by OnTheWayOut 171 Replies latest members adult
but realize that time wasted filling gaps with non-sense answers is time spent not learning about what is KNOWN.-adam
Filling in the gaps with God is lazy and consumes no time at all, doing a PhD in a specific chemistry field would take time, money, energy that would all be well spent and provide me with a counter argument to my at present lazier opition to fill in the gaps. Learning is great can't wait to spend the reat of my life doing it
Well, I'm not going to pick it apart. That has been done, and I am not feeling any need to do so again here.
Every reason people think they have for believing that the God of Abraham is evil, or whatever other judgments they have made against Him... is all based on them not knowing the God of Abraham. He is not a big mystery, or unknowable as some claim Him to be. You don't have to search through hundreds of thousands of words, and thousands of pages to find some hidden keys and clues. You simply have to look at Christ... to know God; the God of Abraham, Isaac, Jacob; the Most Holy One of Israel; the Father of Christ.
But you do not look at Christ. Sure, everyone has different reasons for their refusal... but it is that unwillingness (that refusal) to look at Christ to know God, that leads to their inability to to look at Christ. Because you have hardened your hearts to the point that you CANNOT look at Him; you cannot see Him.
God sent to us His Truth... but if you refuse to look at Christ to see and know God, if you look everywhere else BUT at the ONE Image God sent to us so that you COULD know Him... then you DON'T see or know God.
It really is... that simple.
But you CAN come to Christ, and know God. You can turn around and come to Christ, and so know the Truth. Because He is here; He is calling.
May anyone who wishes and anyone who thirsts hear as the Spirit and the Bride say to YOU, "Come... and take the free gift of the water of life!"
Peace to you,
tammy
So you don't believe in the Bible; can you explain exactly where you got your conception of God from, then?-Adam
Good question, gives me pause for thought. My parents are Jews and I always just believed in God. But my parents have differing beliefs, agnostic and atheist they tell me. I must have got it from school, Synagogue and friends I suppose. But I cannot fully explain where I got this concept from, no
Kate xx
Kate said-
So you don't believe in the Bible; can you explain exactly where you got your conception of God from, then?-Adam
Good question, gives me pause for thought. My parents are Jews and I always just believed in God. But my parents have differing beliefs, agnostic and atheist they tell me. I must have got it from school, Synagogue and friends I suppose. But I cannot fully explain where I got this concept from, no.
Well, that's the first step then, since you didn't just come up with the concept on your own (although independent conception of ideas, including the idea of Gods, is NOT impossible. Instead it's extremely LIKELY, since it's likely what happened a long time ago in ancient humans as consciousness emerged in the species in the the transition from earlier primate forms). It's an interesting topic which a few psychologists have tackled, eg Julian James work in 1976 on the theory of the "bicameral mind".
There's a movie made by comedian Ricky Gervais which eloquently provides a layperson explanation of the strong motivation why men might create Gods, called "The Invention of Lying", where the premise is that it's a World where no one can tell a lie except the main character (Ricky Gervais), who in trying to comfort his mother unintentionally creates a religion when the lie leaks out to others:
Defo food for thought, IMO.
Adam
Great thread title, it really suckers the reader in.
Hitchens was a bit of a pompous ass, but he really tore all of Hannity's arguments to teeny-tiny shreds.
Oubliette said-
Hitchens was a bit of a pompous ass, but he really tore all of Hannity's arguments to teeny-tiny shreds.
Yeah, but it doesn't help the cause of atheism that in the minds of the American public, atheism is being defined primarily by the likes of British like Dawkins and Hitchens, who are automatically going to be interpreted as pretentious, snooty, smug, if only by nature of their British accents (which in the minds of Americans is linked to PBS shows that feature imported BBC programming, eg 'Upstairs, Downstairs', etc).
That's why I like "The Atheist Experience", since the cable TV show out of Austin, TX features a theme of 'positive atheism', and includes a few smiling hosts who are attempting to counteract the pompous British stereotype.
http://www.atheist-experience.com/
The latest show is up (#837), and features Tracie Harris discussing something relevant to ex-JWs, post-traumatic stress of religions and intrusions of religious beliefs into the healthcare arena.
Adam
The only evidence of gods in human history is that men created them (gods) for their own self serving needs, wants and desires.
Why is it that to know about any particular god you have to investigate (look and listen) to a man or men. ?
Well in some instances rarely a woman .
But you do not look at Christ. Sure, everyone has different reasons for their refusal... but it is that unwillingness (that refusal) to look at Christ to know God, that leads to their inability to to look at Christ. Because you have hardened your hearts to the point that you CANNOT look at Him; you cannot see Him.
Does anyone want to compare that to the smugness of Dawkins or Hitchens?
I can only promise such a person that I was fully willing and opened my heart 100% and that telling me that it was a refusal and hardening of my heart that prevents me from "seeing" Him is the biggest of insults.
I don't care to go back and forth here. This may help others see why there is such passion here.
Well, that's the first step then-Adam
Is it? The first step in converting me Adam? I don't atually mind not having a explaination where I first got the concept of God from. That's in the past, and I am not into Sigmund Frued's theories of formative years. I am not really interested in psychoanalysing the forming of my beliefs.
Psychologists are a mixed bag when it comes to believing in god theories, IMO psychology isn't even a real science because all the stats are unreliable becuase there are too many variables.
The mind is an interesting topic to study, but not as interesting as chemistry to me. God put it into our minds when he created us to contemplate an intelligent creator.
Well done Adam its been fun!
Kate xx
Maybe those children in the tsunami and the earthquake REFUSED.
