by Old Navy 37 Replies latest watchtower bible
science (at least natural one) cannot answer is there a God or not - btlc
That is only true if you define god so vaguely as to say almost nothing about her.
As soon as christians come clean and admit they are talking about an omnipotent, imminent, creator god we can prove beyond all reasonable doubt that she does not exist.
This is precisely why christians take false refuge in theoretical physics.
IF GOD IS BEYOND THE REACH OF SCIENCE - and the scientific methods...
Then HOW possibly could he INTERACT with ANYTHING in the Universe.
If he can INTERACT in any way with anything in the universe - then he would be detectable by science.
Unless of course, he was like a leprechaun! Then my argument crumbles.
What fetid dingo's kidney would give Douglas Adams a "-1"?
"I refuse to prove that I exist," says God, "for proof denies faith, and without faith I am nothing."
I am a BIG Douglas Adams fan!
That being said, this doesn't apply to the Jewish concept of God because "faith" is a Christian concept. As a Jew I don't have faith in God's existence, neither do I believe that God exists.
At the same time I very much accept the reality of the God of Abraham. Most Jews will also say similar things, saying no to faith and belief. Perhaps they might even stop short of the claim of "real" as well. And yet you will find that these same Jews pray. There are atheist Jews who are Torah observant and pray too.
What you won't find are agnostics in Judaism. Weird, huh? How does that work?
The concept of the God of Abraham is very different in Judaism. It is an Eastern concept and a form of monotheistic thought that has evolved for 2000 years longer than static Christianity's view of God.
Some ex-JWs who become atheists often carry over their religious ignorance with them and apply their limited views from the Watchtower, a Western and very Gentile, Christian religion, to a Middle-Eastern Religio-culture with a very complex and evolving theology.
What you're trying to say might make you sound uneducated to some. My atheist friends who are not and never have come from religious backgrounds refer to ex-JWs atheists as "narrow atheists." It means their arguments are only limited to Western theology.
There are reasons why Judaism is a monotheistic religion. Since we don't make converts, have no interest in doing so, and I am not here to attempt that, if you want to know more and why, I am sure you can find a local temple or synagogue and educate yourself.
Otherwise, every time you apply Christian theology to something I said about Judaism, I will point out how much it belies any claim you might make to being a critical thinker or know what you are talking about. (But I know you better than that. You quoted Douglas Adams, so you're ok I'm my book.)
Besides, who has to have faith or belief in anything that is real? If I went to my rabbi and said, "Help me, rabbi, I am having doubts that my wife exists. My faith in her existence is fading." I'm sure my rabbi would send me to the funny farm. If you are certain someone is real, why do you have to faith in their existence in the first place?
Sir82, I actually appreciated your comments and gave them a thumbs up. But make sure you know that Mr. Adams was speaking of Christianity. I was speaking of Judaism. Jews actually demand proof of God...but that's another story which, like I said, you need to take to your local temple if you need more info.
On Christianity,
The late Martin Gardner embraced fideism (If I'm not mistaken) and Jane Goodall is open and honest that her belief is, at the end of the day, a gut feeling.
I don't understand the need to prove the existence of God (again, in Christianity..)
The existence of something can often be inferred by the evidence left in other media, like traces of particles in cloud chambers, stone fossils filling past organic voids, signatures left on artwork.
A case can be made that there might be non-biblical messages from a creator, who is distancing himself from meddling creatures like us,
A case can be made that there might be non-biblical messages from a creator,
Go on then...
The video is just mumbo jumbo for believers to say "Yeah, that's right."
It implies the Bible got it right when it said "Let there be light" first, before all other things. But the Bible actually said "In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth" before mentioning light. It just gets worse after that.
"IF GOD IS BEYOND THE REACH OF SCIENCE - and the scientific methods...Then HOW possibly could he INTERACT with ANYTHING in the Universe. If he can INTERACT in any way with anything in the universe - then he would be detectable by science."
Biblically speaking, the answer is God is transcendent as well as omnipotent. So what is not possible for man is possible with God, whether we understand it, subscribe to it or not. We might not have the tools to prove or interact with God, but He certainly can choose to speak to our spirits, perform miracles, heal, raise the dead etc.
He certainly can choose to speak to our spirits, perform miracles, heal, raise the dead etc.
Except that he doesn't.
