Christians. and Deists.

[HVACTech]

just what is the difference between the two?

I ask this question. because the very first Love of my life. (30 years ago, married and 1000 miles away) recently contacted me.
we have begun discussing the subject of "Adultery" did we commit it. just by her contacting me?
if her, and her husband are Atheists... does this concept even apply?
when does old friends talking... become "Adultery"?

the most important question, and the reason for this post. is. what denomination, of the Christian faith... is closest to Deism?
is there one? or are they worlds apart?

[euphemia]

I don't think just talking constitutes adultery.

With that said, I think you should take care. Emotional involvement is not a good idea.

[Sola_Fide]

I don't think just talking constitutes adultery.

Obviously you don't know what constitutes adultery either. He already committed adultery in his mind before he even talked to her. Therefore he broke God's law and is condemned.

[otherone]

Obviously you don't know what constitutes adultery either. He already committed adultery in his mind before he even talked to her. Therefore he broke God's law and is condemned.

OBVIOUSLY, he already committed adultery before he was even born. Therefore he broke God's law and is condemned.

[Sola_Fide]

OBVIOUSLY, he already committed adultery before he was even born. Therefore he broke God's law and is condemned.

Hmmm. No. I'm just repeating what Jesus said. Do you believe what Jesus says?

[Dr.3D]

Obviously you don't know what constitutes adultery either. He already committed adultery in his mind before he even talked to her. Therefore he broke God's law and is condemned.

How is it you know what was on his mind before he talked with her?

Yes, he had verbal intercourse, but that's not adultery unless he was having mental intercourse with her.

Did he say he was having thoughts about having sex with her?

[lilymc]

N/m. Dr.3D already made the point.

[pcosmar]

[HVACTech]

I don't think just talking constitutes adultery.

With that said, I think you should take care. Emotional involvement is not a good idea.

thank you Love.
and I agree.

Many, many "Christians" consider "Adultery" to be a "Thought crime". this is 'Biblical" they say.
as a Deist, I am not so sure as they.
right now, she needs me as a "pen pal". a male friend to talk to... is the way that I see it.
and when she talks French, there is no harm and no foul. if I play along.

if the "Christians" find out about this. they will hang us high.
she cried when I alerted her to this fact of life.

[Superfluous Man]

just what is the difference between the two?

I ask this question. because the very first Love of my life. (30 years ago, married and 1000 miles away) recently contacted me.
we have begun discussing the subject of "Adultery" did we commit it. just by her contacting me?
if her, and her husband are Atheists... does this concept even apply?
when does old friends talking... become "Adultery"?

the most important question, and the reason for this post. is. what denomination, of the Christian faith... is closest to Deism?
is there one? or are they worlds apart?

They are worlds apart.

[HVACTech]

How is it you know what was on his mind before he talked with her?

Yes, he had verbal intercourse, but that's not adultery unless he was having mental intercourse with her.

Did he say he was having thoughts about having sex with her?

I am deeply offended Sir.
thou art has accused me of $#@!ing her mind.

[Matt Collins]

Back to the better point of this thread....



Deism is more of the view that God is a libertarian; it's not a coincidence that the age of reason produced deism and that many of the founders were deists.

[hells_unicorn]

I'm going to answer each question individually since many of them require lengthy responses.

just what is the difference between the two?

Deists have their own ideas about what god actually is, they reject the concept of both The Trinity (hence also Christ's divine nature and its distinction from The Father) and special revelation, which means that they don't view scripture as divinely inspired. Deists are essentially partakers of what is called "natural religion", everything derives from the Light of Nature and their own reason. Christians see a specific necessity for special revelation, citing both an inability in man's present estate to properly comprehend both nature and God, consequently Christ's function goes beyond that of a mere historical figure/teacher. This leads to a very different attitude regarding issues such as sin, evil, forgiveness and redemption.

I ask this question. because the very first Love of my life. (30 years ago, married and 1000 miles away) recently contacted me.
we have begun discussing the subject of "Adultery" did we commit it. just by her contacting me?

If you are speaking of adultery in the abstract, as a subject of education or moral reflection, you are not committing an outward or an inward infraction, but you are potentially putting yourself in a position to do so if you are speaking on this subject with someone that you may still be harboring desires towards. If you are not personally musing over the idea of lusting after her, there is no infraction, and if she is doing so, it only applies to you if you reciprocate.

if her, and her husband are Atheists... does this concept even apply?

The subjective opinions of any person are irrelevant in these matters, just like your personal opinions about the toxic nature of arsenic is irrelevant when it is coursing through your digestive tract. Marriage is a creation-bound covenant, the breaking of it applies to every single human being. You won't see the results of going down the road of infidelity in as immediate and extreme of a way, even if just as a passing fancy in your own imagination, but trust me, if you harbor any affinity with the Christian faith or not, this applies. Claiming to be a Christian and doing so would make one further guilty by compounding the sin with hypocrisy.

when does old friends talking... become "Adultery"?

The minute that you first start harboring fantasies about non-platonic encounters with her. Mind you, if you've had these thoughts and then later put them out of your mind and repent, you've alleviated the temporal problem, though addressing your issues of unbelief regarding the Christian faith are essential to alleviating the eternal implications.

the most important question, and the reason for this post. is. what denomination, of the Christian faith... is closest to Deism?
is there one? or are they worlds apart?

Deism is irreconcilable with the Christian faith. There are certain sectarians among the radically reformed such as Socinians and Unitarians that are close, but they've rejected the gospel message and do not qualify as Christian. I will state that there is a small degree of affinity between the way that Deism treats reason and the way the Reformed and Presbyterian Churches employ reason on a number of topics (particularly on matters of Light of Nature), but becoming Reformed would involve subordinating your own rationalism tendencies to special revelation, specifically regarding Christ's Godhood and his function as the destroyer of sin. The best way to put it is as such: Reformed Christianity is rational, but it is not rationalistic, and that distinction is an infinite chasm that can not be bridged without God's sovereign grace.

If you ever come to a place where you have a personal epiphany or revelation that leads you to accept the Gospel (this happened to me about 10 years ago), understand that it was due to something outside of both yourself and your control, but after receiving it, you are thence duty-bound to improve upon what is given to you and make your calling in election sure.

P.S. - Deists believe in a god that supposedly loved the world enough to make it, but not enough to attend to it. Deism has more in common with Islam than it does with Christianity.

[heavenlyboy34]

I'm going to answer each question individually since many of them require lengthy responses.



Deists have their own ideas about what god actually is, they reject the concept of both The Trinity (hence also Christ's divine nature and its distinction from The Father) and special revelation, which means that they don't view scripture as divinely inspired. Deists are essentially partakers of what is called "natural religion", everything derives from the Light of Nature and their own reason. Christians see a specific necessity for special revelation, citing both an inability in man's present estate to properly comprehend both nature and God, consequently Christ's function goes beyond that of a mere historical figure/teacher. This leads to a very different attitude regarding issues such as sin, evil, forgiveness and redemption.



If you are speaking of adultery in the abstract, as a subject of education or moral reflection, you are not committing an outward or an inward infraction, but you are potentially putting yourself in a position to do so if you are speaking on this subject with someone that you may still be harboring desires towards. If you are not personally musing over the idea of lusting after her, there is no infraction, and if she is doing so, it only applies to you if you reciprocate.



The subjective opinions of any person are irrelevant in these matters, just like your personal opinions about the toxic nature of arsenic is irrelevant when it is coursing through your digestive tract. Marriage is a creation-bound covenant, the breaking of it applies to every single human being. You won't see the results of going down the road of infidelity in as immediate and extreme of a way, even if just as a passing fancy in your own imagination, but trust me, if you harbor any affinity with the Christian faith or not, this applies. Claiming to be a Christian and doing so would make one further guilty by compounding the sin with hypocrisy.



The minute that you first start harboring fantasies about non-platonic encounters with her. Mind you, if you've had these thoughts and then later put them out of your mind and repent, you've alleviated the temporal problem, though addressing your issues of unbelief regarding the Christian faith are essential to alleviating the eternal implications.



Deism is irreconcilable with the Christian faith. There are certain sectarians among the radically reformed such as Socinians and Unitarians that are close, but they've rejected the gospel message and do not qualify as Christian. I will state that there is a small degree of affinity between the way that Deism treats reason and the way the Reformed and Presbyterian Churches employ reason on a number of topics (particularly on matters of Light of Nature), but becoming Reformed would involve subordinating your own rationalism tendencies to special revelation, specifically regarding Christ's Godhood and his function as the destroyer of sin. The best way to put it is as such: Reformed Christianity is rational, but it is not rationalistic, and that distinction is an infinite chasm that can not be bridged without God's sovereign grace.

If you ever come to a place where you have a personal epiphany or revelation that leads you to accept the Gospel (this happened to me about 10 years ago), understand that it was due to something outside of both yourself and your control, but after receiving it, you are thence duty-bound to improve upon what is given to you and make your calling in election sure.

P.S. - Deists believe in a god that supposedly loved the world enough to make it, but not enough to attend to it. Deism has more in common with Islam than it does with Christianity.

This^^ It's also Jefferson's view-which is why I find it odd TJ is widely condiered to be "Christian".