verse 7 ~ I became a servant of this gospel by the gift of God’s grace, given me through the working of His power.

 

[Bible_Highlighter]

I asked two different Ai's to give me an impartial judgment based on Scripture and it sided with my conclusion.
So, it's just not me. Believers who regard God's Word as their standard most definitely will have problem with these images because they represent a fairyland magical world. The Bible condemns any miraculous power that is not of God or approved by Him. Magic is generally associated with witchcraft, whether it be white magic or black magic. In other words, there is no such thing as good magic.



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[Magenta]

I will greatly rejoice in the LORD, my soul shall be joyful in my God; for he hath clothed me
with the garments of salvation, he hath covered me with the robe of righteousness, as a
bridegroom decketh himself with ornaments, and as a bride adorneth herself with her jewels.

 

[Bible_Highlighter]

I will greatly rejoice in the LORD, my soul shall be joyful in my God; for he hath clothed me
with the garments of salvation, he hath covered me with the robe of righteousness, as a
bridegroom decketh himself with ornaments, and as a bride adorneth herself with her jewels.

That verse is Isaiah 61:10, but when we read it in context, it is clearly speaking in a spiritual and symbolic way. It is describing salvation and righteousness using the joyful picture of a wedding day. It is not giving us any literal description of jewelry or telling us what kind of physical ornaments a bride actually wears. The imagery is meant to communicate how God clothes His people with righteousness, not to define visual styles or endorse any kind of fantasy artwork.

This is why it also needs to be read alongside 1 Peter 3:3-4, where Scripture says, Whose adorning let it not be that outward adorning of plaiting the hair and of wearing of gold or of putting on of apparel, but let it be the hidden person of the heart. In other words, Scripture shifts the focus away from outward appearance and toward inward spiritual beauty, which is precious in the sight of God.

So Isaiah 61 is spiritual and symbolic, and 1 Peter 3 reminds us that outward adornment is not the emphasis in the Christian life. That is very different from using artwork that resembles fantasy settings, mystical halos, glowing effects, or jewelry that looks New Age in style. Biblical wedding imagery does not justify artwork that distracts from Scripture or introduces unbiblical and worldly elements.

My concern has nothing to do with the Bible mentioning ornaments in a symbolic way. My concern is that the style of artwork being used in these images does not reflect the reverence or purity that Scripture calls us to uphold and instead distracts from the verses themselves.

But we can agree to disagree.

May the Lord Jesus and His good ways shine upon you today.



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[Magenta]

My concern has nothing to do with the Bible mentioning ornaments in a symbolic way. My concern is that the style of artwork being used in these images does not reflect the reverence or purity that Scripture calls us to uphold and instead distracts from the verses themselves.

Your attitude towards those you pretend to be seeking kind and respectful dialogue with, speaking
only of Scripture, belies your true intentions to continually criticize and condemn, as you have done
for days now with your sick male projections, just as you do with any who do not agree with what you
read into Scripture, telling us they have beliefs that are silly.

 

[Magenta]

Ezekiel 36 v 27 I will put my spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes, and ye shall keep my judgments, and do them.

 

[BillyBob]

I can see that you find it impossible to move on as requested:
For Example:

To be honest, metaphorically speaking, these images almost burn my eyes just looking at them.

But each time you continue down this path, it just adds to you looking foolish and weak
For Example:

A number of the images portray women with inappropriate seductive expressions or very artificial smiles.

I see this as personal problem that you should deal with. Have you consulted a therapist to help with these issues?

Magic is generally associated with witchcraft, whether it be white magic or black magic.

Reading too many comic books may result in seeing witchcraft and magic everywhere you look!

 

[Bible_Highlighter]

More of your sick male projections. There are no fairies or witches in my Scripture panels.
You see what you want to. It is symptomatic of your own spiritual sickness, and the same
problem you bring to reading the Bible. You see what you want, not what is there.

I am not saying that you intentionally created fairies or witches, nor that you consciously created fairies in your artwork. My concern was the fairyland realm atmosphere I saw in the images, not that you purposely made actual fairies.

One of the images showed a female angel with a halo. Yet the Bible never presents angels as female, and it never mentions halos. These elements naturally raise concerns for Christians who desire artwork that reflects Scripture.

As for the witch-like elements, again, you do not need to intentionally create a witch for the imagery to resemble how many of them are portrayed. Features like swirling balls of light, mystical glows, or fantasy style effects can easily give the impression of magical involvement, even if that was not your intention.



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[Magenta]

I understand that because you are entrenched in the occult and see it everywhere due your own proclivities and sick male fantasies about women that you expect everyone else to see what you see and to object to it on the same grounds that you do even when you are wrong, such as calling a single simple pearl an occult magic crystal ball or something like that, and claiming that my images are heavily laden with other occult symbolism when they're not.

 

[Bible_Highlighter]

I can see that you find it impossible to move on as requested:
For Example:

Not at all. I did use Scripture with even my post with you.

But each time you continue down this path, it just adds to you looking foolish and weak

Exposing error is never foolish or weak for a Christian. If you believe otherwise, then please show me a verse or passage that permits us to use artwork that promotes a world embracing magic alongside the display of Scripture.

I see this as personal problem that you should deal with. Have you consulted a therapist to help with these issues?

If you were an educated Christian, you would know that worldly mental therapy uses principles and philosophies that are not aligned with the Bible. But of course because you do not agree with my assessment, it must mean I have a mental problem. I am sure if you went around town with her images and asked if some of them displayed woman who had a seductive look or they displayed fake smiles, they would agree with me. As I said, another poster found these images to be disturbing and so it is not just me. So your whole narrative like is only me is simply false.

Reading too many comic books may result in seeing witchcraft and magic everywhere you look!

I actually do not read comic books very often anymore.
I was aware of this one from a long time ago when I did read them before coming to Christ.

Speaking of fiction and Calvinism:

The Force in Star Wars blends spiritual elements from Buddhism, Taoism, Zoroastrianism.
Darth Vader also represents the dark side or evil. Not sure why you chose such an avatar for yourself.
Then again, as I stated before, there are memes made by Calvinists that represent God as Darth Vader (which is deeply disturbing).
Why on Earth do they see God as Darth Vader?
This to me suggests that they are mentally sick, and the cure is going to the real Jesus of the Bible.




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[Magenta]

I can see that you find it impossible to move on as requested:
For Example:

But each time you continue down this path, it just adds to you looking foolish and weak
For Example:

I see this as personal problem that you should deal with. Have you consulted a therapist to help with these issues?

Reading too many comic books may result in seeing witchcraft and magic everywhere you look!

Clearly he has issues which he attempts to hide in his virtue signaling.

Unfortunately him and many others have a derangement syndrome.